| Map 40 • Uptown | |
Uptown
Map 40
An uneasy truce exists in Uptown amongst Starbucks-hopping yuppies and the perpetually displaced poor. Gentrification is slowly creeping into Uptown as condos and super chains like Target pop up, but be wary of where you are, block to block. Uptown boasts several milestones of Chicago history including still operational Green Mill and the Uptown Theatre, currently in renovation. Graceland Cemetery is a pretty walk for those who don’t mind the morbid. The landmark is full of elaborate mausoleums, the final resting place of the men and women who built the Second City.
Landmarks
• Aragon Ballroom • 1106 W Lawrence Ave
773-561-9500
One of the better smaller music venues in the city.
• Essanay Studios • 1333 W Argyle St
773-878-4593
Former movie studio. Charlie Chaplin and Gloria Swanson made movies here.
• Graceland Cemetery • 4001 N Clark St
773-525-1105
Chicago’s famous buried in a masterpiece of landscape architecture.
• Green Mill • 4802 N Broadway St
773-878-5552
Live jazz seven nights a week. Capone drank here.
• Montrose Dog Beach •
W Wilson Ave & N Simonds Dr
Fun and frolic with your pup.
• St. Augustine College • 1333 W Argyle St
773-878-8756
Episcopalian bilingual training school occupying original headquarters of Essanay Studios, where Chaplin, Broco Billy, and Swanson made films before moving to Southern CA.
• St. Boniface Cemetery • 4901 N Clark St
773-561-2790
Historic gravestones in a scenic cemetery.
• Uptown Theatre • 4816 N Broadway
An acre of seats in a magic city.
Nightlife
• The Bar on Buena • 910 W Buena Ave
773-525-8665
Microbrews and tasty burgers in this plush neighborhood café.
• Big Chicks • 5024 N Sheridan Rd
773-728-5511
Friendly gay bar with fabulous art collection.
• Carol’s Pub • 4659 N Clark St
773-334-2402
Hillbillies gone yuppie…thanks to a little press.
• Crew Bar • 4804 N Broadway St
773-784-2739
Gay sports bar with 50 beers and several televisions, or vice versa.
• Drink and Ink • 4443 N Broadway St
773-989-4077
Watch live feed video of in-house tattooing from your bar stool.
• Green Mill • 4802 N Broadway St
773-878-5552
Chicago legend…and birthplace of the poetry slam.
• Hopleaf • 5148 N Clark St
773-334-9851
Tons of imports if you can get a seat.
• Konak • 5150 N Clark St
773-271-6688
Overflow option for when Hopleaf is too packed, which means always.
• The Long Room • 1612 W Irving Park Rd
773-665-4500
Yes, it’s long, but not as long as you might think.
• Max’s Place • 4621 N Clark St
773-784-3864
At $1.25 per draft, who wouldn’t pass out?
• The Sofo Tap • 4923 N Clark St
773-784-7636
Friendly boy’s bar by owner of T’s.
• Uptown Lounge • 1136 W Lawrence Ave
773-878-1136
Former dump becomes trendy lounge in up-and-coming neighborhood.
Restaurants
• 42 Grams • 4662 N Broadway St
$$$$$
Intimate dinner party for the prix fixe budget.
• Agami • 4712 N Broadway St
773-506-1845 • $$$
Swanky sushi.
• Anna Maria Pasteria • 4400 N Clark St
773-506-2662 • $$
Cute, neighborhood Italian, casual date spot.
• Bongo Room • 5022 N Clark St
773-728-7900 • $$
Brunch worth the wait. Really.
• Carmela’s Taqueria • 1206 W Lawrence Ave
773-275-5321 • $
Above average al pastor (for the northside).
• Demera • 4801 N Broadway St
773-334-8787 • $$
Neighborhood Ethiopian.
• Furama • 4936 N Broadway St
773-271-1161 • $$
Dim sum with karaoke.
• Hai Yen • 1055 W Argyle St
773-561-4077 • $$
Chinese and veggie pho.
• Hot “G” Dog • 5009 N Clark St
773-209-3360 • $
To fill the void left by Hot Doug’s.
• Inspiration Kitchens • 4715 N Sheridan Rd
773-275-0626 • $
Uptown café provides job training for the homeless.
• Iyanze • 4623 N Broadway St
773-944-1417 • $$
Spacious pan-African from folks who brought us Lakeview’s Bolat.
• Joy Yee’s Noodles • 1465 W Irving Park
773 281-2318 • $
Huge pan-Asian menu and the best Thai iced teas around.
• Le’s Pho • 4925 N Broadway St
773-784-8723 • $
Vietnamese soup for beginners and veterans alike.
• Magnolia Café • 1224 W Wilson Ave
773-728-8785 • $$
American bistro.
• Mixteco Grill • 1601 W Montrose Ave
773-868-1601 • $$
BYOB at this tasty, stand out Mexican Grill by a Frontera alum.
• Palace Gate • 4548 N Magnolia Ave
773-769-1793 • $$
True blue Ghanaian grub.
• Pho 777 • 1065 W Argyle St
773-561-9909 • $
Try the tripe.
• Real Kitchen • 1433 W Montrose Ave
773-281-2888 • $
Mini café featuring gourmet food made with love, from scratch.
• Siam Noodle & Rice • 4654 N Sheridan Rd
773-769-6694 • $
Damn fine Thai food.
• Silver Seafood • 4829 N Broadway St
773-784-0668 • $
Asian delights from the sea.
• Sun Wah BBQ • 5039 N Broadway St
773-769-1254 • $$
Notable for the barbequed ducks hanging in the window.
• Tac Quick • 3930 N Sheridan Rd
773-327-5253 • $$
Cheap and delicious. Thai-language menu available for the adventurous.
• Taqueria Caminos de Michoacan •
3948 N Sheridan Rd
773-296-9709 • $
No ambiance, bad Mexican soap operas, incredibly delicious regional Mexican food.
• Thai Pastry • 4925 N Broadway St
773-784-5399 • $
Free pastry with every order!
• Tiztal Cafe • 4631 N Clark St
773-271-4631 • $
Chilaquiles and oatmeal shakes.
• Tweet • 5020 N Sheridan Rd
773-728-5576 • $$
Gourmet food without pretension.
Uptown’s nightlife is lively, chock full of shiny new bars as well as reliable old standbys. Green Mill (famous for live jazz, Big Band Thursdays, and Sunday night poetry slams) and Big Chicks (a favored, gay neighborhood bar with great art) have long drawn folks to Uptown. Bar on Buena is justifiably renowned for their beer menus and flights, and Bongo Room’s brunch is worth the wait.
Shopping
• Baan Home • 5053 N Clark St
773-905-1228
Thai home decor and art.
• Baker and Nosh • 1303 Wilson Ave
773-989-7393
Bread made by hand fresh daily and coffee.
• Foursided • 5061 N Clark St
773-506-8300
Framing and more at this funky shop.
• La Patisserie P • 1052 W Argyle St
773-878-3226
The Euro-Asian bakery of your dreams.
• Milk Handmade • 5137 N Clark St
773-234-7053
Fashion forward, handmade, AND affordable? A first time for everything.
• Shake Rattle and Read Book Box •
4812 N Broadway St
773-334-5311
Funky used bookstore, great finds, but cluttered.
• Tai Nam Market • 4925 N Broadway St
773-275-5666
Vietnamese. Very good.
• Tattoo Factory • 4441 N Broadway St
773-989-4077
High-profile place to get inked.
• Transistor • 3819 N Clark St
773-642-9539
Electronic music CDs & equipment, art books, sleek and shiny.
• Unique Thrift Store • 4445 N Sheridan Rd
773-275-8623
Half-price Mondays.
• Uptown Bikes • 4653 N Broadway St
773-728-5212
Cool, grungy bike shop.
• Village Discount Outlet • 4898 N Clark St
866-545-3836
Tons of clothes and weekly specials.
• The Wooden Spoon • 5047 N Clark St
773-293-3190
Heaven for foodies.