Grant Park:
Right on Lake Shore Drive downtown, Grant Park offers an endless list of things to do, especially in that very special, beloved time in Chicago—summer! I’m listing the three things I enjoy most about summer in Grant Park, but keep in mind that it’s always a good spot for a walk or bike ride. Buckingham Fountain, a touching tribute to a lost brother (known in modern times for being seen in the opening credits of “Married with Children” and in “National Lampoon’s Vacation) is situated on the southeast side of Grant Park. It’s also located near the Michigan Avenue bridges and shopping district, the Art Institute, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and The Chicago Cultural Center. My top three Grant Park summer suggestions are:
- The Summer Festivals: The Grant Park festival series, put on nearly every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day (and sometimes beyond), offers an exciting variety of music festivals, including dedicated festivals for Blues (the worlds’ largest of its kind), Jazz, Latin, and Celtic Music. The Taste of Chicago attracts world-class artists with its ten-day festival celebrating diverse edible offerings from various ethnicities living in Chicago. Grab a pierogi, ribs, or gyros and stroll through the park listening to whatever music moves you at the moment. Food and drinks are not complimentary, but the musical offerings are, and they are damn good! In recent memory, the big-name performers at The Taste included Erykah Badu, “Queen of the Blues” Koko Taylor, Elvis Costello, Moby, Sheryl Crow, Los Lonely Boys, John Mayer, The Indigo Girls, Kenny Rogers, and Waylon Jennings (before he moved on to that honky-tonk in the sky). There is also a plethora of local and international bands that make their way onto the many stages and are all part of the fun and chaos that is The Taste of Chicago.
- Movies in the Park, Butler Field: This is so fun, like your local movies-in-the-park, but people from all over the city bring something to sit on, something to eat and drink (no alcohol is the official word), and someone to share the experience with. Get there early—it gets packed, especially for the really popular movies. My friends and I loved going and hanging out for the evening—the people-watching alone makes the trip worthwhile. Pets and bicycles are taboo, along with booze, but hey, the city loves you and so provides free valet bicycle parking at the NW corner of Lake Shore Drive and Monroe Street. For those of us from driving cultures like my fellow Texans, this is like a free drive-in movie without the cars!
A sample of the offerings for the summer of 2007 include the popular classics: "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), and "The Sound of Music" (1965), as well as more obscure fare.
- Summer Dance: (601 S. Michigan Ave.), Chicago wants you to get off your rumps and boogie (or salsa, polka, cha-cha-cha, etc.)! Every Thursday through Sunday evening, you get an hour-long dance lesson for anything from Transylvanian and Hungarian Traditional Folk Music to Afro beat Powerhouse, Brazilian Eletronica, Swing, Ballroom, Mambo, Merengue, etc. Even better, the lessons are followed by a two to three hour performance of just the type of music you have mastered in the lesson. When I went with my friend for a simple salsa night, we enjoyed watching the dancers as well as joining them. Who would have imagined that large-scale, outdoor dance lessons make for a marvelous night on the town?
Chicago Cultural Center:
(Corner of Michigan and Randolph) This beautiful, historic building right in downtown Chicago offers a number of free art and photography exhibits, usually with a cultural theme, year-round. A mixed-media art exhibit on the history of the relationships African-Americans have with their hair, “HairStories”; an ode to classic country music with art by Jon Langford and a “Barn Dance” concert to revisit Chicago’s pre-Grand Ole Opry history as the seat of country music radio broadcasting; and a haunting Sebastian Salgado photo exhibit on human migration (refugees, immigrants, transients, and nomadic folk) are some of the moving, or interesting shows I have caught there. I turned several people onto their LunchBreak Series, where Monday through Friday at 12:15, performers give a free hour-long concert — and there is something for everyone, depending on the day of the week: Tuesdays’ “Jazz, Blues, and Beyond” or Fridays’ “Music Without Borders” world music may be your thing. I personally loved the Americana/Alt-Country series a few years back—I attended a wonderful show by Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel that stands out in my memory as being particularly lovely. Plus, the building itself is worth a visit—it is beautifully designed and houses one of the largest stained-glass domes I’ve ever seen; but my fave spot is the room downstairs where the tiles in the arched doorways are etched with quotes from philosophers and writers. Bonus fun: the Chicago Visitor’s Center, with brochures and detailed info on EVERY possible event going on in town can be found on the first floor—it is way more extensive than the offerings at your hotel or the airport. And, with a little pre-planning, you can have (arranged through the Cultural Center) an absolutely free walking tour of nearly any part of town with the Chicago Greeters neighborhood walking tours. Interested in the rapidly gentrifying Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods? Want to see Greektown or Chinatown like only a native would? Explore your German heritage in Lincoln Square? The Chicago Greeters and their free walking tours are just the ones to help! For about two weeks around Halloween, you can also get tickets here (gratis, naturally) for a ride on the Haunted El—it’s got costumes, storytellers, and true stories of the many ghosts Chicago is home to—get there early for tickets, they run out fast!
Garfield Park Conservatory:
Okay, so this one is technically free, but there is a suggested donation, at times, depending on the current art installation. This is the most amazing conservatory I know of, and unlike most of the places on this list, it is not on the lakefront. Garfield Park is a historical neighborhood with elegant homes, now in disrepair. The Conservatory is huge and has a fern room (just like Earth was in the time of the dinosaurs, or so I read), and a room with an astonishing variety of palm trees, including a 300 year-old stunner. I discovered this sanctuary when Dale Chihuly (I am an avid fan) placed an installation of his wondrous, colorfully blown glass pieces at the Conservatory. This exhibit was a delight to the eyes, as Chihuly is a genius at working with the organic world and placing his pieces where they will have the strongest effect. I still get chills when I remember turning the corner: surprised by the giant yellow, blue, or multi-colored glass balls in the pond, with the goldfish swimming curiously by, and then walking into the cactus room to see long, thin tubes of bright purple and red jutting dramatically and insistently between the multiple types of cacti. Every room offered such thrills, and each of the five times I visited was equally exciting. Thus my love for the Conservatory was born, and I continued to visit it until I left Chicago. Right now, three is an installation of wild-looking animal sculptures and powerful symbols of feminine strength and power, called “Nanas,” designed by Niki de Saint Phalle. And there are often classes and events for children and adults, all related to plants and gardening.
Lake Michigan:
This one should be a no-brainer, but the lake provides endless shores from Evanston on the north to Hyde Park (by the University of Chicago) on the south. When the weather permits, of course (surely you weren’t thinking of visiting in the winter? Perhaps that’s for a later issue!), swimming, cycling, and people watching are popular and interesting along the lake. Go peruse the hotties on the North Avenue and Oak Street beaches; or just watch a pick-up game of chess at North Avenue Beach, with its built-in chess boards/benches. You can check out the marina further south, take your dog up to Montrose Harbor Dog Beach or Belmont Harbor Dog Beach to play with other well-behaved canines, or take an impromptu swim down by Soldier Field. The lake is such a pretty teal blue, and its shores are teeming with people. Sit on a pier and check out the skyline beyond the beach—the John Hancock Tower, the Drake Hotel (“Oprah’s guests stay there,” as most of my visitors enthuse). While you are sitting for a brief spell, you will no doubt hear between five and twenty languages representing the wonderful diversity that makes Chicago so special. Lake Michigan rocks!
The John Hancock Tower — 96th floor lounge:
Why pay to go to the Observatory on the 94th floor when the lounge on the 96th provides breathtaking views two floors higher without charging you? Sure, they will want you to get a drink or appetizer if you stay a long while, but the wine and cheese platter is delicious; and you get the best views of downtown, the lake, and north along the shore just about to Milwaukee (or so my parents figured). And a cocktail or cappuccino will set you back less than a ticket to the Observatory. An interesting quirk here is that the best views are from the ladies’ room. Check it out (if you can)!
Millennium Park:
Shhhh, wait, can you hear the choir of angels singing? Well, anyway, that’s how I feel about Millennium Park. You can walk/play in the interactive Crown Fountain, with changing photos of Chicago residents of different ages and ethnicities that gives a cool surprise when the face on the screen makes the “O” shape with his/her mouth. This is engaging on so many levels! The Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Great Lawn provides spots for 11,000 people for free concerts performed throughout the year. Anish Kapoor’s mesmerizing “Cloud Gate” (aka The Bean) reflects the city skyline and its people in the most delightful way. Oh, and there is so much more to see and do, truly. Do not miss it! Watching Millennium Park being constructed for a year or so, and seeing projections of how the art was going to look, and listening to Frank Gehry speak kept me nearly drooling with anticipation for the opening. When that day finally came (three days before I moved from Chicago), my cousin and I explored every inch of Millennium Park, and we both became slightly obsessed with the whole place—especially “The Bean.” There are also photography exhibits and other outdoor performances throughout the year, and you can get a free guided tour through the park if you plan for it.
Tuesday Nights at The Hideout:
This is a laid-back, out of the way spot, super casual and divey-cool; and on Tuesday nights, the fabby local band, Devil in a Woodpile, plays for free. I’ve heard them described as Blues, Bluegrass, Folk, Alt-country, but what you need to know is that they kind-of sound like the band from “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou” (as a friend once said), and the lead singer’s voice is remarkable — he doesn’t even need a mike for this small but crowded (on Tuesdays) venue — he plays a mean washboard AND harmonica! Bonus funsies: the band may pull out the washtub bass for an extra thrill, or you may get served by the locally-famous singer with a haunting voice, Kelly Hogan (at least she tended bar when I used to frequent the spot). There are shows every night of the week, great music almost all the time, so go another night and pay for a show if you can’t do the Tuesday night freebie!
Friday Happy Hour Honky-Tonk @ the Empty Bottle with the Hoyle Brothers:
Free show and dancing at the world-famous Empty Bottle in Wicker Park, from 5:30-7:30 on Fridays. ‘Nuff said.
Improv Set at Second City Theater:
Second City served as the famous training ground for comedy stars as varied and illustrious as John Belushi, Mike Meyers, Tina Fey, Amy Sedaris, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Keegan Michael Fey, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Bonnie Hunt, Bill Murray, Ryan Stiles, and many, many others (most of whom performed in Chicago, but several who also performed in the Toronto Second City troupe). Where would sketch comedy be today if not for the alumni of Second City?
If you are in the city and want to catch a sketch show, this is possible; and a nice, inexpensive way to spend an evening. The little-known (to non-Chicagoans) secret here is that after the scheduled show each night (except Mondays), the following 30-45 minute Improvisation set is free, totally free! This is where you can see the current troupe members show off their improve chops, as the audience participates with suggestions. A fun bonus here is that actual Second City alumni or other comedians (possibly from the other hugely famous Chicago comedy stage/school, Improv Olympics) join in for this round. For example, I saw Rachel Dratch join in the improv fun one night. Call the theater for the improv set-times, and enjoy!
Weeds Live Monday Night Open Mike Poetry Readings w/ Host Gregorio Gomez:
Okay, so “open mike night” perhaps says it all, and there is a huge range of talented poets and folks who just need to get things off their chests, but Gregorio is sure to be charming! And you must go to Weeds anyway, to experience the infamous Sergio Mayora reading his poems, singing his “one-and-only-love songs he wrote on the way to work,” and just generally bartending with a cool but curmudgeonly style uniquely his own. The regulars are something to see, although there is no guarantee that they will all be there on any given Monday. There’s Maria (a local star, no doubt), with her brilliant rant against the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority)—a poem so well-known in these environs that the crowd recites the profane refrain along with Maria. Ken Green is great, and several poets bring their own musical accompaniment (flutes, drums, guitars, what not). Then there is Alfredo, an AmeRICAN, emphasis self-placed in his speech to underscore his identity as both an American and a Puerto Rican; and his poems are frequently funny and interesting, when he hasn’t had a bit too much to drink and can enunciate clearly. I frequently went to the Monday night show myself for the sheer pleasure of being entertained by the poets, the audience, Gregorio, and Sergio. Don’t miss it!
Chicago Air and Water Show:
There’s no doubt this testosterone-driven exhibition will send shivers up the spine of even the least-mechanically inclined person. Watch as nearly every type of flying machine and watercraft races by and criss-cross each other in the air/on the water, as they jump, swoop, and basically perform all manner of death- or gravity-defying feats (via the tremendously capable pilots/captains in control of said vehicles). The Blue Angels are perennial favorites each year. Every summer (usually in August), the largest, oldest free air exhibition in this country takes place along the Lake Michigan beaches from River North to Lincoln Park beaches; but for the best view, North Avenue Beach is the heart of the action. A few years ago, my soon-to-be roommate and I were apartment-hunting in the neighborhood during this exhibition—just as we would call a number from a For Rent sign and the landlord answered, a giant, shrill WHOOOOOOSH (!!!!) or ZOOM (!!!!) would drown out any reasonable semblance of a conversation we might have had. I enjoyed it much more the following year, when I was a willing, wide-eyed and gaping-jawed spectator on North Avenue Beach, strolling along with my sausage-on-a-stick and trying to fight off the continuous goosebumps I kept getting. It is close to impossible to stay jaded at this event!
Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory:
This is one of the last free zoos in North America, and one of the few where, most of the year, you don’t feel sorry for the Polar Bears because of the heat (you may feel sorry for them for other reasons, but that’s a whole other issue)! This zoo is a good size and nicely laid-out, so you don’t have to spend hours just navigating to the various exhibits. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is located right at the north end of Lincoln Park (the actual park itself), and just west of the beach at Lake Michigan. Located thus, Lincoln Park offers the opportunity for a perfectly full and satisfying (and free) day: first, visit the zoo and or conservatory, then have a picnic/walk/pick-up softball game in the park, then go hang at the Fullerton Avenue Beach on the lake. Just walking on the Fullerton bridge between the zoo and the lake, you can enjoy watching kayakers and the occasional fishermen at the canal, with the breathtaking backdrop of downtown Chicago; and this will whet your appetite for the more panoramic view of downtown Chicago looming over Lake Michigan from the actual beach. The zoo is funded privately and through fun events, such as the Caroling to the Animals around Christmas time.
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