Wells Street, Chicago

Wells Street is the main street of Chicago's Old Town area, between Division Street to the south and Lincoln Avenue to the north. The heart of the area would be the intersection of Wells Street and North Avenue, while on the southeast corner, stretching out from this intersection, one will find a fine neighborhood of historic townhouses (late 1800s to early 1900s) lined along three streets: Dearborn, State, and Astor.

Wells Street is home to a string of reliable restaurants and bars, but most here are more casual, with average prices lower than you'll find in River North or along the Magnificent Mile. NOOKIES (Mon-Sat: 6:30am–10pm; Sun: 6:30am–9pm) is the go-to place for brunch; always full of mainly locals and with extremely friendly staff. They have an excellent range of breakfast, lunch and dinner choices, and since portions are so generous, takeout boxes for leftovers are provided. When the weather warms up, there is even some limited outside seating. Another favorite local spot, the OLD TOWN PUB (Sun-Fri: 12pm–2am; Sat: 12pm–3am) has good prices, better than expected food/drinks, and a slight charm on the inside, but if looking for an Irish pub (who doesn't when in Chicago?), don't miss the perfectly located DECLAN'S, which purports to be the official bar of the University of Notre Dame.

Tip:
On the 2nd weekend in June, the Old Town Art Fair and the Wells Street Art Festival become hot events for the neighborhood, showcasing exceptional work by local artists.