IT’S A SUMMER RITUAL. Baseball fans pile onto the “L,” heading to Wrigley Field on the North Side and U.S. Cellular Field on the South Side. Like lemmings, they file off the train, seemingly oblivious to what they may have passed by.
One stop away from Addison, at Belmont, exists a plethora of eclectic shops, many dating to the days when the area catered to bikers, punk rockers and kids on a budget. One stop away from 35th Street there’s the historic Chinatown district, a convergence of ancient and modern.
A stop away, worlds apart.
And remember: These places are still around long after the games have been played or the baseball season finished. — Terry Armour
Long before Lakeview became Wrigleyville, the Belmont Avenue-Clark Street area was the hippest strip in the ‘hood, a place where purple-haired punk rockers, brawny bikers and suburban club-hoppers ate, drank and shopped in perfect harmony. “We need to reinvigorate this neighborhood,” said Mark Thomas, longtime owner of The Alley, one of the area’s staples. “People don’t just come here for the Cubs and a beer. We’re also a great place to shop.”
At Belmont Avenue, just one Red Line stop away from Wrigley Field, the neighborhood’s businesses are as varied as the community they serve. And the following are all conveniently located just steps from the “L”:
Belmont Army and Surplus (945 W. Belmont Ave., 773-975-0626): Could it be the shoes? “I come [to this store] quite a bit–at least once a month,” said 37-year-old North Sider Thomas Fraley. “I’ll buy a T-shirt once in a while but mainly, it’s the shoes.” And Belmont quite possibly has the city’s most eclectic array on display. The back room of the first floor has Doc Martens, Deisel and hard-to-find brands like Nose, Tsubo and New Rock. If you visit the second floor, you’ll be in retro heaven, with walls filled with old-school Converse Chuck Taylors (featuring colors such as pink, army green and black leather), Pumas and Adidas. “They’re not cheap, you have to pick and choose,” Fraley cautioned.
Ann Sather Restaurant (929 W. Belmont Ave., 773-348-2378): Two words: cinnamon rolls. “A lot of people don’t even know we have other things,” said Ann Sather manager Jenny Butterfield. A brief history lesson (borrowed from the plaque on the front of the restaurant): The place, the grandmother of all the Chicago-area Ann Sather locations, was established in 1945 when the neighborhood was predominantly Scandinavian. The menu is chock full of homemade Swedish dishes but the draw is the fresh baked cinnamon rolls, oozing melted icing that drips into the cinnamon-laden crevices (is your mouth watering?). Butterfield says on a Saturday, it isn’t uncommon for the place to go through 200 dozen cinnamon rolls before noon (they’re $9.50 a dozen and $1.25 each). For the baseball season, they even offer free Cubs parking with the purchase of a $20 gift certificate. “We’re trying to get them in the door twice,” Butterfield said. Maybe you should throw in a free cinnamon roll, Jen.
Philly’s Best (855 W. Belmont Ave., 773-525-7900): Jonesing for a genuine Philly Cheese Steak sandwich but don’t have the time or money to trek to Philadelphia to eat one? This place, which will move a few doors west next month, is the next best thing. Heck, it might even be the best thing. Philly natives Dean and Mike Markellos moved to Chicago more than 20 years ago. They were always hungry for the cheese steak they grew up on so decided to open their own place (there’s also a spot in Evanston and on North Milwaukee Ave), shipping in the beef from Philly’s Liberty Bell Steak Co. You never know who you’ll bump into there. The walls are filled with pictures of famous customers, including a thin Oprah, Jay Leno, Tyson Chandler and, of course, various Cubs.
The Chicago Tattooing and Piercing Company (922 W. Belmont Ave., 773-528-6969): For more than 30 years, people have been getting their skin painted and bodies poked at this popular Wrigleyville spot. According to shop owner Dale Grande, not a day goes by during baseball season that somebody doesn’t walk in and ask to be tatted up, Cubbie-style. “Especially last year, when they were in the race,” Grande said. “But we do a lot of sports–Cubs, Sox, Hawks, Bulls, Bears. You name it, they come in here.” The prices range from $50 for a small scribbling to $200 and up for complicated tats. And the staff has fun watching the customers, especially after they’ve been imbibing during a Cubs night game. “I love it when the Lincoln Park Trixies come in to get `Cubs’ tattooed on their butts,” said body piercer Brycee Fowler.
The Alley Stores (3228 N. Clark St., 773-348-5000, ext. 219): “In the beginning, it was just The Alley,” said owner Mark Thomas, smiling like a proud papa. But what started in 1986 as Chicago’s “one stop biker shop” of leather gear (they still sell those cool Chicago Police jackets) has expanded to six stores in the neighborhood. There’s Thomas’ cigar shop, Blue Havana (906 W. Belmont Ave., 773-242-8262, ext. 224) and the Architectural Revolution (3226 N. Clark St., 773-752-7837), which specializes in funky artifacts. Thomas also owns Taboo-Tabou (3224 N. Clark St., 773-723-3739), which features sexy lingerie and adult novelties, and a jewelry store, the Silver District (3226 N. Clark St., 773-871-3900, ext. 215). There’s also his vintage clothing store, Jive Monkey (854 W. Belmont Ave., 773-525-3180, ext. 229). But there’s still no place like the flagship Alley operation to find leather jackets (starting at $99), rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts (The Cramps, Suicidal Tendencies) and assorted goodies that sing out rock ‘n’ roll.” “We’re all over the board,” said Thomas, who at 49 now sports a shorter version of his trademark ponytail. “Twenty years ago it was just teenaged kids with purple hair coming in here. Now we’re also getting guys like me, and I’m going to be 50.” You would have to look long and hard to find anything remotely Cubs related at any of Thomas’ stores. “Everybody else pretty much takes care of that,” said Taboo-Tabou’s Natalie Figuerora. “Why should we?”
Other hot spots: Beyond the Wall Posters & Frames (935 W. Belmont Ave., 773-871-5827), buy any two posters, get the third for free; The Record Exchange (925 W. Belmont Ave., 773-975-9285), one of Chicago’s original used record joints; Denis’ Place for Games (955 W. Belmont Ave., 773-528-8616), games, games and more games; Tragically Hip (931 W. Belmont Ave., 773-549-1500), for fashion forward trendsetters; Never Mind (953 W. Belmont Ave., 773-472-4922), funky shoes for funky occasions.
