'Hoods #26: Forest Glen, March 23 2013

Bill organized Forest Glen!
Including the neighborhoods of Edgebrook, Forest Glen, and Sauganash.

Participants: Vicki, Kathy, Kelly, Bill

Highlights: Old Edgebrook, a quaint
   neighborhood in a forest preserve.
  -with no curbs
  -and several weird twig tee-pees
  -that deer crossing the bridge over
   the Chicago river
  -train community
  -lunch at that Irish bar
  -Lutheran churches are NEVER open
  -looking through old pics of Edgebrook
   at the library
  -ice cream!
  -walking Devon
  -the Queen of All Saints Basilica! Our 2nd
   of 3 basilicas in the city limits,
   at which they were totally prepping for
   a wedding
  -walking Sauganash historic district
   in the WRONG shoes

'Hoods Forest Glen my flickr album

'Hood's Forest Glen Bill's flickr album

'Hoods Forest Glen packet

Impressions: Pretty much a suburb. Except with more mixed architecture. I mean, it's steps away from Skokie. It's super residential. Not a TON of food/drinking options. A good place to make and raise babies. And go to church. And make twig teepees.

'Hoods #25: Printers Row Jan 20 2012

Kate organized Printer's Row!
It was our 3rd anniversary!!!
And cold as BALLS!
I remember my little finger tips going numb moments into attempting a pic. Cold.
You know what doesn't stop a 'Hoods?
Cold.

Participants: Kate, Ed, Kelly, Bill, Tom, Sunny

Highlights: Ed treated us to lunch at Potbelly's!
  -cool, cavernous architecture on Dearborn
   mostly formerly related to printing, duh
  -cute little printer's row park
  -that book store
  -empty Dearborn Station
  -looks like the Jazz Showcase moved down
   here? Dad used to love the Jazz Showcase.
  -Kasey's tavern, old!
  -rolling North on Dearborn: the Manhattan and
   its creepy faces looking down, the Fisher building,
   the Modandock
  -Harold Washington Library
  -dinner at Blackie's
  -lots of ghost signs

'Hoods Printers Row packet

'Hoods Printers Row MY flickr album

'Hoods Printers Row Bill's flickr album

Impressions: I'll bet there are some RAD loft spaces here. Love the feel of the neighborhood. The old printing buildings are gorgeous. And dense. Not a lot of humans out on the street. But hard to judge if this was normal cause it was so freaking cold. There might be more street life on a nicer day. Not a TON of food or drink options. Feels real safe and clean and well-tended.

'Hoods #24: Gold Coast, Nov 18 2012

Bill planned this one.
It ended up being one of my favorites!
So much pretty in this neighborhood!

Participants: Bill, William, both of the Vicki-s, Kelly, Ed and Kate joined us at lunch

Highlights: ALL of the grand old mansions
   at one time occupied by ALL of the important
   Chicago folks (including Billy Corgan),
   especially on Astor St
  -the International Museum of Surgical Science
   (I recommend to EVERYONE)
  -the archbishop's sweet residence
  -wooden alley
  -the Latin school!
  -lunch at the Chicago History Museum
   (pretty sure actually in Lincoln Park,
   but on the edge!)
  -Richardsonian Romanesque!
  -love all the plaques, Gold Coast!
  -that lady in the riding gear who was obviously
   on her way to or from her, um, rich lady horse!
   -some Frank Lloyd Wright, thank you very much
  -playboy mansion
  -sweet hotels, and the Pump Room
  -the Three Arts Club, back when it was still empty
  -snacks at the 3rd Coast
  -all the Lake Shore Drive Mansions
  -the Fisher Studio houses (I wanna get in there!)
  -where Frank Lloyd Wright once lived with Miriam...
   TORN DOWN!
  -the viagra triangle :)
  -Oak Street, money
  -that gazebo at Oak and Michigan
  -East Lake Shore Drive historic district,
   Benjamin Marshall!!!
  -drinks at Coq D'or at the Drake Hotel!

'Hoods Gold Coast flickr album

'Hoods Gold Coast packet

About a year ago (?) Restoration Hardware bought the 3 Arts building and set up its shop in there, along with a super sweet little restaurant in its atrium. So...of course we had to go! Bill and William and husband and I visited in Dec 2015.

3 arts cafe

And during Open House Chicago in 2013 Bill, Brooke and I saw some sights in the Gold Coast.
the Alliance Francaise (they gave me a pin and a glass of wine)
the interior of the Charnley-Persky house (FLW and Louis Sullivan)
the Harvest Bible Chapel
the Newberry Library
Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts (where I bought a watercolor from an artist depicting a Chicago street scene)
and the Poetry Foundation.

Open House Chicago 2013

Oh, and that time we went to the Zebra Lounge!

and Nico Osteria

Impressions: LOTS of money. Lots of history. Lots of cool mansions. I wish I lived closer so I could take evening strolls here and look into the beautiful homes and see how truly rich people live.

'Hoods #23: Fulton Market area of the West Loop Sept 30 2012 and Feb 23 2013

Technically the 2012 visit was a preview and the REAL 'hoods happened in 2013. But hey. Whatever.

In 2012 we brunched at Ina's (now gone) and visited the Randolph Street Market. It got us into the plumber's union building. And we bought some sweet vintage items.

Randolph Street Market and Ina's

On Feb 23 2013 we had an ACTUAL 'hoods. I planned this one.

Participants: Kelly, Kate, Ed, Bill, Jeremy L, Julie

Highlights: husband got a pork belly at Grant Park packing
  -pre-brunch at Publican Quality Meats
   (sweet, sweet charcuterie plate!)
  -for REALS brunch at the Publican
   (sweet, sweet slabs of bacon!)
  -shopping on Lake (cutlery and fishes)
  -walking over the expressway
  -site of the Haymarket riot
  -drankin at the Haymarket brewery
  -checkin the restaurants and markets on Fulton
  -bansky
  -eyeballing the art galleries
  -no more hologram museum!
  -coffee at la colombe (now all over the city)
  -packer schopf gallery
  -harpo studios
  -all the warehouses, and warehouse architecture
  -jantiques
  -MORE coffee at Jupiter Outpost
  -that cat at the Mars gallery (the center of some
   sort of energy vortex?)
  -FANCY drinks at the Aviary!

'Hoods fulton market flickr album

'Hoods fulton market packet

Here's the time we saw Story Sessions at City Winery

Here's the time we at at NEXT for my birthday!

Here's the time we visited both CH and Rhine Hall distilleries

at Little Goat

Impressions: Good eats! I love old factory and warehouse architecture. I'm sad that all of the ACTUAL meat packaging businesses and warehouses are being pushed out. But all of the new businesses are sexy and delicious. Interesting intersection of art galleries, expensive food, and old-school industry. Kind of exciting, in a 'changing neighborhood' kind of way. I mean, I love a loft space. Hope it retains some of its charm and doesn't become soul-less. Also? Someone bring back that hologram museum!

'Hoods #22: East Rogers Park June 3 2016

Bill organized this one.
But I actually LIVE in East Rogers Park.
So I'm pretty invested in this neighborhood. I've been here 12 years and counting. There are parts that are difficult (the crime). But I LOVE other parts (the beach, the multicultural community, the laid-back hippy component, the arts, the growing gay community, etc). I believe in it. And I have high hopes that it will get safer and safer as time goes by.

Participants: Bill, Julie, William, Kelly, joined by Ed and Kate at the LA&M, joined by Brooke and Jeremy L for dinner

Highlights: brunch at Pillars (which is gone already.
   It's currently a Philly's Cheesesteak joint. But always
   empty? So probably will turn over again at some
   point.)
  -Armadillo's pillow (great used bookstore)
  -Flatts and Sharpe (husb takes guitar lessons here)
  -Bruno's with its frieze of Chicago
  -the Loyola campus, including its chapel
  -LA&M Leather archives and museum. Amazing.
  -Charmer's cafe on Jarvis (also gone already).
  -checking out the Walter Burley Griffen and
   having the owner hang out the window to introduce
   himself
  -drinks at the Lighthouse
  -Frank Lloyd Wright's Bach house
  -the Farcroft building, with its creepy gargoyles. Magic concentrator?
  -Fargo beach
  -the beach houses on East Lake Terrace
  -the former grandeur of Howard, including the Broadmoor,
   the Howard theater, the Paulina building, Werner bros
   storing, etc
  -the El at Howard
  -the West Ridge/Historical Society already closed for the day
   (and now moved to another location!)
  -walking Morse and Glenwood
  -dinner on the patio at the Heartland Cafe

'Hoods East Rogers Park flickr album

'Hoods East Rogers Park packet

Rogers Park alley scenes
Rogers Park alley walk 2015

Rogers Park Arts Fest 2013
and 2009

our first farmer's market 2010

Rogers Park during and after the superbowl blizzard of 2015

melting beach 2015
and melting 2009

storm sky 2010

winter beach 2013
winter beach 2010
winter in the Rog 2009

summer beachin in the Rog
and in 2013
and 2010

artists of the wall 2009
artists of the wall 2010
artists of the wall 2011
artists of the wall 2012
artists of the wall 2014

as part of Open House 2013 we did the interior of the Emil Bach house, and Cat's Cradle B and B

family picnic at beach 2013

supermoon at beach 2013

more beach. i love my beach.
and again
and some more
beach grillin
yup
grillin on labor day 2009
with Brooke


sloshball 2012

chili cookoff at the glenwood

the lighthouse 2009

the oasis 2009

the nice!

that year we went to every taqueria on Clark. every. one.

'Hoods #21: Prairie Ave/Motor Row/Record Row May 12 2012

I organized this one.
And learned a LOT about this part of Chicago just south of the Loop.

Participants: Kelly, Bill and Neal (small one!). Neal left before dinner, so this was the first of Bill and Kelly's accidentally romantic 'Hoods meals.

Highlights: lunch at Reggie's (starting with music)
  -a tour of Chess Records (which took a million
   years to start. In fact, we waited so long, we had to leave
   before the end of the tour, in order to make our
   NEXT tour. BUT, the tour was led by Willie
   Dixon's grandson! And we were such an interested
   group that he let us get into one of the storage closets 
   where they keep old instruments not on display.
   Neal and Bill got to handle Willie Dixon's upright
   bass. It was pretty cool.)
  -tour of the Glessner house on Prairie Ave (so cool,
   but why no pictures, Glessner house?)
  -and THEN a tour of the Clarke house, Chicago's
   oldest house. So many tours this day!
  -we then had a hard time finding somewhere to SIT
   DOWN for a second and have, like, a coffee. So there's
   THAT to know about the 'hood.
  -we pooped around Chicago's Women's park
  -then we scoped whatever other mansions were left on
   Prairie Ave.
  -we walked by a portion of McCormick place I'd never
   seen from the ground.
  -Quinn chapel, important in the civil rights movement
  -the Chicago Daily Defender and Illinois Auto Club
  -some old press/printing buildings, too. This neighborhood
   has a LOT of legacies.
  -rolling back up Michigan Ave we looked at the remains
   of both Record Row (old record companies) and of
   Motor Row (old car dealerships).
  -and then a romantic dinner for two at Gioco

On Dec 26 2012 Bill and I went back to supplement.
  -We had ANOTHER romantic meal, this time at
   the Chicago Firehouse restaurant
  -and then we took, like, a 3 hour tour of the Second
   Presbyterian Church of Chicago, with all of its Tiffany
   windows. We were the only 2 folks there visiting, and
   there were, I think, 3 docents on duty. So they were
   VERY thorough in their informal tour and let us crawl
   all over the place.

'Hoods Prairie Ave/Motor Row/Records Row May and Dec 2012 flickr album

'Hoods Prairie Ave/Motor Row/Records Row packet

map of 'Hoods Prairie Ave/Motor Row/Records Row

I LOVED this one. I didn't know ANYTHING about any of the 3 parts of this neighborhood until I started researching. I really feel like I took some ownership of this neighborhood that I definitely never had before.

'Hoods #20: Uptown April 21 2012

Anne organized the Uptown 'Hoods!

Participants: Anne, Dan, Bill, William, Kelly, Ed, Kate, Tom and Jeremy L join us for dinner

Highlights: Breakfast at the Golden House Restaurant
   (pigs in a blanket!)
  -Talking with the owner of Shake, Rattle and Read
   (currently working on shutting down forever. sad.)
  -the Uptown post office
  -the Aragon lobby (couldn't get any deeper on THIS visit)
  -historic Castlewood Terrace, where all the OLD school
   movie stars lived, back in the day
  -walking and shopping Argyle/littleVietnam
  -Essanay studios (with a fine staged performance of
   "Sounds of Silents" by Dan and Bill)
  -St Boniface cemetery, and a poem read by Anne
  -day drinking at Carol's Pub
  -walking through Sheridan Park to get back to Broadway
  -drinks at the Green Mill
  -dinner at Tank noodle

'Hoods Uptown flickr album

'Hoods Uptown packet

Here's that time in 2013 when I got a small peek into the shuttered Uptown Theater cause they were using it for filming on the Transformers movie

Here's Brooke performing at the Green Mill in 2014

another Green Mill/Paper machete visit in 2012

this set includes Owens in the Paper Machete at the Green Mill in 2015

Here's the time that Brooke and I went to the Vintage Pop Up at the Aragon theater

and Chinese New Year on Argyle Feb 2016

'Hoods #19: Old Town March 25 2012

Ed organized Old Town.
Founder Ed!
He's not much of a computer guy, so his packet was actually hand written on yellow legal paper.
Bill couldn't control himself and made a supplementary packet when he got home.
So, there's that :)

Participants:Kate, Ed, Tom, Bill, William, Kelly, Jeremy L (joined for dinner)

Highlights: Breakfast at Delightful Pastries
   (did we visit another one of those on the Portage Park 'Hoods?)
  -home of the first Gay Rights Org
  -speaking of home, saw lots of old ones
  -the longest tour in American, at St. Michael's church. I mean,
   we go on a lot of tours. And can handle almost anything. But
   this one was so long we had to leave before it was over. So much
   info on all the bible stories included in the windows. So. Many.
  -seeing a show at Second City about the 'history of Chicago'!
  -Old Town Ale House. LOVE.
  -shopping on Wells
  -the artist residences on Burton
  -ribs at Two Anchors

'Hoods Old Town flickr album

'Hoods Old Town packet

here's when we saw Colonna at Zanie's in 2013

Here's when Kate and I went to Bistro Margot and Old Town Ale House after the Chicago History museum in 2014

'Hoods #18: the Pedway Feb 18 2012

Bill organized Pedway 'Hoods.
Unfortunately, a lot of the Pedway is closed on the weekends. But we made do with what we could get into! And we visited a bunch of places that the Pedway connects, as well.

Participants: Bill, William, Kelly, Dan, Anne, Ed, Kate, Kathy, Julie

Highlights: the light show at the Bean
  -dinner at the Walnut Room
  -thoroughly exploring the interior of the former Marshall Fields
   with special insight from William, former employee!
  -the Chicago Cultural Center tour
  -that film location off the alley. Wasn't it from a Transformers?
  -Millennium station
  -Beard Papa cream puffs (now gone) in a nearly empty Block 37
   (now MUCH more boomin)
  -Illinois Center
  -getting bounced from the Court building
  -Daley Plaza

*We should summer supplement and go on a week day. Check out some of the portions that were closed to us.

Pedway 'Hoods flickr album

'Hoods Pedway packet

'Hoods #17: Logan Square Jan 15 2012

This was our 2 year anniversary!
I planned this one.

Participants: Kelly, Jeremy L, Bill, William, Ed, Kate

Highlights: Jeremy and I stopping in that Norwegian
   Lutheran church and folks getting REAL excited
   thinking they were getting some newer, younger,
   Norwegian speaking congregants. Sorry we
   ducked out as service started. Didn't want to raise
   too many expectations.
  -Lula for brunch. Million dollar slow drip coffee.
  -wearing the wrong shoes for slogging through the
   snow. Had to borrow a pair of dry socks from Bill
   that afternoon for bowling.
  -walking logan Blvd
  -New Wave Coffee to warm up!
  -that French Patisserie that's closed now
  -Wolfbait
  -walking Milwaukee Ave
  -and then Kedzie Blvd. There was a lot of walking
   for mid-January Chicago.
  -finally, let's drink at Revolution
  -and conclude with some Fireside Bowl!

'Hoods Logan Square flickr album

'Hoods Logan Square packet

There is a LOT more eating and drinking that can happen here.

Here's Ma and I hitting up Cafe con Leche, the farmer's market, and some sort of street fest in Logan Square in 2013

Here's Brooke and I rocking Jam and the Farmer's Market in Oct 2015

Here's our friend Claire in a Jug Band competition at the Logan Square Auditorium in Oct 2015

part of this set has us eating at Longman and Eagle for my birthday in 2014

etc.

'Hoods #16: Roscoe Village/North Center November 13 2011

Julie planned out Roscoe Village for us.

I almost felt MORE conspicuous in this neighborhood for being an outsider than in, say, Pilsen or Ukrainian Village (where someone actually came out and said 'well YOU'RE not Ukrainian.'
Let's just say there were a LOT of young, white, fit, mothers pushing very expensive strollers. Don't get me wrong. I'm painting the neighborhood with a really broad stroke here. I get it. Just an observation.

Participants: Julie, Anne, Dan, Dan's mom, Kelly, Ed, Kate, Bill, William

Highlights: Is this the first 'hoods where we're sporting our
   hoodies with the 'hoods patch? That can't be right. I'll have
   to look into that.
  -vegan cheesecake is disgusting
  -I have GOT to get back to those antique stores on Belmont
   and get me some Riverview memorabilia
  -cop art
  -walking under the Belmont flyover, that will soon be torn
   down
  -Ed's hairstylist in the heart of Roscoe
  -Riverview tavern
  -PRAM IN A BAR!
  -getting thrown off of WGN property!
  -Architectural Artifacts
  -Margie's candy, the 2nd location
  -Half Acre
  -the Bad Apple

Roscoe Village/North Center 'Hoods flickr album

Roscoe Village/North Center 'Hoods packet

This is such a big neighborhood. I feel like this one needs another visit to fill in some gaps.

We DO (or DID) go to Architectural Artifacts pretty often. Love it.

several Architectural Artifact visits

'Hoods #15: Lincoln Square Sept 10 2011

'Hoods Lincoln Square was certainly the drunkest 'hoods we've had. So far.
I planned this one to coincide with their German Fest. So, yeah.

Participants: Kelly, Julie, Bill, Jeremy L. Tom joined later for beer. John and Christine met us for the parade.

Highlights: baumkuchen for breakfast
     -visiting Dankhaus. And running into that guy in leiderhosen in the elevator
      who asked us what we were up to with those packets. When we explained
      he offered to take us up to the levels that weren't open to the public.
      Also? The near rooftop balcony! 'Hoods magic! We later saw him again
      in the parade and lost our minds! His name was Martin!
     -starting the drinking at the Huettenbar
     -sausage and beer and pretzels at the fest
     -the German American parade!
     -that dude with the hat with the majestic feather who offered to, um, tickle
      us with it. You know. For good luck.
     -shopping on Lincoln
     -Louis Sullivan!
     -back to the fest for more beer!
     -when Bill ran into a parent from his school and he had to keep it together
      and pretend like he wasn't raging drunk.
     -the rooftop at Gene's for more beer and German snacks
     -being so drunk and tired at the Brauhaus that we barely directly addressed
      each other while we ate dumplings and kraut.
     -that chunk of the Berlin wall at the el station

Lincoln Square 'Hoods flickr album

Lincoln Square 'Hoods packet

We also just generally like to eat and drink in Lincoln Square.

this set includes some pics from Luella's Southern kitchen, which I highly recommend.

for Husband's 39th birthday we spent some time at Barba Yianni and Lincoln Square Lanes
and 41 at the Brauhaus and Lincoln Square Lanes

we used to bocce for bad balls in the park there
bocce in 2007

holy crap, here's us at the German fest in 2006!

'Hoods #14: Andersonville August 28 2011

Kate organized Andersonville.
A lot of us live(d) in/near Andersonville so we were pretty familiar with the 'hood already. But we STILL discovered a lot!

That's the beauty. Though we might do a good amount of eating or drinking in a certain neighborhood, we rarely take the time to get a picture of the neighborhood, as a whole. With its history and architecture, etc. 'Hoods.

Participants: Ed, Kate, Kelly, Jeremy L, Anne, Dan, Tom

Highlights: Svea for brunch. The viking! My fave brunch spot in the 'hood.
     -the Swedish American Museum, adorbs. In which we saw the typewriter
      Nelson Algren used to write 'The Man With the Golden Arm' which I'd learned
      about in the Ukrainian Village 'Hoods, then read (then watched the movie).
      'Hoods touching! I also learned that Walgreens was Chicago, and Swedish!
     -shopping. I bought a lamp shade at the Brown Elephant. I'm sitting under it now.
     -the silly little Edgewater Historical Society
     -drinks on the patio at the Edgewater Lounge (sadly, now gone)
     -the Woolly Mammoth
     -aquavit and frozen glogg at Simon's
     -and then? Getting to go downstairs in Simon's and seeing where the old
      speakeasy was. With a bullet hole in the old secret door! Was it called the No No Club?
     -and then somehow Ed found the painting that used to hang at the Nisei in
      the midst of all the crap piled in the basement!
     -dinner at the Hopleaf :)

Andersonville 'Hoods flickr album

Andersonville 'Hoods packet

Again, we spend a lot of time in Andersonville.

When Kelly and Jeff and the kids visited and we went to the Swedish Museum and ate outside at Lady Gregory's

When we went to the new Pastoral

I think that the Koval distillery counts as Andersonville?

when we did the City Made fest, Sofo, and the patio at Hopleaf

one of a million times I've seen or participated in You're Being Ridiculous at Mary's Attic

Kate's bachelorette party was all Andersonville, including Farraguts, and a bar that's no longer there

Billiam's bachelor party was at Konak

Anteprima and Atmosphere with the ladies

and a few visits to one of a few Jewish Delis

etc.

'Hoods #13: Hegewisch/East Side July 24 2011

You guys.
This one was hilariously a hot mess.
Not cause of how Bill planned it.
He did a great job, as usual.
It's just that Hegewisch is...difficult to love. And it was raining. And I dropped my brand new phone in a puddle. And we could NOT find anywhere to eat.
Lucky #13?

Participants: Bill, Kelly, Anne

Highlights: desperately looking for somewhere that serves coffee in the AM
     -wishing we could tour the Ford plant
     -trespassing at the Lock and Dam
     -visiting what the internet promised to be a nature preserve, which appeared
      never to have been...um...finished. Maybe never even started? Certainly
      not open to the public. Balls.
     -going to that grocery that publicized 'the BEST kabobs' and then realizing
      that they meant 'raw/uncooked kabobs.' So instead we bought apples and
      cheese sandwiches and took them to the saddest park ever.
     -the prison toilets at the saddest park ever.
     -the folks doin it in the weeds at the saddest park ever.
     -what I kind-of remember being missiles in the saddest park ever?
     -Bill debuts his 'hoods phone case
     -that memorial to the fallen at a Union uprising. Had seen better days.
     -that rad Serbian Orthodox church. Seriously, very cool.
     -where Illinois touches Indiana.
     -discovering that wild parrots live under I-90! That was REALLY cool,
      actually!
     -Alright, Calumet Fisheries was exceptional.
     -the Blues Brothers Bridge!
     -taking our fried fishies and eating them al fresco at the lakefront.

Ok, looking back, there WERE some pretty depressing parts of this 'hood. But also? Some pretty awesome parts.

I guess that's the point of 'Hoods!?!

Hegewisch/East Side 'Hoods packet

Hegewisch/East Side 'Hoods flickr album

'Hoods #12: Bridgeport June 4 2011

I planned myself a birthday 'Hoods in 2011
It was a doozy!

Participants: Bill (through the ice cream), Kate, Kelly, Andy, Jeremy O, Dan, Anne, Nick and Ed and Husband joined us for the game

Highlights: breakfast at that super old-school diner
     -being mistaken outside the Ramova theater for investors,
      presumably because of the packets
     -Kate buying me a slap bracelet at the toy store
     -record shop
     -Lutheran church closed, per usual
     -Henry Palmisano Park
     -that bakery (where, again, we were asked what we were up to. And then warned
      against visiting, well, about half of the neighborhoods we'd already visited. She
      asked if we'd been to Buckingham fountain yet. I don't think she got it.)
     -walking under the expressway
     -bubbly creek
     -that I and M canal park
     -outrunning the rainstorm by about 15 seconds
     -getting the last table at Bridgeport coffee
     -Schaller's Pub
     -White Sox and fireworks!

Bridgeport 'Hoods flickr album

Bridgeport 'Hoods packet

'Hoods #11: Albany Park May 22 2011

Neal planned our 11th outing,
Albany Park 'Hoods!

Participants: Bill, William, Dan, Anne, Neal, Julie, Kelly, Jeremy L

Highlights: crepes
        -Cambodian museum and memorial, with traditional music practice in the lobby :)
        -when walking around looking at houses near the river, that lady who invited
          us into her backyard to check out her sweet garden. 'Hoods magic!
        -Running into Julie and Neal's friend who was throwing a yard sale
        -Albany Park proper with its 'waterfall'
        -North Park University (didn't even know that this existed)
        -paletas next to that school
        -that dad teaching his kid cricket on the sidewalk
        -Neal and his post office balls
        -quick stop for kabob!
        -driving the Bohemian National Cemetery in the rain
        -North Park Village Nature center, with its red-winged black birds and its tadpoles
         and its not very cautious deer.
       -and the bib bim bop that ruined me for all others.

Albany Park 'Hoods flickr album

Albany Park 'Hoods packet

'Hoods #10: Garfield Park March 13 2011

William debuted as 'Hoods coordinator with
'Hoods #10: Garfield Park!

Participants: Kelly, Julie, Bill, William

Highlights: a little bit living the Wire
         -that guy who was directing traffic, though he clearly was not authorized
          to do so. Friendly, though :)
         -Ruby's, civil rights movement central locale
         -unfortunate amounts of trash and empty lots
         -the most GORGEOUS basilica in the city! With a choir rehearsing and everything!
         -Bill first brings out our official 'Hoods patches! Thanks, Bill!
         -Garfield Park, proper, and all the goose poop. And wanting to get in
          that fieldhouse!
         -pretty Garfield Park conservatory
         -weren't those Frank Lloyd Wright townhouses?
         -catfish nuggets

Garfield Park 'Hoods flickr album

Garfield Park 'Hoods packet

* I GOTTA go back and get in that fieldhouse. Also, isn't the old headquarters for Sears here?

'Hoods #9: Ukrainian Village Feb 13 2011

On Feb 13 2011 we hit 'Hoods #9
Ukrainian Village!
I planned this one.

Participants: Julie, Neal, Kelly, Bill, William, Jeremy L, Ed, Kate

Ukrainian Village 'Hoods flickr album

Ukrainian Village 'Hoods packet

Highlights: When the director of the Ukrainian Culture museum freaked out when
         he saw us coming and called the front desk to see if he'd forgotten
         a planned tour (he hadn't), then he showed up to give us a private tour anyways!
        -that beautiful church with the blue dome,
        -when we went to the Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art we accidentally
         showed up at a gallery opening but they welcomed us warmly,
        -Bill and William consider that aloe drink for their tini martini party,
        -the Louis Sullivan church that was closed but when Kate opened the door
         we found an older gentleman vacuuming in his slippers and an
         apron with different pastas featured on it, who invited us in and gave us
         yet another private tour!
        -the photo booth at the Rainbo Club,
        -Nelson Algren,
        -Old Lviv Ukrainian buffet.

This one was heavy on 'Hoods magic. Heavy.