Chicago by George Hernandez

Exploring Chicago. I'm not listing everything, just the major ones and some of my favorites. See also these sections that have things related to Chicago: Education, Chicago Restaurants, Philippines Links, Health Links, Martial Arts Links, and Martial Arts Commercial Links. See also this "Visiting Chicago" Googe Map [maps.google.com...] where I've started placing some Chicago stuff.

A great town to live 90 miles away from.

-Milwaukee about Chicago. Ha!

Institutions

Not everything but some of the bigger ones and some of my favorites.

Performing Arts. There are more concerts, plays, etc. in Chicago then I have the time to link to here.
- Goodman Theatre [Goodman-Theatre.org]. 170 N. Dearborn. 312-846-2600.
- Lyric Opera of Chicago [LyricOpera.org]. 20 N. Wacker. 312-332-2244.
- Ravinia [Ravinia.org]
  - Wine and picnic on the lawn while listening to some of the world's greatest live music.
  - Tickets $10-60.
- Second City [SecondCity.com]. 1616 N. Wells. 312-337-3992.
- StageChannel.com. See video previews of staged plays in Chicago.
Fauna
- Brookfield Zoo [BrookfieldZoo.org]. Adults $8, children & seniors $4, children 2 & under FREE.
- Lincoln Park Zoo [LPZoo.com]
  - 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614. 312-742-2000.
  - FREE
Flora
- Chicago Botanical Gardens [ChicagoBotanic.org]
  - 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL. 847-835-5400.
  - FREE
- Garfield Park Conservatory [Garfield-Conservatory.org]
  - A wonderful greenhouse and garden.
  - 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60624. 312-746-5100.
  - Every day of the year: 09:00/17:00, Thursdays: 09:00/20:00.
  - FREE
- Lincoln Park Conservatory
  - A great greenhouse just north of Lincoln Park Zoo.
  - 2391 N. Stockton Dr., Chicago, IL 60614. 312-742-7736.
  - Every day of the year 09:00/17:00.
  - FREE.
Museums. Check for "free days": If not on the site, then call.
- Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum [AdlerPlanetarium.org]. 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr. 312-922-STAR.
- Art Institute of Chicago [ArtIC.edu]. 111 S. Michigan Ave.
- Chicago Children's Museum [ChiChildrensMuseum.org]. 700 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. 312-527-1000. At Navy Pier.
- Chicago Historical Society [ChicagoHistory.org]
  - Clark Street at North Ave., Chicago, IL 60614. 312-642-4600.
  - Mon, Tue, Wed 12:00/20:00. Thu, Fri, Sat 09:30/16:30. Sun 12:00/17:00.
- Field Museum of Natural History [FMNH.org]
  - I'm a member!
  - 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. 312-922-9410.
- Government Buildings. I think it's neat to have the Federal, State, Cook, and City government buildings all within a few block of each other.
- John G. Shedd Aquarium [SheddAquarium.org]. 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.
- Museum of Science and Industry [MSIChicago.org]. Lake Shore Dr. and 57th St. 773-684-1414.
- Notebaert Nature Museum [NatureMuseum.org]
  - 'The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum inspire people to learn about and care for nature and the environment.'
  - The Butterfly Haven is not to be missed!
  - 2430 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL 60614. 773-755-5100. Just north of the Lincoln Park Zoo.
- Swedish American Museum Center [samac.org]
  - A very tiny niche museum but well loved. My wife and I had our wedding reception there.
  - 5211 North Clark Street, Chicago Illinois 60640. 773-728-8111.
Miscellany
- Chicago Cultural Center. 78 E. Washington. 312-346-3278.
- Ikea [Ikea.com]. Mon/Thurs 10:00/21:00. Fri 10:00/22:00. Sat 09:00/22:00. Sun 10:00/20:00. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
  - 1800 E. McConnor Parkway, Schaumburg, IL 60173. 847-969-9700. Directions from Chicago: NW on I-90; pass O'Hare; N on Arlington Heights Road; W on Golf Road/IL-58; pass IL-53; N on Roosevelt Road.
  - 750 E. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, IL 60140. 630-972-7900.
- John Hancock Building [Hancock-Observatory.com]. 875 N. Michigan.
- Marshall Fields Department Store [Fields.com] --> Macy's in 2006.
  - Nothing beats the original at Christmas.
  - 111 N. State St. 312-781-1000.
- Navy Pier [NavyPier.com]. 600 East Grand Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60611. (312) 595-PIER. (800) 595-PIER.
- Sears Tower [Sears-Tower.com]. 233 S. Wacker. 312-875-9596.
- Six Flags Great America [SixFlags.com/parks/GreatAmerica].
  - 'FROM CHICAGO: Take I-94 or I-294 West. Exit Grand Ave. (Rt. 132) East in Gurnee, Illinois. Six Flags is located immediately on the right. Approx. driving time: 45 minutes.'
  - As of 2004-07:
    - Online admission $35
    - Gen. admission $42
    - Children under 137 cm (54 in) $30
    - Children 3 and under FREE
    - Usual hours 10-10

Libraries

Don't forget the many university and college libraries.

Chicago Public Libraries [ChicagoPublicLibrary.org]
- Regional libaries
  - Harold Washington Library. 400 S. State St., Chicago, IL 60605. The biggest CPL with lots of activity.
  - Sulzer Regional Library. 4455 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60625. I grew up used to this great library. It used to be down the block and called Hild Library.
  - Woodson Regional Library. 9525 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60628.
- Miscellany
  - Lincoln Belmont Branch Library. 1659 W. Melrose Street, Chicago, Illinois 60657. 312-744-0166. Mon/Thu 09:00/21:00. Fri/Sat 09:00/17:00. Sun closed.
  - Logan Square Branch Library. 3030 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL 60647. 312-744-5295. Mon/Thu 09:00/21:00. Fri/Sat 09:00/17:00. Sun closed. Opened in 2005.
Newberry Library [Newberry.org]. Premier humanities library. 60 W. Walton. 312-943-9090.
Pritzker Military Library [PritzkerMilitaryLibrary.org]
- 'The Mission of the Pritzker Military Library is to acquire and maintain a collection of materials and develop appropriate programs focusing on the concept of the Citizen Soldier as an essential element for the preservation of democracy.'
- 610 N. Fairbanks Court, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL, 66011, 312-587-7917.

Media

Comic Books
- ChicagoComics.com. The best comic shop in Chicago.
  - 3244 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60657.
  - 800-509-0333. 773-528-1983, 1979 fax.
  - info@ChicagoComics.com
  - Mon-Thu 12-8; Fri 12-10; Sat 11-10; Sun 12-6
Newspapers
- Chicago Sun-Times [SunTimes.com]
- Chicago Tribune [ChicagoTribune.com]
- Chicago Reader [ChiReader.com]. Free alternative weekly. The best classifieds for housing in Chicago. Great restaurant finder too.
  - ChiReader.com/Movies. Theaters close to me:
    - City North 14. 2600 North Western Avenue. An AMC branch.
    - Biograph. 2433 North Lincoln Avenue
    - Davis. 4614 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60625.
    - 3 Penny. 2424 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
    - Webster Place. 1471 West Webster Avenue. A Loews branch.
    - MusicBoxTheatre.com. 'Chicago's year-round film festival'. 3733 N. Southport Ave. (773)871-6604.
Radio
- ChicagoPublicRadio.org. WBEZ, the Chicago branch of NPR.org (Nationa Public Radio) and Public Radio International [pri.org], the International version of NPR.
TV
- ABCLocal.go.com/WLS. WLS TV, Channel 7, ABC.
- CANTV.org. 'Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) gives every Chicagoan a voice on cable television. While the media marketplace is controlled by a shrinking number of companies, CAN TV provides a public space where Chicagoans can discuss issues of local concern, promote health, educational and economic resources in the community, and celebrate local talent and initiatives.'
- CBS2Chicago.com. WBBM TV, Channel 2, CBS.
- NBC5.com. WMAQ TV, Channel 5, NBC.
- FoxChicago.com. WFLD TV, Channel 12, FOX.
- WGNTV.com. WGN TV, Channel 9, WGN.
- WTTW.com. WTTW TV, Channel 11, PBS.
- WYCC.ccc.edu. WYCC TV, Channel 20, City Colleges of Chicago.
Web
- GapersBlock.com. A web publication about Chicago.

Neighborhoods

In Chicago, there are 77 official "Community Areas" and there are also informally established "neighborhoods" that sometimes coincide with the Community Areas.

Neighborhoods of Chicago [W]
Community areas of Chicago [W]

Community Areas. FYI: Each map is not on the same scale.

Here are some of my favorite neighborhoods.

Andersonville. I grew up near this neighborhood. In my personal experience it has the following influences in chronological order: Swedish, Mid East, lesbian, and yuppie. Clark Street between Foster and Bryn Mawr.
Boys Town. You don't have to be gay to enjoy the gay community. It is more about attitude and freedom and cool shops. Centered on Halsted and Belmont, spreading eastward to the Lake and northward to just short of Addison.
Chinatown. Cermak Road and Wentworth Ave. You'll need directions because there are expressways, bridges, train tracks, diagonal roads, dead end roads, and rivers to contend with.
- From the North: Exit I90/94 at 18th St. (Exit 52C). Turn left (east). Turn right (south) at Canal St. Turn left (east) at Cermak Rd.
- From the South: Exit I90/94/55 at 22nd St. (Exit 53C). Turn left (east).
Greek Town. The largest concentration of good and bad Greek restaurants and shops. Halsted between Van Buren and Monroe.
Little Chinatown. This is Chicago's second Chinatown that is composed of mostly non-Chinese such as Vietnamese, Korean, Cambodian, etc. I like how some of the greens served and sold are harvested from plot in the immediate neighborhood. Argyle and Broadway.
Little India. Jam packed with non-oriental Asians and Middle-Easterners, but predominantly Indian and Paksitani. Devon and Western. (Note that if you go west, the neighborhoods run Cyrillic, Russian, and Hassidic Jewish.
Little Italy. The feeling of family has never left this area in spite of the Starbucks and the upscale. I remember Pompeii when it was a tiny little shop and now its a huge multi-floor restaurant. Conte Di Savoia's still serves great subs (1438 W. Taylor). Taylor Street between Halsted and Ashland.
Little Korea. Its almost too long and too sparse but it's there. Lawrence, between Ashland and the west side.
Market District. I remember checking out the eyes of fish and poking the crabs as a kid. Randolph, Fulton, and Lake Streets, between Ashland and the Chicago River.
Puerto Rico Street. Division street from Western to California has a giant metal Puerto Rican flag arching over Division on both ends.

Here is a list of favorite streets, drives, curves, intersections, etc. in Chicago.

Sheridan Road from Chicago through Winnetka/Glencoe. I love biking through these neighborhoods. The road hugs the shore of Lake Michigan so the road gets hilly and curvy. The woods and wealthy houses are quite scenic.
The Lake. My youth is full of memories of endless summers biking up and down the Lake. My range was as far north as the suburbs of Winnetka and Glencoe (hills, woods, wealthy homes) and as far south as Hyde Park (63rd St., Museum of Science and Industry, University of Chicago). I have fond memories of solitude, beautiful athletic people in motion, families at the zoo, parks, statues and sculptures, museums, beaches (each with its own character), and all sorts of people playing chess. The route is mostly Lake Shore Drive (LSD) in the city and Sheridan Road in the burbs. It is bikable and drivable. as well as biking by LSD. There are two spots on LSD that I like in particular. One spot is that bend right at Oak Street: I try to avoid using my brakes on that sweet turn. The other is going south on LSD after you cross the Chicago River: You're driving through Grant Park and you can see the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and off to the left, Adler Planetarium.
Coming south on Clybourn Avenue to Division Street. This is an amazing intersection of Chicago because it has great juxtaposition. There's a view of the El, the skyline, a park, rich and poor neighborhoods --all this while following a big sweeping curve.

Official

Quick Facts
- The city of Chicago is in the county of Cook, in the state of Illinois (IL via USPS; US-IL via ISP 3166-2), in the country of the U.S.A. (US, USA, 840 via ISO 3166-1).
- Chicago is located at +41°;54' N and -87°;39' W along the shore of Lake Michigan.
- Chicago is in these time zones:
  - CST (Central Standard Time zone)
  - S (Military single letter time zone)
  - -06:00 hours behind UTC/GMT/TAI/Z. Chicago observes DST (Daylight Saving Time), i.e. "spring forward, fall back", by 1 hour from Standard Time, usu. the 1st weekend in April and the last weekend in October. I am against DST. See StandardTime.com and my section on Time.
- Motto: Urbs In Horto "City in a Garden"
- Nickname: "The Windy City"
- As of 2000, Chicago was the third largest city in the U.S.A. with a population of 2,896,016 in Chicago proper and roughly 10,000,000 including its suburbs.
- via Municipal Flag of Chicago [W]. The 3 white stripes are the North, West, and South Sides. The blue stripes are {Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River} and {the Great Canal and the South Branch of the Chicago River}.
- Chicago dates:
  - 1812-08-15. The Fort Dearborn Massacre occurred. A star was added to the Chicago flag for this event in 1939.
  - 1833-08-12. The Town of Chicago was incorporated.
  - 1837-03-04. Chicago was granted a city charter by Illinois.
  - 1871-10-08/10. The Great Chicago Fire. A star was added to the Chicago flag for this event in 1917.
  - 1893. World's Columbian Exposition, aka The Chicago World Fair. The first Ferris wheel! A star was added to the Chicago flag for this event in 1917.
  - 1933/34. Century of Progress International Exposition, another World Fair. A star was added to the Chicago flag for this event in 1933.
Illinois
- EnjoyIllinois.com. The Illinois Bureau of Tourism. 800-2CONNECT.
- Illinois [W]
  - List of Illinois counties
- Illinois.gov
  - Illinois.gov/gov. Governor.
- www100.state.il.us. 'State of Illinois'
- Illinois General Assembly [ilga.gov]. 118 Representatives (with 2 year terms) and 59 Senators (with 2 or 4 year terms).
- Illinois State Board of Elections [elections.il.gov]
- The Chicago north side office for the Dept. of Motor Vehicles is at 5401 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60630.
Cook county. The counties bordering Cook are Lake (N), McHenry (NW), Kane (WNW), DuPage (W), Will (SW), and Lake (SE in Indiana). The next closest counties include Kenosha (N in Wisconsin), Kane (W), Kendall (WSW), Grundy (SW), Kankakee (S), and Porter (SE in Indiana).
- Cook County Election Department [voterinfonet.com]
- Cook County Info Center [cookcountygov.com; co.cook.il.us]
- Cook County, Illinois [W]
- CookCtyClerk.com. 'Cook County Clerk's Office'
Chicago
- 311. In Chicago you can dial 311 for things that aren't quite on the 911 (emergency) level. EG: If you need another garbage cart, dial 311.
- 877Chicago.com.
  - 'Brought to you by: The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Chicago Office of Tourism, Mayor's Office of Special Events and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism.'
  - 877-CHICAGO phone.
- Chicago [W] and Portal:Chicago [W]
- Chicago.About.com.
- ChicagoHistory.org. Chicago Historical Society.
- Chicago.IL.org. Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau.
- ChicagoInfo.gov.
- Chicago.msn.com.
- ChicagoCityTreasurer.com. 'City Treasurer's Office'
- Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago [chicagoelections.com]. Locates your polling place. Lists candidates. 312-269-7900.
- ChicagoParkDistrict.com.
- ChiCityClerk.com. City Clerk of Chicago. For City Stickers, Residential Parking, Licenses, etc.
  - Selected Municipal Codes. If it's not there, they make you call 312.744.6870.
    - Chapter 8-24: Firearms and other weapons
- City-Data.com/city/Chicago-Illinois.html. All sorts of data on Chicago.
- City of Chicago [cityofchicago.org; ci.chi.il.us]. The official City of Chicago government site.
  - Alert Chicago. Part of the Office of Emergency Management and Communication.
  - Department of Animal Care and Control
  - Environment
  - Tourism
  - Zoning Map. Interactive maps with all sorts of info.
- Corsinet.com/Chicago/.
- Early Chicago [EarlyChicago.com]. 'This website is based on the book A Compendium of the Early History of Chicago to the Year 1835, when the Indians left'
- NudeHippo.com. "The pulse of Chicago". Sponsored by local cable channel 25.
- Yahoo! Chicago.
- Ward. Chicago has 50 Wards
  - Wards Map [PDF]
  - 31st Ward.

Parks

I thought it would be nice to make notes on the different parks around Chicago, especially notable ones and ones that are convenient for me.

I'll start with a few from the Chicago Park District [ChicagoParkDistrict.com], but I should probably list state, national, and private parks too. I'm not going to list the tiny little parks that are all over the place but sometimes those are the most important. While the CPD site is nice their swim schedules are incomplete --I recommend you call or visit the park directly. See the CPD list of indoor pools.

Blackhawk Park
- 2318 N. Lavergne Ave., Chicago, IL 60639, 312-746-5014. 1 block south of Fullerton and a few blocks west of Cicero.
- Indoor pool: 20 y = 18.28 m. 85 F = 29 C.
- The Family Swim schedule for 2008-01-07/03-23:
  - M,W,Th,F,7:00 pm - 7:45 pm
  - Sa,3:00 pm - 4:45 pm
  - Su,12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
Garfield Park Conservatory [Garfield-Conservatory.org]
- 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60624. 312-746-5100.
- Every day of the year: 09:00/17:00, Thursdays: 09:00/20:00. FREE.
- A wonderful greenhouse and garden.
Lincoln Park Conservatory
- 2391 N. Stockton Dr., Chicago, IL 60614. 312-742-7736.
- Every day of the year 09:00/17:00. FREE.
- A great greenhouse by Lincoln Park Zoo.
Humboldt Park
- 1400 N. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, IL 60622. 312-742-7549.
- A large park with naturalistic areas and a mini-beach well away from Lake Michigan.
Mozart Park
- 2036 N. Avers St., Chicago, IL 60647. 312-742-7535.
- Open fields and playground, but listed here because it's convenient for me.
McFetridge Sports Center (California Park)
- 3843 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60618. 773-478-2609 .
- 'Housing the Chicago Park District's only indoor ice rink and indoor tennis courts.'
- Ice skate and tennis all year round. Outdoor pool with high diving.
North Park Village Nature Center
- 5801 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60646, 312-744-5472
- A special naturalist park in Chicago. Deer and stuff. A great fall celebration.
Pulaski Park.
- 1419 West Blackhawk Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622. 312-742-7559.
- Nice auditorium. The Chicago Swordplay Guild [chicagoswordplayguild.com] practices there.
- Outdoor pool & kids water park:
Riis Park.
- 6100 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60639. 312-746-5363.
- Lots of big oaks.
- Outdoor swim: Mo,We,Fr 11-12:30p. Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr 5:30-6:45p. Sa,Su 3:15-4:45p, 6:15-7:45p.
Welles Park.
- 2333 West Sunnyside Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625. 312-742-7511.
- I did boxing there as a kid. Close to Sulzer Library.
- Indoor swim
Water park at Kimball & Schubert
Wrightwood Park
- 2534 West Greenview Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. 312-742-7816.
- Little kid pool

As part of Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois (FPDCC) [fpdcc.com], Cook County has a number of "Forest Preserves" scattered around the perimeter of Chicago, with even more in the Chicago suburbs.

The Filipino Americans in Chicago that my parents associated with tended to have picnic parties in the LaBagh Woods, which is at Foster Avenue & Cicero Avenue [map.google.com/...]. LaBagh Woods is the start of what the FPDCC calls the "North Branch Division". From LaBagh Woods, the North Division Branch and runs along the North Branch Chicago River, out of Chicago, through the village of Niles, and through the village of Morton Grove,until the river gets to the northeast corner of the village of Morton Grove at Golf Road & Harms Road [maps.google.com/....].
My family went fishing there several times at a place we called the "Skokie Lagoons" when I was a kid. Lots of bluegills and bullhead catfish. I particularly remember falling in the water and pulling myself out by the roots of a tree. It's still a great place and I took my kids there just last year (2006). The "Skokie Lagoons" are actually part of what the FPDCC calls the "Skokie Division" which starts where the "North Branch Divsion" ends, and continues along the North Branch Chicago River, meandering through the villages of Glenview, Wilmette, Northfield, Winnetka, and Glencoe, where it ends at Lake Cook Road & Green Bay Road [map.google.com/....], the border between Cook County and Lake County, also where the Chicago Botanical Gardens [ChicagoBotanic.org] is.

Transportation

Air
- Fly Chicago [FlyChicago.com]
  - O'Hare International Airport. Big.
  - Midway International Airport. Medium.
- Gary Chicago International Airport [GaryChicagoAirport.com]
Maps and streets
Movers
- ChicagoMoversWeb.com. They seem to let licensed and insured movers bid for your move.
- GolansMoving.com. This Chicago moving company was personally recommended to me by Bill. I used them and they were pretty decent.
- In and Out Moving and Storage [inandoutmoving.com].
Public
- Chicago-L.org. A site by a CTA aficionado with lots of good info.
- Google Maps: Chicago Transit [http://maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/chicago/]
- MetraRail.com. The Metra train system that covers long distance commuting in the northeast corner of Illinois.
- Regional Transportation Authority [RTAChicago.org]. Covers the CTA, Metra, and PACE.
  - TransitChicago.com. Get CTA stuff like bus passes, maps, etc.
Taxi
- Just wave one down.
- Phone 312-TAXI-CAB or 773-TAXI-CAB.
Traffic
- Gary Chicago Milwaukee Corridor Transportation Information [gcmtravel.com]. Real time traffic and congestion info.

Miscellany

10 Best: Chicago [10best.com/Chicago,IL/index.html]. Living it up in Chicago: Restaurants, Events, etc.
Alchemy-Arts.com
- 1203 W. Bryn Mawr Chicago, Illinois, 60660. 1-800-348-6766. 1-800-WITCHES. Monday - Friday 10 am - 7 pm; Saturday 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday 12 Noon - 5 pm.
- 'Chicago's most complete occult and metaphysical supply store. We've been expanding steadily since our beginnings over a decade ago, and now we're in a brand new location, with more books, herbs, incenses and magickal items than ever before.'

Apple picking

PickYourOwn.org. 'Where you can find a pick-your-own farm near you!'
- Chicago and Northern Illinois. This lists many farms by county. See also List of Illinois counties [W].
  - 2004 we went to All Season Orchard [AllSeasonFarm.com] (14510 Route 176. Woodstock, IL 60098. McHenry county.).
  - 2005 we went to Kuipers Family Farm [KuipersFamilyFarm.com] (1N318 Watson Rd, Maple Park, IL 6015. Kane county.).

Approximate Ripening Dates. This will vary by year. Different farms will have different varieties.

Variety	Ripens Approximately
Paula Red	Med Aug.
Prima	Early Sept.
McIntosh	Early Sept.
Ozark Gold	Mid Sept.
Gala	Mid Sept.
Jonamac	Mid Sept.
Honey Crisp	Mid Sept.
Cortland	Mid Sept.
Jonathon	Mid Sept.
Fuji	Mid Sept.
Empire	Mid Sept.
Golden Delicious	Late Sept.
Spartan	Early Oct.
Mutsu	Mid Oct.
Blushing Golden	Mid Oct.
Rome Beauty	Mid Oct.
Winesap	Mid Oct.
Ida Red	Mid Oct.
Red Delicious	Mid Oct.
Breaburn	Mid Oct.
Granny Smith	Early Nov.

1 peck = 2 dry gallons; 1 bushel = 8 dry gallons

Brown Elephant
- These are great resale shops by HowardBrown.org, an organization for the GLBT community. Of course Chicago has many, many other great resale shops.
  - Lakeview 1: 3651 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60613. 773-549-5943.
  - Lakeview 2: 3939 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL, 60613. 773-244-2930.
  - Andersonville: 5228 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640. 773-271-938.
  - Wicker Park: 1459 N. Milwaukee Ave., 1st Floor, Chicago, IL 60622. 773-252-8801.
  - Oak Park: 217 Harrison St., Oak Park, IL 60304. 708-445-0612.
Cascade Outdoor Theatre [cascadedrivein.com]
- The closest drive-in theater to Chicago.
- 28 West 741 North Avenue, West Chicago, Illinois 60185. Phone: (630) 231-3150.
Chicago Cares [chicagocares.com]. I saw their ad on the bus and I thought it was a site for some not-for-profit. However it seems to be just a site for links —some of those links are Chicago related and some are not.
City Guide Chicago [cityguidechicago.com]
Craigslist Chicago [chicago.craigslist.org]. Like eBay but for locals.
Danley's Garage World [danleysgarageworld.com]
Fire Arts Center of Chicago [firearts.org]
- 'a not-for-profit school created to promote the growth of metal sculpture and classical sculpture technique in northern Illinois, by offering classes and providing membership, employment, teaching and exhibition opportunities for artists. We offer classes, sponser lecture series and events, and host several community outreach programs.'
- 1800 W. Cuyler St, Chicago IL 60613. 773-329-9908 & 773-465-0720. uroboros7@yahoo.com.
FuckCorporateGroceries.net
- Lots of creative options.
- I stumbled upon it while looking up Chicago Food Corp. (3333 N. Kimball, Chicago, IL, 60618), a store I decided to check out that turns out to be a cool Korean store. I've been to all sorts of Asian stores before but never a Korean one. Korean stores have their own stuff but are like a cross between Chinese and Japanese stores.
- 'so i decided to spend the next [while] not shopping at corporate grocery stores, living instead on food purchased at neighborhood places. i figure this way i'll save money, explore chicago's independent food sellers, eat better(?) or at least, more interesting food, and i won't be supporting the man. '
gaisma.com/en/location/chicago-illinois.html. Sunrise, sunset, dawn, and dusk times for the whole year in Chicago.
Lincoln Square Lanes
- 4874 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60625
- (773) 561-8191
- Invisible little bowling alley above an Ace hardware store. Old school, bar, pinball machines, 1950s atmosphere.
MetroBlogging Chicago [chicago.metblogs.com]. A multi-blogger site about Chicago.
- MetroBlogging Chicago at Flickr.com [flickr.com/groups/mb_chicago/pool]
MetroMix [metromix.chicagotribune.com]. Living it up in Chicago: Restaurants, Events, etc.
NorthshoreNannies.com.
- 'We have provided the highest quality and most professional childcare placement services for Chicago area families since 1991. We pride ourselves on the long-term relationships we have created with our clients and our nannies.'
- Instant baby sitters!
Peerless Fence and Supply [peerlessfence.com]
Resource Center [resourcecenterchicago.org]. 'a non-profit environmental education organization, has led the way in demonstrating innovative techniques for recycling and reusing materials. Too often in the urban setting, abundant and important resources are wasted. Our recovery work aims to reverse waste and to improve the quality of life for urban dwellers. We have been devoted from the beginning to the economic and educational revitalization of city neighborhoods through recycling, urban gardening and other programs that reclaim and reuse resources.'
The House on the Rock [thehouseontherock.com]. OK, OK, this is actually in Wisconsin but it's cool and it's close. The House on the Rock is architecturally complex that has musueum like collections.

Page Modified: (Hand noted: 2008-04-28 15:34:02Z) (Auto noted: 2008-04-28 15:34:00Z)