| Map 44 • East Lakeview | |
East Lakeview
Map 44
A.K.A. Boystown thanks to its highly visible gay community, East Lakview is brimming with great shopping and dining. The Chicago summer festival season piques in Boystown with the annual Pride Parade and the equally flamboyant Halsted Street Market Days. The neighborhood quiets down a bit in the beautiful gray- and brownstone-lined blocks south of Belmont.
Landmarks
• Belmont Harbor • 3600 Recreation Dr
312-742-7673
Home to the Chicago Yacht Club sailing school.
• Totem Pole • 3600 N Lake Shore Dr
Where did it come from? Why is it there? Nobody knows.
Nightlife
• Bridget McNeill’s • 420 W Belmont Ave
773-248-6654
A fun hangout and godsend for those living along the lake.
• Charlie’s Chicago • 3726 N Broadway St
773-871-8887
Gay country and western bar. That’s right.
• The Closet • 3325 N Broadway St
773-477-8533
Boy-friendly lesbian bar, 4 am license.
• Compass Bar • 433 W Diversey Pkwy
773-248-3230
Take your pick on the massive brew list.
• DryHop Brewers • 3155 N Broadway St
773-857-3155
In-house brews, local collaborations, and elevated bar food.
• Duke of Perth • 2913 N Clark St
773-477-1741
Shades of Edinburgh, along with requisite whiskies and haddock.
• F. O’Mahony’s • 3701 N Broadway St
773-549-0226
Food when you need it (late!) and a seasonal menu.
• Friar Tuck • 3010 N Broadway St
773-327-5101
Enter through a barrel. Yup, a barrel.
• Hydrate • 3458 N Halsted St
773-975-9244
Just what Boystown needs—a gay-friendly fern bar!
• Kit Kat Lounge • 3700 N Halsted St
773-525-1111
Live drag queen shows.
• Little Jim’s • 3501 N Halsted St
773-871-6116
Halsted Street gay dive.
• minibar • 3339 N Halsted St
773-871-6227
Fancy cocktails in a smoke-free lounge.
• Monsignor Murphy’s • 3019 N Broadway St
773-348-7285
Irish pub with plenty of board games.
• Progress Bar • 3359 N Halsted St
773-697-9268
Boystown bar featuring visual lighting installation.
• Rocks Lakeview • 3463 N Broadway St
773-472-0493
Microbrews, good whisky list, and excellent bar food.
• Roscoe’s • 3356 N Halsted St
773-281-3355
Cavernous mingling for the gay sweater set.
• Sidetrack • 3349 N Halsted St
773-477-9189
Popular showtune sing-a-longs!
• Town Hall Pub • 3340 N Halsted St
773-472-4405
Unassuming, mixed clientele, live music.
• Wilde • 3130 N Broadway St
773-244-0404
Classy bar for bookish set.
Restaurants
• Angelina Ristorante • 3561 N Broadway St
773-935-5933 • $$$
Casual, romantic Italian.
• Ann Sather • 3415 N Broadway St
773-305-0024 • $
Airy branch of local comfort food chain.
• The Bagel • 3107 N Broadway St
773-477-0300 • $
Great deli fare.
• Bobtail Soda Fountain • 2951 N Broadway St
773-880-7372 • $
Norman Rockwell would be proud.
• Bow Truss Coffee • 2934 N Broadway St
773-857-1361 • $
In-house roasting.
• The Chicago Diner • 3411 N Halsted St
773-935-6696 • $$
A vegetarian institution.
• Chilam Balam • 3023 N Broadway St
773-296-6901 • $$
Yummy organic, small plate Mexican.
• Clark Street Dog • 3040 N Clark St
773-281-6690 • $
24-hour hot dogs and cheese fries.
• Falafill • 3202 N Broadway
773-525-0052 • $
Streamlined veggie-friendly falafel stand.
• Flub A Dub Chub’s • 3021 N Broadway St
773-857-6500 • $
Hot dogs Chicago-style. No ketchup.
• Half Shell • 676 W Diversey Pkwy
773-549-1773 • $$$
Casual raw bar.
• HB • 3404 N Halsted St
773-661-0299 • $$$
Nice date spot for upscale comfort food.
• Jack’s on Halsted • 3201 N Halsted St
773-244-9191 • $$$$
Great wine list.
• Joy’s Noodles & Rice • 3257 N Broadway St
773-327-8330 • $$
Standard noodles, soup, or fried rice; impressively simple.
• Kuma’s Too • 666 W Diversey Pkwy
773-472-2666 • $$
A second outpost for Chicago’s most sought after burgers.
• La Creperie • 2845 N Clark St
773-528-9050 • $$
Live French music. Shabby, but cute.
• New Tokyo • 3139 N Broadway St
773-248-1193 • $$
Reasonably priced sushi and BYOB at this cozy Japanese spot.
• Nookies Tree • 3334 N Halsted St
773-248-9888 • $
24-hour diner.
• Paciugo • 3241 N Broadway
773-248-8433 • $
What’s better than creamy gelato handcrafted daily? Nothing.
• Ping Pong • 3322 N Broadway St
773-281-7575 • $$$
Always busy BYOB, hit or miss Asian fusion.
• Sandwich Me In • 3037 N Clark St
773-348-3037 • $
Eco-conscious sandwich shop.
• Stella’s Diner • 3042 N Broadway St
773-472-9040 • $
Can you say diner?
• Wakamono • 3317 N Broadway St
773-296-6800 • $$
Sushi and Japanese small plates.
• Yoshi’s Café • 3257 N Halsted St
773-248-6160 • $$$
Franco-Japanese fusion.
East Lakeview’s nightlife is unquestionably the most fun you’ll have in the city. Dining options run the gauntlet from ultra chic to comfortably casual. The neighborhood is stacked with gay nightclubs and bars like Roscoe’s and Sidetrack. No Saturday night visit to Boystown is complete without a drag show. You’ll go (Lady) Gaga for the queens at the Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club. Parking is rough in this busy borough, but it’s a cinch to hail a cab at any hour.
Shopping
• Akira • 643 W Diversey Pkwy
773-649-9257
High fashion for wannabe Eurotrash.
• Andrea Vangna • 3341 N Broadway St
773-525-6199
Custom-tailored menswear.
• Bookman’s Corner • 2959 N Clark St
773-929-8298
Chicago’s most surprising bookstore, last of a dying breed.
• Century Shopping Centre • 2828 N Clark St
773-929-8100
Most notable occupants include the cinema and Bally’s Fitness.
• Gramaphone Records • 2843 N Clark St
773-472-3683
DJ’s shop here for the latest wax.
• Halo • 654 W Diversey Pkwy
773-248-4256
Hip men’s haircare.
• Hollywood Mirror • 812 W Belmont Ave
773-404-2044
Vintage clothes and kitschy doo-dads.
• Johnny Sprockets • 3001 N Broadway
773-244-1079
Catering to all your bicycle needs.
• Kozy’s Cyclery • 3712 N Halsted St
773-281-2263
East Lakeview branch of Chicago bike chain.
• Milk & More • 702 W Diversey Pkwy
773-281-6455
Small yet mighty grocer, amazing quality; also good for browsing.
• Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine •
2945 N Broadway St
773-472-4781
One of Chicago’s favorite cheese shops. Start your picnic here.
• Ragstock • 812 W Belmont Ave
773-868-9263
Vintage resale and trendy off-price clothes.
• Rainbow Flowers • 2917 N Broadway St
773-248-7272
Fresh flowers: necessary to get through a Chicago winter.
• Reckless Records • 3126 N Broadway St
773-404-5080
Oldies and new releases on vinyl.
• Spare Parts • 2947 N Broadway St
773-525-4242
Cool bags, purses, and man purses.
• Tulip Toy Gallery • 3459 N Halsted St
773-975-1515
Woman-owned, inviting sex paraphenalia shop.
• Unabridged Bookstore • 3251 N Broadway St
773-883-9119
Helpful bookstore with great travel, kids, and gay sections.
• Windy City Sweets • 3308 N Broadway St
773-477-6100
Old-fashioned candy shop with homemade fudge.