Today I went on a walk around Andersonville with my current City Buddy. He’s been helping me explore different parts of Chicago for my Zine and it’s a great chance for us to brainstorm our creative projects together.
Clark St is a major nightlife hub in Chicago with late night food and drink speckled between galleries and niche shops. It’s also one of the many Historical Districts and you can see it clearly in the design of the buildings and the details on the facades. With a rich immigrant history you can find something for every appetite here.
My adventure started at Kanela Breakfast Club where I picked up a BaconEggCheese to fuel my day. From there we took a walk around the side streets. It feels more suburban here with fenced in lawns and gaily decorated porches, but just two blocks away is everything you could want for a day in the city.
We returned to the main strip to admire the lights and signs. We stopped to read most of the stickers along the way. Simon’s stands out as a place to dip into for a quick drink and sit while I jot down notes. It’s the cash only kind of place where the owner will rattle off the entire bar’s history including where the original wood came from as soon as you order.
After a small amount of business to handle we returned to the street to surf our way to the next location.
My companion makes an unannounced turn down an alley sandwiched between two buildings. I learned just how much I trusted him when I almost missed the sign above our head announcing what was in store. Just beyond view is a little comic book shop run by some very nice and knowledgeable people. I was pleased to find Kate Bishop paperbacks and new stickers.
Chicago holds lots of surprises tucked away from view which is why, like any city, it’s best to pair up with a Local to explore.
We wash up at The Understudy for espresso and croissant. The overcast weather begins to drizzle so we decide to separate back to our own cars before it takes a turn for the worse on our exposed gear.
It was a nice day for a walk. Not too hot, not too cold. Lots of dogs in this neighborhood too.
Now we just have to figure out where to go next time.
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[Originally published 06.06.23 on Patreon. Support the adventure with a monthly pledge to see all posts and pictures first!]