Is there life in the NW Chicago suburbs?
July 3, 2007 6:29 AM Subscribe
Looking for oases of coolness in the far NW Chicago suburban desert - independent coffeehouses, bookstores, etc. (This is in Lake County, IL, near McHenry County.)
I've never lived in the suburbs before - help me overcome my culture shock. I'm used to being able to walk to the type of coffee shop that has a dreadlocked lesbian barista in platform boots. I don't expect to find that out here, but there's got to be some form of civilization beyond Starbucks and the greasy spoon. Free wifi is a +. My favorite bookstore in Milwaukee was Harry Schwartz's - if there's anything like that here, please let me know.
Also looking for (fairly tame) bike trails and bike shops. Not interested in nightlife.
I am in Island Lake, and I am close to: Wauconda, McHenry, Crystal Lake, Lake Zurich, Fox Lake etc.
I've never lived in the suburbs before - help me overcome my culture shock. I'm used to being able to walk to the type of coffee shop that has a dreadlocked lesbian barista in platform boots. I don't expect to find that out here, but there's got to be some form of civilization beyond Starbucks and the greasy spoon. Free wifi is a +. My favorite bookstore in Milwaukee was Harry Schwartz's - if there's anything like that here, please let me know.
Also looking for (fairly tame) bike trails and bike shops. Not interested in nightlife.
I am in Island Lake, and I am close to: Wauconda, McHenry, Crystal Lake, Lake Zurich, Fox Lake etc.
There's an independent coffeehouse in downtown Wauconda. I think it's called Honey Hill; don't know about wifi there though.
There's also a good deli down the street a bit too.
I moved to Island Lake ~2 years ago, and AFAIK there isn't anything close to what you're looking for there. But I'm more of a recluse and don't really seek such places out.
Moraine State Park has got some tame bike trails, and also the Fox River boat launch park along Roberts Rd. Some of the streets around Island Lake are pretty nice for riding. Ones like Darrell and Bonner. There's bike shops in Crystal Lake, Lake Zurich, Barrington, and I think McHenry. Most are the run of the mill suburban Trek dealers.
posted by mister e at 9:01 AM on July 3, 2007
There's also a good deli down the street a bit too.
I moved to Island Lake ~2 years ago, and AFAIK there isn't anything close to what you're looking for there. But I'm more of a recluse and don't really seek such places out.
Moraine State Park has got some tame bike trails, and also the Fox River boat launch park along Roberts Rd. Some of the streets around Island Lake are pretty nice for riding. Ones like Darrell and Bonner. There's bike shops in Crystal Lake, Lake Zurich, Barrington, and I think McHenry. Most are the run of the mill suburban Trek dealers.
posted by mister e at 9:01 AM on July 3, 2007
Ooh, desjardins. I'm in Cary. We're going to have to have a meetup out here.
I got my bike at Main Street Bikes in Carpentersville. It's a little hike down 31 but worth it. There's a trail that runs through Crystal Lake but I mostly stick around home to ride, though I'd be interested in a trail I could get to fairly easily.
I've been going to the Farmers Market in Woodstock for the last few weeks. The beef rancher there told me that everything is local -- if, for example, corn comes in too early, the farmer isn't allowed to sell it that day. Also, Groundhog Day was filmed in the plaza. There's an opera house that occasionally has lectures and a bookstore that I haven't had a chance to go into because I have to get to the market very early to pick up my CSA share.
There's a nice yarn store in Crystal Lake if you knit or crochet.
I'm having a terrible time adjusting to living so far out in the suburbs, so I'll be watching this closely. I think there are more progressive people out here than I'd expect but it's hard to meet them, especially when all my neighbors scuttle inside instead of responding to polite human conversation. But I'm not bitter.
Seriously, if you want to hang out, let me know.
posted by sugarfish at 10:49 AM on July 3, 2007
I got my bike at Main Street Bikes in Carpentersville. It's a little hike down 31 but worth it. There's a trail that runs through Crystal Lake but I mostly stick around home to ride, though I'd be interested in a trail I could get to fairly easily.
I've been going to the Farmers Market in Woodstock for the last few weeks. The beef rancher there told me that everything is local -- if, for example, corn comes in too early, the farmer isn't allowed to sell it that day. Also, Groundhog Day was filmed in the plaza. There's an opera house that occasionally has lectures and a bookstore that I haven't had a chance to go into because I have to get to the market very early to pick up my CSA share.
There's a nice yarn store in Crystal Lake if you knit or crochet.
I'm having a terrible time adjusting to living so far out in the suburbs, so I'll be watching this closely. I think there are more progressive people out here than I'd expect but it's hard to meet them, especially when all my neighbors scuttle inside instead of responding to polite human conversation. But I'm not bitter.
Seriously, if you want to hang out, let me know.
posted by sugarfish at 10:49 AM on July 3, 2007
Oh man....I lived in Crystal Lake for 6 months last year and it was pretty desolate. There's extremely good Mexican food at the La Rosita grocery store in downtown Crystal Lake (but across the tracks from the quaint-looking downtown area). There's another really good lunch counter at the mexican grocery at Pomeroy and 14 in Crystal Lake (I think that's the right intersection); near there, anyway, and with a green, white, and red sign.
If you're into punk music and the types of people that are into punk music, you should check out the White House in Woodstock; I think they don't do shows at the house itself anymore, but you'll be able to find some interesting people through the people at the shows listed at that myspace page. You'll have to deal with lots of high schoolers, though; at least, that was the case at the house venue when I was photographing the scene at the end of last year. There's a house in Wonder Lake that periodically did shows last year, too, but I don't know much about that place.
There's a decent independent book shop on the square in Woodstock, too. They have readings every so often, if not ever week. That town, by the way, is where Groundhog Day was filmed and also where the creator of Dick Tracy lived for the last 40 or so years of his life; there's a strange Dick Tracy museum in one of the buildings on Woodstock Square.
People seemed to like Conscious Cup in Crystal Lake, as well, on Pingree, just north of 14. I don't drink coffee, so I can't attest to that. They used to have live music on friday and saturday nights, but in my experience it was often pretty bad and the audience was mostly high schoolers.
If you're into trying really hard, you might find something interesting at any of the small towns' various festivals throughout the summer. Harvard's Milk Days is supposed to be kind of neat, and every town in that area seems to have a summer and fall festival with carnival, parade, local specialty food, etc. It's hard not to be overwhelmed by the suburbanness of those festivals, but you'll probably never find better grilled corn on the cob.
Oh, a lot of people like Nick's Pizza and Pub in Crystal Lake (and Elgin). The Texan BBQ in downtown Algonquin is pretty good. And people my age from the newspaper I worked at would sometimes go to Govnor's on Randall Road in Lake in the Hills (or possibly Algonquin, it's hard to tell which town is which around there), but often it gave off a frat-bar vibe to me.
Wish I could be more help. I know your pain all too well...
posted by msbrauer at 2:36 PM on July 3, 2007
If you're into punk music and the types of people that are into punk music, you should check out the White House in Woodstock; I think they don't do shows at the house itself anymore, but you'll be able to find some interesting people through the people at the shows listed at that myspace page. You'll have to deal with lots of high schoolers, though; at least, that was the case at the house venue when I was photographing the scene at the end of last year. There's a house in Wonder Lake that periodically did shows last year, too, but I don't know much about that place.
There's a decent independent book shop on the square in Woodstock, too. They have readings every so often, if not ever week. That town, by the way, is where Groundhog Day was filmed and also where the creator of Dick Tracy lived for the last 40 or so years of his life; there's a strange Dick Tracy museum in one of the buildings on Woodstock Square.
People seemed to like Conscious Cup in Crystal Lake, as well, on Pingree, just north of 14. I don't drink coffee, so I can't attest to that. They used to have live music on friday and saturday nights, but in my experience it was often pretty bad and the audience was mostly high schoolers.
If you're into trying really hard, you might find something interesting at any of the small towns' various festivals throughout the summer. Harvard's Milk Days is supposed to be kind of neat, and every town in that area seems to have a summer and fall festival with carnival, parade, local specialty food, etc. It's hard not to be overwhelmed by the suburbanness of those festivals, but you'll probably never find better grilled corn on the cob.
Oh, a lot of people like Nick's Pizza and Pub in Crystal Lake (and Elgin). The Texan BBQ in downtown Algonquin is pretty good. And people my age from the newspaper I worked at would sometimes go to Govnor's on Randall Road in Lake in the Hills (or possibly Algonquin, it's hard to tell which town is which around there), but often it gave off a frat-bar vibe to me.
Wish I could be more help. I know your pain all too well...
posted by msbrauer at 2:36 PM on July 3, 2007
My wife is originally from Crystal Lake, and we just got back from spending about a week there with her parents. There's not much help I can offer, but I did get out on the Prairie Trail a couple of times (riding from the Hillside Drive parking lot north up to where the trail turns to gravel, and south down to IL-72 in Dundee) -- it's worth checking out, has a nice mix of rolling relatively flat as well as a number of twisty/hilly sections.
posted by genehack at 8:31 AM on July 8, 2007
posted by genehack at 8:31 AM on July 8, 2007
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posted by krautland at 8:53 AM on July 3, 2007