Evanston

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Evanston is a city in Illinois, north of Chicago, along the shores of Lake Michigan. Evanston has many identities: college town, dining destination, cultural center and gateway to the wealthy North Shore, although the city itself is anything but homogeneous in regards to economic status, culture and race.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

The nearest airport is Chicago's O'Hare Airport. If you're heading directly to Evanston from the airport, ask your hotel if they can arrange an airport shuttle. Otherwise, you'll have to take a taxi. American Taxi offers reasonable flat rates between O'Hare and Evanston (and many other North Shore towns), but a pick-up must be arranged by phone. Another alternative is to take the CTA Blue Line to the Clark/Lake station, then transfer to the Purple Line express (during rush hour) or transfer to the Red Line at Jackson and then go north to Howard station where you can take the Purple Line the rest of the way to Evanston. A cheap way of going to Evanston is by Pace bus 250, which runs directly from O'Hare Kiss-and-Fly to Evanston Davis Street.

[edit] By car

Interstate I-90/94, known locally as the Edens Expressway, runs through the west side of Evanston.

[edit] By train

  • The Metra Union Pacific North Line [1] runs from downtown Chicago, with stops in Evanston at Main and Davis (off Chicago Avenue) and Central (a few blocks further west).
  • The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) [2] runs the Purple Line from Chicago. It can be accessed during morning and evening rush hours from most elevated train stops in the Loop. It runs express from Belmont on Chicago's North Side to the Howard station in Rogers Park, at the northern border of Chicago. Then, it becomes an all-stops train for Evanston. When the Purple Line Express is not running (mid-day and late evening), take the Red Line north to Howard and then transfer to the Purple Line. The Davis station is in the midst of the downtown business and shopping area.

[edit] By bus

  • Pace [3] runs buses from neighboring suburbs such as Wilmette and Skokie. Many lines connect at the Davis CTA station.

[edit] Get around

The CTA Purple Line makes stops at South Blvd., Main, Dempster, Davis, Foster, Noyes, and Central. PACE buses connect at many of these stations, especially Davis.

[edit][add listing] See

  • Northwestern University [4] Tours are available from the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 1801 Hinman Avenue - One of the premier universities in the US, Northwestern maintains a parklike campus situated along the shore of Lake Michigan. In the 1960s, the university decided to expand the campus by filling in part of the lake with sand from the Indiana Dunes, creating an idyllic, tree-lined 84-acre area surrounding a lagoon. The campus also features an outdoor sculpture garden, indoor art galleries, multiple theaters, and an eclectic collection of architecture ranging from neo-Gothic to modernist. At the north end of the college campus is a working lighthouse, open to the public, with scenic views of the shore.
  • Visit the Grosse Point Lighthouse [5], built in 1873. Learn about the Fresnel lens in the tower and the ships that wrecked in the nearby shallow waters on a tour of the museum in the former keepers’ quarters (June through September on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2, 3, and 4 p.m. )

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

The central shopping district is off Davis Street, in downtown Evanston, but Dempster Street, just a few blocks south, is also a great place to shop. It has several small, fashionable yet unpretentious boutiques. The Central Street shopping area in northern Evanston, which runs 2 blocks from Green Bay Road to Hartrey Avenue, has a number of high-end boutiques, cafes, and bakeries, including The Spice House, Table Manners, Ritzlin Antique Maps, and Tag's Bakery. Main Street in southern Evanston is in the process of gentrifying, and is currently worth a visit for Ten Thousand Villages, Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop, and Vogue Fabrics. Several upscale restaurants have recently opened in this area as well.

Evanston has an improbably large number of Oriental rug stores.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Budget

  • Buffalo Joe's, 812 Clark St (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-328-5525. Buffalo Joe's offers their wings at three heat levels: mild, hot, and "suicide" (topped with jalapeño peppers). Some people swear that this place has the best wings and burgers in the city. edit

  • Gigio's, 1001 Davis St. (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-328-0990. Gigio's is one of the few places open late, 1am most nights. An Evanston favorite for many years, Gigio's offers up thin-crust pizza by the (huge) slice, as well as other fare, at reasonable prices. edit

  • Rollin' To Go, 910 Noyes St. (Noyes CTA stop), ☎ 847-332-1000. Open till 7PM (except Sundays). Regarded by many as the best sandwiches in the City of Evanston. Pizza, soups and salads compliment the famous sandwiches. Catering to Northwestern students, the eatery offers excellent food fast, and has plenty of cute seating in their store to stop and enjoy a meal. Beware: on gamedays (Northwestern Football games), lines may stretch down the street; its a good idea to call ahead and pick up your order. Served up with homemade potato chips, most sandwiches are around $5 or $6..  edit

  • Al's Deli, 914 Noyes Street (Noyes CTA stop), ☎ (847) 475-9400. This tiny, French-inspired cafe near the Noyes Arts Center is a favorite of locals. Bob Pottinger and his brother, aided by a succession of Northwestern students, serve homemade soups (one per day) and hand-crafted sandwiches, along with cookies voted Chicago's best. The baguettes are provided by a local bakery, made with a recipe developed by Mr. Pottinger based on his travels in France. The soup/sandwich combo is almost enough food for two, but save room for the luscious, vanilla-rich buttercream cookies or the new and delicious Belgian Chocolate cookies. Sandwiches are between $6 and $9; soup between $3 and $4; cookies between $1 and $2 - and they accept euros..  edit

[edit] Mid-range

  • Carmen's, 1012 Church St (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-328-0031. Open M-Th 11am-10:30pm; F-Sa 11am-11:30pm; Sun 12pm-10:30pm. Try the stuffed spinach pizza. edit

  • Dave's Italian Kitchen, 1635 Chicago Ave. (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-864-6000, [6]. Su-Th 4-10PM, F-Sa 4-11PM. Warm atmosphere and hearty food at a local favorite, in Evanston for more than 35 years. Enter in a hurry and you'll leave relaxed. edit

  • Hecky's, 1902 Green Bay Road, ☎ 847-492-1182, [7]. M-Th 11am-9pm, F-Sa 11am-10pm, Su 11am-8pm. Another local favorite: Creole barbecue since 1983. edit

  • Le Peep, 827 Church St (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-328-4880, [8]. Breakfast and lunch only. Eggs in a variety of ways. edit

  • Mt. Everest, 630 Church St (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-491-1069. Lunch buffet: M-F 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sa-Su noon-3 p.m. Dinner: Su-Th 5-10 p.m.; F-Sa 5-10:30 p.m.. Indian, Tibetan, and Vegetarian. edit

  • Lou Malnati's, 1850 Sherman Ave. (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-328-5400, [9]. M-Th 4-10pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm, Su 11-10pm. Outlet of the Chicago deep-dish pizza dynasty. edit

  • Tapas Barcelona, 1615 Chicago Ave. (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-866-9900, [10]. M-Th 5-10pm, F-Sa 5-11pm, Su 5-9pm. Spanish tapas cuisine with a big menu, including a long list of imported booze. edit

[edit] Splurge

  • Davis Street Fishmarket, 501 Davis St. (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-869-3474, [11]. Breakfast Sa-Su 11:30am-2pm; Lunch Tu-Sa 11:30am-2pm, Su 11:30am-4:30pm; Dinner M-Th 4:30pm-10pm, F-Sa 4:30pm-12am, Su 4:30pm-9pm. Popular, long-standing restaurant with fresh, flown-in seafood, including the Raw Bar. edit

  • Va Pensiero, 1566 Oak Avenue, ☎ 847-475-7779, [12]. Reservations taken Su-Th 5:30-9pm, F-Sa to 10pm. Fine Italian cuisine and a renowned wine cellar in the historic Margarita European Inn. edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Cafes

Thanks to the hordes of Northwestern students, downtown Evanston has plenty of good, non-chain coffee shops.

  • Kafein, 1621 Chicago Ave. (Davis CTA stop), ☎ 847-491-1621, [13]. Su-Th 11am-2am, F-Sa 11am-3am. One of the original grunge-wave coffee shops, Kafein has more of a lazy bohemian vibe these days, and serves terrific desserts. edit

  • Linz and Vail, 2012 Central Street, Evanston, IL, 60201 (Central Street Metra stop), ☎ 847-475-1381. Mon-Sat:6am-9pm Sun:7am-9pm. Linz and Vail has two location in Evanston - 922 Noyes Street just east of the El stop and a newer one at 2012 Central Street (one mile west of purple line). Both are open, airy coffee shops that also serve an array of gelato. They brew Intelligentsia coffee and offer a fourth shot of espresso free with any drink, for serious caffiene junkies. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and all seem to have liberally sampled their products. $.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

  • Best Western Evanston - Run-down hotel. Ok enough, but wireless internet is poor, fitness room was closed, fan in bathroom didn't work drain was funky in bathroom and remote was missing.

[edit] Mid-range

[edit] Splurge

[edit] Get out

  • There is the small matter of Chicago right next door.
  • The Purple Line ends in the affluent suburb of Wilmette, walking distance from the Baha'i Temple, a cultural and architectural sight to see.

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