The Chicago Traveler

Chicago is renowned for its culture and diversity, bringing together people from all backgrounds and labels. The gay and lesbian community plays a significant part in the Windy City’s population, attracting men and women from less resourceful rural areas across the Midwest. Two of Chicago’s most thriving gay neighborhoods are Boystown (inside the Lakeview/Wrigleyville area) and Andersonville (and consequently its surrounding Edgewater neighborhood). A high concentration of bars, shops, and restaurants can be found among the colorful pylons of Boystown. Andersonville has a few bars as well but is better known for its boutiques and “hip” eateries.
While it is by …read more

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Earlier today, I mentioned that Hollywood has come to Chicago to film a new movie near the Biograph. This historic theatre, along with several other Chicago landmarks, also appears in the 2000 film High Fidelity.

High Fidelity (2000)

Directed by:
Stephen Frears

Produced by:
Tim Bevan
Rudd Simmons

Starring:
John Cusack
Iben Hjejle
Todd Louiso
Jack Black
Lisa Bonet
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Joan Cusack
Tim Robbins

Distributed by:
Touchstone Pictures

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The movie, based on a novel by the same name, is about Rob Gordon (John Cusack), a man in his 30s who owns a record store at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Honore Street (in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood). Rob’s girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) has just …read more

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Many kids have faked an illness in order to stay home from school. That, however, would never work for me. My parents’ theory seemed to be: “Can you walk? Can you breathe? Then you’re going to school.” One famous fictional teenager gets away with it and decides that he’s not going to waste his day off school by staying home; he’s going to have an all-out adventure in downtown Chicago. Of course, I’m talking about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986

Directed by:
John Hughes

Produced by:
John Hughes
Tom Jacobson

Starring:
Matthew Broderick
Alan Ruck
Mia Sara
Jeffrey Jones
Jennifer Grey

Distributed by:
Paramount Pictures

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This 1986 comedy follows …read more

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Released in 2002, BarberShop revolves around the customers and employees of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. This old-fashioned business is much more than a place where men get their hair cut though; it is a staple of the neighborhood and a place where people meet and share ideas, no matter how serious or preposterous they may be.

BarberShop (2002)

Directed by:
Tim Story

Produced by:
George Tillman, Jr.
Robert Teitel

Starring:
Ice Cube
Anthony Anderson
Eve
Sean Patrick Thomas
Michael Ealy
Troy Garity
Leonard Earl Howze
Keith David
Cedric the Entertainer

Distributed by:
MGM

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Calvin Palmer, Jr., (Ice Cube) is tired of managing the failing business his father entrusted to him. Unable to make …read more

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When it comes to these weekend info posts, I usually try to feature large fairs and festivals while giving a quick mention to other smaller ones. Well, this weekend, there is a little school holding a little festival in Ukrainian Village, which probably wouldn’t register on the radar of most folks outside the neighborhood. So why is it headlining this entry? Because the carnival rides, Eastern European and Latin music, beer garden, and ethnic food are all being hosted by St. Helen School, an elementary school I attended oh-so-many years ago. Admission to the St. Helen Festival is free, and …read more

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In honor of the gay pride events going on this weekend, here’s a rundown of just a few of the popular hangouts in the Boystown area.
For mixed drinks with a mixed crowd, head over to Berlin. Just a couple blocks east of the Pierogi Factory, the club attracts primarily a gay clientele during the week. However, a melting pot of homos, heteros, and every other label come to get their groove on over the weekend. I was there a couple years ago for my birthday with friends, after a long night of celebrating and bar-hopping. We found ourselves surrounded by …read more

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