BuyUptown

Strange Cargo

Highly entertaining vintage t-shirt, souvenir, and anything-goes store. Great place to find annual Halloween, St. Pat's or Pride Parade clothing.

Listing from Wikivoyage: Chicago/Uptown, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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DrinkUptown
Simon's Tavern
Simon's has roots as a Prohibition-era speakeasy and a Swedish hangout (from which, rumor has it, Norwegians were barred). Today, there's cheap beer on tap and vikings among the unpretentious decor.
Sun-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM
EatUptown
Jin Ju
Possibly the only Korean food in Chicago outside of Seoul Drive. Seafoodies and vegetarians will do equally well; if unsure, try the bulgogi, and resolve all of life's other uncertainties with a round or two of soju.
Sun Tue-Wed 5-9:30PM, Thu 5-10PM, Fri Sat 5-11PM, Mon closed$12-20
EatUptown
Svea
Swedish breakfast spot with renowned lingonberry pancakes.
Mon-Fri 7AM-2:30PM, Sat Sun 7AM-3:30PM$4-9
BuyUptown
Women and Children First
This is one of the foremost feminist bookstores in the country, with more than 30,000 books and a regular schedule of events and author appearances. (Hillary Clinton is among the roster of guests.) If you have kids in tow, bring them to Storytime on Wednesday mornings (10:30-11AM).
Mon Tue 11AM-7PM, Wed Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-6PM