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Chicago, United States
Photo: Marc Heiden - User: (WT-shared) Gorilla Jones at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Far Northwest Side of Chicago includes the neighborhoods of Avondale and the Polish Village (Jackowo and Wacławowo), with large Polish communities; Irving Park and Old Irving, quiet areas with historic homes; and Forest Glen, Jefferson Park, Norwood Park, Edison Park, Edgebrook, Dunning, and Portage Park, residential areas which have nice parks, old theaters, and some big annual festivals.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
A massive 1910 Prairie School masterpiece by Dwight Perkins, possibly the biggest example of the architectural style, and still a working high school. It's an impressive sight.
A Polish Cultural Center in Jefferson Park, housed in the old Gateway Theater movie palace. They host community events and classes throughout the year; highlights include the Taste of Polonia in September.
Beloved local park with seasonal concerts and seven acres of outdoor fun, including fields for baseball, football, soccer, and tennis, as well as a swimming pool and a spray pool. The Jeff Fest is held every summer.
Another of Chicago's gorgeous Polish Cathedrals, the three towers of St. Hyacinth's Basilica are a landmark of the Avondale neighborhood. The paintings and stained glass windows inside are very much worth a look.
The other monumental religious edifice that dominates the Avondale skyline, it is considered to be "one of the best examples of the fusion of Art Deco stylings with medieval European architecture in the city of Chicago." Although the historic church is a stop for many of the tourists visiting the landmark Villa District, this majestic Romanesque-Art Deco hybrid is actually a few blocks south of the district's formal boundaries.
This landmark district was built in 1902 by a number of architects, many of them visibly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style of architecture. Most notable among these were bungalows designed by the architectural firm of Hatzfeld and Knox, whose partner Clarence Hatzfeld would later design the fieldhouse and natatorium at Portage Park. The area showcases many unique Craftsman and Prairie style homes fronting on picturesque boulevard style streets.
Long-standing local bowling alley with updated facilities.
It has been closed by owner Eddie Carranza while in a battle for a liquor and entertainment license. A beautiful old movie palace in Portage Park, built in 1920 with a whopping 1,938 seats. It's only open for special events and festivals like the Silent Summer Festival and scary movies around Halloween. The Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village sometimes hosts shows here.
Prop is the best place in Chicago to see smart, exciting new dramatic theater, from "Porno Zombies" to Daley biographies. The current production will almost certainly be worth seeing, but the New Plays Festival in July offers two shows and a slew of live readings.
Wholesale, direct-to-the-public pierogies. Restaurants from around the Midwest buy them in bulk, but you're welcome to enter the grey factory walls and buy as many of the 15-or-so varieties of pierogi as you'd like on the cheap.
Look for the giant cow out front.
Hamburgers, fries, shakes, and a good selection of craft beers. Handmade buns, and if they sell out of them on a day, they close up shop. Burgers are moist, and they have pork belly mixed in with the ground beef. All burger styles can be made with grilled/fried chicken or vegetarian options. Crispy, varied fry styles are welcoming and served in small baskets. Not cheap burgers compared to fast food, but quality food made to order.
For the best hot dogs in town. One "superdawg" comes with pickled tomatoes, mustard, small hot peppers, and a kosher dill. The true Chicago-style hot dog never has ketchup, so save it for your fries! They also sell burgers and sausages, but the superdawg can't be beat. You can also order directly from your car, 1950s style with the tray hanging from your car window.
A deli withItalian sub sandwiches, stay for the Italian-American shop complete with desserts, drinks, and other Italian-American goods.
You love Korean food, but you're a vegan. You often find yourself considering how a certain dish would be perfect if the chef had just added a dash of zen cooking energy. You will be very happy at Amitabul.
Great Italian restaurant in Logan Square.
The location - really far west - means the buffet at the Jolly Inn is cheap and known only among the Polish locals. The food is unabashedly high-calorie, and yes, that's a bowl of spread-able lard they place on your table. There's a long list of dessert offerings. They get commendably festive at Christmas. They also have a salt room under the restaurant.
A small, casual restaurant serving Mexican food specific to the Oaxacan region. The Oaxaqeño chocolate mole sauces are a specialty here, although the excellent seafood dishes can be hard to pass up.
Family-made Ecuadorian food in Portage Park, with a full drinks menu. Friday and Saturday nights have live Andean music, while Sunday nights offer karaoke. Hence, if there's an important conversation to be had over dinner, this may not be the place.
Czerwone Jabluszko
An enormous, full-service Polski smorgasbord. There is fresh fruit, but vast kingdoms of meat dominate the landscape, with a full complement of quality kielbasa, pierogies, blintzes, and non-diet salads. There's another location further south at 3121 N Milwaukee. The restaurant is quite nice, but the bar is a bit dour.
This very serious barbecue joint serves the best barbecue on the North Side of Chicago. If the brisket and ribs don't satisfy your refined palate, though, you should try the offerings on the Southwest Side before giving up on Chicago barbecue.
The renovated Staropolska has been around for ages and is probably the cheapest of the local spreads. Not bad, too, especially the tripe soup. There's a bar right up front.
This neighborhood BYO sushi spot brings Thai and Japanese fare to Portage Park. Named for the Thai word for love (which rhymes with "truck"), the spot does quite a bit of carryout and delivery business but also is filled with neighborhood folks looking for a low-key night out. There's a lineup of contemporary maki rolls such as the Sakura roll, with superwhite tuna, scallion, kampyo, ginger, jalapeno, tempura crunch, hot sauce and red tobiko sauce. There's also creatively named maki like the Green Hornet with tuna, yellowtail, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, and Thai hot sauce wrapped with avocado and wasabi mayo. Portions are generous for the rice, noodles, Thai entrees and apps, along with plenty of vegetarian options.
Classic Italian sit-down restaurant. Then-State Senator Barack Obama gave Zia's a rave review while appearing on an episode of PBS Chicago's restaurant review show Check, Please.
Chicago's most famous rib joint with a touch of old-time class, right across the street from the Blue Line. It's a good place to eat with parents, and tolerant vegetarians can make do with the portobello mushroom sandwich and some tasty sides.
For many years, the foremost outpost of German (and Hungarian) food outside of Lincoln Square. Waitresses in traditional costumes, oompah bands, beer steins, and a noted selection of Hummel figurines set the Bavarian atmosphere for heaping portions of food.
One of the finest Thai establishments in the world, including Thailand. One book named it to a list of places to visit throughout the world before you die.
Colorful Irish pub in Avondale with a beer garden and very popular food, including Sunday brunch (10:30AM-3PM).
Two-floor pub with food and plenty of games, including pool tables and eight lanes of bowling.
Actually quite small, but with an exemplary beer selection. There's more (and better) food than the usual dive.
Jedynka
Legendary nightclub attracting a largely Polish crowd (formerly known as "Jedynka").
A darkly painted goth/new wave bar that touts vegetarian and vegan mixed drinks and varied crowd.
Unmistakable sign, and unpretentious accommodations — televisions, fridges, and microwaves round out the amenities. It's about fifteen minutes from O'Hare in a quiet, safe area, just east of the Chicagoland suburbs of Niles and Park Ridge. It's also near the Leaning Tower YMCA, a notable roadside oddity on Touhy. You'll want a car to reach the city, though.
Friendly accommodations in sleepy Edison Park, five minutes from O'Hare and an easy trip to the city by car down Elston. Rooms have cable and HBO.
Search no further: here are the diamond-checkered sweaters you were always meant to have. Euro One Design stocks Polish and Eastern European fashions for women, with a decent selection for men.
The alpha and omega of department stores in Avondale. Frills, lace, fabric roses, and more fill the rows of Polish fashion for women of all ages at Syrena. Even from outside, it's quite a sight.
An estimated 60 newspapers and 6,000 magazines from everywhere and south of there, with imports from Prague, Italy, and some kid's basement in Omaha. If it's in print, you stand a very good chance of finding it here.
A huge, wonderfully cluttered costume shop in Portage Park, covering almost a full city block. A massive selection of props, costumes, and wigs for kids and adults are available for sale or rental.
An intriguing antique mall in Irving Park with space for dozens of dealers whose eras and offerings vary from Spanish oil paintings to vintage cookbooks. Reportedly, it's a favorite stop for film set designers.
A very wide selection of Polish books, films, and especially Polish language learning materials. It's a bit of a Polish-American center too, sporting a coffee shop and even an art gallery.
If you can't make it to Shedd, at least you can go to one of their sources, and without the price of admission. Old Town Aquarium stocks freshwater and saltwater fish from around the world, and they have an extensive portfolio of custom aquarium designs to their credit.
By bus
This is a fairly large area, covered by a ton of bus routes. Most connect to the CTA Blue Line or the Metra, and a few spread out into the suburbs.
By car
I-90/94 (aka "The Kennedy") runs through the center of Chicago and then to the western parts of the city, where it joins I-190.
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Chicago · International · ORD
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