It’s been quite a while since Chicagoans could get together with friends and family to kick back and enjoy a drink since the COVID-19 shutdown. As the city enters Phase 4 of reopening, let’s take a look at some of the great rooftop bars open now in some of our favorite Chicago neighborhoods.

Head over to Lincoln Park to have a drink at J. Parker located at 1816 North Clark Street. Sitting atop the Hotel Lincoln, this rooftop bar provides 140 outside seats delivering postcard-worthy views of the city. Check ahead of time to see what their social distancing rules are and if reservations are required.

The Fountainhead at 1966 West Montrose in Lincoln Square features a selection of 1,000 whiskeys to choose from. Yea, you read that right. The rooftop garden and bar has a menu featuring 500 beers to try while enjoying the warm weather outside. Be sure to visit their website to reserve a table.

Fans of Wicker Park can check out etta, located at 1840 West North Avenue. The rooftop features a delicious Mediterranean-style brunch menu on the weekends between 10:30 am and 2 pm and plenty of your favorite drinks to enjoy, including mimosas, bloody mary’s, and their own “etta” rita featuring altos, Cointreau, and lime. If early mornings are not your thing, check out their pizza party & booze offerings between 2 pm to 4 pm.

Another Wicker Park hotspot now open for rooftop service is Whiskey Business, located at 1367 North Milwaukee Avenue. With a 3,000 square foot rooftop, Whiskey Business is in the business of creating a great atmosphere to enjoy a night outside in Chicago. Now thru September, every Thursday thru Sunday starting at 9 pm, Whiskey Business is providing a safe rooftop space to socially distance while sipping on drinks amid a music and light show featuring tunes from the 80s, 90s and today. 

Joy District, located at 112 West Hubbard Street in River North, is an iconic Chicago rooftop experience highlighted by its fantastic city views. Featuring lounge seating, lush greenery, and murals designed by artist P. Scott, the rooftop provides delicious culinary offerings, including their buttermilk boneless wings and Margherita pizza. Their frozen cocktails are worth the trip alone to highlight a great summer day. 

The West Loop is now home to the largest outdoor patio bar in the city, thanks to the reopening of Recess, located at 838 West Kinzie Street. Social distancing is a breeze at Recess due to its expansive 14,500 square-foot courtyard, which creates an inviting yet intimate atmosphere to enjoy the city’s views while having a drink. Currently, the bar menu is limited, but the drink offerings cover all the bases from wine and beer to cocktails with funny Chicago politics-inspired names. Reservations are open, but it is recommended to book ahead if you can. 

So check out some of these great rooftop and patio bars now open in Chicago. After the last few months, it will be great to have a drink and relax with smiling faces while adhering to social distancing measures. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Tips for cleaning your beautiful hardwood floors and keeping them looking great.

Hardwood floors make for a beautiful, stunning addition to your home. However, they can bring new cleaning and maintenance challenges that aren’t present with carpet. Here are some tips for simple, efficient, and thorough hardwood floor cleaning.

Make the job easier
Place mats on either side of your exterior doors and always remove your shoes before entering your home—and make sure your guests do the same. Protect the floors by placing felt (or similar) protectors on the feet of your furniture, and use area rugs to designate play areas for the kids. This will reduce extra dirt, dust, and floor scratches.

Weekly cleaning
Sweeping with a standard broom will remove some dirt and dust, but not as much as a mop, wipe, or broom that’s been treated with a dusting agent such as a Swiffer. You could also invest in a vacuum that is designed for hardwood floors. Just be sure that the vacuum won’t leave scratches!

Deeper cleaning
Regular sweeping will remove most dirt and dust, but occasionally you’ll need to give the floors a deeper cleaning to remove the dirt and grime that builds up in your floors’ seams. Use a wood-cleaning soap to thoroughly mop your floors, but make sure the mop isn’t sopping wet—you don’t want to leave standing water.

Spots and scuffs
Most of the marks that occasionally show up on your floors, such as scuffs from rubber soles on boots and shoes—can be wiped away with a rag or very fine steel wool.

Mayor Lightfoot recently announced that the Lakefront Trail east of Lake Shore Drive will open on June 22. In addition, bars, breweries, and taverns will be open for outdoor service starting June 24. Slowly but surely, Chicago is beginning to look like the city we all love again. In the meantime, however, there are still a few things we can do outside of our homes to remind us that it is summer in the Windy City.

Miss going to the movies? It’s been months since movie theaters across the nation have been open due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of our favorite escapes where we can collectively enjoy stories of action and drama has been relegated to our home screens since winter. Thankfully, Chicagoans now have some options to take part in enjoying the silver screen as summer approaches.

Starting June 25, a pop-up drive-in theater will be located near Wabansia Avenue and Throop Street adjacent to the Lincoln Yards’ soccer field at 1397 W. Wabansia Avenue. 

Called the Drive-In at Lincoln Yards, this partnership between Lincoln Square’s Davis Theater and the Sterling Bay development firm will screen Chicago cinematic favorite Ferris Bueller’s Day Off starting at 8:30 pm on the 25th. The film will run at approximately the same time Thursday thru Sunday evenings.

The following week from July 2 thru July 5, the Drive-In at Lincoln Yards will screen another Chicago film masterpiece, The Blues Brothers.

Tickets are $35 per car. Not bad, considering most trips to the movie theater cost you that much just in snacks and refreshments. 

Another smaller pop-up drive-in is set to debut soon in Lincoln Square next month at the site of the Old Town School of Folk Music’s parking lot. Stay tuned as more details emerge.

Over in Bridgeview, the Chicago Drive-In located at 7000 South Harlem Avenue offers a wide array of flicks to please film fanatics of all genres. On Friday the 19th, you can laugh along to a double feature of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at 9 pm, followed by Superbad at midnight. Saturday the 20th will feature Tom Hanks in The ‘Burbs at 9 pm, followed by Quentin Tarantino’s masterful debut, Reservoir Dogs at midnight. Tickets will run between $30 and $50 depending on how close you are to the giant 70-foot screen. Purchase tickets in advance at the website.

Of course, social distancing must be practiced as we slowly return to our usual methods of entertainment. Check with each drive-in to find out precisely what is required. Still, you can be sure that six feet or more of social distancing between cars and patrons is a must. Guests will also be required to wear face masks when purchasing any goods (most likely credit card only) and interacting with others. 

As Chicago begins to see warmer weather, it’s great that the city is finding ways to provide entertainment with drive-in theaters while playing it safe to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

All of us gardeners know we feel better just digging around in our gardens. Just the action of pulling weeds or transplanting can leave you with your spirits lifted. With the expansion of community gardening, approximately 115 million people now have access to gardening. And that is a good thing!

Research has found that gardening has a wide range of health benefits, including reductions in anxiety, depression, and body mass index. There are a wide variety of gardening implements on the market to aid gardeners who need a little help. From kneepads and portable benches to large handle tools to help anyone get out to the garden. 

Gardening improves mood and life satisfaction. It increases the quality of life, vigor, and psychological wellbeing. The effect is now known to actually come from the soil. The microbe is called mycobacterium vacaee, and it stimulates serotonin production. It can be ingested through small cuts in the skin or simply inhaled while digging.

As you know, low serotonin levels can cause many problems like depression and anxiety, even OCD. Higher levels make you relaxed and happy. Now we know why we feel so good after a gardening session. Everyone from kids to the elderly can get out and do some digging and raise those spirits!

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

It looks as though we’re not going to have a typical summer this year in Chicago. So far, the city has canceled Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, and the Air & Water Show. Hopefully, we’ll have some smaller neighborhood and suburban events taking place so we can get outdoors. But until then, here’s this weekend’s virtual events.

The Chopping Block continues their Virtual Cook Along Classes, via Zoom, with you and their chef cooking together in real-time. Upon registration, you will be provided with the recipe packet and equipment list to be prepared to get cooking. Again, their Zoom moderator will make sure your questions are answered live by the chef either during or after class.

Saturday’s demo will run from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. with Chef Shelley Young, who just so happens to be the owner/chef with The Chopping Block. 

She will demonstrate how to prepare Strawberry Shortcake. Skills covered in this class are preparing the biscuit dough, understanding baking ingredients, macerating fruit, and, of course, the best whipping cream you’ll ever make!

Sunday’s demo will run from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. with Chef Hans Mooser. He will demonstrate how to prepare Grilled Bass with Mediterranean Farro Salad. Skills covered in this class are selecting and grilling fish, determining fish doneness, working with grains, roasting peppers, balancing flavors, and making fresh herb sauces!

How about taking a cruise right from your couch to view iconic and lesser-known Chicago architecture on a Virtual Boat Tour (Saturday, 1 p.m.-1:50 p.m.). Your tour guide will be Amanda, who is the Executive Director and Chicago Detours founder. She will delve into the forgotten stories of Chicago’s waterways, environment, transportation history, and architectural masterpieces while sharing stories and places that even the locals don’t know about! For just $8, this tour is a great way to beat cabin fever and will be unlike any architecture river cruise you’ve taken!!

Another virtual tour that might be of interest is the LGBT Chicago History in 1893 Virtual Tour (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.). Led via Zoom, you’ll glimpse beautiful architectural spaces from the era of the 1893 World’s Fair and learn about the fair’s impact on Chicago. Your tour guide Marie will show you archival images illuminating the World’s Fair and share stories of some gay and lesbian men and women from turn-of-the-century Chicago. You’ll also get to check-in with the group and see where other tour guests are from. During the presentation, guests are encouraged to have a lively chat to share comments and questions!

While a lot of crowded running races around Chicago have been canceled, runners can still race for a cause this summer by staying in their own neighborhoods (or on a treadmill) and participating on their own schedule. Here’s a list of virtual races that will earn you swag and medals without the crowds:

Chi Town Half Marathon & 10K. Swag includes a zip-up hoodie and finisher medal. This race benefits Best Buddies.

The Super Run – Chicago. Swag includes a superhero cape, event bib, and finishers medals. This race benefits an organization that donates superhero capes to children in local hospitals.

The Great Run Across Illinois. Swag includes a t-shirt and finisher’s medal. This race benefits the Illinois Nurses Foundation.

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago