I spent 95 percent of my first year here contained within an area of about one square mile—and that’s being generous with the measurements. I lived in Max East, ate at Bartlett, learned in Cobb, studied in the Reg, worked out at Henry Crown, and escaped from dorm life at 57th and Kimbark, where my then-boyfriend lived in a dirty apartment.
This was a sincerely depressing existence to say the least, and not just because my boyfriend and I were a wildly mismatched pair. I spent the following summer whining to a therapist, breaking up with my boyfriend, and convincing my parents that I needed to bring a car back to school with me in the fall. I now lead a single, fabulous, playgirl lifestyle where I strut around the streets of downtown and the North Side, recognized as the latest it-girl by owners of hip shops and fabulous clubs.
OK, that’s not at all true. But I am single, and I like to go downtown. The only person who would describe me as an “it-girl” is my overly doting Jewish mother. Nonetheless, I strongly encourage following in my well heeled footsteps…and you aren’t going to find those three-inch heels at any Hyde Park shoe shop.
Hyde Park has its merits, but the rest of Chicago has a lot more. You’re paying to live and go to school in a major city, so it’s important to get your money’s worth and take advantage of it, even if your parents don’t break down as easily as mine did on the car issue.
One event that members of a new RSO, Hype, have begun planning is a study break on the North Side at the Bourgeois Pig. Situated on West Fullerton, this hipster coffeehouse serves soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches, and an extensive selection of cookies and cakes, in addition to a long list of coffee and tea drinks. Though the Bourgeois Pig is a longtime favorite of DePaul students, its demeanor is decidedly U of C. Its menu employs nerdy literary humor in naming food items such as “The Hamlet” (a ham sandwich), “I am the Cheese” (a cheese sandwich), and “The Old Man and the Sea” (a tuna salad). In case you forget your copy of the Iliad, massive bookshelves stocked with all the classics are provided for your perusing pleasure. The regular crowd at the Bourgeois Pig is often seen reading, writing, playing chess, and taking part in intense philosophical discussions that would feel right at home in Uncle Joe’s. Take advantage of places like the Bourgeois Pig when you’re in Chicago—because the A-level does not constitute a social hang-out.
The Bourgeois Pig
Address: 735 West Fullerton Avenue
Phone: (773) 883-5282
Directions:
Via CTA: Red Line to Fullerton. Head east just past Halsted.
Via car: 90/94 West. Exit #47A Fullerton Avenue. Turn left onto Fullerton.
