Why You Should Visit Uptown

On
Chicago
's Northside, due north from Wrigley Field, rests Uptown, a neighborhood with a little bit of everything.

From famous jazz clubs, to improv-comedy, to great food, Uptown revels in the diversity of
Chicago
-a rarity for the city. Most of
Chicago
's neighborhoods are dominated by a particular socio-economic strata or ethnic group.
Chicago
is famed for de facto segregation, and visitors can catch a glimpse of this reputation at work. Entire neighborhoods will be exclusively African-American, or Caucasian, or Latino. Good things have arisen from these homogenous enclaves of culture. A trip to Bronzeville-a historic African-American community-can give tourists an idea of what life was and, in some very visceral senses, continues to be like for African-Americans. Pilsen-a Latino neighborhood-contains some of
Chicago
's best artwork and cuisine. But, the de facto segregation of
Chicago
intensely harms communities-especially when resources are unfairly distributed and political gerrymandering disrupts the democratic process. Escaping from the clutches of this is Uptown, a neighborhood rich with varying cultures and socio-economic groups.

In Uptown, locals and tourists alike can grab authentic Ethiopian cuisine on one block and high-quality Polish the next. There are Southeast Asian markets on Broadway and Indian restaurants and shops just a few blocks west. The proximity of different cultures creates a vibrant atmosphere that characterizes Uptown's center. Here are a few sights worth catching:

The Green Mill:

Al Capone used to hang out in this Uptown jazz club that has attracted the some of the largest names in music for over 70 years. The service is atrocious (read: pretentious bartenders that pretend they're doing you a favor by fetching you a very expensive drink). But, the overall sense of history and wonderful music still piping from the band is reason enough to brave the snobby staff. There is a cover on weekend nights (roughly around 10 dollars or so) but the quality of music is always better on Fridays and Saturdays. And the place is open super late (4 a.m.). Even the bathroom at the Green Mill contains a deep sense of history, as famous musicians' signatures and sightings litter the walls.

The Annoyance Theatre

Chicago
is famous for many things (bad baseball team, sausages, etc) but perhaps nothing is more endemic to the city than improve comedy. One such comedic group is the recently-located Annoyance Theatre. The new space opened up a few months ago in the heart of Uptown, displaying some of the city's funniest talents and skits. It's a great place for tourists to check out a theatre space and get a sense of what long-scene improv-comedy is all about. Not only do visitors learn some
Chicago
history, but hopefully enjoy a few laughs and drinks.

The Ballroom

Built in 1926 and named for a region in , if you want to see a musical, non-jazz act the (located on Broadway and Lawrence) is by far the best place to see them. This old (read: beautifully ornate, Spanish-style) concert hall books well-known acts (from the Doors in the late 1960's to the Pixies farewell tour in 2005) and allows listeners to revel in the amazing acoustics and mind-blowing interior. This concert venue is an absolute treasure and an Uptown staple.

The best amenity of Uptown Chicago is the diversity and the vibrancy that the diversity affords. The class of cultures and socio-economic groups gives visitors a glimpse of what
Chicago
, as a whole, is like. And the interesting ways in which cultures and Chicagoans mix to create a new community based on artistic pursuits-whether music or painting or dance or comedy-is something every visitor should check out.