I get asked regularly, “What is your favorite city?” The truth is that I do not have just one……but, I do have my favorites. And one of them is Chicago.
The primary reason I love Chicago so much is that it has everything I look for in a destination, all wrapped into one city. Beaches, restaurants, entertainment and nightlife, just to name a few of my “must haves” when traveling. The Windy City has all of the obvious thrills that anyone can find in a travel book. Lakeshore Drive, the beach, seeing “The Bean,” shopping on Michigan Avenue and grabbing a Chicago deep dish pizza at one of the renown pizza joins that are on any “top ten” list of things to do in Chicago. But unless you hit the following hot spots, you are missing out!
THE PRIMARY REASON I LOVE CHICAGO SO MUCH IS THAT IT
HAS EVERYTHING I LOOK FOR IN A DESTINATION, ALL WRAPPED INTO ONE CITY. BEACHES, RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE, JUST TO NAME A FEW OF MY “MUST HAVES” WHEN TRAVELING.
A cocktail is a must on any trip and the place that should be priority #1 for a visit to Chicago is, The Aviary (theaviary.com). This chic and exclusive bar takes the word cocktail to a whole new level. Reservations are hard to come by… so hard to come by that you can only secure one by e-mailing them day of with your request and hope that you are selected. You must be flexible, but believe me it is worth it! The experience is something not to be missed. In the event that you do not get in, you can attempt to have a little taste of their fabulously infused cocktail by using the same device the mixologists at The Aviary use by purchasing the Porthole (crucialdetail.com/work/porthole.html) developed by Martin Kastner of Crucial Detail. It is a must to wow guests at a dinner party as it is both esthetically pleasing and creates infused cocktails that are second to none.
Shopping in Chicago is a weeklong commitment, at minimum if done correctly. The big names that we all know and love can all be found on Michigan Avenue, but the don’t forget about the boutique stores in Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park is a fabulous little gem of a neighborhood in a city neighborhood of Chicago. There are too many stores and restaurants to mention, but there is something for everyone, no matter what your taste.
Although Chicago is not just Boystown, what would a trip be to without hitting Halsted Street for a well deserved night out after shopping, eating and drinking? Halsted is a little slice of gay heaven, with everything you could ask for at your fingertips and as much as I love something new and now, there is nothing like a staple spot in the community to cap the night off. Roscoe’s (roscoes.com) may not be the trendiest spot on Halsted, but it is the place that everyone seems to filter into to cap the evening off on the right note!
When you are in Chicago, follow my lead and maybe I will see you at Roscoe’s!
