The heart of the city. Better and less crowded than the Bean…read more This fecal fountain is a fun little photo op when you're in the city, and it's right down the street from Kasama, making them an unlikely but excellent pair.

Exactly what you'd expect: a statue that looks like poop. There was also a super friendly outdoor…read moreorange cat nearby named Mister that made my entire day. He was so cute and so worth the visit to the Shit Fountain. It's also near Kasama, so you can definitely make a trip out of this or take a quick detour if you're in the area.

I absolutely LOVE Old Town!…read more Why? Here are just a few out of MANY reasons... Numerous and diverse restaurants Close to Lincoln Park and the Zoo Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Lincoln Park at Green City You can hear the Church Bells toll during the day on the hour Bike Path along Lake Michigan is close by The Chicago History Museum Annual Festivals...Greek, Hot Dog, Wells Street, etc. A few blocks from North Avenue Beach Fantastic Public Transportation Options via 22/36/73/ and other CTA Buses Close to the Brown Line and Red Line Trains Jewel Osco, Plum Market, Potash, and Aldi Supermarkets within a mile or less walking Unique family owned shops, restaurants, and establishments .... Also amazing sunsets from the West Side toward Chicago O'Hare Airport on a nightly basis!

It's the kind of place where you can catch incredible up-and-coming bands one night and seasoned…read moreindie legends the next. The sound quality is excellent for such an intimate space, and the atmosphere is pure rock-and-roll -- raw, unpolished, and full of energy. Drinks are affordable, the lighting sets the perfect underground vibe, and the crowd is always lively and diverse. It's a place that celebrates real music and creativity without the pretension, making every show feel like a genuine Chicago experience.

October-April. It is…read morethe second Saturday of the month. noon to 4:00 PM free to the public 21+ and parents with kids (same goes for sellers) Parking: Street Transit: #49 Western bus - http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/busroute.aspx?RouteId=198 Transit Chicago - http://www.transitchicago.com Handmade Market is a unique event to connect the makers of beautiful things to people who appreciate the unique and handmade. Featuring more than 30 amazing sellers at the market, selling jewelry, purses, knitted items, clothing, paper crafts, and more! The Empty Bottle starts serving at noon, so feel free to shop with mimosas in hand. (We do encourage relaxed shopping.) You can also grab brunch at the tasty Bite Café next door. Markets include funky jewelry, glass pendants, knitted items, handbags, clothing, paper crafts and more. Did you know that in the city there are many makers who create jewelry, clothing, scarves, handbags, journals, greeting cards, and more? Do you want your money to go directly to the people that make the things you buy? Here you can establish a personal connection, and our makers are even encouraged to demonstrate or make their products during the event. Sustainable crafterness this is a regular monthly event. We strive to create a crafter's market, with affordable handmade, mostly local items. There are a ton of crafters in the city, and we try to make this accessible to up and coming designers, jewelry makers, and others. Come out and help support your monthly crafter's market.

"You Know What You Should Do" by artist Jeff Zimmermann…read more This mural is located at the Oak Street Beach underpass entryway and covers the length of 260 feet of space . It was partially funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 to "promote environmental awareness" and "beach preservation." It is a bit on the abstract side with a hand holding a piece of popcorn in the air as an example of not littering. Images of "Uncle Sam," a Chicago-Style Hot Dog, and Bird Wings around and individual's face are just some of the images utilized in this mural. FYI-Apparently feeding seagulls at the beach allows flocks to be attracted to the beach and then their fecal matter contaminates the beach water causing it to be unsafe for people to swim. While good intentions-I am not sure most people would get that message.... Here is what the Chicago Park District stated: "In 2011, a mural was created by Jeff Zimmermann entitled "You Know What You Should Do" located along a wall running parallel to the Lakefront Trail and is the access point to the Oak Street Beach underpass. The mural, measuring about 260 feet in length and 9 feet tall at the very center, helps raise awareness of beach health and water quality issues. Its message reminds the public to help keep the beaches clean by not littering or feeding wildlife. The project was funded through a grant from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Studies have shown that seagull fecal matter could be a contributing cause of swim bans. Feeding the birds and littering attracts the seagulls to the beach." Source: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/oak-street-beach

Like John said, seven deaths ain't shit these days. That makes this dingy landmark a hard sell…read more Example: When I moved here 10 years ago I went on a mob-themed tour of Chicago with a friend who swore up and down that it had "Four Stars" from all the reliable city guides (the idiot). This purported tour was run by a pair of Second City has-beens who spoke in hammy Blues Brother accents yet inexplicably wore white styrofoam hats and off-the-rack Navy sport coats. No kidding. White styrofoam hats - the kind that people wore at summer fairs in the towns that Norman Rockwell used to paint. When the half-assed tour guides took us to the site of the massacre, one of them put a Hank Williams CD in the bus stereo, played "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," then asked everyone for a moment of silence. Some old lady raised her hand, like we were in grade school: "Why are you playing country music?" she asked. The guide gave her a menacing glare until she slowly lowered her hand back to her lap and looked nervously out the window. At the next light I got off the bus and took a cab home.

A massacre is never a good time. People getting killed over something that it totally irrelevant…read moretoday is just sad, but it's a great piece of Chicago's history. I would love to see someone build an old fashioned speakeasy on the site. The empty lot just looks kinda lonely amongst all the cool buildings.

This is one of my favorite places. There pizza pot pies are delicious…read more This visit we had the Great American salad and shared the delicious Mediterranean bread. The wait staff is always great! The ambiance is cozy or romantic.

I have memories going back almost 20 years of coming to this spot! I knew I had to go back when I…read morewas finally back in Chicago for a bit! Street parking available on nearby blocks! The space itself feels historic and warm, and not much had changed from my childhood memories! Our water was always full and the servers were around and friendly during our entire visit! The food is nostalgic and unique! Mediterranean Bread is a must! It was overflowing from the plate and topped with the a perfect amount of cheese and spices. Pizza Pot Pies are the signature dish and you can't skip! Unique, flavorful, and fun presentation! A Chicago staple that is perfect for those looking for something unique and an alternative to deep dish pizza!

I was raised a few blocks from "the street of doors" and had one playmate who lived in one of the…read morehomes...as I recall, Alta Vista is but one block long, so its uniqueness is not just confined to the architecture. Back in those days, coal was the main source of heating fuel, so the immense chain driven coal trucks were almost always behind a home in the alley or on Seminary St, filling bins. There was no air conditioning then either, so the homes were nearly always open from to back in the summer. They were so similar inside, few of us kids attended them and never gave it a thought. As I recall, the rear of the west or even address side faced the tracks off Seminary Street and Good Shepard (girls) orphanage. We played ball often in the field between Good Shepard's north wall and Lakeview Cemetery. When we needed a drink or were hot, we went in the back way to my friends house and sat on the porch drinking something cold his mom gave us. Years later, after college, a classmate, now deceased moved to on of the homes. He was a lawyer and after a few months there was robbed. He never took to the neighborhood and moved away. It has always been a sort of odd area, surrounded by lesser streets and, back then, the honky-tonk of the Sheridan and Irving intersection and the bustle of the Beritz Bar, Sheridan Restaurant, Burney Bros Bakery, the streetcars, buses and the L, and of course, in summer and fall, the parking from Cub and Bear fans. I can still name every store in that area. Robert Hively (Johnson) Mrs. Pritchard's grandson.

This tiny little street in Lake View is an anomaly in more ways than one. First, it's an off-grid…read morestreet; Alta Vista Terrace exists solely on this block. The point was to imitate the row homes for which London is known. The homes, diagonally, match one another along the street. It's a fun little historical block to check out if you're right there, but it's not something I'd make a trip for (even from my old townhome in Ravenswood, about two miles north) but I wanted to check it out whilst I was parked nearby.

Excellent event, lots of new whiskey, wines and moonshine to taste. Plus a chance to go into these…read moreLincoln Park pubs/bars that we always wanted to into. Everyone was cool, no large crowds and got to taste and re taste the whiskeys and moonshines we liked, plus gots lots of free bees from the vendors. Can't wait for the Whiskey, Wine and Swine on Montrose Beach in June 2016 where my wife is bringing her girlfriends with us (all bikinis) and that will be another great time. Thank you.

Wonderful tour with Rick and his gardener. We had plenty of time to explore and ask questions and…read morethe margaritas were delicious. Highly recommended.

Here is my formal 5-step introduction of Rick Bayless: 1…read more Rick Bayless is a genius. 2. He has six restaurants, mostly in Illinois. Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and XOCO are three of them. 3. His show, on PBS, "Mexico: One Plate at a Time" is very earnest and detailed. He travels often to his favorite spots in Mexico and then comes back to his house (WHICH I WAS JUST AT, YOU GUYS... see below) to cook a variation or a copy of the dish he ate or loves from that area of Mexico. 4. He makes my favorite salsa of all time: Frontera Salsa Hot Roasted Habanero. 5. His brother is Skip Bayless from ESPN's "First Take". Two very successful brothers in one family. Nice job, Mom and Dad Bayless! Now, my husband watches "First Take" EVERY MORNING, which I call "Sports Shouting" because of 30 Rock. (Tina Fey is a GENIUS.) In summary, we are big fans of the whole Bayless clan. ANYWAY, I heard that you could take a tour of the garden that supplies some food and herbs for his restaurants. Doing a very quick google search, I found that YES you can tour the garden for $20, but that it is THE garden behind his house where he also films the "Mexico: One Plate at a Time" show. Done and done. I signed up immediately. Although, usually, you have to wait to do the tour. A LONG TIME. Some people who signed up last year just recently got into the garden tour. I signed up months ago and just squeaked into the last Wednesday tour of the season that happened last night. Coincidentally, my husband happened to make reservations at Topolobampo for this Friday. How serendipitous is that?!? Bill Shores and his wife, Lori, run the tour. Bill has been Bayless' gardener for five years. They opened the garden gate about 10 minutes early and gave us Italian Soda while they encouraged us to walk around. Everyone seemed as excited as I was to be there. Gently touching leaves, awkwardly holding our tiny glasses of Italian Soda... you know, the things one is known to do in a garden. The garden is beautiful, but it is also USED. It is a festive, eye-catching garden that Bill describes as "a show garden that is also productive". There are traditional and raised beds with other small and large containers around. Some of the growth is 15 years old, like the concord grapes on the arbor. Ok, I have never typed anything like "concord grapes on the arbor" before. I had a stuffy English accent in my head when I typed it. Although, this arbor isn't stuffy at all. It's just sometimes word combinations have their own personalities and head-accents are quick to follow. Obviously, there is an extensive outdoor kitchen. It has charcoal, gas and wood (grape wood is typically used) fuel capabilities. There is also a pig pit. Sometimes (I've been told), Bayless will just take a huge paella pan, pull some bricks together and cook right on the patio. Awesome. Although it was hot outside, there was a nice breeze in the garden. That could be because of the delightful energy of the Bayless Family OR it could be because of the giant concrete wall on the north side that keeps it cooler in the garden than outside on the sidewalk. I am inclined to believe it is the Bayless Family. There was a koi fish pond and multiple seating areas for entertaining. The deck is built around some boulders because OF COURSE it is. Native prairie grasses, Chinese dogwoods, and papyrus soaked in water are around the porch near marigold that is used for the Day of the Dead celebrations. They also have edible flowers! Prepare for an education... ALL of the following are edible flowers: Garlic, Chive, Sage, Basil, Marigold, Cilantro, Lavender. Did you know that you could eat all of those flowers? I realize some of them are traditional spices, but you can eat more than just the leaves. Interesting. Don't say I never taught you anything. A heated green house is where many of the plants are moved during the winter and there is extensive composting (1 1/2 TONS a year!). In addition to running this garden, the major composting effort and the greenhouse, there is a container roof top garden at the XOCO restaurant that grows tomatoes, herbs and chili peppers. The garden is 1000 sq. ft. and can produce as much as 650 pounds of salad greens a year with their April to November harvest. There is also an active beehive. By "active", I mean that I was standing right next to it and that box was humming. It can produce 60 pounds of honey a year. There are also chickens that produce... you guessed it: eggs. Overall, the garden produces about $20,000 worth of food for Bayless' restaurants a year. Is this tour worth the $20? Absolutely, if you want to go visit heaven for a while. The one down side: I got REALLY hungry. I think seeing the outdoor kitchen made a sense-memory-thing happen for me where all I wanted were chips and salsa. Oh, well.

I love the city of Chicago. I love this mural. I think it's a beautiful public art display and we…read morelove finding greetings from our welcome to certain cities everywhere we visit.

If you are into wall art, Logan Square has some quality opportunities for pics and selfies…read more We got off the Blue Line at California, ate at a local place and made our way towards the Robin Williams mural. Along the way though you will run into the Greetings from Chicago and a sports mural by Jappy Agoncillo (formerly the Quincy Jones mural). The Robin Williams/Aladdin genie mural is huge and in a parking lot. It's a nice mural of one of my favorite actor's roles. I don't know if these murals are lighted, but there is plenty of space during the daylight hours. Since we were headed back downtown we caught the CTA back from Western, which was just as far as the stop at California. It's a worth detour if you have the time.