Howdy, Homo! An Introduction
Part I: Getting Started: What to Know Before You Go-Go
Chapter 1: A Taste of Chicago History, Queer Flavored
Chapter 2: Geographical Orientation (or Do You Prefer Preference?)
Chapter 3: The Gayborhoods
Downtown Chicago
River North and the Magnificent Mile
The Loop and Grant Park
The South Loop and McCormick Place
East Lakeview, or Boystown
Andersonville
Wicker Park
Other Worthy Destinations
Roscoe Village
Rogers Park
Edgewater
Uptown
Lincoln Square
Ravenswood
Hyde Park
Chapter 4: First You Have to Get Here: Transportation Options
Arriving in Chicago
Getting to and from O’Hare International Airport
Getting to and from O’Hare by CTA Train
Getting to and from O’Hare by Taxi
Getting to and from O’Hare by Shuttle
Getting to and from O’Hare by Rental Car
Getting to and from Midway Airport
Getting to and from Midway by CTA Train
Getting to and from Midway by Taxi
Getting to and from Midway by Shuttle
Getting to and from Midway by Rental Car
Arriving and Departing on Amtrak
Getting to Union Station
Arriving and Departing by Greyhound Bus
Chapter 5: We Have Been Around the Block a Few Times: Getting Around Chicago
Getting Around by Car
Getting Around by Taxi
Getting Around by Public Transportation
The “L”
Buses
Getting Around by Free Trolley
Chapter 6: Phones, Internet, and Cash: More Boring but Helpful Practical Stuff
Communications
Telephone
Internet
Wicker Park
Boystown
Andersonville
Post Office
Loop
Lakeview
Wicker Park
UPS
South Loop
West Loop
Mag Mile
Old Town
Boystown
Andersonville
Wicker Park
Money Matters
ATMs
Traveler’s Checks
American Express Offices
Chapter 7: Girl, You Gotta Watch Yourself: Safety Issues
Chapter 8: Where to Hang Your Rainbow Boa: Gay-Friendly Accommodations
Loop and Near South Side
River North, Gold Coast, and Mag Mile
Boystown
Andersonville/Edgewater
Wicker Park
Part II: The Sun Also Rises: Daytime Diversions in Chicago
Chapter 9: Let Us Show You What We Got: Our Picks for Chicago Sightseeing
Museums
Museum Campus
Outdoors
Chicago Skyscrapers
Gay Sights
Visit the Former Homes of Chicago’s Illustrious Homosexuals
Or Visit the Current Home of a non-Chicagoan Who Was Not Necessarily Gay but Was Definitely Still Cool—Oh, and Also . . . She Is Dead
Other Interesting Gay Sites
Chapter 10: Are You a Pitcher or a Catcher? Queer Sports and Recreation
Organized Sports in Chicago
Working Out
Boystown
Andersonville/Edgewater
Wicker Park
Yoga
Spas
The Lakefront
Beaches
Cycling and Blading the Lakeshore
Picnics in the Park
Chapter 11: Shopping—the Real Gay Sport!
Clothes
Men’s Clothing Stores
Women’s Clothing Stores
Clothing Stores for Both Women and Men
Shoes
Accessories and Jewelry
Vintage and Thrift Shopping
Vintage Shopping
Thrift Shopping
Household Decoration and Gifts
Cards and Paper Goods
Collectibles, Kitsch, Toys, and Ephemera
Music
Books
International Magazines and Newspapers
New Age and Wiccan Shops
Stuff to Eat and Drink
Shopping for Grown-Ups
Adult Toys
Fetish Wear
Leather
Miscellaneous Fetish Merchandise
Tattoos and Body Piercing
Part III: I Love the Nightlife: The Best of Queer Chicago After Dark
Chapter 12: Looking Good Enough to Eat: Dining Out in Chicago
Vegging Out in Chicago
The Boystown Standards
Andersonville/Uptown Eateries
Off the Rainbow Road: Restaurants Downtown or Otherwise Away from the Gayborhoods
Brunch Spots
Chapter 13: How About a Cocktail, Darling? GLBT Bars in Chicago
Where the Girls Are
Women Have Been Carving Out Their Own Spaces in These Primarily Male Enclaves
Boystown Bars
A Walk or Short Cab Ride from the Halsted Strip
Bars in Uptown, Andersonville, and Other Points North
Far North Bars
Bars Downtown
Bars West and South
Don’t Try and Stop Me, Mary—I’m Going In: Forays into Straight Bars
And We Hasten to Add Our Fave Watering Holes to Rod’s List
Chapter 14: All of Life’s a Stage: Theater in Chicago
Companies That Specialize in Gay Theater (and a Few We Feel Are Extra Special Even if They’re Not “Specialists”)
Some Theater Choices That May or May Not Be Overtly “Gay” but Will Almost Certainly Be Enjoyable
Other Theater Options Worth Mentioning
Wade Out of the Mainstream!
Well, You Can Dance if You Want To: Some Chicago Dance Companies
Other Theater Resources
Chapter 15: Sing Out, Louise: GLBT Music in Chicago
Lola, LA LA La La-LO-La: Rock, Pop, and Folk
Street Fairs and Music Festivals
Nice Vibrato: Classical and Orchestral Music
When the Fat Lady Sings: Opera
All That Jazz . . . and a Bit of the Blues
Sometimes Amateurs Do It Best: Chicago’s Queer Social and Music Groups
Chapter 16: We Like to Watch: A Guide to Queer Film in Chicago
Chapter 17: Hooking Up: Sport of Kings (and Queens)
A Little Sumthin’ Sumthin’ for the Laydees . . .
Where the Boys Are, and What They Are Doing When They Get There
Bathhouses
“Bathhouses Without the Water”
Sex in Chicago
Ask the International Flight Attendant
Ask the Writer
Ask the Porn Star
Part IV: Would You Like a Side of Resources with That?
Chapter 18: Being Resourceful
Get Help: Health or Social Services and Support Groups
Get Involved: Athletic, Social, and Political Groups
Get Informed: Media Outlets
Get Yourself Some Culture: Information and Networking in and About the Arts
Get Logged On: Web Sites of Note
Chapter 19: A Year with the Queers: Highlights of Our Chicago Calendar
January
February
March
April
May
June
Also Sometime in June (Dates Vary)
Pride Weekend
July
August
September
October
November
December
We Would Like to Thank
|