Image via Complex Original
Summer days in Chicago mean sticky backs and salty, pool-thirsty attitudes. So, in this wonderful month of August, do yourself a favor: wait until it gets dark and enjoy Chicago’s flipside. Sunset beach strolls, charismatic bowling alleys, a classic movie in a park, a world-famous fountain that will have your eyes dancing in their sockets—whatever you choose to do, Chicago is radiant once the lights go out. Here are a few ways to enjoy your dreamy Chicago nights.
Corona Extra is not affiliated with any of the events or locations referenced in the above article.
Waterfrontin' All Over Town
People of the New England/Cape persuasion love to belittle our Great Lakes and deem them as non-beaches. Well here is where we prove them wrong. The lovely Chicago lakefront, Lake Michigan that is, doesn’t junk up your hair and make your mouth taste like roast beef. Enough with the Oceanic vs. Freshwater rivalry—they’re both sexy!
Chicago’s beaches vary in size and ambiance and, once the sun sets, take on a whole different shape. If you’re looking to lounge with your little ones and grill out, head to Albion in Rogers Park. If you’re set on holla’ing at some hard college bods, then head toward Loyola next door. If you’re a nightlife heavy-hitter, check out downtown beaches Oak St. and/or North Ave., as they house expansive views of the lake and beachside restaurants.
Wiener…Schnitzel
Lincoln Square, or better known as “Little Germany,” is a cultural phenomenon. Why do Germans deserve their own neighborhood? Well, it sort of just happened. Now, with the neighborhood consisting predominantly of Polish and ambiguously Caucasian families, it’s rather thrilling that most of its prized German establishments are still intact—the Chicago Brauhaus being the oldest. Be sure to pick up a stein before you part ways.
Movies (and Maybe Some Snuggling) in the Park
Outdoor film watching is hard to come by, especially when your laptop insists on overheating. Thanks to the Chicago Park District’s assumption that watching certifiably awesome films on temperate summer nights would most certainly rock, there is an organized summer movie in the park schedule. So, we can get our LOLs and OMFGs on with a bunch of strangers on a lawn and maybe make out too if no children are lurking about.
Chicago Cultural Center
Spanning one entire street block, the Chicago Cultural Center has been downtown’s haven for tourists and city-dwellers alike since 1991. It’s located directly across from Maggie Daley’s Gallery 37, an after school/summer program that aims to curate artistically inclined city youth to work as apprentice artists. The Cultural Center’s unique interior design (generously encrusted with mosaic masterpieces) and overall grandeur is due to its initial use as the city’s public library. Whether you find yourself taking a lengthy peruse about the galleries or catching a free concert, it’s the optimal way to ease into a perfect Downtown Chicago night.
Millennium Park’s BP Pedestrian Bridge
Chicago might be the greatest summer city of all time. First and foremost, you must give former Mayor Richard M. Daley a shout out for all of the beautiful multimedia attractions he and his loving wife Maggie fostered and developed during his time in office. There’s something for everyone on this walk. Pop in your headphones and just glide along.
Right Up Your Bowling Alley
Bowling is splendid even if you are truly worthless at plunging a hefty ball down a stretch of pine. Chicago has some exceptional lane estates ranging from family-friendly, TV-equipped, shiny floored establishments to century-old joints boasting pencils and pads, smelly shoes, and $2.50 games.
Go Buckinghammer
The Buckingham Fountain is glorious. It dazzles beneath sunbeams, and once the sun sets, multi-colored lights illuminate the sprays. I am a native Chicagoan and can earnestly admit to the tackiness of spending a night staring at Chicago landmarks. I’m simply saying make a pit stop because it’s worth it. Catch the fountain—geographically considered as Chicago’s “front door”—just as the lights turn on, and thank the gods you found this article because joy is bursting out from your smile far and wide. Needless to say, your lover’s eyes have never looked so homely. Cap it all off by going to see a show or watching a tap dancer razzle-dazzle on a corner.
Neo-Futurist Theat-ah!
On Dec. 2, 1988, once the players joined and were equipped with a place in which to play, the Neo-Futurists launched their first night of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. This iconic production, which kicks off at 11 p.m., is always varied, always funny and features 30 plays in 30 minutes (-ish). If the play sells out (which it usually does, as it’s first-come, first-served) everyone gets free pizza. This is a no-brainer! I won’t say much more because I don’t want to ruin the mystique, but audience interaction is a major part of the experience. They tend to look through text messages, so perhaps clear your photo stream…yeeeaa boys, I got you.
Bookworms
Even if books aren’t your thing, this place is the righteous. Whether you’ve just grabbed a clam and white sauce pizza or are on your way out to a night of flirty mayhem, Myopic Books will be open. The easygoing, flaky decor will lure your fancy, and then the picture book about what some artist thinks the apocalypse is going to look like will keep you in.
Let’s Dance…or Whatever
Berlin, described as “freak-friendly” on Time Out Chicago, is a colorful bar located on the North Side of Chicago. Acclaimed for its anything-goes attitude, this is the place to visit if you feel your inner dance-spawn quivering to hatch free. The nights vary, but the balls-out, terrific, holy-cow-I haven’t-heard-that-in-years playlists are sure to stir the pot and keep everyone on the dance floor.