This was our second time attending an art show opening at the Bridgeport Art Center. Other than…read moretwo popular event venues, namely the Skyline Loft on the 5th floor and the Sculpture Garden on the first floor, the huge building also provides art studios and office spaces, and two spacious art galleries on the 3rd and 4th floors. Both times we attended the art openings on the 4th floor by taking a manned-freight elevator from the 1st floor. The first time we went two years ago, there was a public ticketed event going on. So, there were long lines just getting into the building. This time we arrived at 8:00 pm for a 7:00 - 10:00 pm opening, they had the entrance on the side of the building, and there were no lines. We attended "The Landscape is Changing" art exhibition that runs from July 18 to September 5, 2025 on the 4th Floor Gallery. It featured multimedia artworks from 101 contributing artist. There were paintings, photos, 3-D art, and sculptures that depicted natural and man-made structures of our surroundings, inspired and influenced by the landscape. The galleries were spacious and well-lit, and the exhibitions well-planned and professionally done. Since refreshments and beverages were on the 3rd floor, we decided to go down one floor by taking the stairs instead of the freight elevator. However, be prepared to go through quiet hallways of storage spaces that felt like a maze and adventure. It was nice that all the spaces were clean and well-maintained. However, I hope Bridgeport Art Center would look into improving the air conditioning in the art gallery spaces. Two years ago, it was hot and miserable during a hot summer night. This year, we were lucky that we had an exceptionally cool summer evening, that the outside temperature was only in the 70s. But the inside of the galleries was not too hot, but still on the warm side. I saw a couple of ladies fanning themselves with paper or something in their hands, while complaining about being too warm. However, other parts of the building could be nice and cool, that included their office. When we were leaving, the freight elevator door opened on the 5th floor, where a wedding reception was going on, we could feel a nice blast of cold air getting into the elevator. I highly recommend "The Landscape is Changing" art exhibition with free admission and runs until September 5, 2025, but please check the weather forecast and pick a cool day so that your experience will be more enjoyable.

Was at the venue as a guest for a wedding in the Sculpture garden…read more Was an elegant well run event. Building is gorgeous and all was done efficiently and without issue. Plenty of parking was a nice bonus. Dinner service was done effortlessly. No complaints as a guest.

Underpasses are scary. Just watch a thriller (or even…read morebetter, read one) and you'll know what I mean... They are gray, gloomy, stinky and in Chicago - flooded every other day. (overstatement?!?! for sure) Well ladies and gentlemen, not in Hyde Park. The infamous South Side loves its underpasses and it shows!!! They are oh-so-pretty, artistic, mood-lifting (but still not flood-proof to my knowledge....working on it....) and grace the community from 57th to 47th street. My absolute favorite is on 47th, between Lake Park Avenue and Lake Shore Drive. Dedicated last September the mural in a style called "bricolage" mosaic, using broken tile, mirrored tile, colored grout, and tiles with photo transfers. The lead designers were Carolyn Elaine (a Bronzeville resident) and John Pitman Weber. The themes were chosen at community meetings, and photographs were donated by community members. The photos pay tribute to both better-known and unknown 47th Street inhabitants (and esteemed guests, in the case of Ella Fitzgerald) and are in my opinion a very neat touch to the project. But the most striking feature are the hundreds little pieces of mirror who gleam and shine and give the pass a cinematic and happy look every time you drive (walk?!?!?) by. Gorgeous. And another thing to admire in the South Side.

I would like to thank Carolyn and John for giving me the opportunity to be apart of the 47th St…read moreMural. I live just around the corner from the mural and asked if it was Ok if I can help in any way and they both gave me a chance to learn how to work with a different medium. Therefore I am honored to have learned this method of making art. D. Matthews

The Nine Dragon Wall is a landmark across from the Chinatown entrance that says "Welcome to…read moreChicago's Chinatown". This wall is a miniature version modeled after a wall built on the south wall of the Imperial Perfection Gate. The original was built under the reign of Emperor Qianlong, during one of China's most prosperous rulers. In China, 9 symbolizes the supremacy if the emperor and dragons are also a representation of royalty, as you will see the ancient time Chinese Kings have a lot of dragons on their attire. The colors red, gold, and blue are auspicious colors for good fortune. I'm glad I got to see this miniature version in Chicago, but I would love to see the original version one day. It must be even more majestic if this is the mini.

Another piece of architecture in Chinatown. If you've seen the Chinatown Gate, this may be the next…read moremost important thing you see around here. Nine Dragon Wall is pretty cool looking. Maybe you think this is actually the most important thing in Chinatown, and many others believe it. This is also a popular place for crazy pictures and selfies. Basically this is a reproduction of a wall in Beijing. It has tiles that were actually made in China. This is one of the few times "made in China" is a good thing. It gets its name because there's nine dragons of course. Well actually there's nine large dragons. Look closer. There's many smaller dragons too! Nine is a number of good luck in China. This might bring you good luck. Conveniently it's located next to the public parking lot on Cermak. It's also easy to get to from the CTA station just by here. This way you can avoid paying anything for parking.

We self-toured past many bright murals along 18th and 19th Streets in Pilsen, Chicago. These photos…read moreare just a few of them

I lived in Pilsen for 18 years and I went to the art walks all 18 years. It was amazing.please go…read more Let's support are local artist.

This is a historic statue of the 16th President Abraham Lincoln. It was one of two Abraham Lincoln…read morestatues that Augustus Saint-Gaudens created for the city. It was created in 1908 and placed in its final home in 1924. The statue is also known as Seated Lincoln or Sitting Lincoln. The statue stands 9 feet alone and is perched on a 9 foot pedestal. The front of the pedestal has "Abraham Lincoln". The statue has a lot of corrosion and has seen better days, but I will give it a pass since it is over 100 years old. You will find this statue tucked away in an 150-foot wide exedra in Grant Park. The exedra has tall spires on each end. You have to climb a few stairs to get to the statue. This statue is the only permanent monument on the Court of Presidents. There is metered street parking, commercial garages and commercial lots within a reasonable walking distance from the statue and park. 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 and I was only there because I was visiting Grant Park. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

As a Houstonian who was tired of paying extra non-residential fees to museums, I appreciated that…read morethis museum was FREE! This museum is super neat and more interesting than I thought. Not only can you see what one million dollars look like physically in different denomination of bills, they had different interactive stations. There was a game where you try to spot of a bill was fake or not, a station to place money under a special light to see the unique features on the bill, a short video to learn about how the cash gets received and processed, and much more! In addition, there is a section about the history of money and other interesting facts. I love seeing the old money and how it has progressed over time. The place have several cool photo opportunities. Before you leave, you can also grab a bag of shredded money as a souvenir. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this place! It's not big, but it's enough to enjoy after lunch or if you're bored and wanted something to do. This museum feels like a hidden gem. Don't overlook this place! I highly recommend giving this place a visit. *Adults need to bring a valid ID to enter.*

One of the most novel museums in Chicago, a city known for its museums, is the Federal Reserve…read moreBank's Currency Museum. A "museum of money," if you will. Maybe that sounds boring but ask yourself: Have you ever actually seen a million dollars? What about THREE million dollars? This museum, which is one the first floor of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, has displays of a million dollars in singles (that's the official name for $1 bills), $20 bills and $100 bills. But there's so much more to see ... and DO ... in this little museum. There are displays showing the history of modern currency from around the world. These include Deutsch Marks, French Francs, Italian Lire, and others that were replaced by the Euro. There are also examples showing how currencies have evolved within different countries. Vietnamese currency, for instance, changed several times between the end of World War II and the end of the Vietnam war. The North Vietnam government introduced its currency, called đồng, in 1946. The word "đồng" implies money in Vietnamese. The đồng replaced the French Indochinese piastre. Similarly, the South Vietnam currency was also dominated by piastre notes, which was replaced by đồng in 1953. The capture of Saigon in 1975 led to the change in the name of the South Vietnam currency to liberation đồng. The museum also features a variety of exhibits focused on economics, money, and the roles of the Federal Reserve. One hands-on exhibit encourages visitors to try their hand at detecting counterfeit notes. But back to the million dollar displays. The display that dominates the room is a huge cube that contains one million $1 bills! The ones are bundled in packs of $50 each. The cube contains packages in 19 rows by eight columns by about 132 layers. That means about 20,064 packages of $50 each, or $1,003,200. My guess is that the Fed took 64 packages out of the last layer to make the math work. Ever seen a movie where some bad guy is demanding several million dollars in ransom or some other payment and a courier with a small briefcase is dispatched to deliver it? The display of one million dollars is $100 bills blows that unrealistic scenario out of the water. $1 million in hundreds is 10,000 notes (another word for bills). Bundled in packages of 100 bills, or $10,000 per package, that means 100 packages. Easy enough to fit $1 million into a briefcase, but not much more. In between, there is also a display of $1 million in $20 bills. Other interactive exhibits test visitors' knowledge about the Federal Reserve, good financial planning and budgeting practices, and skills tests to see if a visitor has what it takes to become a successful banker. As a former loan officer, I'm pleased to report I did quite well, but it might be a challenge for those without banking or lending experience. Other exhibits show how the Fed deals with currency that is too worn out to continue using. Visitors are invited to help themselves to "Fed Shreds," money that has been taken out of circulation and finely shredded. These are the only "free samples" the museum has to offer. Don't ask. On the way out, visitors walk over the Money Pit, a large glass-covered pit filled with coins illuminated by constantly changing colored lights. A fun way to end a visit. The museum, located at 230 S. LaSalle St. about two blocks west of the Jackson Station on the "L's" Blue Line, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. There is no admission fee but guests must show a REAL-ID compliant identification and pass through a metal detector.

A monument of culture and history deeply rooted in the development of not only the Bronzeville…read moreneighborhood, but our city and modern society. This bronze sculpture designed by Alison Saar stands tall overlooking southbound traffic along Martin Luther King Drive, just south of I-55, as one enters historical Bronzeville. A ton (literally probably much more) of symbolism based around the movement of hundreds of thousands of people moving north after reconstruction and into the 20th century, looking for a better life. The base of the sculpture is a series of shoe soles layered on top of each other eventually forming the body of a man and his clothing. Most of these soles have holes symbolizing the tough journey African Americans faced in this journey to the north and into new lives. The man holds a suitcase with one arm and waives with his other. Surrounding the sculpture is another series of suitcases acting as both protection, but fitting into the symbolism of the art. The long history of African American movement from the south eventually settling throughout the north (amongst other places) and bringing with them their culture, food recipes, and other traditions to mold themselves into the greater fabric of not only our city, but society in general is on display in the living history that takes part in so many places throughout the city. Bronzeville just happens to be one filled with rich traditions and iconic places and institutions jam packed with a ton of local and culturally relevant history. Bronzeville also includes monuments that invoke remembrance of the past that are controversial and even sad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Douglas). Which brings me to my point. Many who live in this city aren't even aware of the Monument for the Great Northern Migration which is a shame. It is a great symbol of a legacy that has enriched modern society in so many ways and is a topic that still has relevance in modern culture and life today. Their stories should not be forgotten. Come see this sculpture. Then go around and walk amongst one of Chicago's great neighborhoods- Bronzeville.

This monument represents the Great Migration from the South to Chicago and, hopefully, a better…read morelife. I love its symbolism!

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.

Got to see this classic piece of art in the United Center. It happens to be a statue of His Airness…read moreabout to make a slam dunk. The Michael Jordan Statue is actually one of Chicago's most famous in a city where there's tons of statues. A newer feature is that it's now inside the atrium. You can still get in free to see it at least Cool story of how it got made. It's been around for quite a while, ever since his first retirement. This was originally outside the United Center when it first opened, but after an expansion it was moved inside the new atrium the fans go through. Also here is the gift shop where you can get Bulls clothing and gear. There's no charge to get in when there's not a game or other activity happening. Have to see this piece of art. It's located in the atrium of the United Center. This is a popular place for fans to get selfies before games or other things.

Visited in mid June, still accessible, all staff was very nice. Entering thru the gift shop and the…read morestatue standing alone, no workers or anyone present. Such a surreal statue to see, for me anyway.