Stay and hang with queers in Chicago

In Andersonville, the queer corner of Chicago's north side, a quick coffee on Clark Street easily turns into a whole afternoon, with a detour through the shelves at Women & Children First. When summer finally shows up, everyone decamps to Hollywood Beach, which queer Chicago has claimed since the early nineties, for volleyball, sunbathing and a very bracing swim. Hang around until the towers down the shore catch the last of the light, then make your way to Nobody's Darling, the cocktail bar that feels like the whole neighbourhood's living room.

Midsommarfest takes over Clark Street every June, with music stages, food stalls and a maypole that goes up on the Saturday morning. When winter arrives, the party moves into someone's warm kitchen for soup and board games.