Gay massage in Northalsted (Boystown)

Northalsted, still Boystown to most people who live there, is where Chicago's independent male bodyworkers concentrate. Studios sit in the three-flats and courtyard buildings between Belmont and Addison, a short walk from the Red Line, and many therapists have practised in the same apartment for a decade.

The work reflects a gym-heavy, winter-bound clientele: deep tissue for shoulders and traps, sports recovery around the lakefront running season, and a lot of heat — hot stone, heated tables and warm towel work are more common here than on either coast for obvious reasons. Several providers also serve the Wrigleyville hotel trade on game days.

Sixty minutes typically runs $110 to $190, meaningfully less than New York or Los Angeles for comparable experience. Winter evenings are the busiest stretch of the year, so book a few days out between November and March; summer afternoons are much easier and outcall along the lakefront is quick.