I have always liked the McKinley Park Neighborhood (see "Tips" for neighborhood borders). I think…read moreit would be a very convenient place to live. Archer Avenue, which runs on an angle through this neighborhood is a street that has always made transportation downtown very easy by car, bike or bus. Since the 1990's, transportation is even quicker with two Orange Line stops in this neighborhood: Ashland just north of Archer and 35th St./Archer/Leavitt. And then there is the I-55, which also happens to be the north border of this neighborhood. Yes, getting downtown - - and even traveling southwest - - is pretty convenient from this neighborhood. THE Park & other parks in the area The Chicago Park District's McKinley Park is a large, beautiful park located between Damen (east) & Western (west) and 37th Street /Archer (north) & Pershing Road (south). *Fieldhouse: 2210 W. Pershing Road *See Yelp business page titled "McKinley Park" for reviews of the park *The neighborhood gets it's name from this park. *In recent years, there has been a Farmers Market in the summer--the nw corner of the park. The Other Parks *Mulberry Playlot Park at 3150 S. Robinson Street *Hoyne Park at 3417 S Hamilton Avenue *Kucinski-Murphy Park at 1635 W. 33rd Place This neighborhood also boasts a lovely library- Mckinley Park Library at 1915 W. 35th Street. CHURCHES *Blessed Sacrament is a newer Catholic Parish that combines three older churches/parishes: Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Maurice and Sts. Peter and Paul *St. Andrew Lutheran Church *Bethany Baptist Church *The Truth That Sets You Free *Pentecostal Church SCHOOLS CPS: *Everett Elementary *Nathaniel Greene Elementary *Thomas Early Childhood Center Charter: *Namaste *Horizon Science Academy - McKinley Park SHOPPING Mostly found along Archer Avenue, 35th Street, and Ashland Avenue *At Ashland and Archer is the Riverside Square & River's Edge Shopping area that includes an Ace Hardware, Mariano's, Pet Supplies Plus, GNC, T-mobile, Burger King and other businesses. Party City, Dollar Tree, and White Castle are on the south end of this shopping area. *Huck Finn (24 hours) and New Archvuew (Breakfast /Lunch Only) Restaurants are on Archer west of Damen Avenue. *Target is just south of the I-55 and east of Damen Avenue. HOUSING Although this is a convenient neighborhood, most of the homes are older--like really old. This area used to be a swamp area and there are houses that were built on stilts. Some housing sections are not particularly pleasant-looking IMO. Other sections are rather nice. History These websites give the history of McKinley Park : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinley_Park,_Chicago http:/www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/802.html https://chicagoganghistory.com/neighborhood/mckinley-park/ https://mckinleypark.news/neighborhood The last website listed is from the McKinley Park News. This online newspaper will keep you up-to-date about things going on in the neighborhood. There are prettier and probably safer neighborhoods in Chicago, but I feel the McKinley Park Neighborhood still has a lot to offer along with it's history, kind of old-fashioned charm (I think you can have charm even though you might not be all that pretty!) and very convenient location. Chicago Neighborhood-Review #3 McKinley Park Neighborhood - Review #7

I love driving Lake Shore Drive. It's simply beautiful, and can be incredibly peaceful. In the…read moreevening you get to see the lights of the city, and during the day can watch the lake cycle through one of its many personalities. And you'll have the opportunity to see the Drive in all its glory, and be annoyed by its gridlock. Near Oak Street Beach you'll see dozens of boats floating in the area partying. It can be incredibly frustrating going north when there's a Cubs game in the summer. If you find yourself cruising Lake Shore on the day of the Chicago Air & Water Show, you have to be a masochist. And even on they south end, when you're driving down Lake Shore nest the South Shore Cultural Center (especially in the summer) it can be trying. But it's emblematic of Chicago, and in the summer it almost doesn't matter if it takes you an hour to drive from Hollywood to Roosevelt because you have something to look at in any direction. I'd take LSD over the Kennedy any day. Lucky to live a mile and a half away so that it's my main thoroughfare through the city.

Happy New Year everyone, this is my first review for 2021!!…read more I love Lake Shore Drive (LSD), how it connects Hyde Park and Rogers Park, in just 30 to 45 minutes. You can see the complete beauty of our city by the lake, by using LSD. I have childhood memories of playing baseball by Weiss Hospital and having to run across LSD to retrieve baseballs. Looking back, if my parents had found out...ouch... It's scary to look back at that but that was part of the fun of childhood. Back to LSD, it's my preferred way to get to and from the loop, the sunrise views coming into the downtown area are incredible. The views in the evening and sunsets can melt the day's worries away. Watching the runners, walkers, dogs, boaters, fishermen, volleyball players, sunbathers and bikers along LSD shows the vitality of the city. If you use LSD daily, you may lose your passion for the drive. Since I don't use it too often these days, I like to take it all in - seeing the waves, the ice in the lake, the parks and architecture. It's just a wonderful experience - I make it a point to follow the speed limit so that I can smell the roses. I just hope that they don't charge a toll for using LSD, which is on the table because of the city's finances. As for speeding, watch out for the speed cameras going up - 6 mph above the speed limit will result in a $35 ticket.

If you are looking up neighborhoods in Chicago for moving or staying during your visit , I'm happy…read moreto tell you to come here! Living : proximity to 3 good public schools and several private schools. 53rd street and 55th street are the more commercial streets , with some businesses along Lake Park. Trick or treating is decent. Visiting: the Sofy and Hyatt place are both comfortable. If you want proximity to U of C and want an air bb, stay closer to 57th street (Woodlawn university , Ellis , Drexel , cottage grove as your cross streets). If you are staying just to not stay downtown but close access to downtown stay between 55-56-57 street station - 47 street on Metra or stay near the 6 bus route. Attractions MSI Lakefront trail Promontory Point Obama's house Obama presidential center and library U of C and its museums Barak and Michelle's first kiss monument 57th Street beach Coffee: my favorites Philz (53 and black stone) Sip n Savor (53/South Hyde Park) Fairground (by u of C) There's a Starbucks in target and a standalone , both on 53rd Food: My favorites Dawn 5 Rabinitos Nella Medici on 57 Cafe 53 Etoo Nandos Peri Peri chicken Jets pizza Valois Pizza capri Cedars Palestine kitchen Small cheval Giordanos Ivd heard good things about Virtue. Hair 57 street salon Cleopatra Transit to downtown Metra 6 bus 2 bus (morning pm rush) 15/55 bus to the Greek line / red line Nice tree lined streets Puppies everywhere Nice green spaces Enjoy

Hyde Park, one of the community areas within the city of Chicago, is one of the more well-known…read moreareas on the south side of Chicago. It's one of the more upper class neighborhoods on the south side. It originated as a Hyde Park Township in the mid-19th century, and was annexed by the City of Chicago. It is one of the city's most diverse neighborhoods, and has been home to many prominent Black residents and celebrities. Perhaps what first brought it to my attention was learning about Leopold and Loeb when I was a teenager growing up in Oregon; not really the best association to have with the Hyde Park-Kenwood area, but there's a lot more to this community than tragic history. Hyde Park is home to a high concentration of higher education institutions, the most prominent being the University of Chicago. In addition are McCormick Theological Seminary, Catholic Theological Union, and the Lutheran School of Theology. It was also the location of the World's Fair 1893, the Columbian Exposition. The Museum of Science and Industry, what was built as the Palace of Fine Arts for the fair, is one of the remaining remnants of that magnificent celebration. I like Hyde Park, and lived there for a few months. It's really densely populated, and has some interesting places to visit and good restaurants. People say the north side is hard to park, but when I was living in Hyde Park it was a constant struggle! There are several parks around here and large ones at that. CTA buses serve Hyde Park, obviously, and there's a Metra route that goes through as well.

Logan Square is a continuously gentrifying area of Chicago. It's one of the "hip" neighborhoods in…read moretown. Lots of restaurants, some concert venues and the like. It's got several notable parks, such as Palmer Square Park, Unity Park, and Kosciuszko Park. What makes Logan Square special is that it's part of the boulevard system, and it has these beautiful wide boulevards which have large, park-like medians. I've seen people having gatherings, picnics, barbecues and the like here in the medians along Kedzie. I don't actually spend much time in Logan Square or its environs, but probably should. There's Emporium or Fireside Bowl if you're looking for fun (and I think Pink Squirrel is in the area, if you want to try duckpin bowling); more than one brewery, I think, though Revolution Brewing is the big one I think. Lots of great public art, from the Greetings from Chicago and Robin Williams murals to the most amazing mosaic commemorating L. Frank Baum and the land of Oz that you've ever seen (Oz Park can suck it). Worth a stroll, and get some Puerto Rican food.

Logan Square is an area on the northwest side of Chicago that is dear to my heart. Southeast of…read moreLogan Square is the gateway to downtown Chicago. Northwest of Logan Square is the gateway to the most Polish neighborhood in the United States - almost like a little Warsaw. East of Logan Square leads you into the old German part of Chicago, which once covered over a dozen square miles, had 6 German newspapers, and over 100 German stores, restaurants, bars, bakeries, dancehalls, & cultural centers. And west of Logan Square opens onto a seemingly endless stretch of ethnic neighborhoods and faceless buildings that were flung up in grids during the first half of the 20th century. Once, Logan Square was an affluent neighborhood, a rich area of the city one might say, like a late 19th century suburb on the outskirts of Chicago's center. Even today, one can find the occasional stretch of old stone mansions with carriage houses left standing, tucked in between the many 1930's three story brick apartment buildings where other even older mansions once stood, some stretching back to the Gilded Age. Logan Square offers a bittersweet memory of the glory days of Old Chicago, when Speakeasys dotted the city, Sicilian Gangsters drove the streets, and European Immigrants from Sweden, Saxony, and other cities far and wide were pouring into town daily, enriching our lives with their many cultures and their absolutely delicious cuisines. Now Logan Square is just another place among the many spots in Chicago where it's specific history has been lost. Logan Square has become a Subway Station and a Bus Depot. Today Logan Square is just a big Pillar in the middle of the street.

This bright red/orange piece, that resembles a cross between a praying mantis and an elephant. It…read morejust sucks you in. You cannot pass by it without looking. There is metered street parking and commercial lots within a reasonable walking distance, but most viewers of this statute would be passers by, on their way to another destinations. You will find this piece at the Federal Plaza in front of the Kluczynski Federal Building The steel sculpture is the work of Alexander Calder. It stands 53 feet tall and weighs 50 tons. It was commissioned by GSA in 1974. This piece is well maintained and looks great, especially for its age. I think it is supposed to represent a flamingo, but does not even come close to that. I think at a minimum the piece should have been painted pink versus its current international vermillion hue. As with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a destination piece, nor a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area (and there are many of them), or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Another fun iconic sculpture in downtown Chicago! We had no problem finding it while walking back…read moreto Union Station from the Art Institute of Chicago. It's located at the intersection of W. Adams and S. Dearborn streets. American artist Alexander Calder installed the 53 foot tall steel sculpture in October, 1974. It is painted a bright red, vermillion red, which is now called Calder red. Enjoy!!

Created by Jaume Pensa. It's a water feature with two glass towers that projects faces of folks…read more Very cool thing to see. Interactive art installations are some of my favorite pieces to see. In addition, if you're feeling like you need a cool down from that hot Chicago summer weather...you can take off your shoes and soak your tootsies. To me, the splash pad has no age limits. It's worth the quick walk from The Bean to see it.

Gorgeous! Refreshing to spend time here on a hot day. Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, while also…read morevibrant people watching as kids and adults run through the water. Beautiful interactive fountain and I love seeing the changing and details of the faces. A lovely part of Millennium Park.

Walking into Smith Park, the only thing that led me away from the assumption that I was crashing a…read morereunion was that I paid $5 admission. Ukrainian Days, in a nutshell, is a giant family picnic in the park. That is if your family is all Ukrainians. I've been to Ukraine a couple of times before. And the country itself is not that friendly to outsiders. Not that the people are especially surly or anything, but the rate of English being spoken - even in the tourist industry - isn't very high (except in Kiev). The closest someone can get to this experience in Chicago, besides going to the consulate downtown, is this festival. The amount of English that I heard in the over an hour I was there could best be described as "a smattering." Even the stage announcements, let alone the acts, were in Ukrainian (completely without English translation) and even the youngest people in the crowd seemed to grasp what was going on. I, however, never quite did. Thankfully, those in the service sector of this mini-economy (just trying to keep the analogy going, I mean the people working the booths) spoke enough English to let me know the borscht was vegetarian. And it was good. And it was a $1. Sadly, the best festival food I've had all summer was a cup of warm borscht (perfect for carrying around the festival). It was just like grandma used to make (even if she was Lithuanian). The food vendors were all spectacular, in fact. Shokolad brought a large menu, including rich deserts, and two other vendors offered authentic Polish and Ukrainian fare (including the ever tempting vereneky). Though sadly, the lines for each of the food vendors were enormous and there's a reason why - there wasn't much else to do. The few merchandise stalls there were seemed to be an afterthought. And the only interesting one I saw was one selling CDs from the old country. You know, to listen to if you get tired of sitting around a picnic table and talking to your closest relatives or listening to live Ukrainian folk music from the festival stage. And Heineken and Miller beers were only $3. At least that makes it better (or more bearable) than an average family reunion.

I think that now that they have decided on a date and have stuck to it, closest to Ukrainian…read moreIndependence Day August 25th, the fair has been a success. Yes, it is a fest catering mainly to the Ukrainian community but all are welcome to attend. After all, the Ukrainians have been in this area for decades and as I recall at West Fest, I don't remember hearing any Ukrainian or Polish or Spanish spoken for those residents that have been a part of West Town for longer than the newly arrived discoverers of this now trendy neighborhood. The people that attend this fest are family yes, but the vast majority of these folks are simply related by common ethnic backgrounds and most likely attend the same church or bar. Americans or anyone else are certainly welcome, your money is green and will be heartily accepted. So, please partake and enjoy the wonderful ethnic dancing, singing and general merriment of the Ukrainian community here in Chicago. And as the other poster noted the $5. admission charge, West Fest charges the same $5 admission fee, what's he squawking about?

If you simply send a self-addressed stamped envelope to you are beautiful, you will receive inner…read moreand outer beauty stickers in the mail Please see the photographs of my stickers below

(5118) You Are Beautiful I received a sticker from my dear…read moreSister/Daughter Susan R. I decided I would put it in my kitchen on my Coffee Sticker Wall. I need to be reminded daily I may not look beautiful anymore but I feel beautiful in spirit. More importantly Susan thinks I'm beautiful! Here's a little information about how this sticker store started. The creator is Matthew Hoffman Matthew is an American public artist and designer based in Chicago. He is known for You Are Beautiful, that's his art project that ranges from stickers to large-scale public sculptures. If you know me you know in the past I would go all over Manhattan mostly and take photos of artwork. I love when a gift from a friend sends me on a learning experience. This little sticker has captured my heart. I'm hoping my friend Thomas in Chicago will review this page and share photos of the Public Art by Matthew Hoffman. I'm recommending you look for his work too.