The heart of the city. Better and less crowded than the Bean…read more This fecal fountain is a fun little photo op when you're in the city, and it's right down the street from Kasama, making them an unlikely but excellent pair.

Exactly what you'd expect: a statue that looks like poop. There was also a super friendly outdoor…read moreorange cat nearby named Mister that made my entire day. He was so cute and so worth the visit to the Shit Fountain. It's also near Kasama, so you can definitely make a trip out of this or take a quick detour if you're in the area.

I feel a little catfished by this mural project. Looking online, there appeared to be more to it…read more But it's literally about a mile of murals, up and down the overpasses, in Rogers Park, a neighborhood of Chicago. The murals focus mainly on Chicago history, history of the Rogers neighborhood, Audubon birds, and a few other subjects. The murals are nice overall, though some are poorly kept. I don't think they've been updated in a long time. My favorite was the Barack Obama mural. It's easier to walk them than drive them because there is very little parking and a ton of one way streets. I drove quite a ways out to this neighborhood, through Lakeshore Drive traffic. If you're in the area, go for it. There is a cute little pedestrian only street with a tavern and quaint shops. But don't drive from the outskirts just for this.

The Mile of Murals is a unique work of art in Rogers Park. Started in 2007, over the years the…read moreproject has commissioned a number of works: There are several that span the entire block, and there are several viaducts that have murals as well. The goal of this project is to paint from Estes to Pratt, covering the retaining wall along the Red Line in artwork. There are still five block-long sections of this project remaining to complete. All of the works are cool. My favorite, however, is "Connect Origins to Destinations: The History of Rogers Park". It tells the story of Rogers Park from its early days as a home to Potawatomi. The Indian Boundary Line, for which Indian Boundary Park is named, is located at Rogers & Clark... unfortunately, there's a commemorative plaque praising the negotiation skills of white men with the native peoples to cede Chicago to them, but that's a story for another time. I loved learning things about this neighborhood I never knew before through this large -scale art project.

A Must-Visit for Fans of "You Are Beautiful"!…read more If you love spotting You Are Beautiful installations around Chicagoland, you have to check out their storefront/gallery! I stopped in today with limited time and was blown away by how many awesome things they have for sale--way more than I expected. From inspiring artwork to unique gifts, everything in the space radiates positivity. The staff working today were incredible--so friendly and welcoming. I only had time to grab a keychain (and a whole lot of excitement), but I'll definitely be back for more. Highly recommend visiting to learn more about the movement and bring a little extra beauty into your day!

What an AWESOME, unique, and inspiring store that brings to surface the artwork of The owner,…read moreMatthew's, works! The staff was beyond polite, and my time and art I purchased were unforgettable! If you Consider supporting a local artist, do it here!

You can find these amazing murals at the underpass of Foster Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, Uptown…read moreChicago. They are pretty colorful and really adds life to the concrete walls! The walk from the lake to the residential area is more enjoyable.

I discovered this other little gem today on my way to Sunshine Cafe…read more And I was, just as for the one on 47th street, thoroughly impressed. And smiling. Turning gloomy underpasses into wonderful works of art is one of the best forms of urban improvement I have seen in years. It might seem pretty insignificant in the great scheme of things but to me it's highly symbolic: to revitalize some of the most disregarded spots of the city - ANY city - is definitely a step in the right direction. Underpasses are not doomed to be dark, smelly and forgotten. And when the art on display celebrate the Native American culture it takes a whole new dimension. The result - "Indian Land Dancing" - is a colorful display that interweaves time and heritage, with both distinct tribal nuances and larger Native American symbolism providing the bulk of the imagery. But no stereotype here: the entire project was in the hands of the Native American community who wanted to do 'something very meaningful' and connected to the present. Among other things: a skateboarder glides down the shimmering black mane of woman who hugs a sphere of seven circles representing responsibility to future generations. The underside of his board says "Apache." Woven into the woman's hair, a poem reads, "With our strong arms, we form a circle, and in that circle, we embrace the world." The 3,200 square inch mosaic grace both walls of the underpass, and is the only public display of Native American art in the city. Don't miss it this summer while walking to the beach. It's breathtaking.

Sunnyside Mall is a fantastic outdoor community space in the Sheridan Park neighborhood of Uptown…read more I understand it used to be a questionable area, but the neighborhood association has revitalized it in recent years. It's a pedestrian strip between Beacon and Magnolia, paved, with several seats built in various placed around the mall. I'm sure the neighbors use this for all sorts of events. I've been here because my trainer, Dana (see my WHPStudios review), has been doing Saturday morning body strength classes here. Since they're super affordable ($15) I finally made it over here. Today there were just a couple of us but I know in other weekends there's been as many as 10 people at the classes. It's a really lovely, peaceful setting--quiet, with lots of shade from all the trees, and the weather has been great so for someone who doesn't love to work out, it made for a nice morning.

I think mural paintings are so creative on a large scale. It seems that no matter where you…read moretravel, you can always see a mural or two that may be cultural or simply a message to others. As many artists use spray cans to paint on the huge canvas, it takes a certain skill to get the proportions correct. While many sketch their theme before spraying, I have also seen artists just do their thing. Creativity at its best provided it's agreed upon prior to display.

11/2/2025- My first…read moremural pic and review.. On my daily morning walk last week-.. I remember seeing this one behind our Chevron..and Tahoe Natural Cafe-.. Our murals depict our city and the creative artists in town!

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!

People don't really come here for the Lincoln statue; it's not a tourist destination. However, The…read moreChicago Lincoln (the name of this work) is notable in several respects. This statute was designed in 1860. That makes it one of the earliest of the Lincoln statutes; if you'll recall, Lincoln wasn't elected president until 1860. The statue cost $35,000 to construct--a sum that would be equivalent to $1.25 million today. The statute is sometimes know as the "beardless Lincoln" because--you guessed it--Lincoln as depicted here has no beard. This is true to life, as during his travels to and in Chicago from 1847 to 1860, he didn't have a beard. It's also what makes this statue unique: It's the only statue of Lincoln sans his famous facial hair. It's location is also a nod toward some of his important work in the city, as he met with his first vice president in Lake View Township to discuss business of the new administration. Though the statue has been in its current location for nearly 40 years, it's not its original spot. It was once placed right in the middle of the Lincoln, Lawrence, and Western intersection, and cars had to navigate around it. It is for this reason--in whole, or in part--that this intersection was one of the three most dangerous in the city, taking the dubious honor of being the second most dangerous in 1975. It was subsequently removed to its current location several yards away and no longer in the middle of the street, rendering traffic exponentially safer at this location.

If you've got to wait for a bus, you might as well wait with the 16th president…read more Seriously, there's always a very strange smell right here. It's a major intersection, with two bus stops next to the statue, a Walgreen's, and a lot of pigeons.

What a cool place!!! So many rooms and floors of cool art and specialty items. It's bigger than it…read morelooks. Rooms lead to more rooms. Really unique gifts, clothes, honey, jewelry, candies, soaps, bags, housewares, artwork from local artists, and more. I definitely recommend checking this place out!

I have nothing personal against this store or the people who sell there, but for me it was…read moreunderwhelming. There is a lot of stuff, but it is very generic. The "art" they sell is the kind that goes on a greeting card or t-shirt. Some booths sell crafts like you can find on Etsy--upcycled clothes and amigurumi or felt toys (which were cute enough but nothing amazing). Others sell imported items. It wasn't always clear if they were fair trade or not. In fact, that was one of the things that bugged me: many booths' lack of transparency on where these items were made/who made them. A lot of items looked mass produced, so it was hard to tell what wasn't. Basically this store exemplifies what happens when you commercialize art. Everything converges under market pressure and ends up looking the same. Personally antique malls are my style. They have a similar concept (many vendors in one space), but much more interesting and greater variety of items.