No, this is not a new pizza place with a baseball theme...sorry!…read more A statue of Joe DiMaggio just steps from Taylor Street amidst carefully preened greenery and neighborhood fixtures perched on park benches. A gift from the City of Chicago to the Little Italy neighborhood in 1998 to celebrate the 'hoods strong Italian immigrant community, rich sports heritage and support system. Oh, and a Starbucks...but that doesn't fit in with this sweet little picture I'm trying to paint, but hell...that iced coffee did taste good while strolling through the "piazza," so I'll shut my little non-Italian mouth. Located directly across the street from the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (beautiful building). A nice little stop on a walking tour of Little Italy, show off your "local knowledge." No one has reviewed this yet!? I win! Ok, we all win. Please note: I do not think Joe DiMaggio ever grew up in Chicago or played in Chicago, but I could be wrong. Please correct me if I am. Better yet, please visit this little gem and then review it, and THEN tell me I am wrong.

Colleen C. pretty much summed this one up aesthetically and Jerad T. hit the minuses (I would also…read moreadd the rat poison in the soil as a minus as a dog owner). If Starbucks cleaned their patrons trash from the plaza, it would help a ton with that rat problem as well. I happen to really like this little gem. I doubt too many public works are planned for the neighborhood in the near future, so enjoy it people. The fountains offer a nice mist when the wind blows during a hot summer day as well. I agree that Joltin Joe didnt play for Chicago, but I believe it stands appropriately considering he is one of the greatest Italian American athletes ever and as Colleen C. mentioned, the statue is "Located directly across the street from the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (beautiful building)" The only thing left to say is why he would be considered one the greatest Italian-American athletes. I reference Wiki here for the facts, so if they are wrong take it up with the rest of public blogging world that encompasses Wiki. Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 - March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an Italian American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 13-year Major League Baseball career for the New York Yankees. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. DiMaggio was a 3-time MVP winner and 13-time All-Star (the only player to be selected for the All-Star Game in every season he played). In his thirteen year career, the Yankees won ten pennants and nine world championships. At the time of his retirement, he had the fifth-most career home runs (361) and sixth-highest slugging percentage (.579) in history. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15-July 16, 1941), a record that still stands.] A 1969 poll conducted to coincide with the centennial of professional baseball voted him the sport's greatest living player. Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio were among the thousands of German, Japanese and Italian immigrants classified as "enemy aliens" by the government after Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan. They had to carry photo ID booklets at all times, and were not allowed to travel outside a five mile radius from their home without a permit. Giuseppe was barred from the San Francisco Bay, where he had fished for decades, and his boat was seized. Rosalia became an American citizen in 1944; Giuseppe in 1945. On September 17, 1992, the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, opened, for which he raised over $4,000,000.[14] Yankee Stadium's fifth monument was dedicated to DiMaggio on April 25, 1999, and the West Side Highway was officially renamed in his honor. The Yankees wore DiMaggio's number 5 on the left sleeves of their uniforms for the 1999 season. He is ranked #11 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was elected by fans to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. An auction of DiMaggio's personal items was held on May 19-20, 2006 by the adopted daughters of DiMaggio's son. Highlights included: the ball hit to break Wee Willie Keeler's hitting-streak record ($63,250); 2,000th career hit ball ($29,900); 1947 Most Valuable Player Award ($281,750); uniform worn in the 1951 World Series ($195,500); Hall of Fame ring ($69,000); photograph Marilyn autographed "I love you Joe" ($80,500); her passport ($115,000); their marriage certificate ($23,000). The event netted a total of $4.1 million.

My organization has rented out their main space for a holiday party for families/kids for the past…read moretwo years and have had really good experiences with both. Parking is easy with their own lot. The space is beautiful and spacious. We were able to use several 6-foot long tables and chairs. You practically feel like you get the whole place to yourself, too. They also have cool birthday themes that you can check out if you're looking to host a birthday party. Such as an Animal Party whcih includes rubber stamps to make a take home project or "Space Out" to make your own model comet. There is so much here that I don't know if I can cover from summer camps to community gardening to Critter Care that you can volunteer for. Best of all, the Evanston Farmers Market goes indoors from December to April and is hosted here in the Ecology Center.

A great place for any large event. I was here for a wedding ceremony and they did an amazing job…read more You have to have your own coordinator but for the price it is totally unbeatable. Nice grounds with trees for wedding photos and plenty of space for up to 150 people. A friend had their kid's 16th bday here and said it is a great option even for dancing. Bring everything yourself or cater but save lots that way. A parking lot across the street as well, plus plenty of street parking around.

The Chicago City Clerk is located in the Loop, which can be a real pain in the butt to get to (well…read morenot quite as much for me anymore since I work only a half mile or so from there). But I've been needing some residential visitor parking permits, because my street is permitted for a couple hours per day. Since I can't get them at the alderman's office any longer I haven't gotten them but I'll need a couple in a few weeks. Enter mobile city hall. Wow this made things simple! I went to the one at Warren Park and there was hardly anyone there when I was, and I only had to wait in line behind a couple people (they were able to help me within a minute). There were other services and offices here too: office of the treasurer, citizens utility board, Chicago public library, home energy assistance board, etc. The darling of the event was ChicagoKey, as there were lots of people waiting to get theirs. It's a city identification card that works at some financial institutions, Chicago Public Library, Ventra card, and so on. It appears to be free so I may have gotten one if I had understood what it was before I got there. Perhaps a task for another mobile city hall. I really appreciate that the clerks office is doing this and coming directly to the communities to meet people's needs. They were open a little later (until 7; at their official locations, they're only open until 5) which is helpful for lots of folks, me included. Great to see a city department going the extra mile.

If you enjoy being surrounded by nature ,park ,lake and skyline , this view will surely take your…read morebreath away. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture this picturesque moment!!

Absolutely amazing view of the skyline with greenery! Perfect for a stroll in the park right in the…read morecity and short walk to the lake shore and beach. Great spot for the quintessential Chicago photo. Make your way over

Today we stopped by the Albany Park branch for story time. The story time was not as good as it has…read morebeen at some of the other branches; perhaps the woman running it was tired or something. On the other hand, I do appreciate that it lasted the timeframe it said (30 minutes), as we've gone to a couple that are done in 20-25 minutes and sometimes, being a few minutes late due to baby time, we're not there for long before it's over. The story time was held in the community room, which is pretty large actually and has several tables (like in a classroom) as well as a sink and small counter. This library is pretty bright and has a large children's area. The children's area has several computers in it, and of course there are also computers in the main library area as well. I was surprised to find that there's a courtyard area on the west side of the library that was actually really nice. There's a good deal of seating there, and I think it would be a great place for concerts or other outdoor programs.

Staff inconsiderate & unhelpful. Maintenance and cleaning of study rooms poorly managed for patron…read moreuse.

One of two asymmetric bob-tail swing bridges built in the early 1900s for the Chicago, Milwaukee &…read moreSt. Paul Railway. When it was built, the arm could swing to almost a 90 degree angle. Today, you can walk across the restored historic pedestrian bridge to reach Goose Island. Surprised to see so many geese along the Chicago River.

I heard of the wooden alley many years ago and have driven by but never really stopped to look…read more The wooden alley is a remnant of a bygone era for sure. Located in Near North near the Cardinal's Residence, this alley runs west to east and is made entirely of wooden blocks. Wood blocks started being used for construction in this manner in the mid-19th century, which made lots of fuel for the Great Fire, of course. This style of paving obviously fell out of favor as new technology emerged. The neighborhood likes to cultivate an air of the 19th / early 20th century with gas lamps and this adds to the aura. This alley was constructed in 1909, restored over the years, and is one of only two remaining in the city of Chicago. It's been on the National Register of Historic Places for 20 years. If you're in the area you can stop here to see something unusual and quirky for this day and age.

This is probably something thousands of people pass by every day and have no idea something like…read morethis is here. We found this on Atlas Obscura and followed directions from there. It is just south of Lincoln Park. Stepping onto the wood itself, it feels much softer than the asphalt of your typical street or the material your standard sidewalk is made out of. There is a historical marker near State Parkway detailing the history behind the wooden alley.

It's a 4 star if you are into this type of thing...it's not really my thing, which is why it's a 3…read more This is Chicago's oldest house, according to the literature. Pros: The guides are extremely knowledgeable. Our guide was a history major & she knew every little thing about the house & and its history. She also grew up in the neighborhood. One guide was a biology teacher & when we were outside, she told us all about cicadas, more than the generic info you read about in the news. It's really pretty & the interior was filled with old wedding dresses & it's history. Interesting fact I observed... wedding dresses don't seem to go out of style. The wedding dresses were numbered & correspond to a phamlet detailing its history. It's a recommendation of $5-$10, affordable & you do your part on old building restoration. Cons: It's a very small house.

Check out some old Chicago history. If looking for the oldest place in the city then come here for…read morea look. The Noble-Seymour-Crippen House is the oldest structure. Even though it wasn't a part of the city for a long time, it is now and it's older than anything else. Pretty much this is used for banquets and stuff mostly even though it's also a museum but you can make an appointment to visit. Before coming here it should be known this isn't like a museum that a lot of people know about. It's used mostly for events. Things like weddings and that. It has pretty limited hours if just coming to look around. This is open only Saturdays. It's the oldest known structure in the city. The oldest part was built in 1833, and the addition was built in 1868 or so. Among the artifacts are a collection of things found in the ground collected in an archeological dig. There's objects like buttons, guns, toys, and more. Other exhibits show the history of Norwood Park and what it was like. This place is also the home of the Norwood Park Historical Society and is where they have meetings. Good place to check out if you can make the limited hours. It's a must if wanting to learn more about the local history and what it was like back then. This is also pretty popular for those looking to have some big event like a wedding or whatever.