Did you hear? On December 14, 2011, a woman was found dead in Pilsen, by 19th and Ashland. The cause of death, according to the autopsy, was partially due to cold exposure. She was an elderly woman from the far southside. Now, I know pretty much every person reading this is not elderly. I also…
Christine Harrell
Off 18th
A few weeks ago, I saw a poster in a southwest suburban Subway for a falafel sandwich. That burb has a huge Middle Eastern population. So, I thought the falafel sandwich was just a local thing. Well apparently, Subway has been test-running their falafel sandwich in Chicago all year. I just saw a poster for…
A couple weeks ago, I posted about how I had no plans for NYE and no idea what to do. Well, I have plans now, but thought I’d share a Pre-New Year’s Eve party that’s happening a bit west of Pilsen. Alderman Ervin of the 28th Ward, which intersects Garfield Park, North Lawndale, Pilsen and…
I recently started working in Canaryville, which is about a zip code away from Pilsen. A client, who is a resident of Bridgeport/Canaryville, told me about Maggies Closet 09, the business of a local crocheter. Is “crocheter” even a word? Anyway, Maggie’s Closet 09′s claim to fame is their crochet items for kids and babies. …
So last night (Tuesday night), I was driving down Roosevelt and Taylor at about 10:30 p.m. I was trying to find an open grocery store but decided I should probably just go straight home. Cop cars were hanging out pretty much every three blocks as I drove from Western to Halsted. Some police cars…
Most of my friends live up north, and to some of them, anything south of Downtown is “Far South,” including Pilsen. Also, to some Northsiders, the “Southside” is a homogenous mass. Just U.S. Cellular Field and ghettos. But like the Northside, every Southside neighborhood has a different vibe, a different story, and reflects a different…
Well, Flamenco attracts the coolest students! If you’ve shopped at City Soles lately, you might have noticed some jewelry that resembles twigs, fossils and other artifacts from a faraway excavation site. Turns out the one who created that jewelry is Laura Prieto-Velasco, one of my Flamenco sisters and a Pilsen-based artist. The jewelry is all…
In previous posts, I sang the praises of Ristorante Al Teatro’s pizza and drink selection for vegans. I also liked that it was a classy alternative to greasy pizza joints and dime-a-dozen Mexican restaurants. Well, “classy” compared to some of the other places in Pilsen. I guess the decor is a little much. Now I…
I’m actually asking that. I don’t know where to ring in the new year in Pilsen. I know Bottom Lounge is having a bash, but I’m not aware of anything else around here. I’ve gone to Simone’s before on New Year’s Eve. In the past, they charged no cover and everyone got a free shot…
While driving down 18th street this Saturday, I found a group of a few dozen or so people marching eastbound with placards and megaphones. At first, I thought they were members of Occupy and marching for that movement, but upon closer look realized that they were marching for something a little closer to home. They…
