This used to be the landmark 708 Club, one of the birthplaces of the Chicago blues. It was here that the instruments and style that defined the highly-charged electrified blues really came together. Read more.
In the 1920’s, this is where you’d come strut your stuff as music poured from nightclubs. The Meyers Ace Hardware store used to be the Sunset Café, a legendary jazz club where Louis Armstrong played. Read more.
One of the most important sites in blues history, nearly every blues great passed through here when it was home to Chess Records. The building now houses the Blues Heaven Foundation. Read more.
Situated on this stretch of the former ‘record row,’ Vee-Jay Records was the largest, most successful R&B label of its time, and recorded blues greats like Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker and others. Read more.
Maxwell Street was once home to a bustling street market, and a place to hear many of the first great blues musicians, new arrivals from the South who would set up at a street corner and jam. Read more.
Two granite blocks mark the former spot of the Illinois Central Depot, or the Black Ellis Island, where 1000s of southern African Americans arrived to start new lives in Chicago - the Promised Land. Read more.
The Noble-Seymour-Crippen House dates to 1833. It was a farm house. It's now home to the Norwood Park Historical Society. The house is open to visitors on Saturday afternoons or by appointment. Read more.
The Norwood Park Outdoor Pool is a great place to cool off in the steamy summer months.Lounge, splash down the park’s water slide, or dog paddle as you enjoy Chicago’s sunny summer days. Read more.
A local favorite for a leisurely stroll. Featuring 1.75 miles of brick paths, it's a great place to relax after a filling meal at Lou's on Jefferson.
Our pick: the 4B burger - BBQ sauce, creamy blue cheese, applewood-smoked bacon and topped with a hand-breaded onion ring. For the ultimate meal, add a date shake.
Try the cabernet burger topped with balsamic-dressed greens, reduced caramelized onions, smoky bacon, Swiss cheese and house-made onion aioli.
Go for the signature Zinburger, a meaty masterpiece with melty Manchego cheese and Zinfandel-braised onions. Add a thick, frosty strawberry cheesecake shake. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurant. Read more.
Try the lychee saketo - a combination of sake and mojito - with muddled, mint, lychee juice and sake. Sit inside; no alcohol is served on the patio. Read more.
Secret of the house: the mezzanine. Tucked upstairs, this intimate space is perfect for a quiet get together. Selected as a 2010 Best New Restaurant. Read more.
This is vegetarian, vegan and raw food done right. Try the Lumberjack sandwich or the raw buckwheat crispies parfait capped in fruit, berries and cashew cream. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurants. Read more.
Try the whole, char-grilled shisito peppers and pair them with a Basil Julep made of whiskey, fresh herb and angostura bitters. Read more.
Try the chicken meatballs with truffle jus or the lobster with corn and Serrano ham. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurant. Read more.
Try Mia's homemade pancakes, an El Jefe omelet or the Tunisian grilled vegetable salad. If you require lots of caffeine, you'll love the Iced Toddy. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurant. Read more.
Salad lovers will flip over the smoky grilled romaine salad. For dessert, indulge in miniature fried donut rings with warm butterscotch dipping sauce. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurant. Read more.
Secret of the house: call chef Sicolo directly at 602-955-6600 to arrange dinner on the roof or in the kitchen. The patio is also a great option and one of the most attractive in the city. Read more.
Try the crispy rock shrimp with jalapeno tartar and wash it down with a Sundowner, a thirst-quenching mix of Aperol and Gruet bubbles with a lemon twist. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurant. Read more.
Look for chef Beau MacMillan's fun, off-the-menu surprises, such as freshly baked cookies to finish lunch and specialty noshes after 10 p.m. Named a 2010 Best New Restaurant (Best Reinvention) Read more.
Named one of the 2010 Best New Restaurants. Try the pork belly Cubano. Don't skip the skillet of hot, gooey apple monkey bread. Order it when your entree arrives, as it's baked to order. Read more.
The concept of this store is simple and self explanatory. Keep in mind that the store is open...sometimes.
A giant oak library counter and antique card catalogs make it feel like a study, appropriate since Greer is exclusively devote to exquisite stationary, journals and pens.
Devoted to antiques and up-and-coming furniture and industrial designers, it sits in a warehouse-size space but feels thoroughly intimate, thanks to expertly arranged mini areas.
Within the store's eccentric selection, you can stumble upon an array of furs and beautiful dresses.
Known for its affordable cornucopia of clothes, the shop hosts fun midnight sales that attract flocks of fashionable people.
It bursts with glamorous gold jewelry, silk dresses and sultry perfume bottles.
