This June, I flew in for a long weekend with my cousin, chasing that electric feeling only a Chicago summer can deliver — the kind where you blink and suddenly it’s golden hour, everyone’s outside, and the city feels like one big block party. Upon arrival, we checked into Hotel Lincoln, a JdV by Hyatt property that sits just across from the park it’s named for, where vintage charm meets lake breeze in the best possible way.
It felt like the neighborhood version of the friend who always knows about the pop-up before it’s cool. The lobby was eclectic — gallery wall meets grandma’s attic meets local dive bar — and the energy was immediate: easy, welcoming, and local. From our window, you could see boats floating Lake Michigan, joggers weaving through the park, and families out with strollers and iced coffees, everyone trying to soak up the season before it slips away again. It was the perfect location for my morning walks and evening runs.
Our days started with coffee from Elaine’s Coffee Call, and then we’d set out, unhurried. I’d forgotten how walkable Lincoln Park is — tree-lined streets, boutiques that make you want to redecorate your whole apartment, and restaurants where every patio table looks like a postcard.
I kept telling my cousin, “I could live here again,” as I daydreamed about what returning to Chicago could look like. We spent one afternoon at Batter & Berries, a Black-owned brunch spot I’ve loved since my student days, where the French Toast flight still ruins me for all other breakfasts. But this time, I wasn’t eating in a rush between classes — I was there fully present and grateful
Photo: RomanSlavik.com /Shutterstock
There’s a wild joy in eating standing up while a DJ spins nearby, in finding rhythm in a stranger’s playlist, in sweating through your outfit because the vibe is too good to leave. We took our time wandering, then grabbed a rideshare back downtown to check into our next location, the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel — where walking into the building is like opening a time capsule.
Marble staircases, dark wood walls, and leather lounges that whisper of stories from another era. Once a men’s athletic club in the 1800s, it’s now a moody, seductive hotel in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, and stepping inside feels like entering a speakeasy you’re lucky to know about. But don’t mistake history for stuffiness. The CAA is alive. We played in the Game Room, sipped cute pink drinks under globe lights, and took in the city from Cindy’s Rooftop, where you can see all of Millennium Park stretch out in front of you. It was sunset again, the second of the trip, and somehow just as magical as the first — the kind of view that makes you put your phone down and just feel it.
Our last day was slow on purpose. We walked the Chicago Riverwalk, grabbed sweets from Justice of the Pies, and later made our way to Bronzeville Winery, a Black-owned restaurant and wine bar that feels like both a celebration and a sanctuary. These are places that tell stories through food, design, and energy — they aren’t tourist stops, they’re part of the city’s heartbeat. What I love about Chicago is that it knows how to hold contrast. Grit and glam. High rises and hole-in-the-wall gems. A rooftop with a $17 cocktail and a block party with a $5 slice that tastes just as good.
That duality played out in the two hotels we called home for our trip. Hotel Lincoln gave us the warm, artsy welcome — a neighborhood stay with stories around every corner. Chicago Athletic Association gave us the cinematic finish — grandeur, history, and a view that makes you understand why people fall in love here. It’s easy to romanticize a city in the summer. But Chicago? It doesn’t need rose-colored glasses. It’s already turning its face toward the sun, pouring a drink, and dancing in the street. And if you’re lucky enough to be there — really there— you’ll feel it. Every time I come back, the essence of Chicago finds me — like no time has passed at all. 