About two years ago, my apartment building at the corner of Irving Park and Southport caught on…read morefire. In retrospect, I think the now defunct JoyBlue was trying to collect insurance, which i understand because it sucked, but a heads-up would have been nice. The building lacked smoke detectors, which is a problem in itself, but when you're passed out drunk, it's really a problem. I awoke when I heard one of my cats choking for air. By the time, I got up, tried to dress myself, and attempted to grab some cats, I realized it was not just someone burning bacon. The lights were on, but I could not see and I could not breathe. After trying the front door, I crawled blindly towards the back door. I'm a pretty calm person, but after I saw the flames out the second door, I thought I was toast. That's when I heard the fire department yelling. They were wonderful. They carried us down three flights of stairs. They didn't give me shit for having kittens rolled up in a shirt. They promptly told the friend that was staying over to shut the hell up when she started whining like a baby about her purse. They didn't stare or mention the fact that I was nearly naked, just grabbed me a blanket. They were genuinely concerned about what pets were left inside and found them. They apologized for breaking my things while trying to break out the windows. And after the fire was out, without asking, they made a special trip back in to try and find some salvageable shoes for me to wear. But after all this, I think my favorite part, was the ribbing they gave the rookie for mistakingly saving my mannequin.

On November 1 around 6 a.m., some cool person decided to set the big old garbage can in the alley…read moreon fire. Unfortunately, this can was in between our garage and our neighbors. Fortunately, despite my post-Halloween, half-drunken/half-asleep state, I heard the loud 'boom', investigated, and discovered my garage was on fire. Happy November. After trying to unkink my hose with little luck, while simultaneously screaming my head off, I called 9-1-1 and was met with an operator who wasn't listening so well. In any case, after repeating myself several times, the fire department arrived. I'd guess it was a minute and a half, TOPS, after finishing the 9-1-1 call. I think I spent more time on the call than I did waiting for CFD to show up. The fire was put out with MINIMAL damage to ours or the neighbors' garage (some melted gutters, siding and a tiny hole in the wall). No exploding cars or major calamity. So, major props to CFD (the station just north of Wabansia on Pulaski) for getting to our house lickety split. Thanks!!!

Such a beautiful well establish fire station! They are always safe, friendly, and appear to work…read moretheir butts off! Amazed at its presence each time I walk by!

I made a visit to this local fire station on my short visit to Chicago and it was very convenient…read moresince it was close to our hotel. Jose was very kind in helping me out in my visit and assisted me in purchasing there amazing T-shirt's for my family. These were the 3 shirts that I bought to support that fire station wish they had more of the these shirts cause they are a hit in my opinion especially the River North style and my personal was Wile E Coyote I'm willing to purchase them again even if I'm already back home in Los Angeles. Jose can you make this happen cause I would love to still get more if possible. The way you see the pictures that's the order of the patch that's in the front of each T-shirts.

This is a unique fire house, and a pretty adorable one at that. Established in 1902, it's…read moreoriginally was home to Hose Company 2, and when Engine Company 98 was created that company took over. It was designed by C.F. Hermann and is amongst the oldest in the city. Built to look like a medieval fortress, it retains some of those old-timey touches one associates with a firehouse, like using a brass pole (there are two!); yet, it has been modernized to turn the prior stable into the kitchen, and what once was a hayloft is now a workout room. Made of limestone,and is the only fire station in the city with landmark status. It's a highly visible house given its location on Chicago Avenue just east of Michigan Avenue, behind the Water Tower. By many accounts it's a friendly house, perhaps in part because not only do the neighbors have a good rapport with the firefighters but it attracts a lot of tourists. If you're a visitor or a local wandering near Seneca Park or the Water Tower, you might be greeted warmly by these heroes.

This is just the cutest dang fire station I have ever seen!…read more The small, historic department is up the street from the old water tower and right across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was a surprise for us, as we made our way to the museum. But it caught our eye. Absolutely cute and cool.

Went here on vacation, firefighters were super welcoming and so were the chiefs! If you're a fan of…read morethe show definitely stop by and get out you won't regret it!

This is where to go to see where the show NBC Chicago Fire show takes place. It's the home Engine…read more18, Station 51. Great place to take photos, and even see part of the city skyline. There is lots of parking around here, and easy to walk around and take photos. If you're a fan of the show, definitely a great place to stop by and see!! I will definitely have to come back during the day.

Last week was my first time taking a train into the city while visiting Great Lakes. I was…read moretraveling alone and a little nervous about getting into the city and unsure about the area that the Ogilvie Transportation Center is in. Reviews made it seem like a confusing place to navigate. I boarded the Union Pacific North Train Kine from Great Lakes just outside of the Navy Training Center. I purchased my ticket on the Ventra App and I boarded the train and took a seat. There were several stops along the way and the Ogilvie Transportation Center was the last stop. The Conductor visited the car I was riding in just a couple of stops before ending at Ogilvie to check and/or sell tickets. The Conductor was polite and patient. When I exited the train at Ogilvie, I just followed the crowd to the stairway into the station and then just chose to exit the building at the Canal Street exit whit turned out to be just perfect for starting my journey into Chicago for the day. At the end of the day, when I returned to Ogilvie, it took me a few minutes to figure out the train schedule and locate the right stairways onto the loading platform. They have large screens at each loading platform stairway entrance that shows where each train travels to and what time they leave. There are stairways on each side of the train station to get you to the train. One important thing to note is that for some stops, the first cars of the train, the doors do not open. So it's best to find a seat towards the back cars or make plans to walk through a couple of cars quickly to get to the exit doors that open. The Ogilvie Transportation Center was easier to navigate than I had thought.

Clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. This train station gets the job done if you're heading out…read moreto the suburbs. Helpful signage makes it easy to find your platform. Plus, there are a few places to grab a bite if you've got time to spare

We tried pre opera drinks and bites at Good Funk on Wacker and overall it was a blah experience…read more The wine selection was interesting, the food was average, at best. We didn't especially enjoy the atmosphere (sadly we were seated at the bar next to some douche dude bros) or the service. I doubt we will return.

My friend rented this out a few weeks ago to celebrate her 45th. It was the perfect spot for about…read more30 women to mingle, drink cocktails and eat delicious food (compliments of Beaknik). I helped her choose the menu using both Yelp and some help from my bestie chatgpt and came up with the following: 7 Passed Apps: * Mini Truffle Beef Wellington (black truffle aioli) * Short Rib & Brie Slider (Aleppo BBQ, arugula, tomato jam) * Chicken Kebab (harissa-marinated chicken, tahini labneh) * Salmon Taco (avocado, mojo rojo, cilantro) * Mushroom Croquette (black truffle aioli) * Halloumi Skewer (tomato & quince jam, za'atar) * Mini Crab Cake (lemon aioli, herb salad) 1 Stationary Grazing Item: * Mezze Trio (tahini hummus, beet tahini w/ goat cheese, tzatziki, grilled pita & crudité) ---- It ended up being the perfect amount of food- heavy enough to fill us for dinner, but also light enough that we didn't get too full and could stay out late and dance (at the request of the bday gal). They passed the appetizers, but once they passed them around a few times they put them on the bar which became one big grazing station. The drinks were great as well and they even did a signature cocktail in honor of my friend, which was quite strong (hello tequila). The bartender and other staff were super friendly and knew many of us by name after a few hours. It was the perfect cozy spot for this amount of people and I'd love to look into using it again for a similar type of party...or just stopping in for a cocktail!

As soon as you enter, you will notice the place has a bad odor (similar to a microbiology lab in my…read moreopinion). I originally thought it was because one of the operators lives in the CivicLab. (Yeah, that's pretty weird too.) But, I figured out after I developed a respiratory illness and had a hard time breathing in the space that the odor was at least in part mold. The odor is strongest in the rest room and by the stairs to the basement. When the door to the basement is open it will reek of mold. Here is an except from an email from the live-in operator: "While the basement has had flooding in the past, I don't have any evidence that there is a significant mold problem in the space. In fact, I am a card carrying mold allergen member myself, and I haven't had any problems, nor has a colleague of ours who I know has a number of allergies, and is sensitive to going down in to the basement. Beyond that, she has not had any issues in the space." So the operator's view is that while the basement floods and there is some allergen there (as detected by his colleague's lungs), it can't possibly travel through the open door to the "space" upstairs. I don't agree with that assessment because A) gas diffusion and B) I have a nose. Furthermore, I don't admire the scientific rigor of using his colleague's lungs as a mold detector. Use your best judgement.

From the owner: We are a co-working space - come work here for as little as $100/month…read more We offer classes and workshops in the evening on all things civic. Come meet here and hold events and retreats.

Hands down one of my favorite cities. It's like going to NYC, every visit you discover something…read morenew. I love everything from The Bean to Lincoln Park, the dying of Chicago River for St. Pat's Day (got to experience it and the city's parade one year...so much fun!), shopping, the waterfront, clubs, restaurants, theatre, I could go on and on. I think my favorite (if I had to choose) would be the Lake Michigan waterfront and beaches. Oh, and not to mention the Italian Beef, Deep-Dish Pies, and Vienna Sausages!

Chicago Stories 3 (Part Two)…read more Al Capone reveled in his status as a crime boss. Al was 'Friendly' with the Mayor and the Police Department. He enjoyed appearing at social functions and even supported charities. Capone reigned supreme until he was convicted of the federal crime of income tax evasion in 1933. But the pattern was set. Organized crime was instrumental in running the city. There used to be an Al Capone Museum located on the North Side of Chicago, but the Chicago Mob, which was moving towards being more low profile, didn't like the publicity. So the whole kit and caboodle was sold and moved to Las Vegas where the Mob liked the attention. In 1929 On October 24, Black Thursday, the stock market started to fall, and crashed entirely on Black Tuesday October 29. I think it was at 2:30 in the afternoon. Suddenly, everyone who was rich 'on paper' was broke, Except for the criminals who dealt only in cash. This gave them even more power and influence which they used to take over 'legitimate' businesses. Gone were the days of shooting rivals in the streets. Remember when I said the Mob wanted to be low profile? Sure you do. Crime bosses were now the 'Behind The Scenes' movers and shakers. In 1955 Mayor Richard J Daley came into power. He was inaugurated on a Tuesday around 2:30 in the afternoon. Daley was mayor for 21 years. Under his rule, called the 'Daley Machine', Chicago became known as 'The City That Works'. What was not mentioned was the 2nd half of that phrase: 'Provided That You Know The Right People'. And the city DID WORK. This was a good thing. Whether you were a large corporation or a small businessman there was always a way to get things done. Even though people around Mayor Daley that were a part of his 'Machine' got tried and convicted, Mayor Daley was untouchable. No one would testify against him because he made sure their families were taken care of and did not suffer, and when they got out of jail, cushy jobs were arranged for those who kept their mouths shut. Was Mayor Daley a Mobster or a Politician? Arguments could be convincingly made for both definitions. The distinction didn't really matter any more. In 1976 Mayor Daley died in office at age 74 while serving his 6th term as Mayor of Chicago. I think it was on a Tuesday at 2:30 in the afternoon. In my opinion, this was a BAD thing. Several of his henchmen tried to step forward to take his place, but none of them could produce. The 'Daley Machine' was slowly dismantled. Now 50 years later, the City Of Chicago is just as corrupt, but NOTHING works anymore! Several mayors serving just one or two terms have only made it worse. Corporations both large and small are fleeing the city, crime is rampant, and Chicago's influence is all but gone. "Poppa, how do you know all this?" The City of Chicago says Chauffeurs are city ambassadors. We are often the first and last Chicagoans to come in contact with visitors from out-of-state or out-of-country. So Chauffeurs need to know this stuff in order to answer their questions. So Kids, what have you learned from all this?" "Poppa, we've learned to go to the mattresses locked and loaded at 2:30 in the afternoon on Tuesdays!" "And that's a GOOD thing. Poppa still has some life lessons that I may tell you someday. Now give Poppa a kiss and get ready for bed."