How to Get to the Gay Nightlife in Chicago

Chicago is quite possibly the most gay-friendly city in the Midwest. Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, heading out to Boystown, Chicago's main gay district, is a must when visiting the Windy City. Learn how to get to Chicago's gay scene.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Money (for a cab or public transportation)
• Map

1. Boystown is a subneighborhood within the larger neighborhood known as East Lakeview. Getting to Boystown is going to depend on your starting point. For the sake of this article, we'll figure that you're staying near downtown. So first decide whether you want to get to Boystown by cab or public transportation.
2. Going by cab, the directions are fairly simple. Merely tell the cab driver to drive to North Halstead. This is another name that Boystown sometimes goes by because most of the bars are located on a several-block strip of street on a road called Halstead. The driver should take you down Lake Shore Drive to get there.
3. Going by public transportation, consult a public transportation map to find the closest Red Line station. If you are close to a Red Line station, ride the train north to Belmont. Then get off at Belmont.
4. Going by bus, there are many ways to get to Boystown. One of the easiest ways is by taking either the #22 or #36 buses, the Clark and Broadway buses respectively. Both these buses pick up on Dearborn. Take them going north until you get to Belmont.
5. For both the train and the Clark bus routes, once at Belmont, walk east until you get to Halstead. It's only about two blocks.
6. For the Broadway bus route, once at Belmont, walk west until you get to Halstead. Once again, it' only a couple blocks.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have your own car, it's still recommended to take a cab or public transportation if you're heading to Boystown. Parking is notoriously terrible in the area at night.