The opening of the Nest will bring a group of students who permanently reside in the neighborhood. There are also students who spend many, many hours on campus writing papers, reading books and being generally studious. To these students, I welcome you to the neighborhood. There are times in all of our days on campus where Cafe Descartes and the Eagles Nest Cafeteria simply will not do. This is when we must venture off campus to find good eats, strong drinks or a little relaxation.

To the North:

Ugly Hookah Cafe

3415 W Bryn Mawr, .7 miles away

The three room hookah hangout is BYOB but open til 4 a.m. most days, 5 a.m. on Sunday. Less than a mile from campus they offer music, Middle Eastern coffee and tea.

Lincolnwood Town Center

3333 West Touhy, 2.3 miles away

The local mall offers morning walking hours from 8-10 a.m. Mall shops open at 10 a.m. to serve all your general mall needs. Across the street there is a Walmart and 3 blocks east is Target. This corner of Touhy and Mccormick (Kimball Ave.) has all of your home and body needs covered.

Great Food & Beverage Co.

3149 West Devon 1.7 miles away

This kosher diner offers an eclectic menu including Chinese, American and Middle Eastern food. They offer both a dairy and a meat menu for those keeping in religious restriction but also those who are not.

To the South:

Lindo Michoacan

3148 West Lawrence (restaurant entrance on Kedzie, Grocery Entrance on Lawrence) 1.5 miles away.

This restaurant grocery store combo is open late and the only place for miles where you can buy carnitas by the pound and several different types of tortillas fresh any day of the week.

Jaafer Sweets

4825 North Kedzie, 1.4 miles away

Open until 10 p.m. every day they have 10 types of Baklava and a wide variety of vegan dessert options. They’ll go nicely with your coffee or tea.

Ruby’s Fast Food

3740 West Montrose,1.9 miles away

This cash-only Filipino style restaurant serves halo-halo and has a weekend buffet.

To the East:

Tre Kronor

3258 West Foster, 0.9 miles away

A swedish restaurant that offers more than pancakes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner connected to the Sweden Shop. Cute, swedish home things make great additions to a room or gifts, when finals make your forget birthdays and holidays.

Wanderer’s Refuge

4546 North Western, 2.7 miles away

This game store offers a little something for everyone. There are unique games and weekly meets ups to suit everyone. Stop by to buy a new game for yourself or to play with others. They’re open until 10 p.m. most days and midnight Friday and Saturday.

Chicago Brauhaus

4732 North Lincoln, 2 miles away

Closed on Tuesdays, this German restaurant offers seven German beers on tap and almost two dozen beer and wine selections. With huge portions and authentic German food people usually come for the atmosphere. Live music most evenings and dirndl-clad waitresses let you believe you’ve gone all the way to Bavaria for that bratwurst and spaetzle.