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.

Created by Jaume Pensa. It's a water feature with two glass towers that projects faces of folks…read more Very cool thing to see. Interactive art installations are some of my favorite pieces to see. In addition, if you're feeling like you need a cool down from that hot Chicago summer weather...you can take off your shoes and soak your tootsies. To me, the splash pad has no age limits. It's worth the quick walk from The Bean to see it.

Gorgeous! Refreshing to spend time here on a hot day. Relaxing and peaceful atmosphere, while also…read morevibrant people watching as kids and adults run through the water. Beautiful interactive fountain and I love seeing the changing and details of the faces. A lovely part of Millennium Park.

I love driving Lake Shore Drive. It's simply beautiful, and can be incredibly peaceful. In the…read moreevening you get to see the lights of the city, and during the day can watch the lake cycle through one of its many personalities. And you'll have the opportunity to see the Drive in all its glory, and be annoyed by its gridlock. Near Oak Street Beach you'll see dozens of boats floating in the area partying. It can be incredibly frustrating going north when there's a Cubs game in the summer. If you find yourself cruising Lake Shore on the day of the Chicago Air & Water Show, you have to be a masochist. And even on they south end, when you're driving down Lake Shore nest the South Shore Cultural Center (especially in the summer) it can be trying. But it's emblematic of Chicago, and in the summer it almost doesn't matter if it takes you an hour to drive from Hollywood to Roosevelt because you have something to look at in any direction. I'd take LSD over the Kennedy any day. Lucky to live a mile and a half away so that it's my main thoroughfare through the city.

Happy New Year everyone, this is my first review for 2021!!…read more I love Lake Shore Drive (LSD), how it connects Hyde Park and Rogers Park, in just 30 to 45 minutes. You can see the complete beauty of our city by the lake, by using LSD. I have childhood memories of playing baseball by Weiss Hospital and having to run across LSD to retrieve baseballs. Looking back, if my parents had found out...ouch... It's scary to look back at that but that was part of the fun of childhood. Back to LSD, it's my preferred way to get to and from the loop, the sunrise views coming into the downtown area are incredible. The views in the evening and sunsets can melt the day's worries away. Watching the runners, walkers, dogs, boaters, fishermen, volleyball players, sunbathers and bikers along LSD shows the vitality of the city. If you use LSD daily, you may lose your passion for the drive. Since I don't use it too often these days, I like to take it all in - seeing the waves, the ice in the lake, the parks and architecture. It's just a wonderful experience - I make it a point to follow the speed limit so that I can smell the roses. I just hope that they don't charge a toll for using LSD, which is on the table because of the city's finances. As for speeding, watch out for the speed cameras going up - 6 mph above the speed limit will result in a $35 ticket.

I stopped by here one evening before grabbing food at a nearby restaurant. I only became aware of…read moreit as I was looking at Google maps and seeing what places were around the area of an event I attended. In today's climate, its importance to have this remembrance of tragedies and the importance of black lives! You cannot get very close to it but close enough to take a picture. I actually had difficulty finding it. It is near a whole alley of murals, which was great. If you're in the area, check it out!

This mural by Michelle Huang has found a home I uptown behind the Chicago Market Coop (you'll see…read moreit from the street, but can enter their parking lot to see it more fully). The history of this piece is interesting: Businesses in Uptown were preemptively boarding up their storefronts in the midst of BLM protests in 2020. Huang took that opportunity to create this work in solidarity. At such time as the boards came down, the neighborhood organization Uptown United salvaged this work and installed it in its permanent home. I live on the cusp of Lincoln Square, Uptown, and Edgewater, so I consider this part of my greater neighborhood. I have a great love of public art, particularly murals. Huang's work is beautiful. I love Chicago's neighborhoods and their strong sense of identity and pride, and am so thankful that Uptown United took the care to preserve this work made to honor these individuals who were taken so violently, and for us to remember. #578 - October 17, 2021

We were supposed to go to to Adler Planetarium Skyline Walk that night to watch the skyline but…read moretraffic was jam-packed, bumper to bumper for 1 hr and we were not even half way on the campus to the skyline. We decided to make a right turn and hoped there was another way out of the chaos and back to hotel. This spot was unintentionally found. It's so worth it now!

The Chicago skyline is one of best skylines of any major city in the US. With it's combination of…read moreskyscrapers and characteristic buildings it provides a great backdrop for views of the city. It is a truly beautiful city.

Gold Coast Social is the BEST night club in the Chicago area, nonnegotiable!! 10/10 experience…read more10/10 service 10/10 memories! Not only do they offer alcohol & bottle service, they also offer hookah & food until late night!

Gold Coast Social is the kind of club you told yourself you're only stopping into for one drink,…read morebut next thing you know, you're there until close. The staff is amazing--welcoming, attentive, and full of energy that keeps the night alive. With great music, lively vibes, and unforgettable fun, it's the perfect late-night Gold Coast spot.

I have always liked the McKinley Park Neighborhood (see "Tips" for neighborhood borders). I think…read moreit would be a very convenient place to live. Archer Avenue, which runs on an angle through this neighborhood is a street that has always made transportation downtown very easy by car, bike or bus. Since the 1990's, transportation is even quicker with two Orange Line stops in this neighborhood: Ashland just north of Archer and 35th St./Archer/Leavitt. And then there is the I-55, which also happens to be the north border of this neighborhood. Yes, getting downtown - - and even traveling southwest - - is pretty convenient from this neighborhood. THE Park & other parks in the area The Chicago Park District's McKinley Park is a large, beautiful park located between Damen (east) & Western (west) and 37th Street /Archer (north) & Pershing Road (south). *Fieldhouse: 2210 W. Pershing Road *See Yelp business page titled "McKinley Park" for reviews of the park *The neighborhood gets it's name from this park. *In recent years, there has been a Farmers Market in the summer--the nw corner of the park. The Other Parks *Mulberry Playlot Park at 3150 S. Robinson Street *Hoyne Park at 3417 S Hamilton Avenue *Kucinski-Murphy Park at 1635 W. 33rd Place This neighborhood also boasts a lovely library- Mckinley Park Library at 1915 W. 35th Street. CHURCHES *Blessed Sacrament is a newer Catholic Parish that combines three older churches/parishes: Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Maurice and Sts. Peter and Paul *St. Andrew Lutheran Church *Bethany Baptist Church *The Truth That Sets You Free *Pentecostal Church SCHOOLS CPS: *Everett Elementary *Nathaniel Greene Elementary *Thomas Early Childhood Center Charter: *Namaste *Horizon Science Academy - McKinley Park SHOPPING Mostly found along Archer Avenue, 35th Street, and Ashland Avenue *At Ashland and Archer is the Riverside Square & River's Edge Shopping area that includes an Ace Hardware, Mariano's, Pet Supplies Plus, GNC, T-mobile, Burger King and other businesses. Party City, Dollar Tree, and White Castle are on the south end of this shopping area. *Huck Finn (24 hours) and New Archvuew (Breakfast /Lunch Only) Restaurants are on Archer west of Damen Avenue. *Target is just south of the I-55 and east of Damen Avenue. HOUSING Although this is a convenient neighborhood, most of the homes are older--like really old. This area used to be a swamp area and there are houses that were built on stilts. Some housing sections are not particularly pleasant-looking IMO. Other sections are rather nice. History These websites give the history of McKinley Park : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinley_Park,_Chicago http:/www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/802.html https://chicagoganghistory.com/neighborhood/mckinley-park/ https://mckinleypark.news/neighborhood The last website listed is from the McKinley Park News. This online newspaper will keep you up-to-date about things going on in the neighborhood. There are prettier and probably safer neighborhoods in Chicago, but I feel the McKinley Park Neighborhood still has a lot to offer along with it's history, kind of old-fashioned charm (I think you can have charm even though you might not be all that pretty!) and very convenient location. Chicago Neighborhood-Review #3 McKinley Park Neighborhood - Review #7

This sculpture is featured in the Spirit of Music Gardens located in Grant Park. It pays homage to…read moreGerman-born Theodore Thomas, who was the first conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The piece is a collaborative effort between Albin Polasek and Howard Van Doren Shaw and was constructed in 1923. The piece has been somewhat as a traveling piece, being relocated twice (1941, 1958) before being placed in its current location in 1991. The bronze statue stands 14 feet tall and depicts a bronze muse holding a lyre. The statue is perched on a 4 foot platform and is centered in front of a forty-foot exedra. It is in fair shape, but considering that it is 100 years old, that is not to bad. 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.