Do I even need to mention La Colombe on State & Elm? I go everyday and absolutely love it. Though LC is a chain, each location truly feels like a local spot. Blue Bottle is right by the river and a great spot to take your laptop and stay a while. 

La Colombe serves Publican croissants, which I think are some of the best in the city. Our fav spot is Pistores on Wells - I also included it in restaurants because they have a vibe from morning to night (great croissants & phenom pizza). La Fournette in Old Town has been around forever and does a spectacular job with all of their baked goods. 

Doma Cafe on N Orleans is an understated and tried and true local spot. If you like a cute outdoor patio and a great salad, go to Somerset at the Viceroy. Etta is an easy lunch spot close to Michigan Ave if you're over there. Menu standouts? Any salad and the mushroom pizza!

Did I mention we love Pistores? The neighborhoods closest to Michigan Ave can be v touristy and have a lot of restaurant group spots, which is all great, but I love supporting local. The owner at Pistores is also the pastry chef and they just do a great job. Menu standouts: any pizza, beef kafta, greek salad, carrot cake old fashioned, & CHOCOLATE CROISSANT. If you like Mediterranean, Ema is a great option. It's owned by the same group as Aba (in the West Loop which we'll get to but much harder to get into) so it has a similar vibe and menu. Get the crispy potatoes, b sprouts, and a hummus. Avec is a classic and it's close to us so we love to go for a last minute dinner when we don't have a res. The restaurant is huge so it's generally easier to get into. It's shared plates and the menu rotates seasonally. Le Colonial on Oak is one of my all time favs, and my family has been going there for years. It's French Vietnamese style cuisine. Everything is great on the menu and the vibes are immaculate. Ending with the holy trinity: Bavette's, Ciccio Mio, and Gilt Bar. They are all owned by Hogsalt, and they are all uniquely delicious and vibey. Bavette's is a steakhouse and gives 1920's energy. Menu standouts are the bone in ribeye and the broccoli. Ciccio Mio is Italian and gives your chic grandmother's house. Get the Caesar Salad, Spicy Vodka Rigatoni and their Walnut Old Fashioned. Ending with my personal fav: Gilt Bar. I love this place and you MUST start with the burrata. Other than that, get anything and you'll love it. Pro tip: get there at 6 and ask to be seated in The Library. It's their speakeasy downstairs and it's a total vibe. Honorable mention goes to Obelix, the French spot that is on my list but I have yet to try.

Obvi you have to take my class at Yoga2.0.  For the pilates girlie, I'd say go to SolidCore over BodyRok. Classes are much more challenging and instruction is generally better. If you like an ultra good sweat, Ritual on Franklin & Chicago is your move. If you love Barry's, you could just go there. You could also go to Ethos for a similar (more local) vibe.

Finally, my favorite topic: shopping. TBH, these neighborhoods don't have my fav shopping in the city (we'll get to that later) but I have a few goodies that I love. For home goods: POSH for all things vintage and French. Bloomingdales for classic kitchen items, bedding, and towels.  Eataly for cutie small kitchen and home items and delicious imported goods. For clothes: Vuori (activewear) or Nordstrom (everything). Other than that, I don't shop much in this neighborhood! In person shopping is one thing I miss dearly and tend to travel and go to other neighborhoods for.