Best Buildings Near Chicago's Iconic Dive Bars and Taverns

TL;DR Forget velvet ropes. Chicago's soul is in its neighborhood taverns, and several legends are walkable from great apartments. Uptown has the Green Mill, Old Town the Ale House, Bucktown the Map Room, Wicker Park the Gold Star, and Andersonville Hopleaf. Here is where to live for a real local's bar.

The best bar in Chicago is not the trendiest one. It is the unpretentious neighborhood tavern you can walk to, where you know the bartender and there is always a stool. The city is full of these legends, and living near one is a quiet joy. Here is where to find them.

Uptown: the Green Mill

A Prohibition-era jazz lounge with Al Capone ties, the Green Mill is one of the most storied rooms in America, with live jazz nightly and the long-running Uptown Poetry Slam. Living in Uptown puts it within reach, along with the neighborhood's other historic venues and the 24-hour Red Line.

Old Town: the Old Town Ale House

Across from the Second City comedy theater, the Old Town Ale House is a beloved dive famous for the risque amateur paintings covering its walls. Old Town's quiet, tree-lined blocks make it a charming place to live with this classic at the center.

Bucktown and Wicker Park: the Map Room and the Gold Star

Bucktown has the Map Room, a self-styled travelers' tavern open since 1992 with 200-plus global beers and a library of travel books. Wicker Park has the Gold Star Bar on Division, a Capone-era classic. Both neighborhoods pair these dives with the city's best live-music and dining scenes.

Andersonville and Pilsen: Hopleaf and the Skylark

Andersonville's Hopleaf has shaped Chicago's craft-beer culture for more than 30 years, a Belgian beer bar that locals adore. Pilsen's Skylark is a cash-only institution in a 1910 building, all retro rec-room charm and famous tater tots. Both neighborhoods reward renters who want character and a great local.

The tavern map

Tavern	Neighborhood	The vibe
Green Mill	Uptown	Prohibition-era jazz lounge
Old Town Ale House	Old Town	Beloved arty dive
The Map Room	Bucktown	Beer-and-travel tavern
Gold Star Bar	Wicker Park	Classic Division Street dive
Hopleaf	Andersonville	Belgian beer institution
Skylark	Pilsen	Cash-only retro classic

How to use this

If a great neighborhood bar is part of how you want to live, let it guide your map. These neighborhoods, Uptown, Old Town, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Andersonville, and Pilsen, all have a legend at their heart and a great living scene around it.

For the music side, see our buildings near live music venues ranking, and for the neighborhoods, our Old Town and Wicker Park and Bucktown guides. Then browse current openings and book a tour.

Hero image: Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels