Giddings Plaza is the center of Lincoln Square. It's an easy meeting place, and often functions as…read morea stage or entertainment hub for one of the festivals that take place in Lincoln Square. During the holiday season, Lincoln Square's Christmas tree is here and the tree lighting ceremony takes place in the plaza. I like that there are several benches around the perimeter so folks can actually gather here.

Summer concert!!!!! In 2018, it's on Thursdays, June 7-August 30, 6:30-9pm. There are sooooo many…read morepeople, it's dog and family friendly, oh, and of course that includes strollers! Here's what you need to do- ditch the stroller and bring a blanket. Go to the Farmer's Market on Lincoln & Leland first, less than a block away, order a pan of pizza, get some beer and wine, come back to the plaza (or have your family save your space), sit on your blanket and enjoy some pizza while listening to some live music. The music changes weekly and is a variety of live bands. There was a huge crowds of people- ages from infant months to 70s(?). There were many toddlers with working parents, whom seemed to come after getting off from work. If you're around, go visit!

It's a 4 star if you are into this type of thing...it's not really my thing, which is why it's a 3…read more This is Chicago's oldest house, according to the literature. Pros: The guides are extremely knowledgeable. Our guide was a history major & she knew every little thing about the house & and its history. She also grew up in the neighborhood. One guide was a biology teacher & when we were outside, she told us all about cicadas, more than the generic info you read about in the news. It's really pretty & the interior was filled with old wedding dresses & it's history. Interesting fact I observed... wedding dresses don't seem to go out of style. The wedding dresses were numbered & correspond to a phamlet detailing its history. It's a recommendation of $5-$10, affordable & you do your part on old building restoration. Cons: It's a very small house.

Check out some old Chicago history. If looking for the oldest place in the city then come here for…read morea look. The Noble-Seymour-Crippen House is the oldest structure. Even though it wasn't a part of the city for a long time, it is now and it's older than anything else. Pretty much this is used for banquets and stuff mostly even though it's also a museum but you can make an appointment to visit. Before coming here it should be known this isn't like a museum that a lot of people know about. It's used mostly for events. Things like weddings and that. It has pretty limited hours if just coming to look around. This is open only Saturdays. It's the oldest known structure in the city. The oldest part was built in 1833, and the addition was built in 1868 or so. Among the artifacts are a collection of things found in the ground collected in an archeological dig. There's objects like buttons, guns, toys, and more. Other exhibits show the history of Norwood Park and what it was like. This place is also the home of the Norwood Park Historical Society and is where they have meetings. Good place to check out if you can make the limited hours. It's a must if wanting to learn more about the local history and what it was like back then. This is also pretty popular for those looking to have some big event like a wedding or whatever.

Great library in Oak Park. The staff are very friendly and this is a comfy place to read a book…read moreand beat the heat. Very good choice of reading materials.

Oak Park has an excellent public library system and the Maze Branch is no exception. The staff is…read morekind and helpful. The space is well-kept and inviting. Maze hosts many inclusive community events.

Full disclosure -- I am on the Board of Directors of the Chamber and have been so for several…read moreyears. I also own a boutique in the Bucktown area. I cannot say enough good things about the Chamber or the people who run it and make it a lively resource for the businesses in Wicker Park and Bucktown. From the networking events to the new member luncheons, the sidewalk sale to the SummerFest, the WPBCC gets it done and makes it happen. The Executive Director and her office staff are truly committed to really promote the area and the business that make up Wicker Park and Bucktown. They handle all sorts of complicated community situations with grace and aplomb. Dealing with the aldermen, the business owners, and the residents cannot be fun or easy but they make it look like a cakewalk. The Chamber orgazines all kinds of media outreach opportunties, from internal e-newsletters to aggressively distributed literature about the local cultural and shopping opportunties. The Chamber provides a liason to the city's governmental offices as well; I met Mayor Daley as a Chamber representative to discuss the area's overall curb appeal and how the city could help to spruce it up. That was rad! I would recommend any independent business to join this Chamber and get involved. I can definitely say my business has been positively affected by my association with the Chamber, and I plan to stay an active member as long as my shop is open. I heart the Chamber!

Wow. Still amazed by what an exceptionally cool and different kind of festival the Chamber put on…read morethis weekend with Wicker Park Fest. Rather than cramming lots of overpriced kebab vendors into a tiny space and forcing us to buy tickets, it was all about the music and mercifully cheap. Great job.

Pullman is fantastic. It's one of Chicago's far south side neighborhoods, and amongst those that…read moreoften get ignored by the rest of the city. This neighborhood has one of the richest histories of any in town. Pullman was established as a company town by and named for George Pullman, who created the Pullman Company. They built elaborate sleeping cars for train travel, some of which are still in use today as private rail cars, and are really fancy digs even today. Pullman was annexed by the city of Chicago shortly after it's inception. A neighborhood tour through Pullman is a must, either guided (which I believe happen once per month) or self-guided (pick up a map for a self-guided tour at the Historic Pullman Foundation). There are lavish homes that were built for company executives, as well as more modest homes; they had dormitory-style buildings that were built for single men; and there were interesting homes that have three entrances for newlyweds. The row houses here are beautiful, and I'd honestly consider looking into it if I had the desire to own a home in a historical district and deal with the restrictions and covenants that come with all that. There's the Historic Pullman Foundation, a small museum that has exhibits related to railroad history and the Pullman company/town. There's also the Pullman headquarters; the administrative building has been restored. There's also a Pullman laborer's museum which I have not yet visited but I am hoping to get to soon. They have events throughout the year, such as the aforementioned guided neighborhood tours, Pullman Train Days (a great event!), Pullman Garden Walk, Labor Day activities, various lectures, and so on This site was made a National Monument by President Obama and is the only such site in Chicago. It's very far off the beaten track, but it's definitely worth a visit regardless of whether you're from Chicago or a visitor. There's a Pullman Metra stop, but I've never found parking in Pullman to be a problem. There's a CTA bus as well but this is far enough south that I can only imagine it would take forever to get here unless you're already on the south side.

My first real makeout spot! Oh, I don't normally miss high school, but right now all I want to do…read moreis spend three hours sitting on top of the waterfall waiting for the best time to make a grab for a boob. Pretty nice waterfall that served as the backdrop to a lot of great kissing in my younger days. In the fall, when they shut the water off, I used to love rollerblading in here. That was before they built the police station across the street. More recently, my time at the waterfall has been spent perched on top with a book, or a friend having some very "serious" discussion. Ok, so we were high again and reading Kierkegaard. There are worse ways to spend an evening.

More surprisingly than not people have weddings here because of the backdrop. It's not just the…read morefountain but beyond that on the other side of the land of the street is a land of the lost! Or...just a pretty forresty area that is really cute for pictures and relaxing. The only thing honestly that kills the waterfall is that there's a bench with Honest Abe chillin right in front of the waterfall facing the street now, and that there is a STREET right there. Though it's great while passing by and during the winter they dress it up really nicely with lights, if you're passing by you may think to yourself "why the hell would anyone have their wedding photos here? Or why would they hang out here in the first place?!" But give it a go. If someone creepy walks by there's a monster police station across the street. And a bus stop next to a big empty lot.

It's a warm day and a lovely way to spend it, at the library with some great books! I walked in…read morethrough the automated doors to be greeting by books. Do you want to learn Japanese Language? Mmm, perhaps. The main level is designated for adult reading, internet & computer area, teen lounge area. Upstairs is the 0-14 yo youth section. In the basement is the good ol' Dewey Decimal system in use . The library is undergoing a makeover currently but it's not cluttered and still very much open to be enjoyed by the community and visitors. To acquire a Library Card to check out books , you need a Picture ID, parent or guardians, children can have their own card or under the guardian. You may decide what's best for your particular family unit. Proof of address is required and a picture ID. The library is free to use during Hours of Operation. They are helpful, so just ask for guidance or any necessary questions you may have. There is parking both in the East and West lots. Accessible on Riverside Dr. Parking is Not accessible on Harlem Avenue. The library is a wonderful place to catch up on reading, introducing new topics to your family/friends and promote healthy literacy in our communities for ALL. Great place to visit the offer Dinner & Movie night for only $5 buffet, registration required for adult services. They have a monthly program, lists all the book clubs and activities for all ages.if you sign up for a library card, you will review the schedule by email once per month.

They are always very nice. Cathy Patzer They always have my books ready for me.They answer any…read morequestions I have.

If you are looking for a great place to volunteer at a local level, this is a great place to do it…read more The president, August "Auggie" Sallas is an incredible person to get to know. He makes the organization what it is. So what does the organization do? The LVCC provides every kind of social service to the Little Village Community. They conduct clothes drives, food banks, job fairs, college fairs, educational workshops, voter registration, services to immigrants, etc. Basically, whatever need is present in the community the LVCC will try to meet it. What I like best about the LVCC is that you get a diversity of people here. If you are the kind of person that wants to give a few hours a week or a month to an organization that does not have any of the red tape and deals with a Hispanic population, then this is the place for you. I went to a meeting here and I felt like I was amongst the village elders, and was welcomed as if they had known me forever.