CONTENTS FEATURES RESOURCES a solarium, a 600-seat theatre, ornate chandeliers, and a 70-acre lakefront park. Sign up for one of the Center’s many cultural programs and classes in dance, music, textile art, drawing, painting, ceramics, and more. The Stony Island Arts Bank in Woodlawn is a hybrid gallery, media archive, library, and community center housed in a circa 1923 bank. Collections in the stunning space include books and periodicals donated by the Johnson Publishing Company (publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines) and the vinyl collection that belonged to Frankie Knuckles, the Godfather of House Music. ASIAN HERITAGE Pass through the picturesque Chinatown Gate that marks the entrance to Wentworth Avenue , Chinatown ’s original main street that’s home to classic Chinese bakeries, dim sum eateries, and charming gift shops. The Chinese American Museum of Chicago promotes culture and history through public exhibitions and educational programming, with a collection dedicated to early Chinese immigration to the Midwest. The outdoor Chinatown Square mall, located just north of Wentworth Avenue, is a picture-perfect plaza surrounded by statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Modeled after the wall in Beijing’s Beihai Park, the Nine Dragon Wall is one of Chinatown’s most celebrated public art installations, featuring over 500 vibrant dragons. On Argyle Street in Uptown , an endless array of Asian restaurants serves everything from banh mi to pho. Dine outside in cheery Chicago Alfresco seating areas. The Argyle Night Market (held weekly from July to September) offers outdoor fun, including pop-up eateries and live performances. Devon Avenue in the city’s West Ridge neighborhood bustles with Southeast Asian boutiques, tea rooms, and eateries. Shop authentic Indian delights at Patel Brothers — which started as a Chicago storefront and has grown into the biggest Indian grocery chain in America — and indulge in colorful Pakistani and Indian pastries at area bakeries. The National Cambodian Heritage Museum in Albany Park showcases Cambodia’s ancient and modern history, the immigrant and refugee experience, and the Cambodian American community today. The on-site Killing Fields Memorial remembers genocide victims and survivors. LATINO CULTURE The free National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen celebrates Mexican culture and history through captivating exhibits and special events. Its impressive permanent collection includes more than 18,000 seminal pieces from ancient Mexico to the present. Family-run taquerias, restaurants, bars, and eclectic bodegas dot 26th Street in colorful Little Village , known locally as the Mexico of the Midwest. A terracotta arch over 26th Street reads “Bienvenidos a Little Village,” welcoming visitors to the two-mile stretch that’s one of the busiest shopping districts in Chicago. Learn more about Puerto Rico’s artistic contributions at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture in Humboldt Park . Housed National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture 16 choosechicago.com @TEQUILAGRAPHICS
Chicago Visitors Guide 2024: Page 16
