Giddings Plaza is the center of Lincoln Square. It's an easy meeting place, and often functions as…read morea stage or entertainment hub for one of the festivals that take place in Lincoln Square. During the holiday season, Lincoln Square's Christmas tree is here and the tree lighting ceremony takes place in the plaza. I like that there are several benches around the perimeter so folks can actually gather here.

Summer concert!!!!! In 2018, it's on Thursdays, June 7-August 30, 6:30-9pm. There are sooooo many…read morepeople, it's dog and family friendly, oh, and of course that includes strollers! Here's what you need to do- ditch the stroller and bring a blanket. Go to the Farmer's Market on Lincoln & Leland first, less than a block away, order a pan of pizza, get some beer and wine, come back to the plaza (or have your family save your space), sit on your blanket and enjoy some pizza while listening to some live music. The music changes weekly and is a variety of live bands. There was a huge crowds of people- ages from infant months to 70s(?). There were many toddlers with working parents, whom seemed to come after getting off from work. If you're around, go visit!

There've been great changes since the last review. It's a rare gem to find a small, close-knit town…read morenear the city. Pros: * Good schools & kids activities * Retail - Grocery store (family-owned), restaurants, services, farmer's market - 20 min to Oakbrook Mall, 15 min. to downtown Oak Park * Beautiful homes - avg. price abt. $450k * Easy city access - 10 min. to 55 and 290/294 - two Metra stops * Infrastructure improvements * Nature & historic preservation * "Purple" political climate Cons: * High taxes * Diversity - town has minimal racial diversity, much better at local high school * Not recommended for families without children - Lots of money spent on family-friendly activities, would go to waste on child-free homes - Floodplain issues

Riverside is a beautiful little village, and I feel lucky to have been raised here. When you…read morecompare it to some of the neighboring suburbs that are more "blue collar" (like Lyons and Berwyn), this place really stands out as unique. First of all, there is a lot of history behind Riverside. It is considered the first planned community in the United States and it was designed in 1869 by Frederick Law Olmsted (who also designed Central Park). Also, a lot of the homes here were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and a handful of other notable architects. Many of the homes here are absolutely gorgeous. My home is a Queen Anne Victorian straight out of the 1880s. I love many of the other Victorian homes that can be found in this town. If you love architecture, then the village of Riverside is a must-visit. The people who live here are generally lovely and very friendly, if admittedly quite homogeneous (95% white). The public school systems are high quality, and there is also an excellent private school option in the K-8 St. Mary's School. Even though Riverside has struggled to keep businesses, there are several excellent places that appear to be thriving like the new place empanadUS, Grumpy's, and Chew Chew Cafe. I'm optimistic that growth will continue! Overall, Riverside is beautiful. Even though many out-of-towners have gotten lost when trying to navigate the winding roads, they are quite scenic when you factor in the beautiful houses, the trees, and the DesPlaines River.

I stopped in to pick up my packet for Edgewater "Back To School" 5k. I was actually a little…read moreexcited to stop in this place, because most of the time I walk pass Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, it's normally closed. Normally, because I walk pass in the evening hours, and always think that its abandon, but it's not! Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, does do a lot for Edgewater community, and does a really good job keeping positive events in our neighborhood. https://www.edgewater.org/

Got to visit this important part of Chicago history. It may only be the entrance but it's still…read morequite impressive. The Union Stockyards was where most of the meat came from and got packaged. At the entrance was this gate with a cow. You can still go through it, and check out a memorial to city firefighters. A lot of butchering went on here, and it got pretty smelly in this area. It's been redeveloped into an industrial park. The gate was designed by Daniel Burnham and John W. Root in 1879, and is the only important structure still intact from the stock yards. It's located just west of Halsted. This is located on Exchange Avenue at Peoria Street. Beyond here is a memorial to city firefighters. In 1934 a significant fire leveled the yards. A few other fires occurred in its history. The gate was added to the National Register Of Historic Places in 1972, and restored. John D. Sherman was the stockyard superintendent, and he had a favorite bull. This bull was named Sherman, and there's a bust of him on the center arch, welcoming workers to the stockyards where the other bulls weren't as lucky. History is here even though this area looks pretty boring. It's just a bunch of factories and other buildings, with almost no signs of what used to be here. There's not a whole lot of other stuff to look at, but this is pretty cool stuff though.

I also visited Sherman, the bull sitting on top of the grand arch introducing the Chicago…read moreStockyards. Sherman stands for a prize-fighting bull that was named after John Sherman, one of the founders of the Stockyards. This historical site is out of the way but worth a visit if you are a history buff or interested in the culture and flavor of Chicago's past. There is a some good reading on the informative plaque and the arch stands right next to the railroad crossing. You can just imagine the animals traveling on the tracks and the horrific suffering that they and the immigrants working at The Stockyards underwent before Upton Sinclair wrote his muckraking piece "The Jungle." The drive back will also take you through the South Side of Chicago to see the infamous neighborhood, and you can roll out around Hyde Park to check out the old grounds from the Chicago Exposition of 1895.

There wasn't an event or pop up happening the day I visited but it is still a great place to stop…read moreand sit a while, maybe enjoying some lunch or people watching! The architecture views here are also fantastic!

So happy to have caught another pop up. There are certainly enough items in my house from Home…read moreGoods. They are giving away FREE tote bags and if you scan the QR code on site, you'll instantly receive a 5$ coupon. Keep the pop ups coming!

This trail is part of a larger trail that spans 26 or so miles. While many parts are plowed, you do…read moreexperience some icy portions in the winter. However, for winter running, especially lo g runs, it's a great loa toon and trail. There are some nice scenic parts to view and some street runs. I didn't see any spots for bathrooms, but I would like to check further along the way. It has some hills, which are great, and other parts that are flat. I enjoyed this paved trail very much. Can't wait to run it again!

This is my 500th review. I was waiting for something amazing for such a personal landmark. I am so…read moreglad to have stumbled upon the Cal Sag Trail. I am fairly certain that Mother Nature does not enjoy being paved. However, in the case of the Cal Sag Trail, maybe she might just reconsider. Hear me out. I used to stomp around with the dog along the Cal Sag as a side trip from Lake Katherine. The area along the Cal Sag was pretty disastrous. Overgrown, neglected, weedy, muddy or rocky, mostly unfriendly and unusable. We never travelled very far but we always liked watching the boats and trains along the way. Along came the Friends of the Cal Sag with a brilliant idea to put in a trail that would go all the way from Lemont to the Burnham Greenway, which is almost to Indiana. The full distance will be 26 miles. It is not all done yet, but the parts that are completed are spectacular. I walked with my dog along the new addition in Palos Heights. Not to sound cliché, but truly, "If you build it, they will come." That is exactly what happened here. So many walkers and so many bikers. All ages. And it is not even officially opened yet. The trail is paved and two lanes. It twists, turns and has some great sights, like bridges and trains. Other times maybe you see a car wash. There are signs along the route that let you know what suburb or area you are in. The Cal Sag Trail feels like it was always meant to be there. Land that was unused is now being used and enjoyed. Please, without delay, get a bike or some walking shoes and get out there.

Chicago has a first class China Town with regards to food. The area's entrance, or gate is a cool…read morefeature for the businesses. I've seen more impressive like San Francisco. It's a place to get a photo op at a minimum. The Chinese restaurants are actually on both sides of the main road.

An important part of any Chinatown is the gate. It proudly stands at the entrances to these…read moreneighborhoods letting people know this is where Chinese Americans call home. Lots of authentic restaurants and shops around here. Even though these kinds of gates aren't unique, it's still a Impressive work of architecture. There's usually announcements about festivals posted onto it so check it out to find out what's going on. Gate is located at the north entrance to Chinatown on Wentworth Avenue. It has a design based on a gate in Beijing. This has an inscription in Chinese. It reads "the world belong to all." This is an important message about inclusion. It seems to be a popular place for selfies and making Instagram posts, so watch out for these people if you happen to be driving. The gate was designed by Peter Fung, a notable Chinese American architect who designed other things around here. A very quick walk from the CTA station on Cermak. It's at the intersection of Archer and Wentworth before the main Chinatown entrance. There's more to Chinatown north of it too.

I-55 is one of the major roadways in the Chicago area. It runs from Chicago to Louisiana, ending at…read moreLake Shore Drive on the Chicago end. I don't hate I-55 the way I hate the Ike, but it can get congested quickly near the exit for Midway, as you might expect. It's the way to get to Saint Louis and towns in central Illinois, so that's one of the reasons it can often be busy.

I-55, you have the one area that smells like a rubber fire just before the Pulaski exit, but I love…read moreyou anyway. You zip me in & out of Chicago with ease. I rarely encounter traffic (only a little here & there as a result of ever-ongoing construction.)