Saying Goodbye to Chicago, Part Thirteen: Neighborhood Establishments

The New 400 Theaters, East Rogers Park, Chicago, IL

As I continue to pack and prepare for my move, I realize that one of the things I'll miss most about Chicago will be some of the neighborhood establishments, each of which is truly one of a kind. The New 400 Theaters, on Sheridan Road, in East Rogers Park, holds a lot of memories for me. In the 1980s, when I was a teenager, my friends and I used to come here at midnight to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As with any place showing this cult classic, going to The Rocky Horror Picture Show here involved just as much spectacle on stage or in front of the theater as it did on screen. Things have changed considerably since then. The New 400 Theaters have been renovated, making them "new," and they no longer feature The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Still, this is a great, independently owned neighborhood cinema that does not exhibit the corporate sterility you find at the large chain movie theaters. And although I have not tried it because I am not a big drinker, I hear they have a great full bar, along with a reasonable price for a matinee. Truly a place for the 99%.

Across the street from The New 400 Theaters is my all-time favorite used bookstore, The Armadillo's Pillow. Decorated along the lines of a quirky, off-beat curio shop, The Armadillo's Pillow offers a great selection of used books at very reasonable prices. Their selection of literature/fiction and science fiction books is especially extensive. It makes for a nice, cozy place and is truly one of a kind. There are other great places that I will miss, like The Bourgeois Pig Cafe in Lincoln Park, with its excellent coffee and remarkably extensive selection of teas, which are found kept in sealed jars placed along the walls of the cafe. They also have great pastries and sandwiches, and a very cool, funky, antique decor. I hope to get photos of both of these places before I go, partly for my own sake, since both places house so many memories for me, but also because I think both places represent some of Chicago's truly unique offerings. To be sure, Phoenix has its share of independent stores, restaurants, and cafes, but there is something about Chicago, perhaps something to do with it being a city organized by its multitude of distinctive neighborhoods, or the fact that it is a city rich in cultural diversity, including various ethnic and subculture communities, that lends itself to being fertile ground for independent businesses with a unique twist.