Snow and cold temperatures can’t stop this newsletter editor from getting out and about for walks around Chicago. This week, I walked near and along Taylor Street in Little Italy 🇮🇹
How it Works
- We pick an area within city limits.
- We pick a mile to walk (on Taylor Street between Ashland and Halsted).
- We recommend ~10 things to do in that mile.
How to Get There
- Bus No. 157 along Taylor Street; No. 9 and 8 bus to Taylor
- Blue Line to Racine or UIC-Halsted
- Divvy at Throop and Taylor
A few stops along Taylor Street
What to Do
At more than seven acres, Arrigo Park is a huge green space that is perfect for running a few laps or walking your dog.
Work up an appetite? There are some real institutions on Taylor Street: Conte di Savoia has been serving sandwiches and salads for almost 80 years, and Scafuri Bakery has been selling baked goods for more than 120 years.
If you’re looking for a newer spot, I used to brunch at Stax Cafe (and now I’m old enough to enjoy a free birthday cocktail with my chilaquiles).
On a stroll down and around Taylor Street, you can visit Piazza Italia, First Aid Comics, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, and Conte di Savoia. (Sidney Madden / City Cast Chicago)
Longtime Hey Chicago readers know I’m a big Chicago Public Library stan, and the Little Italy branch is spacious with big windows and tons of programming for adults and kids. Plus, hand on my heart, the branch’s bathroom might be one of the nicest I’ve seen.
Stop by First Aid Comics to add to your book haul. Not only is the staff knowledgeable and helpful, but the store has a 50-cent comic bin in the back.
Toying with the idea of getting new ink in the new year? Taylor Street Tattoo has walk-in appointments every day from noon to 9 p.m. The tattoo shop also does piercings Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
You’ll have to wait until the summer for Mario’s Italian Lemonade to open again, but you can do a cozy date night at Tuscany on Taylor.
End the stroll at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. The old settlement house is what’s left of the former 13-building campus that served immigrants in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Admission is free, and public tours are Tuesday and Friday at 2 p.m.
