Best of the South Side 2016 by South Side Weekly

Auburn Gresham 6 Back of the Yards 9 Beverly & Morgan Park 12 Bridgeport & McKinley Park 15 Brighton Park & Archer Heights 18 Bronzeville 21 Chatham 24 Chicago Lawn 27 Chinatown 30 Englewood 33 Far Southeast Side 36 Gage Park & Midway 40 Hyde Park & Kenwood 43 Little Village 46 Pilsen 49 Pullman & Roseland 52 South Loop 56 South Shore 59 University Village & Little Italy 62 Woodlawn & Washington Park 65 56

30 49 15

46 18

21 9

65 33

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY The South Side Weekly is an independent nonprofit newsprint magazine written for and about neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. We publish in-depth coverage of the arts and issues of public interest alongside oral histories, poetry, fiction, interviews, and artwork from local photographers and illustrators. The South Side Weekly is dedicated to supporting cultural and civic engagement on the South Side and to providing educational opportunities for developing journalists, writers, and artists. Volume 4, Issue 1 Editor-in-Chief Jake Bittle Managing Editors Maha Ahmed, Christian Belanger Director of Staff Support Ellie Mejía Director of Writer Development Mari Cohen Deputy Editor Olivia Stovicek Senior Editor Emeline Posner Education Editor Lit Editor Music Editor Stage & Screen Editor Visual Arts Editor

Hafsa Razi Sarah Claypoole Austin Brown Julia Aizuss Corinne Butta

Contributing Editors Joe Andrews, Ariella Carmell, Jonathan Hogeback, Lara Kattan, Andrew Koski, Carrie Smith, Laura Vogel, Kylie Zane Video Editor Lucia Ahrensdorf Radio Producer Maira Khwaja Web Editor Camila Cuesta Social Media Editors Sierra Cheatham, Emily Lipstein, Sam Stecklow Visuals Editor Ellen Hao Layout Editors Baci Weiler, Sofia Wyetzner Staff Writers: Olivia Adams, Maddie Anderson, Sara Cohen, Christopher Good, Anne Li, Emiliano Burr di Mauro, Zoe Makoul, Sonia Schlesinger, Darren Wan Staff Photographers: Juliet Eldred, Kiran Misra, Luke Sironski-White Staff Illustrators: Javier Suarez, Addie Barron, Jean Cochrane, Lexi Drexelius, Wei Yi Ow, Amber Sollenberger, Teddy Watler, Julie Wu, Zelda Galewsky, Seonhyung Kim Social Media Intern

Ross Robinson

Webmasters Alex Mueller, Sofia Wyetzner Publisher

Harry Backlund

The paper is produced by an all-volunteer editorial staff and seeks contributions from across the city. We distribute each Wednesday in the fall, winter, and spring. Over the summer we publish every other week. Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@ southsideweekly.com or mail to: South Side Weekly 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 For advertising inquiries, contact: (773) 234-5388 or advertising@southsideweekly.com

Cover art and table of contents by Natalie Gonzalez

n the 1920s, University of Chicago sociologists carved up the city into seventy-five squarish sections, basing the boundaries on the neighborhoods that existed at the time. Two more areas were added on the North Side in later decades, yielding a magic number that many Chicagoans are familiar with: 77. Though the South Side’s boundaries have not changed in almost a century, census data and city planning initiatives are still organized around these ancient community areas. When DNAinfo asked Chicagoans to draw the boundaries of their neighborhoods a year ago, there was some disagreement about where exactly they begin and end, but the average drawing looked a lot like one of those familiar community areas. But when you ask someone where their neighborhood is, or what their neighborhood looks like, their answer will never be as simple as a single square mile bounded by viaducts and big commercial streets. Our sense of home is never as simple as “Bridgeport,” “West Englewood,” or “Brighton Park.” We use these names in the Best of the South Side issue because they’re filled with meaning and history, but we know there’s so much we’re missing—pocket-sized communities, in-between spaces, individual blocks. Communities are made up of people, not pieces of land. The center of yours might be wherever you wake up in the morning. Maybe it’s bounded to the north by your grandmother’s house, to the south by your best friend’s, to the west by the corner store or the laundromat, to the east by your school or your favorite place to get dessert. Maybe it looks more like one of Chicago’s messy, gerrymandered wards than it does one of the box-shaped community areas. No matter the shape or form your neighborhood takes, though, and no matter if you’ve been there for six months or sixty years, it’s yours. We at the Weekly hope this year’s Best of the South Side issue gives you a reason to try something new for dinner or visit a neighborhood you’ve never been to before, of course. But more than anything else, we hope you see in these pages a celebration of the places we live in, the people that live around us, and all the good that happens in our communities every day. We know that these pages don’t include all the best things on the South Side. Share your favorites with us by emailing editor@southsideweekly.com or by tweeting @SouthSideWeekly with the hashtag #BoSS2016.

auburn gresham

Norma Bradley is a longtime resident of Auburn Gresham and parishioner at St. Sabina Catholic Church on West 78th Place and Throop Street. When asked to describe herself, she says she’s a family person, and she includes the church in her family. “I love my neighborhood and I love my church,” she says, “and I want us to go forward blessed so that we can keep on blessing the community.”

Compiled by Olivia Stovicek KIRAN MISRA

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e moved over here in 1975, and at that point the neighborhood was changing racially. It was a lot of people that you didn’t even know they were moving. The Caucasians—there were just trucks that would pull up and they would move overnight....We started going to St. Sabina because that’s what you generally did—back in the day you went to whatever parish was in your neighborhood. At that point...because of the migration out of the neighborhood, it was changing, and money wasn’t coming in. You know, it had transitioned from a white parish which was mostly Irish to a black parish, and we didn’t have very many members at that time, and we thought we were going to close, but Father Mike [Pfleger] came there, and he really rebuilt the parish and he rebuilt this area. I actually think St. Sabina Church is the rock of this area. And I might be a little prejudiced because I go there, but this is what I see in the neighborhood. [Father Pfleger] even tries to work with the other churches and denominations, bring the other pastors and things together for different causes that will help our neighborhood. He has a vision, and he’s open to the other pastors’ visions and things for the area, too, and he tries to get all of us in the area to work together, not against one another, but together. That’s the only way we’re gonna try to keep the neighborhood stable. What I liked most about our neighborhood as my children were growing up, I liked how we stuck together as neighbors. We all looked out for one another, you know; everybody on the block raised one another’s children. But now... the neighborhood is changing again, and a lot of our friends and things in the neighborhood have passed on. Now we have people that move in, the kids

AUBURN GRESHAM keep the property and rent it out rather than living in the property...So I see the neighborhood changing a little bit on account of that. All the children that came up through our block, they won’t live here on the block...this is not where they want to live, even though [some of them] still go to St. Sabina Church, and I guess a lot of the young people feel that way. It’s because of the violence in the neighborhood and stuff now. They don’t want to raise their children in the neighborhood, they don’t want their children going to school around here. So they move out to other neighborhoods. That’s one of the things that I don’t like, that the young people are not reinvesting in the neighborhood, some of them anyway. Other than that—I won’t leave, I really don’t want to leave the neighborhood...I like the area because I could walk to church if I wanted to, and it’s just...been my life...especially now that I’m older and retired, most of the stuff that I do is through the church. I’m not so afraid of the neighborhood, but it’s not as relaxed as it used to be, where you just get out, and go out on the front, and talk. Some of the people, when they come into the block now––and our block club used to be real strong, but it’s not as strong as it used to be––we would go and greet people…, [but] they don’t wanna be greeted, you know, everybody has their own personal life, and it’s not a community life. And I think that’s what we’re losing, the community life. But like I said, probably if our younger people would come back to the neighborhood or reinvest in the neighborhood, it would stay more stable over the long run. Father Mike, he’s a great supporter of young people...you’ve gotta be a person that has a heart for the young people, because the older people are not gonna always be here.… And if you don’t have a younger congregation you’ll die. That’s with anything—if you don’t have the younger people coming in and try to raise them up to be stable, to be in the community too, to keep the community strong. I love my neighborhood even though it’s not what it used to be, but everything changes, and as long as I can, I would try to stay here and do what I can.

BEST RESTAURANT

Morrison’s Restaurant To call this Southern-style soul food restaurant a “staple” or a “mainstay” would be a criminal understatement. This issue is full of “bests,” but this place is simply the best, and everyone knows it: when the line to order isn’t stretching out the door, it’s winding around the inside of the shop, and watching people come and go (and come, and go, and come, and go) is half the fun of the visit. Well, okay, maybe less than half. The real draw, as you’ve probably guessed, is the food: meals include turkey wings, Cornish hen, rib tips, liver and onions, and ox tail, and that’s not even counting the sides, at least two of which are heaped onto every meal: okra, candied yams, string beans, meatloaf, mac and cheese, succotash, and way, way more. You can reread the menu over and over again and still find items you missed the last time around. The flavors are unforgettable, the prices are unbeatable, and nothing beats the satisfaction of standing in a line full of like-minded people—people united in their belief that Morrison’s is just the best restaurant. It really is just as simple as 1. Go. 2. Get your food. 3. Take it home (you can stay awhile, too, but seating goes fast). 4. Eat it all, or as much of it as you can. 5. Go back the next day. ( Jake Bittle) Morrison’s Restaurant, 8127 S. Ashland Ave. Daily, 11am–9pm. (773) 487-7000. morrisonsrestaurant.com

BEST END-OF-SUMMER BLOCK PARTY

Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival “Does everyone know that you have greatness inside of you?” proclaims the emcee, affirming the jubilant tone of the 11th Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival. Held on September 10 between Racine Avenue and Loomis Boulevard, the family-friendly festival, which draws 15,000 attendees yearly, celebrates the revitalization and bright future of Auburn Gresham. On the main stage, the emcee praises the Lord for the sunny day that’s replaced the early-morning clouds, and onlookers cheer from their blue fold-up chairs. She steps to the side as Muppet-like puppets begin singing along to gospel music, bopping up and down before a hanging #stoptheviolence banner. Painted as lions and butterflies, kids rush through the crowds clutching balloon animals. Red-and-white-striped tents peddle fair food staples, mac and cheese, fried chicken and fish, and barbecue dishes. Jamaican Me Crazy serves vegan options, and Oooh Wee! Sweet Tea advertises flavors such as Obama, Blue Ivy, Tiger Woods, and Michelle. Further west on 79th are Simba- and Spider-Man-themed bouncy castles, as well as booths offering services from face-painting and magic shows to free dental care and information about the City Colleges of Chicago. All festivalgoers are encouraged to “Shop South!” Renaissance Park sits directly in the center of the four-block stretch, where a second, smaller stage plays house music that churns out a “Chica-a-a-a-go” every few minutes. In a field near Loomis, kids eagerly anticipate pony and wagon rides, as well as pigs and sheep in the petting zoo. The festival is bookended on the west by a makeshift court of two basketball hoops. Dynamic dancing and musical performances with strong religious undertones anchor the ten-hour event. Before his number, a singer takes a moment to reflect: “We all know what the media says, they want to focus on the murders. I wish they could see us here in unity today.” (Chloe Hadavas) Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival, 79th St. between Racine Ave. and Loomis Blvd. Yearly, early September. Free. gagdc.org/SSA-32/79th-Street-Renaissance-Festival.html SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

AUBURN GRESHAM

best art you can step on Adinkra symbols pavement art

Power of Love. Humility and Strength. Intelligence & Ingenuity. Friendship and Interdependence. You can’t walk thirty steps on the sidewalk of 79th Street without having your feet touch these words—or their accompanying symbols—between Wallace Street and Ashland Avenue. Engraved on large concrete tiles that blend into the path, the patterns are both a prominent fixture of the boulevard and an easily overlooked example of public art. Designed by Jacobs/Ryan Associates for the Chicago Streetscape Program, the tiles were part of a project to enhance Auburn Gresham’s commercial district and reinforce the area’s cultural identity. In addition to trees and fence planters, the firm chose to incorporate symbols and patterns from two significant cloths of the Akan people of West Africa: the hand-woven Kente and the stamped Adinkra. The former were mounted on lampposts, the latter imprinted in the pavement. “Adinkra” means farewell in Twi, the language of the Ashanti, a subgroup of the Akan people. Originating in the nineteenth century, the hand-printed fabric became known as Adinkra cloth because the Ashanti traditionally wore it for funerals. Proverbs, household objects, people, animal behavior, and historical events are symbolized in the geometric forms stamped onto the cloth. After walking a few blocks down 79th, the symbols become familiar. Four swirls emanating from a center cross? Humility and Strength. An acorn-shaped shield with two curls? Power of Love. The pattern is irregular, and you never know which symbol might follow. Some look as if they were stamped onto wet concrete just yesterday, with clean indentations. Others have been worn away over time, with only indistinct impressions to remind us that a symbol was ever there. (Chloe Hadavas) Adinkra symbols pavement art, 79th St. between S. Wallace St. and S. Ashland Ave.

BEST REUSE OF A HISTORIC THEATER

Highland Theater / AFC Center

KIRAN MISRA

Originally built in 1926, the Highland Theater was once one of the premier movie houses in the city, as Weekly columnist Karen Ford wrote earlier this year. The terra-cotta facades facing both 79th Street and Ashland Avenue, and the magnificent interior marble and glass chandeliers in the central lobby, were hallmarks of a high point in the city’s architectural history. Now, although the famous lit marquee no longer towers over the street corner, the building has become a focal point for the neighborhood in a new, more spiritual way: it’s now the Ambassadors for Christ Center, a “multi-purpose business and entertainment facility” with an auditorium and multiple meeting spaces, often used for Christian play performances and high school graduations, among other things. ( Jake Bittle) Ambassadors for Christ Center, 7859 S. Ashland Ave. For booking information, contact (773) 723-5400. theafccenter.com

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back of the yards Compiled by Eleonora Edreva KIRAN MISRA

Naomi Ezquivel has been a homeowner and resident of Back of the Yards since 2014. She currently works in the public safety field and is passionate about social issues, especially immigration reform, public education, and mental health.

ong before I moved to Back of the Yards, I was familiar with the neighborhood’s history as Chicago’s meatpacking district. In high school, I was introduced to Carl Sandburg’s poetry, in which the neighborhood earned Chicago the title of “hog butcher for the world.” I read Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, the iconic and gruesome novel about a Lithuanian immigrant’s struggles as a packinghouse worker at the turn of the twentieth century. This is the lens through which most outsiders view the neighborhood: an apex of class struggle and humiliation. A community dwarfed by the stench of factories, stockyards, and slaughterhouses. And in a more contemporary sense, a neighborhood rife with gang violence. The name “Back of the Yards” refers to the community area including and surrounding what was once the Union Stockyards—and is today known as the “Stockyards Industrial Park”—but it’s important to note that the neighborhood is larger than that. Back of the Yards goes from Halsted to Western and from Pershing to Garfield. In the early 1900s, the neighborhood was primarily populated by immigrants of various European backgrounds who came to work at the stockyards. The neighborhood underwent a number of demographic changes starting in the 1950s: African Americans from the South arrived in Chicago, as part of the Great Migration, and Mexican immigrants started settling in the neighborhood as the descen-

dants of the earlier European immigrants started moving out to the suburbs. The first time I visited the neighborhood, it was 2009 and I was filming a documentary about its history. I approached this visit with the aforementioned mindset, but was quickly introduced to a much broader sense of what the community is all about, and what is so frequently missing in the outside narrative of struggle—the response, the organizing, and the ceaseless determination. Several years ago, I interviewed Les Orear, a former packinghouse worker and a founder of the Illinois Labor History Society. He told me that, despite the segregation in the neighborhood, individuals from every single ethnic and racial background could be found at union hall meetings. Thirty years prior to this country’s Civil Rights Movement, workers of all races could be seen going on strike together, marching together and holding signs that read “Black and White: Unite & Fight!” At a time of racial tension and riots, Back of the Yards set a precedent for unity in the face of greater adversity. The neighborhood today can be summarized as a small world in a big city. Everyone knows someone who knows someone else. Everyone knows the boundaries, too: both the physical ones—the streets, the viaducts—and the ones that are imagined, but nonetheless real. Which turf belongs to which gang. Which portion of the neighborhood is predominantly Mexican, and which is predominantly African American. But just as they were in the neighborhood’s past, the continued struggles of today’s Back of the Yards are marked by activism and collective organizing by numerous residents and organizations. These stories don’t always make the news, but SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

they’re important to mention because they’re a continuation of efforts that have had an impact on the city and the country. The volunteers who coach kids’ soccer teams to keep them out of trouble in the summertime, the traditional dance group that won several national championships while promoting Mexican culture, the entrepreneur who rehabbed a previously vacant warehouse and now uses it as an indoor farm for the community—these efforts might be part of an uphill battle, but they have meaning. For decades, Back of the Yards has been a launching pad for incoming migrants and immigrants. Even my own family is emblematic of this: I’m a transplant from Wisconsin, and my husband is a Mexican immigrant. For us, it’s important that we not only consider the history of our neighborhood, but we honor it by continuing the tradition of standing up to adversity and connecting with others around us. We never lose faith. The fight must continue.

BEST PALETAS

BRIDGET GAMBLE

Paleterias Lindo Michoacan KIRAN MISRA

BEST SCENTS

Perfumes Europeos For the past fourteen years, the smell of perfume has drifted through the corridors of Swap-O-Rama on Ashland Ave. If you get lost in the labyrinth of makeup supplies, kitchen appliances, barbershops, and produce, let it guide you back to one of the two stalls that Perfumes Europeos occupies inside the market. The setup is simple: a glass counter displaying the various container sizes and a backdrop of the hundreds of scented oils from which owner Elvia Arena and her colleague, Edith Sanchez, conjure the fragrances. While they specialize in replicating branded scents (think designer perfumes but for a fourth of the price), customizing scents by mixing pre-existing ones is also common, and something customers often request. (“They get creative,” says Sanchez.) While it costs $1 ($2 on weekends) to enter the Swap-O-Rama space, Arenas’ olfactory expertise and the other random finds you’ll come across (herbs galore, $2 makeup brushes, and all the Mexican candy you can imagine) make a visit more than worth it. (Isabelle Lim) Perfumes Europeos in Swap-O-Rama Flea Market, 4200 S. Ashland Ave. Tuesday, 7am– 2pm; Thursday, 7am–3pm; Saturday–Sunday, 7am–4pm. $1 Tuesday and Thursday; $2 weekends. (708) 344-7300. swap-o-rama.com 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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On the corner of Hermitage Avenue and 47th Street is a lime-green storefront with neon-lit windows—remarkable enough already—but these colors are just the first thing that make Paleteria Lindo Michoacan stand out. Inside are two sizable display freezers from which you can pick just about any flavor of paleta imaginable, from spicy cucumber to strawberries and cream, all made with fresh produce; there are also ice cream flavors that range from guava to walnut, and are ready to be scooped into sundaes if that’s more to your liking. Regardless of your order, though, you won’t walk out of this paleteria without a little taste of existential reflection. While you wait to be served, there is a whole wall adorned with homemade inspirational posters to mull over. “Dear God,” says one, in Spanish. “I am healthy. I am alive. Thank you. Forgive me for all my complaints.” Seems heavy-handed for an ice cream shop, but rest assured that once you try these paletas, you too, will thank whatever god you believe in. (Bridget Gamble) Paleteria Lindo Michoacan, 1733 W. 47th St. Daily, 10:30am–10pm. (773) 475-7506. paleterialindomichoacan.com

BACK OF THE YARDS

BEST CHINESE FOOD

China Lamp Restaurant One of the only Chinese restaurants in Back of the Yards, this lone warrior is a strong contender for the unofficial title of best special combination deal in Chicago—an egg roll, a hefty portion of fried rice, and an entrée item will only set you back five dollars. It’s enough food for two and a half meals, but is so good that you’ll wish it could stretch even further. Although they also offer options for delivery and dining in, I would recommend ordering your meal to-go and taking the two-block walk to Davis Square Park, a beautiful little green space perfect for a picnic as well as a postmeal nap, which you’ll definitely need once the food coma starts to set in. (Eleonora Edreva) China Lamp Restaurant, 4603 S. Ashland Ave. Monday–Saturday, 11:30pm–10pm; Sun, 12:30pm–midnight. (773) 254-7668

best can of worms Nature’s Little Recyclers

When you picture thriving gardens and rich, clean soil, it would make sense if Chicago’s former stockyards, famously the focus of Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle, were far from your mind at first. The people—and worms—at Nature’s Little Recyclers, however, are working to change that: housed in a warehouse on 48th and Aberdeen, Nature’s Little Recyclers boasts the, um, unique title of Chicago’s leading red worm dealer. An organic recycling plant committed to turning organic food waste into clean soil, they sell composting worms and liquid plant food, and also offer compost services, like a monthly pickup for Chicago residents. Whether you’re a garden expert needing new tricks, or are slowly wading the waters of composting, you may find help in an unexpected place. (Bridget Gamble) Nature’s Little Recyclers, 1111 W. 48th St. Order by calling (312) 324-4701 or online at nlrwormshop.com

KIRAN MISRA

Food for the Soul

BEST PIE FILLING MATERIAL

The Pie Patch

The only pick-your-own farm within Cook County, The Pie Patch is a half-acre orchard specializing in growing fruits traditionally used in pies—strawberries, apples, pears, rhubarb, and pumpkin are just a few of the offerings found throughout the year. The orchard is a one-woman show, a passion project of community garden educator Breanne Hatch, who started it in the hope of providing low-cost, healthy, locally sourced food options to a neighborhood that’s lacking in fresh produce. Add in Hatch’s commitment to growing to organic certification standards, maintaining healthy soil, and cultivating a habitat to sustain pollinators, and you have the bonus perk of environmental responsibility to top off the long list of reasons of why your next pie should start here. Make sure to call ahead and check availability before you go, though—growing seasons are short, quantities are small, and demand is high. (Eleonora Edreva) The Pie Patch, 5045 S. Laflin St. Pick-your-own on selected Saturdays and Sundays, 1pm – 4pm; call ahead. (312) 369-9009. thepiepatchfarm.com

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN COOKED RAW SOY FREE PEANUT FREE 1450 East 57th St. 773-256-1000 gabrielle@bgabsgoodies.com facebook.com/BGabsGoodies Mon–Thurs 10am–7pm Fri–Sat 10am–9pm Sun closed SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

beverly & morgan park

Compiled by Sonia Schlesinger LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

Scott Smith is a writer and media strategist. He has lived in Beverly for the past seven years and, in the interest of full disclosure, has volunteered for many of the organizations mentioned below. He also goes to Rainbow Cone a lot. You can follow him on Twitter at @ourmaninchicago.

epending on where you stand––literally or metaphorically––the neighborhoods of Beverly and Morgan Park can seem either of another time or slowly embracing change. Sometimes this dichotomy is as basic as what residents eat and drink. Longtime businesses like Rainbow Cone (ninety years), Top Notch Beefburger (sixty-two years), Fox’s Restaurant and Pizza (fifty-two years), and County Fair (over fifty years) anchor the neighborhood and serve as fodder for annual “Best of Chicago” lists. Now, this same handcrafted sensibility is coming to the area’s beer and booze offerings. Award-winning Horse Thief Hollow stepped up the beer-and-a-shot bar game on Western Avenue a couple of years ago with a microbrewery and slow-roasted BBQ. By next year, Open Outcry Brewing Co. (replacing O’Brien’s Pub), as well as an expanded Wild Blossom Meadery, Illinois’s first meadery and taproom combo, will both call the neighborhood home.

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Meanwhile, the neighborhoods’ culture is a mix of old and new. The thirty-seven-year history of the South Side Irish Parade is still what Beverly is best known for, but the three-year-old Beverly Art Walk in October is rapidly becoming tradition. A new TIF-funded sports center in Morgan Park hosts hockey, gymnastics, and a fitness studio while just up the street the almost fifty-year-old Beverly Arts Center has spent fourteen years in its current space, offering community-driven theater, movies, and a vibrant arts curriculum. The architecture here is rich in history with at least fifty notable buildings, including four Frank Lloyd Wrights and a block of Prairie-style homes by Walter Burley Griffin. A replica of an Irish castle has stood at 103rd Street and Longwood Drive since the late nineteenth century. Beverly and Morgan Park’s most progressive aspects date back to the 1970s as they bucked Chicago’s segregationist leanings. Beverly is fifty-nine percent white and thirty-four percent black while Morgan Park is thirty percent white and sixty-five percent black. (Nearby Mt. Greenwood is ninety-eight percent white.) Such integration came with both hard work and a handful of lawsuits filed in the 1980s, aimed at blockbusting realtors. Making that racial mix work well for everyone comes in fits and starts as residents strive to live among each other, not just with each other.

BEVERLY & MORGAN PARK Groups such as the Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative and Southsiders for Peace gather regularly to address issues of diversity, gender, and social justice. In many ways, you’ll find that Beverly and Morgan Park are the templates for a Chicago neighborhood with their more-than-fair share of city employees, cops, and firefighters. It’s a community that rallies and fundraises when one of its own needs help, whether it’s a family displaced by a fire, local police in need of bulletproof vests, or a young child stricken with cancer. Its strongest businesses are small and unique, such as The Quilter’s Trunk, Belle Up, or Beverly Records, providing a stark contrast to the big-box stores in the suburbs next door. The alderman, Matthew O’Shea, is approachable, both at a town hall meetings and on Twitter. Building on this strength, a newly resurgent Beverly Area Planning Association, the neighborhood’s civic organization, recently launched a shop-dine-and-play-local campaign called “Live 19.” Named for the 19th Ward, which encompasses Beverly, Morgan Park, and Mt. Greenwood, the effort encourages residents to “love where you live,” though it’s rare to find anyone who doesn’t. There are multi-generational families here, responsible for Beverly and Morgan Park’s proud past, living alongside newer, younger folks ready to settle into good schools and spacious homes with modest-compared-to-North-Side price tags. Change happens in Beverly and Morgan Park. But the things that stay the same are just as important.

BEST TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY SALON

The Frunchroom

Named for the way “the front room” sounds through a South Side accent, The Frunchroom is a quarterly event meant to evoke the way your relatives and friends told stories, jokes, and tall tales after dinner over one too many cocktails. Each event features five readers, most of whom either live or grew up on the South Side. A token North Sider is usually allowed for variety, but all the stories have a South Side connection. In one evening, you might hear a reporter from the Chicago Tribune, the owner of the local yoga studio, a Hyde Park poet, a lawyer, and a Chicago State University professor perform one after the other. The diversity is deliberate, an effort to tell the stories about the South Side that don’t make the headlines. After a year of standing-room-only crowds at O’Rourke’s Office in Morgan Park, The Frunchroom moved down the street to a bigger-but-still-packed banquet room at Beverly Woods Restaurant. Co-produced with The Beverly Area Arts Alliance, it’s held onto its cocktail hour vibe. Get there early for the next one on September 27th at 7:30pm. (Scott Smith) Beverly Woods Restaurant, 11532 S. Western Ave. Next reading Tuesday, September 27, 7:30pm. See thefrunchroom.com for upcoming events.

BEST LOCAL-GLOBAL SWEETSHOP

Sweet Freaks Homemade Chocolate With a name like Sweet Freaks, some have mistaken this family-owned candy store for a much less family-friendly establishment. With its old-fashioned red-andwhite checkered floor, wooden countertops, and glass cases displaying over thirty different kinds of sweets, ranging from Cherry Bites (cherry licorice dipped in dark chocolate) to Jakes (handmade creamy caramel and raw pecans sandwiched between milk chocolate, otherwise known as a “turtle”), to fooshi (candy sushi made of rice krispies and gummy bears), one visit to the store will thoroughly disabuse you of any misconceptions. While the Sweet Freaks storefront opened over three years ago in its Walden Parkway location, its Beverly-based owners, married couple Pat and Katie Murphy, have been catering and serving their handmade chocolates and other sweets to customers since 2002. Pat trained to be a chef in Chicago in the early 1990s, and has traveled all over the country to work events like the 2016 Burning Man Festival in Nevada as well as Riot Fest at home in Chicago. Katie, who grew up in Beverly and returned after some time away at college and a year working in Europe, worked as an electrician. Pat started experimenting with various recipes for chocolate confections while Katie helped manage the business, and they started selling their sweets at coffee shops and farmer markets. When a friend and fellow Beverly resident told them about the opportunity to buy the Walden Parkway property where Sweet Freaks is currently located, they decided to extend their catering trade into a brick-and-mortar business. As long-time residents of Beverly, the Murphys are themselves invested in supporting local businesses. The chocolate they use to make their products comes from the Blommer Chocolate Company, a chocolate and cocoa manufacturer founded in Chicago by Henry Blommer, Sr. and his four brothers in 1939. All the art that adorns their walls and countertops, including their logo and the artistic rendition of the Chicago flag hanging on the wall (which replaces the red stars with chocolate-covered strawberries) is made by local artists. Sweet Freaks exhibits painted plates and glassware created by Susan Dorsch, a local Beverly mother; the sewing work of another Beverly mother Nicole Sanders, including recycled bags, dresses, and aprons; and handcrafted wooden signs made by another Beverly resident Tina Milton. The store even has a dime bar, a glass countertop covered with bowls of candy sold at ten cents apiece. In the months of July and August, half the proceeds from the dime bar go to a local food pantry, an initiative that Katie calls Pack the Pantry. The dime bar and the Pack the Pantry initiative were designed to cater toward children, showing them that it is possible to help other people from an early age. Sweet Freaks functions as a locally-owned business in every sense of the word. They have designed new products to cater to customers’ particular allergies, and have catered sweets for events of interested customers, including weddings, girls’ nights out, and birthday parties. They have set up display tables at high school proms and local preschool fundraisers. They sometimes give free samples of their products to neighboring businesses, such as a nearby nail salon, and showcase business cards from many local businesses. But while the majority of their customers come from Beverly and Morgan Park, Sweet Freaks ships their chocolate all over the country. Their chocolates have even traveled with customers who wanted to bring their sweets on trips as far as Sweden, Ireland, and China. (Michelle Gan) Sweet Freaks, 9915 S. Walden Pkwy. Tuesday, Thurs–Fri, 11am–6:30pm; Weds, 11am– 8pm; Saturday, 10am–4pm. (773) 610-6320. sweetfreaks.org

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BEVERLY & MORGAN PARK

best irish castle turned activist church Beverly Unitarian Church

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST MOTHER/DAUGHTER SHOPPORTUNITY

Belle Up / Kiddie Kouture

“Village in the City” is an apt nickname for Beverly; the “village” comes complete with a main street, 103rd Street, anchored by cross-sections sprinkled with small shops and cafes. The major intersections, Western Avenue to the west and Longwood Drive to the east, offer the perfect shopping date opportunity for moms and their young children. Both Belle Up and Kiddie Kouture were founded out of frustration with their respective industries, Belle Up for maternity wear and Kiddie Kouture for children’s clothing. Belle Up founder Jamenda McCoy realized when she got pregnant that she was dissatisfied with the options for maternity wear; she searched far and wide, but could only find uninteresting or impractical options that didn’t fit her well. She opened Belle Up’s first branch in Beverly in 2009 to fit her vision of a South Side maternity store made “for moms, by moms.” It sells non-maternity women’s clothing and accessories as well. Kiddie Kouture serves a different age range for a similar reason. Its founder, Amanda Reagan, who shopped at Belle Up when pregnant with her own daughter, thinks children’s clothing is done wrong these days––too risqué and prematurely adult. The boutique sells children’s clothes with a focus on locally-made items. The fifteen-minute walk between the two is well worth it: shared purpose and cute clothes, whether for thirty-year-olds or for three-year-olds, make the two stores a perfect combination for a mother’s day out. (Sonia Schlesinger) Belle Up Boutique, 1915 W. 103rd St. Mon–Fri, 10am–7pm; Sat–Sun, 10am–5pm. (773) 233-2442. belleup.com Kiddie Kouture Boutique, 10324 S. Western Ave. Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm; Sat, 10am–5pm. (773) 701-6809. kiddiekouture.org 14 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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Considering Beverly’s status as one of the five largest historic districts in the country, it should hardly surprise anyone to find Chicago’s only castle nestled among Beverly’s English manors and stately estates. That this 129-year-old structure now serves as a Unitarian Universalist church, after past incarnations as an all-girls high school and family home, may be more of a surprise. As a non-creedal denomination, the Unitarian Universalist Church welcomes people of all religious and spiritual beliefs. Linda Symons Cooper, a lifelong Unitarian who has served on the church’s board multiple times, describes the church as one that brings together people who are interested in charting their own religious journeys. Weekly readings range from Bible stories to the writings of Mahatma Gandhi or the work of contemporary Muslim scholars. Marsha Curtis, a congregation member, trained Unitarian minister, and self-identifying Theravada Buddhist, also leads weekly Buddhist meditation sessions in the church on Sunday nights at 7:30pm. One of the values that unites this congregation is a commitment to social justice. Their background in social justice includes supporting civil rights in the 1960s, endorsing the Equal Rights Amendment for women in the 1970s, and commenting vocally on the United States’ political involvement in Central America. The limestone walls of this three-story castle welcomed civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who once spoke to the congregation, and served as a place for President Obama to meet with the community in his days as a senator. In keeping with the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Beverly Unitarian Church has certified the castle as a Green Sanctuary. As a Green Sanctuary, the church maintains a pledge to examine their environmental impact and develop sustainable practices. The church has installed an electric vehicle charging station underneath the castle’s parking lot and, in addition, every three to four months, issues an open invitation to the neighborhood to bring all hazardous waste to the castle, whether it’s recyclable goods or a large television. Last September, the church posted a Black Lives Matter sign outside their church in solidarity with the victims from the Charleston church shooting. Although controversial community reactions eventually prompted the church to take down the sign, they joined with other Beverly and Morgan Park-area ministers, educators, and parishioners to form the “Thou Shalt Not Murder” coalition. The coalition hosted community gatherings to talk about race and also called for Easter of 2016 to be “a day free from murder of any kind.” Beyond acting as a hub for social action and religious services, Beverly Unitarian also rents out the castle for smaller, more intimate events such as bridal showers and birthday parties. The castle’s historical status also makes it a popular destination for tours with the Chicago Architectural Foundation. (Michelle Gan) Beverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Dr. Sunday service, 10:30am; Buddhist meditation, Sunday, 7:30pm; more event info available online. (773) 233-7080. beverlyunitarian.org

bridgeport & mckinley park

Compiled by Corinne Butta JULIET ELDRED

Tom Gaulke is the pastor at First Lutheran Church of the Trinity, located at 31st St. and S. Lowe Ave, and a community organizer. He successfully agitated for a test run of a 31st Street bus and was one of the founding members of the grassroots group Bridgeport Alliance.

y name is Tom Gaulke. I’m the pastor at First Lutheran Church of the Trinity in Bridgeport and a co-founder of Bridgeport Alliance. I accepted a call as a pastor to this community in April 2009. First Trinity (my parish) is a historic mainline Protestant church in the middle of a neighborhood that historically has been majority Roman Catholic. Perhaps because of our Protestant tradition, perhaps because our mission in the neighborhood is uniquely inclusive of and helpful to the poor and the homeless of Bridgeport, our (and my) involvement in the Bridgeport neighborhood has very much been one of protest, advocacy, and organizing for the benefit of those most excluded and hurt by the world as it is. From fighting with neighbors to close the coal-fired power plants, to working to get the neighborhood a 31st Street bus, to giving away free food and clothing, we have been often involved in bettering the community, especially for the sake of those most in need. So when asked to say a thing about Bridgeport, I write from my slice of the neighborhood. I love the small-town feel of the neighborhood. I like

walking down the street and knowing my neighbors by name. I like that there are people in the circles I frequent who work tirelessly to improve the world, to build community, and to create spaces of welcome for everyone, especially those who have often been excluded. I dislike when our neighborhood is unwelcoming, when it excludes. I dislike that in Bridgeport, just like in my hometown in Wisconsin, it is not uncommon to hear a racist remark from a neighbor, or something classist, or xenophobic. I’m not surprised, but such behavior is in no way representative of my ideal community, and has no place in the one we’re trying to build. I dislike that the community (and the City of Chicago/ State of Illinois) lacks mental health services and other resources meant to break the cycles of poverty, addiction, and sickness that so many are stuck in, and that our people suffer for it. It is nice to have a unique niche in the neighborhood, and to have a great community of people who I care to gather with each week. As we see signs of “growth” and gentrification, my hope is not that the neighborhood grows in economic prosperity alone—not that we simply add new businesses or homeowners, or fancy restaurants half of us can’t afford, displacing our poor and vulnerable—but that we also grow in heart, in love, in spirit; that we learn to take responsibility for all of our neighbors’ well being, and that we embrace one another as a human family, so everyone can afford to eat, to thrive, to live. SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

BEST LAST ONE STANDING

George’s Restaurant

Stop into any shop along Halsted in Bridgeport, and they’ll tell you to walk down the block to George’s for lunch. It’s a classic spot with laminate booths and a long counter dotted with bar stools; the walls are covered with Sox memorabilia. When I walk through the door, a friendly server greets me. In response to my questions about the restaurant’s history, she offers to introduce me to Elaine. Elaine is George’s daughter; she’s taken over the business after her father’s recent passing and has made it her mission to keep his Greek and Chicagoan classics coming. The menu features everything from gyros and lentil soups to burgers and fries, but it’s not only the food that makes George’s special. The restaurant has been around for nearly forty years, outlasting every other business on the block. Though the restaurant did make one move in its time, it only jumped several doors down, to take on a bigger space and a bigger kitchen. George himself grew up just outside of Sparta, Greece, Elaine tells me. Once in Chicago, he worked his way up in other chef ’s kitchens—all with the goal of eventually opening his own business. It’s clear he is the much loved and much missed heart of George’s; the restaurant has been a community staple for decades and continues to be. Though they have a large number of regular customers, they’re always welcoming more and you’re sure to be one after stopping by. (Corinne Butta) George’s Restaurant, 3445 S. Halsted St. Monday–Friday, 9am–9pm, Saturday, 9am– 8pm, Sunday, 10am–5pm. (773) 247-4770.

BEST RESPITE FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD

MAKE! Chicago

In Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke, a supporting character finds authenticity in a world of condos, Starbucks and soulless consumerism by building a castle from stone in defiance of zoning and municipal authorities. Bridgeport doesn’t have a castle like Beverly, but it does have MAKE! Chicago, where you can mess around with oxy acetylene torches, orbital sanders, angle grinders, and hand shears. It’s a self-described “respite” from the office world in an industrial park not far from the Bridgeport Art Center and the Zhou B Art Center. Anyone who’s interested can make something with their hands using the techniques of woodworking, metalworking, upholstery, and sculpture. MAKE! Chicago is open by appointment only, but it does offer classes in box making, furniture refinishing, upholstery, joinery, and rustic pallet furniture building. If you want to try your hand at metalworking or like to experiment and just plain make, you can try it out on Third Friday Open Shop Nights. “Anybody can be a Maker!” MAKE! Chicago says on its website. “Makers are people who like to make stuff, fix stuff, work with their hands, experiment, and solve puzzles. Mechanics, woodworkers, engineers, chefs, bicycle enthusiasts, artists, anybody in any field will likely come across some road block that requires making something to solve the problem. Be you artist, DIY enthusiast, handyperson, homeowner, tinkerer, designer, dabbler, bodger, inventor, (etc. etc.), professional or hobbyist, beginner, intermediate, or advanced, all kinds of Makers are welcome at MAKE! Chicago.” ( Joseph S. Pete) MAKE! Chicago, 1048 W. 37th St. By appointment only. Prices vary. (312) 925-2627. make-chicago.com

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JULIET ELDRED

BEST RECIPE FOR LOVE

Augustine’s Spiritual Goods The entrance to Augustine’s is nondescript—no neon signs proclaiming tarot readings, or visions of the future, simply a wooden door marked above by dark blue text on white: “Augustine’s. Spiritual Goods. Eternal Gifts.” The store, now in its twenty-fifth year, is a treasure trove for the mystical, hawking a myriad of incenses, oils, crystals, candles, herbs, amulets, tarot cards, and more, all designed to spiritualize. The owner Reverend Carolyn Hennes (a nondenominational calling, she explains) also tells me that while the shop does get curious passersby who enter for the novelty, there exists a loyal following of customers whom they treat much like family. During my visit, one such customer was having a tarot consultation—a service that’s part of the shop’s suite of “spiritual empowerment” classes which include topics such as fairy magic, miracles, and chakra—while another was being rung up, receiving the advice: “Envision the life you want to lead.” Here, they’re generous with the spiritual advice, dispensing it from beyond a glass counter where they also customize herb-root blends designed to help customers’ specific situations. Most ask for love or money, I’m told, but there are the occasional customers looking to hex someone, to which their first response is: “Usually we try and talk them out of it.” (Isabelle Lim) Augustine’s Spiritual Goods, 3327 S. Halsted St. Monday–Thursday, 11am–7pm, Friday– Saturday, 11am–6pm, Sunday, 12pm–4pm. (773) 843–1933.

BRIDGEPORT & MICKINLEY PARK

best punkin’ donuts Daley Library

No librarian would dare shush you during “Punk Rock and Donuts” at the Richard J. Daley branch of the Chicago Public Library. Branch manager Jeremy Kitchen, a former punk singer himself, started hosting free punk shows in the unlikeliest of venues back in 2013. The library branch partners with Jackalope Coffee, the bass player from the band Anatomy of Habits, and sound guy Kenny Rasmussen to stage two or three shows a year. “The inspiration came from a project I did using the principles of human-centered design, which is a humanist practice where you incorporate the needs and wants of the library patrons with original programming that will appeal to many, but perhaps not all,” Kitchen said. “It is an experimental process in which you appeal to what actual residents of the neighborhood want to see in their libraries.” Chicago bands like Silver Abuse, Callaghan, and ONO have played the afternoon shows, which are preceded by coffee and, of course, the eponymous donuts. “Kenny and I partnered up because the state of all-ages shows in Chicago can be pretty sad—idiots throwing beer on each other and fighting in basements. We think that type of behavior belongs in the frat house and not at all-ages punk shows,” Kitchen said. “Like all library programs, it is for all walks of life, and we have had toddlers to seniors show up.” ( Joseph S. Pete)

BEST HEART

31st & Western Standing at the corner of 31st and Western, with the Arturo Velasquez Institute to one side and a nondescript brick building—the home of the mysteriously named Lpz Inc.—to the other, there’s no signage to tell you that you’re just feet from the geographic center of Chicago. For the City of Big Shoulders, it’s fitting: the intersection is located in an industrial part of McKinley Park just feet from the canal (in which the true center is sunk). It makes sense, somehow, that the heart of the city hearkens back to its roots in shipping and industry. But in order to truly appreciate the city center, you have to do some digging into the polarizing politics of its signage. As Chicago annexes land, its center point moves; after the addition of O’Hare Airport in 1956, the heart of the city jumped from West 37th and S. Honore to its current location in the canal, closest to 31st and Western. Controversially, a sign recently granted by the 12th Ward Alderman’s office stands at the first location, falsely designating it as the center of “The Greatest City in America.” While the bright green plaque makes a great photo op, it’s worth a ceremonial trip to the true center before it shifts again, where you can look over the canal and see the skyscrapers of the Loop in the distance. (Corinne Butta) Geographic Center of Chicago, 31st Street and Western Avenue.

Richard J. Daley Branch, Chicago Public Library, 3400 S. Halsted Street. Monday and Wednesday, 10am–6pm, Tuesday and Thursday, 12pm–8pm, Friday and Saturday, 9am– 5pm, closed Sunday. Free. (312) 747-8990.

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brighton park & archer heights

Compiled by Sara Cohen KIRAN MISRA

Patrick Brosnan is the executive director of the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC). He has worked at BPNC since 1999.

righton Park changed dramatically in the 1990s—in the late 1990s and early 2000s the neighborhood became a gateway community. We saw a big increase in the number of foreign-born people—predominantly Latino and mostly from Mexico—people where this was their first stop because they had relatives that were living here or something like that. And the neighborhood really grew significantly. A need arose in the community to start organizing and creating grassroots leaders that were really interested in making sure that the neighborhood was getting what it deserved, and working more towards an equity agenda. So that’s how [BPNC] was founded: community leaders who were really interested in organizing themselves and developing new leaders to bring these institutions together and start organizing around campaigns to hold officials accountable, to hold the city accountable, and to really start building a social service infrastructure. I was hired in 1999, so the organization was a year and a half old when I came on, and I was hired just as a field organizer. I was trying to identify these abandoned houses and work with the community to try and get them cleaned up, get the city and the federal government to draw attention to these properties, and get them fixed up 18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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and back on the market. But then all the issues continued to change. The schools were so overcrowded and there really weren’t enough resources in the buildings to address the huge need that developed through the 1990s and 2000s. And we still [didn’t] have a community center or anything like that where kids can go after school. So we started our first Full Service Community School, at Burroughs Elementary School on the north side of the neighborhood, back in 2003. The premise was really simple: make the school a community center. The campaign to renovate Kelly Park was another big campaign that took several years, but the idea was that we [didn’t] have any park space. We’re one of the most park-poor communities in the city (if not the most park-poor community in terms of acreage per park district land per capita), so we have to make the park that we do have the most usable and durable park it can be. And before we started this campaign, it was a disaster. Kelly Park was basically a mud pit. We organized this campaign, it’s been about a $3 million initiative. We’ve been weighing different grants in support and then working with the [Chicago Park District] to partner with them and convince them to fund other sorts of initiatives in the park. We’ve been able to demonstrate success and so we’re able to keep finding resources to build this model because of the fact that it works. We’ve been very diligent with the resources, so you start to see big increases in freshmen on track and graduation rates at Kelly, and with Burroughs Elementary School the test scores just showed

it’s the highest-performing school in the entire Network 8. You see incidences of suspensions going down, incidences of youth violence going down. And I believe part of the reason is because of the approach that we’ve taken to increase the resources that are available to young people, and keep them in school. There’s so much that needs to be done, but we’ve seen tremendous growth, and we’ve been able to demonstrate it, so we keep fighting, trying to win resources to keep it going. This is a neighborhood really where working families need a place in the city to live and raise their kids, a safe neighborhood with good schools and access to jobs. We’ve been able to demonstrate as a neighborhood what it can look like if working people can still afford to live in the city and still have access to jobs and it can be safe and the schools can be really good and have opportunities for their kids. And I think that’s all people want.

BEST BILLY GOAT FOR YOUR BUCK

Birrieria Zaragoza

The gourmet cuisine at Birrieria Zaragoza, though made mostly out of goat, certainly won’t get your goat. The signature item in this restaurant’s dishes is birria, a roasted goat meat stewed with ancho mole sauce that has its origins in Jalisco, Mexico. Here, it’s plated either on or off the bone, or encased in tasty quesadillas. Table condiments include fresh cilantro, onions, lime, and sauces, but Zaragoza’s Salsa de Molcajete, made with fire-roasted tomatoes and served warm, cannot be beat. The meal comes with tortillas made fresh in-house, and customers also praise the homemade flan offered for dessert. Don’t just take the Weekly’s word for it, though: Food Network Magazine named Zaragoza “The Top Taco in Illinois”; Fox News, The Daily Meal, NBC, and celebrity gastronomes Rachael Ray and Andrew Zimmern give similar testimonials. More importantly, Archer Heights residents remain perhaps most loyal to the original family-owned spot, good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and just about any excuse you can find to visit in between. (Sara Cohen) Birrieria Zaragoza, 4852 S. Pulaski Rd. Monday–Friday, 10am–7pm; Saturday, 8am– 7pm; Sunday, 8am–4pm. (773) 523-3700. birrieriazaragoza.com

best monkey business Ed & Annette’s Monkeys & More

Ed and Annette Parzygnat have been in the business of caring for exotic animals for decades. Their Archer Heights facility serves as a refuge for thirty different animal species, including raccoons, alligators, and boa constrictors. The pair showcases their animals at libraries, retirement homes, and schools, and also invites visitors to their home to teach them about the distinctions between pets and wild animals. Providing proper care for these exotic animals is no easy investment: the Parzygnats must maintain a federal exhibitor’s license in addition to nutrition and nurturing, but due to their persistence and passion for the animals, the couple continues to spread their mission. They may show primates, but keeping exotic animals as pets is nothing to monkey around about. (Sara Cohen) Ed & Annette’s Monkeys & More, 4301 W. 47th St. (773) 376-0812. SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

BRIGHTON PARK & ARCHER HEIGHTS

BEST HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Café El Meson

KIRAN MISRA

Cafe El Meson, 4631 S. Kedzie Ave. Monday–Saturday, 10am–10pm. (773) 6969691. cafeelmeson.net

BEST SCHOOL SINGING SENSATION

Musicality Vocal Ensemble

Curie Metropolitan High School’s choral group, Musicality, struck a chord with the nation earlier this summer when their audition for the eleventh season of America’s Got Talent premiered on NBC. The act garnered a standing ovation from the crowd and high accolades from the judges, including British personality and former American Idol curmudgeon Simon Cowell. Led by the school’s chorus teacher and music director, Michael Gibson, the group rehearsed daily in preparation for their performances as they made their way through judges’ cuts and live shows, before being eliminated in the semifinals. Though their TV stint ended before the singers returned to school for the fall, Musicality’s presence in and out of Archer Heights endures. Check out their latest covers and arrangements on SoundCloud or YouTube, or better yet, support them by buying their first album, Purple Summer. (Sara Cohen) Musicality Vocal Ensemble, Curie Metropolitan High School, 4959 S. Archer Ave. musicalityvocal.com

BEST DEFINITIVELY LEGAL CANNABIS PRODUCTS

Hemp Helps

Bart Studnicki and Andy Zarycki co-founded the low-profit online marketplace and hemp awareness brand Hemp Helps in 2012, promoting various vendors with products made from cannabis fiber. Though it is not a drug, hemp has been historically criminalized because of its links to marijuana (both come from the cannabis plant). The Hemp Helps website, operated out of Studnicki’s Archer Heights home, educates visitors about this convoluted history and offers them information on the power of hemp plants and products to reduce pollution, restore soil, conserve water, and improve nutrition, skin care, and overall health. Not only are the products Hemp Helps promotes eco-friendly, but their approach is, too: their contributions have helped the reforestation and hunger-eliminating efforts of the nonprofit Trees for the Future, through which Hemp Helps has planted 13,405 new trees and counting in Africa and South America. (Sara Cohen) Hemp Helps, hemphelps.org

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Whether they’re looking to study, socialize, caffeinate, snack, read, or snooze, patrons of Café El Meson can count on the coffeehouse/bookstore for unbeatable fare and a snug and welcoming atmosphere. Given that the outside looks like a typical townhouse, passersby may initially overlook this evangelical establishment. Nonetheless, its shelves of Christian literature, friendly staff, and tasty sandwiches have an irresistible and alluring power that keeps you staying once you find a seat. The coffee shop is run by the nonprofit El Meson Ministry, but the owners are far more likely to strike up casual conversations with customers than make attempts at conversion. Christian and non-Christian Brighton Park residents and visitors alike frequent the destination, sipping piña colada smoothies on either of its two stories or taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. (Sara Cohen)

ronzeville is a social construction,” writes Natalie Moore in her book The South Side, published earlier this year. She’s referring to the fact that, perhaps more than any other neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, Bronzeville exists as the physical space of black identity and arts that flourished in the century that followed the beginning of the Great Migration. Bronzeville is defined by one of the grandest boulevards in Chicago, King Drive, lined on either side by of sweeping trees, red brick townhomes, and elegant greystones, complete with the original terra cotta ornamentation. Along the largest intersection, at 47th Street, neighbors hold friendly conversations while watering gardens, and a group of ladies sway their strollers back and forth across the sidewalk, catching up with old friends. This is a place where people greet you as they pass; here, the spirit of community, wrapped in pride of the neighborhood’s vibrant history, is very much alive. As a result of the Great Migration, Bronzeville grew drastically between 1890 and 1950 as a community where African American residents explored new frontiers in music, art, literature, business, and political life. Industrial jobs, activist groups, and artistic cohorts began to develop as Bronzeville flourished into a site of collaboration and innovation, boasting economic growth and a distinct culture. Over the years, people like Ida B. Wells, Richard Wright, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, and Gwendolyn Brooks called Bronzeville home and contributed to the neighborhood’s fast-moving arts revival. This rich history also means that, perhaps more than any other South Side neighborhood, the revitalization of Bronzeville, which has been promised since the beginning of the 2000s but stubbornly fails to emerge (most recently due to the 2008 housing market crash), represents a dream deferred. Just last year saw the closure of Jokes and Notes, the city’s only black-owned comedy club, and H-Dogs, a gourmet hot dog joint owned by Cliff Rome, chef and board member of Bronzeville Area Residents and Commerce Council. And yet, institutions like the Chicago Defender offices, the South Side Community Arts Center, Blanc Gallery (another of Rome’s endeavors), and Illinois Service Federal, a long-time black-owned insurance company, continue the legacy of Bronzeville’s past. The historic Wabash YMCA building, too, still fulfills its original purpose, providing a place for arts and education organizations to gather and go about their work. (Andrea Giugni and Kylie Zane) LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

bronzeville Compiled by Andrea Giugni SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST VERY OLD ARTS RECREATION HUB

Historic Wabash YMCA

A long-standing pinnacle of the South Side’s black community, the YMCA standing on 38th and Wabash has been a neighborhood cornerstone for years. Founded in 1914 with the financial support of Julius Rosenwald, a businessman and philanthropist who was also the president of Sears at the time, the building was created to foster educational and professional opportunities for African Americans who had migrated from the South during the Great Migration. Today, it remains at the heart of the original “Black Metropolis,” providing a place for athletic groups, summer camps, art programs, and community services such as clubs for youth safety and violence prevention and youth leadership to thrive. The building’s long tradition of providing a hub for education and artistic development was recently embodied in the Chicago Poetry Block Party, a celebration of art, music, and poetry of all kinds, hosted in collaboration with the Poetry Foundation and featuring prominent Chicago artists such as Nate Marshall and Ric Wilson. The massive building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and given a $9 million renovation and reopening in the late 1990s by a coalition of neighborhood churches known as the Renaissance Collaborative (see below). (Andrea Giugni) Wabash Avenue YMCA, 3763 S. Wabash Ave. Mon–Fri, 7am–9pm, Sat 9am–3pm. (773) 285-0020. ymcachicago.org/pages/Wabash-ymca. 22 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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BRONZEVILLE

BEST PLACE TO EXERCISE YOUR FREE WILL

Simple Soups, Salads & Sandwiches

BEST VERY NEW ARTS RECREATION HUB

Bronzeville Arts & Recreation Center The Bronzeville Arts and Recreation Center, a 32,000-square-foot, $18.3-million-dollar collaboration between the Chicago Parks District, Chicago Public Schools, the 3rd and 4th Wards, and two independent developers, and the result of more than a decade of planning, has finally opened in Ellis Park on 35th Street and Cottage Grove. Furthering city initiatives to expand services and opportunities on the South Side (before it opened, there were no public swimming pools between downtown and Hyde Park), the center hopes to reinforce Bronzeville’s critical sense of community. Rahm called it part of a “renaissance,” and the inaugural director of the center, Monique Scott, has called it an “urban oasis,” but even if you find those phrasings a little much, there’s no arguing it’s a meaningful addition to the neighborhood. With stellar arts programming, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a brandnew gymnasium, and fully stocked classrooms (rare among Chicago Parks District facilities), the center represents a renewed effort to celebrate the storied history of Bronzeville and expand material possibilities for young people to sustain the neighborhood their ancestors shaped. (Andrea Giugni) Bronzeville Arts and Recreation Center, Ellis Park, 3520 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Mon– Fri, 8am–8pm, Sat, 8:30am–5pm. (773) 285-7099. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/ellis-samuel-park

BEST ARTS HUB DESIGNED BY AN MMA FIGHTER

New Art Gallery and Jazz Lounge

Artist, educator, and, of all things, professional mixed martial arts fighter Deon Steward has designed, built, and inaugurated a new addition to the well-loved Senegalese restaurant Yassa, a Bronzeville staple featured in previous issues of Best of the South Side. Over the summer, Steward, who told DNAinfo the project aims to give neighborhood teens “freedom to be able to explore their talents,” renovated the adjoining two-story space and created a multipurpose art studio, classroom area, and gallery showcase (currently populated by his own oil paintings and sculptures). He hopes that establishing these programs in such a pivotal location will further a continually evolving reemergence of youth-focused art in Bronzeville—Yassa owner Madieye Gueye agrees, saying Steward’s work is “making a big difference” for the neighborhood. The space is open to young creatives seeking support for their art and Bronzeville locals who are looking to gain new skills, and is also rentable for private events. Plus, jazz. (Andrea Giugni) New Art Gallery and Jazz Lounge, 3513 S. King Drive. TBH not clear if this place is open so just hold on a minute

Sometimes you want a little bit of control, but without all the risks that come with making your own decisions. If you find yourself in a mood like this, look no further than Simply Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches on 47th, where you can customize your salads and sandwiches by choosing among dozens of vegetable, topping, bread, meat, and condiment options. This is amazing, yes, but what’s even more amazing is that every single item, from the bean sprouts to the boiled eggs to the buffalo chicken to the raspberry vinaigrette, is good. Or at least, I’ve never had a bad one so far. That’s it, that’s the whole story. Just go. ( Jake Bittle) Simply Soups, Salads, & Sandwiches, 635 E. 47th St. Mon–Fri, 7am–6pm. Sat, 9am– 4pm. (773) 373-3810. simplyssands47th.com

BEST BENEVOLENCE

The Renaissance Collaborative The Renaissance Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that was originally founded in 1992 by four historical churches in the Bronzeville area (Quinn Chapel AME, St. Thomas Episcopal, St. Elizabeth Roman Catholic, and Apostolic Faith), came together to save the Wabash YMCA building (see above) from demolition. Today the nonprofit serves the South Side and Bronzeville in particular in myriad ways, primarily connecting low-income members of the Bronzeville community with affordable housing options and professional job opportunities (they believe homelessness can only be ended “one person at a time”). The Collaborative manages about 170 units of affordable housing in the Bronzeville area and offers literacy programs as well as regular fundraising initiatives to benefit arts and athletics in the neighborhood, which frequently involves partnerships with other organizations in the Wabash YMCA building. (Andrea Giugni) The Renaissance Collaborative, 3757 S. Wabash Ave. (773) 924-9270. trcwabash.org.

best headgear Bronze Hat Line

Dimress Dunnigan isn’t afraid to rock blue hair and pink Nikes, and she doesn’t want you to be either: this summer, the Bronzeville designer launched a new hat line, “Bronze,” to let the rest of the world in on her personal style. These hats pay homage to Bronzeville, which Dunnigan calls “the hood that made me,” with small metal plates on the front that read, simply, “bronze,” and beneath that, in smaller letters, “Chicago.” It’s a minimal statement, but a meaningful one. The line consists of corduroy baseball caps in rich, singular colors—navy blue, dark red, and yellow. They’re classic and comfortable, but also fresh and bold at the same time. Although Dunnigan’s first run sold out within just a couple days of their debut, those still hatless might not be much longer—Dunnigan tweeted last month that she has “some new shit coming soon.” (Lily Li) Bronze hat line. For more information (and style inspiration), @lowkeydimo on Twitter and Instagram. SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 23

chatham

Compiled by Adeshina Emmanuel

MARIA CARDONA / CITY BUREAU

f you ask Chatham resident Jahmal Cole, “Chatham is a state of mind!” “That state of mind is black entrepreneurship, block club associations, neighborhoods groups, and things like that,” said Cole, a thirty-two-year-old nonprofit founder, activist, and author. “If you want to organize, what better place to learn than in Chatham? It’s been a place where black middle-class people lived, home ownership, manicured lawns, great bungalows— you come through here and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is a beautiful place, and I want to be a part of that.’ That’s why I moved here, because I wanted to be an activist and be a part of a social group.” Chatham has a lot more to offer than the mostly crime-centric news headlines that pop up when you google the neighborhood: this is the old but still-beating heart of Chicago’s black middle class. Despite declines in Chatham’s population and economic fortune, it still attracts people like Cole,

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whose nonprofit, My Block, My Hood, My City, exposes teens to parts of the city they’ve never seen before. Yet Chatham is a community on the fence, which was the impetus for U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush’s launch of the Greater Chatham Initiative this summer. The initiative was an economic development effort led by Nedra Fears that has been a couple years in the making, following the tragic shooting death of teacher and real estate agent Bettie Howard on 79th Street in 2014. “Kudos to the founding person who got that together,” Cole said about the initiative. “But I think that we cannot wait for city or state government to rekindle that spirit of what Chatham was. Chatham is in each of us, and it’s a state of mind...That’s our culture. That’s the collective manifestation of experiences in Chatham. That has nothing to do with politics; it has everything to do with you viewing democracy on a block level, like, ‘What am I going to do on my block to make things better?’ ” (Adeshina Emmanuel)

CHATHAM

BEST SO-GUILTY-IT’S-SHAMELESS PLEASURE

Dat Donut

Old-school independent doughnut shops are an endangered species in Chicago (thanks, Dunkin Donuts—and we’re not letting those artisanal, altogether new school shops off the hook either). This is why it bears repeating that crowd-pleaser and Best of the South Side 2013 alum Dat Donut has been serving its fried, hand-cut confections in Chatham since 1994. If you ask co-owner Darryl Townson, that’s not going to change anytime soon. “Chatham is what I know,” says Townson, who runs the shop with his wife Andrea. Dat Donut has the traditional assortment of glazed and jelly-filled donuts, long johns, cake donuts, and apple fritters. Nothing too overdone—exactly what hits the spot for the late night/early morning crowd (which, yes, you should count yourself a member of at least once). But here’s where things get freaky: the “Big Dat,” a sweet behemoth that is the equivalent of at least five regular-sized doughnuts. If that’s not a guilty pleasure, I don’t know what is. (Adeshina Emmanuel) Dat Donut, 8251 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Monday–Saturday, 24/7; Sunday, 12am–5pm. (773) 723-1002. datdonut.com

BEST OPEN MIC

#ChurchOnThe9 The 79th Street corridor in Chatham gets a bad rap, despite shout-outs from rappers like Jay Z, Kanye West, and most frequently, of course, Chatham’s own Chance the Rapper. News reports paint a picture of gang violence and mayhem, and many longtime residents say they skirt the street, especially the heavily policed intersection of 79th and Cottage Grove. But that hasn’t stopped #ChurchOnthe9, a biweekly open mic held on that corner, which features rapping, poetry, dancing, and teach-ins. Performers have addressed topics like police brutality, gang violence, racism, homophobia, and depression, but #ChurchOnThe9 doesn’t neglect to celebrate black joy, from stories of learning how to vogue to happy songs of liberation-yet-to-come. Charles Preston, the event’s twenty-six-year-old founder, told Chicago magazine that for him church is a concept, not just a physical place. Church is where you make it, basically. He harked back to the days of slavery in explaining his inspiration. “[Slaves] would ditch their plantations and go into a log cabin or a section in the woods, and they all would stand together and sing songs, talk, and read the Bible,” he told Chicago magazine. “They were communing.” (Adeshina Emmanuel) #ChurchOnThe9, 79th St. & Cottage Grove Ave. Second and fourth Sundays of the month—follow the #ChurchOnThe9 hashtag on Twitter or facebook.com/ChurchOnThe9 for up-to-the-minute timing.

MARIA CARDONA / CITY BUREAU

best chat & trim TNT Barber Shop

Every neighborhood needs a barbershop that’s more than just a place to get a fly cut—somewhere people can talk politics, sports, local gossip, changes in the community...you know, life. In Chatham, TNT fits the bill. It has the essential family vibe, with fathers ushering reluctant sons into barber chairs, their aversion to haircuts disappearing as soon as barbers hand them a mirror and they catch a glimpse of their new ‘do. But the folks behind the clippers also do a great job with grown men and women. They do haircuts, trims, linings, eyebrows, shampoo, and more—and get rave reviews, including from this reporter, who left the shop with one of the most crisp tapers he can remember anybody blessing his head with and a wealth of knowledge about the Chatham community from a chatty old timer. Not every neighborhood barbershop, though, is lucky enough to get a nod of recognition from out-of-towners: in April, Common and Ice Cube visited the shop to promote the latest installment of the “Barbershop” film series, Barbershop: The Next Cut. Since then, a picture of the stars with TNT barbers has been pinned to the wall, and workers still talk about the moment with pride. They also say business, which wasn’t exactly slow before, has been booming ever since. (Adeshina Emmanuel) TNT Barber Shop, 8623 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Tuesday–Saturday, 9am–7pm. (773) 651-4500.

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CHATHAM

BEST DINER OFFERING THE OPPOSITE OF ITS NAME

Captain’s Hard Time Dining & Josephine’s Cooking

BEST DOPPELGANGER

Captain’s Hard Time Dining—also known as Captain Hard Times’s Dining—also known as Josephine’s Cooking—is an unpretentious but classy haunt that any local will proudly tell you is a neighborhood institution. Photos of famous and powerful local politicians and figures in the black community like former Mayor Harold Washington adorn the walls; the waitstaff is warm and kind (though far from blazingly fast). The food is simple and home-style with soul offerings like gravy-smothered chicken, creole-influenced dishes like shrimp creole oysters, and American fare like steak and eggs. Captain’s serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as cocktails, but people seem to come to Captain’s as much for the conversation and community as they do for the food. On our visit, we ran into various old timers and longtime locals locked in friendly debates about the changes in the neighborhood and what Chatham needs to thrive—a reassuring sight, after the reports last winter that bad business might force the restaurant to close. We also had a simple but delicious serving of pork chops, eggs, and biscuits that hit the spot—and then some. (Adeshina Emmanuel)

At Michigan Avenue and 84th Street, among rows of modest redbrick homes, sits a 7,900-square-foot house with sky-blue bricks imported from Italy and ivory pillars. The house bears a close resemblance to a certain former South Sider’s current abode on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. We’re talking about Chatham’s “blue White House,” of course. It’s clearly not as massive or, well, as white as the real thing, but since the home was built in 1966 it has been a local landmark that’s impossible to miss, and impossible to resist comparing. Uninhabited for years, the house sold for $400,000 in January after its previous owner launched a $400,000 gut rehab and tried unsuccessfully to resell the house for $1 million, Chicago magazine reported. The new owners reportedly considered repainting it, but instead opted to preserve the original spirit of the house, which many a Chatham resident has said was their dream home growing up. (Adeshina Emmanuel)

Captain’s Hard Time Dining & Josephine’s Cooking, 436 E. 79th St. Tuesday–Wednesday, 8am–7pm; Thursday–Saturday, 8am–10pm. (773) 487-2900.

local & international grocery & produce wine & beer order by the case 55th & Cornell openproduce.org 773.496.4327 8am–2am every day 26 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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The Blue White House

The “Blue White House,” 8401 S. Michigan Ave. Exterior open to observers and daydreamers, 24/7.

chicago lawn

Compiled by Baci Weiler & Adeline Grahan LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST REMINDER

MLK Living Memorial

Visitors can’t help but envision Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading a Chicago Freedom Movement march against housing segregation as they walk toward the new MLK Living Memorial in Marquette Park, which was dedicated in early August as a part of a broader project to honor the civil rights leader’s legacy in Chicago. Fenced off and set back from the street, the three-pillared brick monument is inscribed with quotes and adorned with the faces of the 1966 protesters who marched through the all-white housing in the neighborhood. It’s a crucial testament to the history of Chicago Lawn, where fifty years ago King was struck with a rock that knocked him to the ground. Bottles and bricks were showered on marchers fighting to make Chicago more racially equitable. It’s a reverent place. Pause at the plaque and read about how the Olmsted Brothers–designed park was of great significance to America’s Civil Rights Movement. Study the figures carved in the brick. Read all the words, the inscriptions in Yiddish, Arabic, Chinese, and other languages. Ruminate on King’s quote about the “gigantic and tragic” wall in Chicago. Reflect on how it still stands today. ( Joseph S. Pete) MLK Living Memorial, southwest corner of S. Kedzie Ave. and Marquette Rd. in Marquette Park. Daily, 6am–11pm. (312) 747-6469. mlkmemorialchicago.org SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 27

CHICAGO LAWN

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

best prairie Ashburn Prairie

When in the Midwest, it’s hard not to be attracted to the eerie romanticism of the prairies. Ashburn Prairie has been active since the pre-settlement era and, in the early nineties, the Chicago Park District was able to safely transport large sections of the prairie to Marquette Park. It now hosts nearly one hundred species of native plants with the sort of names that speak a hardy, down-to-earth poetry: Black-eyed Susan, Compass Plant, Nodding Wild Onion. The park itself is almost like a mirage, standing out from the neighborhood recreational areas surrounding it, which can’t help but look overly manicured and lifeless in comparison. The park lets the bulbous, frayed grasses and flowers of the prairie unravel, even in their containment. The boundary between the walking paths and the plants themselves becomes blurred, creating a lush noiselessness that is temporary but treasured. (Natasha Mijares) Ashburn Prairie, east of S. Kedzie Ave. between Marquette Rd. and 71st St. in Marquette Park. Daily, 6am–11pm. (312) 747-6469. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/Marquette-Park

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BEST TASTE OF BELIZE

Garifuna Flava

Named for the Garifuna people, an ethnic group in Central America descended from West Africans and the Carib and Arawak peoples, this restaurant attracts not only neighborhood locals but also Belizean and Garifuna people from the suburbs, nearby states, and sometimes even across the country. According to the owners, it’s one of the only restaurants in the area that serves up Garifuna cuisine, which makes for a steady stream of customers arriving in search of a taste of home. And what exactly does Garifuna cuisine look like? Well, a lot of things: jerk staples and plantain dishes for one, alongside tropical fish in tomato sauces, traditional Belizean stews and soups, and mouth-watering conch fritters. The real can’t-miss items, though, are the panades, corn patties stuffed with buffalo fish, as well as the Belizean Long Island, a very sweet but powerful alcoholic drink that does indeed live up to the menu’s promise—it’ll “have you feeling like you’re on the shores of the Caribbean.” ( Jake Bittle) Garifuna Flava, 2518 W. 63rd St. Tuesday–Thursday, 11:30am–8pm; Friday–Saturday, 11:30am–10pm; Sunday, 11:30am–8pm. (773) 776-7440. garifunaflava.com

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chinatown Compiled by Darren Wan JASMIN LIANG

For Soo Lon Moy, president of the board and chair of the exhibition committee of the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, Chinatown is the locus of some of the most cherished memories of her formative years. Although she has never lived in the neighborhood, her personal and familial ties to Chinatown run deep.

y father and my grandfather had a hand laundry on the North Side of Chicago in the Ravenswood Manor area. My grandfather used to take my sister and me down to Chinatown for shopping. It was a weekly activity. That’s what people who work in the laundry business do—they used their one day off to come to Chinatown to make connections with their relatives, friends, to socialize with each other, and to catch up on what’s happening back in their village in China. My family’s story is one of the typical Chinese immigration stories. Moy’s paternal grandfather moved to the United States years ago; he returned to China to get married, but he came back to America after the birth of his children. Moy’s father, born in China in 1923, later migrated to America when he was fifteen. Moy herself was born in Guangdong Province (formerly known as Canton). Soon after, her father moved the family to Hong Kong, as the then-British Crown colony guaranteed an ease of mobility that mainland China did not. In 1961, her entire family came to Chicago to join her father and grandfather. 30 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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Her first memories of Chinatown center around her weekly trips by bus to the neighborhood, and the close-knit community that she encountered there. I remember going grocery shopping, and many of the grocers would dig into these big jars on their shelves to treat us to salted plums. And of course, they were always offering us tea. After shopping, we always stopped at bakeries and got coffee and pastries. My grandfather was very sociable and knew a lot of people down there, so it was like a big get-together when he brought us to Chinatown. It was a lot of fun. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Moy became a teacher at Chicago Public Schools: John C. Haines Elementary School in Chinatown and Robert Healy Elementary School in Bridgeport. During her thirty years of teaching, she witnessed demographic changes in these neighborhoods as the ethnic Chinese population expanded outwards. Chinatown is cut off by highways, by the river, by the railroad, and all that. It was really confined, until we started expanding in the eighties to Chinatown Square. As more and more immigrants came, the ones who’ve been here longer started moving further south to Bridgeport, because they had more money and started looking for a better place to live. They started moving south and southwest. So the neighborhood started changing. People who’ve been here longer, they moved south, while most immigrants used Chinatown as a point of entry into Chicago.

CHINATOWN After decades of continued engagement with the residents of Chinatown and Bridgeport, Moy was invited to volunteer at the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago. Apart from the museum, Chicago has no other cultural center that tells our stories, our Chinese immigrant stories, so it’s very important. The Chinese have been in the States for so long, and came primarily because of the Gold Rush and the building of railroads, yet there was so much discrimination against the Chinese. They were driven out of towns on the West Coast. There were riots and murders. These stories cannot be found in history books. As I went through the Chicago Public Schools system, I never read anything about Chinese immigration and how the Chinese were treated, so I think it’s very important that we tell these stories and let people know that there were injustices, but that we also persevered and made better lives for our future generations. We at the museum hope to be the repository of many of these Chinese American stories in the Midwest. That’s what we would like to accomplish. We feel that it’s important for our stories to be told.

BEST CHINESE GROCERY STORE

Hong Kong Market

Rows of unassuming apartment buildings and large warehouses are quietly tucked away in the southwest corner of Chinatown. Despite the massive sign beckoning to customers, the façade of Hong Kong Market—that of a wholesale warehouse, a function the building once served years ago—does not reveal too much about the space. Only when you enter the warehouse will you find yourself among busy carts carrying fresh fruit, boisterous exchanges in Cantonese, and the largest selection of Asian produce on the South Side. Here, you can easily find ingredients used in Asian cuisines that are difficult to procure elsewhere in Chicago, such as baby kai lan (Chinese broccoli), packs of chicken feet, ginseng roots, fresh mangosteens, and frozen durians. Like most Cantonese supermarkets, Hong Kong Market has a live seafood selection, and a siu mei (roasted meats) deli section that serves barbecued pork (char siu) and roasted goose, all prepared daily. If cooking does not interest you, Hong Kong Market also offers an amazing variety of snacks and frozen food, including a special aisle for Japanese food products. But Hong Kong Market is more than just a grocery store. You will come across all sorts of gadgets and appliances found in a traditional Chinese home: woks, rice cookers, wooden buckets, Taoist altar cabinets, and incense. Though it is a little out of the way, Hong Kong Market is a treasure trove for anyone seeking an authentic Cantonese shopping experience. ( Jasmin Liang) Hong Kong Market, 2425 S. Wallace St. Open daily, 8am–7pm. (312) 791-9111.

DIEGO RODRIGUEZ

BEST COLLECTION OF UNDER-CHRONICLED HISTORIES

Chinese-American Museum of Chicago The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago offers an intimate, thoughtfully curated experience, showcasing often-overlooked historical narratives of Chinese communities in the United States. Its rotating exhibits have spanned such diverse themes as “Chinese@Play”—which illustrated popular Chinese games and leisure activities— and the currently on-display “Rites of Passage,” an exploration of Chinese customs surrounding birth, marriage, longevity, and death. Despite their variety, the exhibits are consistently characterized by authentic artifacts and the commitment to providing a platform for people to tell their own stories. An ongoing exhibit, “My Chinatown: Stories from Within,” features an especially engaging use of multimedia—a sixteen-minute video, produced in collaboration with the Chicago History Museum, that captures Chinatown residents’ tales of the area. Watching this video in the setting of an exquisitely designed object theater is well worth the visit. The museum’s mission is perhaps best exemplified by the permanent installation on its second floor. Titled “Great Wall to Great Lakes: Chinese Immigration to the Midwest,” it traces the journeys of immigrants who settled in Chicago and surrounding areas. In particular, the exhibit highlights the phenomenon of “paper sons,” a term for those who circumvented the Chinese Exclusion Act to gain admission to the United States by purchasing fraudulent documents that declared them to be blood relations of legal American citizens. Exhibits like this reflect the museum’s dedication to chronicling the unique experiences and cultural practices of Chinese-Americans. This strong sense of purpose has sustained the museum since it first opened its doors in 2005; despite a two-year closure forced by a 2008 fire, it still continues its mission of preserving and celebrating lesser-known snapshots of the Chinese-American experience. (Lilian Huang) Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, 238 W. 23rd St. Tuesday–Friday, 9:30am– 1:30pm; Saturday–Sunday, 10am–5pm. Free with suggested donation of $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors. (312) 949-1000. ccamuseum.org

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CHINATOWN

BEST TINY PARK Sun Yat-Sen Playlot Park

DIEGO RODRIGUEZ

BEST(-KEPT) BUBBLE TEA SECRET

Hello Jasmine

Hidden within Little Lamb Hot Pot restaurant, Hello Jasmine does not have its own storefront. Only a sign on the hot pot restaurant’s wall (“Bubble tea is here”) announces its presence. In fact, the owner of Hello Jasmine, I Min Lin, is also the customer manager at Little Lamb Hot Pot. He founded the bubble tea shop half a year ago along with his wife Jasmine Chang. The menu is simple but provides all essential options. Customers can choose one of four kinds of tea leaves, and adjust the ice and sweetness level based on personal preferences. It is the only place in Chicago that serves Taiwan Pouchong milk tea, a classic Taiwanese beverage. It is smooth and lightly sweetened, with a kick of oolong fragrance lingering on the tongue. “All of our ingredients are handpicked by my wife and directly imported from Taiwan: the tea leaves, tapioca, even the syrup,” says Lin, who grew up in Taiwan and worked in a handmade drinks shop there. For him, one should judge a cup of milk tea by the natural aroma of the tea leaves, not by its sweetness—sugar, explains Lin, is often used to mask the bitterness of low-quality teas. “We initially doubted how well the American public would receive Taiwanese flavors. But whenever our customers return for a second drink, we are really glad that we stuck to them.” ( Jasmin Liang) Hello Jasmine, 2201 S. Wentworth Ave. Monday–Thursday, 11:30am–10pm; Friday– Sunday, 11:30am–11pm. (312) 225-0600.

Located right next to the Stevenson Expressway, the Sun Yat-Sen Playlot Park has, for the most part, been forgotten since the construction of the much larger Ping Tom Memorial Park. However, for decades this Park was the only green space in Chinatown after the razing of other parks for the construction of the Stevenson and Dan Ryan Expressways in the 1950s. Between the mid-1970s and the early 2000s, it served as the neighborhood’s sole refuge from the ceaseless flurry of urban activity. Among the park’s amenities are a pavilion and a new playground that was completed in 2015 as part of the “Chicago Plays!” Playground Program. The park’s centerpiece is a bust of Sun Yat-Sen—an homage to, depending on who you ask, a Chinese anti-imperialist/nationalist/democratic/revolutionary/socialist hero. Groups of old Chinese men often gather at tables around the bust, playing or observing games of Chinese chess. If you’re lucky, you might catch residents practicing tai chi here, enjoying a brief reprieve from the hectic pace of urban living, albeit in close proximity to the perennial tumult of I-55. (Darren Wan) Sun Yat-Sen Playlot Park, 251 W. 24th Pl. Open daily, 6am–11pm. (312) 747-0291.

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR TRAINSPOTTING AND BOAT-WATCHING FIX SIMULTANEOUSLY

Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge No. 458 (Canal Street Railroad Bridge) If you’ve ever gotten off at the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line stop, you may have spotted the two rusted towers of Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge No. 458 rising in the distance. Situated next to Ping Tom Memorial Park, the Railroad Bridge is the only vertical lift bridge to span the Chicago River, and was officially designated as a Chicago landmark in 2007. The century-old bridge still functions much the same way it did when it was built in 1914. When Amtrak trains aren’t using the bridge to speed across the river, boats can give one long and one short horn blast to signal to the bridge operator that they wish to cross. The operator, sitting in a little shack atop the bridge, will then sound the sirens and raise the horizontal length of railroad track. The bridge operates surprisingly smoothly and quietly for a mechanism so old, emitting only soft clanks and squeaks until it finally settles back into place with a muffled boom. Some sunny afternoon, you can set yourself down on a boulder among the willow trees to hear the boatsmen sounding their horns, feel the trains rumbling past, and watch the bridge in action. (Anna Christensen) Near 19th St., east of Lumber Street. Best viewed from Ping Tom Memorial Park, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave.

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Compiled by Elaine Hegwood Bowen

englewood

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMA

his past August, Rose Atchison celebrated her 105th birthday with a massive block party on the 6100 block of Marshfield Avenue in Englewood, where she and her family, the Davenport family, have lived since 1971. Rose, or “Big Mama,” as they call her, can claim over one hundred living descendants. She is in the first of six living generations of her family. When I arrive at the house on Marshfield on a Friday afternoon, all six generations are represented: children run up and down the block. Twenty-somethings chat with their aunts, uncles, and cousins. Parents and grandparents prepare food and tend to Rose, who has been blind for the last fifteen years. Big Mama sleeps peacefully in an easy chair in the living room, waking up only once to eat a popsicle offered her by her daughter, and say, “I love the Lord. I sure do love the Lord.” I sit at the kitchen table with Alberta, Rose’s daughter, as well as Andrew Atchison and Jackie Davenport, Rose’s grandchildren. Andrew calls another grandchild, Rose Davenport, and puts her on speakerphone. You’ve lived here since 1971. ALBERTA: [We came to Chicago] in 1936, [from] Mississippi. When we came here, we were living down on Giles [Avenue]. She came, [and] she had me and my brother, Monty. ROSE (granddaughter): Whatever year they came here, they migrated to the Mecca [Flats] building, then they stayed in the Mecca building for so many years and…I always like to remind people of how, when they lived in the Mecca building, that was the place that inspired Gwendolyn Brooks’s writing about the conditions of the Mecca building [In the Mecca, 1968]...they decided that they wanted to tear the

Mecca building down so that they [could] build Illinois Institue of Technology… that’s when they opened up what they called Bronzeville to black people because there was no place to place them. We lived on 31st and Giles and I went to Douglas for elementary school, and Big Mama was still working for the railroads. She worked for [Penn Central Railroad] for many years. When we moved from Giles after our uncle [Rose’s brother] died, Andrew Atchison—when he died, we moved—that’s when we had a plan to move into Robert Taylor, and Grandma moved there with us to and we stayed in Robert Taylor from, late— ANDREW: Oh, I forgot about Robert Taylor. ROSE: I don’t remember the exact year. 1969, or something. When we moved from Giles, we moved in to Robert Taylor…See, that was more for middle class families at that time. We could afford it…because of Big Mama’s job first and then Mama’s job working at the post office…we were one of the first five or ten families to move in. It was brand new. [But] she decided it was getting too bad over there, so she started looking for another place for us, and that’s when she found the house in Englewood. JACKIE: Okay, so we moved over here, my mother and my grandmother and my aunt, first moved here. It was…we weren’t harassed or anything, but— ANDREW: A little bit! JACKIE: But not really, not really. ANDREW: Remember the guy named Buckets, wouldn’t let us go that way? JACKIE: I mean, it wasn’t—It wasn’t bad. I mean, he [Buckets] protected us. He pretty much protected the people that lived on the block. He lived down here. I think Martin Luther King had just did the march right here, and so we had a lot of hostility, and then more and more families started moving in and then the neighborhood changed. Buckets, he was more of the town bully. SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 33

ANDREW: That’s what I’m talking about! That’s the part I remember! He was big. Big white guy! JACKIE: But he protected everybody he knew. Okay, so. Pretty much we moved in, my mom’s family was upstairs, my auntie’s was down here. My grandmother moved upstairs. How many people live here now? JACKIE: Everybody…this is still like a family building, so people come and go. So it’s not so much how many people are here, it’s that family come and go. [Back then, it was] my mother, my grandmother, my brother…Downstairs it used to be rooms and whoever wanted to come could come. But…I was saying, my grandmother really, really wanted us to have a place that we could have our own. She was so proud of this place. I mean, she did more cleaning than we did when we were kids. Really, I’m not kidding. And I remember a time when she was going down to pay her mortgage down here on 63rd, and…she walked too far past [the bank]. And when she walked past that, she walked home huffing and puffing and when we asked what happened, she said some [white] boys had chased her from Western all the way here, all the way to Wood. She was almost sixty, they chased her because she was walking [there]. JACKIE: Another thing about my grandmother— my grandmother, she attended Greater Salem Baptist Church. That’s where Mahalia Jackson originated from…She was in [the] choir. She loved the song “Love the Lord, He Heard My Prayer”… She’s the last [living] member of that choir. Never smoked nor [drank], but she danced! ANDREW: That’s Big Mama! Everybody knows it. They [all] got stories…People feel lots of things. People have stories about grandma…like Ray [a friend] just told me a story the other day, about back in the day when they was talking loud and cussing and all kinds of stuff, and Grandma drove up, rode up in her Riviera, and just looked at ‘em. ALBERTA: My brother had just got that Riviera… Policemen used to stop her every other day. It was so sporty, they wanted to know, “How you getting this car,” and they was constantly stopping. ANDREW: So you wanted to know how the neighborhood [thinks of her]…I’ll tell you, people come up to us and we don’t even know [them], and we’ll say, “How do you know my grandmother? How do you know her?” Because people are still talking about her in the neighborhood, they know us, we’ve been here for years, so everybody who comes around is like, “Oh, you know the Davenport family.” Everybody knows her. Everybody respects her. They would never let anything happen to her. ( Jake Bittle) 34 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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BEST COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTHCARE

ACCESS Center for Discovery and Learning Over the last twenty-five years, ACCESS has become a national model for community-based health care. It currently serves more than 180,000 Chicagoland residents through thirty-six health centers located in the city and surrounding suburbs. Last year, ACCESS expanded its Ashland Health and Wellness Campus with the addition of the NIH-funded ACCESS Center for Discovery and Learning. The Englewood-based campus also includes the Ashland Family Health Center and Center for Healthy Living. The Center for Discovery and Learning is committed to understanding community health problems with a focus on the social determinants of health and the reduction of racial and ethnic health disparities. Recently, the Cen-

ter hosted a lead-awareness forum called “Lead in Our Community: Get Practical Advice on What You Can Do,” which provided free lead testing kits and information to residents. “ACCESS is committed to engaging community residents and partners through ongoing education about health topics,” said director of research Dani Lazar. “Our goal is to join health care leaders both locally and nationally to combat critical health problems and gain community input on viable outcomes.” (Elaine Hegwood Bowen) ACCESS Center for Discovery and Learning, 5139 S. Ashland Ave.

BEST TRADITION

Englewood Jazz Festival The seventeenth annual Englewood Jazz Festival took place last Saturday, September 17, in Hamilton Park. As in prior years, it showcased both accomplished jazz musicians and budding young talent. After a year of rehearsing with the festival’s artistic director Ernest Dawkins, the Live the Spirit Residency Big Band released their first-ever compilation the night before the festival. The next morning, they joined artists like Rajiv Halim, Donald Harrison, Jr., and journalist-turned-singer Julia Huff for a day of

nearly nonstop performances. Dawkins told WTTW last year that the festival has always focused on original compositions by young people, both as a celebration of what new jazz artists are capable of and as a way to give younger artists a chance to build their repertoire. ( Jake Bittle) Englewood Jazz Festival, Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St. Yearly, third Saturday in September, morning to late afternoon. englewoodjazzfest.org

BEST LGBTQ-FOCUSED HEALTHCARE

Howard Brown Health 63rd Street On August 31, Howard Brown Health, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ healthcare organizations, hosted the inaugural open house for its new clinic on 63rd Street, thus marking the reinstatement of healthcare services at the site of a former Chicago Department of Public Health clinic. Though Howard Brown’s sliding fee scale, primary care, and STI/HIV screening and prevention services are well known to LBGTQ communities in neighborhoods like Rogers Park, Boystown, and Lakeview, this clinic is Howard Brown’s first foray into Chicago’s South Side. The clinic will be headed by medical director Maya Green, who indicated in an interview released by Howard Brown that she has plans to collaborate with Team-

work Englewood and the Mile Square Health Center to provide care specific to Englewood residents. Regarding the mission of this new clinic, Green said, “I want people to know that Howard Brown has a commitment to serving people in need of care regardless of ability to pay, sexual orientation, or gender identity… When you walk into Howard Brown, you are walking into an affirming space.” (Kylie Zane) Howard Brown Health 63rd Street, 641 W. 63rd St. Monday, 9am–5pm; Tuesday, 11am–5pm; Wednesday and Thursday, 9am–5pm, Friday, 9am–3pm. (773) 3881600. howardbrown.org

ENGLEWOOD

Best Activist-About-Town Asiaha Butler, Englewood community activist When you talk about Englewood, activism, and concern for community, you can’t ignore the name Asiaha Butler. Butler is the co-founder and president of R.A.G.E., the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. Now at age forty, Butler was being groomed even before she was born for her mission of helping Englewood become the strong working-class neighborhood of days gone by: her grandmother, Rebecca “Becky” Lias, was one of the founders of Operation Breadbasket/Operation PUSH. “Every Saturday when we visited her, we had to volunteer and help out at Operation PUSH. As my family says, activism is in my blood, and I know the spirit of my grandmother is one of the driving forces in this journey,” Butler said. This journey most recently includes the launch of the Englewood Youth Civic Engagement Program. In addition, Butler’s Englewood Votes! Campaign combines voters’ education and registration events, as well as deputy registrar training. If that weren’t enough, Butler has been actively involved in the planning of the new Whole Foods, which will be at 63rd and Halsted. “Our association has been engaged with Whole Foods since their announcement. We worked to make sure that Englewood residents from every spectrum are first in line for jobs in all capacities,” said Butler in an email. “We also provided feedback as to how Whole Foods can support existing efforts in Englewood. One of our members was hired as the community specialist, and she constantly shares our feedback to Whole Foods staff to ensure that community is always at the forefront of

any decisions made by this corporation.” Butler and R.A.G.E. also work to dispel dominant discourses about violence in the neighborhood. “Our association works toward creating peace in our community, versus trying to combat violence. We understand that there are deeper systemic issues that need to be addressed,” she said. “However, we create peaceful experiences throughout the neighborhood, promote community ownership, and focus on our assets as a strategy to build our community. Violence is an obstacle we are facing in Englewood and in Chicago in general, but I feel the biggest obstacle is the mindset of our people…Other issues to be addressed [are] the trauma our community deals with daily, the lack of opportunities and the self-hatred we have for our own people. Violence is just a byproduct of these issues.” She refuses to be bullied by outsiders, insiders, or media, and is committed to sharing positive Englewood stories. “The biggest thing in our way is our inability to see beyond the vacant lots, homes, schools and constant reports of violence. If this is the only thing we focus on, then that’s all we will continue to see. In the midst of these issues, there are beautiful homes, peaceful blocks, and a spirit of resilience that lives in the boundaries of Englewood. You just have to be open to this beauty that is often overshadowed by the negativity. Yes, we have problems, like any other area that is concentrated in poverty, but there is also beauty, and that’s what keeps me standing up for my community and sharing that narrative as well.” (Elaine Hegwood Bowen)

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far southeast side Compiled by Lewis Page KIRAN MISRA

od Sellers, born in 1946, grew up in South Chicago before moving to Burnside, and later the East Side. He taught history and social studies in three area high schools until his retirement in 2002. He now lives in Frankfort, a southwestern suburb, but maintains ties to the community as the director of the Southeast Chicago Historical Society. How has the neighborhood changed since the steel mills closed? Well, I suppose the first thing you need to do is look at what the neighborhood was like when the steel mills were open. There was always a job. I got a friend who wrote a book about growing up in South Chicago. He worked—he told me he worked in five different mills. It was the type of thing where you could work in a mill, get into an argument with your foreman, tell him to go screw himself, walk down the street, and go get a job at another mill almost automatically. They were that common. When I graduated high school, most of my friends went to work in the mill. I went to college. Well, I was putting myself through college, and they were driving nice cars because they were making good money in the mill. So, you know, it was a thriving place. Commercial Avenue, the shopping district that they had, they talk about it going twenty-four hours a day because the mills were on shift work. They worked 24/7 because you can’t shut down the blast furnaces and the other furnaces without causing damage to them. So they ran in, you know, three shifts. And you could tell what was going on with traffic—you could tell when the shifts were changing from 36 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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traffic patterns. The most common shifts were three-to-eleven, eleven-to-seven, and seven-to-three. Or four-to-twelve, twelve-to-eight, and eight-to-four. The mills tried to stagger them a little bit, so everyone wasn’t coming in at exactly the same time. But when the mills started to close, then you ran into the difficulty of—where are people working? A question that I get a lot, and it’s very difficult to answer—and, you know, before it was an easy question—now people come in and say, where do people from that area work? What do they do? Not an easy question to answer. In recent years, they have expanded commuter railroad service. They built a couple of new parking lots for commuter railroad. So in some respects it sort of reflects a commuter neighborhood, a bedroom-suburb type thing. But you will not find the consistency of people working in the mill or working in a particular job now that you used to. It’s still, for the most part, seen as a relatively favorable place to live, so people who have to live in the city, because they have a city job, will often come to this area. You know, so, like I say…neighborhood’s changed. Still not a bad place to live. But it doesn’t have the economic—as one guy said—the economic engine that the mills provided. You have to realize that the mills not only provided these steel jobs, you know for people working there, but also all those other jobs, which were related to steel—smaller factories, smaller mills, even grocery stores and taverns. You know, you could walk outside of a mill and see six taverns. Because mill workers, if they had a break where they could get away, that’s where they would go and get a drink. And if they didn’t drink there during work, they certainly did after. (Lewis Page)

FAR SOUTHEAST SIDE

BEST ECOLOGICAL REDEMPTION STORY & PLACE TO TAKE YOUR BIKE

Big Marsh Bike Park Sue Garza used to go watch what she and her friends called the “light show:” the spectacle of molten slag pouring from the steel mills near Lake Calumet. The show, along with most of the industry around Lake Calumet, is long gone. But Sue Garza, now alderwoman of the 10th Ward, still goes down to the marshes near the lake: she takes visitors to her ward to a swath of land adjacent to the lake to show off the wild, verdant area that will soon become Big Marsh Bike Park. The park, opening this fall, will be one of the biggest in Chicago; at 278 acres, it’s nearly the size of Grant Park. Taking into account the nearby former dumping sites that will be connected to Big Marsh by trails, the extended network of parks will cover over 1,000 acres. It will also be one of the first pieces of lakefront property (Calumet Lake-front, that is) open to the public; the rest is owned by the Port Authority, Harborside International Golf Center, and private industry. The goals of the park are threefold: to provide a world-class destination for bike recreation (replete with competition-ready features and trails), attract money and jobs to the community, and call attention to the rehabilitation of the industrially degraded habitat. Whatever the end product accomplishes, it will be worth a visit when it opens in late fall. Bring your bike. (Lewis Page) Big Marsh Bike Park, 1958 E. 116th St. (312) 742-7529. bigmarsh.org

best burial site of a waterloo veteran

KIRAN MISRA

Sims Metal Management

The body of Andreas von Zirngibl, with the exception of the arm he lost in the Battle of Waterloo, rests in the middle of an inactive recycling plant in Southeast Chicago. Formerly Sims Metal Management (before they shut down operations on the site in November), the lot looks like what might have happened if the Seventh Coalition had decided to turn their sights from the French and instead take on and defeat an army of used cars, rocks, and industrial equipment. Dismembered car parts, chunks of concrete, and looming machinery lie scattered across the unused lot in its picturesque location on the banks of the Calumet River, where von Zirngibl established a homestead in 1854. Upon his death in 1855, his family, according to his request, buried him there, surrounded the site with a white picket fence, and visited regularly. Now, one of the city’s smallest official gravesites, von Zirngibl’s tombstone stands alone, surrounded by concrete blocks and a chain-link fence. These lines of defense were placed there by the Southeast Chicago Historical Society in 1987, along with a new gravemarker which mistakenly lists the Battle of Waterloo as having taken place in 1816 (it took place in 1815). Von Zirngibl has been luckier in death than at Waterloo; through a string of legal battles headed by his ancestors, his gravesite has persisted, albeit now surrounded by private property. If you want to visit the tomb and pay your respects legally (without hopping any fences), contact Sims Metal Management and ask for a security guard to guide you on a tour. (Lewis Page) Sims Metal Management, 9331 S. Ewing Ave.

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FAR SOUTHEAST SIDE

KIRAN MISRA

BEST HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Southeast Chicago Historical Museum Most people skim across the surface of history, barely putting in the effort to recall what they ate for lunch, let alone what their neighborhood looked like fifty years ago. Thankfully, some people, like the good folks at the Southeast Chicago Historical Society (or Museum, depending on who and when you ask), give the past the attention it deserves. The society and museum are housed in a room in a beautiful old building in Calumet Park, which over the years has accumulated an admirable collection of memorabilia, artifacts, images, and periodicals associated with the neighborhood. Years of publications like the Daily Calumet, a miniature model of Commercial Avenue, and tens of thousands of family photographs, among other gems, have been collected and put on display. The eclectic collection is more than an object of curiosity: as Rod Sellers, director of the museum, notes, the area serves as a microcosm of American history, and as a rich case study of migration, history, community, industry, and environment in Chicago and America. From academics doing research for books to high school students in a class on museology, the space has served and benefited from the interest of many. The museum is only open one day a week, for three hours, but it’s worth planning your week around. What it lacks in organization or professional curation, it more than makes up for in a wealth of resources and warmth of community. Ask to be shown around, rummage around, and revel in the weight of history. (Lewis Page) Southeast Chicago Historical Museum, 9801 S. Avenue G. Thursdays, 1pm–4pm. (312) 747-6039.

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BEST WAY TO SPEND A LONG WEEKEND

10th Ward Labor Day Parade and Festival In a heartwarming move worthy of a made-for-TV holiday special, Alderwoman of the 10th Ward, Sue Garza and company, put the “labor” back in Labor Day. The first celebration of its kind since the dissolution of the East Side Labor Day Parade in the nineties, the 10th Ward Labor Day Parade and Festival filled the streets of the Southeast Side for three long, late-summer days this year. The festivities harkened back to the ward’s industrial past, but also showed that labor’s legacy is alive and well. Community organizations and locals of all trades and industries marched, alongside “Scabby,” the giant inflatable rat that usually haunts under-conflict worksites as a symbol of the much-maligned strikebreaker. Although the festivities are over for this year, the date is one to mark on your not-yet-bought 2017 calendar. In the meantime, as the long work year stretches out in front of you and the seasons change, keep Sue Garza’s sentiment in mind: “You deserve to celebrate your work.” (Lewis Page) 10th Ward Labor Day Parade, E. 104th St. and S. Ewing Ave. to E. 112th St. and Eggers Grove. Saturday of Labor Day weekend. 10th Ward Labor Day Festival, Steelworkers Park, E. 87th St. at Lake Michigan. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Labor Day weekend.

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 39

gage park & midway Compiled by Jake Bittle & Sam Stecklow LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

Rigo Dias is a Gage Park resident.

’ve lived in Gage Park for twenty-three years. Someone in my family had a house here—I believe it was my mother’s uncle who moved here, and then a few years later some cousins moved here, not to the same house, but to the same block, and then eventually when my parents immigrated from Mexico they ended up in the same neighborhood. I would even say that not just family members, but family friends that we know from Mexico will move into the neighborhood, basically on recommendation. It’s very, very green here, and it’s really, really fertile. There’s a pretty big park that starts off on 54th and goes to 56th, from Claremont to about Maplewood, and I would say that park was really significant growing up. It’s where I was really introduced to things that I don’t think a lot of people are introduced to. As a Mexican immigrant, you usually just play soccer, but because of that park, from a young age I played hockey, baseball, I don’t know what else. And the influence from the Czech community who used to live here is still very much felt. I couldn’t say a word in Czech now, but the church that I grew up going to,

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Saint Simon on 52nd and California, had services three times on Sunday, had one in English, one in Spanish, and one in Czech. Even though it’s very, very much—almost ninety percent—Mexican, there was a certain level of diversity, or I wouldn’t even say diversity, it was just sort of a taste, or influences, of other cultures, growing up in the neighborhood. There’s only one bookstore around here, and it’s a Christian bookstore, though they do have books that aren’t Christian books, and there isn’t really a coffee shop. Do I wish there were nicer things around here? Sure, but it was fine growing up here—I’ve never known any other place, but I don’t know that it would have been any different, or better, in another neighborhood. It’s not much like Pilsen or Little Village in a sense that it’s become a destination for tourists; a lot of people who live here have moved southwest from those neighborhoods. But unless it was work-related, I would always see myself living on the South Side. It’s a very friendly community. If you don’t say hi to strangers walking down the street, word will get around that you’re not friendly—I think it’s about as tight-knit as as a neighborhood could be in an urban area.

GAGE PARK & MIDWAY

BEST NOT-WHATYOU’RE-THINKING PIZZA

Pizza Castle

The counter clerks and cooks at this family-owned pizza joint on 55th often have to turn away tourists who stop by on their way from Midway in search of famed Chicago deep-dish. “That’s not what we do on the Southwest Side,” they scoff. To the owners, their cheesy, high-tomato thin-crust slices represent Chicago pizza done right, and they have the history to prove it—they’ve been serving up the same slices since 1973, a year before the first Giordano’s location was founded a mile south. Now, after a recent string of features on local news and national food television, business is better than ever: neighborhood kids stop by during the afternoon for a slice while delivery boys run in every few minutes and dash back out carrying boxes. The classic cheese and sausage pizzas are the best of the lot, but be sure to get a drink of water. ( Jake Bittle)

BEST ARCHITECTURALLY UNORTHODOX CHURCH

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

St. Gall Catholic Church

The corner of 55th and Kedzie Avenue is home to an unconventional building belonging to the Church of St. Gall, which has ministered to the Gage Park community for over a hundred years. The church’s present building, part of a larger campus that stretches down the block, forms a quarter-circle inscribed on the right angle of the street, perfectly interrupting Chicago’s inescapable grid. The dark gray stone and glass of the exterior facade, set well back from the street, are countered by a glass entryway that extends to the tip of the corner, topped by a rust-orange arch. On Sundays and during events, the doors that run along the facade are all opened, so that you can enter the church from every side and still find yourself staring straight at the altar. A long history on St. Gall’s website says only that the unique church building was designed to increase seating capacity and shorten the distance between the entry and the altar. ( Jake Bittle) St. Gall Catholic Church, 55th and Kedzie. English mass Sundays at 9am, Spanish mass Sundays at 7:30am, 10am, 12:30pm, and 6pm. (773) 737-3113. stgall.org

Pizza Castle, 3256 W. 55th St. Monday 4pm–11pm, Tuesday–Thursday 4pm– 11:30pm, Friday and Saturday 4pm–midnight; Sunday 3:30pm–10:30pm (last orders a half-hour before). (773) 776–1075.

BEST JUST-OUTSIDE-THE-AIRPORT FOOD

Sammy’s Kitchen

Just feet north of Midway International Airport—right across the street from the runways, in fact—is an unassuming, one-story building containing Sammy’s Kitchen: a shades-drawn, one-dollar-sign diner serving perfectly greasy food that makes what you can get in the nearby airport terminal seem even more disappointing than it already is. I stopped into the restaurant, on the corner of 55th and Luna for an omelet and famous ham-on-the-bone one August afternoon and left feeling as though I had interacted with some ideal of American diner food. Despite its location, unique but not entirely favorable to those outside the neighborhood, a visit to this far-flung piece of perfection is well worth a trip on the crosstown bus. (Sam Stecklow) Sammy’s Kitchen, 5542 W. 55th St. Monday–Friday, 6am–1pm; Saturday, 7am–noon. (773) 735-2802.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 41

GAGE PARK & MIDWAY

best “representatives” Ed Burke & Michael Madigan

For nearly half a century, two of the most powerful men in the city have represented the Southwest Side. They haven’t always represented the same parts of it—the boundaries of their representation have shifted over the years, though not nearly as much as others’ have—but as the demographics of neighborhoods like Gage Park, Archer Heights, and Garfield Ridge have rapidly changed over the last three decades from mostly Irish and Eastern Europeans to largely first- and second-generation Mexican immigrants, their representatives have stayed the same: Michael Madigan, speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, and Ed Burke, 14th Ward Alderman and head of Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee. They are the last clinging, crusty barnacles of Richard J. Daley’s Democratic Machine—his protégés and friends, both of them—and they keep finding creative ways to remind us of that. The Daley inheritance is evident in the tricks they play with electoral maps to ensure their continued tenure (Madigan has long been responsible for statewide redistricting, and one of his earliest efforts notoriously created an invisible electoral wall separating the eastern black and western white South Side; as recently as 2011, City Council—the most powerful member of which is Ed Burke—faced criticisms from 23rd Ward Michael Zalewski that his ward had been “ripped apart” and that Burke and Madigan’s neighboring wards had benefited from it) and the extremely successful law firms they are partners in, both of which represent wealthy property owners in front of governmental bodies like the Cook County Assessor’s Office (which is headed by Madigan protégé and part-time Springfield lobbyist Joseph Berrios). Notably, Burke came under fire this year when it was revealed he helped Donald Trump save nearly $12 million in property taxes for Trump Tower (at the expense of all other property taxpayers in Cook County, naturally) though this has somehow seemingly not hurt him in his ward, which is over seventy percent Latino. The first elections Burke and Madigan won were not elections that the public could vote in. At twenty-four, Burke narrowly won an election voted on by the sixty-five 14th Ward precinct captains to replace his father as ward committeeman after his sudden death. A year later, in the neighboring 13th Ward, Madigan handily won another internal ward committeeman vote. Both still hold the positions and have disciplined ward organizations that ensure high Democratic voter turnout. Perhaps not coincidentally, they have almost never been seriously challenged for their seats: from 1971 to 2007 Burke ran unopposed. When he was challenged by a teacher and novice politician, one of his deputies filed a failed legal opposition to her campaign (Burke won ninety percent of the vote anyway). Madigan has been accused of responding to candidates for his 22nd District seat, many of whom are Latino and run on a platform of, you know, representing their community, by planting ghost candidates with Latino surnames to split the opposition vote. ( Jason Gonzales, his first serious primary opponent in years, shared the ballot this past spring with two other candidates with Latino surnames, neither of whom raised money or campaigned actively). Though Madigan and Burke are reviled state and citywide, respectively, their

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responsive services for their constituents also ensure their continued reelection, according to University of Illinois at Chicago political science professor and former alderman Dick Simpson, who regularly publishes reports on political corruption. Their positions of power, both in electoral bodies and Democratic Party organizations, give them considerable clout with which to provide favors, hand out jobs, and get ward and district problems fixed quickly. (Burke has even learned rudimentary Spanish, according to Simpson). Even a perennial Republican Madigan challenger, Terrence Goggin (who has faced accusations of being a ghost candidate himself ), admitted to the Wall Street Journal that, “Mike Madigan has done a lot of good things for the people in this area.” That doesn’t mean, however, that if thumbs were lifted from the scales Madigan and Burke would be able to maintain their statuses as the longest-serving members of their respective electoral bodies. If an independent redistricting proposal, like Independent Maps (recently shot down by a legal challenge headed by Madigan’s top legal deputy and the Illinois Supreme Court, which Burke’s wife serves on) does ever get passed in the state, it could change Madigan’s district drastically, and his negative image throughout the state could result in his unseating, according to Simpson. Burke’s responsiveness to demographic shifts in his ward says to Simpson that he is able to change behavior to maintain power—but should independent redistricting come to Chicago and include a significant number of black voters in the 14th Ward, it could lead to Burke’s ouster. After the contentious Council Wars of the 1980s, in which white aldermen lead by Burke and Ed Vrodylak revolted against the leadership of Harold Washington, Burke has had an overwhelmingly negative image in Chicago’s black communities, according to Simpson, which has also contributed to his inability to win a city or countywide office, something he has long coveted. Barring an act of God or two, then, it seems the 14th Ward and 22nd District are stuck with Madigan and Burke for the foreseeable future, to their local benefit but to the seeming detriment of the rest of the city and state. The two quiet, private, fabulously wealthy titans of Chicago clout have shown no signs of weakness in recent years. Madigan has willingly stepped into a highly publicized budget stalemate with Governor Bruce Rauner and Burke has sponsored two pieces of pro-cop “Blue Lives Matter” legislation in City Council that have led to outsiders protesting by his ward office. In other cities or other states, actions like these would likely have ended their twin reigns, but that seems unlikely here—and, as long as both are in control of their electoral maps, downright impossible. As Madigan coyly told the Reader in a 1982 cover story about his gerrymandering of Chicago’s state legislative districts, “I know you can do a lot of interesting things when you’re drawing lines.” (Sam Stecklow) Office of Alderman Edward W. Burke, 2650 W. 51st St. (773) 471-1414. ward14@cityofchicago.org Office of Representative Michael J. Madigan, 6500 S. Pulaski Rd. (773) 581-8000.

hyde park & kenwood

Compiled by Emeline Posner EMELINE POSNER

Lisa Pilot Livingston was born and raised in Hyde Park. One of Chicago’s premier African-American female experts in the construction and development industry, Lisa is currently the CEO of LCP Management Inc, and has built in Hyde Park, Kenwood, and Bronzeville. She is a graduate of Columbia College and now lives in Kenwood with her husband and daughter.

hen I was growing up, Hyde Park was eclectic, it was very different, it was very diverse…My parents divorced, my father moved down the street. We lived in Madison Park all my life, so we moved from Madison Park to 52nd and Drexel, [to stay] with my dad…I swam in the lake all my life, swam at the Point all my life. I would wake up at six in the morning with my friends, the Siglers, and we would wake up and hit the lake, and we would swim from buoy to buoy to buoy. Later on we became junior lifeguards, and the other girls became serious lifeguards. We had a great, great life. It was a village of love. You couldn’t get away with much growing up in Hyde Park because everyone was watching out for one another. A big family in Hyde Park––and pretty much everyone knew each other in Hyde Park––every culture, every nationality. Everybody got along while I was growing up. We used to say, “You really get a rude awakening once you step outside of Hyde Park.” We had a lot of different [stores]...We had a Vogue Fabric, they had sewing classes that they offered us kids, but you always had wonderful restaurants, cute jewelry stores, a lot of ma-and-pa stores. Some survived, some didn’t. Some moved elsewhere, some closed for good, but it was always a ma-and-pa situation. I think that it’s important to keep that. You bring in these huge corporations, like Macy’s and Target and things like that, into the area? I’m not for that, unless it’s in an area like

this [North Kenwood] and doesn’t conflict with ma-and-pa stores that are selling the same items. As a Hyde Parker of fifty years, I don’t think I’ve seen this much development in my lifetime…I think that a lot of the buildings that they have built on 53rd Street… they should have considered putting those types of buildings in the Northern Kenwood area. That’s been desolate for years. And I think it’s unfair. Here we are, 2016, and it’s still underdeveloped. When I was growing up I didn’t cross Cottage Grove––it was too rough. The number one leader of the gangs was Jeff Fort––and Jeff Fort’s “fort” was where my Currency Exchange used to be [39th and Cottage Grove]…I think that because of Jeff Fort at that time––in the 1980s into the 1990s––I think that had a lot to do with the separation [between Hyde Park and Kenwood]. And they call [Kenwood] the “low end,” the numbers being low…but at that time probably they were calling it the “low end” because…it was just like a war zone at one point over here. I’ve watched the gentrification take place: I was there when the [Robert Taylor] projects [were] up, and I was there, and I’m still there while the projects are down, and where they have developed beautiful homes as well as low-income apartments, which was great. They didn’t disperse all of them [former Robert Taylor residents]. But a lot of them were dispersed throughout the different suburbs. It’s been an interesting transformation. It’s still a fantastic community. You know, I welcome Hyde Park being built up—I welcome that because I love diversity, I love everybody, I was raised that way…I think togetherness is where we all need to be at this point in our lives. Change is good. To some degree. As long as we all benefit. SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 43

best true-toname garden Cornell Oasis Community Garden

On an unlikely tract of land sandwiched between the Metra tracks and Cornell Drive, a community garden hums with life. Bees and butterflies flit between a miscellany of plants, including the towering native prairie plants leading up to the garden, and birds sing in the branches overhead. It’s enough to make you forget that you’re within the city limits. Before Cornell Oasis had a name, it was part of a vast sprawl of green that extended from the Metra tracks (then the Illinois Central Railroad) east, uninterrupted, out to the Outer Drive. The area was home to a network of small “victory gardens,” produce gardens designed to boost local food supply and public morale during World War II; the practice seems to have grown a lasting community of gardeners. But the Oasis claims its origin was later, in 1952, the year in which resident Gerda Schild began cultivating her personal garden, which later would become known throughout Hyde Park for being home to a rich assortment of butterflies and insects. A patchwork of gardens sprung up around hers in the following decades, and the Cornell Oasis was born. The Oasis would see its original boundaries pushed back substantially over time, first when Cornell Drive was extended from 49th Street to 47th Street, cutting the Oasis off from the rest of Burnham Park, and then later, when a developer bought the land that made up the north end of the garden (then owned by Illinois Central Railroad) to build a sixty-unit residential complex. Although some residents voiced their opposition to the development loudly (or in the case of Schild, with a lawsuit), the homes were ultimately built, and as a result the Oasis is quite smaller today than it was in earlier years. But what the garden lacks in size, it makes up for in diversity of ecosystem and dedication of its gardeners––two things which have been constants from the beginning. The current gardener-in-chief, Hal Cohen, speaks eagerly of the Oasis’s commitment to continuing Schild’s legacy as a cultivator of both land and insect life. He demonstrated just how deep this sentiment runs as he fretted over how to most compassionately kill the cabbageworms he found gnawing at his lettuce heads as we walked the grounds one morning. If you are searching for a much-coveted open garden plot, it may be best to try your luck elsewhere; the wait list is lengthy. But if you seek a peaceful place, or an oasis, if you will, look no further. The dirt path that meanders through the Oasis and the woods beyond asks for nothing more than a half hour and the willingness to look and listen. (Emeline Posner) Cornell Oasis Community Garden, 4850 S. Cornell Dr. Open Monday–Sunday, 6am–11pm. chicagoparkdistrict.com

1370 E. 53rd St. (773) 324-7083 futonsnmoreconnect.com

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We also carry: Lighting Mirrors Futon Covers with Pillows Occasional Tables Room Dividers Bookcases Mattresses Futon Frames We also sell furniture by catalog. Fast delivery & setup!

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EMELINE POSNER

BEST PLACE TO BECOME A REGULAR

Café on the Grove

Café on the Grove is the new kid on the block, so to speak, but already it has accomplished the impressive feat of becoming a neighborhood favorite. After making several trips myself, I knew why: the Grove is one of those rare, versatile restaurants to which you can go for a bite at any time of day, alone or with company, for business or pleasure, and feel totally at ease. This is due, no doubt, to both the knock-’em-dead menu and the intimate interior curated by the trio of longtime friends and Hyde Park residents behind the endeavor, Lisa Livingston, Michelle Bellamy-Buck, and Rochon Dibble. The three women joined forces several years ago to plan for Café on the Grove when it became clear that the former tenant, Maracas, would be leaving the building’s ground-level space. (The building, the Gabriela, was built by Livingston in 2007.) They opened their doors to customers in July 2015 and haven’t looked back since. With the help of chef Don Lee, they cook up a storm in the kitchen, churning out plates of grits, pancakes, biscuits, po’ boys, jerk wraps, kale salads, and even the requisite indulgences—blueberry cream cake, pecan pie, apple cheesecake––with mastery. If you ask me, you can’t go wrong with a jerk wrap with a glass of Arnold Palmer. But if you ask Chef Don, it’s going to be the crab cakes and the shrimp po’ boy, and a slice of praline cheesecake to follow. If you’re wise, you’ll plan several trips to cover more of the menu’s offerings or, better yet, become a regular. (Emeline Posner) Café on the Grove, 4317 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm; Saturday– Sunday, 9am–5pm. $6–$15. (773) 952-6919. cafeonthegrove.com

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD

BEST TWO PLACES TO BUY HOMESPUN GOODS

The Silver Room & Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar

The Hyde Park-Kenwood area has historically been a hotspot for artisans, artists, and makers of all kinds. Recent years, however, have seen the shuttering of two beloved institutions, the long-lived Artisans 21 Cooperative and the Southside Hub of Production, leaving some to question the community’s support of local art and craftsmanship. In the face of this, the local community of artisans has shown itself to be as robust as ever, and it’s worth giving a nod to two (relatively) new institutions on 53rd Street that are helping local artistans continue to thrive: The Silver Room and the Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar. The Silver Room, though a recent addition to Hyde Park, is not itself new; Eric Williams had run his shop in Wicker Park for twelve years before moving it down to Hyde Park. Although not everything he sells is locally made––“sometimes you just want something different,” explains Jenny, a Silver Room employee, pointing at a handsome, grey felt bag made in Argentina––a good chunk of the accessories and apparel he sells are local brands, like N’Torious Creations, Fanta Celah, and BLKLST. After hours, too, he finds ways to involve local makers of all levels; The Silver Room hosts local vendors at the annual Silver Room Block Party and teaches a workshop in beginner jewelry-making and metalsmithing to boot. For less established artisans, there is the Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar, which is a little over two years old now. Its manager, Vera Videnovich, herself a Hyde Park-dwelling knitter, writer, and farmer, likes to think of the bazaar as a “stepping-stone” for artisans. “I didn’t want the market to be just a one-off event, but a showcase of what’s already there,” she emphasizes. Videnovich previously ran the Handmade crafts fair (distinct from the Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar) at the Empty Bottle, in West Town. When the Promontory approached her about working on a similar project in their event space, she jumped on board straightaway. The market has thrived since then; she now receives around four times more applications per bazaar than the number of spaces for vendors (thirty-three). Their mission is twofold: to provide a special space for vendors who may not be able to afford a storefront, and to make shopping more of a community-building experience. Rather than participating in a “faceless” shopping experience, that is, buying goods in store, she says, “I think a lot of shoppers would like to make a connection with the vendors.” Peter Gaona, who makes and sells bowties and apparel made from eco-friendly materials under the brand Reformed School, agrees from the seller’s perspective. “Informing people of your process in creating handmade items that are unique or oneof-a-kind is also building the value of the product,” he says. “Sure you can go buy a necklace or a tie at a major retailer, but knowing who and how it’s made, and that their money is being spent in your community is becoming increasingly important.” Gaona says that the Silver Room Sound System Block Party and Hyde Park Handmade have been his most successful markets in Chicago. “As entrepreneurs we are always connecting with each other and learning how to grow our business and the Hyde Park Handmade Market gives us a place to do that, and is growing with us,” he says. His enthusiasm for the bazaar is echoed by the famous Double Stitch Twins, Erika and Monika Simmons: “by far our favorite venue is the artistic and eclectic surroundings at the Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar.” So trust them on their word, and the next time you need a sweater, bowtie, or a gift crafted with love, look no further than 53rd Street. (Emeline Posner) The Silver Room, 1506 E. 53rd St. Monday–Saturday, 11am–8pm; Sunday, 11am–6pm. (773) 947-0024. thesilverroom.com Hyde Park Handmade Bazaar, The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave, 2nd floor. See website for upcoming dates. hydeparkhandmade.com

BEST COFFEE SHOP IN A RELIGIOUS SCHOOL BUILDING

Refectory Cafeteria at the Lutheran School of Theology Not every little-known establishment in a neighborhood deserves the title of “hidden gem,” but some places really can’t be described any other way. This coffee shop-cafeteria combo is embedded in the first floor of the Lutheran School of Theology of Chicago building on 55th and University, a building so bulky, dark, and generally uninviting that most Hyde Parkers steer clear of it altogether. Since the school runs the cafe as a 501(c)3, they aren’t allowed to advertise its existence. In one sense, this is a shame, because more people should know about the served-quick Bridgeport Coffee, dense $4.50 breakfast burritos, delicious artisan sandwiches, and always-friendly wait staff at this place. In another sense, though, this obscurity is a blessing in disguise: though the seating area is huge, it’s almost never busy, except during lunchtime. This makes for a perfect way to escape from the world: you can slip unnoticed onto the LSTC campus, grab a delicious sandwich, and sit down with a good book, or just stare out onto the quad and contemplate the joyful mysteries. Plus, free wi-fi. ( Jake Bittle) Sola Café & Refectory Cafeteria, 1100 E. 55th St., inside the Lutheran School of Theology. Monday–Friday, 7am–2pm. (773) 256-0702. lstc.edu

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little village LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

Jackie Serrato is an independent journalist and lifelong Little Village resident. She started the “La Villita, Chicago” group on Facebook, which now has more than 100,000 members.

was born and raised in Little Village, and I continue to live here. When I went off to college in 2006, I was the first in my family and, as far as I know, the first on my block to do that, so I was very, very homesick in New York. I was always just thinking about home and missing my family and my neighborhood, so I would google “Little Village”, hoping to find news and just good stuff to read about my home, and I realized that there really wasn’t much out there, you know. There were always articles about shootings, immigration raids, all this negative stuff, and I felt like we needed to balance that out a bit. I realized there was a sizable number of people from the neighborhood who were on Facebook and I figured I should start a little group to bring people together and just talk about their block, their school, or anything about Little Village. Back when we first started, the media wasn’t very responsive to hyperlocal issues. They wouldn’t do business profiles or cover the good work of nonprofit organizations or churches, so we started featuring small businesses, young people doing positive graffiti or playing basketball, just people in their element doing positive things. People were very responsive. There’s always been a lot of positive feedback, reminiscences, and people just talking about their community. 46 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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I had grown up with the media always portraying us as kind of a bad neighborhood, but once I left I realized just how much I missed it. There’s a sense of family everywhere you go, and the food is as authentic as it’s going to get when it comes to Mexican food—you have recipes that our mothers and grandmothers, who immigrated just one or two generations ago, created. We have block clubs—I mean, I know they’re everywhere in the city, but here they’re extremely well-organized. They actually get together to plan and to entertain. Especially in the summer, every single Saturday there are block parties, run by families. I believe we have the strongest work ethic in the city of Chicago. Maybe that’s boastful, but I believe that’s the case. I think that shows through in someone like the paletero, and all the street vendors that you see on 26th Street and elsewhere in Little Village. I think they really set the tone for the street vending movement that’s emerging in Chicago. The taco trucks and street vending trucks that are starting to get organized, I think that really began with the paleteros and the other vendors in places like Little Village. I think the media has caught on now, after a long time. The community has gotten really quick about breaking stories about positive things happening, and the media will follow up on those stories. A lot of the news that we learn about is through the Facebook page. People send us their news. It’s a very collaborative process—unintentionally, but that’s how it works.

LITTLE VILLAGE

BEST FRONT YARD QUESADILLAS

Alex Gonzales, 24th and California Just after five in the evening on weekends, you can find tortilla-maker extraordinaire Alex Gonzales casually manning a flat-top grill outside his house on 24th St. and California Ave. Using his hands and a small wooden press, he molds rounds of fresh dough into quesadillas and gorditas that he serves mainly to his friends and acquaintances. It’s a part-time gig—Gonzales, who doubles as a youth soccer coach, only brings his culinary talents outside in the summer, or if it’s over fifty degrees in cooler months. Chip in a few dollars, and Gonzales and his wife will gladly share. The food’s ephemerality only makes it taste better, especially when you can sit on a small stool and eat it in the company of a few friendly strangers. Order a Mexico City-style guarache, a flat round of dough filled with beans and topped with meat, and you just might have to share slices with the diner to your left. (Will Cabaniss) 24th St. & S. California Ave. Friday–Sunday, pending good weather, from early in the afternoon until after midnight.

BEST CROWDFUNDING

GoFundMe for Fidencio Sanchez

best place to outfit your dancing horse OK Corral VIP Western Wear Walking west along 26th Street, it’s not surprising to see strings of taquerias, paleta carts, and various stands selling balloons, toys, and flags painted red, white, and green. But when you encounter OK Corral, one of the largest Western wear stores in Little Village, you may raise an eyebrow. Although the city of Chicago may seem like an odd market for OK Corral’s inventory of authentic Mexican boots, belts, hats, and saddles, the sales clerk assured me that residents of Little Village and surrounding neighborhoods are eagerly snatching these luxury items up. Many of the items for sale are hand-tooled leatherwork, imported directly from craftsmen in Mexico, and list for prices that would appear as four dollar signs on Yelp. Some of the piteado belts sold there take more than a month to create, and are embroidered with silver thread. Also on display are decorative saddles for Charro riders and their horses, whose “dancing” talents are featured each year in the neighborhood’s annual celebration of Mexican culture and history. When asked about the boots, the sales clerk smiled, as if this was the best part of her job, and began to proudly list their impressive offering of leathers, including cow, lizard, stingray, crocodile, elephant, ostrich foot, and ostrich skin. ( Jackson Bierfeldt)

Sometimes it’s hard to resist the feeling that humanity just sucks, and most days there’s a lot of evidence for that claim. But sometimes, through the power of small donations and the Internet, a group of strangers produces something like a divine intervention. This summer, that intervention took the form of a GoFundMe for Fidencio Sanchez, an 89-year-old paleta vendor who left a temporary retirement earlier this year after his daughter’s death put his family in dire financial straits. The online fundraiser had an original goal of $3000, but after going viral and being shared more than 100,000 times, the campaign has, at press time, amassed more than $380,000 in relief for Fidencio. The memories of Fidencio and Little Village that flood the comments section of the fundraiser are a strong testament to the impact one person’s OK Corral VIP Western Wear, 3300 W. 26th St. Open daily, 11am–8pm. (773) 703-3310. hard work can have on the world around them. Here’s hoping Fidencio enjoys his well-earned reward. ( Jake Bittle) You can donate to Joel Cervantez Macias’s GoFundMe for Fidencio Sanchez at gofundme.com/2am4q7kk

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LITTLE VILLAGE

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST MENU FOR ADVENTUROUS EATERS BEST LOW-KEY SKATE PARK

Piotrowski Silver Skate Plaza A few years ago, a concrete slab on the edge of Piotrowski Plaza at 31st and Kildare was a DIY skating scene. Recently, community members, with help from the city, built the space into the full-fledged park that exists today. Though the completion of the Loop’s Grant Skate Park in late 2014 has lured many Chicago skaters downtown, Piotrowski was deemed to be just low-key enough for Justin Bieber to skate there in November of last year and “just have fun and be normal (kind of ) for a little :).” During the summer, the skate park also hosts Skate JAM—skate sessions that feature open-air concerts by local bands. ( Jackson Bierfeldt) Piotrowski Silver Skate Plaza, W. 31st St. & S. Kildare Ave. Daily, 6am–11pm.

La Casa de Samuel

La Casa de Samuel is, in many ways, quite conventional. Mariachi music erupts in spurts, decor is somewhat sparse, and margaritas are very large. But turn to the back page of Samuel’s menu and a new world opens up: exotic meats. These are headlined by the creadillas (grilled bull’s testicles), of course, which come sliced up and served in either mole or a pepper sauce. But adventurous eaters should know that not far down the list one can also find grilled alligator, grilled iguana, and grilled rattlesnake. No word yet on how those look or taste, but rest assured they’ll find a home inside one of the fresh tortillas served up by a woman named Eloisa from her perch at a tiled bar near the window. Looking to tag along with a more daring friend? The cabrito en hoja de plátano, a mess of goat meat baked in a banana leaf, is a less fear-inducing option. Wash it down with a goblet of painfully sweet jamaica, and your Samuel experience is complete. (Will Cabaniss) La Casa de Samuel, 2834 W. Cermak Rd. Monday–Thursday, 7am–11pm; Friday–Saturday, 7am–1:30am; Sunday, 7am–10:30pm. (773) 376-7474. lacasadesamuel.com

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pilsen

Compiled by Efrain Dorado LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

n my eighteen years, I’ve lived in three different states in five different cities. Growing up I faced a lot of change but Chicago has always been a constant. Chicago has always been home to me, and mostly because of Pilsen. I’ve never permanently lived in Pilsen, but it’s always felt like a place where I could be myself— the vibrant art, the gracious people, and the incomparable food have been essential to my development as a person. But my most direct connection to the neighborhood is through my own mother, who was born and raised in the neighborhood. My mother is Crystal Marie Vargas-Dorado, a beautiful Mexican woman who has a penchant for the spiritual and a profuse love of cats. She moved out of Pilsen in her early twenties, but never lost the passion she felt for her neighborhood. In 2012, she returned to the neighborhood and opened up her own spa and massage studio, Verde Wellness & Massage. Since then she has devoted herself to being an avid member of the community, citing her father as the reason she came back: “I was taught to always give back to my community if I wanted to make a difference.” Changes that have come to Pilsen of late have sparked a citywide debate about the impact of gentrification. Many community members feel that the influx of affluent residents is stripping Pilsen of its vibrant culture. My mother has expressed fear that gentrification will cause Pilsen’s tight-knit community to fall apart. “It’s sad because people who have been here for generations and generations suddenly can’t afford to live here,” she says. A lot of the families she’s known growing up are gone due to the rising property values: “You used to know the people who lived down the block but now they’re gone.” My mother is not alone in these feelings: the response to gentrification from longtime community members has been loud and clear in the

form of protests and street art. It’s caused many to feel unwelcome into their community. Although gentrification has posed many problems for Pilsen, my mother, an exceptionally empathetic person, realizes there are two sides of every coin. “Pilsen feels a lot safer than it did when I was a kid,” she says. She recalls encounters with gangs and violence growing up, but says she feels those forces are no longer as prominent. One of the reasons she decided to open her business in Pilsen was because of the potential she felt Pilsen has for fresh ideas. “Many Mexican entrepreneurs brought back newer concepts and new twists on old ones to reinvent Pilsen’s culture,” she says. She also feels that recently Pilsen has allowed a more lively nightlife (“you don’t feel scared to go out at night anymore”) and many new businesses have provided more options for entertainment. “I no longer have to drive all the way to the North Side for a craft beer or a concert, it’s right here at home,” she told me. Throughout its long history, the Pilsen community has always had an optimism for the future of the neighborhood. My mother came back to the neighborhood because more than anything she wanted “to inspire the new generation of kids living in Pilsen,” and if Pilsen is going to change for the better, it’s going to be because of the younger generation: whether it’s through music, art, film or food, the residents of Pilsen have always chosen to provide programs and opportunities for new generations that the older ones didn’t have. In times of transition like this one, there is no doubt that Pilsen will pull through for the better—that’s part of what makes it one of Chicago’s greatest communities. (Efrain Dorado) SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 49

PILSEN

BEST PLACE TO WATCH THINGS ON A SCREEN

filmfront

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST ART-COFFEE COMBO

La Catrina Café

Since opening La Catrina Café in 2013, husband-and-wife team Diana and Salvadore Galicia have been providing Pilsen residents with more than just coffee and donuts. Named after the famous La Calavera Catrina illustration, La Catrina Café celebrates culture with Mexican art covering every inch of the walls, both inside and out. In addition to delicious coffee, La Catrina offers wholesome breakfast and lunch items as well as traditional Mexican meals and drinks. When opening La Catrina, Diane Galicia said the idea of opening up the cafe was “to bring the community more together.” In the three years since opening its doors, La Catrina has already become a staple in Pilsen, and is now many residents’ go-to for a cup of coffee. Just this summer Diana and Salvadore started The Gabriel Project, named after their son Gabriel Cisneros, who passed this May. The fund is aimed at providing opportunities for young artists in Pilsen. With The Gabriel Project, Diane and Salvadore are working to drive Pilsen’s young people away from violence and drugs, and encourage them to express their passions and frustrations through art. The project launched in July with a gallery showcase of Gabriel’s art and an auction of other art donated by neighborhood artists. (Efrain Dorado) La Catrina Cafe. 1011 W. 18th Street. Monday–Thursday, 7am–9pm; Friday, 7am–6pm; Saturday–Sunday, 8am–6pm. (312) 473-0038. facebook.com/lacatrinacafeon18/ The Gabriel Project. facebook.com/thegabrielproject2016/

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BEST BOOKSTORE ALREADY PROFILED BY THE READER

Through filmfront, founders Alyx Christenson, Rudy Medina, Alan Medina, Malia Haines-Stewart, and Oscar Solis have brought thoughtful discussions about the art of film to Chicago’s cultural apex. A humble cine-club located on 18th Street in the heart of Pilsen, filmfront provides free screenings of everything from arthouse to classics. Their minimal storefront location (hence the name) consists of a small lounge-like space where the curators host lectures, exhibitions, and panels in conjunction with free screenings. Filmfront strives to provide a cross-cultural dialogue through film in one of Chicago’s most diverse communities by examining individual films within their broader cultural contexts. Through these explorations, the project hopes to stir up new ideas about how different people and different groups can understand art differently. Little more than a year old, filmfront has already proven itself a vital component of Chicago’s ever-growing film club community. (Efrain Dorado) Filmfront. 1740 W. 18th Street. filmfront.org

Open Books

Named “Best Hidden Bookstore” by Chicago Reader last year in their (admittedly broader and slightly more prestigious) Best of Chicago issue, Open Books’s Pilsen location is a jaw-droppingly-big warehouse on 19th Street filled with an endless array of books of all genres, all for just a dollar each. In conjunction with their flagship store in the West Loop, Open Books Warehouse is a non-profit aimed at providing “literacy experiences” for readers all across Chicago. Most of the warehouse’s books are donated, and most of the money made from selling them goes toward literacy programs at local schools. Perhaps in order to keep their massive stock at a manageable size, or perhaps just because they’re very nice people, Open Books is also devoted to filling up classroom libraries: teachers from kindergarten to 12th grade can come take an entire box of books for their classroom from the free book grab table. In addition to spreading books far and wide, Open Books holds creative writing and reading workshops and even writing contests. Open Books also holds special sales events during Pilsen’s monthly 2nd Fridays and the Pilsen Flea Market. (Efrain Dorado) Open Books Warehouse. 905 W. 19th Street. (312) 243-9776. Wednesday-Sunday, 10am4pm. open-books.org/shop/open-books-pilsen

BEST RECORD STORE WITH A THING FOR HUEY LEWIS

Pinwheel Records

This record store, a welcome refuge from the funny mustaches and alt-rock box sets of Reckless and the other usual North Side suspects, offers new and used records, used CDs, turntables, and its own merchandise. With a wide (and judiciously distributed) range of music spanning many genres, artists, and eras, there’s something to satisfy any music fan, but Pinwheel Records is distinguished by more than its ample selection. The shop also offers a more idiosyncratic music-buying experience, with a section entirely dedicated to local music, a “Sports” section with dozens of copies of Huey Lewis and the News’ album Sports, and even a Pac-Man game machine complete with a running scoreboard. Owner Scott Schaaf and Kim Foreit, along with their cat Marco, provide a space where musicians and listeners alike can bond together over their love of music. Although Pinwheel Records just opened a year ago, it’s already put down roots in the neighborhood: in addition to selling music, Pinwheel also hosts in-store music performances. Anyone looking for recommendations on music or turntables can turn to Schaaf for modest and friendly discussion. As Schaaf puts it: “We want to be a neighborhood shop, we want to be here for everybody. We’re just trying to do something good for ourselves and for the community.” Sounds good. (Lily Li) Pinwheel Records. 1722 W. 18th St. Tuesday-Friday, noon-8pm; Saturday, 11am-8pm; Sunday, 11am-7pm. (312) 888-9629. pinwheelrecords.com

best postmacaroni arts nexus Lacuna Artist Lofts

Lacuna is a multipurpose arts center situated in what was once the largest macaroni factory in the world, providing a space for performance and cultural exchange through a fully loaded roster of events. Founded by Joey Cacciatore, Lacuna Artist Lofts prides itself in being a center for artists and vendors of all variations, housing more than 150 businesses. Foremost among Lacuna’s many highlights are multiple gallery spaces, a wedding venue, a restaurant, and the Remix Project, which puts on numerous arts programs for budding creatives. Though its name means “hole,” what Lacuna offers is more like a 250,000 square feet canvas for dynamic creativity in the middle of Chicago’s art district. Due to its prowess, Lacuna has come to be nationally recognized as the premier loft space in the Midwest, housing big name creatives such as Chicago artist Hebru Brantley and Andrew Barber of Fake Shore Drive. (Efrain Dorado) Lacuna Artist Lofts. (773) 609-5638. lacuna2150.com The Remix Project. 2150 S. Canalport Ave, 2nd floor. chicago.theremixproject.com SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 51

pullman & roseland Compiled by Julia Aizuss

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

Andrew Bullen is a Pullman resident and amateur Pullman historian. His work in Pullman, besides the restoration of his residence, includes the Pullman House History Project and the Pullman State Historic Site’s web presence at www.pullman-museum.org.

n 1881, George Pullman chose Chicago to hold “the World’s Most Perfect Town.” Because of his earlier experiences in the city, he believed that the Chicago spirit he so admired would imbue his new town with the same optimism. He believed that the overall design and the amenities provided to Pullman residents would elevate the common worker, inspiring the laborers to pursue their own self-betterment. That spirit of optimism never seemed to fade, through bitter strikes, wars, racial tensions, and economic downturns. People have come here seeking a community and a home for over 130 years, first to the town of Pullman and then to the Pullman neighborhood. Until 1950, the percentage of foreign-born residents was five times the national average. Pullman still maintains this hopeful sense of community, as one of the few Chicago neighborhoods that is truly integrated, with

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an active LGBTQ community as well. Residents here feel a strong connection to the rich history of the area. In a way, the past helps bring us together, through events like the annual House Tour and the many educational lectures and programs that take place throughout the year. The Pullman area was threatened with Urban Renewal in 1960, spurring residents to form the Pullman Civic Organization. These organizations, meetings, and events have in turn led residents to form several social clubs, such as the Garden Club and the Bridge Club. Solon Beman, the original architect of the town of Pullman, designed the structures and the whole layout of the town with an eye towards aesthetics, an appreciation of art that carries through to today. The neighborhood is home to many artists and boasts a gallery, a choir, and a dance troupe. This artistic focus will soon be strengthened—the Pullman Arts group is working with Chicago Neighborhood Initatives and Minneapolis-based ArtSpace, Inc. to create live/work spaces in two Pullman block houses along with new construction. The Pullman company has been out of business since the

PULLMAN & ROSELAND 1980s; indeed, the whole industrial corridor along Chicago’s Far South Side has lost most of its industries and jobs. Yet the only new industry that has been built recently in Chicago, the Method soap factory, was built in Pullman. The hope, promise, and inherent strength that our neighborhoods exhibit have caused developers to look to the Far South Side as a place of new business. Pullman also has welcomed Gotham Greens, the world’s largest commercial greenhouse, and will soon be welcoming a Whole Foods distribution center and warehouse. Our greater community includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Roseland and Kensington, both of which have experienced economic downturn and hardship. Many of the area’s current residents are looking toward a new horizon as we, together, form the larger picture of the Pullman National Monument. To us, the monument that President Obama created in 2015 serves not just as a recognition of our past but as a celebration of our future. In this spirit, the three communities continue to form a common bond for their future well-being, working together to make our part of the world a better place.

BEST SITE-SPECIFIC ART PROJECT

LaborPaste, mosnart

As people walk through Pullman’s Victorian row houses, they might suddenly spot a black-and-white photo of Harriet Tubman by a door, Frederick Douglass in a window, or Eugene Debs waving his hat to the crowd. They don’t know when they’re going to stumble on an iconic image of Dolores Huerta holding aloft a “huelga” sign during the California grape strikes of the 1960s in a third-story window. The unexpected cutout photos evoke the rich history of the former company town—its path from utopian beginnings to state-sanctioned violence that led to thirty deaths nationwide after striking workers stood up to their industrial landlord George Pullman. The life-sized photographs wheatpasted around the neighborhood, like the Pullman porter carrying a suitcase across a garage door at 111th and Champlain, confront pedestrians with the past and the ongoing struggle for progress. J.B. Daniel’s “LaborPaste” installation, woven into the streetscape, encourages wandering and discovery. There are no explanatory labels, just the starkness of historical pictures that ignite viewers’ curiosity. Another current installation hearkening back to history, “Community,” is interactive. Located on a wall of the old Arcade building, it invites passersby to chalk artistic answers to the question “What is your vision of a contemporary utopian community?” In July, a multicolored geometric “I MAKE MY FUTURE” blazed; in late August, the first three letters of “Opportunity” formed the eyes and nose of an eager, blue-and-orange face. These works exist alongside Daniel’s broader installation project, “mosnart,” which brings in visiting artists to work within the neighborhood’s historical and architectural constraints, resulting in pieces like Matthew Hoffman’s massive “Go For It” and, most recently, Seattle-based Sherri Gamble’s “Hand-held,” for which she cast the hands of more than sixty residents. “The ‘Go For It’ installation was definitely the most fun,” Daniel said. “We built it in the old Pullman Factory with lots of neighbors helping. We wheeled it through the streets to its current home in Market Square. It continues to generate positive meaning for both the community and individuals.” Daniel named the project mosnart—“transom” spelled backwards—because most installations begin on the transom above the front door, but also to further an “idea of art and community flowing back and forth across a threshold.” “It might be that in doing what we’ve done for the past eight years, we have created some possibility that wasn’t here before,” he said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted any of my art or art projects to do.” ( Joseph S. Pete) mosnart, transom installations, 11319 S. St. Lawrence Ave. tallskinny.com/mosnart LaborPaste, jbdaniel.com

best alternative history A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum

Inside a beautiful turn-of-the-century brick row house on 104th and Maryland, you’ll find the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum. Though about ten blocks away from the heart of the neighborhood, the story the museum tells is essential to understanding the full history of Pullman. Founded in 1995, the Porter Museum is the only independently operated museum within the Pullman National Monument, receiving no government funding. The museum details how Randolph founded and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), an African-American union (the nation’s first) that confronted the Pullman Company for better wages and working conditions. It took ten years of organized protest for the Pullman Company to even recognize the union as legitimate. As you wind your way down the three stories of narrow galleries to the music of Louis Armstrong, you see the artifacts of that struggle for recognition, from photos of union leaders planning marches to a letter from a field organizer decrying the discrimination faced by Brotherhood members. This is a story that contrasts sharply with the usual historical narrative about Pullman, a story of the innovations both in the Pullman Company’s train car designs and urban planning strategies. (At the Historic Pullman Visitor Center, just one trifold piece of cardboard sits on display to inform visitors about the union.) While this inequality in historical emphasis is a source of neighborhood tension in its own right, it feeds into a larger fear that the African-American community of northern Pullman, Roseland, and Rosemoor might be left behind as Pullman receives renewed national and local attention. The Porter Museum fills a vital space by offering programming that grapples with how black history can be a tool to address current neighborhood issues. A new radio talk show called Live from the Pullman National Monument, hosted by museum founder Lyn Hughes, focuses on how the rich history of the BSCP can be leveraged to bring tourism benefits to the African-American community. The Pullman Messenger magazine is another new endeavor Hughes founded in collaboration with the museum; it’s named after The Messenger, the political and literary magazine in which A. Philip Randolph first wrote of the need for an independent union. Its mission statement—“to highlight ALL of the Pullman community’s businesses, tourist sites, activities and events”—positions the magazine to develop the black community’s own narrative about what makes Pullman so remarkable, as well as to “take back control of your community and not allow planning to take place that could result in plans being developed that don’t include you.” Consider these developments along with the city’s plan to redesign the 111th Street Metra station as a Pullman train car. Those renovations make history a light-hearted experience for the incoming tourist: you look, you enjoy, and then you leave. But the Porter Museum engages history in such a powerful way precisely because it prompts debate and discussion about the future of the community, rather than simply showcasing the pleasing elements of Pullman’s past. (Robert Hayes) National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, 10406 S. Maryland Ave. Open seasonally, April–December 1. Thursday–Saturday, 11am–4pm. $5. (773) 850-8580. aprpullmanportermuseum.org SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 53

PULLMAN & ROSELAND

BEST PLACE TO FEEL AT HOME

Pullman Café

The visitor to the Pullman Café is greeted with at least two different welcome signs, wooden furniture handmade by the owner’s aunt, and friends chatting amongst homey décor, a mix of exposed brick and cozy cushions. It’s an atmosphere of calm conviviality. Since its opening last October, the café has become something of a community hub, hosting book signings, Jazz Society performances, and Cooperation Operation open mics, while also drawing groups from all over the city; DePaul University, for example, chose the café as its venue for a lecture on entrepreneurship and community. Still, what sticks is an air of small-town intimacy; if you show up on the weekend, you’ll likely be greeted by the owner, Ian Lantz, who wears a “Pullman Strong” bracelet, can spout a wealth of information about the neighborhood, and will insist upon showing you the Alley Art Walk out back. Lantz sees the café as a forerunner of future development in Pullman and Roseland, opening it up to artists and creative types who will bring their own projects to the Far South Side. Meanwhile, the community space serves as a warm environment to meet friends, eat pizza off of log serving platters, or play the board game Class Struggle. If you’re looking for a place to buy delicious homemade lemon bars, salads with locally grown Gotham Greens, or just a bag of Funyuns, keep in mind what Lantz assured a departing patron: “You’re always welcome here.” (Anna Christensen) Pullman Café, 11208 S. St. Lawrence Ave. Tuesday–Friday, 10am–7pm; Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–3pm. (773) 828-8338. thepullmancafe.com

BEST WEEKEND SOUL FOOD

Corliss Cozy Corner Restaurant Corliss Cozy Corner Restaurant opened without much fanfare in June, but the food has already attracted a crop of regulars who get greeted by name. The restaurant at 104th and Corliss is an unassuming place on a residential block and does a brisk takeout business. It’s like a thousand joints in Chicago that grill or fry basically everything, and do it well. The menu, plastered on the wall in paper, features a cornucopia of fast food favorites: burgers, chili dogs, Italian beef, nachos, jerk tacos, jalapeno cheese poppers, and buffalo chicken sandwiches, as well as blackened catfish dinners with smothered potatoes and steamed vegetables. Twelve-dollar soul food dinners, served every weekend, are what really make Cozy Corner stand out from other joints. On Saturdays and Sundays, diners receive generous portions of chicken or catfish, either fried or baked, or their choice of rib tips, jerk chicken, or smothered pork chops. The lightly breaded catfish fillets are huge and meaty, more than a finger wide and piping hot, fresh out of the fryer. Also expect sweet cornbread and three savory sides from a selection that includes greens, black-eyed peas with ham hock, candied yams, and red beans and rice. Every bite bursts with flavors of ham, lard, and deliciousness. A few more bucks gets you fried green tomatoes or peach cobbler, and the portions are enough to sate the biggest appetite. ( Joseph S. Pete) Corliss Cozy Corner Restaurant, 10356 S. Corliss Ave. Tues–Sun, 11am–8pm; plans to open on Mondays next month. (773) 253-2011.

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BEST USE OF SALVAGE MATERIAL

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

Pullman Free Library

What’s the first thing you’ll see in Pullman? If you take the Metra Electric and get off at the Kensington stop, dragons. Or so declares the flagship Pullman Free Library across the street, at 115th and Cottage Grove. If the glittery, penny-and-marble mosaic mural sign doesn’t catch your eye, the turquoise cabinets standing out from the brick building will. Move closer, and you’ll be greeted by three modest messages taped near the handle: “here there be dragons,” “Take a book, leave a book, give a book, keep a book,” and “Please shelve accordingly. —Thank you!” Generosity, participation, and order, garnished with a touch of whimsy: just the right ingredients to keep a chain of DIY libraries running smoothly, not to mention the spirit of Pullman in miniature. Open it up, and you’ll find far more than a modest book box; the four shelves include fiction (cult classics like A Canticle for Lebowitz as well as crowd-pleasers like James Patterson), romance, children’s books, mysteries, self-help, and nonfiction (“no dragons, yet,” the label admits). Malvika Jolly and Faith McGlothlin, both South Side natives who found themselves living in Pullman, are to thank for this collection, which they founded last summer. They and several other community members built the library by the Metra stop to enliven the four long-empty storefronts there, and the sign was made as part of a project for the Pullman Arts Camp they ran in collaboration with the Pullman Youth Group and the Cooperation Operation. When the call came for books to fill the shelves, “people actually turned up in hordes,” Jolly said, granting a reliable surplus for restocking both the main library and the satellites, which have sprouted up in familiar turquoise and penny-mosaic outside the Pullman Café, in the Pride of Pullman Garden, and elsewhere. There are also plans to expand into Roseland and northern Pullman, so if you see any repainted newspaper boxes glued with rings of pebbles, bicycles chains, washers, and pennies, you’ll know who’s responsible. Besides generating activity in dead or otherwise empty spaces, the Pullman Free Library is “an experiment in the gift economy,” Jolly said. “I wanted to see what would happen if there was this kind of large-scale free exchange happening openly between neighbors with no expectation for reciprocation.” What happens, she saw, is a supple network of relationships, as neighbors build more boxes onto the trees outside their houses, as management belongs to the entire neighborhood, as you know the books you give and take can be traced to people you know: literature exchanged “in the language of community.” ( Julia Aizuss) Pullman Free Library, 115th St. & S. Cottage Grove Ave. Volunteers interested in installing a library—even a shelf—anywhere in the South Side should email malvika.jolly@ columbia.edu.

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south loop BEST FORD-ERA NOSTALGIA

Motor Row

Compiled by Camila Cuesta Arcentales CAMELIA MALKAMI

More than a decade has passed since Motor Row was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2000 and added to the National Register of Historic Places shortly after, in 2002. Since then, the area that passes through the South Loop— specifically, from State Street to Indiana Avenue along 23rd Street, and along Michigan Avenue near Cermak Road––has experienced an influx in preservation and revitalization efforts headed by the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance. According to the city’s Chicago Landmarks website, there are more than fifty buildings in the Motor Row district, some of which date back to the early twentieth century, when the area was filled with stores specializing in the sale and repair of around 116 different makes of cars. The architecture itself narrates the evolution of the automobile showroom of an era. Take a stroll around what’s left of the old district and you’ll find bits and pieces of what it once was—structures built by a range of influential architects such as Holabird & Roche, Philip Maher, and Albert Kahn, along with the building that the Chicago Defender once called home and the old location of Chess Records, a famous stop in the 1950s and 1960s for blues and rock and roll artists such as Willie Dixon and The Rolling Stones (see the latter’s song “2120 South Michigan Avenue”). Undoubtedly, the opening of the Cermak-McCormick Place stop on the Green Line last spring has helped support economic development by offering a more convenient access point into the South Loop. Recently opened craft breweries like Vice District Brewing and Motor Row Brewing will soon be complemented by twenty-five new apartment units along State Street from Windy City RE along with ground-level business developments (one of which is rumored to be a jazz club). As long as the history stays untouched, the creation of a new entertainment district in this previously dormant area, now complete with a gateway art installation on Michigan and Cermak, seems promising. But be warned, if you’re trying to take it all in at once: wear your best walking shoes. (Camila Cuesta Arcentales) Motor Row Historic District, 23rd St. between State St. and Indiana Ave., Michigan Ave. between Cermak Rd. and 25th St., and at various points north of Cermak Rd.

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SOUTH LOOP

best urban ecosystem Northerly Island Ever looked at a map of Chicago and noticed a weird piece of land just, you know, sort of chilling south of Museum Campus? Ever ridden up the Lakefront Trail and stared out at the big hump of land on your right as you’re passing McCormick Place? Sure you have. But have you ever actually gone there? Of course you haven’t, because not much was there––until now. Until last year, Northerly Island was just a big piece of land with a couple of trails, a secluded little beach area, and an abandoned airplane runway. That runway, which belonged to the Merrill C. Meigs Field Airport, took up much of the peninsula (it is not actually an island) until 2003, when Mayor Richard Daley ordered the runway bulldozed in the middle of the night. These days, you can go on a little bike ride on a trail that opened last summer, although you’ll find portions of the trail closed on the peninsula’s eastern side. An inconvenience? Perhaps, but you’ll get over it once you see the unique ecosystem that’s bloomed on what was formerly a concrete strip. Thanks are owed to Studio Gang, the architecture firm of prominent Chicago architect Jeanne Gang. Years ago, the firm drew a plan with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and JJR Smith Group, a developer, to transform this man-made peninsula into a biodiverse ecosystem. The plan allows us city-dwellers a chance to experience nature without having to go too far to find it. The island now features a blend of the various ecosystems that existed in and around Chicago before the city existed, from mud flats to grassy prairies. According to Studio Gang, the gradual environmental enhancements they have introduced to the area since fall of 2012 will eventually include a lagoon with a man-made reef that will serve as a fish-spawning habitat. You can’t go snorkeling just yet, but for now you can enjoy birdwatching, camping, picnics, or amateur photoshoots on the southern end. And once a bug crawls up your leg you can walk right back out to the Museum Campus for a bug-free view of the skyline. (Camila Cuesta Arcentales) Northerly Island Park, 1521 S. Linn White Dr. Daily, dawn–dusk. (312) 745-2910. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/northerly-island-park

ANDREW JAMESON / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

BEST ALL-AROUND DINING

Kurah

Driving down Michigan Avenue, you might miss this restaurant conveniently located on the corner of 14th Street. Its façade is in uniform with those of the buildings around it: lots of shiny glass and steel. The experience only begins once you step inside. Intricate floral designs lining the dark walls, dim bulbs illuminating the space, and little gold stars sprinkling the low-rise ceilings in the back (and even the bathrooms) all make you feel like you’re somewhere special, while low-sitting chairs and a few decorative pillows make you feel like you’re at home. And indeed, as the restaurant’s website states, you are in for a “unique culinary experience”: Kurah is perfect for any occasion, offering a wide range of organic, Mediterranean-inspired dining options that will satisfy all foodies, especially those who are vegan, vegetarian, and/ or gluten-free. The restaurant also has a top-notch specialty drink menu, of which no choice is the wrong choice. Plus, if you sit in the back, you can peek through a window and see the brick oven where chefs make the fresh pita bread that comes with your order. (Camila Cuesta Arcentales) Kurah Restaurant, 1355 S. Michigan Ave. Monday–Thursday, 11:30am–10pm; Friday–Saturday 11:30am–11pm; Sunday 11:30am–9pm. (312) 624-8611. kurahchicago.com

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SOUTH LOOP

BEST EXCEPTION

Buddy Guy’s Legends We openly admit that Buddy Guy’s Legends, the blues club stewarded by Chicago blues demigod Buddy Guy, is north of Roosevelt, more firmly in the standard Loop than it is in the South Loop. But an exception can be made, every now and then, for a club that represents a musical tradition that began in South Side clubs and record studios—Chess Records, the Triangle Inn, the Du Drop Lounge—and the strongest relic of a globally influential genre that always belonged, first and foremost, to the black neighborhoods of the South and West Sides. Not to mention, this club happens to have the most consistently fantastic music of any in the city or maybe the country, Kingston Mines included, while also having one of the most friendly atmospheres in a city known for friendliness. You’re just as likely to see the guy you met at the bar walk onstage and start drumming when his set time is up as you are to see Buddy Guy hanging out in the corner of the club on certain lucky weekends, nodding with approval. ( Jake Bittle) Buddy Guy’s Legends, 700 S. Wabash Ave. Monday–Tuesday, 5pm– 2am; Wednesday–Friday, 11am–2am; Saturday, noon–3am; Sunday, noon–2am. (773) 427-1190. buddyguy.com

TSAYLORS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

BEST HISTORY-INFUSED DOG PARK

Fred Anderson Park

Located on Wabash Ave. between 16th and 18th Streets is every dog and dog owner’s dream—a public playground for both! Thanks to the South Loop Dog Park Action Cooperative (a narrowly-focused but very committed group), the Fred Anderson Park opened in the winter of 2014, creating a space where humans and dogs of all sizes alike could have some outdoor fun. The park is split into two main areas: one for small dogs and one for bigger dogs (humans are lucky, and can access both). If you go while the weather is warm, you get to check out the cool water fountains and tunnels while being surrounded by green trees and flower beds. But don’t fret, the park is just as fun during the colder days of the winter, thanks to the artificial turf and stage area where local artists hold performances year-round. While we can’t say for sure what the dogs think of the music, the stage is probably an homage to this park’s namesake, Fred Anderson, an internationally acclaimed jazz musician who lived in the neighborhood and owned the Velvet Lounge. According to the Chicago Park District website, Anderson’s motto was “patience, sincerity, and consistency,” all of which are good qualities to show when interacting with dogs. (Camila Cuesta Arcentales) Fred Anderson Dog Park,, 1611 S. Wabash Ave. Monday–Sunday, 6am–11pm. (312) 328-0821. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/fred-anderson-park 58 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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south shore

Compiled by Carrie Smith

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

L. Anton Seals, Jr. was born and raised in South Shore, Chicago. He is a father, community servant, entrepreneur, and filmmaker. He is a “community brother at large” working to uplift, and reimagining black space for those who aren’t yet born.

wish I could give this feeling. When I think of my beloved South Shore. Images, sounds, smells flood my mind. The smell of aquatic life mixes with spring breezes through newly cracked windows, the sound of the South Shore IC line (now Metra) screeching, the golden amber hues that cast their light at sunset, filling every blemish with flattery, only to be outdone by the sun’s ascent at dawn. The South Shore skyline dotted with Moutoussamy buildings that peer from the background as you zip down Lake Shore Drive as it merges into South Shore Drive. Stony Island, Yates, Exchange 79th, 75th, 67th, the “Highlands.” All are markers for those who call South Shore home. But the people, South Shore’s people, are what make it a cornerstone of Chicago, where newly minted “wealth” meets “ain’t we lucky we got ‘em” in one neighborhood. Where activism meets Afrikan artistry meets the black bourgeoisie. It’s where we turned a country club into a Cultural Center, and are turning a

vacant grocery into what will be Chicago’s largest black-owned grocer. South Shore for me represents the Soul of black folks. That elastic yet ephemeral thing, so much a thing you feel, that you can’t hold, nor give justice to via meager words. South Shore remains a bastion of artists, businesses, hustlers and everything in between. For me it was the sounds of funk, disco, and early house I would hear oozing out of courtyard buildings and accenting the alleyways of my youth. You felt, even if you didn’t know, these folks in the “hood” had seen the world, and made that aspiration accessible to those observing. All this makes South Shore a special place, but in the natural ebb and flows a city and a neighborhood go through, it currently serves as living example of the kinds of divestment happening in many South Side and West Side neighborhoods. As a forty-two-year-old man who was born into this section of the world, who found my love here, who is raising a young black boy, who chose to invest in and serve these dynamic people, I can see South Shore’s best days are just ahead, as it undergoes another stage in its growth. I wish I could give you this feeling. I think, as you will find in this best-of, that South Shore has much to offer, and will only grow stronger.

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SOUTH SHORE

BEST OLD-SCHOOL CROWD-FUNDING

Black United Fund Illinois

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY GARDENING South Shore is home to some of the oldest and newest community gardens in the city. The Rainbow Beach Victory Garden was founded in the 1940s and its soil has been worked ever since by generations of South Shore residents and others. It is the last remaining victory garden in the city, and has inspired many to keep their own gardens growing, including Michelle Obama. While many gardens focus on providing traditional vegetable-gardening plots, some, like the garden at 75th Street and Coles Avenue, focus more on the community aspect. This garden features a large table, made from repurposed wood from the old South Shore High School , and a vibrant mural amidst trees and flowers. The most recent addition to South Shore’s garden tradition is the 71st Street and Crandon Avenue Organic Garden, a sign of South Shore’s continued dedication to community gardens. It was voted on as a part of the 5th Ward’s participatory budgeting in 2013, completed earlier this year, and is located, appropriately, adjacent to the alderman’s office. (Carrie Smith) Rainbow Beach Victory Garden. Rainbow Beach Park, near 79th and S. South Shore Ave. rbvg7900.wixsite.com/rbvg7900 71st and Crandon Community Garden, 2301 E. 71st St. neighbor-space.org South Merrill Community Garden, 7000 S. Merrill Ave. neighbor-space.org 75th and Coles Garden, 75th St. and Coles Ave.

It’s not a hangout spot, or a place to eat—in fact, you aren’t meant to buy anything there at all. But chances are Black United Fund of Illinois (BUFI) has had a hand in an organization or event on the South Side that you’ve enjoyed (they’re also among the partners for several other “bests” on this list). BUFI has been headquartered in South Shore since its founding in 1985, as just the sixteenth chapter of the national Black United Fund organization. Before grassroots funding became a buzzword, BUFI was accepting small donations—direct and deducted from the payroll checks of community members—and investing that money in nonprofit and community-oriented organizations, not to sustain them, but to get their ideas off the ground and to a point where they could sustain themselves. Today more than 700 agencies have received funding as well as administrative support and access to volunteers through the organization. BUFI decided years ago to make a commitment to South Shore, as well as the symbolism of ownership, by buying the building it occupies on 71st Street and Constance Avenue. It now rents the space below its offices to small businesses and services, and offers community meeting spaces. (Carrie Smith) Black United Fund of Illinois, 1809 E. 71st St. (773) 324-0494. bufi.org

best name that states the obvious That’s-a-Burger

Though it recently moved a bit beyond the neighborhood’s technical southern boundary, That’s-a-Burger has been a South Shore staple for years. It offers burgers of all sorts, from simple cheeseburgers to creations like the “4 N 1,” which combines a patty with cheese, bacon, an egg, and the house-made chili (a popular item on its own), with a side of crispy, lightly-spiced fries included. But there’s a reason turkey burgers are the first burger on the menu. While the humble turkey isn’t everyone’s first thought when it comes to burgers, That’s-a-Burger puts together a turkey burger with a taste that is more than the sum of its parts (I’d recommend it with swiss cheese). Everything is made to order, so the wait can be long—most people either call ahead or place their order and then take care of other shopping—but there’s also plenty of seating, and the wait is worth it. (Carrie Smith) That’s-a-Burger, 8301 S. Stony Island Ave. Monday–Saturday, 11am–7:30pm. (773) 721-6777.

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BEST FOOD BUYING CLUB

Healthy Food Hub

Much has been said and written about South Shore’s status as a food desert since the closing of the Jeffery Plaza Dominick’s in 2013, but little has been said outside the community of the efforts being made by community members to ensure access to fresh, healthy food. The Healthy Food Hub, which predates the issues that have thrown South Shore’s access to produce into the public eye, is a buying club, a co-op in which members, not farmers, decide which items are bought each week. Every Saturday year-round the Hub hosts a market day at the Quarry on 75th Street. On offer are fresh fruits and vegetables, both organic and conventional, with an eye toward shoppers who are both health conscious and on a budget. The market has a close relationship with Black Oaks Farms, as well as other local farmers and growers. You can also find vendors offering dry goods, baked goods, and an array of other items. And if you don’t want to do the cooking yourself, the Market Day Café offers smoothies, salads, stir frys, and burgers for instant gratification. (Carrie Smith) Healthy Food Hub. The Quarry, 2423 E. 75th St. Saturdays, 11am–3pm. healthyfoodhub.org

LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST PLACE TO BE FULL

The New Look Restaurant Started by the father of the late Hadiya Pendleton to honor her memory, this recently remodeled restaurant has become a neighborhood stalwart, most obviously because of the food. It’s simple, it’s good, and there’s a lot of it—not only is this real, hearty soul food, but most dishes come with two or more sides, too. But the real thing to know about The New Look (sometimes called the Next Level—it depends on who you ask, and what mood they’re in) is that, no matter who’s there or what they’re eating, it’s about togetherness, and hand in hand with togetherness comes fun. Whether it’s because of an always-trusty house-made cocktail, a one-time-only drink commemorating the late Prince, or a spontaneous dance-around-the-room session, this is a place where the hours fly by. Bring a family member by for a much-needed catch-up session or show up with your friends to watch the game, whatever game it is—no matter what, you’re almost guaranteed to leave full and smiling. ( Jake Bittle) The New Look Restaurant (aka The Next Level), 2544 E. 83rd St. Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–10pm. (773) 359-2317.

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university village & little italy Compiled by Neal Jochmann LUKE SIRONSKI-WHITE

BEST PERPETUAL CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM

Little Italy’s Empty Lots

Arriving at the intersection of Taylor and Racine, you’re greeted by vast expanses of uneven grass containing neither commerce nor signage. Shops clustered west and east of these lots receive consistent foot traffic, while the unlucky shops facing the vacancies are left to sit and ponder. Shop owners such as Monica Rodriguez, of the sweet shop Skinny Piggy, describe the confusing and frustrating nature of past gossip regarding these empty spaces. Rodriguez relocated her business to Little Italy five years ago, with the knowledge that the lots had been empty for one year already. Placing trust in landlords who describe potential developments, shop owners renew their leases, reinvesting in their businesses on promises that surrounding areas will improve. But while various projects are rumored to be under way, none ever break ground. On the suggestion that

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a park may appear, for instance, hope renews, but it’s quickly dashed: when asked, the Chicago Park District says that a park hasn’t been planned or discussed recently, because there’s an overabundance of parks elsewhere in the ward. Neighborhood natives, as well as tourists who arrive from far-reaching destinations (perhaps expecting “Little Italy” to display Italian heritage and history ) suggest that the empty lots house more Italian restaurants, a museum, or even a relocated National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Elsewhere in the city, steps have been taken to accept community input and plan the development of vacant lots: on June 23 of this year, the 25th Ward held a community meeting in Pilsen to discuss the future use of “Open Space.” A similar meeting may be of use to Little Italy, which is also part of the 25th Ward. (Neal Jochmann)

UNIVERSITY VILLAGE & LITTLE ITALY

Best fire in a firehouse Firehouse Art Studio When the firefighters from Engine Company 18 moved their headquarters from Roosevelt Road to Blue Island Avenue in 2008, they left behind the oldest active firehouse in Chicago. Built in 1873 across the street from Holy Family Church (est. 1857, and also still standing), the building was auctioned off and reinvented in 2010—it now contains Firehouse Art Studio, a glassblowing and ceramics studio. The structure remains largely unchanged, and a proud mural at the back attests to the space’s firefighting origins (though its boast of “1873 and still pumping” now rings a bit hollow). However, the odd assortment of objects—there are clay bowls and glass sculptures, but also the torso and legs of a mannequin hanging from the ceiling, and ruby slippers on a shelf —mark it as a creative space. It also confuses passersby. “People just always come in wondering if we’re selling shit,” says Risa Recio, a self-described “all-around-Firehouse gal” who works there as artist in residence, studio manager, teacher, and technician. Jay Nowak and Jessica Beauchemin bought the firehouse from the city on one condition: that they use it to serve the community. To that end, Firehouse regularly hosts free neighborhood programming, like a chili cook-off where contestants first come in and fashion their own bowls out of clay. Local kids often have the run of the place after they get out of school, and there’s a space at the back they can color and play with clay (which has the added benefit of keeping them away from the hot shop and its 1200-degree furnace). One of the studio’s most important programs is Project FIRE, a glassblowing workshop for young Chicagoans traumatized by gun violence. They use Firehouse to make and sell their art, and have met with a good deal of success: two participants were recently invited to a week-long residency at New York’s Corning Museum of Glass. “They’re a super special group to us,” said Recio. (Christian Belanger) Firehouse Art Studio, 1123 W. Roosevelt Rd. Visit for community workshop hours.

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UNIVERSITY VILLAGE & LITTLE ITALY

BEST LIBATIONS

The Coffee Alley On an average weekday, The Coffee Alley is filled with casual conversations, leisurely afternoon meals, and UIC students hunched over laptops and homework— some munch on paninis, some sip lavender milk tea or La Colombe, and some slurp smoothies. It’s congenial, and that’s the point, according to owner Sara Roberts, who founded the shop with her husband Bill in 2012,. The brick walls and ample seating are meant to emulate the outdoor coffee shops of Europe: “We wanted to bring a gourmet European touch to Little Italy,” she said in an email. That’s fair: though Little Italy is many things, European is not one of them. But one or two Sundays each month, the scene is quite different: the shop is packed to the gills with the congregation of Oasis Church, a nondenominational church launched by a couple from the south suburbs in July of this year. Their mission is to “support, love, and share the greatest news of all time with every single person.” Roberts says the shop’s openness to the church (which does not have a permanent building of its own) is just one example of their hospitality to community groups in general—commercial filmings, book signings, and student organization meetings happen in the shop all the time, she says, and the owners don’t charge if they don’t have to close the shop for the event. ( Jake Bittle) The Coffee Alley, 1152 W. Taylor St. Monday–Friday, 7am–9pm; Saturday–Sunday, 8am–9pm. (312) 526-3873. thecoffeealley.com

WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC NEWSROOM On October 20, City Bureau will launch its crowdfunded public newsroom in partnership with the South Side Weekly in our shared newsroom on Chicago’s South Side. Once a week, our office at the Experimental Station in Woodlawn (6100 S. Blackstone Ave) will become an open space for journalists and the public. Join us for guest speakers, skills-based workshops, discussion of local issues, a co-working environment, and equipment training and rentals. Stay tuned for more details about the launch.

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BEST INSTITUTION

Oscar D’Angelo

Descriptions of Oscar D’Angelo—the man dubbed the “Mayor of Little Italy,” who died on August 7—tend toward moral ambiguity: a friend told the Reader he has “a magnetic perspicacity”; 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis once asked Daley the Younger, with frustration: “Who is this guy? Keyser Söze?” according to DNAinfo. D’Angelo’s own wife, called him a “consigliere” in a Sun-Times article about his death. (She also said he had “the biggest heart in the world.”) They’re fitting tributes to a man whose City Hall influence lasted about half a century, beginning with his aid to Daley the Elder during efforts to erect a permanent UIC campus at Harrison and Halsted. The controversial move was protested by furious residents and led to the displacement of eight thousand people; meanwhile, D’Angelo claimed his help was vital in preserving the neighborhood’s Italian community. Over the decades, D’Angelo continued to wield his clout over Little Italy and the rest of the city; most recently, he successfully fought against the Lucas Museum as a Friends of the Park board member. He has also flirted with the edges of the law. In 1989, he was disbarred as an attorney for actions the Supreme Court of Illinois deemed outside the bounds of “ordinary social hospitality”—gifting car rentals to judges and elected officials, presumably in return for favors. A 2003 confrontation with the owner of Mario’s Italian Ice (“Best Ice” in last year’s edition of this issue) is more intriguing: Mario DiPaolo, the ice stand’s owner, was charged with battery after a physical altercation with D’Angelo, who had apparently been bothering DiPaolo because of his refusal to sell or develop land he owned on Taylor Street. Perhaps the pair buried the hatchet—or the Weekly has fallen victim to a piece of online mischief—because about four years ago, a user named Oscar D’Angelo posted an online review for Mario’s Italian Ice that simply read: “This place is the BEST! Thank you Mario; you are an institution on Taylor Street.” Of course, the last phrase applies just as well to D’Angelo himself. (Christian Belanger)

woodlawn & washington park Compiled by Olivia Adams

efore the Obama Presidential Library (OPL), there was the Olympics. Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games showcased Washington Park as the future home of the Olympic Stadium, where an iconic opening ceremony might feature Kanye West and Michael Jordan. Now that the focus has shifted from Washington Park to Woodlawn, where the OPL will finally settle, a representative from the former has one thing to say: “We had been there before.” That’s Cecilia Butler, longtime resident of Washington Park and president of both the Washington Park Advisory Council (WPAC) and the Washington Park Resident’s Advocacy Council (WPRAC). Butler served as the community representative on the Chicago Olympic committee, and called it “an exciting experience.” Her position on the committee stemmed from a Community Benefits Agreement drafted by a conglomeration of Washington Park residents. For Butler, CBAs only work when the community itself, rather than a small contingent of individuals, create them. “Three or four people can sit down and put anything on paper, but if you have a group of people in an open meeting say these are the things we want, that’s what we did,” Butler said of the Olympic bid process. Butler became president of the WPAC in 1992 and has retained that position ever since. She chalks up the success of the council to a November 1982 lawsuit served to the City of Chicago by the U.S. Department of Justice. The DOJ sued the city for racial discrimination in the allocation of parks resources. A consent decree negotiated in 1983 by the DOJ and the City of Chicago mandated several new provi-

EMELINE POSNER

sions to combat this pattern of discrimination, including $10 million in expenditures over the following six years, sixty-five percent of which was to be spent in black and brown neighborhoods. In addition, Chicago parks began forming advisory councils to increase citizen participation, including in Washington Park. Butler credits the decree “for making [the Parks District] a better institution.” Before, during, and after the debates surrounding the 2016 Olympic bid, Butler’s WPAC has been working on another project: a rehabilitation of the closed entrance to the Garfield Green Line stop. Ideally, the stop would be transformed into a Washington Park Historical Society, to be modeled off of the Hyde Park Historical society at 55th Street and Lake Park Avenue. “If they can do it, we can do it. Because I’ve collected everything”—Butler laughed—“I have lots of stuff.” But some form of historical collecting has already begun, albeit in a way that Butler thinks doesn’t allow Washington Park residents to preserve their own history. In March 2013, the opening of the Arts Incubator included a call for artifacts from Washington Park residents. “You don’t come into a community and ask people to give you their history. You might ask to see it, but you don’t take it,” Butler said. A DNAinfo analysis found that between 2008 and 2014, the University spent $18 million to buy twenty-six properties in Washington Park, two of which became the Arts Incubator and the Currency Exchange Café. The WPRAC, founded in the winter of 2013, came about as a reaction to this rash of spending. “We had to represent the residents. Because to us, we felt that the most important [part of ] this is SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 65

the people that live here.” Since then, the WPRAC has spearheaded two efforts in the neighborhood. One, a food co-op, helps combat the lack of grocery store options in the neighborhood. The co-op, which had its organizational kickoff this past May, will provide a central location for South Side urban farmers to gather and sell their goods. Although multiple locations have been targeted by the WPRAC, no one place has been chosen. The second effort is the OPL. In 2013, the WPRAC created a twenty-seven-point community benefits agreement to submit to the University of Chicago pending the final OPL decision. However, in early August of this year, the Obama Foundation announced that Woodlawn’s Jackson Park, not Washington Park’s 161acre namesake, would serve as the library’s future home. For Joel Hamernick, executive director of Woodlawn’s Sunshine Gospel Ministries, the library will spell both opportunity and uncertainty for the community’s home and business owners. “The library is absolutely going where it should be—that’s on the South Side of Chicago,” Hamernick said. “Yet it’s simultaneously gonna create this struggle to see how it can be done in a just way.” (Olivia Adams)

BEST WALL

Woodlawn Gateway Mural Two lotus flowers anchor the first segment of a new bricolage installation in Woodlawn, underneath the Metra tracks that run over Marquette Road at Dorchester Avenue. The theme for the Woodlawn Gateway Mural was developed by the community, with scenes from Woodlawn’s history of jazz performances, as well as flowers that evoke the neighborhood’s year-old Dorchester Botanical Garden. The choice of the lotus, a symbol of purity and triumph over adversity, is an excellent one. The sidewalk in front of the mural is cracked and the ceiling, which holds up the Metra train tracks, is already leaking onto the mural even though the project hasn’t even been officially unveiled, but there’s no denying the beauty and significance of the art, conceived and designed by the community from the sidewalk up. Green Star Movement organized the project, with 20th Ward Alderman Willie Cochran acting as a partner and fundraiser. Hundreds of neighborhood volunteers, community organizations, and corporate groups contributed to the installation process. It is a marvelous piece of art. (Lara Kattan) Woodlawn Gateway Mural, Marquette Rd. and Dorchester Ave. greenstarmovement.org

BEST EVER-EXPANDING MINISTRY

Sunshine Gospel Ministries (and Enterprises)

Since 1905, Sunshine Gospel Ministries has served myriad roles in Chicago, spending time on both the North and South Sides as a ministry for unwed mothers at its inception, and later as a music ministry in the mid-twentieth century. The organization moved from Cabrini-Green to Woodlawn in 2001 with Joel Hamernick as executive director of all the ministry’s projects. According to Hamernick, the organization’s youth focus solidified during the transition from Cabrini-Green to Woodlawn. Sunshine Gospel originally offered youth programming to elementary school students only, but has expanded to middle and high school students by the early 2010s. This focus developed alongside a new, related concentration on entrepreneurship. “The thing for us was the correlation between the absence of work and the presence of violence,” says Hamernick. While entrepreneurial programming for high school students was successful, it didn’t lead to the creation of new businesses, only jobs. “Around 2011 or 2012, we really started rethinking our approach to see work return to the community.” As a result, Sunshine Gospel Enterprises, a new, nonfaith venture, was born. Presently, the organization operates in Evanston’s west side, Woodlawn, and Greater Auburn Gresham; plans to expand to Lawndale this fall are also in the works. (Olivia Adams) Sunshine Gospel Ministries, 500 E. 61st St. (773) 904-9800. sunshinegospel.org

best resurrection Shrine of Christ the King

Since the Weekly wrote about it in June, the Shrine of Christ the King has undergone significant changes. The building was threatened with demolition by Chicago’s Archdiocese last December due to a devastating fire two months prior, but a vigorous community effort to save it from closure won out. Anonymous donations amounting to at least $450,000, as well as an ongoing community fundraising campaign, enabled Christ the King to remain open pending extensive renovations. Thus far, $1 million of phase one’s $2.5 million goal has been raised. The renovations in question have since begun, with engineering firms Wiss, Janney, Elstener Associates, Inc. and Simpson Gumpertz & Heger completing extensive surveys and drafts this summer. The severely damaged roof has seen progress as well. With the demolition of damaged sections completed, Raffin Construction can begin the rebuilding process; on August 29, the City of Chicago granted a work permit to “install a new roof structure matching original landmark building structure.” (Olivia Adams) Shrine of Christ the King, 6415 S. Woodlawn Ave. (773) 363-7409. shrinelandmark.org 66 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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WOODLAWN & WASHINGTON PARK

BEST PARADE, PERIOD

CAMELIA MALKAMI

Bud Billiken Parade The Bud Billiken parade, named after a recurring character in the columns of Chicago Defender, founded by Robert Abbot, was established in 1929 as a kickoff to the start of the school year and a celebration of South Side students and their accomplishments. The parade’s festivities now also include an annual scholarship program that began in 2003, and has awarded over $1.5 million to more than 300 college-bound students. This year’s $2,500 award went to DeJah Jones, a 2016 graduate of Lindblom Math and Science Academy. The parade featured 175 performance groups this year—nearly half of the usual three hundred—in order to shorten both the six-hour runtime and costs. Groups were also strictly capped at one hundred members, causing several to drop out, including the South Shore Drill Team, whose participation in the parade dates back thirty-five years. Another absentee, the Chicago Alliance, calls their “barring” from this year’s parade a “politically motivated attack on the entire #BlackLivesMatter movement,” according to an August 6 tweet. Last year, the organization led an anti-police brutality charge at the parade. This year’s theme, “Uniting the Community Through Education for 87 Years,” drew thousands, but the expected one million spectators appeared to fall short, perhaps due to the changes. (Olivia Adams) Bud Billiken Parade. Runs on King Drive and through Washington Park, 39th to 55th Sts. Second Saturday in August, annually. (773) 536-3710. budbillikenparade.org

BEST COFFEE SHOP FOR EVERYONE

Robust Coffee Lounge

Come as you are to Robust Coffee Lounge, and bring a book or a friend, because you’ll want to stay awhile. On a recent Sunday morning the following people passed through: a Lycra-clad group of middle-aged men who sat eating sandwiches by the window, watching their fancy bicycles; a University of Chicago law professor; a pastor; a dad with a kid in a stroller and another tugging at his shirt; an older couple who sipped their lattes and shared the Sunday paper in a finely choreographed routine. Two teenage girls giggled and whispered. I devoured two smoothies, even though just one would have sufficed, because they are delicious. This unpretentious (not code for sloppy or plain) cafe opened in 2010, and now fills a void on this particular stretch of 63rd Street, between Woodlawn, where the cafe sits, and the blocks just west. Due east are rows of townhomes that appear new and occupied. Hopefully people continue to find and frequent this little treasure of Woodlawn and, by their patronage and foot traffic, help impel the very real revitalization that Woodlawn deserves. (Lara Kattan) Robust Coffee Lounge, 6300 S. Woodlawn Ave. Monday–Friday, 6am–8pm; Saturday– Sunday, 6am–7pm. (773) 891-4240. robustcoffeelounge.com

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BULLETIN Willie Velásquez: Your Vote is Your Voice La Casa Resource Center, 1815 S. Paulina St. Thursday, September 22, 6pm–8pm. Free. RSVP at bit.ly/2cAgMWV. (312) 666-1323. resurrectionproject.org Willie Velásquez pushed for Latino political participation in the sixties, seventies, and eighties, and organized alongside Cesar Chavez; the current political climate makes the rollout of a documentary about his life particularly appropriate. Hector Galan, the documentary’s executive producer, will participate in the discussion after the screening. (Adam Thorp)

The Black Political Agenda Post Obama Chicago Urban League, 4510 S. Michigan Ave. Wednesday, September 28, 6:30pm– 8:30pm. Free. RSVP at mbpanel-postobama.eventbrite.com. (773) 285-5800. metroboard.org If anybody thought the Obama presidency was the cure for everything that ailed the African-American community, the last eight years should have been a useful corrective, or so the Urban League’s promotional material for this event suggests. This panel of black businessmen, politicians, and activists will consider what comes next. (Adam Thorp)

Englewood Seniors Empowerment Summit U.S. Bank, 815 W. 63rd St., 4th floor. Friday, September 30, 10am–1pm. Free. (773) 491-3945. This summit, organized by the Southwest Federation Block Clubs of Greater Englewood, will present Englewood’s elders with information and opportunities to get involved in their communities. Whether you’re looking for resources to find a home, a doctor, a computer, or a job, this event promises to help you become “EMPOWERED.” (Hafsa Razi) 68 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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Book Launch: Demand the Impossible by Bill Ayers

Experimental Station, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Friday, September 30, 6pm–7:30pm. RSVP online. (773) 752-4381. semcoop.com Longtime activist and educator Bill Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground revolutionary group, is on record as relishing the disdain directed at him by right-wing and mainstream sources. In his new book Demand the Impossible: An Activist’s Manifesto, Ayers lays out the vision and tactics that infuriate his detractors. (Adam Thorp)

Education Forum with Janice Jackson Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd. Monday, October 3, 4:30pm–6:30pm. Free. RSVP at bit. ly/2d8LeTD. Business casual dress code. (312) 435-5946. ulcc.org Before last summer, Dr. Janice Jackson was a teacher, a principal, and finally a network administrator for South Side public schools. Now, as the chief education officer for Chicago Public Schools, Jackson will discuss the incremental successes the district has had amid its vast challenges, and lay out a plan for progress over the next few years. (Hafsa Razi)

What is the Latino Vote?

UofC Quadrangle Club, 1155 E. 57th St. Thursday, October 6, 6pm–7:30pm. Free. Register online. (773) 834-4671. politics.uchicago.edu Mainstream conversation about the “Latino vote” is wide but not deep— America’s changing demographics are widely understood to be important, but pundits rarely allow the complex reality of different religions, races, and national origins to complicate the picture. This panel of politicos, including ex-mayoral candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, will try to answer the titular question. (Adam Thorp)

South Side Pitch Polsky Exchange North, 1452 E. 53rd St., 2nd floor. Thursday, October 6, 6pm–8:30pm. Free. Register online. (773) 834-3129. southsidepitch.com

EVENTS This summer, South Side business owners submitted pitches for their most innovative business ideas. Over 150 business owners applied, but only five finalists remain at this competition, hosted by the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship. Whether you’re a potential investor or a just curious resident, this display of the South Side’s entrepreneurial talent is sure to impress. (Hafsa Razi)

MUSIC BJ the Chicago Kid The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Wednesday, September 21 doors 8pm, show 9pm. $20/$30. 17+. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com Bryan James Sledge cut his teeth writing and performing R&B and gospel, but is best known for his work with rappers like Schoolboy Q, and Kendrick Lamar. His latest album, In My Mind, was touted by The Source as “a true neosoul lover’s wet dream.” (Kylie Zane)

Dreezy Reggies, 2109 S. State St. Tuesday, September 27, doors 8pm. $13–$15. 18+. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com If you haven’t listened to Dreezy’s freestyle over Nicki Minaj’s song “Chiraq,” you’re going to have to look it up. If that doesn’t convince you that Dreezy is the best female rapper in Chicago, I don’t know what will. (Kylie Zane)

Music for Downers Punch House, 1227 W. 18th St. Monday, September 26, 9pm. Free. (312) 5263851. punchhousechicago.com Tracks from Hype Williams, a mysterious duo formerly consisting of UK-born artist Dean Blunt and Russian-born artist Inga Copeland, will be gracing Punch House’s DJ set next Monday. The set is only an hour, so don’t be late. (Kylie Zane)

D-Erania Jazzology Experience, 2423 E. 75th St.

Friday, September 23. 7pm. (773) 7416254. jazzologyexperience.com D-Erania is a songwriter, pianist, and soprano saxophonist. Listen to her latest album, “Language of the Heart,” released this August, then catch her with her backing band for a night of smooth sounds. (Kylie Zane)

Tacocat Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St. Sunday, September 25, doors 6:30pm, show 7pm. $14. 17+. (312) 526-3851. thaliahallchicago.com Lovers of grrl-power rock need to see Seattle-based, four-piece band Tacocat when they stop in Chicago on their cross-country fall tour. This self-described “post post punk pop pop” band is playful in every song, no matter the topic. Be sure to dance it out to “Crimson Wave” (a song about periods) and “Men Explain Things to Me.” (Emily Lipstein)

STAGE & SCREEN Art:21 Screening & Conversation Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave. Tuesday, September 27, 7pm–9:30pm. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org The theme for the eighth season of the PBS series “Art:21–Art in the 21st Century” is cities, which means the premiere is about Chicago, which means one of the featured artists is Theaster Gates, which means he and two other featured artists (Barbara Kasten and Chris Ware) will be screening and discussing the episode at his Arts Bank, which means you should go. ( Julia Aizuss)

Korla Pandit The DuSable Museum, Ames Auditorium, 740 E. 56th Pl. Wednesday, September 28, 6:30pm–9pm. (773) 947-0600. dusablemuseum.org John Roland Redd, an African-American man from Missouri, performed as a musician named Juan Rolando during

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EVENTS the 1940s, but found his real success after he reinvented himself as “Korla Pandit,” the son of a Brahmin priest and a French opera singer. This award-winning documentary about his life will be followed by a Q&A. (Adam Thorp)

A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness Logan Center for the Arts (screening room, 2nd floor), 915 E. 60th St. Friday, September 30, 7pm. Free. (773) 702-8670. renaissancesociety.org Part of the Ren’s fall exhibition of Ben Rivers, this 2013 film directed by Rivers and Ben Russell uses three moments in Estonia, Finland, and Norway to work toward River’s greater project—one in which cinema is “not a representation of the world,” but experience itself, transformed into something new. ( Julia Aizuss)

Black Water: Sunlight and Twilight filmfront, 1740 W. 18th St. September 23, 7:30pm–8:30pm; October 1, 7pm–10pm. Free. filmfront.org ACRE and filmfront teamed up to present this series, but all three nights of this multifaceted work are A.J. McClenon’s own. Days one and two: a listening room and video (Sunlight) and a live sound performance (Twilight), that grapple with the facts and figures of the ocean, the body, and the Middle Passage. ( Julia Aizuss)

(((waver)) project: Open Workshops

Steve Everett: Out of the Frame

High Concept Labs at Mana Contemporary, 2233 S. Throop St. Fridays through September 30, 6pm–8:30pm. $10 suggested donation. highconceptlaboratories.org

High Concept Labs at Mana Contemporary, 2233 S. Throop St. Wednesday, October 5–Sunday, October 9. Wednesday, 5pm–8pm; Thursday, 3pm–6:30pm; Friday–Sunday, 2pm–6pm. Free. highconceptlaboratories.org

Jury’s out on whether you’ll learn the story behind the asymmetric parentheses use, but until the end of the month you can drop by HCL fall sponsored artist Carole McCurdy’s research workshops on partnered dance—and if you enjoy yourself enough, audition for the upcoming production. ( Julia Aizuss)

Varieté, with Alloy Orchestra Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Sunday, October 2, 7pm. $10, free with UofC ID. (773) 702-8596. filmstudiescenter.uchicago.edu A new restoration of the 1925 German silent film Varieté will also receive a new live score courtesy of the Alloy Orchestra, a three-person ensemble which gives silent masterpieces loud accompaniments—instruments used include synthesizers, percussion, and an “outrageous assemblage of peculiar objects.” ( Julia Aizuss)

One of the books that merited Natasha Trethewey’s 2012 Poet Laureate position, Bellocq’s Ophelia reimagined the life of a prostitute photographed by E.J. Bellocq. As part of this year’s Ear Taxi Festival, UIC professor Steve Everett reimagines Trethewey’s poems as an interactive audio/video installation: another approach to inviting the audience into 1912 New Orleans. ( Julia Aizuss)

Man in the Ring Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Through October 16, 8pm. $38; discounts available for students, seniors, and groups. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org The true story of legendary boxer Emile Griffith, brought to life through the writing of Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright Michael Cristofer and the direction of Charles Newell, is a story about fighting, both for boxing titles and the ability to define oneself. (CJ Fraley)

The Colored Museum eta creative arts, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Friday, September 23–Sunday, October 23, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm. $35; $25 seniors; $15 students. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org In eleven “exhibits,” George C. Wolfe’s satirical play, staged by Pulse Theatre Company, examines stereotypes and identity in the black experience from a “celebrity slave-ship” to an imagined dinner party where “Aunt Jemima and Angela Davis was in the kitchen sharing a plate of greens and just goin’ off about South Africa.” (Adam Thorp)

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¬ SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

VISUAL ARTS Jakob Kolding: Making a Scene Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society, 5701 S. Woodlawn Ave. Opening Wednesday, September 21, 5pm–8pm. On view through October 26. Free. (773) 795-2329. neubauercollegium.uchicago.edu Jakob Kolding’s work has long revolved around the relationship between architecture and those who inhabit it. Making a Scene takes Kolding’s scenographic practice quite concretely, centering around a set of sculptural figures mounted on wooden armatures. (Corinne Butta)

Larry Achiampong: OPEN SEASON Logan Center Gallery, 915 E. 60th St. Opening reception Wednesday, September 21, 6pm–8pm. On view Friday, September 16, 6pm, through October 30, 8pm. Tuesday–Saturday, 9am–9pm; Sunday, 11am–9pm. Free. (773) 702-2787. arts.uchicago.edu/logan-center British-Ghanaian artist Larry Achiampong explores the notion of citizenry and cultural identity through the often murky lens of the digital realm. Mining his personal archives, as well as those of search engines and social media, Achiampong examines the complexities of identity within the diaspora. (Corinne Butta)

Jenine Marsh: In a world of weeds, all roses are wild Beautiful Gallery, 1801 S. Peoria St. Opens Saturday, September 24, 7pm. Runs through October 24. By appointment only. Free. beautifulgallery.us Through the lens of plant life, the artist Jenine Marsh examines the way that we ascribe markers of taste: “Sweet or bitter. Good or bad. The rose or the weed.” She asks her viewers to reconsider these notions, to blur the boundaries and positions of the rose and the weed. (Corinne Butta)