Which is a good youth hostel in Chicago?
Try Arlington House in the Lincoln Park area (http://www.arlingtonhouse.com/). Not too many hostels, if any, have bars in them. The drinking age makes that kinda tough. But Arlington house is in Lincoln park and there are tons of bars in the immediate area. In fact the Arlington HOuse website has a link to the ones with cheap beer and food that are nearby. Hosteling International is cool, but it’s in the Loop and on the weekends the Loop is kinda dead after 8 p.m. Trust me, the places you’re going to want to hang out are away from the Loop. Arlington HOuse is in a good location.
