After the email exchange I had with Allyson on Wednesday, I feel compelled to write this review…read more First, I will take you back to September of 2010; it was not my finest hour by any means. I had graduated from college that May and had been sitting around the house collecting dust ever since. Once you have been unemployed long enough to see Family Feud go through two hosts, you know that the time had come to once again give your life purpose, so I actively began to tackle items on my bucket list. Through some research on handy-dandy Yelp, I discovered Sweatshop of Love. Last September, I started with Allyson's 'Holiday Present Prep' class (which she is repeating again this year). It is basically the class you make out of it. Everyone in the class contributes to a Google Doc list of homemade gifts that they would like to make for their friends and family. All class participants can access and alter it so everyone can encourage each other and get ideas for their gifts as well. During this 10-session course, I learned not only the knitting basics, but also how to make scarves, socks, mittens, gloves, bags, the ever popular beer cozy, and 80% of a sweater (I ran out of steam on it toward the end; smaller projects provide more instant gratification!). Granted, I was knitting like it was paying the rent and the rent was due tomorrow, but I couldn't believe the quality and amount of instruction I was able to receive for $95. Allyson is so sweet and patient; she will never say anything but encouraging things to you in class. I may not have had a job, but I still had the satisfaction of knowing I could make practical items for myself, which was (and still is) so invaluable. Almost immediately after Holiday Present Prep finished, I landed a job...and started a lunchtime knitting group. The student had become the teacher? Not quite Allyson caliber, but I knew enough to teach a group of ladies at work how to make 'Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth'. I felt like such a proud parent when my coworkers would come up to me on Monday morning and show me the progress they had made over the weekend. Anyway, this Wednesday, Allyson sent out an email regarding her upcoming fall classes, which included another item on my bucket list: learn how to crochet. Nice! If you are not ready to make that 10-week commitment, she also offers a one-night introduction to knitting and individual one or two-night projects you can choose to work on. If you are completely new to this and don't know where to begin, Allyson will also buy your supplies for the first day for an additional fee. So to sum it all up, you can learn some yarn arts at a reasonable price with a friendly group of people in a cozy coffee shop in Logan Square. If you have always wanted to learn how to knit or crochet, this is a great place to start! The only thing you stand to lose is that trip to Target when you need a new pair of socks.

The Sweatshop of Love totally rocks!…read more I had my first class with Allyson last year and she was super patient and understanding with me and my clumsy fingers. After she taught me how to knit, I wanted to take it up a notch and learn how to crochet. I went to her beginner's crochet class with a friend and we had a great time! We all chatted and drank coffee and had so much fun! She always takes the time out to help you and she never makes you feel stupid for not getting something the first (or second, or third) time. BONUS: She always sends detailed notes and instructions following a class so you don't forget what you have learned! I would HIGHLY recommend The Sweatshop of Love for your knitting and crocheting education!

Jessica and her team are wonderful. They make all first timers feel very welcome. The Wicked…read moreHalloween bash is amazing. Make sure you check out the great events! Www.nextlevelplusevents.com ​

Great group! Loads of body positivity and love! Well guarded to keep out the crazies and the drama…read more- worth hitting up an event for sure!

I wish more people knew about how amazing Guild Row is! My husband and I sort of stumbled upon it…read moreone afternoon. They have a huge outdoor patio, and we decided to eat lunch there. What a calming space - both indoors and outdoors. There are plenty of tables to sit and do work. There are numerous outlets outside so that your devices will never die on you! The bar opens at 3pm. We were there earlier so we grabbed an espresso and enjoyed the sunshine. The patio is dog-friendly! I can't wait to go back this week and get some work done!

Got to visit Guild Row and their new LTO ("LIMITED TIME ONLY") which is a patio bar and restaurant…read more LTO features Po'Boy, Wine, Live Music and soft serve ice cream. This restaurant is only available for a limited time through the summer months of 2024. We were fortunate to attend an After Party Popup sponsored by Motorshucker with complimentary food samples and wine from Regalis & Cream. We were able to divulge in some yummy caviar (Regalis Ostera Noir) and oysters. In addition to some lite bites of salami, meats, cheeses and peppers. These all came from Regalis and were delicious. I would definitely like to try their full size charcuterie board this summer. I may even try to order some charcuterie meats and cheeses from Regalis. They were premium quality. LTO also had for purchase their full menu. We ordered the Catfish Po Boy and Kettle Chips. Very impressed with this sandwich. They did a good job of frying the fish and the hoagie bread was perfect. The kettle chips compliment the sandwich. The Raventos i Blanc was the favorite wine tasted on this occasion. Guild Row itself is very cute co-working space. Lots of tables, couches and comfy areas to work. This space serves also as a social club. I could see how combining the two are a perfect pair. The members only lounge had a full service bar: liquor, wine, and beer. Our evening was awesome. We enjoyed the sounds of the live music, the divine smells coming from the fire pit. Would definitely consider a membership as a person that WFH and will be on the look out for more opportunities to visit LTO (no membership needed).

I attended the 70's themed event. Lots of obscure, really old-school tunes. I'd have preferred the…read moremore well-known tunes of the 70's disco era. The event was free entry. On a Thursday night, there is lots of free street parking. Wasn't crowded so, lots of room to twirl around. Drinks are decently priced. On the wall hangs the co-founders picture. Sadly, like NEO, Dave is a thing of a bye gone era. I love the Saturday new wave event, but recently, I see that there's a dark wave by Philly and the beloved by me, new wave by Jeff alternate Saturdays thing going on. I'd much prefer them combining an hour on and an hour off alternative so, I don't have to think too hard, which Saturday do I want to attend. LATE BAR... just a suggestion.

Great music and nice people. New wave dancing and videos in the back. Unique atmosphere. The kind…read moreof place you can go alone and not feel weird.

It's very cool...but...so cool you almost can't figure out how to get in. There are two doors. The…read moreone before Family Dollar is the one you can get in. This location is NOT handicap accessible as far as I can tell. Could be because I arrived mid-show but there was not much staff or direction or interaction. I paid my entry fee with nary a word and enjoyed a very weird, but intriguing show of experimental electronic sound. Their sound system is impressive! Very 8D, I could really feel the movement of the sound and despite being remarkably off-putting, it was also visceral and intriguing. Parking in the area is a little weird and unreliable.

Stopped in for a Screen Printing show with artist from near and far…read more BUSY but the crowd was mindful of their space and flow offering relatively free movement despite the space constraints. Picked up a few pieces for myself to add to my collection and caught up with friends.

Husband's family rotates hosting the large family holiday which alternates between Christmas and…read moreThanksgiving depending on the year. This year was our turn to host Christmas and I was stressed out about how we would accommodate everyone, which could range from 30-50 people. Not only were we passed the hosting torch from my in-laws, but we were the first to host outside of our home. I've lived in the neighborhood for almost a decade and passed this place countless times, but had no idea it was a VFW. When I reached out about renting the space, the post commander was super helpful. Husband and I took a tour and booked it. I came back once more to get photos and measurements so we could plan for the event. They have plenty of tables and chairs and the beams in the room have LEDs which we set to red and green to make it festive. We ended up with 50 people for a sit down dinner, which we did potluck. We got so many compliments on the party and the space. We had plenty of space for people to sit, food, and kids to play. The post commander was also our bartender (you can bring food, but alcohol goes through the VFW) and he was great with everyone from the older relatives to the smallest kids. We aren't up in the rotation again for 5y, but I wouldn't hesitate to host here again. They're not usually open, so you can't just show up and grab a drink at the bar, which is a shame because it's just the kind of place we would frequent. Overall this was perfect for our needs, including the price. You don't need to be a vet to rent the space.

This place just got a major overhaul. Fresh new interior and OMG, TV's galore!…read moreAlso, they host the best fish fry you will find in the state.

I've volunteered with Cradles to Crayons several times already by myself and with my kids. Their…read moremission and goals are clear and evident. They are extremely organized and can take large group of volunteers but also work with smaller ones. I highly recommend coming here as part of a group from work or even with your family especially if you have never volunteered before.

I've volunteered for countless field trips for my 3 kids over the years and Cradles to Crayons is…read moremy personal favorites. My son's class came here to help sort thru the many many bags of donations they receive. I thought the staff at Cradles to Crayons did an amazing job explaining to a group of 3rd graders how this was an opportunity to help those less fortunate and love that they also got to help with the process. We spent a few hours sorting thru piles of clothing and dividing them into different categories (winter coats, girls short sleeve shirts, skirts to name a few). The kids had a lot of fun and even got a few chuckles when they came across things like bras and thongs, which were thrown in the "recycle bin." After a few hours of work they took a tour of the amazing facility, ate lunch and the Cradles to Crayon staff wrapped it up by praising them on their hard work! My son mentioned it was a super fun day and I think he enjoyed it more than the other field trips we've taken this year (ex: Chicago History Museum). I've now been here 3 times for field trips with my kids and each time I make a note that I need to come separately of school. This time I'm determined to make the time to donate my time to this amazing organization and great excuse to clean out my closets ahead of time to make a donation!

Pretty cute bar, narrow but deep…read more They have a great liquor menu, including multiple bourbons including woodford, and dickle. I got a bourbon neat, and later an espresso martini. They also have a great happy hour which is until 6pm. Our bartender was nice, helpful. We got the pimento cheese and it came with little bread crackers. It was good. My partner got a rye dickle with a pbr. They have a special for a beer and a shot. Overall this place is cute, easy to talk there for the most part.

Love this bar! It's goes way back and has lots of space but still a neighborhood feel. They have a…read moresecondary bar in the back along with lots of tables as well as space on the floor. Music was good too! Would definitely come back

I need more stars to review Catholic Charities, You cannot put into stars or words what they do,…read moreThey have a LOSS program called loving outreach for suicide survivors. Besides myself I know about a dozen people who belong to this group. I 1st heard of it on the news by Kevin Roy whose mother died from suicide.

I donated about 10 plastic bags filled with clothes and shoes last year and got a tax form in…read morereturn. As I was dropping things off, you could see the line of people awaiting to get in, I'm not sure what else they do here, but I feel really good to get rid of all this stuff that I didn't need and help some people out at the same time. It's about 10x better then Salvation Army.