Robert Darrow, @properties

Posts Tagged ‘Diversions’

Ben Fest

Two days of family fun including great bands, food from local vendors, activities for the kids and a chance to win some great prizes. Great performances on the main stage by acts such as How Far to Austin, Send in the Clones, Eric Howell’s Greatest Hitch, Infintity, Open to Suggestion, the Jesse White Tumblers and Dance Connection. Catch teen and kid favorites such as the School of Rock and Mary Macoroni.

BenFest is at Saint Ben’s Church – 2155 W. Irving Park Rd.  www.benfest.com

Old Saint Pat’s Block Party

Old St. Pat’s Church, Chicago’s oldest public building and a treasured historic landmark, is the host of the 26th annual World’s Largest Block Party. This event is a party for a good cause. Proceeds support the mission and outreach activities of Old St. Pat’s including the Education Center, the Outreach Group, Horizons For Youth, Career Transitions Center of Chicago and Global Alliance for Africa.

www.worldslargestblockparty.com/ 

Logan Square Boulevard Bash

Bands, food and drink vendors and artists set up camp in Logan Square for this inaugural neighborhood fest.

Logan Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue

July 9 : 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
July 10 : 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
July 11 : 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

/www.boulevardbash.com/ 

Chicago Folk and Roots Festival

Fun event sponsored by the Old Town School of Folk Music in Lincoln Square.  The Main Stage in Welles Park is the sonic centerpiece of Folk & Roots with a boundless supply of rhythms, grooves, and melodies to last you all weekend long. From the trance inducing desert pulse of Etran Finatawa to the slinky, psychedelic soul of The Budos Band, the Main Stage is where it’s at!

www.chicagofolkandroots.org

Rock Around the Block

Rock Around the Block eatures about thirty of the windy city’s best bands continuously performing on three unique stages and four full blocks of interactive fun! Located at one of the most highly visible intersections in Chicago on Lincoln Avenue at Belmont.

July 10 : 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
July 11 : 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

http://starevents.com/chicago-events2/rock-around-the-block/ 

Roscoe Village Burger Fest

The savory patty will take center stage THIS WEEKEND at the inaugural Roscoe Village Burger Fest on Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11, on Belmont at Damen in the Roscoe Village neighborhood.  Sumptuous burgers, live music, arts & crafts and activities for kids will highlight the weekend. In addition, visitors will be able to vote for Chicago’s best burger. 

Burger Fest hours are Noon-10:00 p.m. both days.

http://www.chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=179

Festival season spools into full frantic mode this weekend with something happening in every neighborhood in Chicago.  The Red Line is your friend.  Driving:  Not So Much.

Right Now: Blackhawks Championship Parade

Starting at 10:30 am on Friday, throngs of Blackhawks fans join the Stanley Cup Champions along the parade route ending in a rally at the corner of Michigan Ave. & Wacker Drive. 

The photo was taken just after sunrise around 6am, with thousands of fans crowding the location where the Blackhawks are expected to take the stage along with the Stanley Cup.

The route:  From Washington at Wacker – east to Michigan Avenue.  Then north on Michigan Ave. north to Wacker again.  All roads are closed already.  Fun, no?  The festivities are scheduled to end at Noon.  Don’t expect traffic to let up anytime before sunset in the Loop.

Sidenote: World Cup at Daley Plaza

At Daley Plaza on Washington, a celebration heralding the opening of the World Cup Soccer Championship was planned long ago.  Scheduled for the afternoon hours, this promises to add to the mêlée in the Loop today.

Cross Town Classic

Hosted at Wrigley Field this weekend (and on the South Side next weekend) the Cubs host the White Sox in the Cross Town Classic.

Friday: 1:20 game time

Saturday: 3:10 game time

Sunday: 7:00 pm game time

South Side: 26th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest

Sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, this year’s Lit Fest affirms the Trib’s commitment to the written word in all its forms.  The fest is in full swing on Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm along Dearborn between Congress and Polk. 

Authors perform readings for adults and children.  Cooking demonstrations on stage.  Poetry workshops in the Hotel Blake.  Plus the rows of book sellers selling new and used books of every genre.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/printers-row/printers-row-lit-fest.html 

Downtown: Chicago Blues Festival

The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world and remains the largest of Chicago’s Music Festivals. During three days on five stages, more than 640,000 blues fans prove that Chicago is the "Blues Capital of the World." Past performers include Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, B.B. King, the late Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy and the late Koko Taylor.  

Blues Fest kicks off in Grant Park on Friday at 11:30 am.

Saturday from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm

Sunday from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm

www.chicagobluesfestival.org/

Near North: Old Town Art Fair & Wells Street Art Festival

Wells Street Art Festival take place in Old Town along Wells Street between Division and North Avenues.  And the Old Town Art Fair offers exhibits and activities on some of Old Town’s side streets just off Wells Street running west, and north of North Ave and along N. Lincoln.

The Wells Street Art Festival is recognized as one of Chicago’s most prestigious art fairs, attracting exhibitors and prospective buyers from all over the nation. The show features a wide variety of fine art – everything from glass and ceramics, to pencil drawings and oil paintings – plus a silent auction and children’s area. Musicians performing along Wells Street will make you forget you’re at an outdoor festival!

The Old Town Art Fair – pretty much the same.  Your Guide does not know why these events are not simply combined into one large event as for all practical purposes, event goers treat both as the same.

Friday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Far North: Andersonville Midsommarfest

Midsommarfest is Andersonville’s annual summer street festival, now entering its 45th year. Each year, nearly 50,000 people throng Clark Street from Foster to Catalpa for two days of music, dancing, kids’ entertainment, and delicious food. Vendors from around the region sell their wares to passers-by, while ethnic dance troupes and cutting-edge bands keep the party going.

Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.

There are 18 17 good weekends in a Chicago Summer.  So let’s get out and enjoy some of Chicago’s best fests and events this weekend.

Hawks Game

Of course the big event on Friday night is the Chicago Blackhawks game.  It’s away, darn it.   Find your favorite bar, and enjoy the madness.  Local time for game time: 7pm.  I wouldn’t ordinarily mention a game as this isn’t a “Fest” in the strict sense of the word.  But the city should be hopping tonight.  Plan accordingly!

Chicago Gospel Music Festival

The big event this weekend in Millennium Park.  For over 25 years, an inspiration for when the spirit moves you!  Friday and Saturday, Noon to 5pm.  Free!

www.chicagogospelmusicfestival.us

Beer Hoptacular

Sample more than 100 varieties of beer in Uptown at the Aragon Ballroom (1106 W. Lawrence.) Learn how to craft home brews.  Those in attendance can interact with the brewers themselves and cast their vote to select the “Beer Hoptacular Beer of the Year.” Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

www.beerhoptacular.com

Do Division Street Fest

What makes the Do-Division Street Fest and Sidewalk Sale unique is that all elements of this festival are local: the food, the vendors, the music, even the featured beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon, is selected based on it’s popularity in the ‘hood. Given the status of West Division Street as the hottest, hippest most cutting edge neighborhood in Chicago, the events’ 50,000 attendees wouldn’t want this festival any other way but local.

www.do-divisionstreetfest.com/

It’s been a long winter for Chicagoans, and finally the season of weekend festivals is upon us.  There are only 18 weekends in Chicago Official Summer – the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  And Chicagoans want to make the most of every single one of them. 

Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade

The annual Chicago Memorial Day Parade honors veterans, active duty military personnel, and those who have given their lives in service of their country. It draws about 10,000 spectators every year and is considered one of the largest parades of its kind in the country.

http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/events/mose/memorial_day_parade.html

Lakeview’s Woogms Parade

Following the huge turnout and success of its last parade, the Wellington-Oakdale Old Glory Marching Society (WOOGMS) continues the celebration with its 40th annual Labor Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1. Chicago’s oldest do-it-yourself parade group steps off from the corner of Pine Grove Ave. and Wellington St. at 11 a.m. All are invited to join this favorite neighborhood event that attracts patriotic participants of all ages. Enthusiastic marchers will uphold the WOOGMS motto: Everybody marches, nobody (just) watches.

http://www.insideonline.com/site/epage/12214_162.htm 

IML and Bear Pride Weekend

You might think that this event caters to a rather – ahem – specific clientele.  But this year’s IML (International Mr. Leather) event will draw a few thousand visitors from 80 countries worldwide.  The event actually fills the entire Hyatt Regency downtown!  A full weekend of events includes a leather market, circuit parties and bar crawls on the north-side.

In conjunction with IMRL, this weekend also hosts Bear Pride 16 at the Crown Plaza-Metro hotel at 733 W. Madison, with a full weekend of events starting Friday evening.

From Time Out Chicago:

The only thing sweeter than honey is this 16th annual tribute to the furry and fabulous. BP16 offers a full weekend of grub-’n'-growls, BEAR-B-Ques, dance parties and more. Many events are by registration only, so bust on down to the Crowne Plaza to get in on the action

See www.bearpride.org for a full schedule.

Chicago’s Memorials

Let’s not forget to pay our respects this weekend.  Some of Chicago’s best Memorials are also its best kept secrets.  Check these out and take a picnic.  You’ll be glad you did.

Graceland Cemetery in Lakeview

Stop by and pay your respects to some of the founding fathers of the City of Chicago, great patrons of the arts, and other notable Chicagoans.

Many of the cemetery’s tombs are of great architectural or artistic interest, including the Getty Tomb, the Martin Ryerson mausoleum (both designed by architect Louis Sullivan, who is also buried here), and the Schoenhofen Pyramid Mausoleum. The industrialist George Pullman was buried at night, in a lead-lined coffin within an elaborately reinforced steel-and-concrete vault, to prevent his body from being exhumed and desecrated by labor activists.

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Plaza

This memorial to fallen heroes from the Viet Nam War can be found along the north bank of the Chicago River between State Street and Wabash.

The memorial features the names of more than 2,900 Illinois servicemen killed or missing in action in the Vietnam War; an engraved timeline of significant battles, operations and world events during the Vietnam War years; a waterwall and fountain; and informational plaques.

Stock Yards Firefighter Memorial

Located on the South Side at the entrance to the old Stock Yards at Exchange & Peoria is where you’ll find the Stock Yards Firefighter Memorial.

On December 22, 1910 a fire occurred at the Chicago Stock Yards which killed 21 Chicago Firefighters. A memorial was held on Monday, December 22, 2008 to commemorate these fallen Firefighters. Chicago Fire Department personnel, Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner José Santiago, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 President Thomas Ryan and Alderman James Balcer saluted the members of the Chicago Fire Department, and laid a wreath at the site in memory of all who have died in the line of duty.

Here are some of the freebies and discounts on offer for tax season 2010.

– FREE COFFEE AND TREATS

CINNABON: Get two free bite-sized cupcakes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at participating mall locations as part of "Tax Day Bites!" Flavors include Chocolate Passion, 24-Carrot Cake, Vanilla Bliss and Cinnacake Classic.

MAGGIEMOO’S: Get one free slice of ice cream pizza — ice cream with red frosting to look like sauce and white chocolate to look like cheese — at participating locations from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

STARBUCKS: Get free brewed coffee all day Thursday if you bring your own mug, a promotion the cafe chain says is friendly to the environment as well as taxpayers.

– DISCOUNTED MEALS

BOSTON MARKET: For a "last-minute tax break" — one free meal for each one you buy Thursday through Sunday — show this coupon: http://bit.ly/d1YlRO

IHOP: Expanding on the tax deduction parents get for kids, the restaurant chain is offering free dinner for one child age 12 or younger with each adult meal purchased 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. all month long.

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S: The seafood restaurant is offering $10.40 dinner and drink specials in the bar on Thursday — a nod to the 1040 tax form. Bar guests who come in April 15 also receive a $10.40 gift certificate for a later visit. And professional tax preparers, who may have to work right until the midnight deadline Thursday, get their freebie Friday: dessert on the house plus a $10.40 certificate if they show a business card.

P.F. CHANG’S: Get 15 percent off food purchases for dine-in or take-out, excluding alcohol and happy hour food and beverages.

– STRESS RELIEF

HYDROMASSAGE: Get a free massage Thursday through Sunday at participating locations. The mall-based massage chain suggests calling ahead to book an appointment. Find a location at http://www.hydromassage.com/taxday.

Your Guide spent the winter pretty well holed up at home, and there haven’t been many postings on fun things to do in Chicago over the winter.  Now that I’ve had my fill of Vampire Diaries and Twilight DVD’s, it’s time to get back outside.  Hey – what’s that big orange glowing thing in the sky?

This weekend’s recommended event is both recreational and real estate related.  Check out the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit. 

The Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit, a fully-functioning, eco-friendly home on the Museum’s grounds, has been transformed for 2010 by Midwest Living. The home is redesigned to reflect the lifestyle of a couple looking to minimize home maintenance, maximize efficiency and settle in to a space that not only is beautiful, but functional.

Tickets

This exhibit is not included in general admission and requires an additional timed-entry ticket. Tickets are $10 for adults and seniors, $5 for children 3-11.

Tour Times Daily Until 1:40 p.m. (later on certain dates)

• On dates with regular Museum hours, the final tour is at 1:40 p.m. daily.
• On most dates with extended Museum hours, the final tour time is 2:40 p.m. daily.
• On select extended-hours dates, the final tour will be at 4:30 p.m.

There has been plenty of talk about “The Chicago Way” in politics lately.  With Chicago’s own Barack Obama in the White House, conservatives complain loudly about the way the administration seems to be getting things done. 

But this Blog isn’t about politics.  It’s about Chicago Real Estate.  There are plenty of unique – some would say “charming” – evolutions to real estate and the way we use our homes here in Chicago. 

Today we examine “The Party Door.”

In civilized Chicago, we have alleys in back of our houses.  This serves as a place to hide our garages and cars, our trash cans, and our telephone poles and utility wires.  In other big cities, not having the benefit of having been burned to the ground in the lat 1800’s, there are no alleys.  And residents have to park willy-nilly and pile their garbage up in front of their homes on trash day. 

Barbaric!

As garages evolved, an interesting feature evolved from the necessity of having space to entertain a large crowd without having rowdies inside your house in case of inclement weather.  In Chicago, on any given sunny afternoon, there’s a 30% chance that a thunderstorm will pop up out of nowhere.  After an afternoon kegger, happy homeowners don’t want a crowd inside the house during a brief afternoon downpour. Hence, “The Party Door.”

Cleverly opening into the back yard, the Party Door affords doubling the space available for your gathering.  And a spot to shelter the bar, the food, or the guests in the event of inclement weather.  Note the furniture choices in the photo above.  Everything needed to party in the garage is already there.  A few folding chairs.  A cooler or two.  Sometimes a tailgate.  And with an appropriately outfitted vehicle, the portable sound system is already taken care of.

Check back regularly as we explore other examples of The Chicago Way as it relates to the wonderful world of Real Estate.

Join the members of the Illinois Railway Museum as they tour the Chicago Transit Authority’s "L" lines on Sunday, March 28th, 2010. The four car train will consist of Chicago’s oldest cars in revenue service, the 2200-series cars built by Budd in and scheduled for replacement by the 5000-series cars now being built. Beginning at Rosemont station (River Road) on the Blue Line, the trip will travel on almost every line, plus lots of non-revenue and yard trackage.

This snowflake special excursion, using CTA’s 2200 series cars, is a fundraiser to secure indoor storage space for IRM’s 2000 series cars, sister cars to those shown here in their original green and white paint scheme on the Lake Street line.

Departure: 9:00am from Rosemont (Blue Line) station, at 5801 N. River Road in Rosemont. Parking is available in the Rosemont "Park & Ride" lot for $5. Riders may also board at Rosemont southbound at approximately 9:20am, Jefferson Park station (4917 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at approximately 9:35am, or Clark/Lake station (124 W. Lake Street) at approximately 10:05am; to board train at these alternate Blue Line stations, hold up ticket in plain view of motorman and excursion crew.

Fare: $42.00 per person. Orders received after March 20 will be held for pickup at Rosemont. No refunds after March 20, 2010.

Lunch: Lunch stops will be provided in the Loop.

Note: Because we are covering so many lines, the trip will conclude at Rosemont about 6:00 pm. We will make earlier stops upon request. The train is NOT wheelchair accessible.

Buy tickets online at

 http://www3.irm.org/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=15

The City of Chicago is offering their Christmas Tree recycling program again for residents.  Drop off your  dearly departed Christmas Tree from January 1 to January 17 and the Park District will turn the old trees into mulch and residents can pick up some free mulch starting January 8.

Locations:

www.chicagorecycles.org

Your Guide enjoyed a fun-filled evening on Thursday night at the @properties Holiday Extravaganza at the Winter Fest at Navy Pier.  Some highlight photos below.  Unlike other cruel @agents, Your Guide does NOT have compromising photographs of co-workers falling down the inflatable slide.  In skirts.  Or kilts.

Miss Kim and above referenced Kilt-wearing Hawk Durham.

Mister Steve and Kim holding court.

Photographic proof that Your Guide can and will do somewhat athletic endeavors. Occasionally.