111 Places in Chicago by ACC Art Books

3 Arts Club Courtyard A room of her own

In its almost 100-year history, the 3 Arts Club of Chicago served as a safe, supportive, and economical residence for over 13,000 young women as they studied the “three arts”: music, painting, and drama. Founded in 1912 by social work pioneer Jane Addams and 30 other women from some of Chicago’s wealthiest families, including social activist Edith Rockefeller McCormick, the club financed this beautiful, Byzantine building on swanky Dearborn Street with the goal of providing each resident, all promising young, female artists, with a room of her own as well as a chance to meet and collaborate with other artists in the same circumstances, all new to the city and working to find their way in the world of the arts. Designed by Holabird and Roche, the building opened its arched main doors in 1914, and was complete with all the trappings of an artist’s retreat within the big city: a library, tearoom, studio space, dining room, and three floors of dormitory rooms centered on a spacious, inspiring open courtyard. The club provided the young women living there with both independence and security. The last residents moved out in 2004, and the building stood closed and unused until 2015, when Restoration Hardware moved into the 70,000-square-foot landmark build, and transformed it into a six-floor spectacle of a furniture store that feels like a museum. The grand staircase that once ushered up-and-coming artists out onto the town, a rooftop conservatory with stunning views of the Gold Coast, and a historic stage glittering with gilded mirrors – all were lovingly restored back to life after being shuttered for years. The crown jewel is the courtyard, open year-round thanks to a new pyramid of glass and steel, with the grandest chandelier in the city of Chicago dripping from the pyramidion. Settle in for a northernCalifornia-inspired menu and you’ll be bathed in sunshine and surrounded by flowers, olive trees, and topiaries.

ADDRESS 1300 N Dearborn Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610, +1 (312) 475-9116 TIP There is usually a wait for a table in the courtyard, so make the most of it by ordering a Bellini or a flute of fine champagne from the rear espresso counter, and head to the rooftop garden, where you can sip while enjoying the gorgeous views.

3 Arts Club Courtyard A room of her own

Beautiful Rind Savor the art of cheese

Cheese is “no less than a miracle,” Chicago-based cheese monger Erika Kubick claims in her book, Cheese Sex Death: A Bible for the Cheese Obsessed. “It has the power to ground us in a connection to Mother Nature, the people who create blessings from Her gifts, and the history of civilization. There is something inextricably spiritual about cheese.” Beautiful Rind is a specialty cheese shop located in the charming, North Side neighborhood of Logan Square. Beyond its curated selection of high-quality cheeses from around the world, with an emphasis on those made in the Midwest, this full-service cheese shop offers a variety of charcuterie, an incredible selection of olives, nuts, and jams to complete your cheeseboard, and a carefully crafted, affordable wine selection, with many bottles priced at $20 or less. “Cheesemakers take great care to nurture a rind that flavors and matures the milky alchemy lying just below the surface,” explains owner Randall Felts. “To cheese mongers, the rind showcases the life of the cheese and all the love that went into its delicious creation. Rinds are alive, evolving, and they create the flavor that puts a blissful smile on all those who experience what’s inside.” The streetside shop also offers lunch and dinner from a menu featuring enticing, cheese-centric dishes, like flaming bread cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, classic French raclette, a tangy beer cheese served with freshly baked, Bavarian-style pretzels, and even a sundae made with three scoops of Blakesville chevre cheese topped with rosemary caramel sauce. “Beautiful Rind is so modern, so chic, and its cheese mongers are so knowledgeable and friendly,” writes Kubick. A dedicated in-shop classroom space hosts classes taught by staff mongers and cheese makers. Topics range from cheesy wine pairings to deep dives into cheddar’s fascinating history.

ADDRESS 2211 N Milwaukee Avenue, Suite A, Chicago, IL 60647, +1 (312) 300-4535, www.beautifulrind.com TIP Chicago’s very own kitchen witch Jennifer Billock hosts workshops in Tyromancy, a form of divination that involves interpreting the patterns, shapes, and other characteristics of cheese to predict future events or gain insights into a person’s fate (multiple locations including Beautiful Rind, www.kitchenwitch.substack.com/p/tyromancy-sessions).

Beautiful Rind Savor the art of cheese

Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. Deep-dish pizza with a side of mob history

At 10:30am on February 14, 1929, four men packing two Thompson submachine guns burst into a garage at 2122 N Clark Street. They shot dead seven men of the North Side Irish gang associated with the Irish gangster George “Bugs” Moran, one of Al Capone’s longtime enemies. Though the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, as it came to be called, was never officially linked to Capone, most hold him responsible for the murders. And though the garage was demolished in 1967, you can still dig into a unique deep-dish pizza at the threestory brownstone building that likely served as a lookout, located just across the street. Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. is best known for a oneof-a-kind take on Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that many refer to as an upside-down pizza in a bowl. “Made from scratch” with triple-raised Sicilian bread-type dough; a tangy homemade sauce brewed to perfection with olive oil, fresh garlic, onions, green peppers, whole plum tomatoes and a special blend of cheeses; sausage made from prime Boston butts; and whole, fresh mushrooms – pizzas here arrive tableside for eager diners to bite into. Oven Grinder Co. pizzas fall more within the pot pie classification: large, deep, and stuffed to the brim. They are baked in a crock, their dough puffed up several inches above the edge. Rumor has it that the garage served as a lookout post for Capone’s henchmen. Some 70 rounds of ammunition were fired on that fateful Valentine’s Day, which many say marked the beginning of Capone’s downfall. No one was brought to trial for the murders. Capone was subpoenaed, posted bond, and was released, only to be arrested in Philadelphia on charges of carrying concealed weapons. He served a mere nine months in prison before being released for good behavior.

ADDRESS 2121 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, +1 (773) 248-2570, www.chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com TIP The Chicago History Museum’s incredible virtual reality app Chicago 00: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre offers a YouTube video and Google Street View experience, with images of the site of the massacre that can be viewed as high-resolution, 360° panoramas. Both experiences can be accessed online at www.chicago00.org.

Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. Deep-dish pizza with a side of mob history

Dovetail Brewery The magic behind the beer

Hidden on a corner of Belle Plaine Avenue, wild Chicago-born yeast blows in through the third-floor window of the Dovetail Brewery, magically turning water into some of the best Lambic-style beers in Chicago. This microbrewery’s sublime German-style Lager, Bavarianstyle Hefeweizen, Franconian-style Rauchbier, and Vienna-style Lager are brewed with the same traditional methods that produce the kind of beers found in small, family-run breweries in Europe. The water is filtered and formulated for each beer; the malt sourced from specialty maltsters in Franconia; and the raw wheat drawn directly from farmers within 150 miles of Chicago. Co-founders Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink, both from Chicago, met at beer school in Munich. They returned to Chicago with a plan: to produce beer of the highest quality, similar to the level of craftsmanship found in fine, old-school woodworking. They named their beloved brewery Dovetail, after the dovetail joint, a classic symbol of quality and craftsmanship. See how beer bubbles to life with a brewery tour, held every Saturday beginning at 11am. You’ll taste the malt, feel the hops run through your fingers, see everything from a 120-plus-year-old copper mash from the 1000-year-old Weihenstephan pilot brewery in Germany, to a magnificent, custom-built koelschip, and sample three beers as you wander through the 22,000-square-foot facility. If you’re lucky, a proud Dost will be your guide. Outside of the brewery, you’ll be hard-pressed to find the highly sought-after small batch brews. Dovetail self-distributes its beer in kegs, focusing on major beer venues in Chicago and other locations in the immediate vicinity within two miles of the brewery. The in- brewery Tap Room is family- and dog-friendly and guests are welcome to bring their own food (BYOF), making it the perfect spot to sip a flight of Dovetail’s flagship brews.

ADDRESS 1900 W Belle Plaine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613, +1 (773) 683-1414, www.dovetailbrewery.com TIP Food trucks roll up curbside to Dovetail Brewery on a weekly basis, making it easier than ever to pair beer with your fave food truck delights. Check the event page at www. dovetailbrewery.com/events for upcoming food truck visits and more.

Dovetail Brewery The magic behind the beer

Insect Asylum Make friends with bugs, butterflies, and beetles

Creepy crawlies aren’t so creepy after all, once you learn the fascinating natural history behind their sometimes hair-raising appearance. Get up close and personal with moths, scorpions, birds, butterflies, beetles, praying mantises, and more at Insect Asylum, a mini-museum tucked along bustling Milwaukee Avenue. Owner Nina Salem grew up in a quaint Massachusetts town and was long fascinated with collecting rocks, bones, and feathers. She also rescued animals and wildlife, eventually delving into taxidermy. She hid her passion for years, fearing being labeled as an “oddball.” Today, she curates the collection of over 4,500 meticulously crafted taxidermy specimens and captivating live insect exhibits. Unlike larger museums, this collection / community space is hands-on and touch-friendly for the most part. Feel free to touch items marked with a green dot. All the taxidermy specimens are ethically sourced, too, so you know the cicada, spider, or ladybug you’re meeting died a natural death. Among the items displayed here are a mummified stingray, historically used to ward off demons and dragons, a taxidermy giraffe, and Hazel, a living opossum who resides at the museum full-time. When she’s feeling up to it, the Asylum hosts special meet-and-greet sessions, where visitors can interact with her. The Asylum also offers a wide range of interactive and educational experiences, including entomology pinning workshops, where you can learn how to pin and preserve butterflies and beetles; catthemed acoustic jams; queer cicada yoga; and owl pellet dissection workshops, where you’ll learn to craft jewelry or bookmarks with the tiny bones you dig out from owl regurgitation. The museum also hosts monthly, sensory-friendly workshops that combine fun and learning. The in-museum gift shop sells unique insect-themed art, home goods, and jewelry created by local artists.

ADDRESS 2870 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618, +1 (312) 961-7219, www.theinsectasylum.com, theinsectasylum@gmail.com TIP The shelves at Kurt Gippert Bookseller are lined with first editions, historic maps, and unexpected literary treasures; open by appointment only, a visit feels like stepping into a private archive (4059 N Milwaukee Avenue, www.kurtgippert.com).

Insect Asylum Make friends with bugs, butterflies, and beetles

Johnny Weissmuller Pool Tarzan’s training grounds

The Medinah Athletic Club opened its doors in 1929 to much acclaim. Private and exclusive, this tony club was a posh playground for Chicago’s rising rich and famous crowd. Over $5 million had been spent building the club’s extravagant, Assyrian-inspired building, which stood at 42 stories and was capped with a Moorish-style golden dome, built to serve as a docking port for dirigibles. A miniature golf course, shooting range, billiard hall, running track, gymnasium, archery range, bowling alley, and a two-story boxing arena challenged the club’s 3,000 members. On the 14th floor, the Johnny Weissmuller Pool shined, an Art Deco gem reminiscent of the Golden Age in Spain. Best known for swinging into the role of Tarzan on the silver screen in the thirties and forties, Johnny Weissmuller was also a competitive swimmer with a number of records under his belt. When in Chicago, the Hollywood dreamboat dove into the exclusive swimming pool now named in his honor. Ten feet at its deepest end, the pool’s diving board is long gone, but you can still dive in after a busy day of shopping the Magnificent Mile with the purchase of a reasonably priced resort pass or as a hotel guest. Note the tin-glazed majolica tiles that line the bluetiled pool’s edge. The terracotta statue of Neptune on the eastern wall is surrounded by wide-mouthed fish fountains. When light shines through the windows, with their scale-shaped, aquamarine and sapphire stained glass, schools of fish are magically reflected onto the water. Swimming was once a popular spectator sport, so order a retro cocktail and lie back on one of the poolside wicker chaise lounges and imagine watching synchronized swimming icon Ester Williams gracefully diving in before your eyes, as she did in the 1940s, when the Johnny Weissmuller Pool was one of the most glamorous places to see and be seen in the city.

ADDRESS InterContinental Chicago, 505 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, +1 (312) 944-4100, www.resortpass.com/hotels/intercontinental-chicago TIP Head under N Michigan Avenue to the Billy Goat Tavern for post-swim beers and “Cheezborger, cheezborger, cheezborger, no fries, chips,” a line immortalized by John Belushi in “Olympia Café,” a hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch inspired by the tavern (430 N Michigan Avenue, lower level, www.billygoattavern.com).

Johnny Weissmuller Pool Tarzan’s training grounds

Montrose Saloon The last of the corner bars

In the early 1900s, Chicago boasted over 8,000 saloons, many of which were located on street corners. These bars were more than just places to drink; they were social centers where immigrants could find a sense of belonging, make friends, and even secure jobs. Each neighborhood bar often catered to the predominant ethnic group in its area, providing a familiar environment for new arrivals who didn’t yet speak English. The ease of obtaining liquor licenses and the support from breweries, which provided everything from alcohol to glassware, made it relatively simple to open a tavern. However, the landscape of Chicago’s corner bars began to change with the rise of the temperance movement and Prohibition in the 1920s. Post-prohibition, the number of neighborhood bars gradually declined due to shifting demographics, changing attitudes towards public drinking, and urban development. Despite these changes, the legacy of these corner bars lives on in the few that remain. Montrose Saloon in Albany Park has been a local favorite for decades. Nestled at the base of an old, two-story building at Richmond and Montrose, this unassuming spot is known for its warm atmosphere, cheap beer, and live bluegrass music, a genre with roots in Chicago that can be traced back to the 1930s when Bill Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass,” moved to the city and performed on WLS’s “National Barn Dance,” one of the most influential radio programs of the time. The bar’s interior features a charmingly worn wooden bar, vintage décor, and a unique “Trading Post,” where patrons can swap books, CDs, and other items. Montrose Saloon stands out as a genuine, character-filled spot amidst the city’s ever-changing bar scene. Spend some time here in the cozy beer garden, which was a community effort by the bar’s patrons, who helped pour the cement after the saloon owner’s husband passed away.

ADDRESS 2933 W Montrose Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618, +1 (773) 463 7663, www.facebook.com/montrosesaloon TIP Enjoy live music, including bluegrass, jazz, and open mic, every night of the week at the Gallery Cabaret, a Bucktown neighborhood institution that features local musicians (2020 N Oakley Avenue, www.gallerycabaret.com).

Montrose Saloon The last of the corner bars

Neon Shop Fishtail Timeless glow

Since its discovery in 1898 and its first appearance in the US in 1923 at a Packard Auto Dealership, neon has been a glowing part of American life. While Chicago was once alight with neon, every year, more of the city’s iconic neon signs go dark. The use of neon signage peaked from 1920 to 1960, but since then, it has been on a steady decline due to easily breakable glass tubes, high energy costs, and difficulty finding someone to maintain this unique form of light. Enter Neon Shop Fishtail, a Chicago store that specializes in custom and vintage neon and emphasizes restoring classic, old neon signs. Owner Tom Brickler entered the world of neon when his beloved Budweiser beer sign broke, and he couldn’t find a place that would repair it. Brickler named his store Neon Shop Fishtail after the fishtail-shaped ribbon burner used to create big, wide, sweeping bends in glass tubes. “Also, I went into business in the ’80s,” laughs Brickler, “and it was either going to sink or swim.” “Neon light” is the term for light from gas contained in a delicate, glass tube. When high voltage is applied to the electrodes at each end of the tube, the gas inside becomes ionized and emits a bright, colorful light. The color of the light depends on the gas inside the tube. For example, neon gas produces red light, helium produces yellow or pink light, and mercury produces blue light. Brickler’s showroom and repair shop are packed with over 1,000 new and vintage neon signs, making the venue more of a museum than a shop. You might recognize some signs from old Chicago motels, restaurants, and car repair shops that are no longer in business. Ask to see the most prized vintage sign in Tom’s collection: a neon and porcelain chicken keeping her eggs warm in a basket. Bring in your neon dream, and Brickler and his team will work with you to make it glow into a customized neon sign of your own.

ADDRESS 2247 N Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647, +1 (773) 227-0303, www.neonshopfishtail.com, neoneon@gmail.com TIP Neon Shop Fishtail’s beautiful store operated as a women’s bathhouse in the roaring 20s. See if you can spot the lovely terra-cotta motif of a naked lady sailing on a slice of the moon on the building’s façade (2247 N Western Avenue).

Neon Shop Fishtail Timeless glow

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Vavoom Pinups Meet your retro self

If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling back in time and meeting a retro version of yourself, Vavoom Pinups is a time machine that will introduce you to your more glamorous, pinup alter ego. This full service photography studio will transform you from modern woman to vintage bombshell and then capture the moment in a sassy, sexy photoshoot. When owner Heather Stumpf was about 10, sitting at her grandfather’s drafting table, she came across some old pinup illustrations printed on cards in one of his drawers. Fascinated by the bombshells’ beautiful curves coupled with wide red-lipped smiles on their faces, little did she know that her life’s passion had just been born. “I’m a firm believer that we are all beautiful as women,” declares Stumpf. “Each one of us deserves to feel iconic, timeless, and glamorous. Empowerment starts from within, but when you add the Vavoom experience, it explodes!” When you arrive at the studio you’ll trade your 21st-century duds for a sexy, silk robe. Vavoom’s team of hair and make-up stylists will bring out your retro best. Then choose a new outfit, shoes and accessories from the endless closet of vintage finery. Then choose your background from a complete 1950s mint green and yellow kitchen set, a mod carpeted living room set, or even a tiki bar. “Our clients are physically and emotionally empowered through each part of the process. Most of us haven’t seen a photo of ourselves from head to toe … and when you do it’s exciting, and for many women the experience is eye-opening,” gushes Stumpf. “So many of our clients come back and tell us how Vavoom ‘changed them’ how the experience ‘took them to the next level’ in their own lives. Women who, after their shoot, could finally find their voice, who took that trip they always wanted, or were just ready for the next challenge. If that isn’t empowering … I don’t know what is!”

ADDRESS 1539 N Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622, +1 (773) 726-1109, www.vavoompinups.com TIP The stylists at Tigerlilie Hair Salon are specialists in the long-lost art of real vintage hairdressing. From pixies to beehives, they can make your retro hair dreams reality (4539 N Western Avenue, www.tigerlilie.com).

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Vavoom Pinups Meet your retro self

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Willie Dixon’s Blues Garden “Reeling and a-rocking; What a crazy sound”

You probably already know the address for this musical garden, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, memorialized by the Rolling Stones in their 1964 eponymous hit song, recorded here at the adjacent Chess Records’ upstairs recording studio during their first US tour. Founded in Chicago by brothers Phil and Leonard Chess, both Jewish immigrants from Poland, in 1950, the Chess Records label shaped the future of American music. They captured timeless hits, like Muddy Waters’ I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man, Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode, and Howlin’ Wolf ’s Smokestack Lightning. Once hailed as the top blues label in America, Chess Records later branched out into soul, gospel, early rock and roll, jazz, and comedy. Aretha Franklin made her initial recordings here at the tender age of 14, including the soul-stirring track, Never Grow Old. Willie Dixon’s Blues Garden is named after Willie Dixon, a pivotal figure in the blues genre and the foundation he established, which aims to promote, preserve, and protect the Blues. Initially, Dixon was an office assistant at Chess Records, and he later became a producer, talent scout, session musician, and staff songwriter, contributing significantly to the label’s signature sound. Dixon’s songs have been recorded by countless musicians in many genres and by various ensembles in which he participated. A short list of his most famous compositions include I Just Want to Make Love to You, Little Red Rooster, My Babe, Spoonful, and You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover. Bring drinks, a picnic, and lawn chairs to the Record Row Concert Series, one of the best musical events in the city. Hosted on Thursday evenings all summer long in the storied garden, Blues artists from Chicago and beyond hit the small stage for an intimate, free, musical soiree.

ADDRESS 2120 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616, +1 (312) 808-1286, www.bluesheaven.com TIP Stroll five minutes from Chess to VU Rooftop, and then catch the elevator to the 22nd floor, where swanky cocktails and sweeping views of sparkling Lake Michigan and downtown Chicago await (133 E Cermak Road, www.vuerooftop.com).

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Willie Dixon’s Blues Garden “Reeling and a-rocking; What a crazy sound”

THE AUTHOR

Amy Bizzarri is an extreme Chicago-history buff and freelance writer. She lives with her two children in a vintage 1910 home in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. When she’s not writing, you’ll most likely find her swimming laps at Holstein Park pool, riding her bicycle around Humboldt Park or sharing an atomic sundae at Margie’s Candies.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Susie Inverso spend many years running around Chicago photographing weddings, families, musicians, and actors, she now runs Crimson Cat Studios Pet Photography in Lakewood, Colorado. She ventures back to Chicago at least twice a year and is proud to call it her hometown.

The information in this book was accurate at the time of publication, but it can change at any time. Please confirm the details for the places you’re planning to visit before you head out on your adventures.