Best known as home to Ernest Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright and teetotaling old ladies, Oak Park has worked hard to develop a reputation as a younger, hipper version of its former self. We've picked a few places that'll give you the hip digs you love, in a setting that's totally, and pleasantly, suburban.
Safety: Once you get here, you'll be in the clear, but the trip to the end of the Green line can sometime get hairy, especially if you're alone and it's late.
Panhandler rating: Apparently, even the sidewalks here have astronomical property taxes, as there is not a panhandler in sight.
Place to be seen solo
Val's Halla Records
For almost as long as there have been hipsters in Oak Park, Val's Halla Records has been providing them with tunes. Val, who has become a sort of local celebrity, has owned the place since 1972 and can still be found among the vinyl on most days. CDs sit in display cases on either side of the narrow store, with boxes of records below and even a few eight-tracks near the back. A room off to the side houses the bulk of Val's rock albums from the past 40 years: everything from ABBA to Zappa. Whether you want to replace your well-worn, scratched Stones album or locate a hard to find REM import, this is the place to be. If you're looking for something specific, you'll love the clearly labeled, alphabetical organization, but if you're just hunting for treasures, you could easily spend hours flipping through Val's inventory.
Cheap eats
Tasty Dog
Re-connect with suburban youth at this Oak Park mainstay, where everything on the menu costs less than a fiver. Hot dogs, cheeseburgers and gyros are among the offerings here, served up in a hurry by the efficient staff behind the counter. The large, clean dining room even includes counter seating for solo dining and six outdoor tables for those who want to commune with nature (or traffic). With so many more sophisticated dining options in Oak Park, Tasty Dog's clientele skews more towards cash-strapped high school students, but the place is so popular that the city's threat to close it in 2001 sparked emotional demonstrations and a petition. Relocated across the street to make way for new development, Tasty Dog's new digs are bright and spacious. If you still feel the need for a little culture with your meal, take a look at the old photos on the walls for a quick lesson in Oak Park history.
Dinner-date destination
Winberie's
On the busy corner of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street, Winberie's has become a favorite stop along Oak Park's "restaurant row." European art deco posters line the two brick-walled dining rooms, while black and white tile floors and a jazz soundtrack add even more to the 1920s European vibe. Casually-dressed Oak Park couples and small groups frequent Winberie's for its unique blend of French, Italian and American fare, priced more reasonably than similar dinner-date settings. Winberie's Dynamite Sticks are an appetizer not to be missed, with shrimp, bacon, sausage and cheese rolled up in a fried tortilla and stylishly served in a wire cone. Make sure to split it with someone you like, because the spicy tomato cheese dipping sauce will have everyone at the table double-dipping. Entrees include several fish dishes; lamb, chicken and pasta in the $10-$15 range; and a selection of salads, burgers and sandwiches for lighter appetites. The lunch menu includes many of the same dishes at slightly lower prices. A comprehensive wine menu includes vino from all over the world, with plenty of by-the-glass offerings in addition to bottles.
No wallet needed
Oak Park Public Library
So you have some time to kill but no money to spend? Head over to the Oak Park Public Library's main branch, which opened in 2003. The new building stays true to Oak Park's reputation for prairie architecture and coolly represents the community's commitment to the arts. Unlike your crusty old college library, Oak Park Public Library's reading areas are bright, airy, comfortable and even stylish. Satisfy your need to curl up in front of a cozy fire in the library's quiet reading room, which has a fireplace (but no bearskin rug). The third floor reading area has tall wood-beam ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the neighboring park. Wireless Internet access is not yet available, but high-speed internet is available on the library's computers and ethernet ports are available for laptop-equipped patrons.
The library's "Art in the Library" program has purchased a number of paintings, mostly from local artists, that are displayed throughout the building; an art gallery on the second floor houses a new local exhibit each months. And don't miss the "Art-o-mat" machine on the ground floor where you can buy a cigarette-box-sized masterpiece from a rehabbed vending machine for just $5.
Sure bet for shopping
Fly Bird
While Oak Park is no stranger to whimsical stores full of unique wares, Fly Bird's selection of housewares, bath goods and stationery aims at a younger, hipper clientele. The bright showroom, in an understated art deco storefront, feels like a toy store for the Ikea set, with stylish glassware, modern lighting and cheeky greeting cards. If you're feeling depressed after visiting some of the out-of-your-price-range art galleries in the area, you can take heart at Fly Bird, where everything is more or less affordable. This is one of the few stores where you can buy a gift for just about anybody: Your sensitive poet friend will like one of Fly Bird's handmade journals, and your ironic slacker friend will totally dig the Jesus ashtray. The inventory at Fly Bird is more chic than cutesy, although some of the quirkier items, like the line of Uglydoll plush toys, will please your inner child as well as your hipster friends.
For the artiste
At the Gallery
At The Gallery's tagline, "From Funky to Fine," captures the essence of this store, located smack in the heart of Oak Park's "The Avenue" district. A gallery of mostly three-dimensional arts-and-crafts type works, At The Gallery's inventory includes art glass, ceramics and sculpture by a long list of artists from all over the country. The store sells a lot of functional art, like jewelry, vases, furniture and even menorahs, but also offers more traditional sculptures, oil paintings and prints. This isn't the place to come for cutting edge art, but At The Gallery's selection of original decorative objects will help you fill that empty space in your living room with something outside of the Swedish-superstore genre.
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