Although some UChicago students hold a resentment for UIC due to the constant confusion between the two schools, don’t let this silly grudge prevent you from taking the short trek to the pleasant neighborhood of University Village. To give you an idea of what restaurants and activities University Village has to offer, I present to you the itineraries I followed during my visits there.
Getting There
Take the 55 to the Red line and once on the train, get off at the Roosevelt stop. Then take the 12 bus westward.
[A small caution: As of lately, there have been a lot of cases of theft on the 55 bus, particularly of touch-screen phones. Be on the safe side and keep your phone/iPod out of sight.]
If you prefer the Metra, take the Metra to Van Buren and walk to the Blue Line stop.
Nom Nom, What to Eat!
If you’re feeling especially carnivorous, go to the home of Chicago’s Best Italian Beef, Al’s Beef. There is the classic Italian beef sandwich dipped in au jus (magnificent and messy) as well as hotdogs (if you want to be a true Chicagoan, refuse ketchup). And don’t you dare forget about the greasy yet irresistible fries. Al’s Beef is no frills—there aren’t even chairs to sit on—but that’s what great about it. Claim a spot on the counter and scarf down your food in the messiest fashion possible. And if you’re like me, return back in line for round two.
[Tip: Al’s Beef is cash only. There is an ATM inside the restaurant but it comes with service charges]
Or go to Sabor Express, a casual, sit-down restaurant serving delicious Brazilian food including pastéis (similar to empanadas), Brazilian-style sandwiches and interestingly enough, hot dogs. Their grilled pineapple and fried banana are also mouth-watering and provide some sugary goodness to your meal.
[Tip: Be wary of paying with a debit/credit card. On my last visit, the numerical amount I put on the “tip” line was manipulated so that my sixes magically turned into eights. Blegh. If you can, stick with cash]
Afterwards, grab a yummy, tapioca-filled drink at Joy Yee’s Noodle Shop. The boba/bubble tea here acts as the ideal sweet dessert. Plus the drinks are humongous. While I stuck with a regular size drink (still pretty large), looking around I saw tapioca drinks in absurdly large bowl-glass contraptions that were the size of my head. It was fantastic.
Where to Play!
Once I was at University Village, I headed to the UIC Student Games and Bowling Center Equipped with 16 AMF lanes as well as billiard tables and arcade games, the bowling center is a gathering spot for college students as well as older adults who wish to bowl and drink the night away. The best part about the UIC bowling alley is how easy it is on the wallet. Shoe rentals are $1.75 and each game goes for $3.
If you’re more interested in kicking back and watching a show, get tickets to the Windy City Rollers at UIC Pavillion. The Windy City Rollers is an all-female flat-track roller derby league in Chicago boasting team and skater names that are wonderfully terrifying (Hell’s Belles, Beth Amphetamine, and Eat My Schwartz being some of my favorites). A sport that requires a lot of athleticism and badassery from its players, roller derby is entertaining to watch and surprisingly easy to follow.
Going Home
You can take public transportation back but if you’re out late enough and the time lines up (every hour starting at 9:30 p.m.), just take the 12 bus back east and get off at State St. From there, you can catch the UChicago South Shore shuttle settled in front of the Starbucks. The shuttle will transport you from Roosevelt & State all the way back to Reynolds Club free of charge. Isn’t that beautiful?
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Chicago chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.