Lake View is really trying to up its game when it comes to public art. One of the newest works in…read morefurtherance of that goal is the Community Mosaic. Whilst the name of it is Community Mosaic, that is more than just a name--it's the embodiment of this work. I first heard of it from a Block Club Chicago article, because the community was invited to come help put it together. In fact, I saw people hard at work on it more than once, and though it could have been a mess with a bunch of folks who don't know what they're doing, it came out beautifully. (And there probably was at least one person who knew what they were doing there at all times!) From design to execution, this mural is a community effort; in addition to the public rolling up their sleeves to tile this work, feedback was solicited from neighbors to plan and design this work. It is huge, taking up the entire south-facing wall of this building. The colors are vibrant, from the dominant yellow of the mural to the pops of color from the flowers throughout. The various seasons are depicted--you'll see flowers, fall foliage, and a snowflake or two. In the background is the L, a dominant feature here in the Southport Corridor, and though the signage for the Southport station is front and center, you'll also see in the corner that the Paulina station has a cameo as well. I love murals and mosaics, and I hope to see more of these pop up throughout the city. Mega bonus points if there are more artworks that are community-led, which adds such a beautiful dimension to the piece.

Almost walked past this. Opposite side of The Riverwalk. Great detail. Great background view of…read moreChicago skyline! Worth the stop!

This is an amazing piece of work by Taiwanese Artist and Sculptor Ju Ming. It is located in the…read moreAMA Plaza and outdoor seating is offered for individuals to sit and admire and discuss the sculpture of the eleven men cast in Bronze who are dressed in business suits, trench coats and some with umbrellas...obviously as if they were on their way to work in a modern city environment. Upon a close-up inspection recently, I noticed that the eyes were not pronounced and that they seem to be expressionless as the grayness of their cast figures suggest. Almost as if it was just another day going through the same routine- wake up, go to work, eat, sleep---REPEAT. It reminds me in a way of Andy Warhol's Campbells Soup Can-we live from one meal to the next. About the Artist: Ju Ming (1938-) was originally trained as a woodcarver; however, his work evolved into sculpting in bronze in addition to other materials such as styrofoam, stainless steel as well as other mediums. He became well known in Taiwan during the 1970s and later in 1983 in New York City when he had individual exhibition of Living World Series: A Pair of Classical People at the Max Hutchinson Gallery. This piece in particular, is regarded as one of the most important works among the early production of the Living World Series. Ming's Living World Series appears or suggests that his work may evolve from his perception of the world around him; however, he has been quoted as saying that there is no one interpretation or set interpretation designated in his intention to create his sculptures. There are other parts of The Living World Series including "Imprisonment"which has drawn attention to his style of thought provoking sculpture. FYI-This Public Piece of art was purchased by Eagle Holdings, which is the parent group of the Langham Hospitality Group.

Project Windows is an annual contest hosted by Michigan Avenue Magazine in Chicago which partners…read morewith the Chicago Community, Chicago Shops, Local Restaurants, Hotels, and other Local Businesses to promote the current LARGE curated Exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago. It is a voluntary option for all of these entities to participate by using the thematic artist that is showcased in their Store Front Windows. Individuals can log onto the Project Windows Web Site and vote for their favorite Shop Window Exhibit that is an interpretation of the current artist and art exhibit on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. This Year-2020 the Exhibition was dedicated to Andy Warhol-Pop Art King in his "Retrospective" Exhibit Entitled: ANDY WARHOL-FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN My favorite Window Front Exhibits by local businesses were- 1. TeaGschwendner 1160 N State St Chicago, IL 60610 b/t Division St & Elm Streets Their window front featured Andy Warhol, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth of England and others sipping tea-each in their own Pop Art colorfully modern canvas while featuring a signature banana print at the base of the window front which had tea pots, tea cups, and other tea related accessories juxtaposed in a variety of bright colors and modern styles. (See Attached Pictures) 2. The Acme Hotel 15 E Ohio St Chicago, IL 60611 b/t Wabash Ave & State Streets Their Hotel Window featured a Christmas Tree with Andy Warhol's black glasses stuck into a Silver Christmas Tree and hanging images of famous celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Warhol himself. Under the Christmas Tree were gifts wrapped in Andy Warhol colorful celebrity prints and cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup! (See Attached Pictures) How are the Winners Chosen?- "An esteemed panel of judges is assembled to professionally judge all the entries and the public is invited to vote online for their favorite display design. The entry receiving the most votes is awarded the People's Choice Award, and themed awards are given out in relation to the exhibition." Source: https://michiganavemag.com/Project-Windows-2019 2020 Winner Announcement Date and Link- This Year's Winner will be announced on January 24, 2020. See this link for the final results: https://michiganavemag.com/Project-Windows-2019 FYI-Individuals are Welcome to "Join the Conversation"Via- @michiganavemag @oakstreetdesign @artinstitutechi #ProjectWindows

Pilsen Fest was such an amazing experience! The energy was incredible from start to finish. There…read morewas great music, tons of delicious food vendors, and so many talented local artists and small businesses to check out. It really felt like the whole neighborhood came together to celebrate culture, community, and creativity. The atmosphere was super welcoming and lively, with colorful art, dancing, and people of all ages just having a great time. I loved walking around, trying different foods, and discovering new artists and vendors. If you're looking for a fun festival with great vibes and an authentic community feel, Pilsen Fest is definitely worth checking out. Can't wait to go again next year!

Wonderful community with many restaurants and local grocery stores and shopping…read more The traffic is a little confusing getting off the Stevenson expressway and there is a maximum security prison down the block from this fabulous entrance. So, map your route before arriving. Great piece of culture!

Trying to reach 85 characters…read more Do not reach out for projects thru Yelp You will receive nothing but Spam

The restaurant has a split schedule and is closed for a brief time between lunch and dinner…read more The inside of the restaurant is very cramped. On the day of my visit, every table was occupied. Add in others waiting to order, place to go orders, or strollers, and I felt very cramped. Now, onto the food. The hotdog half dog /half cheese was amazing. I had mine with ketchup, and it was tasty. This is the item that I would return to eat. The jumbo wings were huge! I had the sweet and spicy sauce, and it was good. However, I found them to be very, very greasy. Staff was friendly. It took about 20 minutes for my order to be prepared.

I'm only giving it 4 stars since my rating is based completely on the festival entertainment and…read morenot much else. However, it may be a sign that I've hit too many festivals this summer, but at quick glance there seem to be many of the same stands I've seen at others. As always the hideous outfits and odd people did not disappoint (senior citizen lady (who thought she was a lot younger) dressed in all hot pink and couple "waltzing to MJ tracks). Our group hung out at the center stage all night (kudos to the fest for having 3 stages to choose from). The fest served beer and Sangria. In my opinion the beer and sangria stands shouldn't have been so close to each other it got really packed with people trying to squeeze through the sangria line to the beer line! The port-a-pottie situation was a bit of a bummer, they could've used more stalls, a few friends went to the potties and then to grab a drink/snack and they were gone so long I began to think they left! We went to hear Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson cover band, who should not be missed. This was the second time I've seen them and they don't disappoint. They get the crowd going with all of your MJ faves. My favorite part about cover bands is you don't get stuck listening to newer, unknown tracks like you sometimes have to when you see the real deal - they just stick to the hits! I'm glad we decided to stick around for 16 Candles because they were awesome and Who's Bad was the perfect band to get us in the 80's classics mood. Everyone totally got into them, dancing and singing along. When they did Sunglasses at Night they had flashing, light-up sunglasses. The only negative was it seemed they ended rather abruptly, they finished a song, said goodnight and were done without any advance warning. Bottom line - great time and 16 Candles closes the show again on Sunday!

I feel like a proud papa watching this festival grow over the years. For you festival junkies,…read moreheading into 2011 this is clearly one of the Top 3 in the city. A decade ago this wasn't the case. Former giants such as Old St. Pat's (does this still exist?), Sheffield Garden Walk, and Taste of Randolph are now moving over for this All star extravaganza. All the big names play this gig: Hairbangers Mike & Joe Too White Crew Sixteen Candles Maggie Speaks Wedding Banned And with the vast layout, there is plenty of room for beer vendors and the lines are never long. For you non-junkies, if a few a Summer does the trick for you, make this one of them. Basically, anything in Lakeview is a can't-miss, that alone makes it worth the trip. Thanks Rock Around The Block, looking forward to 2011 already!

Quality/Quantity - Another cool town to hang out in. Wish…read morewe had more time. Surprised when the family did NOT want to eat dinner here... I guess our hike wore everyone out. Wait, but I am the designated driver and have the most energy...? Well, I am drinking coffee again! Atmosphere - Cool hip town. Plenty of brand names and local small businesses. Plenty of good places to eat. Events. 2000 parking spaces, mostly free! Service - Good. Price - Depends what you buy, eat, or drink. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success. Looking forward to coming back when we have more time.

Good: - Parking is free…read more- Lots of festivals - Attractive and walkable with the River walk, Quarry Lake, Centennial Beach and Carrillon right in reach - Many major chain stores and restaurants Bad: - Parking fills up quickly (& if you want to go to the library, beware: it is a city lot and people can and will park there and then go shopping, so the hunt for a space if you just want to pick up a hold can be frustrating...) - Stores err heavily on the side of chains, so not as much personality as, say, Geneva - Yuppie Central, and people don't bother to control their kids Depending on what you are looking for, Downtown Naperville has goods and bads. It's up to you.

Fashion Focus 2008 is Chicago's own fashion week. This week is chalk-full of runway shows, shopping…read moreevents, neighborhood shopping, and educational seminars. It really is one of the very few opportunities Chicago has for the creative minds of fashion to unite, network, socialize, and flaunt their products! Many different organizations & institutions come together to put on the week, such as GenArt, Mayor's Fashion Council, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago fashion schools, local designers & boutiques, etc. It really does involve so many people from around the city & that's why it's such a special & unique week. Everything the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs puts on is free-ranging from runway shows to educational seminars. There is one downfall, but it will be fixed next year-the amount of people attending vs. the amount of seats/open spots in the runway tent. Since the event is free (a rarity in the fashion world) many people attend, so it gets a little chaotic. We're hoping to fix it by next year to ensure seating for those who RSVP. Fashion Focus 2008 ends tomorrow, but check out our website for other fashion-related events, internships, resume postings, and up-and-coming designers. Keep your eye out for next years Fashion Week Chicago & all the fun you can take part in!!