Hawking the Scene

Some Boystown Bars Ban Bachelorette Parties

I've long griped about about the annoying bachelorette parties that frequently take over the bars in Boystown.  A bus or trolley of loud, drunk, obnoxious women pulls up and the women take over the bar, often expecting special treatment.  

"No, I do NOT want to do a vodka-laced shot out of your penis-shaped squirt gun."  Even worse is when they expect you to participate in their scavenger hunt.  I can't tell you how many times a girl in a bachelorette party has asked to make out with me or asks me for my underwear.  "HELLO!  I'm wearing $40 Aussiebums...get out of here.  But I will take a condom off your veil, thank you very much."  I often wondered what would happen if a group of obnoxious, stereotypical, gay men pulled up at a sports bar, such as Cubby Bear, and took over the place.

Don't get me wrong, I love when women come to Boystown and I often bring them myself.  But bachelorette parties are an entirely different breed.

The Chicago Tribune ran an article, yesterday, explaining that a few Boystown bars are banning bachelorette parties because "they're a constant reminder that gays don't have equal marriage rights." 

"The women are a hoot, and some can be just delightful," said Geno Zaharakis, the owner of Cocktail, a gay bar on North Halsted Street. "But because not everybody can get married, watching them celebrate, it's such a slap in the face. Prop 8 just reopened the wound."

"Cocktail stopped hosting bachelorette parties a couple of years ago when he noticed his gay patrons weren't just complaining about the women being minor irritants but about them "flaunting" their right to marry. So Zaharakis hung a sign on the front door of his establishment that says, "Bachelorette Parties Are Not Allowed."

The owner of Sidetrack, Art Johnson, also banned bachelorette parties, saying, "As gay men who understand discrimination, none of us want to look like we don't welcome folks.  But it comes down to ignorant, bad behavior...That's the issue."  

Dog Friendly Chicago

Chicago has always been a pooch-loving city.  There are plentiful off-leash parks, such as "Wiggly Field," dog beaches, canine-welcoming hotels, pup-friendly restaurants, hound-loving festivals, and most of my friends have dogs, as evident from my plethora of dog-sitting days.  Dogfriendly.com rated Chicago #1 in Top Dog-Friendly Cities in North America -- that's right -- not just in the U.S., but in Canada, as well.  Says Dogfriendly.com:

We found that Chicago has many things to do for visitors who bring their dogs. Chicago offers upscale hotels that welcome dogs and for sightseeing, there are horse and carriage rides, as well as boat tours on Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. The White Sox have an annual "Dog Day" baseball game each spring. Navy Pier welcomes leashed dogs. Add to this an excellent park system with Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain and the 18 mile Lakefront Trail as well as dog-friendly outdoor cafes and pet-friendly bars and Chicago is a top-rated place to visit with your pup.

Now, Chicago's 2009-10 city sticker (shown above) will showcase Chicago as the dog-loving city it is.  The sticker, which was designed by Chicago high-school senior, Denise Furguson, will be displayed on over one million cars.

*Just remember to bring your poop bags and pick up after your dog or face the wrath of Chicagoans and a $500 fine.

Ty Warner Knows How To Stay on Top...in Chicago.

Ty Warner, owner and founder of the Beanie Baby empire, has just purchased the $40 million, two-story, 10,000 square foot, 360-degree view penthouse of the Chicago Spire, designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava.

 At 2,000ft (609.6m) and 150 floors, the Chicago Spire will be the world's tallest, exclusively residential building and the tallest building in America and Europe, giving Chicago the two tallest buildings in America and Ty Warner the highest residential unit in the entire world. 

Because of the unusual and original shape of the building, none of the 1,200 residences will be the same.  The Spire is set to be completed in 2012.

Jealous anyone?