NAME: Amara

AGE: 29

RESIDENCE: Chicago

Q: Favourite Event?

A: My favourite event is the Silver & Black Party. It’s an outdoor event that happens in July and it’s a community fundraiser (Block Party). It usually takes place on Milwaukee & Potomac. There’s dancers, live music, and art. It brings out a lot of members from Chicago’s creative community. It’s always a good time.

Q: Best night of the week to go out?

A: Tuesdays & Thursdays. You can avoid a lot of the crowd that way, but then again if you’re visiting you probably want the crowds. But for the locals the best nights are during the week. Two spots that I recommend that people check out are Rodan & People Lounge. They’re bars/food spots, the perfect spots to grab a drink and listen to good music with some good company.

Q: Best spot to eat?

A: Oh, definitely Cumin. It’s a little pricey but it’s sooo good. It’s Nepalese/Indian Food. Not your typical Chicago food experience, but it’s definitely worth checking out.

NAME: Jeremy

AGE: Late 20′s

RESIDENCE: Chicago

Q: What’s one thing that everybody should experience while visiting Chicago?

A:

Everybody needs to check out ‘To Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind’. It’s an improv show that’s done by the Neo-Futurist. It’s a long reigning show that has 30 premises and they change it up every show. So it’s always a new experience. Their skits are hilarious and they’re really relatable. You will not leave disappointed.

Q: Favourite Bar?

A:

I like Beechwood. It’s a bar in the Wicker Park area. It’s a bit of the radar, so you can always get a seat. They serve cheap stiff drinks, so it’s really good place to start of the night.

Q: Favourite Street?

A:

Check out Sedgwick Street – It’s walkable and it’s also very scenic. It’s also a little bourgeois but it’s still around a lot of things.

NAME: Mariah (pictured right)

Age: 20′s

Residence: Chicago

Q: What’s your favourite street in Chicago?

A:
State Street – It’s downtown. You can do a lot of shopping on State street and basically everything you would ever need is there.

Q: Favourite festival in Chicago?

A:
My favourite festival would have to be the House Music Festival. It’s a really good vibe, just people bugging out to good music. I also like Taste of Chicago. It’s great because you can taste everything that Chicago is known for in one place. And there’s a lot of free entertainment and live acts as well.

Q: Favourite place to eat?

A:
Loooooove Bongo Room. Everybody needs to check out Bongo Room. It’s a brunch spot and they serve RED VELVET PANCAKES, yes, Red Velvet Pancakes! It’s so good.

Another spot I like is Harold’s Chicken Shack. They serve up some great chicken, and pretty much everything on their menu is delish.

NAME: Charlie

AGE: 30′s

RESIDENCE: Chicago

Q: What’s one thing that everybody must see?

A:

The Planetarium. It’s free, you can ride your bike down there (or take public trans.) and check out the scenery. It’s beautiful and serene and it doesn’t feel like you’re in the city.

Q: Late night eats?

A:

Check out Big Star it’s open til 3am in the morning. The Margaritas are awesome and they serve some really good tacos.

Q: Favourite event/festival?

A:

The Wicker Park festival. They shut down the whole neighbourhood and all the vendors are out in the street. There’s a lot of good music and it’s great for people watching. Just a really good time overall.

NAME: Nate

AGE: 20′s

RESIDENCE: Chicago

Q: Best areas for shopping?

A:

Best areas for shopping is Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, and the Goldcast. Google map those areas. Oh, also one of the best places to shop is a store called Vividbraille. It’s a great store for tastemakers.

Q: Best places to meet people in Chicago?

A:

The best places to meet people in Chicago are the various museums in Chicago, like the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Art Institute, and The Dusable Museum. The Bar scene is also a great way to meet people, bars like Danny’s, Crocodile Lounge, and Ohm. In the summertime, the many festivals throughout Chicago are also good places to meet interesting people.

Q: Best places to eat?

A:

The best places to go for Vegans/Vegetarians is Native Foods, Chicago Diner and Karyn’s Cooked. For meat lovers you want to go to Topolobampo (gourmet mexican resto), and Giordanos or Lou Malnatis for some Chicagoan pizza.

NAME: Christian

AGE: 23

RESIDENCE: Chicago

Q: When is the best time to visit Chicago?

A:

Most people would say the Summer, because you get saturated with the Chicago goodness. Chicagoans comes out to play in the summer, and people are much more friendly. But personally, I prefer autumn. Everyone looks stellar in the fall. The city is more calm, and it’s more everyday Chicago.

Q: Best places to dance?

A:

Chicago loves to step and juke. When you’re here you have to try to go to House of Pluto. It’s a seasonal party that rotates venues. So you’re going to have to ask around to find out when and where it’s happening. But they have two DJs that are fly as hell. DJ Jean Shorts & Smooth and Delicious. It’s hands down the most amazing time!

Another event you should try is the The Mashup at Rodan, and check out Danny’s any day of the week.

Q: Favourite Festival?

A:

Greenfest – They feature a lot of cool bands, and it’s usually super cheap. I really identify with the type of culture that comes with that festival. I like that they just don’t give a f$%*.

Northcoast – Brings in some super cool hip hop acts at a good price. It’s happens every year in Union Park. And it’s a mixture of underground and overground artist.