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Chicago - Party Climate

With a proud sports tradition and a history steeped in beer, Chicago is a city where arguments over draft picks are easy to start and neighborhood bars are easy to find. That’s not to say this traditional Midwestern town isn’t incredibly diverse and cosmopolitan too – in fact, it’s an important center of both business and culture, and offers nightlife options that range from out-of-this-world blues concerts to out-of-this-tax-bracket clubs and lounges.

And although its reputation for harsh winters is well-deserved, Chicago is ultimately a year-round city, with plenty of things to do like great shopping, restaurants, parks, and sports to help anyone survive the icy winds from Lake Michigan until the celebrated summer returns.

A truly varied city with seventy-seven distinct neighborhoods, Chicago has places and events to suit every person and... read more

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  • See all Lucas recommendations in Chicago

Lucas

If you could have only one reason to love Chicago, it would have to be for the sports. Chicago summers are all about baseball, and people from around the country crush Wrigley Field to witness the Cubs trying to break their evil curse. Win or lose, barhopping in Wrigleyville is a pre- and post-game must, and few other blocks in the world have so many sports bars packed in this tight. Even when the Cubs and White Sox shut it down for the season, the Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks make the city’s bone-chilling winters an afterthought – and almost every bar in the city will have the games on and a large stein of 312 locked and loaded. Boatloads of beer bars always have plenty on tap, and even smaller neighborhood joints will surprise you with their year-round selection. When summer returns, everyone heads outside, and the day starts with a sea of bikinis at North Avenue Beach, followed by a night crashing the meat market that is Rush & Division Street and marveling at those gangs of luscious Midwestern girls. Inside and out, Chicago is definitely my kind of town.

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Adriana

Nightlife in Chicago may not be the most exclusive, but there are still plenty of places that give you a reason to primp. The summer season means bottles of Barolo on swanky hotel rooftops downtown, spa retreats at chic hotels in Streeterville, and dinners at some of the country’s top-rated restaurants along Halsted Street in Lincoln Park. Weekends, meanwhile, are all about slipping on your Manolos, gathering the girls, and hitting the hot clubs along Hubbard Street in River North. It’s true that Chicago winters are just awful – wool coats and Uggs are hardly enough to keep you warm – but the city makes up for it by offering some of the best cold-weather fashions around, and a day of shopping in the fine boutiques and malls along the Magnificent Mile will help you get through that bitter February freeze. It’s all about luxury in the Gold Coast, with mansions and glittering high-rises overlooking the beach, and a Sunday morning sipping bottomless mimosas at one of its Division Street brunch spots is pure bliss, no matter how windy it gets.

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Jonah

Famous for its jazz and blues history – with major local acts like Buddy Guy continuing to draw huge crowds – Chicago also has an indie rock scene that is arguably second only to New York’s. Major annual music festivals like Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and the Chicago Blues Festival call Chicago home, and even tourist-oppressed Millennium Park has a free weekly series for independent acts from rap to reggae. Throw a dart and you’ll hit a bar that has live music, and Chicago staple The Hideout is just one of the independent players that puts on shows nearly every night. Chicagoans also take their drinks very seriously, and the often overdone speakeasy craze doesn’t feel forced here, especially in Wicker Park, which also has some of the best record stores and used bookshops in the city. When the weather is nice, Lincoln Park is just one of the city’s several hundred outdoor escapes, and even northerly beaches like Montrose and Foster Avenue let you rock a three-month tan away from the crowds. Come the torrid winter, eclectic coffee shops in Logan Square will warm you up with a bowl of organic, fair-trade coffee before you hit the next late-night underground concert.

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Emma

A big city with a small town vibe, Chicago is both easy to navigate and easy to love – Chicagoans are notoriously friendly, and the transit system makes it a cinch to get around! Summer days are best spent at the outdoor promenade and amusement mecca Navy Pier or in nearby Grant Park, a spectacular natural oasis with free cultural programs including concerts and exhibits, and incredibly popular festivals like Taste of Chicago. Any day of the week you can rub elbows with the upper crust walking down the Magnificent Mile, where window shopping and people-watching are surpassed only by the dozens of historical buildings and architectural tours you can take along the way. For a more relaxed day, nothing beats brunch with all-you-can-drink Bloody Marys in Wicker Park, followed by a hysterical comedy show at Second City. Later on, you’re guaranteed an amazing girls’ night out at the pubs and clubs along Rush & Division Street, while small neighborhood bars in Ukrainian Village are always a good bet for unpretentious fun. If that’s too mellow, get your friends together and ramp it up with some fabulous dancing in Boystown.