GETTING HERE
Chicago is easily accessible by car, rail, and through our two major airports, Midway and O'Hare. We expect to work out another deal with American Airlines offering discounts for travel to DOWC 2011. In addition, Avis Car Rental will likely offer another special for tournament attendees. Thanks to AA and Avis for supporting us in our inaugural event and in the future!
Chicago is easily accessible by car, rail, and through our two major airports, Midway and O'Hare. We expect to work out another deal with American Airlines offering discounts for travel to DOWC 2011. In addition, Avis Car Rental will likely offer another special for tournament attendees. Thanks to AA and Avis for supporting us in our inaugural event and in the future!
STAYING HERE
Chicago offers hundreds of lodging options for every budget. Downtown, you'll find every major chain and the finer hotels if you want to pamper yourselves. We are working to provide group rates for the tournament weekend at a few hotels closer to boystown and the tournament locations. Sign the guestbook to get updates as soon as they are available. Your best bet is our Host Hotel:
Best Western Hawthorne Terrance
3434 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
TEL: (888) 860-3400
In the heart of boystown, minutes by foot from our sponsor venues--literally a couple blocks away. The hotel has a parking garage attached, if you have a vehicle, so you won't have to drive around Boystown during the tournament weekend.
Chicago offers hundreds of lodging options for every budget. Downtown, you'll find every major chain and the finer hotels if you want to pamper yourselves. We are working to provide group rates for the tournament weekend at a few hotels closer to boystown and the tournament locations. Sign the guestbook to get updates as soon as they are available. Your best bet is our Host Hotel:
Best Western Hawthorne Terrance
3434 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
TEL: (888) 860-3400
In the heart of boystown, minutes by foot from our sponsor venues--literally a couple blocks away. The hotel has a parking garage attached, if you have a vehicle, so you won't have to drive around Boystown during the tournament weekend.
Feel free to use priceline, hotwire, kayak or any other sites to make your trip more affordable! We want you here!
Our beloved (yet disappointing) Cubs will be hosting their arch rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, over the tournament weekend.
PLAYING HERE
Boystown, located in “East Lakeview”, is nestled between the shadows of Wrigley Field on the west and the deep blues of Lake Michigan on the east. It is the cultural home of Chicago’s GLBT community, and the largest proximate collection of GLBT bars and clubs in the world.
The informal boundaries of boystown are Grace Street to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, Belmont Ave to the south, and Sheffield Avenue to the west. The heart of boystown is a mile-long strip of Halsted known for its colorful nightlife and inviting atmosphere, and home to dozens of bars, restaurants and businesses. Lining Halsted are our landmark "rainbow pylons", as Chicago was the first US city to officially recognize a "gay" district with these pride emblems. Bars in Boystown close at 2am weekdays, 3am Fridays and Saturdays, with the exception of Berlin, Charlie’s, Hydrate, and Little Jim’s, which are open till 4am weeknights, and 5 am on the weekends. You can find plenty of information on the nightlife online, in many of the local rags or just asking a local while your here! Boystown also consists of trendy fashion outlets, Chicago's “Off-Loop” theater district, historic architecture, wine boutiques, specialty restaurants, and shops, many of these businesses lying on Halsted, Belmont, Clark, and Broadway. Chicago banned smoking indoors 3 years ago, so be prepared to enjoy the summer sunshine if you smoke!
Further north is Andersonville, or boystown North. A whole separate set of bars, restaurants and shops awaits the more "mature" gay traveler! Mary's Attic, Marty's Martini's, Atmosphere, Jackhammer and Touche are just a few bars in the area on North Clark Street.
Darts Over the Windy City tournament weekend 2011 will once again bring you to Chicago just in time for many fun events. As in 2010, the Chicago Air & Water Show is in town at the same time as the tournament, as well as various street fairs if you're interested. Be sure sure to step outside in between matches to watch the famous Blue Angels thunder over head.
There's plenty of information out there on travel, tourism, bars, restaurants, shows and the like in Chitown. Below find a small selection of good sites with relevant information for tournament participants:
Metromix Chicago - A guide to and reviews of restaurants and bars.
Gay Pride Chicago - Guide to entertainment, bars, etc., in gay Chicagoland.
Gay Chicago Map - Map and guide to bars and the neighborhood.
Citysearch Gay Chicago Guide - Guide of restaurants and bars.
The informal boundaries of boystown are Grace Street to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, Belmont Ave to the south, and Sheffield Avenue to the west. The heart of boystown is a mile-long strip of Halsted known for its colorful nightlife and inviting atmosphere, and home to dozens of bars, restaurants and businesses. Lining Halsted are our landmark "rainbow pylons", as Chicago was the first US city to officially recognize a "gay" district with these pride emblems. Bars in Boystown close at 2am weekdays, 3am Fridays and Saturdays, with the exception of Berlin, Charlie’s, Hydrate, and Little Jim’s, which are open till 4am weeknights, and 5 am on the weekends. You can find plenty of information on the nightlife online, in many of the local rags or just asking a local while your here! Boystown also consists of trendy fashion outlets, Chicago's “Off-Loop” theater district, historic architecture, wine boutiques, specialty restaurants, and shops, many of these businesses lying on Halsted, Belmont, Clark, and Broadway. Chicago banned smoking indoors 3 years ago, so be prepared to enjoy the summer sunshine if you smoke!
Further north is Andersonville, or boystown North. A whole separate set of bars, restaurants and shops awaits the more "mature" gay traveler! Mary's Attic, Marty's Martini's, Atmosphere, Jackhammer and Touche are just a few bars in the area on North Clark Street.
Darts Over the Windy City tournament weekend 2011 will once again bring you to Chicago just in time for many fun events. As in 2010, the Chicago Air & Water Show is in town at the same time as the tournament, as well as various street fairs if you're interested. Be sure sure to step outside in between matches to watch the famous Blue Angels thunder over head.
There's plenty of information out there on travel, tourism, bars, restaurants, shows and the like in Chitown. Below find a small selection of good sites with relevant information for tournament participants:
Metromix Chicago - A guide to and reviews of restaurants and bars.
Gay Pride Chicago - Guide to entertainment, bars, etc., in gay Chicagoland.
Gay Chicago Map - Map and guide to bars and the neighborhood.
Citysearch Gay Chicago Guide - Guide of restaurants and bars.