5 Unique Date Ideas
Around Chicago
3) City Winery Wine Tour and Tasting
(citywinery.com/chicago/winemaking/tours-tasting-room.html): Some might be more intrigued by the informative portion of the tour, but I think it’s safe to say most people are mainly interested in the tasting. The tour includes: “exclusive wine tasting not available to the public, a sample of wine upon arrival, a tour of our facility with a member of our wine team, and a tasting flight of three City Winery wines paired with three crostini appetizers.” The perfect date designed for you!
5) The Social Table (thesocialtable.com): This date is for the foodies out there. The Social Table hosts a “BYOB, dinner party style cooking class”. During the class you cook, eat and drink, and you don’t even need to worry about clean up. A fun twist on the classic dinner date.
By Tola Akinbiyi
Father and Son Activities Chicago
By Rebecca Holland
Eat together at Medici on 57th
Aside from being a neighborhood favorite for more than 50 years and one of the Obama family's favorite Chicago eateries, Medici on 57th is the perfect place for some good ol’ fashion father and son bonding over beer and pizza. There’s nothing meatier in all of Chicago’s pizzerias than Medici’s classic Garbage Pizza (sausage, ground beef, pepperoni, canadian bacon, bell peppers, onion and mushrooms with mozzarella and marinara sauce).
Relax together at one of Chicago’s major annual festivals
Chicago Blues Festival in June, Taste of Chicago (the world’s single largest food festival) in July, the one and only Chicago Air and Water Show in mid August make Chicago a festival-lover’s dream in the summertime. What’s more, these events are great for father and son time. Whether you are a young dad with a toddler looking to inject some culture or a grandfather with a grown son who wants to revisit fond memories, these iconic summertime festivals in Chicago are a great way to spend some quality time together.
Get Lost in a New Neighborhood–Andersonville
By Mu-Hsien Lee
3 - Milk Handmade • 5137 N. Clark
Uniquely affordable boutique featuring small-run, handmade goods from local designers.
When I found Milk, the owner, Hallie Borden, and her graceful greyhound greeted me. I'm nuts for handmade jewelry and there was tons of it. I really loved that everything felt carefully curated and special, yet with reasonable prices. A beautiful place that is now one of my favorite Chicago shops!
4 - Foursided • 5061 N. Clark
A custom frame shop featuring cards, gifts, art and vintage goods.
When you step into this shop, there's just so much to see. Owner Todd Mack is an accomplished artist himself and it makes sense when you're in the space. Everyone in the shop seems to exude a fun, funky personality. There's a mixture of stationary, one-of-kind gifts and art...AND custom framing. I think you could successfully gift shop here for anyone and any occasion and find something that would make them smile.
4) Comedy at Second City (secondcity.com): A date without laughter is probably not a very good date, so why not ensure laughs with your significant other at Chicago’s Second City? The world-renowned performers will take away any dating jitters, and give you plenty to talk about once the show is over.
But even if Pizza isn’t your favorite, you’ll be impressed by Medici’s extensive list of other choices including steaks, burgers, grilled fish, deli sandwiches, and chicken entrees. Bonus points if you get your signatures on the wall so you can make a memory out of your visit for years to come.
Learn together at the Museum of Science and Industry
Only the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, The Museum of Science and Industry is home to more than 35,000 artifacts and more than 400,000 square feet of hands-on experiences designed to spark scientific wonder and creativity. Since opening our doors in 1933, the museum’s mission has always been to inspire and motivate curiosity in the fields of science, technology, agriculture, medicine and engineering - and they’ve done a fantastic job. Not only are their various exhibits educational and interesting for all ages, but also they are fun and interactive.
Chicago’s Springtime Wellness Events
By Sarah Baker
Detox Vinyasa: April 22 -
For the yoga practitioner interested in learning more about Abhyanga (massage of the body with oil) and Ayurveda (attaining a physical and emotional state of balance) as a way to detoxing and attaining health and peace of mind We are bombarded with stress and poor diets which are by their nature toxic. By concentrating on physical alignment and breath awareness while exercising the body through various yoga poses, this can be well-suited for assisting the body in performing its natural detox cleansing.
For the details: Moksha Riverwest - mokshayoga.com
Wanderlust Chicago: May 14 -
This event-taking place at Grant Park is touted as the world’s only mindful triathlon. The schedule line-up includes 75 minutes of yoga, a 30-minute group guided meditation and a 5K (including a pre-run stretch led by the day’s host). It’s community versus competition, so grab your tribe, or go it alone, and have a challenging and fun-filled day whether it’s your first time or you’re a fitness fanatic. There will be a marketplace with snacks, or to grab your morning cup of coffee, including local craft vendors, as well as an optional picnic lunch. For more info: Wanderlust 108 (wanderlust.com/108-events/chicago/)
Sarah Baker is a certified plant-based nutrition and health coach, herbalist, founder of BalancedBabe.com and the BeHealthful Retreat Series. In between working with clients and formulating botanical beauty blends, She spends most of her time as a media and TV personality advocating an approachable and fun holistic lifestyle. You can find Sarah on morning shows such as WCIU’s You & Me This Morning, Fox’s Good Day Chicago, WGN Midday News, and 101.9 THE MIX’s Finnegan's Finds, and has her own episode on Jewel Osco's series, Something Fresh. She can also be found in publications such as Glossed & Found, PureWow Chicago, RedEye Chicago, Refinery29, MindBodyGreen.com, Chicago Sun-Times Splash,Revia Magazine, and a plethora of lifestyle blogs.
Chicago’s Best Spa Services for Men
By Kelly Daly
Spa Space
Spa Space has a holistic approach to their business, meaning they prioritize the treatment of both the mind and body during their services. Men leave rave reviews for their “fitness facial," which is uses a glycolic solution customized to fit each individual client's skin and help with anti-aging. Find out more about all of their men's services here:
HALO
With five locations in the Chicago area, one of which is in the Ogilvie Train Station, perfect for men on the go, HALO is an easy to reach, comprehensive salon for men in and around the city. Their haircuts come with serious perks, such as a conditioning treatment, scalp massage, hand massage and a paraffin hand wax at no extra cost. Additionally, men can get a free touch-up within two weeks, making it easy to maintain their quality cut.
5 - The Guesthouse Hotel • 4872 N. Clark
Guests can "Live Like a Local" in their 1-3 bedroom suites with gourmet kitchens & outdoor spaces.
Our last stop was a bit of a luxurious reprieve and coming up to it, it's like they read my mind. On the glass I saw etchings that read "Stay like a local" and "shop like a local." The concept of the Guesthouse Hotel is to provide visitors (or locals) a place to stay that feels like an exquisite home. Their public library and living room spaces can transform into a celebration area to entertain or meet in a place that feels like the home you wish you had instead of a more neutral hotel rental room vibe. It's centrally located, so guests would have access to easily roam the 4 surrounding neighborhoods (Andersonville, Uptown, Wrigleyville and Lincoln Square).
Mu-Hsien Lee is the blogger behind (livelikeyouretraveling.com), a site that encourages readers to make the most of their every day and keep a traveler’s mindset, even while at home.
instagram.com/livelikeyouretraveling/ • twitter.com/LLYT_Lifestyle
pinterest.com/LLYT_Lifestyle • facebook.com/livelikeyouretraveling
316 Club Barber Spa
Men who care as much about the salon experience as much as the actual service will love 312 Club Barber Spa, Clients can enjoy a complimentary beverage from the on-site bar, and shoot pool in the lounge before or after their services.
Membership packages are available for frequent spa-goers, but they aren’t required, so men can walk in and schedule a salon or spa services whenever he sees fit.
