Chicago mahjong
- Missy Mahjong
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
As you may know, I bounce between three cities throughout the year. My mahjong hobby and philanthropy business follow me wherever I am, including in Chicago.
Chi City Mahjong was launched in late May with open play and lessons at the 900 N Michigan Avenue building. We played and sipped coffee beneath the great big window. I was happy to be back in my urban neighborhood buzzing with people.
The City...
In Chicago, mahjong is slowly catching on. It is still primarily considered grandma’s hobby and played with more traditional tiles. The Women’s Athletic Club and some of the day schools are starting to introduce games. There are pop up “learn to play” events and even a mahjong parlor near Wrigley Field.
The city dwellers, as busy as they are, don’t seem to be ready for the resurgence of the game quite yet.
The suburbs...
Mahjong is booming in the Chicago suburbs. The country clubs and the libraries can’t get enough mahjong! Boutiques carry the latest in tiles and accessories. Coffee shops and breweries are hosting weekly games.
It is rare to see the trends coming from the suburbs before they hit the city. The opposite of fashion and food, where the suburbs come about a year after the city.
Philanthropy...
In two months of Chi City Mahjong, I taught over 160 people the basics of mahjong. I had several private lessons for more intense lessons, but the fundraisers were the main events.
With the help of other teachers and some other mahjong friends, we were able to introduce bams, craks, dots and dragons to so many new players in the suburbs. We raised tens of thousands of dollars for local Chicago area charities and had the best time doing it!
Start playing mahjong in Chicago...
For those of you that want to know more about playing mahjong in Chicago, reach out to me at missymahjong@gmail.com. If I can’t accommodate you, I have a network of other fantastic teachers and other places to play in the city and beyond. I can’t wait to see how Chicago evolves as a mahjong town!
