The Dank Haus is such a staple in the Lincoln Square community. If you haven't been here yet,…read morefollow their socials and get on their newsletter to find an event that interests you. On our latest visit, during the annual Open House Chicago architecture event throughout the city, we came in to appreciate the beauty of this big building. We popped up to the second floor bar to enjoy some beer and enjoyed watching the indoor shooting (not as scary as it sounds). The volunteers, regulars, and fellow patrons are always a good group to hang out with. If you're lucky enough to attend an event on the sixth floor, be sure to take photos out on the patio as the views are pretty nice! As far as transportation, it's right off the Western CTA Brown Line stop. There's paid parking on the closest streets (or lots). If you're willing to walk a few minutes, almost everything west of Western is free neighborhood parking.

They really make the space count!…read more I decided to become a member ($50 a year for an individual) since I'm currently taking one of the virtual adult German classes. The membership gave me a discount on the class and so much more! I highly recommend the classes. My instructor is good about making everyone feel comfortable and included and has creative but fun ways to ensure everyone enjoys even the most challenging of topics, like grammar! Yes, I truly mean that German grammar can be fun! In addition to german classes, Dank Haus has so many different, affordable activities that you can sign up for. I've done the bilingual yoga classes - the meditation is all in English and the yoga part is all in German. Don't let the yoga all in German scare you off though! If you don't understand, you can just watch the instructor and mimic her. She's really good. The wild part is...the yoga classes only cost $5 each! Crazy! They were outside in the summer (on the terrace with a gorgeous view!) and soon to start up again this fall indoors. The cooking classes are also loads of fun. I've only been to one so far, but everyone was so kind and welcoming considering I went to it solo. I came out of the class happy I made some friends! Not to mention, each cooking class includes a drink in the price (choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic) so they're a great deal! If you're interested in touring the place, they offer guided tours and self guided tours by appt. You can do it via their website. I did a self-guided tour where I picked up a paper in the lobby of the highlights of what to see on each floor. I was surprised at how much history was crammed into even the hallways! There's definitely more than you think there is... I also requested to visit their library of books in German, since the public library is kinda lacking in that department. Their selection is excellent. They have everything from books to learn German to easy readers (short stories that aren't super wordy) to full fledged adult fiction to cookbooks. Id argue Dank Haus is a great place whether you know German, want to learn German, or know German. I wish I had learned about all the affordable activities they had sooner! All I know is I'll definitely keep on taking advantage of them

I took expert theater goers Megan and I a minute or two to figure out this one. The Lincoln Square…read moreTheater is a performance space used by the Lincoln Square Community Arts Center. The theater is located in the Berry Memorial United Methodist Church basement. You got that?? Basically a small playhouse in a church that is used by many production companies. But, it doesn't just have plays, it also hosts cultural discussions, stage readings, live music, and dance. One evening Megan and I decided to track down this theater for a "Babes and Blades" production called "The Double". A screwball comedy meets swashbuckler in a tribute to Cyrano de Bergerac and the 1940s. Megan liked it but I did not. It's nothing against the actors or playwright, I'm tired of old fashion period pieces. Again it's a personal thing. The actors were great, singing, dancing, sword fighting (though I expected more), and an easy to follow story filled with romance and comedy. It really did remind me of 1940's film, the way they spoke, the way they dressed, and even the dance numbers. Anyways can't hurt to keep an eye out for future shows at LSAC.

Another brilliant summer afternoon spent people-watching, reading, sun-tanning, chilling, in…read moreGiddings Plaza, the heart of the Lincoln Square neighborhood, and realizing that this is definitely the best neighborhood in Chicago. Giddings Plaza is the center of the area. On a beautiful summer day like today, it is filled with parents and babies, children playing, people having lunch, and even someone like me, who uses a day off to enjoy the whole panorama. Lincoln Square has a diverse population that's best seen on Thursday evenings when the farmer's market is operating, and the free concerts take place in the Plaza. It really feels like you're in a small, friendly town. The area has restaurants (many, many), an independent bookstore (BookCellar), a fantastic deli (Gene's Sausage Shop), independent and unique stores (Merz Apothecary, Eclectricity, Gallimaufry Gallery, and more), coffeeshops, a wine shop (Fine Wine Brokers), entertainment (Davis Theatre, Old Town School of Folk Music, free events sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce), a large park district (Welles Park), a big public library (Sulzer Branch) -- just too many pluses to list here. The neighborhood features plenty of housing, without feeling like you're living in one of those high-rise caverns alongside Sheridan Road. There are apartments, condos and single family homes. And the neighborhood luckily escaped the worst of the housing boom - there are a few McMansions around here, those hulking monsters that fill up their lots with not enough land left to place a flower pot - but not nearly as many as in other neighborhoods or suburbs. It still maintains the old Chicago 'hood character. The one thing that may develop into a problem is parking. Thursday night is already challenging in the area, since the Market fills a parking lot. Now that Lincoln Square Athletic Club has opened, there will be a lot more people coming into the area with their cars. On the nights when Old Town School has a big concert, parking is already an issue. Old Town School is expanding into a much larger, new building across the street from its current location, and you can be sure that will add stress to the parking issues. But for me, I love it. Nights on our block are quiet and peaceful. But when we want action, summer or winter, we can find whatever we want in Lincoln Square.

Out of all of Chicago's 77 unique neighborhoods, Lincoln Square is truly my favorite. This is also…read moreprobably why I chose to live here. It's far enough north from much of the city congestion, has a true neighborhood feel amongst an urban surrounding, and still manages to maintain a good amount of it's German culture. It's truly "A village in a city." Several German businesses are still alive and booming with pride: Chicago Brahaus, Merz Apothecary, Lutz Continental Café, Huttenbar, the Chicago branches of DANK HAUS (The German American Cultural Center) and the Niedersachsen German Club, to name a few. The Chamber of Commerce does a lovely job in making sure the neighborhood maintain's this "life" with many festivals and events like the SpringRavenswood Run, May Fest, Fold & Roots Festival, Apple Fest, German Fest, and the Christkindl Market. I love exploring the neighborhood whether it is sitting in a lovely cafe reading a book, strolling past the many shops or watching the kids play by the fountain Square.

Located on the 4th floor of DANK HAUS German Cultural Center, and only open Saturdays, this…read moremulti-room gallery is a nice place to see wonderful art or photography. They have other special events as well. We went tonight to see my friend Hagen Dost's photography exhibit, entitled "Two Mile Radius" - a collaboration with his wife and poet, Cherie Caswell Dost. It was fantastic. I recommend heading over anytime through December 30th to check it out. Cherie is also an essayist and is now a regular contributor to Chicago Public Radio.

Croatians are extremely good at drinking, and the Cultural Center serves us lushes cheaply, quickly…read moreand happily. Expect to see loads of Croatian men singing homeland anthems off-key and swaying back and forth... this you'll see at the beginning. If you make it to the end, you might witness two belligerents duking it out in the parking lot. I haven't been back since the smoking ban went into effect-- eau de Marlboro Red was the only drawback, really. I'll be back for the Velika Gospa after-party. God, help me :)

Not too bad for a concert venue. I came here for the first time to see Prljavo Kazaliste and while…read moreI am still not sure if it was worth the $55, or even would have been worth $45 for the whole experience, I had a decent time, yummy drinks, was able to get up to the front of the crowd and found parking. I couldn't ask for much more than that. Considering how many people they could host, the parking lot is small. It's one of the drawbacks. But since most people don't show up until the scheduled start time, you'll be able to snag a spot if you show up about an hour early. Don't fret - they have a full bar to pass the time. The bar was a big disappointment. How can the CROATIAN cultural center not have a single CROATIAN imported beer? Someone thought they might have a single case of Karlovacko, but the bartenders said I couldn't have it, because "If [I] have it then everyone else will want it." Well, yea, because CROATIAN beer is awesome! So I was forced to go with cranberry vodka, which was served in a dinky cup the first time and then a huge one the second round. Both were $5. Still can't figure that one out... The banquet hall seems great for a wedding or large party. It's elegant, but all of the historical/locational pictures are a bit kitsch. You'll understand if you're Eastern European. They are nice, but overwhelming. And that is the reason I love it. We felt like we were at prom.

I enjoyed the show quite a bit! Note that they have a metal detector situation at the door and a…read moretwo drink minimum. They had several comedians come on stage, and a host comedian who introduced each act. The comedians were funny and it was a great time! If you don't want to be picked on by the comedians, then don't sit in the front row!

3-4 out of the 7 comedians were decent or better. Tickets were cheap at $25/piece but the 2 drink…read moreminimum is stupid. Just include it in the price of the ticket. My wife and I don't drink but we ended up spending $50+ on mocktails which was about the same as the tickets and was an unexpected surprise. Stupid policy. The chairs are also very uncomfortable. Try to get a booth - they looked comfier.

Nice theater, small and well managed. Went to watch young Frankenstein with our 15 year old which…read morewas a mistake. The musical should be 18-+ because of some content. If our daughter didn't tag along my husband and I would have enjoyed watching it to the end . We left in the interval because we didn't want our daughter feeling uncomfortable. So many wasted $$$

One of my favorite mid sized theaters in the city. I've seen a number of shows here and they all…read morehave been excellent.

Almost everyone you meet in Chicago who loves their city will ask when you tell them you are…read morevisiting from out of town, "Have you done the architectural boat tour?" People in Amsterdam will also ask if you have done a canal boat tour - and you have to do these when you visit these cities. Our docent volunteer guide, Steve, was excellent. He was very personable and extremely knowledgeable about the city's riverside buildings and its history. The boat staff was also hardworking and ready to help with any issues, from getting a drink at the boat's downstairs bar to handing out covers when the rain hit us. For what we paid, the 1.5 hour tour was more than worth it. I recommend sitting at the top towards the back, as you don't have to crane your neck as much when he points out places of interest. This was a truly wonderful experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Not what I expected overall but it was still a very educational experience. Scoring tickets to…read moreChicago's Architecture Center through our hotel, we used the tickets as a good time filler. Not a must see or do attraction but a great day filler activity as you explore the city. Loved the wealth of information they offer as it's valuable to understand Chicagos importance from the ground up! I thought it would be more about highlighting the amazing architectural buildings around the city but nothing like that. It's was more about the environmental impact the city has and the hurdles when designing buildings around town. The staff were friendly at check in and provided great service overall as they were kind and helpful. Small center that you may explore at your own pace and may or may not be worth the admission price. But scoring free tickets it allowed us to be selective in our day or day plans to include the activity to pay it a visit!

After 5:00 summer series Wednesday wine down:I recently visited this Little Black Pearl, and I have…read moreto say the energy when I walked in was great. I was surrounded by such positive, welcoming people of all ages. Throughout the night, we sang karaoke, played cards, shot pool and listened to good music. What really stood out to me was how safe, inclusive, and comfortable the environment felt. Everyone was so kind and genuine. But what truly touched my heart was how the community embraced my brother, who is special needs. There was no judgment only acceptance, laughter, and open arms. For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I had to be on guard, watching to make sure he was being treated with respect because everyone just welcomed. It was a relaxing night filled with connection and joy. I would absolutely come back and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, warm, and safe space. Thank you for such an unforgettable expeience.

The organization for which I work recently held an event at Little Black Pearl (LBP). The support…read moreand service we received was beyond stellar! LBP provided the space, catered the food (via their onsite cafe, Carver 47), connected us to amazing balloon and floral vendors, and provided other accoutrements (e.g., tables and chairs, table coverings, a stage, sound and tech support, package management). LBP's one-stop shop especially helpful given that our planning team resided outside of Chicago. There is so much to applaud from the experience: the warm and inviting space exuded elegance; the feast was as beautiful as it was delicious; and the LBP team's interactions with us (from planning to completion) was the epitome of grace and hospitality. They accommodated every request and did so with an exceptional level of excellence. When we asked that the menu include a vegetarian and Halal dish, they ensured guests had multiple options. When we requested assistance erecting our banner, they took on the task of assembling the entire structure, even machine washing and drying it when they noticed a stain. Compared to other spaces we considered (and have used in the past) across the city, LBP's offerings and support stood head and shoulders above and their love was palpable in their attention to details.That they have a heart-centered mission and work in support of youth and community was tasty icing on an already amazing cake. Thank you, Little Black Pearl team, for making our event a world-class experience!