Go to Reckless Records on Milwaukee for the all-around dig, Dusty Groove on Ashland for soul, jazz and funk, and Emporium Arcade Bar for pinball and old cabinets. The Damen Blue Line stop puts most of it within a walk.
Reckless Records
A Chicago institution for new and used vinyl, with staff who know everything and will let you know it. The Wicker Park shop on Milwaukee is the classic, and there are Lakeview and Loop stores too. Bring a list or you will come home with eight albums you didn't plan on.
Dusty Groove
On Ashland, just south of Wicker Park, and a paradise if you care about soul, jazz and funk. It's the kind of place where you walk in for one record and leave with a new personality.
Myopic Books
Not records, but it belongs on the route. A multi-floor used bookstore on Milwaukee with creaky stairs and the exact amount of dust you want. Go up, sit on the floor, read about something you've never thought about.
Emporium Arcade Bar
Bars full of pinball and old cabinets, with locations on Milwaukee in both Wicker Park and Logan Square. High pinball is either your best game ever or a comedy. Both are fine. It's a bar, so bring ID and check the door rules before you bring anyone under 21.
The Blue Line crawl
Get off at Damen. Start at Myopic, walk southeast on Milwaukee to Reckless, then Emporium for a few games. Grab tacos and take the Blue Line home, it runs all night. The whole route is in the Wicker Park guide, and the other half of this strip is in the Logan Square guide.
How to dig high without regret
Set a budget before you leave home, because your judgment won't be coming with you. Flip slowly. Ask the staff, they want you to. Don't smoke anywhere near the door: shops, bars and the sidewalk out front are all no-go, and where you can sesh has the full version. On a freezing Tuesday, this is one of the best afternoons in Chicago. See Chicago by season and things to do high.
Next up: the Chicago neighborhood guides.
