Ranked guides to the places in Chicago, Illinois worth an evening — and the people to go with.
Ten free ways to spend an afternoon here — and end up talking to someone.
Ten cafés where you can sit for two hours and become a regular.
Free, weekly, all paces — and most of them end at a bar.
The friendliest room in the city to turn up to alone.
Bookshop-run, library-run and silent — all open to newcomers.
Where the activity does the talking for you.
Jazz, blues, indie and folk — all better alone than you think.
Free or donation, all summer, and the easiest place in the city to talk to strangers.
Ten stretches of lakefront, ranked by how easy it is to end up in a group.
Where students actually get work done — and where you can meet people while doing it.
Ten taprooms where the long tables do the introducing for you.
Ten parks that come with a crowd attached.
Ten terraces with a skyline — and the two hours when each is actually sociable.
Ten River North rooms worth the reservation, and what each one is actually for.
Ten Lakeview and Wrigleyville places locals actually eat at.
Ten Lincoln Park bars, from blues dives to neighbourhood taps.
Ten Wicker Park bars, ranked by how likely you are to leave with a new number.
Ten ways to spend a day in Wicker Park — most of them free.
Ten rooms where looking at art turns into talking to someone.
Ten things to do in Logan Square, from the farmers market to the taprooms.
Ten shops with events calendars, not just shelves.
Nine stages where a cheap ticket does the small talk for you.
Nine rooms on and around 18th Street worth crossing the city for.
Eight rooms with communal tables, where eating alone looks completely normal.
Ten things to do in Hyde Park, Chicago''s most intellectual neighbourhood.
Ten things to do in Pilsen — murals, taquerias, galleries and 18th Street.
Ten Randolph Street rooms, and which ones you can get into.
Ten Chicago coworking spaces, ranked by whether you will actually meet anyone.
Sign up alone. Leave with a team.
Where the night keeps going after last call.
