The '''Far Northwest Side''' of Chicago includes the neighborhoods of '''Avondale''' and the Polish Village ('''Jackowo''' and '''Wac?awowo'''), with large Polish communities; '''Irving Park''' and '''Old Irving''', quiet areas with historic homes; and '''Forest Glen, Jefferson Park, Norwood Park, Edison Park, Edgebrook, Dunning,''' and '''Portage Park,''' residential areas which have nice parks, old theaters, and some big annual festivals.

These are the neighborhoods closest to O'Hare International Airport.

Understand

The Far Northwest Side is, for many travelers, nothing more than a blur of drab buildings seen from the expressway or the Blue Line on their way to O'Hare. And only the most fervent of true believers could make an argument that it ought to be anywhere near the top of a first-time visitor's list. None of the city's most famous landmarks are located here; nothing in the best-known history or literature about Chicago happened here. In fact, most Chicagoans would find the Far Northwest Side as unfamiliar as someone right off a plane from the coast.

What ''is'' here, though, is a group of large, residential communities and a handful of treasures they've grown accustomed to keeping for themselves, unencumbered by style or pace. Sausage shops and old-style Italian restaurants carry on as if health food and celebrity chefs never happened. If you're serious about trying a Chicago-style hot dog at the peak of the form, you'll do well here. Two classic movie palaces awaken for special events, and there are strong contenders for the city's best music venue and original theater venue — the '''Abbey Pub''' and the '''Prop Thtr''', respectively.

Plenty of tourists and locals have tried "going Chinese" for a night in Chinatown, but an even more immersive (and less-traveled) experience is "going Polish." English slides to second on the signs, the food makes sweet love to your waist, and the beer flows cheap at your choice of fab discos straight out of Eastern Europe or laid-back dives with you and the regulars. Famously, Chicago has the largest population of Polish people of any city in the world save Warsaw. If you never make it to Poland, at least you can say you've been to Avondale.

So once you're sick of the screaming brats in Lakeview and Lincoln Park, the scuzz in Uptown, the tourist traps on the Mag Mile, the crowds in the Loop, the hipsters in Wicker Park, the confusion in Rogers Park, the pretension in Hyde Park, the cranks in Bridgeport — and you're in the mood to experience Chicago all over again, for the first time — then the Far Northwest Side may have something for you.

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Get in

By train

The CTA '''Blue Line''' has stops throughout the northwest side of Chicago in Avondale (Belmont, Addison), Irving Park (Irving Park, Montrose), Jefferson Park (Jefferson Park), and Norwood Park (Harlem), before passing into the orbit of O'Hare Airport (Cumberland, Rosemont, O'Hare). You may need to connect with a bus, though, as these stops are pretty far west, and there's a lot of ground between them and the Brown Line to the east.

The end of the CTA '''Brown Line''' is within reach of Irving Park (Kedzie, Kimball).

The Metra '''Union Pacific Northwest Line''' has stops in Irving Park, Jefferson Park, Norwood Park, and Edison Park, while the Metra '''Milwaukee District North''' line stops at Mayfair, Forest Glen and Edgebrook. The former ends at Ogilvie/Northwestern Station and the latter at Union Station, both in the Loop.

By bus

This is a fairly large area, covered by a ton of bus routes. Several major ones are listed below. Most connect to the CTA Blue Line or the Metra, and a few spread out into the suburbs.

  • '''53 Pulaski''' runs all night through Irving Park and Avondale connecting with the Irving Park Blue Line & Metra Stations.
  • '''54 Cicero''' runs through the eastern half of the area, although it's not an all-night route.
  • '''56 Milwaukee''' runs from Wicker Park and Logan Square through the heart of the Polish Village and most the Far Northwest Side ending at Jefferson Park Blue Line/Metra.
  • '''68 Northwest Highway''' runs from the Jefferson Park station to the Park Ridge Metra Station running parallel to the Metra. It also makes connections to the Gladstone, Norwood and Edison Park Metra stations.
  • '''77 Belmont''' connects with the self-named Blue Line station and runs all night. This is handy for trips in Avondale.
  • '''78 Montrose''' connects with the Blue Line at the Montrose station and the Mayfair Metra Station, handy for trips in Portage Park or Irving Park and the Harlem Irving Plaza.
  • '''80 Irving Park''' is, as you might expect, ideal for Irving Park and Old Irving. Connections can be made with the Irving Park Blue Line or Brown Line stops as well as the Irving Park Metra. This route serves the Harlem Irving Plaza.
  • '''81 Lawrence''' runs from Uptown to the Jefferson Park and Cumberland Blue Line stations, with a direct connection at the Kimball Brown Line stop providing service all night long.
  • '''82 Kimball/Homan''' connects with the Blue Line at Belmont and the Brown Line at Kimball, and can save you a bit of walking from the Blue Line to places like Abbey Pub.
  • '''92 Foster''' starts at the Jefferson Park station heading east to the lakefront and the Red Line at Berwyn.
  • '''Pace''' buses cover the regions that cross over into the suburbs:

  • '''226 Oakton Street''' starts at the Jefferson Park station heading north along Central Avenue connecting with the Edgebrook Metra station. It then continues up to Skokie heading west on Oakton to Des Plaines.
  • '''270 Milwaukee Avenue''' goes up Milwaukee Avenue from the Jefferson Park Station through Norwood Park and continuing into the suburbs.
  • '''290 Touhy Avenue''' covers Edgebrook and Edison Park and ends at the Cumberland CTA Blue Line.
  • '''423 Linden CTA/The Glen/Harlem Avenue''' starts at the at the Harlem Blue Line covering Norwood and Edison Park and continues up into the suburbs.
  • By car

    '''I-90/94''' (aka "'''The Kennedy'''") runs through the center of Chicago and then to the western parts of the city, where it joins '''I-190'''. I-90/190 go to O'Hare Airport, while I-94 splits off to reach the northern and northwest suburbs. The most useful exits are off the Kennedy at Lawrence Avenue and Ill-19/Irving Park Road.

    See

  • Carl Schurz High School. 601 N Milwaukee Ave. 6 Milwaukee bus. 1 773 534-3420. ttp://www.schurzhs.org/. A massive 1910 Prairie School masterpiece by Dwight Perkins, possibly the biggest example of the architectural style, and still a working high school. It's an impressive sight.

  • Copernicus Foundation. 216 West Lawrence Ave. 1 773 777-8898. ttp://www.copernicusfdn.org/. A Polish Cultural Center in Jefferson Park, housed in the old Gateway Theater movie palace. They host community events and classes throughout the year; highlights include the '''Polish Film Festival''' [http://www.pffamerica.com/] in November and the '''Taste of Polonia''' [http://www.copernicusfdn.org/home.php?dzial=9] at the end of August.

  • Jefferson Memorial Park. 822 N Long Ave. efferson Park Blue Line. 1 773 685-3316. ttp://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/026FBA67-0F78-4D85-9E9F-568E27CC105B.cfm. Beloved local park with seasonal concerts and seven acres of outdoor fun, including fields for baseball, football, soccer, and tennis, as well as a swimming pool and a spray pool. The '''Jeff Fest''' is held every summer.

    Do

  • Habetler Bowl. 250 N Northwest Hwy. 1 773 774-0500. sually, it's $4 per game for adults ($3 for kids), and shoe-rental is $3.50. However, it's $2 per game all summer long, and Tuesday nights are always $1 per game. ttp://www.habetlerbowl.com. Long-standing local bowling alley with brand-new facilities.

  • LaSalle Bank Cinema. 901 W Irving Park Rd. 1 312 904-9442. a 8PM. 5 adults, $3 children. Movie revival house in Portage Park, with a new old film every weekend. The entrance can be tricky to find if you get there early — go around to the back of the bank.

  • Portage Theater. 050 N Milwaukee Ave. rving Park Blue Line. 1 773 736-4050. ickets vary by event. ttp://www.portagetheater.org/. A beautiful old movie palace in Portage Park, built in 1920 with a whopping 1,938 seats. It's only open for special events and festivals like the '''Silent Summer Festival''' [http://www.silentfilmchicago.com/] and scary movies around Halloween. The Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village sometimes hosts shows here.

  • Prop Thtr. 502 N Elston Ave. 1 773 539-7838. ttp://www.propthtr.org/. ost shows $32, $22 students. Prop is the best place in Chicago to see smart, exciting new dramatic theater, from "Porno Zombies" to Daley biographies. The current production will almost certainly be worth seeing, but the '''New Plays Festival''' in July offers two shows and a slew of live readings.

    Buy

    Polish Village

  • Euro One Design. 023 N Milwaukee Ave. 6 Milwaukee bus. 1 773 384-9335. -Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 10AM-6PM. Search no further: here are the diamond-checkered sweaters you were always meant to have. Euro One Design stocks Polish and Eastern European fashions for women, with a decent selection for men.

  • Eva's Polish Bookstore. 034 N Milwaukee Ave. 6 Milwaukee bus. 1 773 276-0826. -Sa 10AM-7PM, 10AM-4PM. Almost certainly the largest selection of Polish books in Chicago.

  • Little Poland's Dollar Plus Store. olski Sklep. 067 N Milwaukee Ave. 6 Milwaukee bus. 1 773 478-0752. AM-10PM. Most of the space is given over to standard-issue dollar store junk, but this one stands out not only for the frenetic burst of verbiage on the sign — and the even more effusive exterior walls — but also the small, terrific selection of Polish souvenirs. (While not expensive, most do cost more than a dollar.)

  • Syrena. 004 N Milwaukee Ave. 6 Milwaukee bus. 1 773 489-4435. -Sa 10AM-8PM, Su 10AM-6PM. The alpha and omega of department stores in Avondale. Frills, lace, fabric roses, and more fill the rows of Polish fashion for women of all ages at Syrena. Even from outside, it's quite a sight.

    Others

    The Portage Park intersection of Cicero, Milwaukee, and Irving Park is known as the '''Six Corners'''. In the 1950s, that was the commercial epicenter of the Northwest Side, and one of the busiest in the entire city. These days, it's a mix of a few chains and some intriguing, boarded-up old businesses — check out '''Mr. Steer''' and the weird Hummel-meets-Star-Trek collection at the old '''Crown Gift Shop''', both across from the Portage Theater.

  • City Newsstand. 018 N Cicero Ave. 1 773 545-7377. AM-11PM. An estimated 60 newspapers and 6,000 magazines from everywhere and south of there, with imports from Prague, Italy, and some kid's basement in

    Mid-range

  • Amitabul. 207 N Milwaukee Ave. 6 Milwaukee bus. 1 773 774-0276. ttp://www.amitabul.getwebnet.com/. u-Th 1-9PM, F 12-10PM, Sa 10AM-10PM, Su 1AM-8PM. 9-15, according to their website, there's a %10 discount for mentioning you saw them on the web. You love Korean food, but you're a vegan. You often find yourself considering how a certain dish would be perfect if the chef had just added a dash of zen cooking energy. You will be very happy at Amitabul.

  • CousCous House. 624 W Lawrence Ave. 1 Lawrence bus" phone='+1 773 777-9801"url="http://www.couscoushouse.com/. 9-15. Friendly and warm staff serve up fluffy couscous, baba ganoush, falafel, and other favorites. Try the mint tea.

  • Dharma Garden. 109 W Irving Park Rd. 0 Irving Park bus. 1 773 588-9140. ttp://www.dharmagarden.net/. -Th 11AM-9:30PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 3-9PM. 8-$14. There are several worthwhile Thai restaurants in Irving Park, but Dharma Garden serves vegetarians and seafood lovers especially well, with an emphasis on natural ingredients and healthy preparation.

  • Halina's Polish Delights. 914 W Lawrence Ave. 1 Lawrence bus. u-M 12-8PM, Tu-Sa 12-9PM. 7-12. If you are in the mood for breaded fried pork and veal cutlets, there is nowhere else you should be than this corner of Jefferson Park. They serve a fine spread of pierogies, too. The Polish Plate sample platter is available for new diners. English is not part of the staff hiring requirements, so you might want to brush up on your Chicagoland suburb of Niles, further down Milwaukee Avenue, has a few places to stay as well.

  • Edgebrook Motor Hotel. 401 W Touhy Ave. 90 Touhy bus. 1 773 774-4200. ooms from $54. Unmistakable sign, and unpretentious accommodations — televisions, fridges, and microwaves round out the amenities. It's about fifteen minutes from O'Hare in a quiet, safe area, just east of the

  • <listing name="Edgebrook Branch Library" alt="" directions="84 Peterson bus" address="5331 W Devon Ave" phone="+1 312 744-8313" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/oriole/oriole.html" hours="M-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM" price=""> In Forest Glen.</listing>
  • <listing name="Independence Branch Library" alt="" directions="Irving Park Blue Line" address="3548 W Irving Park Rd" phone="+1 312 744-0900" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/independence/independence.html" hours="M-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM" price=""> In Irving Park.</listing>
  • <listing name="Jefferson Park Branch Library" alt="" directions="Jefferson Park Blue Line" address="5363 W Lawrence Ave" phone="+1 312 744-1998" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/jefferson/jefferson.html" hours="M-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM" price=""> In Jefferson Park.</listing>
  • <listing name="Oriole Park Branch Library" alt="" directions="Harlem Blue Line" address="7454 W Balmoral Ave" phone="+1 312 744-1965" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/oriole/oriole.html" hours="M-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM" price=""> Big, new library near the Oriole Park fieldhouse in Norwood Park.</listing>
  • <listing name="Roden Branch Library" alt="" directions="Norwood Park Metra/68 Northwest Highway bus" address="6083 N Northwest Hwy" phone="+1 312 744-1478" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/roden/roden.html" hours="M-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM" price=""> Way out on the fringes of the city in Norwood Park.</listing>
  • <listing name="West Addison Branch Library" alt="" directions="152 Addison bus" address="7536 W Addison St" phone="+1 312 746-4704" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/westadd/westadd.html" hours="M,W,F-Sa 9AM-5PM, Tu,Th 12-8PM" price=""> In Dunning.</listing>
  • Get out

  • The Chicago Polish community flows over these district boundaries, with more to be found on Milwaukee Avenue to the north (in Niles) and to the south (in Logan Square, and Wicker Park, and Belmont-Cragin), and also notably on the Southwest Side.
  • The Chicagoland suburb of Park Ridge, a couple of minutes down Touhy Avenue/Northwest Highway from Edison Park, has the amazing '''Pickwick''', a giant classic movie theater that's still in regular use for second-run movies and occasional holiday revivals.