Chicago Local's Blog!
Your Personal Tour Guide to the Windy City


The writer at a Jimmy Buffett concert in Chicago.

She's hip, she's fun and she's a lifelong local. Meet the PubClub Chicago correspondent and read her personal journal about living and pubclubbing in her home town..

– Colleen Nielsen, AKA "Col" –   

NATIONALITY: Mutt (Irish, Danish, German and probably a few others)
DRINKS: Corona or Cosmopolitans
FAVORITE CHICAGO CUSTOM: This can't be summed up with one event. South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day parade, Wrigley Field, Driving North on Lake Shore Drive, summer concerts at Ravinia, 5 a.m. closing at bars and beer gardens.

Welcome to Chicago, my home town!

I've lived in Chicago my entire life and am proud to be your official tour guide for my city. There is so much to see and do here it is just amazing. The culture is really is fantastic and very diverse – just like the people!.

Chicago is a huge sports town. Which still puzzles me because our winning teams are very far and few in between. But there is a lot of local pride among our sports teams. People here don't go by the changing seasons to judge the time of year, it all revolves around the sports calendar. So, if you have a chance to enjoy a sporting event while in town, you will realize just how nuts we really are.

You are very likely to see several generations of families grilling brats before a game and drinking cold beer.

Growing up here, we are very spoiled by having such great bars and clubs. You really don't realize how amazing it is until you go to other cities and they only have 5 bars and and they are exactly the same. Or ,when their idea of a dance club is a Baja Beach Club. There is something in Chicago's nightlife for everyone.

This summer was special. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night during August, I spent countless hours doing 'research' for PubClub. It's was tough job, but someone had to do it!

Each night I would attempt to go to 10 bars so I could give PubClubbers the full spectrum of what to do and where to go in town. Yet most of the time, I would never get past the fifth bar because I would be having too much fun and the night was over before I had a chance to hit the other places.

This happens very frequently in our city. You can never plan a good time here; it just happens.

So enjoy your time in Chicago and come back often. There is no shortage of good times, good bars and good food. And if you need a recommendation or need someone to have a beer with, just ask someone. New friends are always welcome in our town!!