Logan Square is a continuously gentrifying area of Chicago. It's one of the "hip" neighborhoods in…read moretown. Lots of restaurants, some concert venues and the like. It's got several notable parks, such as Palmer Square Park, Unity Park, and Kosciuszko Park. What makes Logan Square special is that it's part of the boulevard system, and it has these beautiful wide boulevards which have large, park-like medians. I've seen people having gatherings, picnics, barbecues and the like here in the medians along Kedzie. I don't actually spend much time in Logan Square or its environs, but probably should. There's Emporium or Fireside Bowl if you're looking for fun (and I think Pink Squirrel is in the area, if you want to try duckpin bowling); more than one brewery, I think, though Revolution Brewing is the big one I think. Lots of great public art, from the Greetings from Chicago and Robin Williams murals to the most amazing mosaic commemorating L. Frank Baum and the land of Oz that you've ever seen (Oz Park can suck it). Worth a stroll, and get some Puerto Rican food.

Logan Square is an area on the northwest side of Chicago that is dear to my heart. Southeast of…read moreLogan Square is the gateway to downtown Chicago. Northwest of Logan Square is the gateway to the most Polish neighborhood in the United States - almost like a little Warsaw. East of Logan Square leads you into the old German part of Chicago, which once covered over a dozen square miles, had 6 German newspapers, and over 100 German stores, restaurants, bars, bakeries, dancehalls, & cultural centers. And west of Logan Square opens onto a seemingly endless stretch of ethnic neighborhoods and faceless buildings that were flung up in grids during the first half of the 20th century. Once, Logan Square was an affluent neighborhood, a rich area of the city one might say, like a late 19th century suburb on the outskirts of Chicago's center. Even today, one can find the occasional stretch of old stone mansions with carriage houses left standing, tucked in between the many 1930's three story brick apartment buildings where other even older mansions once stood, some stretching back to the Gilded Age. Logan Square offers a bittersweet memory of the glory days of Old Chicago, when Speakeasys dotted the city, Sicilian Gangsters drove the streets, and European Immigrants from Sweden, Saxony, and other cities far and wide were pouring into town daily, enriching our lives with their many cultures and their absolutely delicious cuisines. Now Logan Square is just another place among the many spots in Chicago where it's specific history has been lost. Logan Square has become a Subway Station and a Bus Depot. Today Logan Square is just a big Pillar in the middle of the street.

The zoo lights are beautiful some of them are synchronized to music. This is a very nice experience…read morethat I think every Chicago visitor should see. There is plenty of places to pick up a drink or two and some light food. While you are there you can also stop by the lion house or the reptile house and visit with some animal and warm up if it's a very cold day.

I had an amazing time at Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo! This is a fun Chicagoland holiday…read moretradition and there is so much to experience ! From the ferris wheel to the sparkling holiday light tunnel, there is something for everyone! Perfect holiday outing!!

The Loop, when I visited Chicago was, the elevated train that "looped" around the heart of the…read morecity. The Loop, or "the L" enclosed Chicago's downtown. My middle eldest sister and I enjoyed our brief visit to Chicago and enjoyed riding "the L!" The Loop was the first elevated public transit I had experienced! It was magical, reasonably priced, and not at all scary! I did not realize the Loop is as old as it is. From the Chicago Loop Alliance, "The first "L" train was built in 1892, and its inaugural journey took place on June 6, spanning 3.6 miles in 14 minutes." This unique transportation really stands out vividly in memory as one of the coolest things we experienced during our Spring Break trip to Chicago and Evanston, Illinois.

The Loop is the place that tourists are referring to when they talk about all of the great things…read moreto see and do in the city of Chicago. Cloudgate (The Bean) at Millenium Park is a great place to visit. From there you can go to the beach, find a great place to shop, visit a museum (Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry), or get a bite to eat and drink. Trying a slice of deep dish pizza is a must! There are always new things to try. The Loop is a fun day trip or a great place to get lost in for a week!

My family loves driving through this neighborhood to see both the uniqueness of each home's…read moredecorations as well as the design and style of the exterior of the house itself. We even saw some Hanukkah decorations, so cool!

A little off season now, I know - I had been wanting to finish this review during the holidays but…read moregot a little bit busy. So here it is, if you're wanting the experience of enjoying Christmas lights, at a really slow pace while you're in the comfort of your car - come here and drive around the Lincolnwood Towers Subdivision (still thinking of Rush). But of course, come in the evening to get the full effect. I promise you that it'll become tradition, especially if you have little kids or even big kids. They in turn, will eventually take their kids. It only takes about 20 minutes, at the most. I've actually picked up folks at O'Hare from outta the country and have taken them directly here for a quick tour - before going home. They were amazed!! The decorations and displays are over the top and my favorite of all time...drum roll please...is the house with the Christmas tree seemingly protruding through the roof. How clever!! Ahem, these are our Lincolnwood neighbors sacrificing their privacy and convenience, so please be courteous to those driving their Range Rovers and G Wagons. Pretentiousness aside, this is a really nice neighborhood that puts on a great display of the Christmas spirit and therefore, a big thank you to these folks!!

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!

Had a blast at Ribfest. I love the spaces to chill and eat. The vendors were revved up and some…read moreeven had their long lines move quickly. The musical act Caught Stealing' and The Whiskey Misfits were awesome. I tried plenty of things but my two favorite vendors were Hell's BBQ and Lexington Betty Smokehouse. Some of the pricing for samplers (3 bones) were high ranging from $12 to $18. Looking forward to next year.

It's called ribfest, but there's stuff besides ribs. Elotes, carnival snacks like deep fried…read moretwinkies, burgers, and so on. This year (2024) they had folks pay at the vendor instead of the ticket system I know they've used in years past. I like that much better; the tickets are too annoying since you have to know exactly how many to buy and even worse might end up with too many. It's usually hot as heck out here so since I had the baby with me we didn't stay. But there are bands, vendors, kids activities... so there's a bit for everyone. It can get far too crowded for me but we stopped by early and it was not very busy yet. The brown line or bus is probably your best bet to get here.

This building has offices for the administration, their arts council and the police dept. The…read morebuilding and all the grounds were all built several years ago and is very well maintained. The grounds surrounding it have a huge park that even has a giant swimming pool and playground.

Joan, who works in the Finance Department, is always DISRESPECTFUL and UNPROFESSIONAL. She gave my…read morefather and I a bad attitude so I gave her the same attitude back to her. If she continues to behave this way, then I am going to continue treat her poorly. I suggest to all the Lincolnwood residents to do the same as well. Remember, our taxpayers' money goes to Joan's paycheck and pension which she does NOT deserve. I already filled a complaint on her and unfortunately, they can't do anything about it... Shame.

Walking into Smith Park, the only thing that led me away from the assumption that I was crashing a…read morereunion was that I paid $5 admission. Ukrainian Days, in a nutshell, is a giant family picnic in the park. That is if your family is all Ukrainians. I've been to Ukraine a couple of times before. And the country itself is not that friendly to outsiders. Not that the people are especially surly or anything, but the rate of English being spoken - even in the tourist industry - isn't very high (except in Kiev). The closest someone can get to this experience in Chicago, besides going to the consulate downtown, is this festival. The amount of English that I heard in the over an hour I was there could best be described as "a smattering." Even the stage announcements, let alone the acts, were in Ukrainian (completely without English translation) and even the youngest people in the crowd seemed to grasp what was going on. I, however, never quite did. Thankfully, those in the service sector of this mini-economy (just trying to keep the analogy going, I mean the people working the booths) spoke enough English to let me know the borscht was vegetarian. And it was good. And it was a $1. Sadly, the best festival food I've had all summer was a cup of warm borscht (perfect for carrying around the festival). It was just like grandma used to make (even if she was Lithuanian). The food vendors were all spectacular, in fact. Shokolad brought a large menu, including rich deserts, and two other vendors offered authentic Polish and Ukrainian fare (including the ever tempting vereneky). Though sadly, the lines for each of the food vendors were enormous and there's a reason why - there wasn't much else to do. The few merchandise stalls there were seemed to be an afterthought. And the only interesting one I saw was one selling CDs from the old country. You know, to listen to if you get tired of sitting around a picnic table and talking to your closest relatives or listening to live Ukrainian folk music from the festival stage. And Heineken and Miller beers were only $3. At least that makes it better (or more bearable) than an average family reunion.

I think that now that they have decided on a date and have stuck to it, closest to Ukrainian…read moreIndependence Day August 25th, the fair has been a success. Yes, it is a fest catering mainly to the Ukrainian community but all are welcome to attend. After all, the Ukrainians have been in this area for decades and as I recall at West Fest, I don't remember hearing any Ukrainian or Polish or Spanish spoken for those residents that have been a part of West Town for longer than the newly arrived discoverers of this now trendy neighborhood. The people that attend this fest are family yes, but the vast majority of these folks are simply related by common ethnic backgrounds and most likely attend the same church or bar. Americans or anyone else are certainly welcome, your money is green and will be heartily accepted. So, please partake and enjoy the wonderful ethnic dancing, singing and general merriment of the Ukrainian community here in Chicago. And as the other poster noted the $5. admission charge, West Fest charges the same $5 admission fee, what's he squawking about?