Andersonville’s charming Clark street corridor will make you feel like you’ve been transported out of the city and on to a small town main street. The historically Swedish neighborhood has remained true to its roots, honoring the past while nurturing pride in the present. If you want to surround yourself with art, antiques, independent businesses and queer community, Andersonville is the place to go.
Wrought iron trellises climb the walls, while bundles of twigs float from the ceiling.
Keep your eyes peeled for a Viking fish toasting a martini and you’ll spot Simon’s. Laid-back barkeeps, wood paneling, a couple well-loved couches, and a jukebox stocked with a mix of indie hits and classics make Simon’s the consummate neighborhood bar. Named for the original owner, a Swedish immigrant, some 80 years ago, the tavern is best-known for keeping the neighborhood warm with generous portions of glögg—a hot spiced mulled wine—throughout Chicago’s unforgiving winters. If heated booze isn’t your jam, come by in the summer when they run it through a slushy machine and serve it chilled!
