Friends of the Parking Lot: I'm sure intentions were good but they really dropped the ball by not…read moreworking with the Lucas Museum group to build on the parking lot adjacent to the lakefront. Drawing visitors to the open space surrounding the museum should have been the goal. Besides construction jobs, creative jobs and ones managing and staffing the museum, Chicago desperately needs to attract folks to a beautiful city and lakefront too many are fearful to visit. Have you heard of Star Wars? It draws.

Who loses not getting the Lucas Museum? Teachers, Firemen and Police. Their pension plans are…read moremassively unfunded and the tax revenue would have helped. I guess "friends" don't care how high property taxes go. The most ironic thing is that the museum would have had a great public park. Now It will just stay a cement parking lot. "Friends" do us all a favor and please stop trying to help. So what did the residents get out of this? Just a bill for putting together the proposal and all the engineering work that went into this project. Friends of the Parks, are you going to reimburse the city? Your arrogance and petty grievance with the mayor cost us all, and it cost you your credibility. Great job.

Great race! Not very big, but put on well, for it being a neighborhood race. The course route was…read morevery well marked, with mile markers, and cones along the way. Edgewater 5k, is one of those races that attracts members in the neighborhood; some surrounding. Majority of the runners were elementary students, that attend the neighborhood schools in the Edgewater neighborhood. Some of the older runners were former students, or teachers at Edgewater schools What interested me about this event, was that some of the proceeds benefited the local schools; which ever one you chose to donate to. No, I'm not a former student of any of the schools, but i do attend church at Swift Elementary, which is one of the schools that participated in the race. I've also volunteered at Swift Elementary, so I felt the need to support Swift. Lots of post run food at the finish: bananas, pancakes, water, etc. ATHLETICO, was even on site, giving out massages to finishers which was great. Overall this event was great, and I look forward to running it again in the future. Enjoy, if you are considering this event in the future.

Very impressed with this race. It is a small, neighborhood race. I was surprised it wasn't a bigger…read moredeal in La Grange. It was a beautiful Friday night and was held within walking distance of Lyons high school. Two things were particularly impressive about the race: 1) It was a pretty route, all through the neighborhoods in La Grange and 2) so many kid bands were playing along the route. There was more rock bands than the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon downtown! I can't believe there are so many talented kids in La Grange. It must be a big thing in this community. Very impressed and is being added to my "must do" roster of race events each year!

Since so many people on our ride asked, puzzled, "What is this? Is it a race? Is it Critical Mass?…read moreWhat's going on?" I figured that writing a review for this great active event was only appropriate. Now, you won't have any excuse to miss the 2014 edition!! I feel that during most active/sporting events, no matter how well organized they can be, there's always something to complain about. Well, not this time. From beginning to end, it was flawless! Easy online registration (yeah, there are these annoying fees, but what can you do about it? To make it all better, I highly recommend to make a quick search about coupons. Whatever you buy online, there's a coupon for it. Most of the time. This time, I snatched a $10 off on each registration. Yay me), convenient pick up times, great directions, map, tee-shirt. And an awesome urban adventure. Here's the deal: you choose a distance. 12, 22, 35 or 62 miles.They select four different food providers. And you stop along the way for water (ice cold!!!!), food and bathroom breaks, for however long you want. You are given a map to follow but there's also excellent marking on the street. I was so impressed by the work they put into it!! It's (almost) impossible to get lost. Volunteers ride along the way with you to assure a smooth day, and you just have to enjoy the vista. This year took us all on the North Side, and we discovered great hidden gems along the way such as the Alta Vista Terrace District within a stone-throw distance from Wrigley Field, to the Indian Boundary Park in West Rogers Park and the actual Rogers Park itself, from the North Shore Channel Trail to off the beaten path streets lined with beautiful mansions and bungalows. What a glorious city Chicago is, and what little of it most of us know. My group of friends and I did the 35 miler, and had a great time. It was plenty enough for us, but not so much that we were dead at the end of it. Cannot recommend it strongly enough! Words of wisdom: - wear padded shorts, it will make the whole thing way more comfortable (REI sells pretty affordable ones) - bring a water bottle; the stops are far and in between and if it's hot out, you'll want to chug water on a regular basis - wear your helmet! - visit the ATA (Active Transportation Alliance) website http://www.activetrans.org/ for more information on the event in particular, and biking in Chicago in general - have fun!

I'm hoping that this can become a biannual event, because partaking in this years version of Active…read moreTransportation Alliance's big showcase was a day I will remember for a long time. The levels of organization and friendliness offered by the ATA and their group of volunteers was remarkable and had me beaming positive vibes all ride long. In my own words, ATA is set up as a nonprofit which advocates for people of all backgrounds to have access to more options to get around the Chicago metro area that are affordable, safe and accessible. This particular event not only introduced "newbies" to their mission, but got around 3,000 people out as examples of that mission to the rest of the city. On at least three occasions I was asked (while stopped at red lights) what we were out on the ride for, which is to say their next event will probably involve more than 3,000 riders. A very good thing, in my opinion! As for the details of the rides- you have your choice on how to participate. With four distances (12, 22, 35 and 62 mile options), you can find one to your liking. All were incredibly well-marked with volunteers scattered about to direct people on the correct path, as well as easily identifiable markers spray painted on the streets (if you were like us and didn't have a nifty map holder installed onto your bike). An overwhelmingly large portion of our ride (the 35 miler) took place on streets with either delineated bike lanes, or the segregated and buffered kind (along Dearborn going through the loop). With groups leaving in waves, there was plenty of space to go at your own pace pretty quickly upon the start of the ride, but not get too spaced out where you didn't feel like you were part of a group of riders out to do a trek. It helped that the weather was nice (mid-70s going up to the low-80s), but in all honesty, I think we would have enjoyed this event even if the weather was bad. With stations set up throughout pretty evenly for restrooms, water and the eventual snack stations - the "chow" portion, if you will - there was ample amount of ride space without pushing people too hard. Active Transportation Alliance- good on you all for putting together such a friendly, comfortable, and visual event showing off a portion of your mission to the rest of the city (well, at least this time- most of the north side). The hard work put forth by the volunteers and coordinators was evident in just how smooth and wonderful the ride and the event was. Oh, and the snacks were great! I look forward to going back to each of the vendors in the near future to enjoy their food again. Any chance you all can make this biannual? Spring ride and early-Autumn ride?

Wunder POP is located inside the Bunny microbakery. When the microbakery is closed up for the…read morenight, a 'pop-up' takes place on the premise. New chefs rotate on a different 'pop-up' session, offering an ever-changing theme/menu to a limit of 12 guests. So far, they have a variety of classes lined up for the year, from a byob ramen bar, exploring different types of breads, a byob Chinese and Korean dumpling tasting, learning how to preserve pickles/jams, an omakase night, and even a vegan POP for vegans! Just make sure you get on their emailing list, as some of the events are first-come, first-serve, while others require purchasing of a ticket. The hubs and I already purchased some tickets (the Spring Bounty where we get to taste some local fare from the fields and the farms) and a bread-making class (yay!!!), so I cannot wait! You'll receive a confirmation letter, but you can also call the store to confirm your purchases (if you're anal like I am). Just note that getting these tickets are easy, as the site is super user-friendly; it's the matter of getting the dates that you want, as they do go get grabbed pretty quickly! You can check out Bunny during the day for their pastries and such, and then sign-up for one (or more) of their upcoming POPs in the evening. I love the concept! +shares space with Bunny microbakery +purchase tickets online with ease! +a variety of POPs with rotating new chefs +be added to their emailing list for ticket purchasing

Course is the same as almost all weeknight 5Ks in the city. Start at Soldier and run down the…read morelakeshore trail and loop back. Somehow, because the run was affiliated with the Bears, starting at Soldier, felt appropriate. Well organized event. Event was run in waves to limit the amount of congestion on the course. Descent post party activity, with post race beers. Nice Bears branded tech t-shirt.

I admit -I'm a bit partial. This 5K was held by the gym I go to. I love this gym and sense of…read morecommunity of those who attend every day and I was really excited about this race. It's not every day that you know a large majority of people involved in the event you are attending. However, this review is an objective review based on my experience with many, many 5K events. I was super impressed as to how organized this race was, especially given the really bad weather yesterday. The weather held out until about 15 minutes prior to the start, and then it was a complete downpour! They made frequent announcements and were even prepared and passed out rain ponchos to those who wanted them. Since the registration disclaimer said "rain or shine", the race was on! I was particularly impressed with the turnout and excitement of the crowd to continue to run despite the rain. There were elite athletes going for time, the "regular folks" (like me) and a bunch of walkers and families with strollers. What I LOVED about all the people who were either registered or volunteering (or even those hanging out to support everyone) was that everyone was excited and pumped up and wanted to make this a great event regardless of the damper of the downpour! The route was great -in years past, I was told people in the neighborhood typically come out and cheer but this was not case due to the rain. You could see a few people on their front porch watching, but the weather definitely had an effect on the neighborhood "cheerleaders." No worries -the volunteers along the route were happy to give "high fives" and words of encouragement as they directed the participants down the route! My favorite part of the race was two things -fellow gym member, Theo, spinnin' house music at the finish and our "coach" Lamont, who trains us every day, cheering us on as we crossed the finish line. There is nothing better than having your "coach" see the rewards of all of his training! I am definitely doing this race next year and am hoping for much better weather!

I enjoyed this race despite it being one of my worse 5K run times ever due to not training…read morewhatsoever. Normally in preparation for a 5K, I would do some sort of speed work in-between normal mileage leading up to the event, however both lacked because of life responsibilities. The glorious part about not training is that your pacing is off. Once I clocked that first mile I had an idea of what pace I preferred. Other than that, it felt great not to have that expectation to go out and kill myself, which took a stress load off. But best believe next year I have a goal! And that goal is to beat that 21:33 time that is hovering over my head at the moment. I loved the support that this race had along its course, and the race official brought enthusiasm. Outside of the volunteers on the course there were also people cheering us on from their window or porch, which is rare during a 5k event. The course itself was very accurate, flat, and out-and-back with nothing extra. It was also well marked, yet had a biker guiding the lead runner with everyone else following. Out-and-back courses are fun because you encounter the other runners in route back to the finish, which gives you that extra support to push on. The only thing that can hinder your performance during this race is the weather, so I recommend wearing something on the lines of a light long-sleeved shirt or either that fantastic race shirt with arm warmers. We all know that Chicago weather is unpredictable in the fall, so do not count out wearing shorts. With all being said if you are considering Lawndale 5k you will not be disappointed. Thomas G

I discovered Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate after searching runguides.com for run events…read morein the Chicago and Chicagoland area during the month of June. I considered it not only because of what it stands for, but the impact it has made throughout the years it has been around. Out of the options to run either the 5k, 8k, or fun run, I selected the 5k being that it was my preference in distance over the 8k at the time. Both costed the same! And if you have no interest in running, there is the option to walk either the 5k, or 8k. The event honors the legacy of Ricky Byrdsong, the first African American Northwestern University men's basketball coach, who was shot and killed by a white supremacist while walking with his children near his Skokie home in July 1991. And proceeds of Race Against Hate are used to further the mission of the YWCA Evanston/North Shore, in particular their efforts in the areas of racial justice and violence prevention. For packet pick-up, we were required to pick up our bib number and t-shirt from either the YWCA Main Building, or Murphy's Fit depending on the day leading up to the event. The hours differed each day at the locations, but I ended up picking up my packet at the YWCA being that the hours were suitable for me. And not once did I stand in any long lines due to the flow of things. Thanks to the volunteers of Race Against Hate for that. As for the day of the event, the runner in me cannot help but glance at the many runners and their running shoes while standing within the starting line area. It is always those moments where I identify the ones that will run ideally around my pace, and who will blaze right by me on course which there were plenty of those runners. The course for the 5k started at Long Field and headed along Sheridan Rd through Northwestern University campus to Dawes Park and back. Always a lovely sight is Dawes Park which I have visited many times in the past. I eased into this run being that I would be running it at a faster pace in comparison to my 10 mile and half marathon pace. When you have participated in so many other events that are 10 miles and up, it is almost as though you forget how fast a 5k run pace is. The course, I must say, was relatively flat with some slight incline. I had to remind myself to keep my pace at 6:45 minute mile after it had dropped from a 6:26 minute mile pace, but I refused to drop to a 7:00 minute mile pace. A reminder to be patient because I will eventually get to that finish line at some point. Within the final mile, I had to pick it up mentally because it seemed never-ending being that I could see the finish line ahead. Eek! Each mile was marked on course and there was a hydration station featuring water near Dawes Park which was very identifiable. And the volunteers working at the hydration station were enthusiastic and supportive of all participants. There were a number of vendors and activities near the finish line within Long Park. After finishing the run, I just wanted to grab whatever hydration and snacks that were available and hit the road back to Chicago to carry out my day because a lot was taken out of me, but I did enjoy the event. Any event that brings individuals together of different ethnic backgrounds and age groups to highlight a cause like this I am all for it. With my Garmin 235 GPS watch on my wrist, a sparkle in my eye underneath my sunglasses, I took on the Race Against Hate.... and conquered it! Yes, I would surely run Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate again solely because of what it stands for, plus I had an enjoyable experience. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

The Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate is an annual 10k/5k run or walk/youth mile hosted annually on…read moreFather's Day. Proceeds from the run go toward YWCA Evanston/NorthShore's continuing work to advocate for racial equity, violence prevention and the economic empowerment and safety for women and girls. More information about this race and its mission can be found at: https://www.ywca-ens.org/ 2019 was my first time running this and in a span of 4 years, it's a pleasure to see the growing show of support. The run is chip timed and the course is mostly flat. It's great for beginners who are new to 5ks. This race is one of my few favorite 5ks to run. I enjoy the friendly hometown vibe, running the path and enjoying the sights along the way. The only area for improvement is to have the 5k run / walk structured where the 5k runner's go first followed by the walkers to avoid bottlenecks. One of the best memorial races to run or walk in support of a worthy cause.