While you wait for your table, grab a drink next door at sister venue and iconic LGBTQ bar Big Chicks. Hunt for vintage fashion and home decor at the Brown Elephant Resale Shop - all proceeds benefit LGBTQ healthcare for the uninsured.įor lunch, go to cozy daytime cafe Tweetin Uptown.
Bookstore Women and Children First boasts an expansive collection of titles by female writers and features tons of cool events throughout the month. In Andersonville, head to Clark Street, where you’ll find tons of local boutiques and vintage stores. Travel north along the lake through Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville, and Rogers Park - all recognized as super-diverse and inclusive neighborhoods with independent shops, charming restaurants, and a dynamic nightlife and theatre scene that Chicago locals love. Looking for more nightlife? Check out more gay bars in Chicago.
Sidetrack is a popular, multi-level spot with frozen drinks, a packed dance floor, and a rooftop deck, and The Closet is a tiny, casual spot that’s been a neighborhood staple since 1978. Check out Roscoe’s Tavern, a long-standing gay bar and club with regular DJs, dueling pianos, and amateur drag shows. If you’re a night owl, there’s a dance floor calling your name. Then keep the theatrical energy going with dinner at Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, served with a tableside diva drag show and an impressive martini list. Head to the theatre for performance art gone wild at the Blue Man Group (get ready to get messy if you’re sitting in the Splash Zone) or Chicago’s own improv comedy at The Playground Theater. Then do a little neighborhood shopping at the spots like Foursided, where unusual gifts and chic decor stack the shelves. Fill up the rest of your morning with a self-guided tour of The Legacy Walk, a one-of-a-kind outdoor museum walk that celebrates LGBTQ+ history and heroes.Įnjoy elevated pub fare in cozy surroundings at Wilde (grab a leather booth or a spot by the fireplace). Stroll along North Halsted Street - lined with fabulous shopping, trendy restaurants, lively bars, and energetic dance clubs - and grab some brunch at rustic-chic Hutch American Bistro or laidback mainstay Drew’s on Halsted. Home to boutique shopping, vibrant nightlife, and one of the oldest LGBTQ+ communities in the United States, the East Lakeview neighborhood of Northalsted (aka Boystown) has an energy all its own.
Here’s how to spend a weekend exploring Chicago’s LGBTQ+ communities. Whether you love the nonstop party vibe or a little Midwestern charm, Chicago’s inclusive neighborhoods offer something for everyone. You’ll need more than two days to hit all of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ hotspots - but a weekend here is a good start.