We love: Boystown bars

Photo: Andrea Bauer

As ’mo meccas go, Halsted Street delivers. It boasts more than 20 after-hours venues within a five-block radius. Then why do we wait in long lines only to find our favorite homo hangout half-empty once inside? We’re crying foul. “It’s not about creating a buzz,” says Chuck Hyde, managing partner at Sidetrack (3349 N Halsted St, 773-477-9189). During the summer, for example, Sidetrack’s main and glass bar might give the illusion of being just half-full, but when the packed rooftop and streetside patios close at midnight, those 400 patrons suddenly come stampeding into the rest of the bar. Hyde also defends Sidetrack’s equally nelly neighbors. “[The neighborhood] works closely with the local police department, and they’re often in to check these [capacity] issues.” Hyde’s advice: “Come out a little earlier next time, stay longer and plan your day differently.”
In the meantime Uptown’s Big Chicks (5024 N Sheridan Rd, 773-728-5511) is almost always bustling yet seldom has obnoxious lines.

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