The Chicago Traveler

Chicago may be known for its warm and friendly Midwestern ways, but the city has plenty of spooky tales and creepy locations. Here are just a few that have been featured right here on The Chicago Traveler.
• The site of the Eastland Disaster is marked by a historical plaque, but some visitors to the historic location have reported hearing screams and cries for help coming from the Chicago River. In addition, the old armory building where most of the dead bodies were stored is still in use today. Many of its inhabitants have reported unexplained voices, sounds of crying, and …read more

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I am often amazed at how advanced our technology is. I remember when I bought my first portable cassette player. Now, I have a 3.5-inch (88.9-mm) device that holds thousands of songs. Fold-out maps and compasses have been replaced by GPS. And I can easily carry dozens of books with me wherever I go all in one gadget.
And the marvels don’t end there. We are constantly learning and adapting, and our gadgets are getting more and more advanced. If you want a glimpse into the future today, the Museum of Science and Industry has a new exhibit, Fast Forward.
The exhibit …read more

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• The African Festival of the Arts is Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival, featuring three music stages, ethnic cuisine, and more than 300 vendors selling everything from fine art to skin care products. Presentations include book discussions and dance workshops. (Aug 29 – Sept 1)
• The 30th annual Chicago Jazz Festival is the city’s longest-running lakefront music festival and features local, national, and international performers on several stages. (Aug 28-31)
• Get your fill of pierogi, Polish sausage, and sauerkraut at the Taste of Polonia, where you can listen to live bands play everything from rock to polka. (Aug 29 – Sept …read more

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• The annual three-day festival, Lollapalooza, takes place this weekend with performances by Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, and many, many more. (Aug 1-3)
• Play a game of Australian football at 6 p.m. in Waveland Park thanks to Chicago United’s Friday Night Metro. Everyone is welcome to participate, and coaches are on hand to explain the rules. (Aug 1, 15, Sept 20)
• Ready? OK! Matthew Hollis and the Power of Cheer pick up their pom-poms and put on their best cheers in Let’s Go Love! (Aug 1-3)
• Get your shop on at the Andersonville Summer …read more

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Today, the big names of hip-hop include Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Usher, Rihanna, and Kanye West, but the entire genre owes its very existence to early DJs like Grandmaster Flash. The record-scratching beat we are all too familiar with today started in the Bronx in the ‘70s thanks to Flash’s love of vinyl and experimental engineering.
The legendary mixer will be signing copies of his new book, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats, tonight in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) lord bute
International House @ University of Chicago: 1414 E 59th St; 773-752-2270
June 25: 6:00 p.m.
Public trans: Bus …read more

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Jerry Kleiner, owner of Carnivale, has opened yet another restaurant with larger-than-life décor. Massive lighting fixtures, vibrant colors, and polka-dot chairs accentuate Hyde Park’s latest bistro, Park 52. Fortunately, the flavors are just as big as the color spectrum here.
The menu is full of classic American dishes: glazed salmon, herb-roasted half-chicken, 16-oz bone-in ribeye, 14-oz New York strip, barbecue-braised beef short rib, etc. The food is a little on the pricey side, but well worth it. For example, the half-pound burgers are $12 but that includes fries and anything you pile on top of it. Additionally, many of the ingredients …read more

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• Meet other cyclists at the Daley Plaza for the Bike to Work Rally, which includes live music, free t-shirts, and raffle prizes. (June 13)
• Celebrate Puerto Rican culture at the Fiesta Puertorriquenas in Humboldt Park, featuring crafts, food, live music, and dancing. The festival’s high point is the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Saturday along Columbus Drive, from Balbo Drive to Monroe Street. (June 12-15)
• Festa Pasta Vino is an annual celebration of Italian food, family, and culture, featuring authentic cuisine from local restaurants, cooking demonstrations, parades, and live music. (June 12-15)
• Meet paranormal radio show host Edward Shanahan, …read more

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I’ll be heading out of town this weekend, but for those of you staying here in Chicago, you’ve got lots to look forward to.
• The 11th Annual Chicago Improv Festival takes place at various locations and includes performances by Paul Scheer, Jack McBrayer, and John Lutz. (ends June
• The largest free outdoor blues event in the world, the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival, features local, national, and international entertainment on six stages in Grant Park with more than 90 performances. (ends June
• More than 170 current and classic films will be shown this summer in neighborhood parks throughout …read more

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Recently, the CTA has been asking the opinions of “Mystery Commuters” to tell them all that is good and bad about Chicago’s buses and trains. The Chicago Sun-Times decided to take matters into their own hands and ride all 242 miles (389 km) of subway and eL tracks. They made a list of 10 “bests” and “worsts.”
The “Scariest Platform” goes to the State/Lake station right in the heart of downtown. The intersection of State and Lake is the hub of the Chicago transportation as dozens of buses travel through it or within a couple blocks. The Red Line runs underground, …read more

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• The Annoyance pays homage to Harrison Ford via Bear Force One. After a series of assassinations, the Secretary of Agriculture becomes the first gay “bear” President of the United States. Now, the terrorists are after him, his partner “cub,” and his new staff! (Fridays, ends Apr 11)
• The 2008 Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in the nation and showcases domestic and imported cars, trucks, and SUVs. Of course, there are also plenty of interesting experimental and concept vehicles to see, too. (Feb 8-17)
• If you’re going to spend a lot of money on a date, maybe …read more

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