BRONZEVILLE Compiled by Anwulika Anigbo Neighborhood Captain
PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ
BEST WELLNESS ONE-STOP
I
f you stand on the east side of 43rd and Martin Luther King Drive facing north, you’ll see a large portrait of a smiling Gwendolyn Brooks holding a copy of A Street In Bronzeville. You can walk west on 43rd and catch the bus headed south to 51st St., or you can walk slightly further down and catch the Greenline at 43rd and take that to 51st St. The bus offers a view of the greystones lining King Drive, but the train gives you plenty of opportunities to marvel at life on Prairie Avenue framed by the iconic wooden back staircases that distinguish Chicago. Standing not too far from the 51st Street Green Line stop, you can look up at a mural of Lorraine Hansberry, who is looking out at life on 51st St., one of the neighborhood’s liveliest corridors. I started my relationship with Bronzeville at that intersection, in the community garden across from Boxville. I bought my red Schwinn from the Bike Box when it was the only thing on the lot. Sam got the bike tuned, then sent me over to Blackstone Bike Works to get a bike lock. That ride from 51st and Prairie to 61st and Blackstone was my first real taste of the South Side. I still remember my face relaxing into a smile as I rode alongside the tennis courts on the west side of Washington Park. Since then I began working at the Invisible Institute, which shares a building with Blackstone Bike Works. Bronzeville is always providing clues, inviting visitors and residents alike into a call and response. (Anwulika Anigbo)
Haji Healing Salon
Neighborhood captain Anwulika Anigbo is the development director at the Invisible Institute and a contributor to the Weekly.
Haji Healing Salon, 4448 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Tuesday-Sunday: 12pm-6pm. (312) 375-7445.
28 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
There is no place in the city like Haji Healing Salon. My personal journey with Haji started with me making the trek from Rogers Park to Chatham to visit their previous location, eventually recruiting friends to journey with me. Haji rooted "wellness" in something tangible, making it attainable in the present, rather than another aspirational lifestyle aesthetic. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Haji expanded online services and created a strong community of support for people across the country in the process. This summer Haji opened its Bronzeville location on Cottage Grove, offering a variety of ways to release and connect online and in person. Haji offers a class on Zoom every day of the week. Vinyasa Yoga with founder Aya-Nikole Cook is offered for all levels of expertise on Sundays, as well as Restorative Movement and Reiki-Infused Rest with Maria "SistaShamon" Lanier. The classes are a great place to jump into a practice in the familiarity of your own home. You could also head into Haji for community services and classes like communal or private acupuncture and reiki sessions, bodywork, and private yoga sessions. Their full list of programming can be found on their site. (Anwulika Anigbo)
