We had a very fun experience, Rick is informative and entertaining. The property is such an oasis…read morein the city, the food was amazing and I highly recommend a tour.

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.

With the number of festivals growing every year - I think the number now stands somewhere around…read more25,000 neighborhood festivals in Chicago alone (that may be slight hyperbole since that averages out to about 40 per neighborhood, but it sure seems that way) - the best that a festival can hope to do is reflect the neighborhood around it. And, maybe I'm just being biased since it's a block north of my apartment, but I think Boulevard Bash might have done that better than any festival in the history of the universe (that might be slight hyperbole since permutation says there have probably been billions of festivals on various planets since the universe began and I haven't attended every one of them, but it sure seems that way). Just a brief bike ride up Milwaukee from the new heart of coolness, Boulevard Bash exploded onto the scene this year with a Chicago band focus headlined by Waco Brothers, Smoking Popes (who were incredible on the one night of the three I went), and some band I've never heard of. But, in the words of Meat Loaf, "two out of three ain't bad." Wait, he's not from Chicago. Let's pretend like someone local covered him. But, well beyond this, on Saturday night, on the "side stage" (which was a bit too close to the main stage and had some sound bleed at the back) there was a mini-festival in the evening devoted to the Polish character of the neighborhood. And people came out for it decked out all in red, waving Polish flags, and rocking out. It wasn't polka bands. It was live, modern music sung by imports and second-generations and people who just wanted to be Polish for the night. And, similarly, the people were the slightly gentrified, rough around the edges, friends and neighbors that make me glad to call Logan Square home. There is a slight problem in all of my over-romanticizing of the festival as some sort of local showcase. There were very few vendors at all and only one or two of them were local restaurants. With the huge amount of hip places and old stand-bys in the L7, they could have probably found any number willing to sling their foods and drinks. Also, the sponsor was Dos Equis. With Revolution Brewery right down the street they missed an opportunity of a local brewery sponsorship. Not that I minded seeing cutouts of the World's Most Interesting Man (a well-created master of hyperbole himself) all around or cute college-aged girls in safari gear running games (although this did clog the middle of the festival). Maybe next year, this will be the best festival in Chicago and they can extend it down Sacramento right to my doorstep (how much more local can you get than that?). After all, I've been to so many street fairs that I no longer go to festivals, festivals come to me. And, well, that's less hyperbole than most of the things I've said. Or is it?

I really enjoyed the parade. But man they couldnt rush u out of there fast enough once it was over…read more I found that odd. Also it was extremely heavy on police parading around (only one guy cheered lol) and the jeeps squealed like a pig in heat for no other reason but to torture the spectrum ppl. On the positive lots of puppies, lots of great costumes. I hope it dumps the police and jeeps and grows in to something awesome

If you're around the neighborhood go ahead it's pretty neat. But I wouldn't make the trip from say…read morethe burbs The parade was just under half hour. This is in boys town. Thus some of the costumes reflect the area. The thriller and fire dancers deserve extra mention. It starts at Belmont and Halsted goes north on Halsted. I don't know where it ends.

Fashion Focus 2008 is Chicago's own fashion week. This week is chalk-full of runway shows, shopping…read moreevents, neighborhood shopping, and educational seminars. It really is one of the very few opportunities Chicago has for the creative minds of fashion to unite, network, socialize, and flaunt their products! Many different organizations & institutions come together to put on the week, such as GenArt, Mayor's Fashion Council, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago fashion schools, local designers & boutiques, etc. It really does involve so many people from around the city & that's why it's such a special & unique week. Everything the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs puts on is free-ranging from runway shows to educational seminars. There is one downfall, but it will be fixed next year-the amount of people attending vs. the amount of seats/open spots in the runway tent. Since the event is free (a rarity in the fashion world) many people attend, so it gets a little chaotic. We're hoping to fix it by next year to ensure seating for those who RSVP. Fashion Focus 2008 ends tomorrow, but check out our website for other fashion-related events, internships, resume postings, and up-and-coming designers. Keep your eye out for next years Fashion Week Chicago & all the fun you can take part in!!

I love Ryan Tova Katz murals, and love stumbling upon them at random! I saw this one on her…read moreInstagram the other day but just happened upon it when I was driving down Lawrence. It's definitely made for kids, but I don't care; I love an interactive mural. It has a couple people in silhouette, and then a black umbrella and a bouquet of flowers. You can place your hands such that they look like they're holding those two items. Like I said, it's more scaled for kids, but I couldn't help myself!

STAY AWAY from this event!!! Unless you are okay to pay $10+ for one taco or have 6 hours to kill…read moreon a weekend to get your money's worth. I should have checked Yelp before I purchased the ticket. But originally, the event says they are offering $35 for 7 tacos, discounted drink and other ride deals. My impression, probably will be agreed by lots of others, is that I can hit 7 bars and try their tacos in 2-3 hours to have fun. HOWEVER, one day before the event, I received the schedule, together with another line of saying that we are limited to one taco per hour???!!! Most tacos tasted fine, but some tasted like having been siting in a heated pan forever and the tortilla even fell apart... Unless you have 6+ hours to kill, you are at least paying $5 for a taco and spend extra money for the drinks. Also, event website says there's no refund. It's some event I will never go again and would strongly recommend no one else to go.

Having a great time so far. Great combination or food, drink, and fun. Jump in the path with us all…read moreday long. El Hefe is already crazy and tasting FA BO LO US. https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/Chicago%20Taco%20Crawl

If you work downtown near Chase Tower (Madison and Clark) and you are looking for a nice outside…read morearea to sit and have lunch, Exelon Plaza is a place to sit and eat. There are only a few days of spring and summer in Chicago that are nice enough to be outside without some type of implement or extra layer of clothing -- don't waste those days inside. They put out tables for the lunch crowd and there are lots of steps to sit on, steps up to Clark, Dearborn or Monroe. Get a little adventurous and sit right next to the fountain. On windy days, which are most in Chicago -- you may get a little fountain spray, but hey, better fountain liquid than the typical liquid you may encounter on the red line. Lots of food options around -- try the Chase Cafeteria or be economical and brown bag it. Either way, enjoy the sun and nice weather days. See ya out there for lunch! - Jeremy

I worked at Chase tower for a few years. It's a great building even if it is slightly old. The best…read moreparts about it is the L station that's in the basement, the outside seating area, and the cafeteria. People from other buildings come here to eat because the food is really good. If you have a chance to go to the top floors- you'll get amazing views of the city.

I attended the Chicago Green Festival Kickoff Gala on May 21, 2001 at the Marom Grand. This event…read morewas excellent. I enjoyed dressing up for the gala and tasting the delicious food from many local green restaurants. These included City Provisions, Dawali, Fig, Lula cafe and sweets from XoXo. I also liked meeting the ladies from Allyu spa. Including the Palo Santo aromatic incense with their card was a nice touch. The gala was nicely organized starting from the blow up screen projector to the group of young men that came by and picked up our plates, cups and forks for recycling. I enjoyed the talk given by Dr. Kevin Danaher on global and local sustainability and appreciate his zeal to bring little bit of San Francisco to Chicago. I also enjoyed Blanca's Alexander candid talk about what inspired her in her life to become an advocate for conscious living. Nonetheless I did see the bar pass some plastic water bottles

For some reason I was under the illusion that I had written a review for this festival, at least in…read more2008. I remember attending that one and liking it. I would have rated it 5 stars. Lots of good green content to fill your mind and soul with. I learned much about new vendors offering innovative technologies to assist in daily household living from a green standpoint as well as advances in alternate sources of power. Information wise and through photos and other marketing, there was much to see. Now in 2012, there wasn't much. Maybe my expectations for it were set too high. I recently returned from living on the West coast. For those that don't know, in many areas of California people are trying their best to be green. Whether they want to do it for the good of the earth, to feel better about doing or get some kudos from all the green loving people, businesses and consumers alike are trying. Upon return back to Chicagoland, I had hoped for more out of Green fest. Instead, there was a ton of marketing for the Ford motor company. As well as these random people that wouldn't divulge who they were with but asking if you would participate in surveys. Jaik S. mentioned if you see anyone's foot touch the carpet where Ford was displayed, someone would eventually ask you to take a survey. Green shit in the sense of the word green. Like vegan food, green vegetable smoothies and living with more greens in your diet. Really? That's all. A few foo foo stores which offer organic products. I didn't connect with any of the content and couldn't find anything that grabbed my attention. Maybe a few vendors. There was one vendor I found pretty funny. It was something like "Green singles dot com". We aren't talking about clean dollar bills, folks. One vendor sold recycled glass for use in homes. When asked what was the difference between their product and Home Depot the guy responded.."Do you want crap or high quality?". What a silly salesperson. Please don't come out to a festival if you can't explain to me benefits of your product and how and why your company claims to be green. I researched the company and later discovered they import granite from Italy and in manufacturing plants here in the U.S. use glass from recycled beer bottles, glass containers, etc to give their granite countertops a more interesting look. In 2008 I spent the whole day at the festival. In 2012, I walked the entire festival in an hour or less. I think we spent the most time in the beer & mead garden. Which by the way, happened to be the most popular area. The largest number of people stood in a tiny 20' x 20' space. Ideas for future Green Fests from Jacob - If Ford or any other car maker decides to be a big contributor to this again, have them show data on fuel efficiency for their new line of alternative energy running automobiles. What to expect for the future of the brand. What new innovative technology they are working towards. Plans for moving towards creating more efficient types of transportation. The savings a person can expect from going to a green vehicle, etc. Passing out free samples of gluten free nachos with salsa or packs of organic popcorn is fine for the average festival attendee, but not everyone. I desire information. Or what is Ford doing for the environment beyond offering green vehicles ? - Alike this, there are companies around the Midwest which currently offer biofuels. How about someone talking about alternative fuels for different kinds of vehicles. I.e. diesel, electric, NGV (natural gas vehicle), bio-diesel. Where can a person find fueling stations, or get reps here from those stations. Map fliers which indicate where in Chicagoland these resources can be found. - Chicago has green roofs, what are people planting up there and where can we find more information about doing it. Are there Chicagoland companies which offer service to get you started, etc? What are current issues concerned folks are working on for the advancement of a Greener Chicago ? At one point a year or more ago I heard something about the possibility of petroleum based plastic bags not being used any longer in Chicago supermarkets, is that real or fake? I realize for some this might have been an eye opener. Every year more people are waking up and realizing how to recycle or searching for greener ways of operating their everyday life. For those this festival is probably a source of information but for someone already doing their part but wanting a bit more, well I hope next years festival is better.