One of two asymmetric bob-tail swing bridges built in the early 1900s for the Chicago, Milwaukee &…read moreSt. Paul Railway. When it was built, the arm could swing to almost a 90 degree angle. Today, you can walk across the restored historic pedestrian bridge to reach Goose Island. Surprised to see so many geese along the Chicago River.

Beautiful old Masonic Temple that was built in the neo-Greek tradition and is still home to…read morenumerous Masonic organizations.

If you enjoy being surrounded by nature ,park ,lake and skyline , this view will surely take your…read morebreath away. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture this picturesque moment!!

Absolutely amazing view of the skyline with greenery! Perfect for a stroll in the park right in the…read morecity and short walk to the lake shore and beach. Great spot for the quintessential Chicago photo. Make your way over

No, this is not a new pizza place with a baseball theme...sorry!…read more A statue of Joe DiMaggio just steps from Taylor Street amidst carefully preened greenery and neighborhood fixtures perched on park benches. A gift from the City of Chicago to the Little Italy neighborhood in 1998 to celebrate the 'hoods strong Italian immigrant community, rich sports heritage and support system. Oh, and a Starbucks...but that doesn't fit in with this sweet little picture I'm trying to paint, but hell...that iced coffee did taste good while strolling through the "piazza," so I'll shut my little non-Italian mouth. Located directly across the street from the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (beautiful building). A nice little stop on a walking tour of Little Italy, show off your "local knowledge." No one has reviewed this yet!? I win! Ok, we all win. Please note: I do not think Joe DiMaggio ever grew up in Chicago or played in Chicago, but I could be wrong. Please correct me if I am. Better yet, please visit this little gem and then review it, and THEN tell me I am wrong.

Colleen C. pretty much summed this one up aesthetically and Jerad T. hit the minuses (I would also…read moreadd the rat poison in the soil as a minus as a dog owner). If Starbucks cleaned their patrons trash from the plaza, it would help a ton with that rat problem as well. I happen to really like this little gem. I doubt too many public works are planned for the neighborhood in the near future, so enjoy it people. The fountains offer a nice mist when the wind blows during a hot summer day as well. I agree that Joltin Joe didnt play for Chicago, but I believe it stands appropriately considering he is one of the greatest Italian American athletes ever and as Colleen C. mentioned, the statue is "Located directly across the street from the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (beautiful building)" The only thing left to say is why he would be considered one the greatest Italian-American athletes. I reference Wiki here for the facts, so if they are wrong take it up with the rest of public blogging world that encompasses Wiki. Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 - March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an Italian American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 13-year Major League Baseball career for the New York Yankees. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. DiMaggio was a 3-time MVP winner and 13-time All-Star (the only player to be selected for the All-Star Game in every season he played). In his thirteen year career, the Yankees won ten pennants and nine world championships. At the time of his retirement, he had the fifth-most career home runs (361) and sixth-highest slugging percentage (.579) in history. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15-July 16, 1941), a record that still stands.] A 1969 poll conducted to coincide with the centennial of professional baseball voted him the sport's greatest living player. Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio were among the thousands of German, Japanese and Italian immigrants classified as "enemy aliens" by the government after Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan. They had to carry photo ID booklets at all times, and were not allowed to travel outside a five mile radius from their home without a permit. Giuseppe was barred from the San Francisco Bay, where he had fished for decades, and his boat was seized. Rosalia became an American citizen in 1944; Giuseppe in 1945. On September 17, 1992, the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, opened, for which he raised over $4,000,000.[14] Yankee Stadium's fifth monument was dedicated to DiMaggio on April 25, 1999, and the West Side Highway was officially renamed in his honor. The Yankees wore DiMaggio's number 5 on the left sleeves of their uniforms for the 1999 season. He is ranked #11 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was elected by fans to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. An auction of DiMaggio's personal items was held on May 19-20, 2006 by the adopted daughters of DiMaggio's son. Highlights included: the ball hit to break Wee Willie Keeler's hitting-streak record ($63,250); 2,000th career hit ball ($29,900); 1947 Most Valuable Player Award ($281,750); uniform worn in the 1951 World Series ($195,500); Hall of Fame ring ($69,000); photograph Marilyn autographed "I love you Joe" ($80,500); her passport ($115,000); their marriage certificate ($23,000). The event netted a total of $4.1 million.

Nice little art installation with homage to indigenous roots. The QR code at the zenith doesn't…read morework though. But you can google and find stuff about it.

Chi-town bridge! This bridge links Chinatown to the Mexican…read morePilsen neighborhood. Technically, this bridge is a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge, designed by Scherzer himself. It's not especially a pretty bridge. The whole thing needs a paint job and is all pretty rusty. It's pretty amazing that this thing moves! It's so large, that is hard to fathom. I went cruising across this bridge looking for a Taco n' Tequla festival in Pilsen. There were several 'urban campers' set up along this bridge. I wouldn't exactly call this a five star bridge.

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges." ~ Sir Issac Newton…read more Chicago! The City of Broad Shoulders is home to many a landmark from the once world's tallest building, Sears Tower, to the new Frank Gehry Bandshell! As a displaced native, I have been fortunate to have lived in a number of differing bridge cities, but I always return to my native homeland of Chicago to recharge my Soul, and with each returning visit I discover and uncover more of Chicago. It's become such an ever-changing city in the Post-Industrial era of our society, but fortunately there are still many archeological and architectural remains to link the past to the present and this brings me to The Cermak Road Bridge. To quote the landmark sign posted at the bridge, "These four massive industrial buildings clustered around the City's last-remaining double-leaf Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge form the finest intact, early 20th-Century riverfront precinct in Chicago. Originally housing wholesale grocers, window shade manufacturers and other enterprises, the buildings represent an almost vanished aspect of the City's historic industrial character." You may recognize this Bridge as a character in numerous movies filmed around Chicago, or from many an Artist's still photograph, as it is such an iconic landmark of the great City of Chicago. Luckily for me the South Loop, Pilsen, and Chinatown are my latest haunts when I come to visit, and this great bridge ties them all together beautifully. Come here to the Cermak Road Bridge and feel the quiet history of Chicago that is lesser known than most landmarks in a City that is so iconic that it is in its entirety a great historic landmark to be cherished and renowned throughout time. I Heart Chicago!

After I learned the hard way that the South Side Community Art Center and the Bronzeville Visitor…read moreInformation Center were BOTH closed on a frosty January Sunday, my botched attempt to observe the spirit of Martin Luther King Day by learning about African-American history culminated with a misguided visit to Douglas Tomb. From a few blocks away I looked up in awe at the 9' bronze statue atop a towering 46' monument. It wasn't until I entered the park gate that I realized my latest mistake: not only did this guy spell his last name with one 's', but he was also white. I.e., not Frederick Douglass. [smacks self on forehead] The man who holds a high perch on the eastern fringe of the Bronzeville neighborhood goes by the name Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas was a prominent white local landowner in the area long before Bronzeville became known as the mecca of African-American history. A lifelong politician, he played a significant role in establishing America's western territories and railroads before losing the presidential election to Abe Lincoln in 1860. Douglas' belief in popular sovereignty, i.e. the notion that new territories should be allowed to individually decide on slavery by popular vote, ultimately led to his political downfall. Here at the monument, one can stand over the sarcophagus containing Douglas' dead body and carry on the longstanding scholarly debate about whether Douglas was *personally* opposed to slavery; some argue his name and monument should be removed, while others are dedicated to preserving his legacy. Even on Yelp, if you search for either the community area Douglas or the neighborhood Bronzeville, you'll see the two names superimposed on top of each other. We all know that nice guys don't get statuized, though, and with Douglas' gaze fixed at more than 50' above ground it's impossible to look him in the eye to properly judge the nuances of his character. Only one fact was and remains as true as this monument is high: the guy was prominent.

I have visited Douglas Park many times because I'm a historian of Douglas and a board member of the…read moreStephen A. Douglas Association. It's a beautiful park, very peaceful, and for several years now it has been home to the Bronzeville Historical Society, which is headquartered there. You can learn a great deal about African-American history in Chicago by talking with the charismatic founder and CEO of the society, Sherry Williams, or by settling into the upstairs library and picking out a good book. Sherry is also very knowledgeable about Douglas, his family's slaves, and the underground railroad. As an additional bonus, the park is only a short walk from the lakeshore because it is the terminus of a pedestrian bridge that runs over the railroad tracks and the highway (the bridge is currently in the process of being replaced by a spectacular suspension bridge for both bikers and pedestrians). Moreover, since October 2014, the park features a feature-length film on Douglas that can be seen at the site if the Bronzeville Historical Society is open. I produced and directed the film, which is titled "Stephen A. Douglas and the Fate of American Democracy," and which interweaves the story of Douglas' life and that of the nation from the Revolution to the Civil War. The film was made with the cooperation of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, and received a 2015 Award of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society. It features voice acting from leading Douglas and Lincoln reenactors, clips from five historians, and several hundred images drawn from several dozen archival collections, including the Stephen A. Douglas Papers at the University of Chicago. There is no charge to enter the park, to watch the film, or to visit the Bronzeville Historical Society. All are welcome! If possible, however, come when Sherry is on site. She's a truly engaging human being. The phone number of the society is 312-428-8033. Graham Peck

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.