Take a trip down the Red Line
You’ve worked soooo hard all week. So what better way to relieve all your stress than go to an apartment party and chug ten glasses of jungle juice, wash them down a couple cups of the champagne of beers and fall into bushes on your way home?
Wrong. As much fun as it is to get so smashed you don’t even remember having fun, there’s plenty more to do outside the small confines of our dear university’s halls. And no, I’m not talking about wandering into Evanston.
We live in Chicago, people! (Well, close enough). This is a city the size of Manhattan, and we’re lucky enough to be within shooting distance of the Red Line and all its luxuries from two baseball stadiums, the Mag Mile, Chinatown and one of my favorite neighborhoods: Belmont.
Ok, for all you squeamish straight guys (I know you’re out there), yes, it is very close to Boys Town. Yes, that means there are a lot of gays, and that if you walk too far down Belmont Ave., you will see giant rainbow sculptures protruding out the sidewalk. But Belmont is a neighborhood for everyone.
There is shopping for everyone, with odd novelty stores selling books of Bush quotes, posters for every stereotypical college dorm room (COLLEGE anyone?), and those shot glasses and bumper stickers ripe with witticisms such as “One tequila, Two tequila, Three tequila, Floor.”
If inane souvenirs aren’t your thing, I guarantee that you’ll find something you’ll like at one of Belmont’s numerous sex shops. Taboo Tabou and Egor’s Dungeon flank a corner, offering everything the sexually obsessed college student could ask for, from crazy flavored lubes to edible underwear, to BDSM accessories. For the more sophisticated shopper, a short walk will take you to Tulip, a sex store designed for women. Tulip guarantees satisfaction, since all employees are required to try out every product. Yes, that includes every dildo.
There are restaurants all over the neighborhood, but check out Standard Indian Restaurant. Despite it’s assuming appearance, it’s Zagat-rated. The buffet style lets you try a bunch of different Indian dishes, all of which are great. Pay special attention to the things that look like overgrown hush puppies. They’re to die for.
So, next time you’re wondering what to do to maximize your play time, stray a little farther afield. There is more to Northwestern than Evanston. Take advantage of it.
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Belmont is not a neighborhood in Chicago, it’s an el stop name and a street, but the area is known as Lakeview. Only Northwestern students refer to the neighborhood as “Belmont”, and in addition, it’s the neighborhood every freshman explores first and thinks that they are impossibly cool for “discovering” it. I wish someone would recommend another neighborhood, like Wrigleyville, Wicker Park, or the Ukranian Village- all of which have tons to offer.
Katherine
May 17, 2007 at 5:57 pm
My mistake on calling Belmont a neighborhood. And you’re right, it is a common place that freshman “discover.” But I think you would be surprised how many Northwestern students don’t make it out of Evanston very often at all and haven’t been there. The Belmont “area” is a fun place for people to check out first, especially since it’s relatively close. People should also check out other great places in Chicago, including Devon and Armitage in addition to the ones you named, but that doesn’t mean Belmont can’t also be fun.
Emily Vaughan
May 18, 2007 at 12:16 pm
A little catty there Katherine? Lakeview is a rather large area. In fact, Wrigleyville itself is within Lakeview, as are all the gay boys in Boystown and the string of restaurants on Southport, etc.
“Belmont” isn’t technically a neighborhood, per se, but it can be useful to refer to more specific places in Chicago by their el stops. I’m pretty sure even Chicagons themselves do this.
And I would imagine Wicker Park is more commonly known and recommended among non-Chicago natives (and it’s also a longer el ride).
Let me also say that in spite of Katherine’s cynicism, the area surrounding the Belmont stop, as well as Lakeview in general, *IS* a fucking cool area. Yes, it’s one of the most commonly frequented areas in Chicago among NU students, but there’s also so much there that you can’t stop discovering: the art house movie theaters (Landmark, Music Box), Wrigley and its surrounding sports bars, the gay bars, that cool tattoo shop, music venues, and all those goddamned Asian restaurants. So you know, go. And perhaps more importantly: don’t be afraid to go yourself. You’re not in Skokie anymore.
Paul Schrodt
May 24, 2007 at 3:03 pm