Travel Guide: Albany Park

I was thumbing through some Chicago travel guides at the used bookstore the other day, and was annoyed by the fact that even the books claiming to be "not for tourists" and the "off the beaten path" stuck to the most predictable areas of the city. Granted, they listed some restaurants and clubs and such that people might not otherwise find, but there's more to this city than just the neighborhoods along the lake front!

For those who want to experience-- I mean, really experience-- the non-touristy side of Chicago, they should venture inland, to neighborhoods like the one just west of me. Albany Park, home of the $5 haircut, is exploding with diversity. The Ellis Island of Chicago, the melting pot of Albany Park is where seemingly clashing cultures coexist in the most wonderful conglomeration.

The residential areas are the classic Chicago mix of stucco and brownstone buildings, and it has its share of liquor stores, taquerias, and currency exchanges, which one would expect in an area so heavily populated by immigrants. However, unlike most immigrant neighborhoods, there is no predominant nationality that inhabits Albany Park. Not even on the northwest side of the neighborhood, along Lawrence Avenue (a.k.a. Seoul Drive), where the neighborhood's border mingles with that of Koreatown's, is there a definite difference.

It is not at all unusual to see signs in English, Polish, Korean, Arabic, and of course Spanish (the Hispanic population has infiltrated every neighborhood in Chicago) in the same stretch of store fronts. Visitors will find restaurants of every cuisine; there is something to satisfy even the most adventurous eater. The stores themselves are practical yet multi-functional; they offer the consumer much more than the average store. My personal favorites are the shoe store that also sells Avon and motor oil; the convenience store that sells live fowl and boasts a sign reading "we also speak English here"; and the restaurant that "specializes" in Italian, Mexican, and American food.

My itinerary suggestion would begin with lunch at the Sushi bar/nail salon, followed by spa treatments in the same building. Visitors could grab a mid-afternoon snack from one of the Lebanese bakeries or Mexican street vendors, then cap off the evening with a game or two at the pool hall, where the sign suggests that a good time will be had by all. So, Chicago, what are you waiting for? Travel to the end of the brown line and explore Albany Park today!