I was lucky enough to attend the Harvest Dinner which was put on by the Logan Square Camber of…read moreCommerce. The dinner brought together the neighborhoods best restaurants including Fonda del Mar, Urban Belly, Vella Cafe, Treat, Tiny Cakes, Rustic, Provenance, Orbit Room, and a few other area locals. The dinner was buffet style and each establishment did a dish. A few of the standouts where Vella's butternut squash au gratin, Treat's curry gnocci, and Urban belly had an outstanding eggplant dish. I eat very few sweets but Tiny Cakes did an soft and moist carrot cake muffin with some tasty cream cheese frosting. The event held about 100 locals at the Stan Mansion, there was a silent auction and proceeds went to the Logan Square Farmers Market. It was a relaxing casual event and I will look forward to attending again.

Almost walked past this. Opposite side of The Riverwalk. Great detail. Great background view of…read moreChicago skyline! Worth the stop!

This is an amazing piece of work by Taiwanese Artist and Sculptor Ju Ming. It is located in the…read moreAMA Plaza and outdoor seating is offered for individuals to sit and admire and discuss the sculpture of the eleven men cast in Bronze who are dressed in business suits, trench coats and some with umbrellas...obviously as if they were on their way to work in a modern city environment. Upon a close-up inspection recently, I noticed that the eyes were not pronounced and that they seem to be expressionless as the grayness of their cast figures suggest. Almost as if it was just another day going through the same routine- wake up, go to work, eat, sleep---REPEAT. It reminds me in a way of Andy Warhol's Campbells Soup Can-we live from one meal to the next. About the Artist: Ju Ming (1938-) was originally trained as a woodcarver; however, his work evolved into sculpting in bronze in addition to other materials such as styrofoam, stainless steel as well as other mediums. He became well known in Taiwan during the 1970s and later in 1983 in New York City when he had individual exhibition of Living World Series: A Pair of Classical People at the Max Hutchinson Gallery. This piece in particular, is regarded as one of the most important works among the early production of the Living World Series. Ming's Living World Series appears or suggests that his work may evolve from his perception of the world around him; however, he has been quoted as saying that there is no one interpretation or set interpretation designated in his intention to create his sculptures. There are other parts of The Living World Series including "Imprisonment"which has drawn attention to his style of thought provoking sculpture. FYI-This Public Piece of art was purchased by Eagle Holdings, which is the parent group of the Langham Hospitality Group.

This is a good corner!- Im not sure why, but people to tend to loiter there, its very weird…read more The reason I like it is one of my favorite bands that I have discovered on the street played here. Albania Mania- super awesome cuteness polkaish music. I actually bought one of their cds and you would have thought that I just squatted down and laid a golden egg and given it to them. The only bad things about that corner are the general populace. Icky greasy old men looking to bang 20 yr old girls and lame 20 yr old girls lokking to bang rich old men. Scary old bitch-ladies covered in nasty fur coats. *shudder*

what a corner this is! northeast in the hizzzouse!…read more the NE corner at state & elm is a damn good corner, just ask the peeps who hang there. from my personal experience, it's a great place to pick up friends who happen to live on or by those streets - there is a perfect amount of space for the cabbie to pull on over to the NE corner and wait for your friend as she makes her way to "her corner." +i've heard it's a very lucrative corner, if ya know what i mean, kinda like a chicken wing.

As a new resident, I contacted Republic Services--the provider contracted by the City of…read moreElmhurst--on the day I moved in to confirm how to dispose of moving boxes and packing materials. I was explicitly instructed to place the items at the curb for pickup during the next scheduled trash collection. I followed those instructions exactly. The items were not collected. I called again the following day, explained the situation, and was told a truck would be sent out that same day. No one came. I then contacted the City for assistance. I was told the issue would be handled. Instead, within 30 minutes, a code enforcement officer arrived at my home and issued a violation for the very items I had been directed--by their contracted service provider--to leave at the curb. This experience reflects a breakdown in coordination between the City and its contractor, and a lack of accountability when their guidance leads directly to a resident being penalized. As a new resident trying to follow the rules, it's frustrating to receive conflicting direction and then be cited for complying with it.

OMG I love Elmhurst lived there for 7 year and I still miss it. Everything is walking distance…read more I would always walk to the Movies and walk to the Museums just over all Elmhurst has it all and free parking for everything. I wish I ACN go back to live in Elmhurst it is so close to the expressways and to Chicago. They have the most exciting shops banks Doctors and dermatologist all in the same block. Not to mention all the best Italian restaurants are in Elmhurst

Love Greek food? Come to Greektown in Chicago…read more In the 1840s, ship captains came to Chicago. This led to the captains' families following who became food peddlers who eventually opened restaurants. Initially, Greektown was near the Harrison and Halstead area, but was forced to relocate due to the expansion of University of Illinois-Chicago and then the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway which forced the neighborhood to move a few blocks north. Many of today's Greektown was built during the 1970s-1980s. Are you a fan of gyros and saganaki (flaming cheese)? Thank Chicago's Greektown. Both were introduced in 1968 at the Parthenon Restaurant. Today, there are so many great choices for traditional Greek restaurants. Our favorites are Greek Islands and Athena. At Greek Islands, start with an appetizer like the saganaki or the cold spread sampler or get the combination plate. The combo gives you such a nice variety-leg of lamb, Moussaka (we switch to the vegetarian), Dolmades, veggies and roasted potatoes. So delicious! At Athena, sit in the open courtyard on a sunny day and get transported to Greece. Start with a delicious Greek salad full of feta cheese, kalamata olives and crisp cucumbers. The saganaki is a great show and the warm cheese is so good. Get a combo dip platter. The taramosalata and melitzanosalata are delicious. For entrees, our favorites are the sea bass, leg of lamb, gyros and vegetarian Moussaka. Walk and enjoy the shops. Start your day with a cup of coffee or tea and a baklava. Or enjoy a lazy Sunday brunch at a cafe. Learn more with a visit to the National Hellenic Museum. Check the website for hours.

I love Greektown-whether you are looking for classic and authentic pastries such as baklava, or…read moreappetizer tzatziki dip with pita to classy sit down upscale Greek Cuisine to a24 hour Gyro Joint-there is something for everyone! The statues, art, and authentic Greek themed structures that embellish the pedestrian sidewalks is truly spectacular. Truly a special and unique neighborhood in Chicago with something for everyone of all ages to enjoy.

Pilsen Fest was such an amazing experience! The energy was incredible from start to finish. There…read morewas great music, tons of delicious food vendors, and so many talented local artists and small businesses to check out. It really felt like the whole neighborhood came together to celebrate culture, community, and creativity. The atmosphere was super welcoming and lively, with colorful art, dancing, and people of all ages just having a great time. I loved walking around, trying different foods, and discovering new artists and vendors. If you're looking for a fun festival with great vibes and an authentic community feel, Pilsen Fest is definitely worth checking out. Can't wait to go again next year!

Wonderful community with many restaurants and local grocery stores and shopping…read more The traffic is a little confusing getting off the Stevenson expressway and there is a maximum security prison down the block from this fabulous entrance. So, map your route before arriving. Great piece of culture!

I've lived in Ravenswood since 2009. It's my home in this city. I've thought about moving to a new…read moreplace more than once, but it's hard to think about moving to a completely different neighborhood. To correct another reviewer, Ravenswood is NOT in the suburbs. It was *once* a suburb--established over 150 years ago as part of Lake View Townshop, which in turn was annexed by the city. It began as the Ravenswood Land Company, a real estate group formed with the goal of offering commuters homes near the city. Several of the folks involved in the Company have streets named after them that run through this neighborhood. Before the CTA trains were assigned color-coded routes, the Brown Line was known as the Ravenswood Branch. Ravenswood is a mix of industrial and residential. There was once a musical instrument facility in the Deagan building--where J.C. Deagan lead a business making glockenspiels and other percussive instruments. That business was purchased by other companies in the late 70s, but a mallet and instrument repair company remains in the building. Abbot Laboratories, the medical company, was established here in Ravenswood by Dr. Abbot himself, who ran his own practice and pharmacy. Boye Needle Company, which made needles and other sewing notions, was once in the space that most recently was occupied by Architectural Artifacts. There was once at least one, if not two, Masonic Temples in the area to provide a social outlet for early Ravenswood residents. It's my understanding that after the Great Chicago Fire, Ravenswood experienced a bit of a boom. Poorer residents chose Ravenswood because they needed to build new homes, and wood frame ones that were outlawed in Chicago were the more affordable. The fire caused a building boom in the northern area of the city as well (North Avenue was once the city's northern border). As brickyards started cropping up around the area to supply the construction of the rebuilt city, immigrants (mostly German) came to the area to work and live. In these early days, the intersection of Damen & Lawrence Avenues was a rural, wooded lovers lane; isn't that adorable? All Saints' Episcopal Church at the corner of Wilson and Hermitage is the oldest church in the neighborhood and the oldest wood frame church in Chicago, because the church was built before the annexation. Carl Sandburg lived down the block and once attended this church. The church does a food pantry and meal distribution on Tuesdays in conjunction with Ravenswood Community Services, and they also host the annual Ravenswood Run and Spirits of Ravenswood. Down the street is a Methodist church, which helped victims of Japanese internment when they were relocated to Chicago. That church continues to have a close relationship with the Japanese American Service Committee to this day. There are several arts organizations that have a presence in the neighborhood. Several theatre companies have administrative offices here, and there are several studios for various visual artists. Starshaped Press, a local letterpress, operates out of the Bulldog Lock Company building. The Ravenswood Art Walk showcases this and other artists each year. Access Contemporary Music holds a classical music festival each year called the Thirsty Ears Festival, which I have yet to attend but hope to soon! And for folks who love their beer and spirits, there are several distilleries, breweries to be found in and very near Ravenswood. It's simply a great place to be and my heart aches a bit anytime I think about when we may leave it.

So the Browns would never abandon their city for a richer city. But the Ravenswood…read more Really lovely neighbourhood in the near Northwest suburbs of Chicago with a lot of cool people around here and some great places to eat and pretty much an awesome destination if you like to explore the suburbs of Chicago for all of their great ethnic and exciting culinary and recreational glory - it's just a shame about the damn traffic, but then the same can be said about pretty much the entire freaking region.

Ok, I'm not afraid to admit that on Friday's I'm usually a total lame-o. I like nothing more than…read morewatching TV and cozying up to my most recent issue of Us magazine. However, since summer was winding down, my Us never showed, and I had a long weekend ahead of me I decided to shake things up and check out the Gapers Block Party at the Metro. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I had never heard of any of the acts, had never even read Gapers Block, but it was free before 9:30. You can't even say that about most street fests! My friend and I hoped to be pleasantly surprised and that we were. The Metro is a great venue for a show, originally built in 1927 as a Swedish community center, it still has some ornate touches most notable around the stage, and is a small, intimate place to see a show. The Block Party acts were Panda Riot, Blane Fonda, The Hood Internet, and Nikki Lynette; each act played for about 45 minutes it seemed. We arrived midway through Panda Riot's set; they did a great cover of M.I.A.'s Paper Planes. My favorite act, surprisingly, was The Hood Internet, a DJ. I'm not a club-goer so the art of DJ'ing is really lost on me, at least until now. This guy transformed a room of people tamely bopping along to the rhythm into a room full of sweaty, grooving people. To me, his transitions from song to song were not only creative, but seamless. He definitely, turned me not only into a fan, but someone that respects his art. Drinks were pricey ($6 for a Miller Light), but I expected as much from a music venue. The crowd was eclectic to say the least, there aren't too many places you'll see hipsters shoulder to shoulder with chads, clubbers (is that a word?), and a bunch of random others; it definitely made the people watching priceless. All in all it was a good time and I'd check out next year's party.