Crossing

Lincoln Park, Chicago –

Although a Jayhawks flag above the front door immediately announces Crossing’s allegiance to the University of Kansas, the cavernous rooms within have space for fans of all colors looking to snag a spot in front of one of the joint’s several dozen TVs.

A polished wooden bar decked out in bobble heads and booze is usually lined with regulars, while sleek and cozy red booths – some with their own flat-screens – set the place apart from the more beer-stained and sticky sports bars in the area.

On big game days, finance types and well-dressed sports lovers head to the 9x15-foot grouping of TVs in the back, as corporate get-togethers or older birthday groups take over the small mezzanine.

Warmer months draw the devoted, but rarely raucous, clientele into the backyard beer garden where they relax over a few pints, grab a quick lunch or dinner, or settle in to watch whatever’s on the bank of eight TVs.

For sporting events, especially Kansas basketball games, the bar starts filling up two hours before tip-off, and proud twenty- and thirty-something Kansas alumni make their presence known with a hearty “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!”

Despite the Kansas-heavy leanings, Crossing has enough TVs to ensure that fans of other schools have a good chance of finding at least one tuned to their game of choice.