SSW 09.22.22 - BoSS 2022

BEST OF THE SOUTH SIDE

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elcome to the tenth anniversary edition of Best of the South Side! For ten years running we’ve been bringing readers the most personal, idiosyncratic “Best of ” issue in town. Each year, Best of the South Side grows more collaborative and features more voices from around the city. In the process, we get to learn so much about Chicago we wouldn’t normally have the chance to—like the radical history of a Woodlawn church, or the namesake of a new athletic center in Pullman.

In this year’s issue, you’ll meet elders from all over the city who have given back to their communities again and again; you’ll be tantalized by beloved restaurants and bakeries going strong despite rising rents and pandemics; and you’ll discover parks and nature preserves to soothe your soul. Expect to run into items you’re unlikely to find anywhere else, like the case for a novel traffic solution in Chinatown, the history of the taco, and an ode to childhood hot chips. And we hope you’ll get some use out of the issue, too. Inside you’ll find restaurant suggestions for the next time you’re short on dinner plans and tips for where to get your car washed, buy groceries for African cooking, and thrift your next look.

Best of the South Side is a labor of love in many ways: it’s a collaborative, summerlong, sometimes messy attempt to invite neighborhood residents, community leaders, artists, and emerging writers from across the South Side to tell us about the places, people, and stories that make their communities special.

But we’re pleased to report that this year we backed that love up with some money. Thanks to a grant from the Chicago Community Trust, we are able for the first time to pay our neighborhood captains, writers, photographers, and fact checkers.

So jump in and travel the city, from North Lawndale to Hegewisch, and the South Loop to Beverly.

And look for some supplemental content on our web site that wouldn’t fit in this overstuffed print issue.

From all of us at the Weekly, here’s the Best of the South Side.

ashburn & auburn gresham 4

gage park 52

avalon park & calumet heights & burnside 8

hegewisch 54

back of the yards 11 beverly & morgan park & mount greenwood 14 bridgeport & canaryville 17 brighton park & mckinley park 20 bronzeville & washington park 24 chatham & greater grand crossing 27 chicago lawn & west lawn 33 chinatown 36 clearing & garfield ridge 40 east side & south chicago 44 englewood & west englewood 47

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY The South Side Weekly is an independent non-profit newspaper by and for the South Side of Chicago. We provide high-quality, critical arts and public interest coverage, and equip and develop journalists, artists, photographers, and mediamakers of all backgrounds.

Editor-in-Chief

Volume 10, Issue 1 Jacqueline Serrato

Managing Editor

Adam Przybyl

Senior Editors

Christopher Good Olivia Stovicek Sam Stecklow Martha Bayne

Arts Editor Education Editor Housing Editor Community Organizing Editor Immigration Editor

Isabel Nieves Madeleine Parrish Malik Jackson

Contributing Editors

Lucia Geng Matt Moore Francisco Ramírez Pinedo Jocelyn Vega Scott Pemberton

Staff Writers

Kiran Misra Yiwen Lu

Director of Fact Checking: Sky Patterson Fact Checkers: Ella Beiser, Savannah Hugueley, Phan Le, Kate Linderman, Yiwen Lu, Bry Moore, Grace Vaughn, Grace Del Vecchio and Kate Gallagher Visuals Editor Bridget Killian Deputy Visuals Editors Shane Tolentino Mell Montezuma Staff Illustrators

Mell Montezuma Shane Tolentino

Layout Editors

Colleen Hogan Haley Tweedell Jason Schumer Shane Tolentino Tony Zralka

hyde park & kenwood 56 la villita 59 little italy & tri-taylor & university village 61 north lawndale 65 pilsen 67 pullman & roseland 70 south deering & jefferey manor 72

Chima Ikoro Alma Campos

Webmaster Pat Sier Managing Director Jason Schumer Director of Operations Brigid Maniates The Weekly is produced by a mostly all-volunteer editorial staff and seeks contributions from across the city. We publish online weekly and in print every other Thursday.

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 Susan Malone: 773358-3129, malone@southsideweekly.com

south loop 74 south shore 76 west pullman & riverdale 79 woodlawn 83

Cover Illustration by Christina Cano

Compiled by Cassandra Powell, Neighborhood Captain

ASHBURN & AUBURN GRESHAM ST. SABINA CHURCH, PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

Cassandra Powell is the executive director of Light of Loving Kindness, a nonprofit located on the South Side of Chicago that provides youth development programs that focus on mental wellness, social-emotional learning, and mindfulness-based tools. She is a yoga teacher, reiki master, artist, and sound healing practitioner.

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wo homey communities on the far southwest side, Ashburn and Auburn Gresham are bordered by Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn to the south and west, and Englewood and West Lawn on the north and east. Full of classic Chicago bungalows, Ashburn can often feel like the suburbs within the city. With numerous nature spaces, close access to two public libraries, and myriad options for personal fulfillment like the Masjid Al Muhajireen or WAO Toastmasters, Ashburn is a small neighborhood in size, but is a thriving racially diverse community at heart.

However, it hasn’t always been so. Ashburn is still in the process of healing the wounds of its past when city residents and officials chose segregation, preventing Blacks and Latinos from living within the boundaries of the neighborhood. A diverse range of old and new business speak to the evolving character of the neighborhood: Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria has been a staple of the community for more than seventy-five years, and Bluebird Lanes originally opened in the late 1950s, while the much younger Las Islas Marias serves up delicious seafood dishes from the Mexican state of Nayarit.

The Greater Ashburn Planning Association has worked to ensure that all residents of this community are seen, heard, and respected. The Black Fire Brigade, likewise, provides workshops and education for African American residents seeking to become medical technicians and EMTs. My own organization, Light of Loving Kindness, provides youth development programs focusing on mental wellness and mindfulness tools for high school students. These are only three of the many organizations working 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

towards healing and unity within this community.

Adjacent to Ashburn, Auburn Gresham was originally settled in the late 1800s

by German and Dutch immigrants, and later became a neighborhood of Irish railway workers. Today, Gresham is a thriving, predominantly Black community rich with history, culture, and deep aspirations for a bright future. With a current population of around 45,000, Gresham is a community with families, youth, and elders, all seeking to live a high quality, enriched life.

A 2016 quality of life plan initiated by the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation defined Gresham’s future growth with clear directives to meet twenty-four outcomes, among them strengthening relationships with business owners and cultivating entrepreneurs from the community; improving neighborhood schools and providing students with access to committed, culturally responsive urban educators; focusing on becoming spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically healthy through increased access to nutritious foods, healthcare and rehabilitative services; increasing participation in community crime prevention programs such as C.A.P.S., and providing options for seniors to participate in fitness and movement-based programs to name a few long-term goals.

Hanging out in the neighborhood today you can clearly notice spaces being continuously activated to meet these community goals. A Healthy Lifestyle Hub on 79th Street, the result of a partnership between GAGDC and the nonprofits Green Era Partners and Urban Growers Collective, was the citywide winner of the $10 million Chicago Prize from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation in 2020. Just last month Invest/SouthWest artist-in-residence Dorian Sylvain put the finishing touches on a new “Colors of Community” mural on the corner of 79th and Racine. Truly, things are growing and changing on the Southwest Side. (Cassandra Powell)

BEST COMMUNITY TUTORING AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

New Foundation of Hope

When Ronald Mason, executive director and founder of New Foundation of Hope, looks back on nearly twenty years of creating a haven for youth in the community, he sees tremendous success. He can pinpoint at least two dozen clear success stories where graduates of his program went on to college and secured great jobs, some with full scholarships and support along the way. Two are now lawyers, he said, “kids who had no opportunities and found a way there.”

New Foundation of Hope was founded in October 2002 when Mason rented a generous space for kids to safely trick-or-treat on Halloween. This idea continued for seven years until the organization evolved to a full-scale program that includes an after-school tutoring service, a community engagement program, and a summer school camp.

This year’s cohort includes fifty-five low-income youth aged six to sixteen. The program is provided for free, subsidized through the State of Illinois. Monday through Friday, the kids have arts and crafts, take classes like computer literacy and math, and take field trips once a week to places like Medieval Times, Chicago-area science museums, a beach in Indiana, and several zoos.

“The idea is just to get them out of their usual surroundings and broaden their horizon,” Mason says.

New Foundation of Hope has also hosted a large-scale food drive for the last ten years.

“People come up to me and say, ‘I had no idea where I was going to get my next meal,’” said Mason. “So, for me, it’s about the kids and their families. They are just as involved in the process.”

While they remain standing after a difficult stretch from the pandemic, Mason is looking forward to some stability. “It’s been a challenging year,” he said. “You do your best to sustain yourself, but it’s always an uphill climb. Poor communities see direct hits year after year. We see the devastation in the community.”

He describes New Foundation of Hope as a small, but mighty nonprofit that should stand side by side with better-known nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago.

His hands-on approach comes from a deep history in nonprofit fundraising and development work. In fact, when Mason first had the idea to form New Foundation of Hope, he sent letters to each of his former employers asking for their support, detailing his vision. He said they gave him a resounding “go for it,” elated someone was venturing to do what so few nonprofits have attempted—really helping a community from the inside out. Mason was raised in Auburn Gresham, so it was a given that he would make it New Foundation of Hope’s permanent home.

On October 21, 2022, New Foundation of Hope will celebrate twenty years with another safe Halloween gathering. The nonprofit will also host a turkey and ham giveaway in November and December. Mason hopes that this precedes a seismic shift for the organization. He anticipates owning, not renting, a bigger space by the spring of 2023 and is working towards expanding New Foundation of Hope to other locations, one option being his hometown of Reserve, Louisiana. In the meantime, the nonprofit will continue to welcome back their graduates to speak and influence the next generation of hopefuls.

“It never gets old to see a kid come into their own, stay out of trouble, and come back and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Mason.’” (Nicole NeSmith) New Foundation of Hope, 8144 S. Kedzie Ave. Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm. new foundationofhope.org. They’re always looking for experienced after-school tutors; reach out at newfoundationofhope@yahoo.com to volunteer.

PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

BEST FOOD TRUCK GRUB

No Sauce AZ Smokehouse

The menu at No Sauce AZ Smokehouse is based on favorites from the Auburn Gresham neighborhood: pork tips, turkey tips, ribs, chicken wings, and pulled pork.

Unless you ask for sauce, you don’t need it.

In 2013, No Sauce founder Albert Johnson made some chicken with no sauce— his signature—for a nightclub gig, and a patron argued with him about the preparation.

“He said, ‘Where’s the sauce? Where’s the sauce?’ Like he was offended. And I said, ‘you don’t need no sauce.’ Well, he got a drink, grabbed some chicken, ate it quickly, and he said it was the best chicken he ever had. He said, ‘your name is no sauce now.’”

The name stuck. No Sauce officially launched in Arizona in 2018 as a pickup truck and a tent. Johnson frequented farmer’s markets, setting up his small outdoor kitchen.

“This was my first time actually going out and selling food,” Johnson said. “I thought ‘farmer’s markets have vegetables—they aren’t going to be interested in my food. This is not going to work.’ Well, we sold out that first day. That really put a fire under my foot.”

Though he had been barbecuing since he was a kid, messing around with his Weber Grills, Johnson never imagined this would be his job. “When I first started cooking, it was because of the love of barbecue, and the passion of talking to people working their smokers, and to see people eat and smile,” he said.

From then on, No Sauce was being booked across Phoenix. Johnson learned some tricks of the trade along the way from fellow smokers, many who had nothing in common with him beyond the love of BBQ. “In the barbecue world, food is a connection to peace. Doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe, almost everyone likes barbecue.”

Two years into starting No Sauce, he won second place at a citywide festival in Yuma, Arizona. Attendees booed the decision, proclaiming No Sauce as the winner.

“Tears just started coming from everywhere. I was proud of myself. It felt crazy.”

He bought a food truck with the hope of more flexibility and greater gains. It was SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

ASHBURN & AUBURN GRESHAM a successful year, but then a personal separation motivated him to move back to his hometown of Chicago. A few months later, he was getting a haircut just doors down from No Sauce’s current 79th Street location, and saw the building storefront was available. “It seemed meant to be.”

No Sauce finally had a permanent home. Describing the new venture as being “scared to death,” Johnson quelled his fears by remembering the success in Arizona and the confidence he brought to his cooking.

Quality control is everything for him; he comes in at 6am to start smoking.

“If you have a good portion of meat that has been smoked properly, then you’re in heaven. Smoking that meat to perfection, it does something to me mentally. It really came from my experiences in life. The smoker makes me happy. I don’t consider it work. If you have a good product, people are gonna buy it—and I have a great product.”

Johnson still makes his food truck an active part of his business. Each Friday, he takes the truck to a local car show, brings a manageable amount of food and always sells out. Then, he closes up and enjoys the car show. For right now, the truck is a side project, but he could see it growing.

All the No Sauce recipes currently exist only in Johnson’s head. Eventually, he will pass on his knowledge so he can expand. But for now, he’s just showing what he can do, one day at a time. His cooking credo is to keep the food fresh and stick to what you know.

“It’s been a hard road, but I never felt defeated,” he said. “It took a lot to get to where I am and feel good about what I do. I know they say Texas has the best barbecue, but I have the best barbecue.” (Nicole NeSmith) No Sauce AZ Smokehouse 2055 W. 79th St. Wednesday-Saturday 11am-8pm, Sunday 12– 6pm. (773) 891-4684. nosaucebbqaz.com

BEST PLACE TO BE IN NATURE

The Dan Ryan Woods

When I first started college in the city, my classmates and I were deliberating over how to film a short script we’d been assigned. When I suggested that we shoot it in the woods, my classmates were confused—where were we going to find a wooded area in Chicago?

Stretching from 90th Street all the way up to 82nd Street, the Dan Ryan Woods is a 257-acre chunk of nature nestled in the far South Side. While people familiar with the woods may assume it sits within the Beverly neighborhood, as it was formerly named the Beverly Woods, this beautiful public space actually calls Ashburn its home. I spent my teenage years tightrope walking over fallen tree trunks and emerging from the brush covered in Enchanter's Nightshade—a harmless but pesky hitchhiking plant that can latch onto your clothing as you explore the unpaved pathway. The park and hike brings a dense, fresh plot of greenery to the South Side, and is home to many plants, birds, and small creatures. The woods also have picnic groves—including accessible picnic groves for guests with varying needs—where visitors can sit and commune from spring to fall.

Although public parks and gardens provide a breath of fresh air within Chicago’s concrete jungle, there’s something irreplaceable about getting lost under a canopy of trees. Studies have shown that being around nature can improve our mood and frame of mind. Imagine perching on a tree stump and reading your favorite book, or riding your bike down the paved trail. There’s a peace that will follow you home after spending a day becoming one with the natural world around you. And, speaking of biking on the trail: the park features both a one-mile paved loop and the more than six-mile-long Major Taylor Trail, named after Marshall “Major” Taylor. Taylor was an award-winning Black cyclist and civil rights activist who spent his parting years settled in Chicago. For a long time he was the fastest bicycle rider in the world, and one of the first Black world champions in any sport. When we refer to the Dan Ryan Woods as historic, these are the types of stories that live amongst the wildlife.

Everyone should visit the Dan Ryan Woods at least once if they call the South Side their home. It’s so important for us to see how much beauty and adventure is available to us right in our backyards. (Chima Ikoro) Dan Ryan Woods, W. 87th St. and S. Western Ave. Sunrise–sunset. fpdcc.com/places/ locations/dan-ryan-woods/

BEST PLACE TO GET A CAR WASH

Buddy Bear Car Wash

No matter where I move in the city, I swear by getting my car washed on the far South Side at Buddy Bear Car Wash. It might seem trivial to drive past so many other car washes along the way, some as close as five minutes from my home, to come all the way here, but I have never second guessed it. There is something about being out south that makes the chore of washing and cleaning my car more bearable. Maybe it’s the people; when it’s hot outside the car wash is filled with folks hand washing their cars nearby, playing music, offering car air fresheners or microfiber towels, and politely maneuvering around each other.

As I continue to become acquainted with adulthood, many of my formative car-related moments happened at Buddy Bear Car Wash. For example, when I lived all the way up north in Edgewater, I had a ticket stuck to my window for parking illegally.

Before I could retrieve the ticket, it rained, causing the adhesive to fuse with the glass on my driver's side. It seems small except I’d been borrowing the car from my dad for the past few months and needed to return it soon. So, I drove forty minutes to Buddy 6 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

ASHBURN & AUBURN GRESHAM

PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

Bear where two young men offered to help me scrub the glue off of my window. They lent a hand without even being asked as they watched me scrape away at it. That is the kind of energy that lives at this specific car wash. I know that even if I pull up alone, I’ll be surrounded by good people and high spirits.

Although I am now a proud owner of my own vehicle, I still run into situations where I need a hand. My dad bought me these striking red and black mats for my car's interior, and as winter and spring departed I realized I needed to clean them for the summer. I’d always seen the mat cleaning machine, but I never dared to use it. One day, I decided to go to Buddy Bear knowing that it would be busy and full of

people. I was genuinely banking on someone offering to help me use the machine and I was right. As I approached the machine with my mats, I didn’t stand there for long zbefore a young man approached me and offered to show me how to use it. How did he demonstrate? He washed all four of my mats. When my mom needed her car cleaned, I took her and my brother to Buddy Bear and revealed that I’d finally learned how to use the mat cleaner. It was a seemingly small task we realized we never attempted to do because we simply did not know how.

While these anecdotes are not necessarily life changing, they speak to the fact that feeling accounted for in the smallest of ways adds happiness to places and situations we least expect it. If I’m burnt out after running errands all day, taking my car to Buddy Bear feels like the least of my chores. If anything, the relaxing colors in the car wash and the satisfaction of sucking up crumbs from your backseat are therapeutic. This thought reminds me of the most important part: Buddy Bear offers free vacuuming with every car wash. I don’t have to dig around for coins to put into a machine, the car wash spits you out right into the lot where all the vacuums and garbage bins are located. And Buddy Bear knows a lil’ something about freebies: in December 2021, they gave out 10,000 free car washes!

Community can be found in the strangest of places, whether it’s teenagers using coins and credit cards to scrape glue off of glass or a master-class session on how to use the mat cleaning machine. As I become more aware of the world around me, I find myself cherishing even the smallest pockets where love and gratitude live. In the end, each patron at Buddy Bear is united by a central goal—we all hope that a bird does not poop on our windshield after all our hard work. (Chima Ikoro) Buddy Bear Car Wash, 8644 S. Kedzie Ave. Daily 7am–9pm. buddybearcarwash.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

AVALON PARK, BURNSIDE & CALUMET HEIGHTS

Compiled by Rovetta McKinney, Neighborhood Captain

MURAL BY KAYLA MAHAFFEY. PHOTO BY ISABEL NIEVES

Neighborhood captain Rovetta McKinney is a freelance writer who is a lover of culture and travel and enjoys all things creative.

“I

moved to Chicago because I had to get out of Alabama,” said Mrs. Beatta Petty, who moved to Avalon Park in December 1975.

“I loved the East Side of Chicago, and I loved this particular area because of all the Black-owned businesses…. The Nation of Islam, Mosque Maryam, was right down at Stony Island. The Shabazz Restaurant on Cottage Grove, where the senior citizens building is right now. Down at 87th Street, 79th Street, over east, Blackowned stores and restaurants. So that’s where I wanted to be, because in the South, I had been a part of the Civil Rights Movement. We were integrating schools, and I went to University of Alabama, and it was a nightmare,” said Petty.

When picking a neighborhood to live in, Petty had specific criteria: she wanted to live in an area that was not going through white flight. “I was looking for a neighborhood that was stable—basically Black, middle class, upper class, because you know, we all lived together.” During the 1970s, Chicago was aggressively segregated, and it was often in the best interest of newly minted Black transplants to seek residence within existing Black neighborhoods for safety reasons. “It didn’t matter if you were a doctor, custodian, we all lived together. That’s how it was in the South. A lot of the neighbors, the people I met were from the South also and had similar values,” Petty said.

Petty also chose Avalon Park because she didn’t want to be around any liquor stores or taverns; the neighborhood was dry from 79th to 87th Street. This was important to her because she didn’t drink. Additionally, it was her experience that taverns and liquor stores could attract people who caused trouble.

Interestingly, this was supposed to be her starter home. However, she decided to stay because life changed.

8 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

“I had the coolest neighbors,” said Petty. The women in the center of the block were working women, were older women, and they called her “baby” (which she loved).

In the evenings, they would gather on a neighbor’s stoop and tell her stories “about back in the day.” “I learned a lot, and it reminded me of being home in Alabama around my aunts and my grandmother. So because of the neighbors, I got attached, and then of course we had kids, and St. Felicitas [parish and school] was right down the street. There used to be a lot of kids, a lot of boys on this block,” said Petty.

Many of Petty’s original neighbors have since passed. The neighborhood is a bit quieter since many of the residents’ children have grown up and moved out on their own. Despite the changes, Petty, now 72, is still dedicated to preserving her community. She serves as block club president, somewhat of a resident griot, and often a bridge between her neighbors who reside on the block. (As told to Rovetta McKinney by Mrs. Beatta Petty)

BEST FIFTIES-INSPIRED SUBURB IN A CITY

Marynook

Marynook: an architectural preservationist’s dream. Upon entering this community, one is immediately aware of how unique it is. Unlike the grid layout typical of most Chicago neighborhoods, Marynook is a labyrinth of curved, winding streets and culde-sacs, discreetly located within the Avalon Park neighborhood. The suburban-style subdivision consists of 423 well-manicured mid-century modern single-family houses, with a large park, Avalon Park (created after the neighborhood took that name), adjacent to the community. On a walk through Marynook, you will see many

raised ranches and split-level homes with asymmetrical exteriors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and spacious backyards, and quite likely a few with artistically shaped geometric bushes.

Marynook was developed in 1955 by J.E. Merrion and Company in an effort to stymie suburban white flight during years after World War II. The integration of this community made nationwide news largely because the shift from a predominantly White neighborhood to Black initially happened slower than other communities and the subdivision was featured on CBS Reports (which can be found on YouTube) in the early 1960s due to its initial success.

Over time, however, white flight eventually occurred, despite there being no noticeable negative change in the quality of life, because of fear of the increasing number of Black people moving into the subdivision and surrounding areas. Marynook became inhabited predominantly by Black homeowners.

The community still flourished. Paul Flowers, a former Marynook resident who grew up in the area in the eighties, fondly recounts childhood memories of biking and playing in the subdivision with other similarly aged children.

Marynook has a homeowners association that takes pride in making this community feel like a community. The HOA generates quarterly newsletters that keep residents abreast of current neighborhood news, and it institutes guidelines in an effort to maintain property values and a good quality of life. Current resident Marcia Thomas described new neighbors being greeted with welcome wagons and annual best yard contests.

Today, a large percentage of those who still dwell in Marynook are more mature in age, and fewer children are in the neighborhood. Since COVID, the subdivision is a bit less social, but still a nice place to live, Thomas says.

If you have an interest in mid-century architecture within the boundaries of Chicago, I would invite you to visit Marynook. (Rovetta McKinney) Marynook, between 83rd and 87th Streets from north to south, and between Stony Island Ave and the Metra tracks from east to west. The HOA website: infomarynook.org

BEST AT HELPING DEVELOP GENERATIONS OF HAPPY FEET

Mayfair Arts Center

Timing is everything.

In 2020, Peggy Sutton was ready to retire and move to Arizona. She had held the role of Director of the Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts since 1978, but the pandemic had taken a toll, and enrollment was very low.

Mayfair had been a staple of the South Side since 1957. The academy was founded by acclaimed tap dancer Tommy Sutton, Peggy’s father. He learned the art of tap dance from Bill “Bojangles” Robinson; performed with the greats such as Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole and had a stint on Broadway with the hit, The Hot Mikado. Sutton started the dance school because while he was able to teach dance in Chicago, there was nowhere for his children or the children of his community to learn dance because of segregation. There proved to be demand for the school: enrollment skyrocketed from ninety kids to eight hundred over time.

Well-known alumni of the Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts include former First Lady Michelle Obama, rapper-turned-actor Common, and actress Tempestt Bledsoe of The Cosby Show fame.

Around the same time that Peggy Sutton was considering retirement, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project (CHRP) was contemplating relocation from its studios in the Fine Arts Building in the Loop due to costs. According to an interview Sutton gave to New City Stage, she called CHRP’s founding director, Lane Alexander, to say, “Hi, goodbye.” Alexander inquired about the fate of the Mayfair

MRYNOOK. PHOTO BY ISABEL NIEVES

Academy building and in January of this year, CHRP moved its education center and arts incubator—the American Rhythm Center—to the Mayfair Academy and relaunched the building as the Mayfair Arts Center (MAC).

In late July, I spoke with Alexander, who is also a tap dancer, choreographer, and teacher, as well as his team: program manager and former cast member of the Chicago Lion King production Kelli David-Low and Chicago Human Rhythm Project artistic director and acclaimed tap dancer, Jumaane Taylor.

I learned that the Chicago Human Rhythm Project is essentially a massive, collaborative art’s organization, with five core programs. The MAC serves as a public dance space and arts incubator, and keeps true to its Mayfair Academy roots by offering dance classes. Additionally, according to their website, they provide business development services and subsidized space for classes, rehearsals, informal performances and special events for small to medium-sized nonprofit arts organizations and independent artists.

Rhythm World is one of CHRP’s oldest brands and is a summer tap dance festival.

CHRP also hosts Stomping Grounds, a two-month, city-wide festival showcasing percussive arts, such as African dance, flamenco, Mexican folklore, Irish dance, Indian Bharatanatyam, Kathak—all the people who strum with their feet.

We All Got Rhythm is another core program, an arts education project that teaches students artistic skills, enhances social and emotional learning, and helps foster a “lifelong engagement with the arts.” Finally, Stone Soup Rhythm is a collective of emerging and established tap dancers. According to the site, the name Stone Soup Rhythms refers to a European fable in which a wayfaring stranger brings a small village together to create a communal feast by enticing each member to add a unique ingredient.

Northside Southside Oneside, a dance programming series hosted by CHRP at SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

MAYFAIR ARTS CENTER, PHOTO BY MALIK JACKSON

the MAC, which is what got it on my radar: I received marketing materials at my home and wanted to check it out.

This six-month series of free classes and performances has the goal of reintroducing the community to the MAC. The hope is that this program will continue for a second and third year, depending on grant funding. The final class of the year is October 16th. Come out to watch the performances or even join in on the fun.

(Rovetta McKinney) Mayfair Arts Center, 8701 S. Bennett Ave. Monday–Thursday, 9am–8pm; Saturday, 9am– 5pm; closed Sundays and Fridays. chicagotap.org/mayfair-arts-center. (312) 922-1272

BEST AT BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER ONE BLOCK AT A TIME

Lisa Davis

Heroes rarely choose to assume leadership positions; rather, it is circumstance that forces them into these roles. Oftentimes, it is something unfortunate—something happens, and they feel a calling to demand justice, some sort of righting of a wrong.

When Lisa Davis’ home was burglarized in 2012 and 2013, this unfortunate experience stoked a fire in her to become more active. Today, Davis is a community activist based in Avalon Park. She is involved in organizing her immediate neighborhood’s block club, and she volunteers with Habitat for Humanity in Pullman 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

and Rebuilding Together in the Englewood and Austin communities. She also works to improve the relationship between the Chicago Police Department and the Avalon Park community.

Davis grew up in Avalon Park, where her parents purchased a building in the 1970s. She left to pursue career opportunities as an engineer, shifting into software, which morphed into IT. Davis returned to Avalon Park after her father died, to care for her mother and her parents’ building. She was set to move to the South Loop.

However, she was challenged by her mother, who told her, “Why pay for something else, when this building is yours?” She stayed.

Davis was having a quiet life until she suffered two burglaries in six months. She sought help from the police and was told to attend the beat meeting in her area.

There the talk was to form block clubs to increase neighborhood activity and decrease criminal activity. Davis observed block clubs that operated near her and became involved in the block association. Finally, she and her neighbors formed a club on her block. They recently held a block party that was well attended—Davis said it attracted more children from the neighborhood than they knew were there.

Her efforts are having a positive effect in the immediate area, encouraging neighbors to look out for each other, as illustrated by times like when she found a neighbor watering her garden for her.

Lisa Davis is an example of what the late Bronzeville community organizer, Johnnie Owens, said about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. (David Welch)

BACK OF THE YARDS Compiled by Jesse Iñiguez, Neighborhood Captain

QUINTO IMPERIO, PHOTO BY FREDY DOMINGUEZ

Jesse Iñiguez a lifelong resident of Back of the Yards. He’s the co-founder of the missiondriven Back of the Yards Coffee Co., receiving local and national awards for his work as a social entrepreneur and his commitment to community-based development.

W

hen outsiders talk about Back of the Yards, they often talk about deficit; they talk about what's missing, what’s wrong and what needs fixing. However, for those of us truly invested in our community, we see how alive and rich our community is.

We have an abundance of culture, history, community and talent. Most of all, we have a wealth of people who care, people who work, and people who go above and beyond for their fellow neighbors. You see, when the government and institutions that are supposed to bring resources to a community fail to do so, the community rises up to the challenge. This is especially true in Back of the Yards.

In 1939, Joe Meegan and Saul Alinsky organized residents, business owners, churches and unions to create the first major community organization in the country to address issues of unemployment, housing, and economic disparities. This tradition continues today with people and projects like Amor al Arte, Quinto Imperio and the wilderness trips, as featured here. There are regular people from the community taking it upon themselves to address the needs and lack of resources.

For me, the “Best” of Back of the Yards are its people who, with grit and ganas, wake up every morning ready to put in the work necessary to improve their lives and the lives of others. There are countless people doing amazing work in the community, so it is difficult to just name a few, but it is important to recognize those that are doing it day in and day out.

Below we talk about the important nonviolence work that the women of Amor al Arte provide through the arts. We also highlight the fusion between advocacy and entertainment that Quinto Imperio provides through their music, and the connection between nature and healing provided by the voyages to the wilderness by neighborhood youth.

The research of Noble Peace Prize recipient and University of Chicago professor and economist Dr. Richard Thaler essentially says that if you want people to do something, remove the obstacles and make it easy. That is what these people are doing. They are helping remove the barriers toward social justice.

But they can’t do it alone. My hope is that when you read this, you ask yourself, “How can I help?” Whether it is to support the work these groups currently do, through donations or volunteering, or to inspire you to help plug other areas of need either in Back of the Yards or in other communities like it. ( Jesse Iñiguez) SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

BACK OF THE YARDS

BEST ART POP-UP

Amor al Arte

Art is one of the best ways to release stress caused by trauma, especially when living in urban settings like Back of the Yards. However, art materials can be expensive, and spaces dedicated to art are rare and can feel exclusive. A group of local working moms decided to take action and in the summer of 2016, armed with some scratch paper, broken crayons and white folding tables, set up a pop-up art clinic on one of the “hottest” gang corners, and the rest is history. They called themselves Amor al Arte.

Initially it was going to just be a one-time thing. They were going to do a series of pop-up art clinics in different parts of the community to give the youth something to do that summer, but after seeing the sustained interest and building a following of kids and families that summer, they decided to do it again, and again.

Today, the collective of women, composed of Claudia Alvidrez, Priscila Gonzalez, Liliana Celso, Estela Flores, and Cynthia Alba continue to gather every Friday afternoon in various parts of the community, offering free art sessions to kids and families.

This summer, with support from the Safe and Peaceful Communities grant, they were able to partner with the Holy Cross Marimba Ensemble to incorporate live music from neighborhood youth in the pop-ups.

The reason their work is so important is that they address an important tool for violence prevention that is often overlooked: creative spaces. Oftentimes, the response to violence is reactionary. Police are sent, show force, make a few arrests, and then they're gone. This often creates more trauma and doesn’t fix the problem. Real nonviolence work takes a commitment of time and money for a sustained period of time. That is what Amor al Arte does.

By bringing pop-up art sessions just outside their doorsteps, they're providing kids and families an opportunity to lose themselves in their creativity and escape from reality, even if just for an hour. Art also helps them build on their imagination, and helps them imagine that another world is possible.

Through the support of the Peace and Education Coalition, the women are able to fund their work through small grants, fundraising and donations. As the saying goes, “it takes a village,” so while this may be one drop in the bucket, this program goes a long way in building a safe community. If you’d like to learn more about Amor al Arte, donate or check out their next pop-up. ( Jesse Iñiguez) Amor al Arte. botyamoralarte.wixsite.com/aaa16 AMOR AL ARTE. PHOTO BY CLAUDIA ALVIDREZ

BEST SOCIALLY-CONSCIOUS GRUPO

Quinto Imperio

There are great music bands whose innovative rhythms, infectious beats, and passionate lyrics leave the body in a trance with no other choice but to dance. There are amazing activists whose social justice-seeking souls are guided by a compassionate heart and an undefeated spirit. Quinto Imperio is the best of both worlds.

To say that Quinto Imperio has deep roots in music is an understatement. The Dominguez family—Edy, Hugo, Fredy, and Marciano—are originally from Mexico and have the distinction of being the fifth generation of musicians. This generation’s iteration of Dominguez musicians manifested as Quinto Imperio in Back of the Yards when Edy, Hugo, and Fredy were just kids. The guys joke that Fredy needed a booster seat when he learned to play the drums. The group added their best friends Adriana Velazquez and Quintiliano Rios and they have been making their dynamic mix of music ever since.

Best characterized as a Latin fusion of cumbia, hip-hop, rock, and traditional 12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Mexican music (with a dash of good ol’ Back of the Yards ganas), their repertoire includes songs such as “Crónica Inmigrante,” a high-powered cumbia that reminds us of our resilience and power, “Cumbé,” a cumbia hip-hop mezcla that is a vibrant homage to our ancestors, and “La Última y Nos Vamos,” an accordion-laced party anthem that even the most staunch metalheads would rock out to.

I first met Quinto Imperio through my local parish in Back of the Yards when they were practicing out of their dad’s two-bedroom apartment on Marshfield Ave. Marciano and I were members of the parish’s immigration ministry and Edy, Hugo, and Fredy participated in the church’s marimba music program. I’ll never forget the first time I saw them play for a large crowd at a church event. I was like, “Woah, these kids can play!” You know, the kind of music that gets all the abuelitas and tias yanking the abuelitos and tios out to dance.

Now, you can find them performing at Grant Park, Navy Pier, Taste of Chicago, national music festivals, college campuses, and even opening for stellar bands like La Santa Cecilia. In 2017, they released their freshman album, Crónica Inmigrante, and their sophomore album is currently in the works!

What really sets Quinto Imperio apart is their continued compassion, care, and advocacy for the community, particularly for our immigrant brothers and sisters. Individually through their activism, and collectively through their music, they have stood up for immigrants and have invited others to do the same. All of the members, except for Marciano, are under the age of forty, yet they all have résumés that rival résumés of seasoned advocates. The number of hours they dedicated in their young lives to organizing immigration know-your-rights events, voter registration drives, community workshops, marches and mentoring are countless.

Further, the members of the group helped establish “Dreamers and Allies Run,” which has raised more than $100,000 in college scholarships for undocumented students since 2012. Some have even taken the torch of la lucha to their day jobs and have worked as organizers and educators for local Chicago institutions.

Louis Armstrong once said, “Music is life itself.” The best musicians intertwine their notes, melodies, and beats to our hopes, histories, vulnerabilities, struggles, and triumphs. Their music follows the rhythmic ups and downs of life, and their songs tell the stories that reach our core and amplify our emotions. Quinto Imperio does all this and, if that wasn’t enough, they call us to action and remind us of the potential of our collective impact. Quinto Imperio is a proud product of Back of the Yards and is a perfect mix of fun, resilience, power, hope, advocacy, and of course, cumbia beats. ( José Alonso) Quinto Imperio. facebook.com/QuintoImperio.

PHOTO BY BRUCE WELLEMS

BEST YOUTH TRADITION

Annual Wilderness Immersion Experience

I am proud yet reluctant to share one of the best kept secrets in Back of the Yards for the past thirty years. I’m proud because it represents the abundance of beauty and strength that the people in our community embody, but reluctant because the outsider gaze brings with it a tendency to co-opt and reduce these traditions to something less than they were intended. Nonetheless, it's important for us to tell our story and the ways we share and heal as a community.

In our neighborhood, we have established a healing, meaningful, and longstanding tradition for young people. Every year since the 1990s, groups of young people have embarked on a voyage into the wildernesses of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and Rocky Mountains.

Many of the young people from the neighborhood who first went on these trips have grown up sharing stories of their experiences, their desires to go back, and the importance of a connection to each other and the relationship with nature. Some of them have gone back again and have shared the tradition with their loved ones, demonstrating the intergenerational connection that their nature experiences provided.

I personally have been on seventeen trips to the BWCAW and the Rockies living in Back of the Yards, and each of my trips has been alongside young people from the community.

Our neighborhood’s wilderness voyages are guided by four principles: health promotion, positive youth development, social justice, and culturally sustaining practices.

The healing associated with these trips comes from the connection to nature and each other. It is seen in the ways young people organically and mindfully practice the version of health, safety, and wellness that they learn in the neighborhood and that can be sustained when our neighborhood is provided with the necessary resources and opportunities.

The young people refine and develop skills for exploring the wilderness and pull from the skills they learn to navigate the neighborhood. This is how positive youth development results in the formation of positive relationships (peer mentoring, team-

work), skill building (problem solving, tolerating distress), and wilderness preparation (first aid training, water/fire safety, map reading).

An element of social justice is embedded in these experiences, as young people advocate for and advance their understanding of environmental stewardship and equitable access to healthy green spaces in the neighborhood. A guiding ethic of these trips is to strengthen our commitment to being stewards of the environment to ensure clean water and air for people, the planet, and others. This ethic is then connected to our sense of social justice.

When we glance around our neighborhood and notice that for a city replete with natural resources, such as the lakefront and the 606 trail, we recognize the ways that such resources are positioned further away from our neighborhood and are blocked by infrastructure at every level all the way down to the speedbumps.This makes us keen to identify barriers and solutions for mobility and access in our city and obtain equitable green spaces for us.

Lastly, the final principle undergirding these wilderness excursions is the ways we sustain our cultures and traditions. These trips are not only a migration to a different geographic area, which is a parallel to the global movement of people historically and contemporarily, but they are also journeys through history to explore the lifeways and cultural practices of people and a world that was foreign to the wretch of colonization—providing a reminder of what is possible once we rid the earth of it.

I n sum, we have created and sustained a lasting hyperlocal presence of connecting with nature in Back of the Yards. This means more than I can explain in words. We have generations of young people who have grown up going to the wilderness, thereby establishing a culture and practice that aligns and reinforces with our lifeways in our neighborhood; caring and fighting for the land, air, water, flora, fauna and each other.

(Dr. Claudio S. Rivera)

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

BEVERLY & MORGAN PARK Compiled by Anna Carvlin Neighborhood captain GIVINS CASTLE , PHOTO BY ERIC ALLIX ROGERS

A

fter living in Morgan Park or Beverly for a few years, you’ll start to see familiar faces everywhere. Each month, it seems more interesting events are happening in the area to keep people rooted—for the weekend, and for the rest of their lives. Residents of this southwest region of Chicago are committed to supporting small businesses, arts and culture, and families with kids.

Early in the pandemic, my family took walks together up and down the tree-lined Wood Street, sometimes twice a day, through Morgan Park and Beverly. I'd think, “Wow, I'm so grateful we have a walkable neighborhood.” With my now-toddler in tow, we’d often take a detour from the route between Prospect Avenue and 95th Street to visit one of five parks: Prospect, Barnard, Graver, Hurley, or Ridge.

Recently, someone popped her head out of her apartment to greet me while I was on a rare solo walk. I didn't immediately recognize my former coworker, who had just moved to Beverly with her kids. “It's me!” she said as she stepped out of the front door.

Although I was delighted to see a familiar face, I wasn’t too surprised—we often see people we know during walks. And I was definitely not surprised that she chose to relocate to the neighborhood.

Newcomers with kids regularly cite safety and good schools as reasons for choosing Beverly or Morgan Park. And people who lived in the area as youngsters and returned as adults will tell you the neighborhood is way more fun than it used to be.

They might be referring to the live music at the newly relocated Afro Joe’s Coffee & Tea, steps from Wood St. on 99th, or to the numerous arts events that take place throughout the year, owing mainly to the Beverly Area Arts Alliance.

Down Wood St., you’ll also find two neighbors who have transformed their front yards into butterfly sanctuaries, complete with big rose mallow hibiscus blooms, bright fuschia bee balm, and purple blazing stars. People in this neighborhood care—about other people, and about the planet—and it shows.

Our well-worn Wood St. path leads us near the Beverly Phono Mart, down the block from Givins Beverly Castle, and, on a longer Sunday morning jaunt, all the way to the 95th Street Farmer's Market, each of which are highlighted in this issue. (Anna Carvlin) Neighborhood captain Anna Carvlin is a public health advocate, yoga instructor, writer, and aspiring fiddler. She lives with her family in Morgan Park.

14 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BEST REAL CASTLE

Givins Beverly Castle Many Southsiders don’t know that we have a real castle in Chicago.The Givins Beverly Castle has three stories, three turrets, and crenellations along the roof line. The Castle is located at 103rd and Longwood Drive, and serves the community in many ways. It’s home to Beverly Unitarian Church, yoga and meditation classes, community groups like Southsiders for Peace, community forums on important issues, the Beverly Castle Preschool, traditional holiday events like Christmas tree sales and breakfasts with Santa, and environmental projects such as hazardous waste and electronics collections.

The Castle has also been the site for hundreds of weddings and family celebrations since the mid-twentieth century.

Built in 1886 and 1887, the Givins Beverly Castle is an important part of Chicago’s Longwood Drive Historic District. The Castle benefitted from major renovations in 2020 and 2021 to restore the safety of the limestone turrets and parapets, and to ensure the preservation of this iconic structure. A successful grassroots fundraising campaign with a $1 million goal confirmed the significance of the Castle to the more than 200 individual donors from the city and suburbs, and the broader historic preservation community.That restoration project has been completed, and earned a “Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence” as a result. t.

There are many opportunities to visit the Givins Beverly Castle. Several thousand people toured the inside during Open House Chicago weekends in 2018 and 2019.

During the pandemic, Open House Chicago visitors were restricted to the outside of the “Castle on the Hill,” but groups are once again meeting inside with COVID safety precautions in place, and it will part of this year’s Open House in October..

Chicago’s Only Castle by Errol Magidson, available at Bookie’s on Western Ave., provides an extensive history of the families who called the Castle home, the girls’ school that occupied the building in the late nineteenth century, and the Unitarian Church whose members have been “Castle Keepers” since 1942. There are, of course, plenty of rumors of ghosts that have intrigued paranormal investigators—the book describes these tales as well. A second edition of Chicago’s Only Castle is expected this fall. ( Jean Hardy Robinson) Givins Beverly Castle, 10255 S. Seeley Ave. chicagosonlycastle.org

BEVERLY & MORGAN PARK

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD FESTIVAL TO LEARN TO FOOTWORK AFTER A PICNIC IN THE PARK

Juneteenth Family Festival

What better place to celebrate Juneteenth—a quintessentially American, and now federally designated holiday marking the end of slavery—than in one of the oldest Black communities in Chicago? This past June, local organizers hosted the third annual Juneteenth Family Festival in the heart of Morgan Park, complete with African dance workshops, djembe lessons, kids’ activities, storytelling, and lively music performances.

I spent an hour volunteering that morning, setting up a badminton net in the kids’ area while soundchecks boomed from the stage. Local Black-owned business vendors lined the sidewalk alongside several community resource booths and food trucks. The festival crosses from Bohn Park over to the Morgan Park Presbyterian and Morgan Park United Methodist church lots, making for a truly collaborative and community-centered event.

That the gathering spans from the east to the west side of Longwood Drive carries a lot of “symbolism and significance,” according to lead organizer Shanya Gray, because the street “has been traditionally a dividing line: Black on one side and white on the other side.” Celebrating the Juneteenth holiday, especially in a neighborhood known for its St. Patrick’s Day parade, fills a need to center and celebrate the Black experience for Black people. But one of the organizers’ key goals is to educate everyone within the community about Black history in the United States, including emancipation from slavery, since as Gray asserts, the “American education system has not always done justice when it comes to these historical matters.” Gray believes Juneteenth festivals should be a “combination of looking back and looking forward…celebrating emancipation but also celebrating African American culture.”

I returned to the festival several hours later to find the badminton net destroyed—a sign the kids had a blast, I’m sure, and not that I fumbled the setup. Organizers have managed to keep the event free since garnering significant sponsorship. Families will enjoy bringing a picnic to the park or visiting a food truck. (Anna Carvlin) The Juneteenth Family Festival takes place on or around June 19 each year. Visitjuneteenthfamilyfestival.com or email juneteenthff@gmail.com for more information./

BEST COLD BREW AND KIDS' CORNER COMBINATION

Little Hoppers Café Parents of young kids revel in the rare and brief moments when they can let their kids run free without engaging in an obligatory safety chase. Little Hoppers Café, situated in Morgan Park near Mount Greenwood, provides the perfect venue for a quick breather.

Customers walking toward the entrance of the corner spot, tucked in next to a handful of thriving local businesses, will be met with wafts of sweet barbecue aromas from a new firemen-owned takeout nearby. Beth Gavin, brand new proprietor of the combination playroom and coffee shop, describes the surrounding area as a “neighborhood with strong community.’

While Little Hoppers opened in 2020, the business was sold this past May. Gavin,

PHOTO BY DALE FAST

a mom whose background is in education, is clearly excited to share her detailed vision for this new endeavor. In addition to open play time, she wants to host more activities that “facilitate growth and happiness for the whole family,” such as yoga and storytime with local authors. She also wants to expand the coffee shop element with additional seating, and to implement more consistent business hours. Mainly, she said, she wants to “keep it simple.”

And it is! As I paid for admission at the counter, my two-year-old was eager to go climb the castle, wind a wooden train around its track, and stack Legos. I sipped a latte while she busied herself with a pretend kitchen.

Parks have their time and place for the littlest among us, but parents or caregivers still need a quiet but sociable and safe spot bound by four walls when the rain won’t go away. Libraries are nice too, but they don’t serve a sometimes-necessary pick-meup while your toddler knocks over a bin of plastic bananas for the eighth time. (Anna Carvlin) Little Hoppers Café, 2760 W.111th St.. Monday–Saturday, 9am–1pm. (773) 366-3774, www.littlehopperscafe.com. ./

BEST SPOT FOR GROOVY GREEN JUICE, CENTERPIECE BOUQUETS, AND TONIGHT'S DINNER

95th Street Farmers’ Market

Sundays from May to October resonate for me as the season for the 95th Street Farmers Market! I moved to Beverly nearly thirty years ago from Oak Park, with its long-standing market. My mother taught me the ins and outs of market shopping: don’t start buying as soon as you walk in, instead, walk around the entire market and check it all out first. Who has asparagus this week? When is the corn coming? Tomatoes? Once you have completed your browsing you can start shopping in a more educated fashion.

With this history, I was more than delighted when the first version of the 95th Street Farmers Market opened in Beverly about twenty years ago. I remember taking my little boy there and teaching him about the seasons for vegetables and fruits. The market has remained in the same spot, the parking lot near the 95th Street Rock Island station, all these many years later.

But why do I keep going week after week? Why is my Sunday not complete without a visit there? Friendship, in addition to fruits and vegetables! Over the years, I have come to know many of the vendors—and they know me, and my constant canine SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

BEVERLY & MORGAN PARK companion. It is kind of like Cheers, “Where everyone knows your name.”

Plus, the 95th Street Farmers Market isn’t just produce. There’s coffee, nuts, pastries, cakes, cookies, bagels, and the best cheese. Try the horseradish chive, the nettle (my husband’s favorite), and the brie with layers of blue enriching it. That cheese alone is worth a trip! There are also tacos and sometimes crepes or gumbo—plenty to get you through to lunch. Flowers are also available in abundance. Many of the non-produce vendors also have shops in the neighborhood, so it is another venue for those who like to shop locally.

Besides offering the chance to see friends and people watch, there’s sometimes live music, along with face painting for children. The Beverly branch of the Chicago Public Library often has an outreach table for children’s activities; I just got a kit for my granddaughter to make a Harry Potter bookmark.

The market has a different feel at different times of the day. We often go first thing in the morning when it is less crowded, so great for shopping, but less so for seeing friends, canine or human. Once the morning gets buzzing, so does the market. The music starts, the coffee is poured, friends are spotted, and shopping and conversation get underway.

Last night our entire dinner came from the market: grilled fish and potatoes, corn and squash, even the cheese before dinner. Tonight, we’ll be having a caprese salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish, meat, and flowers.

Friends and music … How could I pass up a Sunday morning at the 95th Street Farmers Market? I simply can’t. ( Jane Anne Gross) 95th Street Farmers’ Market, 1835 W. 95th Street. Sundays, 8am–1pm. Contact info@95thstreetba.org or facebook.com/95thstreetmarket, for more

PHONOMART OWNERS CHANTALA KOMMANIVANH AND MALLORY MCCLAIRE PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

BEST VINYL VENDOR

Beverly Phono Mart

Beverly Phono Mart—or BPM, as it’s cleverly referred to (sharing an acronym for “beats per minute”)—has become a beacon of light for an already culturally rich area of the city.

“We want our customers to feel as they would hanging out in our home while they are here. The music, art, books and even the snacks that we offer are a reflection of the things we love and want to share,” says the wife and husband team of Mallory McClaire and Chantala Kommanivahn. The two have created just that: a home away from home. Between the bare brick and the art on the walls, the global snacks, the comfy couches, and the specially curated records, BPM feels like a cool universal space to listen to music and hang out. “In a community like Beverly that can be perceived as being a bit insular, we are proud to provide a space that fosters connections between all cultures, ages and walks of life.”

I’ve known Chantala for close to two decades now, having been in the same scene and run into each other at many concerts, art shows, and various other creative events.

He is also a full-time artist and DJ, so he has had his finger on the pulse for many years. Chantala and Mallory, a public programming and operational consultant, hit the ground running upon moving to Beverly.

“Mallory grew up in Beverly and has lived on the South Side her whole life.

When we purchased our first home, we chose to do so in a community where we have roots by opening a business there,” Chantala said. They have gone above and beyond just being a record shop by creating fun community events like Booze and Beats, a comedy show, and an art show rotation highlighting local talent.

They believed and invested in themselves, and in turn, we as a neighborhood have gained so much more than just another business. We have gained a thoughtful, safe space where all walks of life are encouraged to just stop by.

“We like to think that we’ve created a hub for interpersonal and cultural exchange,” sasid Chantala and Mallory. “A place for people to discover new music, be around art and to meet some cool people. We hope that our widespread and varied interests are reflected through the space in a way that signals that all are welcome here.” (Won Kim) Beverly Phono Mart,1808 W. 103rd St. Wednesday–Friday, 12–6pm; Saturday 11am– 6pm, and Sunday 11am–4pm. (773) 629-6089. beverlyphonomart.com.

16 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BRIDGEPORT & CANARYVILLE Compiled by Santino Napolillo, Neighborhood Captain

GERRI FERNANDEZ

Neighborhood captain Santino Napolillo is just a Chicago artist just doing his part to help save the world.

P

ortside, right off the lake, down by the river, just over a bridge and off the train tracks: Bridgeport and Canaryville, a bridge to the South Side. After the Black Hawk War, Bridgeport was established in 1836, and soon became a working class community, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. The indigenous black hawk bird still lives here.

In this neighborhood you can find art, culture, and cuisine on every street corner and under every street lamp. Make your way to 26th and Wentworth, the last stop before Chinatown—the smell of neighborhood food lingers. All along Archer Avenue, the roots of this city run deep. On Halsted from 31st to 35th, there are restaurants galore, and from there, it's a straight shot to beautiful Canaryville. Since 1925, the Stock Yards Bank has remained on Halsted and Root Street, the last remnant of the meat packing industry.

Parks and native plant life keep the Canaryville spirit alive—each tree has its own history, and still houses the sparrows which the neighborhood was named after.

Bridgeport and Canaryville, Chicago’s original grounds. Fireworks from old Comiskey still echo through the streets, and the black hawk still sings. (Santino Napolillo)

places, or find hidden nature spots. The boathouse is home to several local rowing clubs, and also offers yoga sessions and year-round rowing via “erg” machines which simulate the action of rowing.

Park 571 is a great spot for river fishing and bird watching. If you don't believe me, believe the kingfisher—a migratory bird who shows up just to get a meal. There are a number of neighborhood swimming birds who call this park home—I saw a mother goose raise her goslings and came back a month later to see them all grown up.

Any ametuer fisherman can easily cast a rod and get a bite or just stop by the park to watch boats go by, read a book, picnic, or just go for a walk. The Loomis Street bridge overlooks the park from the north, where you can find artwork by local artists as you walk over it and the Duck Inn is nearby. (Santino Napolillo) Park 571, 2828 S. Eleanor St. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/park-no-571

GERRI FERNANDEZ

BEST FISHING

Park 571

Park 571 is located along the South Branch of the Chicago River, right where Bubbly Creek splits off to the south. This water-based recreational park contains a launch spot for canoes and kayaks, and a two-building boathouse facility designed by local celebrity architect Jeanne Gang. Quest Biscuit, a tour agency, offers group and private tours by canoe, kayak, and boat. You can explore the river, try restaurants, see exclusive SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17

BEST AFTER DARK

Kevin’s Hamburger Heaven

Perfect for creatures of the night, this old-school diner has been serving the Bridgeport and Canaryville community with “The One and Only” hamburger since 1988. Open twenty-four hours, Kevin’s serves it up hot.

Round-the-clock diners like Kevin’s are a dying breed—but it’s a treasure to have a place to eat and enjoy company at any time of the night with a hardworking staff. It’s almost like being inside Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. It’s nothing fancy, just American classics hot off the grill: coffee, steak and eggs, ham and hash browns, omelets, double bacon cheeseburgers with grilled onions and fresh fries—burgers and breakfast anytime of the night and at an affordable price. (Santino Napolillo) Kevin’s Hamburger Heaven. 554 W. Pershing Rd. Monday–Sunday, open 24 hours. (773) 924-5771. Orderkevinshamburgerheaven.com.

BEST BAIT

Henry’s Sports and Bait

Established in 1952, Henry’s is an angler’s outpost supplying local families and pro anglers with the best fishing bait on the South Side. Located just a block away from Maxwell Street Polish, Henry’s offers a range of rods and reels, plus repairs and fishing tips, but is best-known for their fresh live bait and frozen bait, from worms to crawfish to tightly sealed bags of minnows. All bait is opened and checked by staff in front of you before you buy.

Buying a fishing license from Henry’s is quick, easy, and affordable. If you're an amatuer angler and want to plan a fishing trip, Henry’s will help you find a perfect spot for you or your group. Henry’s also gives a voice to anglers, calling for access to natural resources and quality fishing. They also teach kids how to fish and loan rods to charities and non-profit organizations.

Unfortunately, Henry’s will be closing later this year—so try and make it out to this neighborhood staple and show your support. As an amatuer angler, I quickly learned the importance of having live bait to fish. Even if you catch and release, at least the fish that you caught ate something. It’s a give and take between angler and fish.

(Santino Napolillo)

fitness center, two gyms, and an auditorium. As your eyes move up to the high, curved ceiling of the entrance hall, your gaze will eventually settle on the open doors leading to an outdoor garden complete with a stone fountain that is popular for wedding and event rentals.

Another architectural oddity is the grandstand on the west side of the park.

Created to block park goers' view of the train tracks, this structure offers a wide view of the basketball courts—two full courts with six hoops. Other recreational amenities spread across the park’s eleven acres include a set of workout and gymnastics bars; a swimming pool (that remained closed for the 2022 season); a combined soccer/ football field; and a baseball field. On the east side of the park, a playground sits next to a set of benches that surround a water mister—perfect for cooling off after a day in the sun, or maybe for an afternoon partaking in one of the many classes and activities hosted at Fuller Park.

Many Chicago Park District staples, like Movies in the Parks or summer camps for kids and teens, are offered here—but the park’s programming goes beyond the basics with a schedule that includes outdoor yoga in the park, boxing classes, volleyball, touch football for boys and girls, and urban dance classes. If you’re looking to get involved, registration for fall sessions is open now.

My ideal day at the park? Shakily roller-skating across the basketball courts, followed by a picnic lunch on the grandstand. It may have been built with the intention of hiding the train tracks, but I love the close up view of the trains passing by. (Nikki Roberts) Fuller (Melville) Park. 331 W. 45th St. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/fullermelville-park

BEST SHRIMP SHACK

Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp

Henry’s Sports & Bait, 3130 S. Canal St. Monday–Sunday, 6am–5pm. (312) 225-8538

BEST DESIGNED PARK

Fuller (Melville) Park

Before the Chicago Park District maintained the city’s beautiful natural spaces, parks on the South Side were created by the South Park Commission, an organization that provided green sanctuaries to congested neighborhoods and recreational activities to their residents. The commission completed its first ten parks on the South Side by 1905, but Fuller (Melville) Park trailed behind, mainly due to landscaping issues.

While the train tracks, alleys, and streets that the architects had to work around were likely frustrating obstacles, the delay gave them additional time to finalize the park’s designs, which is why Fuller Park has unique architectural features distinct from other nearby parks built during the same time period.

The most notable of these features is the park’s symmetrical fieldhouse, which features banners featuring local teams and athletes alongside decorative quilts and mosaics. Two long, identical wings on either side of the circular entrance hall house a 18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

GERRI FERNANDEZ

Commercial fisherman Lawrence Schweig always dreamed of working for himself. So after a long and successful career, he ventured on his own and opened a tiny storefront.

Even before it became the restaurant we know today, the fishery was known for harvesting the best fish in Lake Michigan, and providing fresh and smoked fish to hotels and restaurants across the city.

Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp has been a Chicago staple for over seventy years, but especially for the South Side neighborhoods immediately adjacent to this traditional fishery, such as Bridgeport, Canaryville, East Pilsen and Chinatown.

As the demand for Lawrence’s fish grew over the years, four new items were added to the menu: fried shrimp, perch, frog legs, and chicken. Soon, the small

establishment would open its doors 24/7—but it wasn’t until the 1980s that the small establishment expanded to open more locations.

Today, the original location continues to sit at the edge of the South Branch of the Chicago River, providing a soothing view of the water. Whether you are in for a quick bite or a late night basket of fried shrimp, Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp is the way to go.

This is your sign to stop by and enjoy the Canal Street patio, a cold beer, and some out-of-this-world fried seafood and chicken. (Sofia McDowell) Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp, 2120 S. Canal St. Monday–Sunday, open 24 hours. (312) 225-2113. www.lawrencesfishandshrimp.com

BEST BREADED STEAK SANDWICH

Ricobene’s

Ricobene’s, a resolutely old school purveyor of pizza and other Italian cuisine, has been a Bridgeport institution since 1946.This longevity is no happenstance: it has a claim to fame, the breaded steak sandwich one can find at only a few Bridgeport joints.

USA Today writer Ted Berg proclaimed Ricobene’s breaded steak sammy “the best sandwich in the world,” calling it “a perfect sandwich,” declaring that he was “unwilling to believe there is any sandwiches distinctly better than this one,” and that it’s one’s “duty to sing the gospel of breaded steak to the people.” The late, great Anthony Bourdain featured it on his CNN show Parts Unknown, proclaiming it as “something that everyone should be proud to have on their flag.”

Anticipation builds as you enter the vintage, delicatessen-like restaurant with checkerboard tile, walls cluttered with historic photos, and dark wood pillars flanking the counter. You put in your order, grab a wooden chair at a table, and wait for the meaty miracle that Eater branded one of “Chicago’s essential sandwiches.”

Believe the hype. The monstrosity of a sandwich combines breaded skirt steak folded like a New York slice, chunky marinara, ooey-gooey strings of melty mozzarella and crisp, tangy giardiniera in a Turano french roll that’s crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s a massive sandwich many can’t finish in one sitting. It’s a sandwich that evokes the old Chicago: the Union Stock Yards, South Works, superfans accents.

Ricobene’s menu also features the usual roster of Chicagoland favorites: Italian beef, Italian sausage, the combination thereof, pepper and egg sandwiches, rib tips, dogs run through the garden, and Chicken Vesuvio sandwiches. The vintage joint offers many Italian dishes like mostaccioli, antipasto, and pizza galore, including by the slice and a breaded steak pizza with red gravy, mozzarella, and bite-sized pieces of the iconic breaded and fried steak.

Rosaria and Antonia Ricobene started the business 76 years ago, when they launched a produce cart just after World War II. They turned to hot meatball and sausage sandwiches in the winter months when fewer vegetables were in season.

The second generation of the restaurant’s family ownership—Sam, Frank, and Russell Ricobene—crafted the gargantuan sandwich Ricobene’s became known for. It’s sloppy, the “kind of lunch you under if you’re OK with getting a little red sauce on your shirt,” according to the bygone DNAinfo. The wrapper, the edges of your smudged lips, and the napkin will be kissed with crimson. Other South Side restaurants, including Ferro’s and Fabulous Freddie’s on 31st, have their own versions, but Ricobene’s breaded steak sandwich is the one that’s won national acclaim, and for a reason. ( Joseph S. Pete)

BEGINS OCTOBER 4!

By Eve L. Ewing

Adapted by J. Nicole Brooks

Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent

and Tasia A. Jones

A hopeful, lyrical exploration of Black Chicagoan’s resistance

Tickets start at $20, only $5 for students steppenwolf.org | 312-335-1650

THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF

MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 9 ONLY!

By James Ijames

Directed by Whitney White

“Curious, Outlandish, Vicious and Uproarious!”

- Chicago Sun-Times

Ricobene’s, 252 W. 26th St. Sunday, 10am–12am; Monday–Thursday, 9am–12:30am; Friday 9am–2am; Saturday, 10am–2am. (312) 225-5555. Ricobenespizza.com.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

Tickets start at $20 | steppenwolf.org | 312-335-1650

BRIGHTON PARK & MCKINLEY PARK Compiled by Jocelyn Vega, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

G

rowing up, I didn’t realize Brighton Park and McKinley Park were separate entities. Until eighth grade, I didn’t realize that McKinley Park was actually a box on the map and not the crossroads filled with the places, shops, and people that I had memorized as all being in the same place. In elementary school, Paco’s Tacos, on Archer and 43rd, felt like it was down the block from 35th and Archer. This ten block difference only felt like going around the corner from my childhood home. My parents would always take me to eat tacos there after medical procedures as a young kid. At six years old, my love for tacos would be a bribe for me to trust the doctor another time.

I also remember Tastee Freez, from way back in the day, as my go-to ice cream spot for those massive M&M flurries with the coolest graffiti in the back. I would always beg mi Mamá, Obdulia, to take me there after street vending at the Catholic Church across the street on 44th & California. While El Super Mercado “El Güero” had fruit stands taller than me, I would pretend that the produce aisles were corn mazes that I saw on TV but never experienced in real life. Visiting El Güero always felt like visiting a fancy tia’s house who 20 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

had everything in the world. I secretly wanted to live in the cereal aisle, specifically the bottom shelf underneath the off-brand Mexican Lucky Charms. I saw Zemsky’s, on Archer, as our personal closet where we went for any clothing needs. It was that easy to me with an early child’s mind. I remember going to Brighton Park like any old walk and holding mi Mamá’s hand. I would get lost in colors, people moving, and daydreaming about hopefully getting a local snack for not causing any trouble during our visits.

In McKinley Park, most of the neighborhood felt like an extension of my backyard. I would play hide and go seek with most of my neighbor’s children. We even climbed baby trees and pretended to be King Kong. We chased each other on our bikes down sidewalks and, sometimes, ended up crashing against metal fences. My friends and I would often jump between backyards and family kitchens throughout the same day. At eight years old, I once had bunnies that escaped, and I pleaded with the friendly squirrels to help me. Luckily, they were found thanks to my family, neighborhood friends, and even some furry tree ones. I especially want to thank mi Papi, Enrique, for my earliest bond to nature. He would

run as I biked throughout McKinley Park and made sure I got to know the trees, grass, and flowers. He let me pretend for hours at McKinley Park with my imaginary friends and encouraged me to make real, random playground friends. I am grateful for both of my Papis for allowing me to live in my neighborhood with a carefree spirit that lives with me today.

For so long, I didn’t distinguish the two neighborhoods that blended into my early childhood. However, I grew up to respect McKinley and Brighton Park’s own identity, struggles, and histories in high school. Now as an adult, I see each neighborhood as geographic siblings that need each other more than ever. Our neighborhoods are facing gentrification and generational inequalities.

Pero también tenemos el rostro de nuestra gente, pasado, y potencial como comunidades comunes. Compartimos más de lo que nos divide. (But we also have the face of our people, past, and potential as common communities. We share more than what divides us). ( Jocelyn Vega) Jocelyn Vega is a first generation Latina dedicated to intergenerational healing and ancestors

BRIGHTON PARK & MCKINLEY PARK

BEST LONG STANDING CHEF IN MCKINLEY PARK

José Esparza at New Archview Restaurant

José Esparza is a community role model for many in McKinley Park and his current neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago. He is a leading chef after working at New Archview Restaurant for decades. This restaurant is a community favorite for many generations of McKinley Park residents. José is an amazing chef and team player in the kitchen. The restaurant is known for its weekend brunches and filling entrees.

Entire families, senior groups, and friends fill the parking lot, especially on weekends, to get a seat. The recent remodeling and additional patio have given the restaurant new life. However, José and other long serving staff have kept the restaurant’s pulse strong amongst change and during the pandemic. His dedication to his work and community of clients is recognized by many in McKinley Park.

Don José is also very important to my life and family. He moved upstairs with his family in my childhood home. I became best friends with their eldest son during pre school. His wife, la Señora Nena, would become my “Tia” (Aunt) for her gentle soul and hilarious humor. He was very caring towards his family and provided a great example of male mentorship outside of my own family. Don José and mi Papi were great friends. They encouraged our families to help each other as recent immigrants in the United States.

For example, La Señora Nena helped my mom manage my lice when there was an outbreak in kindergarten. I thought there were microscopic zebras and pandas running on my head. Instead of correcting me, she encouraged my creativity by asking for a safari story. After that day, she was one of my favorite people in the whole world because she taught me so much while allowing me to still be playful and make mistakes at that age. Don José and La Señora Nena moved out of McKinley Park, but they are

BEST LITTLE LEAGUE THAT SURVIVED THE PANDEMIC

OMEGA Delta

OMEGA Delta Youth Baseball League Inc., located at Hoyne Park, has supported generations of families and young people growing into their greatest potential through sportsmanship and leadership. Originally, there were only two teams, but now OMEGA Delta hosts twenty-five, and mentors over 300 youth per year. Youth come from nearby neighborhoods and from previous generations of OMEGA Delta players.

Teams range as young as T-Ball to eighteen-year-olds. Since 2006, you can hear crowds cheering young people from the stands and lawn chairs dotting the baseball diamond field lines.

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JOSÉ ESPARZA, PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

my earliest memory of neighbors with children my age. It’s always a joy when I see him or his family at the New Archview parking lot. It brings me back to being five years old and thinking lice were adorable zoo animals. ( Jocelyn Vega) New Archview Restaurant, 3480 S. Archer Ave. Monday–Sunday, 6am–3pm. newarchview.com. (773) 254-4862 However, during the pandemic, there were many challenges that the world faced.

This year marks a full come back, and the league is stronger than ever. Thanks to the leadership of Daniel “Danny” Gaichas, and a group team of dedicated group parents and coaches, the league survived COVID-19. Danny was also my softball coach when I was a teen and figuring myself out. His motivational power would inspire my team to try again after losing games or improving our technique. Danny would also push us to keep excelling in school and finding more mentors in school and as peers. He was a positive role model that helped me build a support system in middle and high school. I continue to see Danny work with generations of youth over a decade later. It’s hilarious to now hear him on a speaker officially narrating games versus him blowing his vocal chords across the field.

Nearly each weekend this past summer, you’ll see dozens of uniformed children running across the playground, chasing grounders, and a baseball game taking place.

In the background, there is a beautiful blend of youth, across generations, mentoring one another and being positive role models. The league also gained enough support to purchase an official score that upgraded the games to professional levels. For many young people, this league is their sense of pride that is built with community and across families. On September 3rd, OMEGA Delta hosted its annual award ceremony and recognized the growth and success of teams and their families. The megaphone echoed Hoyne avenue with many cheers and many youth hugging their trophies. ( Jocelyn Vega) OMEGA Delta Baseball, 3417 S. Hamilton Ave. See season schedule for hours. omegadeltabaseball.org. (312) 661-4733

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21

BRIGHTON PARK & MCKINLEY PARK

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD WELDER

Don Javier “Javy” Chavez

Don Javy is the most reliable welder in the neighborhood after serving dozens of families due to his lifetime work. He has helped countless families achieve fashionable and high-quality security with his metal work, like fences for the front and back yard, at affordable rates.

He is also an expert in building porches and other metal projects to achieve a family’s needs. On my block alone, he helped construct multiple fences for over six homes—that I am aware of— during my childhood. Down my block, he built all of the second story balconies of a new housing development after the destruction of an abandoned building. As a Mexican immigrant, he was another positive male role model for me and for his community as a small business owner who continues to be successful.

My family worked with Don Javy PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO over twenty years ago when mis Papis finally saved to replace my childhood home’s fence. They trusted Don Javy due to his patience to answer questions and provide updates throughout the service. I remember at a young age that this was one housing project that didn’t stress them out. Don Javy was also kind enough to let me observe at a young age. I had never seen sparks of fire or metal work. At first, I thought he was a fire magician, but then I saw how the tubes and machines came together. I would mock his technique from afar with my teddy bears as he worked. I would tell my mom what I learned from Don Javy and make up words in English and Spanish to explain.

Don Javy is also a lighthearted spirit and is still connected to my family decades later.

My dad and him crack up the funniest jokes. I have to remember that they didn’t grow up together. Over twenty years later, Don Javy still recognizes me as the tiny kid who would throw her teddy bears around and play in the yard with her Dora the Explorer haircut. It’s awesome to still be connected with him. Don Javy takes quality in his work, connecting with customers, and knows how to make anyone laugh. ( Jocelyn Vega) Don “Javy” Chavez. (773) 841-6295

BEST LAUNDROMAT WITH DRY CLEANING SERVICES

Harts Coin Laundry

Growing up, I loved going to the laundromat. I know for many this is not the case, now as adults or as children back in the day. Harts continues to be a staple in my life thanks to their affordable dry-cleaning services. As a young kid, I loved Harts because they had the best music, different television channels playing, vending machines with good options, and offered a separate play and eating area for customers. There was one time where I didn’t want to leave because they were playing a movie only available on cable, which my family didn’t have. Harts felt like a mall in my five-year-old eyes.

This laundromat also felt more family friendly compared to the one closer to my home. The staff were always kind and didn’t make children feel like a burden. I always 22 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

looked forward to going and supporting my family to stay fresh. I loved playing imaginary tag with the dryer machine as a way to pass time. I pretended to “chase” one of my sock friends like it was “whack a mole,” laundry edition. I would keep track but still lose pairs of socks afterwards, which I never understood.

Another activity was playing crosswords with mi Papá. I would additionally hunt down words by tracking how his massive mustache wiggled when he found a faint trace of something. Con mi mamá (with my mom), I would hold her hand and ask for hugs as we waited for the washing machine. I did my best to help with folding, but I wasn’t promoted beyond sock folding, opening doors, and packing the clothes until middle school. Harts is an awesome place where I recommend going to wash those dusty fall and winter blankets. The dry cleaning is also highly recommended! ( Jocelyn Vega) Hart’s Coin Laundry, 3800 S. Campbell Ave. Monday–Friday, 6am–9pm; Saturday, 5am–9pm; Sunday, 5am–8pm. (773) 523-8038

BEST AFFORDABLE PUERTO RICAN APPETIZERS

Que Rico!

As one of the newest restaurants in Brighton Park, Que Rico! brings Puerto Rican food to this South Side neighborhood, representing the proud Caribbean island. It’s not a common sight to see the Puerto Rican businesses but definitely welcomed.

All of Que Rico’s “frituras” (appetizers) are pretty delicious and some of their

BRIGHTON PARK & MCKINLEY PARK prices are unbeatable. The pinchos de pollo (chicken on a stick) are hearty and only cost $3.50. The island’s famous treats of rellenos de papas (potato croquette) and pastelillos de res (crispy meat pies) cost under three dollars. Happy customers can order any appetizers under four dollars.

If you’re able to move on to meals, the carne frita, which are perfectly fried pork meat pieces, is my favorite with a side of maduros, fried plantains, and one of their homemade juices. Their emparedados, pressed sandwiches, are other great options.

The jibarito is a classic that never fails thanks to its crisp, smashed plantain as a bread replacement. Jibarito is definitely something you need to try in your lifetime. For those with extreme hunger, the tripleta sandwich includes lechon (Puerto Rican flavored pork), chicken, and bistec (beef ) that perfectly combines flavor across unique protein.

The pollochon (chicken entrée) is a great option if you’re sharing a meal or want to take leftovers home. I recommend ordering the pollochon with the mofongo, a delicious fried and mashed green plantain. Each meal is unique and further complemented with any of the appetizers. There are beautiful murals of Viejo San Juan, cascading waterfalls, and tropical birds throughout the space. It’s beautiful to see a Puerto Rican restaurant represented on Chicago’s South Side. ( Jocelyn Vega Que Rico! Restaurant. 4454 S. Western Ave. Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–9pm. quericoprfood. com. (773) 565-4534

BEST TAQUERÍA CON TORTILLAS HECHAS A MANO

Los Chepes

This restaurant can be overlooked when you’re driving down Archer Avenue, but I suggest you pull over. Tucked away on a side street, this restaurant might become one of your top taco spots. The decor is also one of my favorites. They have adorable Ty stuffed animals as part of their cashier area. Whenever I pay, it reminds me of being in Mexico before I step back into the rest of Chicago. There’s a lot of love that goes into this establishment from the food to the small details. The decorations during the holidays also make the place stand out.

Los Chepes truly serves it all when it comes to regional Mexican Food. Their handmade tortillas are the cherry on top and what sets them apart. There is nothing like the softness of fresh masa (corn dough) when you bite into it. Masa is truly a gift from the ancestors for many Mexican and Central American communities and descended from thousands of years of culture. Eating the tortillas is worth the trip alone. However, if you want more than just masa, the menu is packed with options.

The proportions are hearty and will leave you filled to run a marathon. Some of the meals, like a quesadilla, are as long as the length from your wrist to the tips of your fingers. You can definitely taste the amazing flavors of Mexico in Chicago. I also love this place because they sell lamb which is very hard to consistently find. There is truly something for everyone in your group.

Los Chepes also caters most of its menu and offers economical lunch specials as well.

If you’re not sure what to try, the barbacoa de borrego y montalayo are wonderful options, and their carnitas estilo Michoacan are worth taking home to continue the delicious flavors at home. They also sell great combos. There is a deal for twenty-seven dollars that includes two pounds of carnitas, an order of rice, beans, salsas, and two liter soda. For thirty-nine dollars, you can purchase the same deal but have two pounds of barbacoa de borrego (lamb) instead. Both options are extremely reasonable. You can also keep it classic with tacos or a torta which never fails. You really can’t go wrong, but you’ll probably be back to try more. It’s definitely a neighborhood classic. ( Jocelyn Vega)

PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

BEST GENERATIONAL CORNER STORE

Oakley Foods

As a staple to many McKinley Park residents, this corner store has been standing for generations. The beautiful building has brick and fencing that makes it truly stand out. For over twenty years, this mom-and-pop shop has all the snacks, drinks, and additional treats on a budget. The store’s layout brings you back to your childhood, if you went to the nearby schools, like Everett Elementary School on 34th and Bell.

Neighbors make a pit stop during afternoon and early evening walks to pick up a drink or snacks to end the stroll. At night, the store has bright and coordinated lights that feel like you’re watching a light show performance.

For generations, this store has been embedded in many childhoods. I remember following my sister after school to pick up juice boxes with her quarters. These tiny moments mark special memories during my time at Everett. It is also my earliest memories of my sister buying me snacks and walking home together. Growing up, I would see a tiny mob, wearing blue sweatpants with golden print, rushing to this corner store. It’s funny to see the same sight now. Some things never change thanks to timeless stores like this. It’s incredible, yet sad, to know this is the last standing corner store on the north store of Archer in the neighborhood. ( Jocelyn Vega) Oakley Foods, 3300 S. Oakley Ave. Monday–Saturday, 9am–9pm; Sunday, 9am–7pm.

(773) 523-3945

Carnitas & Barbacoa Los Chepes, 3116 W. Pope John Paul II Dr. Monday & Wednesday– Sunday, 10am–5pm. loschepeschicago.com. (773) 565-4105.</ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 23

BRONZEVILLE & WASHINGTON PARK Compiled by Emily-Melissa Walker, Neighborhood captain, Malik Jackson, Lilly Astrow and Jason Schumer PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

O

ur neighborhood introductions are generally written by one of two types of people: someone with deep roots in the neighborhood, like Bronzeville’s 2020 captain, Bridget Vaughn, whose family settled here during the Great Migration, or someone who’s just beginning to set down roots, like Jacqueline L. Foreman, a civically engaged, first-time homeowner who captained the Washington Park section last year. I fall into the latter category.

The first time I remember visiting Bronzeville was to meet a friend for dinner at Yassa African Restaurant, shortly after moving to Chicago in 2011. Yassa chicken with a side of jollof rice and plantains is still one of my go-to dinners in the neighborhood.

I moved to the South Side at a time when Washington Park was changing in real time, right before my eyes, as I drove to work at the University of Chicago. The university, of course, was responsible for the dramatic changes I was seeing unfold along Garfield Boulevard, Washington Park’s main artery running east to west. Oliva Adams, the 2016 Washington Park captain, noted that “between 2008 and 2014, the University spent $18 million to buy twenty-six properties in Washington Park,” including the building that became the Currency Exchange Cafe, which is now known as Retreat at Currency Exchange and which is this year’s “Best Happy Hour.”

But my real introduction to both neighborhoods, and to so much of the South Side, for that matter, began when I started delivering newspapers and volunteering as a photographer for the Weekly, where I’m now the Managing Director. Only then did I truly realize how big Bronzeville is. They call Chicago the city of neighborhoods, but Bronzeville is the neighborhood of neighborhoods. It is made up of at least three distinct community areas: Douglas, along its northern boundary; Grand Boulevard, which runs along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive; and Oakland, which is sandwiched up against the lakefront. Keep driving south through Grand Boulevard on King Drive and you spill out into Washington Park, both the community area and the park for 24 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

which it is named.

My fiancée, Lilly, and I bought our first home in Bronzeville last year. We settled in near the Calumet-Giles-Prairie District, another area within Bronzeville that feels like it could be its own neighborhood, albeit a small one. This area is nicknamed “The Gap” because of its collection of row houses that survived “urban renewal” after the end of the second World War. Within the first week of moving in, our neighbors impressed two important facts upon us. First: the holiday lights on Prairie Avenue are a source of community pride and that we should stock up on decorations. Second: the legendary producer Quincy Jones grew up in the house next door to us. (The exact address of his childhood home remains in dispute on the block.) But Jones is far from the only notable former resident of the neighborhood. An afternoon spent with the “TikTok historian” Shermann “Dilla” Thomas of Mahogany Tours, another one of this year’s bests, will tell you all about the rich history of this historic neighborhood.

The Weekly’s annual Best of the South Side issue is one of the reasons I now call this neighborhood home. And it’s directly responsible for my addiction to the lemon pound cake from Eméché, 2020’s “Best New Cakery.” Whether you have deep roots in these neighborhoods or not, we hope you’ll find something new to love in the bests below. Lilly highly recommends a walk to the Burnham Park Wildlife Corridor, featured in this year’s “Best Bridge Over DuSable Lake Shore Drive.” ( Jason Schumer) Jason Schumer has worked with the Weekly in some capacity since 2016. He is currently the Managing Director of South Side Weekly NFP, the nonprofit that publishes both the Weekly and the Hyde Park Herald.

BRONZEVILLE & WASHINGTON PARK

BEST PLACE TO DRINK IN ART

Happy Hour at Retreat at Currency Exchange

Retreat at Currency Exchange, one of Theaster Gates’s several projects on the 300 block of E. Garfield Blvd., also known as the Arts Block, has many façades besides the wall revealing the building’s past as an actual place to cash checks and pay utility bills.

A café and artist working space by day, Retreat at Currency Exchange moonlights as a bar on Thursdays and Fridays for happy hour, from 5pm to its 9pm close.

If Starbucks exists for some as the “third place” between home and work, Retreat exists for artists and members of the community as a homegrown third place between home and gallery.

Gates’s trademark inclination—of using his urban planning background to repurpose the detritus of white flight and disinvestment into an elegant statement—is on full display at this location, where everything has an artistic bent. The chipping paint walls of the former Currency Exchange are lined with bookshelves and comfortable seating areas; director of music programming Baredu Ahmed’s carefully curated list of jazz, house, neo-soul, afro-beats, and other styles fill the space (when it’s not filled by the music of a live ensemble, as it is most Thursdays); and Jason Vazquez, director of operations, uses his mixologist background and his time at the Art Institute of Chicago to create riffs on classic cocktails that speak to the community. His Controlled Currency cocktail uses bourbon, coffee liqueur, and cold brew made by CTRL Z, the Retreat-based coffee brand headed by Zandro Zafra, who uses Costa Rican

PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

coffee beans roasted in Chicago.

“It is a rotating menu,” said Vazquez. “We had more of a summer menu recently and now we're gonna go into fall and winter with more flavors, you know, darker spirits, spices, cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin spice.”

Previously, Retreat at Currency Exchange hosted pop-ups by local chefs on occasion, but Sabina Bokhari, director of communications and philanthropic initiatives for Gates’s Rebuild Foundation, said to be on the lookout for a resident chef by the end of the month.“We consider it as an incubator for culinary entrepreneurs...We are really intent on making sure that we're supporting BIPOC culinary entrepreneurs through this residency program, where they'll have a brick-and-mortar space to serve out of if they haven't before, and are able to cultivate a community on the South Side,” said Bokhari.

Pro tip: Be sure to bring cash to tip the bartender, as their credit card reader did not allow for a tip on a card at the time. (Francisco Ramírez Pinedo) Happy Hour, Retreat at Currency Exchange, 305 E. Garfield Blvd. Happy hour Thursday and Friday, 5pm–9pm. Coffee bar open Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm. Instagram: @ retreatcurrencyexchange

BEST BUS TOUR

Mahogany Tours

Growing up I’ve often heard about Chicago’s rich history.As I have gotten older,I begin to notice some glaring omissions from the city’s mainstream narrative. Specifically in reference to the West and South Sides.

I came across urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas via Twitter. Every so often he’d post a video about a minute or so long diving into a little known historical or cultural tidbit about our great city. When he began offering bus tours of Bronzeville, I knew I had to get a ticket. I’m so glad I did.

What struck me about Dilla when I met him with the rest of the group is that he’s remarkably Chicago. I’d been on a number of group tours downtown and along

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 25

BRONZEVILLE & WASHINGTON PARK

the river with bubbly guides (many of whom had not lived here very long), but this one was different. He looks like, speaks like, and acts like my Chicago. The people I grew up with. I hadn’t realized how necessary that was.

“Everything dope about America comes from Chicago,” he boasts. And with good cause. Over the next two hours we ride on a coach bus through Bronzeville as he stops to point out everything from architectural details (how the different color brick homes meant the clay was sourced from different regions) to notable residents of the past (Redd Fox and Harold Washington attended high school together).

There was so much packed into each of the 120 minutes of the ride, I came out with a completely different, and more endearing, perspective of a neighborhood I had already loved. (Emily-Melissa Walker) Chicago MahoganyTours.For information about current tours,visit www.chicagomahogany. com. $45–50.

BEST WRITING GROUP

PenFlow

In 2020, when the world seemed to slow down, many of us picked up new and old hobbies—some even stemming from our childhoods. You could not scroll a social media feed without bumping into photos of friends and family caring for new plants, picking up knitting needles, or returning to a beloved instrument.

This is what led me to seek out a writing group.

Coincidentally, it’s also what led to the birth of PenFlow writing sessions. It was not lost on me that such a space started up in poet Gwendolyn Brooks’s beloved Bronzeville.

“We wanted to create a space for people to get back to writing, or to even start writing, and provide an intimate setting for them to perform those pieces for anyone who may be nervous performing in front of others,” said PenFlow co-host Jovan “Skrypt” Plunkett.

Besides the occasional English class assignment, I had never taken a crack at writing poetry—let alone performing a piece in front of others. But the vibe at the sessions is such that even a novice like myself felt welcome to perform in front of some of the best spoken word artists, rappers, and poets in Chicago.

Each session begins with a two-hour window to write about the topic picked for the evening. The scene is an inviting one—a space about the size of a three-bedroom apartment, with quiet rooms for strictly writing others for those of us who like to be a bit more social, and a main room for collaboration. As guests arrive, co-hosts Jovan and Darron Anthony filter through the group to see who would like to perform. Though there is no pressure, there is often gentle nudging. “I always look forward to hearing your songs! Even if they are unfinished,” I overheard Darron saying to one of the group’s songwriters one night.

Hosts invite attendees to feel out the scene for the first two sessions, then decide if they would like to become a member. The space is 420 and BYOB friendly, which allows some of the creators to get into their modes. (Emily-Melissa Walker) Happy Hour, Retreat at Currency Exchange, 305 E. Garfield Blvd. Happy hour Thursday and Friday, 5pm–9pm. Coffee bar open Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm. Instagram: @ retreatcurrencyexchange

26 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BEST BRIDGE OVER DUSABLE LAKE SHORE DRIVE

35th Street Bridge

I love every pedestrian bridge across the DuSable/LSD—they all help me reach Lake Michigan, my favorite place in the world. But among these lovely bridges, the best is the 35th Street bridge, because it leads to a field of flowers.

This lakeside prairie is part of the Burnham Park Wildlife Corridor, a ribbon of native grasses and wildflowers. The flowers bloom all season and the palette of the park changes as the months go on. I’m particularly fond of the bright yellows and pastel purples of late July, when black-eyed susans, bee balm, and milkweed are in full bloom.

It’s not a big park, but it is immediately enveloping. Stepping off the bridge, you can meander down one of the thin dirt paths leading deeper into the prairie. The noise from the road muffles, the city disappears from view. You can see a sliver of deep blue lake just over the crest of grasses. The last time I was there, the air was full of dragonflies. (Lilly Astrow) 35th Street Pedestrian Bridge, 3500 S. Lake Shore Dr.

PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

BEST EVERYTHING VENDOR

Truck Outside the Garfield Green Line Stop

If you’ve ever had to catch a train at the Garfield Green Line stop, you might notice a very familiar fixture: Garland Gantt's truck, outside of which you can pick up socks, clothes, pops, and water bottles. But inside his truck, Gantt operates what is essentially a mobile corner store.

You can pick up snowballs, hot dogs, ground beef nachos, and even Italian beefs.

He's been at the same spot since 2002.

Gantt is one of the best people to ask about the undergoing transformation of the neighborhood while you pick up a bag of chips.

Inflation is something that has not escaped this entrepreneur, as he makes it clear on his signage that rising prices are due to economics.

When asked what the biggest change he’s seen all these years, he attributes the investments made by the University of Chicago. (Francisco Ramírez Pinedo) Outside the Garfield Green Line stop, 320 E. Garfield Blvd. Monday–Friday, 10:30am– 7:30pm.

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

CHATHAM & GREATER GRAND CROSSING Compiled by Miranda Ploss, Neighborhood Captain

Neighborhood captain Miranda Ploss is a fourth-generation Chatham resident. She is a purpose-driven creative helping people tell their stories and be seen.

My family has lived in Chatham since the late 50s, when my great-grandmother moved from her Park Manor home in Greater Grand Crossing and purchased a sixflat building on 82nd and Prairie.

Nana, or, as the world knew her, Adele Devera Pryor, was a woman who wore many hats. She was an educator, activist, and community leader, on top of being a mother and the matriarch of her family.

My Nana grew up in the South during the Great Depression, the daughter of two former slaves who were emancipated late in their childhood. Despite everything against her, she became. Nana, following her eldest sister, moved north to Chicago.

She owned and flipped multiple properties, earned a master’s in education, and esSEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 27

Picturesque Scenes Walking through both Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing you are guaranteed to see some of the most breathtaking picturesque blocks in the city. With wellmaintained properties, manicured lawns, clear bright skies, and big full trees it’s hard not to stop and stare as you walk around.

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

tablished a legacy of dedication and perseverance that would last generations to come.

After much success in real estate, moving throughout Bronzeville, then to Park Manor, my Nana chose Chatham as the community to take root in. She taught for many years at Ruggles Elementary on 78th and Prairie, and attended the Congregational Church of Park Manor on 70th and King Dr. My grandmother, known affectionately as Madear, attended Hirsch High School on 77th and Ingleside, where she was one of eight Black students. A couple of years after graduating, she married her high school sweetheart in historic fashion, being one of the first Black couples to be married at Holy Name Cathedral. Starting a new family, they set down roots in Chatham.

My mother, while growing up in Chatham, attended Jane A. Neil Elementary, Ruggles Elementary, and Arthur Dixon School before going to Lindblom Technical High School (later renamed Lindblom Math and Science Academy) with a bevy of other Chatham kids. Time and a life of her own drew my mother away from Chatham physically, but the loving and warm neighborhood was always in her heart.

In the summer of 1997, just before I turned five, my mother decided to relocate back to the community that raised her, back to the block she grew up on. Since then, excluding my time away in college, I have called Chatham home. When I was younger, my favorite thing to do besides going to Cole Park, or riding my bike with friends, was to walk. As a kid, I would walk all over Chatham. I walked to school with my neighbors, to various friends’ houses to assemble the squad for our next adventure, to the gas station on 83rd and King Dr. or Chatham Foods on 79th and Calumet to get snacks.

While living here I have done many things because of, with, and for my community, from Girl Scouts to community beautification, mentoring, and more. Yet and still, a peaceful walk around my neighborhood gives my adventurous heart the most joy. Over time, all things change and in the span of my nearly three decades here I have been privileged to witness Chatham evolve. During my walks now I get to reminisce while enjoying what Chatham is today.

One of the best things about Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing are the neighborhoods themselves, so what better way to explore them than by taking a walk through the community? Today, I invite you to do just that, by sharing my own observations and photographs. (Miranda Ploss)

28 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BEST STORY OF RESILIENCE

Harold’s Chicken Shack No. 55

If you’re from the city, or have been here for a little while, you’ve probably been asked the question, Harold’s or Remus? Well, being the South Sider that I am, it has always been Harold’s!

However, there is a follow-up question when you pick Harold’s: Which one?

That answer is the Harold’s on 87th. It’s not just the best on the South Side, it’s the best in the city. Opened in 1992 by Percy Billings, it can easily be called the mecca of fried chicken.

As a kid, if getting chips and candy from the gas station was equivalent to getting gold, getting some Harold’s from 87th was like finding diamonds. One of the most exciting parts of the Harold’s experience was walking through the back door. I felt like Sincere in the beginning of Belly. From the lens of a child the world is so massive, yet everything you experience feels like it is yours and yours alone. So going to Harold’s made me feel exclusive, like I was one of the VIPs that had their own private entrance.

In growing up, and gaining the ability to take myself places whenever I felt like it.

I would often find myself at Harold’s late at night, during the week and especially on weekends, waiting patiently for my six-wing with mild sauce and sometimes my large gizzard. If you didn’t know, they make the best gizzards I have ever had, and I will not order them anywhere else. Weekend nights at Harold’s was definitely something to experience; you never knew who you would run into or how long of a wait there would be… So when I found out they opened an express location on the other side of the Dan Ryan I felt like I unlocked a cheat code.

From that point on whenever I wanted some Harold’s and the location on 100 W. 87th St. was crowded I would go right to 8653 S. State St. and place my order.

The Harold’s on 87th will forever be a staple in my coming of age, just like a few other businesses I was able to witness growing up in Chatham. They showed me that Black people are not just capable of accomplishing but also thriving, supporting themselves and the community around them.

So in July of 2020, in the midst of experiencing a magnitude of loss on so many levels, I was saddened to hear that the beloved location that held so many memories

Decorated Front Porches/Yards I’m not sure whether or not there is a secret competition as to which neighborhood has the best decorated/landscaped porches and front yards, but the one-two punch that is Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing would definitely take the purse!

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

HAROLD'S CHICKEN,PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

was closing. When I first found out a part of me panicked, because so many businesses I grew up with in Chatham had gone out of existence over the years. I did not want to lose another pillar of the community.

Naturally, I was overjoyed to find out that they were not closing completely, but rather adapting to the changes thrust upon them. The Express location has become their primary location and they now have two food trucks that operate throughout the city and are also available for private events. You can often find one of their food trucks operating in the parking lot near their original location.

Change can be devastating to a business. The resilience of Harold’s to persevere and remain open when so many businesses of its generation have shut their doors entirely is inspiring. Despite the challenges—of people being unaware of the Express location and its relation to the former location, and limited parking—Harold’s No. 55 is doing well, according to Bryce Billings, daily operations manager and grandson of Percy Billings.

When asked about the impact the community has had on Harold’s, Bryce Billings had this to say: “Oh, it’s a big part. Chatham has been with [Percy Billings] for years, since he started over there, about thirty years ago. He got a ton of love from them, they have always supported him and that’s what he thrives off of. That’s what he looks forward to every day.”

It’s safe to say that Harold’s will always be a part of Chatham’s past, present, and future. (Miranda Ploss)

Interesting Homes From custom additions like butterflies and stone statues to allencompassing foliage, and everything in between, Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing boast of beautifully designed homes.

Harold’s Chicken Shack No. 55 Express, 8653 S. State St. Open daily, 11am–midnight.

(773) 874-8653. haroldschicken55.com

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 29

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

DI BESS YARD COLLIDE

Just Jerk Cafe

I have never been to Jamaica, but something deep within me tells me that the food at Just Jerk Cafe at 119 E. 79th St. is truly authentic, which makes perfect sense considering two-thirds of the ownership were born and raised in Jamaica. They are more than worthy of being a Best! Located in the restaurant space attached to Duke’s Lounge, they have proven their value and quality after being open for more than ten years in a space where other restaurants could barely stay open for more than a year or two.

I spent a lot of time there during my childhood, in the back office at Duke’s, learning about business from my aunties, or in the apartments upstairs hanging out with my cousins, as Duke’s and the building itself are owned by close family friends. For the longest time, there was a Chinese restaurant in that space. After closing in the early 2000s, many other restaurants came and went, and there even were some years where the space was just vacant. So in 2011 when Just Jerk Cafe opened, I was super excited that another Black-owned restaurant had opened in Chatham. Aside from knowing just how amazing their food is and being a regular customer, I didn’t know much about the business or its owners: J.R., Gia Lake and her husband.

In an in-depth conversation with Gia about Just Jerk Cafe and its impact on Chatham, I learned that she and her husband had an affinity for the South Side and wanted to support the community while providing jobs for the people that live here.

As for the rest, I think it's best that her words speak for themselves.

30 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Why did they choose this location to open their restaurant?

People rely on public transport for their jobs. So having something that’s in the city on the South Side that might be in their neighborhood, or not too far that they had to commute. That it would give them a chance to have a job.

How do you feel about Chatham and your time that you’ve spent here thus far as a business?

So love Chatham. I had family in this area for a long time. I actually grew up in Bronzeville, but my family are all [on the] South Side, like [deep] South Side. So 79th street, my grandmother is over east, their first house when they moved from the low end [was in the Greater Grand Crossing] area. So we’ve kind of always had an affinity for this kind of area. As a business owner in this area, I can’t picture us being somewhere else. I mean, of course we have kinda considered it and said like, ‘Oh well could we maybe open up a second location? Are we robust enough to be able to do that yet? If for some reason something happened and we couldn’t be here? (with the idea of gentrification right).’ I do know they’re planning a kind of project for 79th and State. So in kind of thinking about that, we don’t know what else would be home and this is truly home for us. That’s what’s kept us here as a business. I don’t know if [there is another neighborhood that] would capture our customer base, the people we end up [meeting]. There are some people that come from as far as [the] south suburbs. We have people that come from Indiana, the West Side. They’ll call us and say, ‘Hey please don’t put my food away. We’re coming all the way off of 290 from the West Side,’ and

we’re like ‘Ok, no worries. We will put your food to the side. We won’t give your food away.’They’re like, ‘No cause I know that you guys will sell out of things.’ I think, being able to be here, a staple of this area and this community as we’ve reopened.

Which I don’t know if you were aware, that we actually had to close for like three months, because someone ran into the building. We closed, the accident happened May 30, [2022] and we just opened back up [Aug 22, 2022].

Coming back, being open and hearing the outpour of people that are like, ‘Omg I’m so glad that you guys were back, I thought you guys weren’t gonna reopen.’ People saying, ‘Oh I live around the corner, I always come to your restaurant. I always ride down 79th, I see you guys. I kept checking, riding by to see if maybe you guys opened back up.’ You know, people were calling and saying ‘Oh I wasn’t sure if you guys relocated.’ Calling the number to see if maybe that was what happened. To know how we do truly impact the community, was just like, for me coming back and us being reopen was definitely touching. [Be]cause I guess I just didn’t really think about how much we were, like I knew what we wanted to be able to do, but I guess I didn’t realize how many people really did love our food and love that we’re here. You know, [some people] would have felt maybe a little bit of a void had we moved somewhere else.

What’s something special about Just Jerk Cafe that people should know?

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

Interesting Details If you’re like me, you probably get caught up in the details and there are so many to stop and marvel at while walking through the neighborhood. If you’re an avid photographer or simply a hobbyist I can promise you will have a splendid time on this neighborhood walk.

Something special, I mean other than we put just a ton of love and care into the food.

Not to say that other restaurants maybe don’t do it. I mean in the restaurant industry you kinda hear different things, different stories.

We intentionally show people their food before they leave. I know in some other restaurants you can just like get your food packed up, [and you leave]. That’s part of the experience that we feel you should have coming into the restaurant, is [to] see what your food looks like, [and] know that you have everything correct. We want to make sure that you’re happy with your food before you leave. So it’s not a situation where you get all the way home and then something is missing. Or, again thinking about some people may be traveling from pretty far or just sometimes them coming from around the corner, but having to leave back outta the house, come back to the restaurant.

That’s just so disappointing when that’s something you’re intending to be able to eat, your food. You’re like ‘hey I’m excited about my food,’ and then you open it up and it’s not what you were expecting. So that’s one thing that we really have always kept, even when we’re busy. A lot of times, people have gotten so used to our food, some people that we have that are the regulars, they will come in, they’ll be like ‘y’all don’t gotta show me this food, I know its gon be good.’ So that is a thing where I’m like oh that feels great, they know that we don’t even have to, they’re trusting us to know that they don’t even have to look at their food. That they know that it’s gonna be good.

Then I mean, it’s fresh food, we’re not doing frozen quick-ready kind of cooking.

The chicken, we’re buying fresh not frozen chicken. From an expense stand point, for us that is more expensive in terms of chicken, but I think a lot of people don’t necessarily think about that when they’re ordering food. Some restaurants maybe don’t necessarily think about that, they’re just like ‘hey I’m trying to cut costs as much as possible,’ and I get that. We just don’t want to sacrifice on that, when it comes to getting people fresh food.

I truly hope this added insight into the passion, consideration, and purpose behind Just Jerk Cafe will bring you in to grab a bite. Because once you get to experience the warming and inviting atmosphere and you’ve tried their food, you’ll definitely become a regular! (Miranda Ploss) Just Jerk Cafe, 19 E. 79th St. Monday–Saturday, 11:30am–9pm; Sundays, closed. $3.50– $20. (773) 846-2232.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 31

New Trends/Innovations As a neighborhood evolving with the times, you’ll see many homes with modernized exteriors, second floor additions, and even full rehabs.

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

Nature Taking a walk through this neighborhood is essentially a nature walk, with trees of all different types and sizes, rare insects often not seen, and so many residents growing all types of flowers and foliage. The crisp air and bright sunshine almost make you forget that you’re in a bustling city.

PHOTO BY MIRANDA PLOSS

Fun Oddities You never know what you’ll find while walking through Chatham/ Greater Grand Crossing. You can come across anything… a faux deer hiding amongst shrubbery, cool old school cars, a small custom pond, or a personalized street sign.

32 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BEST COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY

Stephanie Hart of Brown Sugar Bakery

As a young Black woman growing up on the South Side, I didn’t see tangible contemporary examples of business owners I could see myself in. That was until I got the opportunity to meet Stephanie Hart, owner of Brown Sugar Bakery.

I first met her when I was in the sixth grade. My mom is in love with chess pie, a southern classic that most bakeries seldom make. So when she found out that Stephanie made her most cherished treat we became regulars. At that time the bakery was located just off of 75th and Evans.

Over time my mother and Stephanie got closer and our visits to Brown Sugar Bakery grew longer, as they would always sit and chat for a while. What I didn’t fully understand then was that I had been given a rare opportunity to witness purpose at work. It is because of the access granted by my mother’s connection to Stephanie that I got a closer view than most of the beginnings of Brown Sugar Bakery.

Through the years, as Brown Sugar Bakery and Stephanie grew in notoriety and acclaim, I’ve cheered her success as my own. The pride I feel in constantly seeing Stephanie get the notice she more than deserves truly cannot be encapsulated in words. It makes my spirit rejoice.

With the level of attention the bakery has received over the years, she could have relocated the bakery elsewhere, to places that most would assume to be more profitable or beneficial to her business. However, Stephanie is committed to the South Side, committed to Greater Grand Crossing, committed to 75th Street.

It’s not just the delicious treats that make Brown Sugar Bakery an ultimate best, but the passion and commitment to community exhibited by its phenomenal owner Stephanie Hart. (Miranda Ploss) Note: I got the opportunity to speak with Stephanie. Not only did we speak about the importance of community and having spaces to enjoy in our own neighborhood, but I was also able to give her her flowers. Check out this section online at southsideweekly. com to read the interview.

Brown Sugar Bakery, 328 E. 75th St. Open Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–6pm; Sunday 12pm–5pm. (773) 224-6262. brownsugarbakerychicago.com

CHICAGO LAWN & WEST LAWN Compiled by Jacqueline Serrato Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

Jacqueline Serrato is the Weekly’s editor-in-chief. She was born and raised in La Villita and has lived all over the South Side, including in West Lawn.

W

est Lawn and Chicago Lawn have always been predominantly Catholic, immigrant, and family-oriented neighborhoods that share important commercial corridors.The sprawling Marquette Park spans both neighborhoods—further blurring the lines between each community area.

There’s also the unfortunate stain of racism in the local history of both, as memorialized by the monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. installed in 2016 on 67th and Kedzie. This is near the site where he was stoned in 1966 as he bravely marched for civil rights through a park filled with angry protesters.

But as has been previously reported by the Weekly and others, significant demographic shifts at the turn of the century have transformed this area of the city. Census numbers show that the white population that initially settled in West Lawn and Chicago Lawn is in decline.

In 2010, there were about 7,300 residents who identified as white living in these neighborhoods, according to the Census. By 2020, that population had dropped to about 4,400. In contrast, about 62,300 Latinx residents—of predominantly Mexican descent—currently live in West Lawn and Chicago Lawn, per the 2020 Census.

This major shift was first palpable during the pandemic when traditional Mexican parades were canceled and the roads going downtown were blocked. So thousands upon thousands of Mexican residents flooded Pulaski, Kedzie, California, and beyond in celebration—bringing traffic to a standstill—and showing the city, and each other, that there’s power in their numbers.

But their political power isn’t up to par yet. There’s a strong legacy of machine politics on the Southwest Side that has helped prevent this, though probably not for much longer, given recent indictments of elected officials and the ongoing so-called exodus from City Council, as sitting aldermen decline to seek re-election in 2023.

The concept of the “Indian” monument on 63rd and Pulaski also needs some “unpacking” and re-evaluation due to this new context. There’s a problematic history of white Americans appropriating Native American imagery to advertise cigar shops (as was the original purpose of this effigy) and commodify it. I’ve read accounts of locals who would shoot arrows at its back in the old days. I hope the symbolism of the “Indian” is gaining a new meaning with the influx of brown people to the area.

Today, residents are writing a new chapter in the history of West and Chicago Lawn. I hope they embrace the magnitude of this moment. ( Jacqueline Serrato)

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 33

BEST TACOS DE BARBACOA

Los Comales De Doña Ana

The Los Comales restaurants are the region’s most famous Mexican food franchise— you can find one as far as Joliet. But not all Comales restaurants are created equal.

While the menus are fundamentally the same, each restaurant has a different owner and a different appeal. The location on 60th and Pulaski is run by a family matriarch, Doña Ana (whose name has been added to the restaurant name), and she opened the business when the area was predominantly Polish.

There are quite a few things that make her Comales stand out. For starters, the establishment is impeccably clean. This is not true for all taquerias. However, this Comales always has swept tile floors; the tables, condiments, and salt shakers are religiously wiped down; the bathrooms smell like purple Fabuloso; and a neat but bustling kitchen is within eyesight of the customer. It made customers like me feel reassured when we decided to venture out for tacos in 2020.

The restaurant serves the characteristically small street tacos and fat tortas that all Comales are known for. But, in my opinion, the portions here seem more generous, the meat feels more tender, and the salsas haven’t lost their spiciness—as I’ve found to be the case in some Mexican restaurants that try to cater to a white clientele.

The menu includes classic dishes like enchiladas, mole, and seafood, as well as more trendy options like quesabirria with consomé. One underrated item is the Tacos Jalisco, which are Guadalajara-style semi-crispy barbacoa beef tacos (the meat resembles pulled pork) with a signature fiery salsa on the side that will clear your sinuses and lift your spirits by the time you’re done.

The location includes a fair selection of tequila and imported beer, which allow for decadent cocktails like micheladas, piñas coladas, and margaritas—or you can keep it simple and just get a six-pack in a bucket of ice. The non-alcoholic options, needless to say, are delicious: the aguas de horchata, tamarindo, and jamaica are never watered down.

For entertainment, the restaurant has a digital jukebox and five flatscreens that are tuned into the soccer game or the telenovela. There is an altar of La Virgen de Guadalupe in one corner of the dining area, which further attracts customers year round and is a popular backdrop for selfies.

Despite a series of other great restaurants popping up on the block over the last decade, Los Comales de Doña Ana is unfazed and here to stay. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Taqueria Los Comales de Doña Ana, 6035 S. Pulaski Rd. Monday–Sunday, 10am–10pm.

(773) 838-1977. facebook.com/loscomalesdedonaana

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

BEST GOOD OLD-FASHIONED FAST FOOD PIT STOP

Windy City Hot Dogs

Once upon a time you could buy a hot dog on almost any corner of the city, including in the Southwest Side—at least according to legend. But nowadays, in the West Lawn neighborhood, there’s only a few places where you can get a Chicago dog. I recommend Windy City Hot Dogs.

When you walk or drive on 63rd Street, it’s impossible to miss the shack-style restaurant on the corner of Kildare. It could very well be a scene out of the 70’s, with its hand-painted restaurant sign that includes the downtown skyline, a hot dog “dragged through the garden,” and a gyro cone.

But this is a good thing because sometimes a person just wants to make a good old-fashioned fast food pit stop.

Upon entering the tight quarters, every customer looks up to see the fixed menu on the white letterboard (even though they arrive already knowing what they want).

It runs the gamut of Chicago favorites, including cheeseburgers, Polishes, pizza slices, patty melts, chili cheese fries, Italian beefs, pizza puffs, submarines, fried fish and shrimp, grilled chicken sandwiches, and tamales (the English pronunciation).

The parking lot is huge, so you can wait or eat in the car. Or you can sit on the bar stools and look out the window while you wait five to ten minutes for your order to come out steaming in a paper bag or a checkered cardboard tray. If you’re hungry, you can’t go wrong here. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Windy City Hot Dogs, 4205 W. 63rd St. Monday–Saturday, 10am–8:30pm; Sundays closed. (773) 581-0332

BEST RENOVATION

West Lawn Library

When you cross west on 63rd and Pulaski, it’s easy to miss the West Lawn Library among the rows of storefronts and busy vehicular traffic. The library was especially overlooked when it closed down for what felt like a year at the beginning of the pandemic, with some neighbors fearing that it would close forever.

34 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

The West Lawn Branch quietly reopened in January 2022 after undergoing a series of indoor renovations.The $625,000 TIF-funded investment was part of the City’s capital improvement program that included upgrading library buildings as a way to “reduce maintenance and rental costs, provide safe, structurally sound and inviting facilities, and ensure that current and future service needs are met.”

Staff changes were implemented to presumably better serve the relatively new Mexican-American community in the area, and Mina Duarte was hired as the branch manager. She brings relevant experience having previously worked in libraries serving Latinx communities such as Brighton Park Branch, Toman Branch in Little Village, Gage Park Branch, and South Chicago Branch, as well as the downtown Harold Washington Library Center.

There is also more visible programming. The branch participated in CPS’s Summer Meals program, distributing to-go lunches to children during summer break. The library is also a popular voting site during election season, and many Southwest Side voters will likely choose that location to vote this November for the general elections and in the February municipal elections.

At the moment, the branch is hosting a performing arts series called “Artopia,” which consists of mini-concerts at the library on select Saturday nights. The lineup includes a jazz duo, a guitar-flute duo, and a classical guitarist.

More family-friendly events are expected to come to the new and improved branch. Keep an eye out! ( Jacqueline Serrato) West Lawn Library, 4020 W. 63rd St. Monday & Wednesday, 12–8pm; Tuesday & Thursday, 10am–6pm; Friday & Saturday, 9am–5pm; Sunday, 1–5pm. (312) 747-7381

BEST OASIS WITHIN AN OASIS

Marquette Park Lagoon

Marquette Park is truly an oasis in a very industrialized part of the city. In fact, it holds the title as the largest park on the Southwest Side. There’s much to appreciate about the park, and because it’s roughly fifteen blocks wide, there is ample space for people from different neighborhoods to spread out and enjoy it.

Many people use the soccer fields and basketball courts, have cookouts under the trees, or walk, run or ride their bike on a nearly three-mile trail that loops around the park. The trail is also car-accessible, so people can drive to any part of the park, and many times the park has served as a training ground for new drivers or a meeting point for caravans.

One aspect of the park that I think is underrated and that I consider to be an oasis within an oasis is: the lagoon.

The lagoon is a narrow and shallow body of water that circles the park inside the perimeter of the trail. It’s reportedly about forty acres. From a bird’s eye view, it ap-

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

pears that two tiny islands are in the center—especially because Kedzie Avenue runs through the middle of the park.

My favorite way to access the lagoon is by walking the trail on the east end of the park. I’ll start on Kedzie, going on Mann Rd., which turns into Kanst Drive—and right there, inconspicuously, you’ll find an entrance amidst the trees and prairie bushes.

It takes you on a small wooden bridge over the water, and for a minute, it makes you forget you’re in the city.

There’s not much else on the other end of the bridge, just more wilderness. The quiet atmosphere is perfect for fishing enthusiasts. There are about ten known species of fish in the water, including channel catfish and yellow bass.

Check it out one day when you want to clear your mind. And let’s help to maintain and protect this lovely piece of nature. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Marquette Park, 6743 S. Kedzie Ave. 6am–11pm. (312) 747-6469.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 35

CHINATOWN Compiled by Phan Le, Neighborhood captain PHOTO BY SAMUEL RONG

T

hey outnumber bubble tea shops and dim sum spots. They’re on busy streets and side streets. Their signs might be written in English, or right-to-left. They are not open to the public, but if your family is from China, you might already be a member of one of these exclusive clubs.

They are Chinese family associations. The one Gene Kong belongs to, the Soo Yuen Benevolent Association, has existed in Chicago since 1924. It was first founded in San Francisco before chapters began springing up wherever Chinese people settled.

“The Chinese started moving east,” Gene said, laughing as he added, “As opposed to Americans, [who] moved west… A lot of these family associations started out in the west coast.”

Soo Yuen’s office is up to the ceiling in sunworn family association photos. In many of them, people are bunched shoulder-to-shoulder in their Sunday best at chapters in California, the Philippines, Cuba, China, and more. Some chapters appeared large enough to populate a small village. Beside those frames on the wood-paneled walls are photos of Hiram Fong, the first Chinese-American senator and candidate for president.

“Back then those Chinese people, most of them were men—it was a bachelor society back then—they came to this country looking for work. So these family associations, if you’re lucky and your surname fell in that category, you can go to them for assistance… Maybe you need an address. How do you send money back? You get letters sent to here,” he said, referring to the association offices. “This was kind of their official address back then, before P.O. boxes.”

Family associations provided social services and helped recent immigrants get their footing in America. Nowadays, those services are carried out by professionally 36 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

staffed nonprofits such as the Chinese American Service League and Pui Tak Center.

“Right now it’s mostly a social club. They have income, so maybe just have a little party for the Chinese New Year.”

“It was real simple back then. I’d go to school here, Haines School or St.Therese…

We grew up around here, we went to school here. During the summer when school’s over, we’d see our friends during the summertime. Nowadays, it’s not like that now.

Kids that go to school with them may be out somewhere else… They don’t see their classmates because they’re all scattered.”

Gene grew up in the generation where Chinatown had no nearby parks, but they would play at Haines when it used to have a baseball yard. “Before, Chinese people wouldn’t go to White Sox. A lot of discrimination back then.” He also remembers going to the library when it used to be across the street from his family’s association.

There’s even a picture of it in one of the association’s old publications, which is written almost entirely in traditional Chinese.

Gene excitedly showed us to the small office den and pointed out their charter as well as all the important people and politicians who have paid visits. Then, he shared some words of advice about civic engagement.

“You younger people should always vote regardless. Remember in politics there’s no good or bad. Voting is the reality of lesser of two evils. The simplified Chinese version [of the character for ‘party’] means friend… Jesus had a friend: Judas. Betrayal comes from within.”

When asked about his thoughts about the growing representation of Asian Americans in local government, Gene seemed ambivalent. “It’s good to have this. The problem is, in my opinion, are we ready for this? Just because you’re in politics,

CHINATOWN there’s always that unseen hand behind them. I hate to sound cynical about this, but are they actually working for us? This is still Chicago, a lot of the old guard is still there. They’re not gonna give up right away to you. Don’t get me wrong, I love my own people. But in the same token… little, old factions, that’s the hardest part… unity is hard. There’s no messiah returning from heaven.”

He was intensely pragmatic, but nonetheless incredibly supportive of young people getting involved in politics, just as he once was. He claims he’s voted every year since he was eighteen.

Like for many visitors to the area, the best thing about Chinatown for Gene is the availability of comfort. Chinese, Asians, and non-Asians alike have claimed something homey about stepping into these busy, fragrant corridors, perhaps not knowing that each bite of food is flavored with the past and our own love for Chinatown. “Best of Chinatown for me is being able to go across the street and get a wonton noodle.

Even if I had money, I’d probably still live here. I worry that if I move out, this is my identity. I’m just so used to it.” (Phan Le) Phan Le is a Bridgeport resident and a Chicago Chinatown history enthusiast.

BEST CTA WELCOME SIGN

Cermak-Chinatown Red Line Station

“Doors open on the right at Cermak-Chinatown…”

Stepping off the Red Line, Chinatown immediately hits me. That char siu smell.

Cantonese karaoke. “Fai Dee La.” Archer traffic. “想吃什么?” Car stereo K-pop.

“Quiero probar dim sum!”

If all that input isn’t enough, as I descend the stairs, above me hangs a multicoloured mural. At its center is the Chinese character for luck, 福 (fú). To most nonChinese passersby, they probably won’t notice that the character is actually written upside down. The significance? The Chinese character for “upside down” is 倒 (dào).

Which, coincidentally, sounds just like the character for “to arrive” 到 (dào). So when your luck is upside down, 福倒家, your luck has arrived, 福到家. Here, 家 (jiā) is the character for “home.” Especially during Lunar New Year celebrations, to ensure maximum luck absorption, people eagerly paste upside down 福 signs on their doors.

The first few times I saw the CTA mural, the giant “luck” character stuck out like a sore thumb. I used to think, good job CTA, let’s use another cultural tradition to orientalise Chinatown. It reminded me of “Asia on Argyle” and that L stop’s obnoxious oriental awnings. But during the pandemic, I moved closer to Chinatown.

In the last couple years, what was once a tourist destination for me has turned into a place of struggles, stories, and friends. The longer I call this place home (家), the more differently I see the CTA 福.

The early days of COVID-19 paralysed businesses and emptied streets. People confused fearing the “Chinese virus” with fearing Chinese food. And as pandemicrelated crime and unrest bubbled up nationwide, surveillance cameras popped up on every other house from Tan Court to 24th Place. Maybe we accidentally left the door open for bad luck.

In the meantime, restaurant tables sat empty, yet their stoves burned hot. Church pews gathered dust, yet volunteers stuffed the halls with supply donations.The day-today hustle died down, yet Chinatown refused to give in. This place is filled with people who crossed oceans, people who adapted, people who achieved. We set new roots. We built upon yesterday’s generation. Chinatown is the beginning, the end, happiness, sadness, a break from life, a way of life. Perhaps there is one word that best sums all this up—home. 家。 We are a force to be reckoned with, especially as the neighborhood’s post-

lockdown revival continues. Chinatown isn’t too far from Chicago’s geographic center—just about five miles east of it, to be exact. And on weekend afternoons, the square, Ping Tom Memorial Park, and Wentworth Avenue feel like the city’s social center. It’s the only place I know in Chicago where Black and brown teens dance to K-pop next to white tourists taking selfies next to elderly Cantonese men playing chess next to a paletero ringing the bells on his cart. Not bad for a neighborhood in one of America’s most segregated cities.

Bless this CTA luck mural. Let it keep bringing in the good times. I eagerly welcome 福到家. But when luck doesn’t arrive, you can be absolutely sure that the people of Chinatown will make their own. (Samuel Rong) Cermak-Chinatown Red Line Station, 138 W. Cermak Rd. 24/7

BEST INTERSECTION FOR A MODERN ROUNDABOUT

Intersection of Archer/Cermak/Princeton

Often I’m incredibly grateful for how Chinatown was designed and preserved. I have read and listened to stories about how community members had gathered at local restaurants to spend hours planning and, sometimes, arguing, about parks, parking lots, and pagodas. Yeah, pagodas. In 1980, a giant pagoda was proposed to be built in the middle of Cermak and Wentworth, along with “friendship gardens.” It all may seem trifling, but their efforts have had a cosmopolitan impact. In post-pandemic times, Chicago’s Chinatown continues to be an attraction for people all over the world.

Through its ups and downs, it’s safe to say that Chinatown seems to be doing well. In fact, maybe a little too well.

Pick any weekend. Parking lots overflow with cars, restaurants with people, and trash cans (and bushes, sidewalks, flower pots) with discarded boba cups. So many boba cups. The problems only multiply when events, like the annual Chinatown Summer Fair, pop up. On this hot and muggy weekend, cars are stuck bumper to bumper while the roads are blocked off by barricades, giant inflatable bouncy slides, and volleyball exhibitions.

How can we improve the infrastructure to better suit a cultural hub that has evidently outgrown its shell? For as long as Chinatown continues to be a tourist destination, cars are here to stay. Perhaps the ideal solution is not to expand car capacity but rather improve car flow.

The six-way intersection of Archer, Cermak, and Princeton is one of the neighborhood’s central valves and seems like a good place to start. It has long red lights, impatient drivers, and frightening left-turns. It’s a driving experience that leaves a lot to be desired.

Enter the modern roundabout. Okay, hear me out. The modern roundabout is not the confusing, high-speed merry-go-round that trapped the Simpsons during their vacation in the UK. And, I promise, they’re not that hard to understand. Critics might argue that roundabouts are confusing because it’s easy to miss your exit. While a reasonable concern, people driving through traditional intersections still make this error regularly.

Oh, cursed roundabouts—however will we reverse your trickery? Well, by completing another revolution. Since drivers are already moving in a circle, they have the option to drive straight, turn, or turn back without having to drive around a block or make abrupt and dangerous turns.

Roundabouts are not only more convenient for drivers, they’re safer. Instead of using traffic lights, modern roundabouts utilize a system of yielding. It forces drivers to slow down and watch out for others, which results in fewer collisions and fatal accidents for all road users. This is what I like most about the roundabout: it changes SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 37

CHINATOWN driving habits without coercion and fines and increases driver vigilance.

Roundabouts are also superior to standard traffic light intersections in terms of efficiency and environmental sustainability. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s page on roundabouts, they cost less to maintain and minimize time wasted at red lights during off-peak hours. They can accommodate trucks and large vehicles, too. Best of all, these benefits result in lowered costs to the community.

It would be easy to convert this particular intersection because each way is either one or two lanes. Left turning lanes, because there are no left turns in a roundabout, can become pedestrian refuge islands.This also provides an opportunity to create visual interest in the giant empty space where the roads meet. Maybe Chinatown can finally have that giant pagoda after all.

Roundabouts are not only for the benefit of motorists; well-designed ones can protect pedestrians and cyclists, too. Like with anything else, roundabouts will have trade-offs and accessibility challenges should be considered with careful research.

Chicago has been alight with controversy about the 2021 speeding ticket law, with no clear indication whether the benefits outweigh the costs. I’m not a traffic safety expert, but I do want safe roads for everybody and more efficient and environmentally friendly city planning. Circular intersections are cool, but there should be no expectations for a magic bullet or quick results. Rather than rely on disparate and, ahem, roundabout methods to improve congestion in Chinatown, Chicago can turn to many tried and true design and policy solutions from all over the world. (Phan Le)

course, in today’s climate, such political music is bound to raise eyebrows.

“Others tell me these songs are too anti-American,” Mr. Huang said while emptying his spit valve. “So I diversified! Now I play a lot of Chinese pop music. I even take requests!”

In college, Mr. Huang immersed himself in the arts: acting, singing, emceeing—if it involved being on stage, he did it. He badly wanted to play an instrument and fell in love with the trumpet. Watching him play and listening to him talk, it feels like a perfect match. His voice carries an exuberant intensity, much like the shrill of vibrating brass. He enthusiastically points out each new song that plays from his speaker. “You should look this one up!”“Your parents would definitely know this one!”“This one was a total hit! Great love song!”

Mr. Huang came to the US a few years ago to help take care of his grandchildren.

One COVID lockdown later, like many other Chinese living here, he found the process of going back a complicated one. So now his daily routine includes taking his grandchildren to school, cooking for them, and when he has time, playing the trumpet.

I have been listening to his music for more than a year now. I don’t know the names of all the songs but recognize almost every melody. Like Mr. Huang, I am also itching to go back to China. My grandparents are aging, and each year that passes feels like a year lost. China seems impossibly far away. But the trumpet, however briefly, brings me just a bit closer. (Samuel Rong)

BEST MELODIES OF MAINLAND CHINA

Mr. Huang aka Trumpet Man

My neighborhood has a distinct soundscape—made up of voices conversing (or often arguing) in Cantonese or Mandarin, drivers honking at double-parked cars, and the crunch of stepping on boba tea cups. So when I heard the sound of a trumpet coming from Chinatown Square, I had to investigate.

Whoever was playing had an obvious mastery over the instrument. The trumpet played the melody over an instrumental backing coming out of a loudspeaker. The musical genre surprised me. It wasn’t classical, jazz, mariachi, or anything else you’d expect from the instrument. It was communist music. Or rather, Chinese propaganda music, and it delivered the most sentimental of punches to my gut.

I was back in my childhood home an ocean away, as a second grader, standing out in the schoolyard. Lined up with the rest of my classmates, we waited as the school intercom finished playing that familiar tune. Then the usual slogan chanting began. “中中中中中中中中中中中中中中中中中！Long live the Chinese Communist Party!

Long live our great leaders!”

Engrossed in memory and music, I approached the trumpet player, a man in his sixties. He introduced himself as Mr. Huang. “Do you recognise this song?” he asked me, grinning from ear to ear.

Mr. Huang was playing an old patriotic tune called 中中中中, or in English, My Motherland. It was most notably played in a 1956 film about Chinese involvement in the Korean War, with soldiers singing as they longed for home. The lyrics paint a picture of China’s natural beauty, from wide flowing rivers to majestic mountains.

“These songs are nostalgic,” Mr. Huang said. “So many people tell me my music brings them way back. Even those who’ve been in the US for such a long time, they don’t forget these songs.”

And at sixty-eight years old, he associates these songs with growing up during the Cultural Revolution. Some of his favorites are 中中中中中中中中中中中 (Without the Communist Party, There Is No New China) and 中中中中中 (My Chinese Heart). Of 38 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

PHOTO BY MICHAELA CHAN

BEST PLACE TO PICNIC AND BE MARRIED

Ping Tom Memorial Park

Just after sunrise, pairs and trios of Chinatown residents enter Ping Tom Memorial Park. As we walk and stretch, the tiger lillies unfurl. The prairie is dense with yellow, purple and orange blooms. By midmorning, children leap out of their strollers and clamber onto the jungle gym. By noon, meditative wanderers perch on rocks by the river. Low slung and extra long tug boats putter upriver heaped with mounds of sand.

If we’re lucky, we see the ancient bridge house lift into the sky. At the height of the day's heat or chill, we retreat to the circle of protective southern trees and listen to the trains bleat. Come evening, couples from all over Chicago marvel at the immense and intricate murals in the park. They stroll and hold each other as the panoramic view of downtown starts to glitter on the darkening sky.

In Ping Tom Memorial Park, a certain slope is often dotted with picnickers,

CHINATOWN

perhaps slicing bread and butter, but more likely munching on some of Chinatown's unparalleled takeout (such as Yummy Yummy Noodle’s bitter melon with egg, or Ken Kee Restaurant’s pork intestine). On this hill one chilly day last November, my brother ducked the wind to take photos as his wife wedded my partner and I. The century-old St. Charles Air Line Bridge bore witness to our chattering vows. Later, we said cheers over steaming hot pot.

Ping Tom Memorial Park is steps from our home. My partner and I walk there nearly every morning, sometimes separately and often together. We loop around that hill on our way to the red bridge from which I once spotted a turtle sunning itself.

That is an auspicious sign for endurance and longevity, I think. In any case, I rise in the mornings to walk and slowly stretch and slightly dance alongside my fellow Chinatown residents, before the rest of Chicago makes their way toward the serene Ping Tom Memorial Park. (Michaela Chan) Ping Tom Memorial Park, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave. 6am–10pm. chicagoparkdistrict.com/ parks-facilities/tom-ping-memorial-park

BEST NEIGHBOR TO PAY IT FORWARD

Nancy Liang

Coming from China to the United States for the first time in 1998, her first stop was Chicago. A Chinese language teacher, Ms. Nancy Liang, in her early 50s, did not speak English, making her unable to integrate into the respective communities, not to mention striving to achieve self-reliance on this unfamiliar soil.

The language barrier constitutes a major obstacle that would stand in a way of finding a career and accessing needed services for newly arrived immigrants. Luckily, local non-profit organizations like the Chinese American Service League and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association were able to bridge this gap.

Nancy received ardent support from these organizations. “Before I was able to find a job, I was proactively engaged in various community events. I wanted to spend that time learning as much as possible. All events were free-of-charge, which offered a great platform for the fresh off the boats. I could not imagine how hard our early days in the States could be without their help,” she said.

“Among these various services provided by the local non-profits, employment services supported me the most. The connections I made while leading a National Senior Citizen Day event landed me a goal-matching job as a Chinese language teacher at a neighborhood non-profit organization”, Nancy recounted. Unlike other immigrants from her hometown who work in blue-collar jobs with long hours, Nancy is more educated, with thirty years of experience in teaching. “I worked there for ten years, educating Chinese-American children about the Chinese language and culture, before retiring.”

After retirement, Nancy continued her lifelong journey in the education field.

She started volunteering at the local elementary school where her grandchild went.

She volunteers as a teaching assistant who helps make lesson plans, checks students’ homework, takes care of young scholars, and assists in after-school and extra-curricular activities. To Nancy, education means more than just gaining knowledge, but rather learning to contribute to society and the needy, and develop community service as a

NANCY LIANG, PHOTO BY MICHAELA CHAN

habit. “I am always delighted to see my students grow and have formed their own families, and still remember me after all these years,” she said while showing us photos of her students and their families.

“One thing we noticed in Chinatown is that there are not many younger generations who would like to volunteer their time and contribute to the community. ‘Why is that?’ we asked. Sometimes it is not because they do not want to make contributions, it is rather because they do not have that time to spare. Volunteering work is a luxury for families that have a hard time making their ends meet, especially in this immigrant community. Paid work is of utmost importance for folks in their prime time,” Nancy said. “I truly believe what they say ‘what goes around comes around,’ my family and I benefited so much from Chinatown, this belief keeps on motivating me to give back to the community while I have time and energy, and I always tell my kids to do the same.”

Ordinary citizens like Nancy receive little recognition but make great contributions to future generations of immigrants. Nancy is now a hunched senior citizen in her seventies, her physical strength and health are no longer as good as in the old days.

However, to the best of her ability, she will continue her work for the community that had supported her family the most in their first days in the United States, to help senior neighbors in the building where she lives to access social service and educate our youth on the importance of serving the community. One of her greatest anticipations for Chicago Chinatown is to have a neighborhood high school that offers bilingual education. Hopefully, Nancy’s dream will soon become a reality. Just like the Chinese saying goes, they who live the longest see the most “中中中中中中中中中.” Elderly heroes are treasures to our communities, as they offer useful advice that benefits and influences younger generations. (Tracy Kwan)

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 39

CLEARING & GARFIELD RIDGE Compiled by Gisela Orozco, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

Gisela Orozco is a Mexican immigrant with a degree in communication sciences who has resided in Chicago since 2002. For ten years she was the entertainment editor of the nowdefunct Hoy newspaper, the Spanish-language publication of the Chicago Tribune. From 2002 to 2009, she was a reporter and entertainment editor for the weekly La Raza. She is currently a copy editor and contributes articles for La Voz Chicago of the Sun-Times and occasionally translates articles for the Weekly.

south and meets busy Archer Ave. to the north, and you can find a variety of Mexican businesses there.

Perhaps on those streets the magazine can find its answer. A change in Clearing and Garfield Ridge is surely taking place, but these are also two neighborhoods where Polish, Anglo, Latino/Mexican, and Hindu cultures effectively coexist—where neighbors respect each other. (Gisela Orozco)

This section was originally written in Spanish and was translated by the Weekly.

BEST FAMILY KITCHEN

A

re Clearing and Garfield Ridge part of the so-called “El Sur,” as a publication recently referred to the larger Southwest Side that is predominantly Mexican/ Latino? The answer should be obvious when you see the business signs on the commercial streets of these neighborhoods.

Chicago magazine's Edward Robert McClelland wrote an article questioning whether Clearing/Garfield Ridge would soon be joining “El Sud” (sic). A subjective view.

The article acknowledged that two-thirds of Kennedy High School students are Latino, but it overlooked the brand new Hancock College Prep in Clearing that was built during the pandemic, and is also predominantly Latino.

Of course this area is part of the larger Southwest Side. On 63rd St., you can see old-school Polish and English signs, alongside newer Spanish-language signs, in bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants and places to treat yourself—like Los Mangos and Xurro.

Like neighboring Chicago Lawn and West Lawn, Clearing’s main artery is 63rd.

St., the same one that runs parallel to the runways of Midway Airport. (While in West Lawn you can hear the planes landing, in Clearing you can hear them taking off.) Another main artery is Central Ave., which connects to Chicago Ridge to the 40 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Gorditas La Tía

It’s a place of homemade Mexican food, where the specialty of the house are the gorditas, but the mole is an equal culinary gem. Gorditas La Tía is special for both its menu and its history.

It was the creation of Doña Estela González, who with her family migrated from Irapuato, Guanajuato (Mexico) in the 1990s, during a time when the devaluation of the Mexican peso led many Mexicans to come to the U.S. “We came to this country like any immigrant family,” recalled Claudia González, daughter of Doña Estela. “We lived in La Villita, in Cicero, and we always worked in the restaurant industry.”

The family always worked together. Claudia said that in the restaurants where her mother worked, there was always a nephew or relative in the kitchen and they always called her “aunt.” The name stuck as a show of affection and trust.

When Claudia and her sister Michelle were students at Kennedy High School, they started working in restaurants, first as hostesses and then as waitresses. Then their mom had the idea to start a food business.

The first location of Gorditas La Tía was located on 47th and Harlem Ave. Claudia remembers that it was very small and that there was no parking space, but it worked for a while due to the seasoning and dedication of her mother, who although she didn’t have a background as a cook, she found in the kitchen not only her sustenance, but also the way to maintain her identity and traditions.

In 2016, she moved to the home she now owns in Clearing. Her customers followed her from the previous location and has gained new customers at this location, made up of not only Mexican paisanos, but also of Poles, who prefer her cheese and jalapeño tamales over everything else.

The restaurant’s dishes have that homemade touch. Doña Estela’s gorditas are not just any gorditas. When customers ask for them, they are made right then and there. They are neither frozen nor pre-prepared, they are shaped from corn dough and cooked when the customer orders them.

Doña Estela’s mole, which is served in different ways, deserves its own mention.

One of the most labor-intensive Mexican dishes and whose flavor varies according to each Mexican state and region, Gorditas La Tía has a special seasoning, a sweet and spicy flavor that is pleasant and enjoyable to the palate.

“When my mom said, ‘I want to sell mole,’ she started experimenting with ingredients. We ate mole for two or three weeks,” said Claudia, amused. She “was searching and finding her seasoning.”

“Same with the flor de calabaza (pumpkin flower) quesadillas, the peanut gorditas, the food that she grew up eating and that today she shares with everyone who comes.”

What Claudia admires most about her mother is that for Doña Estela the most important thing is to see that visitors enjoy her food. The place itself feels as if one is visiting the kitchen of her own house. “We, the family, eat here. She is not going to lose the quality if she knows her family eats here. This is the family kitchen.”

And although it may be tempting for others to streamline the process of preparing something like gorditas, Doña Estela does not want to cut corners and compromise what makes her Gorditas La Tía one of the best Clearing spots.

“When we suggest that we should change the process, she tells us: ‘No. It stays this way. They are tastier this way. Tell the customer that we are going to take a while, but it is worth the wait.”

“And the customers come back, and she fulfills their cravings,” she added. (Gisela Orozco) Gorditas La Tía, 6425 W. 63rd. St. Monday–Saturday, 8am–10pm; Sunday, 8am–8pm.

(773) 229-1153 or gorditaslatiachicago.com.

BEST SECOND-HAND STORE

The Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center

“The golden age of thrifting is over,” said a recent article in The New York Times, announcing the end of the era of wearing second-hand clothing also known as the trend of “vintage.” It was seen as a fad.

But for people with limited resources or looking to stretch their budget, the Salvation Army has always been there. Its history and origin dates back to London in 1865 and it became a worldwide charity movement.

Regardless of creed and religion—and in many cases, income—the Salvation Army’s donation centers allow you to donate what no longer serves you, while offering things that you might otherwise not find elsewhere.

In the Clearing location, despite it not being as big as other stores, it’s possible to find pieces of fine art, furniture, and accessories at a good price, even vinyl records and books. One of its best sections is where they have handy kitchen glassware on display.

You do not have to be “hip” to enter the store as some of the vintage subculture

CLEARING & GARFIELD RIDGE seems to encourage.The best thing is to find people of all ages and backgrounds simply browsing through items that others no longer wanted but that for the customer may be a treasure. And being able to donate and contribute as well. (Gisela Orozco) The Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center, 6434 W. 63rd St. Monday–Saturday, 11 am–7 pm. 1(800) 728-7825.

BEST FITNESS CENTER

Push Indoor Cycling

PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

Near the corner of 63rd St. and Central Ave. is a studio with classes as early as 5am and that stays open into the evening. Local women come to do indoor cycling, lift weights or do yoga; most of the instructors are Latinas.

Push Indoor Cycling is a great fitness option in the area. It has a varied schedule and it’s a space where participants can forget about home, children, and work as they spin to the rhythm of 80s and 90s music—to de-stress and work out at the same time.

There are those who make new friends and can both talk and exercise together. Or you can keep to yourself and focus on your workout. Both personalities are welcome because, when class starts, everyone pedals toward their goal to feel and look better.

(Gisela Orozco) Push Indoor Cycling, 6315 S. Central Ave. Class schedule varies. (708) 372-353. pushindoorcycling.com

BEST MEXICAN VEGAN RESTAURANT

Healthy Substance

If you think that in order to eat tacos al pastor or carne asada, you need to eat meat, you best think twice. Or better yet, visit “the vegan side of Mexico,” as the restaurant, Healthy Substance, describes themselves. Since it opened its doors in 2018, it has demonstrated that traditional Mexican foods can be enjoyed vegan.

Founded by Patricia González, originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico), Healthy Substance emerged as a healthy and more ethical alternative to Mexican staples. It was also seen as a wellness alternative by her husband, Don Camerino González, who founded Taquería Los Comales.

The story of the restaurant’s founding has “many layers,” Miguel Franco, chief financial officer of Healthy Substance and González’s son, told the Weekly.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 41

“The seed was sown several years ago when my mom, who was always looking for ways to live a healthy life, saw a doctor who observed her eyes and recommended ways for her to take care of herself. The doctor suggested that she stop consuming dairy and meat, and go vegan,” he said.

Two years after starting her vegan diet, her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. Franco remembers his mother, devastated by the news, looking for healing alternatives to help him, combining medical treatment with more natural methods and a vegan diet. “That combination could do miracles, and in that moment, she needed one,” he recalled Convincing Don Camerino, the mastermind of the taqueria chain, to try some tacos al pastor that were not made from animal meat, was a major challenge for Patricia. Franco remembers that one night, she invited him and his brothers to dinner, and served them the tacos al pastor. At the end, she sat down with her own plate, prompting one of her children to point out that she couldn’t eat tacos <i>al pastor</i> since she was vegan. She replied that actually she could, that she had managed to create the perfect al pastor recipe that did not require animal sacrifice.

“Don Camerino was impressed,” Franco remembers, “and everyone, in support of his health, became vegans.”

Within months, Don Camerino’s health began to improve and when he would go out to eat with his wife, she had to adjust his menu or order salad. And from there came the initiative to open a vegan Mexican food restaurant in Garfield Park. Part of the reason they picked this area is that they considered it relatively close to his taqueria in La Villita via the I-55.

Franco said that it was destiny that they arrived at Garfield Ridge since they could have gone somewhere else where vegan food was more popular. “We have created a presence in this place, we have had great acceptance and it’s something that people from different backgrounds enjoy,” he added.

At some point, Patricia also returned to college to take culinary and food service sanitation classes—she already had a degree in Communication Sciences from her native Guadalajara.

In early 2020, Healthy Substance was recognized by Yelp as one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the country—it ranked number 57. “It was exciting,” recalled Patricia, who was in Mexico when Franco called her to share the news.

That same year, it was added to the list of restaurants at the Taste of Chicago.

Due to the pandemic, they adjusted the food festival as a Taste To-Go concept that time. This year they were part of it again, as well as Sueños Festival and Lollapalooza, bringing their food and mission to new generations.

In June 2021, Don Camerino passed away. But Patricia’s legacy continues, which she loves to share, inspired by her lifelong love for Mexican food.

“Our food really has a bigger impact. Every taco we sell is an al pastor taco that requires no animal sacrifice. And to further that movement, we created the ‘impossible’ carne asada taco. We have transformed our menu and will continue to transform popular Mexican food without sacrificing animal lives and without sacrificing flavor,” Franco pointed out.

Eating delicious, feeling good and being good to animals is possible. Get to know “the vegan side of Mexico” in Chicago. (Gisela Orozco) Healthy Substance Vegan Restaurant, 6852 W. Archer Ave. Monday–Saturday, 11:30am– 9pm; Sunday, 11:30am–6pm. (773) 306-2808. healthysubstance.com

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PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

BEST PLACE TO FIND THAT SPECIAL DRESS

Peaches Boutique

It’s a rainy Sunday in September and it’s a little past noon. Though the sky is gray, my pupils dilate when I open the door of Peaches Boutique—seeing so many colorful puffy dresses, sequins, lace and ornaments that make even the most humble person want a piece of that glamor. It’s a special place.

According to its website, Peaches Boutique was founded in 1984 by Jeff Surdej and is located in a shopping plaza near the corner of Central Ave. and Archer Ave. Its exterior is inviting, and its interior traps you.

At the entrance they tell you that you don’t need an appointment to try on a dress and also remind you not to take a photo or video—it must be an agreement with the designers to protect their work. The hustle and bustle inside is truly an experience.

It’s exciting to watch mothers, daughters, and women of all ages—plus one or two dads who are along for the ride—looking for a dress for a quinceañera, graduation or prom. It is like a mix of happiness, hope, pleasure, and even pride that, for many, represents a step into womanhood (and simply wanting to look good).

You can just as easily see a quinceañera trying on her dress for her party, getting the final adjustments, and talking to her relatives in Spanish, and next to her, listening to a young woman speak Polish with her mother while looking at herself in the mirror

in what looks to be a dress for a graduation or a gala.

The female employees are attentive to detail in this space that could somewhat resemble Cinderella’s fairy godmother’s sewing workshop or the wardrobe of any Disney princess.

There is something in that special moment of trying on a dress, the dress that will make you feel special for one day, the one that takes you away from your day-to-day routine and makes you feel like the queen or princess of your own story, a combination of empowered woman and runway model.

And at Peaches, that happens within its 20,000 sq. foot store that has forty-five changing rooms and an inventory that they assure includes more than 30,000 dresses from renowned designers. These won’t be the designs of Coco Chanel, Dior and those luxury fashion houses, but Peaches gives families in the area and all of Chicago the opportunity to make that dream of looking their best come true without breaking the bank.

For some, it may be just a dress, but for many girls and women, it could be the dress for a very special moment that will create a lasting memory. (Gisela Orozco) Peaches Boutique, 5915 S. Archer Ave. Monday–Friday, 12pm–7pm; Saturday, 10am– 6pm; Sunday, 11am–5 pm. (773) 582-0102. peachesboutique.com PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

PHOTO BY EMILY SOTO

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 43

EAST SIDE & SOUTH CHICAGO Compiled by Aisaiah Pellecer, neighborhood captain

PHOTO BY AMANDA DIAZ

I

n the twentieth century, the U.S. Steel South Works manufacturing plant was the heart of economic activity on the Southeast Side, employing more than 15,000 people and creating commercial corridors with businesses to meet the needs of the active neighborhood.

The South Works site was closed in 1992. Today, the pillars that used to store steel ore remain as anchors of its vigorous past. The site, Steelworkers Park, reclaimed from the brownfield that once restricted its access, is now a green space for visitors and residents. While the mills have closed, the legacy of these families of immigrants and migrants has not been forgotten. Ornamented with native prairie plants, original blast furnaces, and local artist Roman Villareal’s “Tribute to the Past” sculpture, the park pays homage to the area’s history and the families of the steelworkers whose combined strengths built Chicago’s skyscrapers.

But although the steel mills and industry have played an important part in the identity of the Southeast Side, record of this past has been replayed over and over in discussions of the neighborhoods. The past should longer overshadow the talent, diversity, and strength of the Southeast Side; there’s so much to the area that even the most unfamiliar may be inspired by!

Community is the Southeast Side’s greatest strength. From Eastern European immigrants to Mexican roots that were established in the 1920s; from its history of African-American migration to its newer Caribbean heritage, a diverse multitude of residents have been welded together to create the Southeast Side identity. The area’s resilience and strengths continue to grow through leaders like those profiled here, who are leaving their impact on generations to come. Local leaders, business owners, 44 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

artists, and neighbors alike have contributed to the nature of community in the area, and continue to make their names on the Southeast Side through their advocacy, community organization, and art. (Aisaiah Pellecer) Neighborhood captain Aisaiah Pellecer is a South Chicago local and student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

BEST ART INSTALLATION

Urban Trees by South Worx Arte Group

When I first moved to South Chicago, I had little knowledge of the area’s history and its residents. I spent the first couple of months walking around, trying to get a feel of the area’s cultural background and activity (as any flâneur would). At times I thought about Sandra Cisneros and Gwendolyn Brooks, in their ability to capture the essence of life in their neighborhoods. Cisneros wrote about her personal experience in Humboldt Park and Brooks wrote about urban life in Bronzeville. As I walked around the streets of South Chicago, I asked myself: “Who's writing about all of this?” There was so much happening that needed to be captured.

Throughout the neighborhood I found familiar faces in the friendly business owners and my neighbors. But, what remained a mystery to me were the plaques and art

EAST SIDE & SOUTH CHICAGO

structures that graced South Commercial Avenue and East 93rd Street. I saw a mix of pop art and cubism that entertained my wandering eyes. Playful street installations, for children to duck and hide, and ornamentations on houses made reference to urban life and my personal interpretation of Latinx and African figures. The more I fixated on the designs, I began to realize that they were narrating life here.

Over time, my interest in the public art in the area grew. But, the artist remained unnamed. It wasn’t until I read about the “Who Tells Your Story” project coming to South Chicago, that I was then able to identify the mysterious artist whose presence was established throughout the area as Derric Clemmons of South Worx Arte Group.

Over the past years Clemmons has worked in South Chicago with youth from surrounding schools and the nonprofit organization Sky Art, and empowered them to reclaim public spaces with their art. His recent collaborative Urban Trees project down Commercial Avenue, an additional part of the “Who Tells Your Story” Alfresco project, has enhanced the pedestrian nature of the street. The installation, on the 8900 block of Commercial., orchestrates joy and pride in the area, with art that feels true to the nature of the neighborhood, like the flags of Humboldt Park’s Paseo Boricua and the Little Village Arch.

“Steel is a grounding point for what the neighborhood stood for,” said Clemmons, Walking down the Commercial Avenue business corridor, the colors of the Alfresco project floated off the ground and the brightly painted steel trees guided my eyes. My ritual visits to La Frutería for Caribbean delights were an opportunity to gaze upon new details of the Urban Trees and their link to artists from different parts of the city; each tree features a rotating selection of art by other artists branching out from the structures. With this project Clemmons has merged industry and nature, and created a new context for which South Chicagoans can occupy public space, lounge upon the benches, observe art freely, and experience its inspiration.

Right now, Clemmons is in the process of installing his latest project, the Talking Tree, which aims to activate the space between South Chicago and South Deering underneath the Indiana Skyway. When I asked about future plans, he mentioned a potential art project to activate at Bessemer Park and of course, the help of neighborhood youth. (Aisaiah Pellecer) South Worx Arte Group is on Instagram @swag_worx and at southworxartegroup.com/ contact. Any local artists and youth are invited to reach out to join South Worx Arte Group as apprentices.

BEST BURGER

Chi Burgerbabi

I’m willing to bet $10 that you haven’t had the best burger on the Southeast Side. Chi Burgerbabi gives you a unique experience.

“I want to give my community the world, through my food,” says owner and founder Immar Ayala.

Ayala grew up on the Southeast Side, but his story begins in El Salvador.

His mother came to the states to escape that country’s civil war, and brought her oldest son and daughter so they wouldn’t be recruited. Ayala was left behind, to be raised by his grandmother and supporting relatives. And while separated from his mother and older siblings his grandmother taught him to cook.

As a child, Ayala was curious. While his grandmother cooked, he often asked her questions.. The popular expression “the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach” goes even further with him. “I’ve worked with some of the greatest chefs, and I will always miss my grandmother’s food. I miss her baking, nothing can compare to

PHOTO BY AMANDA DIAZ

the bread she’s made.”

Once he was able to come to the states, he attended both elementary and high school in South Chicago. Then at the age of seventeen Ayala started his career in the food industry. From waiting tables, to lying about being a cook, to becoming a cook, then sous chef, his experience is one full of grit and heart. He has cooked in some of the best restaurants in Chicago, New York, and Singapore, and was even offered a job in Abu Dhabi, but he wanted to come back to the community to give everything he’s learned.This is what he means when he says “I want to give my community the world.”

With a menu that includes specialty fries like truffle-Parmesan, eight-hour smoked Cubanos, and an array of fresh tender burgers, he’s delivering. Consider trying the best burger from the Southeast Side; you won’t regret it. (Oscar Sanchez Chi Burgerbabi, 10148 S. Ewing Ave. Tuesday-Friday, 11:30am-8pm, Saturday 12:30pm-8:30pm, Sunday 3pm-8:30pm. (773) 964-1314 SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 45

EAST SIDE & SOUTH CHICAGO

BEST DONUT SHOP

Chico’s Oven

Located in the Bush, the northeast section of South Chicago, on 83rd and Houston, takeout-only Chico’s Oven offers sweet treats that are bound to improve any visit to Russell Square Park, an afternoon walk, or commute to the Metra Electric 83rd St. Station. Walking up to the takeout window at Chico’s is always a joy, especially on weekend trips to the park with my nieces. In addition to the fluffiest donuts in South Chicago, they feature bolillo sandwiches on housebaked rolls and pizza, which comes very close to New York-style pizza (noteworthy if you're a fan like me).

The business holds a family history that reflects the legacy of South Chicago's steelworkers. Jorge Perez Sr. worked swing shifts at the mill, and owned the family grocery store and bakery for twenty-eight years, until his son bought it from him in the mid-90s. Today Jorge “Chico” Perez Jr. – who also works in economic development – serves up recipes his father learned as a baker in Mexico to honor him. As a Chicago Community Development Grant May 2022 finalist, Chico’s Oven is looking forward to improvements that will renovate and expand the family-owned bakery, opening up to the possibility of an expanded menu and increased customer base. (Aisaiah Pellecer) Chico’s Oven, 3023 E. 83rd St. Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5 pm. 773-756-2328, chicosoven. com

BEST YOUTH ARTS PROGRAM

SkyART

The building that houses SkyART has come a long way to become what it is now. The people who grew up in the neighborhood knew it as Ellis Cleaners, a dry cleaning business. We remember the man in a green jumpsuit leaning on a giant needle on the sign mounted outside, and the funny chemical smell that emanated from its front doors whenever we would pass by it to go into La Jerezana corner store next door to buy Flaming Hot Cheetos on our way to or from the library across the street. The building became vacant, and many thought that it would go the way of the countless small businesses that disappeared at the beginning of the millennium.

A decade later, SkyART is now a thriving pillar in the community with a board that includes Theaster Gates Jr. and representatives from organizations like Heartland Alliance and Airbnb.

SkyART offers various programs that employ art as a way to help children and young adults cope with trauma and mental health challenges. According to director of programs, Devon VanHouten-Maldonado, SkyART relies on licensed professionals to help formerly incarcerated youths cope with trauma in a non-verbal way.

In addition to a gardening program, SkyART offers online video tutorials on cooking, painting, and dancing and paid internships for teens and college students.

Coming soon is the exhibition “Can You See Me?”, which will run from October 14-December 17 at three locations: Weinberg/Newton Gallery in River West, Gates’s Arts + Public Life in Washington Park, and the SkyART space in South Chicago. It will feature the work of currently and formerly incarcerated youth and include panels discussing young people who have been swept up in the criminal justice system. (Francisco Ramírez Pinedo) SkyART, 3026 E. 91st St. (773) 731-9287. skyart.org

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PHOTO BY AMANDA DIAZ

BEST COMMUNITY PODCAST

South by SouthEast (SxSE)

Close your eyes. Think of what the South Side looks like. Take a moment to reflect on your own experiences and biases.

Now think of what the South Side sounds like. Give it a second.

Hear the joy, hear the enthusiasm; what you hear is South by SouthEast (SxSE).

Launched in 2019, SxSE is a local audio and video podcast created by wife and husband Christa and Mike Alvarez. They have hope, and they carry the dream of all that the Southeast Side can be in their work.

The couple have lived on the Southeast Side all their lives.Christa has a background in journalism while Mike has a background in audio engineering. So, what do you get when a journalist and sound engineer get married? A kick ass podcast.

Food reviews,community interviews,local businesses,and the positivity happening is what you’ll be introduced to. Their podcast highlights the gems in our backyard, and shows why it’s important to remind the community of what we have. They support mom and pop shops, show off the talent in the community, and tell you why you should listen to the stories of the community. The dynamic duo partners locally to support community events, music fests, and have some of my favorite community merchandise.

They put their heart into the Southeast Side and it shows. (Oscar Sanchez) Tune in to the South by SouthEast podcast on all major streaming platforms.

ENGLEWOOD & WEST ENGLEWOOD Compiled by Cordell Longstreath , Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY THOUGHTPOET

E

nglewood is rising, piece by piece. Englewood is the home of the biggest drill rappers known in the country, while also being home to a community focused on changing the perception and the reality of what living in Englewood is and can be. We’ve challenged the idea of our community being a food desert, with Whole Foods leaving shortly, by offering free food out of community fridges and by creating our own grocery stores in the most needy areas with Dion’s Dream Fridge and the Go Green on Racine initiative. Being an Englewood native and realizing that all the pieces of improving our quality of life have already been conceptualized and realized by the people of the community has given me so much pride in being part of the fight against decades of structural violence and systemic oppression. I remember staring out the window of my apartment on 59th and Normal imagining what it would be like if the vacant lot across the street could be part of our own urban agricultural infrastructure, then walking to the red line and seeing a community garden managed by local school children just a couple blocks away. Englewood has been putting the pieces of a mosaic of community resilience that can be easily missed if you let the media dictate your perspective of the neighborhood.

When I got involved in the community effort to empower Englewood from within, I felt ashamed of how ignorant I was of the amount of stakeholders putting their blood, sweat, and tears into fighting for my community.The Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) opened the door of enlightenment for me, unveiling a menagerie of grassroots organizations, businesses, and changemakers who had been doing the work since before I was even born. I met organizer Cora Butler before I even joined R.A.G.E. or started instructing a literacy program at Primo Women’s and Children Shelter, and little did I know she had been championing civic engagement for Englewood since the 70’s. I didn’t even know what an alderman was when names like Anna Langford, David Moore, Stephanie Coleman, and Toni Foulkes started

populating my Google search. When I met organizations like R.A.G.E., Teamwork Englewood, Imagine Englewood If, and One Health Englewood I had already settled upon the amount of humility I needed due to the fact that these organizations were already championing the fight needed to make Englewood great again. A community fragmented, piece by piece, ward by ward, had a comprehensive strategy and was led by individuals that could never be appropriately represented in the media or by word of mouth. I proudly did my part teaching literacy at an afterschool program and teaching social studies at one of the local high schools, collecting census data and informing residents on the local healthcare resources, or equipping my neighbors with information on community resources and providing mutual aid through a weekly resource fair. One of the first and most frequent ways I gave back to the community was by documenting the stories of Englewood, and I will continue that journey through this year’s Best of Englewood.

Englewood personifies Chicago in many ways, so when one calls us “the city of broad shoulders” I can only think of the weight that these changemakers carry for my community. We have community activists that have been doing work for more than forty years either as individuals or through organizations. We have artists and developers that empower the community through creating equitable and creative spaces. We have businesses that showcase our Black Excellence through food and culture. But most of all Englewood has an army of community members who believe in Englewood and its future. (Cordell Longstreath) Cordell Longstreath is a veteran, writer, community advocate and activist, ex-teacher and soon to be teacher. He likes food, video games, books, politics, and trolling. You can find him volunteering throughout the city SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 47

ENGLEWOOD & WEST ENGLEWOOD

BEST LONGTIME VOLUNTEER

Cora Butler

Cora Butler is proud that she has dedicated her life to helping the Englewood community. Originally from Mississippi, Butler moved to Englewood when she was five years old and never looked back. Even from a young age, she has been heavily involved with the community: she was a part of a program called the Neighborhood Youth Corporation (NYC), worked at the Englewood library, helped the elderly with their chores, and babysat children. “I thought, ‘Is this my calling to help kids or help the community to do this or do that?’ and I guess it was,” she said.

One of Butler’s favorite spaces growing up was her church, Mt. Hope, on 67th, where she was asked to assist the seniors. “So I took the seniors everywhere,” she said.

“They loved going to Old Country Buffet and we went to a whole lot of stuff—we took them to the movies and I took them to see <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>.”

Later in life, when Butler was married and had children, she considered leaving Englewood but decided to stay, and lived only a block and a half away from her mother.

There, she volunteered and eventually was hired at Walter Reed Elementary (now Johnson Prep). She worked at Banneker (now Mays) Elementary until her retirement.

She considers the last two years of work the best two years of her life specifically because of her involvement with the parents. “I did so much with the parents,” she said. “I got the parents involved with so much activity; I took the parents on trips; we went out of Chicago! We had the parents’ center, we had the Region 5, we had the cluster.”

Outside of the classroom, Butler continued to volunteer. She helped out with Team Englewood, an organization focused on creating opportunities for Englewood residents that will alter their quality of life. Inspired by her work there, and by other community organizers she had met, in 2010 Butler co-founded Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.). R.A.G.E. focuses on collaborating with the community to create strategies and solutions that will better Englewood for all. One of her favorite R.A.G.E. initiatives was an event called Jobs on the Block. She noticed that many individuals did not have proper clothes to wear to work or interviews, so the team provided clothes for the community.

While she said that the pandemic has made organizing more challenging, she continues to be a critical community leader—and she continues to stay positive.

“Right now my motto is ‘live each day like it’s your last,’ because of this pandemic and everything,” she said. “Enjoy what you are doing. And just keep up the good work as you are helping out people in your community.” (Lauren Johnson) The Best Outreach Organization For West Englewood Voices of West Englewood and Gloria Williams A resident of the South Side for her entire life, Gloria Williams’s passion is helping the West Englewood community. She moved to the West Englewood area in the early 1970’s, is a proud graduate of Gage Park High School, received her masters degree in urban leadership from Northern Seminary, and she raised her two children and six grandchildren in the neighborhood.

“I've been working in the community for many, many years,” Williams told me.

“I’ve been addressing some of the issues and concerns of all ages—jobs, property taxes, back to school events—and did quite a few things over there in West Englewood, even employment training.”

In 2000, Williams founded Voices of West Englewood, a nonprofit focused on raising awareness of and offering solutions to issues affecting the West Englewood community. Wiliams noticed that community members often had questions and 48 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

issues and would come to her, and she wanted this information to be accessible to everyone. “Some people are afraid to speak up,” she said. “But I’m not. I’m going to speak up about what it is they want to see.” She did just that when she wrote about her work for Best of the South Side in 2015.

To this day, Voices of West Englewood is still active and thriving. Williams recently received two grants where she was able to plant flowers and then host a large party with a barbeque, bouncy house, music, and games.The event fostered community and brought joy to the neighborhood, as celebrations are needed now more than ever.

Through all of the complications with the pandemic, Williams has continued to be resilient and advocate. She led a food giveaway that provided meals to community members who had lost their jobs and other families in need.She also realized the benefits of virtual forums and events where she herself could learn more about her community and other organizations doing essential work. Recently, Williams participated in a commercial and was photographed for a billboard where she encouraged seniors to get vaccinated.

With conviction, passion, and grit, Williams is a true force. Her drive and love for her community make it impossible for her to stop serving anytime soon. (Lauren Johnson)

BEST SOUL FOOD

Georgia’s Food Depot

You can smell it a block away: located by 74th and Halsted, Georgia’s Food Depot is one of Chicago’s best soul food restaurants. In business for eight years, Georgia’s is owned by an Englewood resident who was born in Mississippi, but whose family moved her to Illinois when she was only three months old. Every time I have been to this restaurant it is always packed full of friendly patrons always complimenting the delicious aroma of beef short ribs, broasted chicken, smothered chicken, and pork chops with all the sides you can choose from.

Georgia’s offers $6 meals that will have you full and ready to go back over and over again. Plus, living in Englewood you start to notice we do not have many

ENGLEWOOD & WEST ENGLEWOOD breakfast spots but Georgia offers an a la carte breakfast with so many options, allowing all of us to have good and healthy choices. While writing this article, I rode my scooter to the restaurant and to talk to the owner, Georgia (who didn’t want to share her last name). She remembered me because I go there so often, and having that recognition really means a lot at a place you’re spending your money. The restaurant is also located next to a Black-owned hardware store, a convenience store, and a delicious seafood restaurant. Georgia’s best cooking advice is to learn to make food taste great without salt. Asking the owner her goals, she said she wants to get into catering and to service funeral homes, and that she is looking to hire more workers. So go down to Georgia’s and check out some of the best soul food in Englewood! (Mercedes Longstreath) Georgia’s Food Depot, 7352 S. Halsted St. Wednesday-Sunday, 11 am-6 pm; closed Monday-Tuesday. (773) 952-8017

The sign used to just say “Englewood,” but it was repainted by the Englewood Arts Collective and members of the community in 2020. I personally like the new sign and feel that it makes the neighborhood more welcoming. The mural also makes me feel a sense of belonging, and that people actually care about Englewood, the arts, and the community. The overpass the mural is located on is part of the long-planned Englewood Trail, a 1.5 mile-long stretch of elevated hiking trails for Englewood and West Englewood. The nature trail will also provide a place where people can feel safe and walk and exercise without having to use the streets to bike.

Every day that I pass the sign, I am glad to know that there are people who care enough about our community to make it look better, feel better, and be safer.

(Mercedes Longstreath)

BEST MURAL TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE

59th Street Overpass

On Halsted, between 58 and 59th streets, a mural is painted on one of the bridges.

On its south side, it reads “I am my community.” It also includes words chosen by the community like hope, community, home, and family, as well as images of children, men, and women who resemble the residents of Englewood. A brand new event space next to the mural hosts farmers' markets, performances, and community events for everyone in the neighborhood.

PHOTO BY JACKIE SERRATO

BEST NEW RESTAURANT TO LEARN KNIFE SKILLS

Haute Brats

When I showed up early for my interview with Haute Brats owner Chef Darryl Fuery, his hands still had remnants of flour from the dough machine. He was already at work.

Haute Brats, a takeout restaurant propelled by Fuery’s culinary training program, “Teaching N Training L3C,” soft-opened in late August of this year. The program was developed to coach and prepare unemployed young adults leaving the justice and foster care systems, as well as just generally disconnected young adults, for careers in the food service industry. Stressing the concept of “you are what you eat,” the program is modeled after balanced meals and the connection between food and body. In eight weeks, participants learn about basic knife skills, food storage and preparation, customer service, and much more. Whether a participant pursues a culinary career or leaves it as an interesting experience on their resume, they will have gained valuable skills and not depleted their time and money trying to figure out if it could be a good fit.

“Young people often go into a cooking career naively,” Fuery said. “They think it’s just all cooking. They don’t think about sanitation or other things you need to do to be successful, let alone all the time you’re on your feet day in, day out.”

The Haute Brats concept has slowly come together. Fuery applied for the City of Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund in 2017 but was initially denied. In 2018, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 49

ENGLEWOOD & WEST ENGLEWOOD his application was accepted, though it took him a year and a half to find a location and secure funding for renovations. By then, the pandemic was in full force and the Fund put their projects on hold. Now, Haute Brats can finally move forward. Chef Fuery is looking for a corporate sponsor so that the training program can remain free.

Fuery is modest and uplifts his nonprofit and mission at every turn, but he admits cooking is in his blood. Though his dad was also a chef, he initially studied business and didn’t consider a culinary path until after his dad passed.

“I was kind of depressed, and I was thinking of him and my mom who were both great cooks, and I just wondered if I had any ability,” he said.

After taking an introductory cooking course in the early 1990s, his instructor encouraged him to attend the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC), which was affiliated with Le Cordon Bleu. Post-graduation, he worked for Aramark, Sodexo, and the Field Museum, among other jobs. In 2003, Teamwork Englewood asked him to speak to a group of students about cooking as a viable career path, and there his passion for mentoring was born.

The core Haute Brats menu is simple, but fun. Hot dogs and brats are their flagship items, but sides include crispy fries, elote cups, and mini sugar-coated donuts made fresh each day. The plan is to expand the “Haute” brand outside of brats, such as “Haute Vegan” and “Haute Jerk,” to other locations.

I was lucky enough to have Chef Fuery make me his signature Reuben Dawg, the 847 Jerk Chicken Sausage, an order of fries, and a generous serving of mini donuts.

I’m usually not a fan of onions on a dog but in this case, my taste was wrong—the 847 was perfection. The Reuben Dawg had the classic flavor you would expect. The fries were fresh, and I’m not ashamed to admit I ate them all in one sitting. I decided to leave the donuts for dessert later that day. Though, as I stood up to shake his hand goodbye, he gave me a wry smile and said, “Well you’re not going to leave here without trying a donut, right?” With no more room in my stomach but all the eagerness of a kid with a sugar addiction, I took a blissful bite, and subsequently dropped crumbs all over my clothes.

I can’t faithfully say the same won’t happen to you if you visit Haute Brats, but it would all be worth it. (Nicole NeSmith) Haute Brats, 6239 S. Ashland Ave. Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm. (773) 424-4310. hautebrats.com

BEST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Re-Up

“I just bought my whole block, I’m a chief like I’m from O-Block”: the opening line from the song “New Years Freestyle,” from ITSREAL85’s parody character, Bloody Freddy, resonates with me because it references Chief Keef, O-Block, and Chicago, but most importantly because of the thought of buying his whole block. Yes, the fact that Bloody Freddy is a reimagining of Freddy Krueger as gang leader who runs Elm Street is pertinent, but the fact that a fictional character references owning his community is too prevalent. When I first heard the line I had just became aware of the “buy the block” slogan circling in conversations about dealing with intergenerational wealth, gentrification, and inequity in homeownership. Rappers were some of the first people I heard talking about giving back to the community they came from, but I had heard the slogan in community meetings in Englewood. Asiaha Butler, president of R.A.G.E., used it in the #BuyTheBlock initiative that she was spearheading by educating Englewood residents on how to approach homeownership and how homeowners could take advantage of the city’s Large Lot Program. Seeing this concept being brought to reality in my community really was inspirational, but little did I know that the #BuyTheBlock initiative would be an essential component of economic develop50 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

ment in Englewood.

The Englewood Re-Up stands for “R.A.G.E.’s Economic Upliftment Program” and according to its website it “focuses on business ownership, job creation, real estate development, and homeownership in the Englewood Chicago Community.” This includes a range of initiatives including the #BuyTheBlock program, a biannual job fair, a Black-owned business directory, a scholarship program for college bound HS graduates, a utility payments raffle, and my favorite, the land grant program.

According to the Re-Up’s manager, Ashley Johnson, the land grant program is a partnership with the Community Land Bank and it has gifted eight people a large lot on their block with one individual even getting two plots of land. This is thousands of dollars that build financial security for some and build intergenerational wealth for others.

Cherice Price was one of the recipients. An Englewood resident, homeowner, and owner of Price Insurance and Workforce Development Solutions LLC; she has already been deeply invested in the economic and workforce development of her community.

Jobs On The Block is a program she pioneered; it has been a staple of community job fairs since I moved back to Chicago in 2015. Asked if there was a catch to the land grant program, she said, “From what I heard, initially, we cannot sell it for the first five years, but since we are the homeowners we were given deeds for the lots,” adding, “if you can show you have the funds to rehab it, they are trying to make it so that you can get the property without putting up so much money upfront, because for a lot of those properties you would need at least $10,000.”

Price plans on turning her property into a playground for kids on the block.

Thinking of her granddaughter, she said, “I see the kids riding their bikes up and down the block and playing outside their home, so I was thinking about turning that into a kid’s playground.” She is only one of the grantees, but they all have plans that will generate a long-term impact. Before our chat ended she further advocated, “I just love the economics behind the Re-Up because it’s something we can hand down generationally, so for me that’s one of the biggest takeaways, not just from the vacant lot, but also from the Englewood Re-Up.” (Cordell Longstreath) You can follow the Re-Up by following @rage_englewood or visiting theragereup.org.</

BEST NEW BUSINESS INCUBATOR

E.G. Woode

Chicago’s 63rd Street is known throughout America. Two fallen greats of the Chicago Drill scene, FBG Duck and King Von, made two iconic songs, “I’m from 63rd” and “Crazy Story,” which gave 63rd its fame in recent years. The 63rd bus connects east to west and there are multiple stops for the Red Line and the Green Line. KennedyKing College is right there, and businesses from banks to grocery stores line up the street. I used to go to college every day using 63rd, as well as buying groceries and attending community meetings on this street. When I first heard about E.G. Woode and its goal of being part of the change that would make 63rd ground zero for future entrepreneurs, I was ecstatic because it was already a focal point of how myself and many others oriented themselves to the neighborhood.

According to a 2019 <i>Block Club Chicago</i> article titled “Can E. G. Woode transform Englewood?” architect Deon Lucas used former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Retail Thrive Zone grant to secure property on 63rd and May to develop a small-business incubator that opened on August 25. The collective includes Lucas’s architecture and engineering design collaborative Beehyyve, as well as Powell’s barbershop cooperative and college; a boutique consignment shop called Marie Wesley, a co-sharing workspace called Englewood Kitchen, a sports bar called Ellie’s Urban Grill, a coffee shop called Momentum, and a soul food restaurant called Pass

ENGLEWOOD & WEST ENGLEWOOD The Peas. As someone who often leaves Englewood to spend my disposable income in other communities, often taking the 63rd Street bus or the train lines, I’ve been waiting for years to see this establishment open.

I chatted with Antoine Butler, owner of Ellie’s Urban Grille, to get a sense of what to expect and the kind of impact the collective will make. One of the founders of R.A.G.E., a civil servant, and a dedicated father and community member, he has never shirked on the possibility of empowering Englewood. I chatted with him over a week before the grand opening.

South Side Weekly: Can you explain what E.G. Woode is as a business incubator?

Antoine Butler: It’s a co-op with start-up entrepreneurs, Black start-ups, that distinctly wants to work with non-established entrepreneurs, because those are the people who are going to create more jobs. Only two have had physical spaces and the other four are start-ups, so it's going to be interesting. Momentum and Powell’s have had physical spaces, but this will be the first time for others.

Will there be mentoring programs?

I try to stay away from the word program, but there will be a lot of mentorship and opportunities, really trying to start other people because the bigger picture is for everybody to move on and open another space with other entrepreneurs. Like the guy who is gonna be my chef, I’ll be planning for him to take over the space or we build him a new space and he starts his own restaurant. Each one, teach one.

I want to support the community (sports) teams. We have the Ogden Park Vikings, Lindblom Park team, and I want to encourage them to stay into sports. Lots of sponsorships. I know the center on 69th just formed a basketball team so I’m thinking about sponsoring them now, out of pocket, to see what we can get going.

E.G. Woode speaks of being a place for entrepreneurs to utilize the space. Are there rates for the co-working spaces or ideas on how non-attached entrepreneurs can utilize E.G. Woode?

No rates yet. Part of the second floor will be a shared kitchen where people can come in. Say someone sells cookies, we have a kitchen where they can come in and increase their volume and bake twice as many cookies then they can bake somewhere else.

That’s bringing their business up and we will probably be selling a lot of the products from locals who come and use the kitchen. We will be selling their products in the restaurant. I’m positive of that!

Speaking with Butler gets me more and more excited to know that not only can I go have an after-work brew in my community, but I will be helping my community with my disposable income. Englewood not only needs, but deserves, spaces where community members can enjoy themselves. Then more people will say, “I’m from 63rd.” (Cordell Longstreath) E.G. Woode, 1122 W. 63rd St. (312) 877-6747. egwoode.com

What kind of ideas will your business be bringing to the table?

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 51

Maritere Gómez grew up in Gage Park and was a neighborhood captain in Best of the South Side 2020. She has been an activist in the city for over ten years, mostly fighting for immigrant and labor justice for her community that gives so much and is not thanked enough.

She last wrote an op-ed about the need for a new Gage Park library.

D

o you ever become curious about the people, the history, and the debates behind the taco? “Let’s taco ‘bout it!”

Growing up in Gage Park, I grew up next to the best taquerias, as far as I’m concerned. I recently read an article calling for the upcharge of tacos. It expounded on how not paying more for tacos reflected disrespect for this Mexican food staple. I couldn’t believe that this was even up for debate. I thought, uff, must be the pandemic hitting people hard.

The author called for Mexican restaurant owners and their patrons to charge and pay more, respectively, for tacos, meanwhile the author herself is sitting in an upscale restaurant in the West Loop—where newly built condos and high-end restaurants occupy former warehouses and factories, and where the Haymarket Monument sits, the site where immigrants found jobs in the 1800s and the famous Haymarket labor demonstration happened that led to winning the eight-hour workday.

Despite being a self-proclaimed taco-connoisseur, I have avoided places that charge what I consider to be an absurd amount of money for a taco. The recent debate about charging more for tacos has really made me wonder about the history of my all-time beloved food item. All I had ever heard about the taco was that it was working-class food. The taco is “street” food. The taco is meant for the people that are on the street living life to the fullest and busy running around. I reasoned that it was a working-class food because it’s made quickly and, most importantly, it’s affordable for people that need affordable food.

A brief history of the taco The history of the taco is not fully known. Believe it or not, there are taco historians!

These historians say that tacos—meaning soft corn tortillas with meat or fish inside of them—have been consumed in Mexico for thousands of years.

The modern form and its name ‘taco’ probably came from the silver mines of Mexico in the 18th century. The mineros would use thin pieces of paper, which may have been called ‘tacos,’ to wrap gunpowder which they would use as an explosive to uncover silver. I love this because of how well it analogizes the taco: the taco is dynamite on the palate and gives a charge of energy to whoever eats it.

The taco restaurateur says that charging more for tacos is about respect.

Increasing the cost of tacos will not magically bring respect to Mexicans and Mexican cuisine. There are literal political campaigns against Mexicans spreading false anti-Mexican rhetoric. If anything, the respect that Mexicans deserve will develop when the anti-Mexican rhetoric ends, not the other way around. Increasing the cost of tacos would only deprive the working class from one of the foods that is still easily accessible and affordable.

The decent amount of respect that the taco currently has comes from the acknowledgement that it feeds the Mexican community, the working class and others.

It’s delicious, easy to find, and affordable.

What scares me the most about the author’s sentiment is the thought that tacos will one day be too expensive to sell or buy in the neighborhood I call home, Gage Park. There are restaurants now, in Chicago neighborhoods, that price three tacos at $19.

Conclusion: tacos are not the same everywhere. The three spots I mention offer wildly different experiences and co-exist in the same neighborhood.The respect comes in the creativity of the Gage Park neighborhood and the solidarity of its working class.

Increasing prices for tacos is the last thing that we need to bring respect to Mexicans and our exquisite cuisine.

Now, go get yourself some tacos in Gage Park and tell them South Side Weekly sent ya! (Maritere Gómez)

GAGE PARK Compiled by Maritere Gómez, Neighborhood Captain

52 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 PHOTO BY LUZ MAGDALENO FLORES

GAGE PARK

BEST TACO TRUCK

El Rayo Taco Truck

Speaking of the taco as an electric power charge, one of my favorite places to get tacos in Gage Park is El Rayo Taco Truck. Summertime Chi provides for some activities that winter does not—like standing for a handsome amount of time to place your order because the line is so extremely long. It was the middle of summer right after the golden hour, people were lined up at 47th and Kedzie to order tacos. You cannot miss the truck despite the brick-and-mortar taco spots around it. El Rayo is lit up with outdoor lights all around its outline. It flaunts the Mexican flag in celebration of Latinx Heritage Month.

After a long day of summer fun, a taco hits exactly right in the belly. The truck displays some enticing dishes on the menu, like steak tacos, burritos, and sopes, decorated with green and red salsa, some cebollitas and chiles toreados. I recommend them all.

I heard about this taco truck very organically. I was with my mom who had just had food from El Rayo with a neighbor. The neighbor was raving about the tacos they serve. My mom couldn’t wait to show me this spot. She loves cooking at home, so when she said we had to check it out, I knew there must be a reason. She would just not stop talking about it!

We drive up to 47th and Kedzie. There is a row of cars behind the taco truck and a line of people standing outside. The only suspense I like is the suspense I experience while waiting to get in my taco order.

The wait is worth it. Flavorful, seasoned perfectly, not to mention the green salsa; it is not watered down to a weak mild spice for uncultured palates. The serving comes with chiles toreados (deliciously charred and sautéed jalapeños sprinkled with salt). It also comes with carrots and broccoli en vinagre. Perfection is the only way to describe the tacos served at El Rayo. (Maritere Gómez) El Rayo Taco Truck. (773) 441-3516

BEST AL PASTOR TACO

La Haciendita

Another place where the wait is worth it!

La Haciendita’s thematic colors are red and yellow, as is typical of many Mexican restaurants. The colors really catch the attention of people as the restaurant sits unassumingly on 51st and Kedzie. The outstanding food, however, is what really has caught my attention and why I return any chance I get.

The tacos al pastor are prepared with pineapple juice. When you walk in, the al pastor meat is immediately visible on the vertical rotisserie. A large pineapple sits on the pork meat marinating it for hours with sweet, sweet pineapple juice. When the cook prepares the al pastor taco, they slice the meat off along with some of the pineapple. I won’t judge if you close off this article now and run to La Haciendita.

Other favorites are nopales (cactus salad) tacos with frijoles de la olla.

A major bonus is that this restaurant has a parking lot. In Chicago, parking spots are a thing! Gage Park has not yet been plagued by the pay-to-park-only spots, but it is getting there, and 47th and Kedzie can get busy, so the first time I noticed the parking lot “only for La Haciendita visitors” sign, I had to pull over.

I’ve had countless meals at La Haciendita over the years. It is always packed with families or individuals needing some “self-care” and tacos. I have waited embarrassing amounts of time to be seated at this restaurant. I have witnessed grown people stomp away after being told the wait would be over two hours. (Maritere Gómez)

PHOTO BY LUZ MAGDALENO FLORES

BEST HOOD TAQUERIA

La Quebrada

Where the hood and the taco meet.

The La Quebrada building is decorated with red and yellow suns all around its walls.The best part though, are the windows advertising the food specials. One of them is the $5.99 breakfast special.

This restaurant does not disappoint. I’ve had countless meals and coffee here with my family and neighbors in Gage Park.

It also has a parking lot! In one of the corners of the restaurant, there is a placard with the saying, “Somewhere in the Hood.” La Quebrada “gets” the neighborhood of Gage Park.

La Quebrada tacos are straightforward, flavorful, tender. The salsa de molcajete is warm, like the tomatoes and jalapeños were just taken off the boiling water and placed on the comal. The tacos here taste like they were truly homemade.

Their food and drink menu is endless. They serve individual tacos to parrilladas – a small, table size grill filled to the rim with seafood and meats. The parrilladas come with a side of tortillas, arroz and frijoles.

My favorite is the carne asada taco and al pastor taco with cilantro and cebolla. I always add a little lime with the warm freshly-made salsa. Excuse me, *brb*, driving to La Quebrada as I’m typing this. (Maritere Gómez) La Quebrada Restaurant, 5100 S. California Ave. Sunday–Thursday, 8:30am–9pm; Friday–Saturday, 8:30am–10pm. (773) 737-4575

Taqueria La Haciendita, 5151 S. Kedzie Ave. 8am–12am. (773) 434-3864 SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 53

HEGEWISCH Compiled by Alma Campos Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY LEONEL HERNANDEZ

B

ecause Hegewisch is the farthest neighborhood on the southeast side of the city, many don’t see it as part of Chicago—but rather Indiana. Or they simply don’t know it exists. It is probably one of the most unknown parts of the city, perhaps in part because it seems that Chicago forgot to add enough public transportation—it isn’t easy to get there via CTA or Metra—and it doesn’t help that Hegewisch is also closed off by railways, manufacturing, and “walls of industry [that] you can’t cross,” as a resident once told me.

Historically, the neighborhood has housed a great deal of the city’s steel mills and manufacturing companies that have hurt the environment. It has since been targeted, according to residents, as the dumping ground for the city of Chicago.

For Best of South Side last year, I wrote about how the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd inspired youth to raise consciousness about racism and environmental injustice in Hegewisch and its neighboring communities. For example, after years of fighting, residents, in particular the area’s youth, got city health officials to reject the final permit by General Iron to operate in Hegewisch. I also wrote about a joyful nutrition shop and community leaders looking for change and recognition in their neighborhood.

In this year’s Best of South Side I explore Hegewisch Marsh: over a hundred acres of native wetlands and over a mile of trails leading to more surprises. I speak to Tommy Don Talley Jr., a Hegewisch resident who last year started his own organization to normalize mental health in his community. He shares what the organization’s events are all about, as well as how anyone can participate. I also meet Celina Miramontes, owner at Empress Studio, who realized her dream of owning a beauty salon and boasts some of the best reviews online.

Through political activism, entrepreneurship, leadership, and nature activities, new dreams bloom in Hegewisch. Over the past several years, through efforts that disrupt and inspire, area residents have been sending a strong message—we are here and have a lot to offer. (Alma Campos) Neighborhood captain Alma Campos is the Weekly’s immigration editor. This is her second year editing the Hegewisch section for Best of the South Side. You can find her on Twitter at @alma_campos.

54 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BEST NATURAL OASIS

Hegewisch Marsh

Bordering the Calumet River on 130th Street and Torrence Avenue, Hegewish Marsh offers a natural oasis to enjoy. According to the Chicago Park District, there are many habitats inside the marsh. The 129 acres of land includes native marsh, wetland, and wet prairie. Visitors will find trails to enjoy the site of meadows, cottontails, and cottonwood trees. The area was once the site of steel mills, and decades of efforts have gone into conserving the natural environment that still continue today.

The Chicago Ornithological Society, which works to advance and conserve birds throughout the Chicago region, organizes bird walks at Hegewisch Marsh throughout the year; the marsh attracts migrating songbirds, Moorhens, Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, Marsh Wrens, and other wetland birds.

The marsh is perfect for children, and they can join the Southeast Side Junior Explorers for fun activities that cultivate a love for nature. Booklets, activity packs, and information on how to join can be found at the Ford Calumet Environmental Center.

If you have time left over after your trip to Hegewish Marsh, just a few miles north you’ll find Big Marsh Park in the South Deering neighborhood, where you can enjoy an environmental center and exhibit that opened in 2021. It features more paved trails, scenic views, and even a bike shop. Indian Ridge Marsh and Burnham Prairie Nature Preserve are also just a few miles away for hiking, camping and birdwatching.

Also check out the Ford Calumet Environmental Center for more information about parks and activities around the Southeast Side of the city. (Alma Campos) Hegewish Marsh, 13298 S. Torrence Ave. Daily, dawn to dusk. chicagosesideparks.com

HEGEWISCH

BEST “ALL THINGS BEAUTY” SALON

Empress Studio

LEONEL HERNANDEZ

BEST COMMUNITY HEALTH LEADERSHIP

Tommy Talks

You can really have it all at Empress Studio, a beauty and hair salon located in the Hegewisch neighborhood. Nails, waxing, facials, lashes, and hair services for all are just some of the offerings under one roof. Initially, the salon only offered hair services, but its owner, Celina Miramontes, began offering more for her clients and moved to a bigger space last year in order to do so.

The studio’s hair services are “the latest trends and techniques” and include all things hair such as haircuts, color, perms, hair extensions, and braids.Their color line is strictly Pulp Riot, which is a vegan line with quinoa—an ingredient that helps protect and repair hair.

Miramontes is an East Side native and said she always knew she wanted to do hair. “I used to actually sit out front and do people’s hair...on my stairs.” She eventually went on to cosmetology school and opened her business. She has a message for young women thinking about starting their own business: “As long as they have the passion... the sky’s the limit.”

On Google, Empress Studio boasts 4.5/5 stars, with customers raving about the excellent customer service. Miramontes said helping her clients feel confident is the best part of her work. “The best part about what I do is watching all of our clients [who are] maybe not having a good day or not feeling confident, or even going through things in life, and you get to completely change their day. You get to make them feel beautiful, you get to make them feel better...And I feel like that’s the most rewarding part.” (Alma Campos) Empress Studio, 13308 S. Baltimore Ave. Monday, 9am–3pm; Tuesday, 10am–5pm; Wednesday, 9am–5pm; Thursday–Friday, 10am–7pm; Saturday, 9am–3pm. (773) 4374693. vagaro.com/us04/empress777studio

Using mental health pop-ups and unique health events that promote healing from trauma, the mission of Tommy Talks is to normalize discussion of mental health. The initiative was founded by Tommy Don Talley Jr., a longtime resident of Hegewisch.

He said he felt the need to share his own story about childhood trauma, which then led him to start Tommy Talks in 2021 and help others in their mental health journeys.

At the organization’s mental health pop-ups and other events, community members engage in discussions about difficult but important topics such as suicide prevention, alcohol and drug use, healthy ways to cope with stress, and places to seek help.

“The word ‘therapy’ has been so stigmatized that it scares people. So we don’t just talk [about] therapy,” Talley said. “It’s [about] showcasing different ways to help whether it’s meditation, yoga, peer support, through activities or creating writing.”

For example, during “Light the Night,” one Tommy Talks event, more than one hundred community members came together for a healing activity. Participants wrote down something painful, placed it inside a paper lantern, and released it into the sky as a way to let it go and move on. “Tommy Talks serves as an advocate, a breaker of generational curses, a partner, a community organization, a peer support group, a guide to resources, and so much more,” Talley said.

Eventually, Talley said he wants to take his mental health approach to schools and even create a mental health center in the Southeast Side. And while a lot of the events have taken place in Hegewisch,Tommy Talks will be expanding to other nearby neighborhoods soon. Its next pop-up event will be about suicide prevention and will be held at St. Francis de Sales High School on September 29 from 5pm to 9pm; all interested are invited to attend. (Alma Campos) Tommy Talks, tommytalksnpo.org. Instagram: @tommytalksnpo HEGEWISCH MARSH PHOTO BY LEONEL HERNANDEZ

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 55

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD

Compiled by Ella Beiser, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY MIKE RICHARDSON

Ella Beiser is a lifelong Hyde Parker and is currently a sophomore at Bates College studying politics and digital and computational studies. In her free time she enjoys writing for her school newspaper and sharing music with friends.

F

rom the relics of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to blues legend Muddy Waters’ house, many marks of Hyde Park-Kenwood’s rich history remain.

One such mark is an inconspicuous brownstone apartment on 55th St. and Everett Ave. In an article published in October 1972 in the Hyde Park Herald, reporter Cheryl Fries wrote a summation of the year's events: “The YMCA announced its decision to look for a new site in the community and a number of Hyde Park women were accused of operating an abortion ring in South Shore.”

At the time, abortion was illegal—safe and underground abortion services were rare.

The women arrested were part of an abortion service based in Hyde Park called the Jane Collective. Started in 1969 by University of Chicago student Heather Booth, it initially operated as a referral service for people seeking abortions, but members later trained themselves to perform first and second trimester abortions.

The Janes successfully performed over 11,000 abortions and, according to Laura Kaplan in her book The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service, nobody died.

Their service operated out of two Hyde Park apartments. People seeking abortions would first go to “The Front,” located at 5532 S. Everett Ave., before being driven to 56 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

“The Place” at 5120 S. Hyde Park Blvd., where the procedure was performed. “The Place” was later moved to a South Shore location.

To advertise, the group posted signs around the city saying, “Pregnant? Don’t want to be? Call Jane: 643–3844.”

The abortion services existing before the Jane Collective were often expensive and risky. Patients were often charged exorbitant prices or subjected to dangerous procedures and left with no legal recourse.

“Few women understood their reproductive physiology or had any idea where to get the information they needed. The special knowledge doctors had was deliberately made inaccessible, couched in language incomprehensible to the layperson,” writes Kaplan.

In contrast, the Janes were transparent with their clients, informing them right off the bat that they were not medical professionals and explaining the procedure step-bystep: more common in medicine today, but not widely practiced at the time.

According to Kaplan, the Janes charged $100 for the abortion, but would accept whatever the client could afford. This made abortion services far more accessible.

(Doctors would often charge upwards of $500 for the procedure.)

In 1972, the collective’s South Shore location was raided. Seven women were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit abortion.

The Herald article notes that, “By law, abortion charges are filed against those who use instrument, drug or other substance with the intent to procure a miscarriage of any women. A miscarriage does not actually have to take place nor does the woman even have to be pregnant.”

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD The article goes on to report that the women could face one to ten years in prison and concludes with a short, definitive sentence: “Abortion is a felony under Illinois law.”

From the time of the arrest until the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade on Jan. 22, 1973, the landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide, Jane continued its abortion counseling service. The seven defendants managed to delay their case until the federal decision, after which the charges against them were dropped.

In June of this year, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade , setting abortion rights back fifty years. Several of the Janes, now in their 80s and 90s, still live in Hyde Park, and have lamented this ruling. In a May interview with the Herald, Jane member Martha Scott said solemnly, “I just want things to be different. But it's not going to happen for a while.” (Ella Beiser)

BEST JOLLY GREEN GIANT

“Green Lady” Sculpture

On the edge of Jackson Park, a green woman basks in the sun. Obscured by a stretch of trees at the corner of 59th Street and Stony Island Boulevard, she stands tall with arms raised, a piece of public art celebrating the union of human craft and nature.

Transformation, a fifteen-and-a-half-foot-tall statue carved out of a dead ash tree, was created by Iowa-based chainsaw carver Gary Keenan in 2020.

Also dubbed the “Green Lady” by Keenan, the statue is a part of the Chicago Tree Project, a collaboration between the Chicago Park District and Chicago Sculpture International. As the emerald ash borer, an invasive species of beetle encouraged by climate change, infects trees across North America, artists give trunks new life through carving, painting, and installing art onto sick and dying trees.

The emerald ash beetle has been called the “most destructive forest pest ever seen in North America” by the Park District, and threatens to chew through all ash trees in Chicago within the next decade. Given that about ten percent of trees in city parks are ash trees, the Park District has been rapidly planting non-ash trees to account for the projected loss of greenery. Meanwhile, to make the most of the damage already inflicted by the beetle, they have commissioned more than fifty unique ash tree sculptures since 2014, several which are in Hyde Park.

Keenan’s process is poetic, using loud, aggressive machines like chainsaws and power tools to carve a sculpture full of hope. Debuting in the early days of the pandemic, the “Green Lady”embodies resilience against brutal biological forces: viruses and invasive species.

While the lower portion of the trunk was left unpainted—a visual that likens the piece to nearby trees—the rest of the sculpture is painted in various shades of green, emphasizing the textured overlapping vines and leaves which climb up her thighs and sprout from her arms. As weeds overtake the sculpture’s base, it’s as if the woman herself has grown out of the earth.

The sculpture is striking; her pose is unwaveringly powerful. In a 2020 interview with WTTW, Keenan recalled a passerby that stopped to mimic the “Green Lady” pose, taking pictures with her arms raised and face turned to the sun. (Max Blaisdell) Transformation, S. 59th St. and S. Stony Island Blvd. chicagotreeproject.org/trees-2/garykeenan/

BEST $1 PRODUCE BIN

Open Produce

Nestled in a row of eateries, florists, and corner stores along 55th Street sits Open Produce, a micro-grocery that has provided neighbors with fresh produce, locally made dry goods, and community bike tools for more than a decade.

Ambient conversation and a bright interior greet customers as they enter Open Produce’s historic space. Built in the early 1960s, the building at 1635 E. 55th St. has lost none of its charm, and the level of thought and detail become immediately clear to a patron, as they survey the arrangement of goods stretching to the ceiling on builtin shelves. Labels are written by hand, noting origin and details of goods, along with anecdotes about the products. Among its many vaunted features, the store affords the neighborhood with fresh local bread, including baked goods from the nearby Medici on 57th, as well as produce from farms across the Midwest.

The store’s $1 groceries and free bread bins offer excess produce and baked goods for patrons in a pinch. This has the twofold function of reducing food waste and hunger throughout the neighborhood. Link cards are accepted and promoted as a method of payment, increasing access for all. Opening at 8am. and closing at midnight affords the night shift and the early risers the ability to access groceries when few other places in the neighborhood are up and running.

The niche neighborhood market was opened in 2008 by three friends and recent University of Chicago graduates: Andrew Cone, Gabriela Russek, and Steven Lucy.

After spending a few years working in the corporate world—in trading and computer programming—the three friends reunited with a lofty goal of selling organic, ethically sourced, and culturally diverse goods, though they had trouble securing loans for the startup. When banks denied them, they borrowed $30,000 from friends and family and charged another $10,000 on a credit card.

After several grocery store closures in the neighborhood, a recession, and pandemic, Open Produce is still going strong.

Today the warm, old fashioned chalkboard above the produce section is colorfully adorned with a drawing of tomatoes and a smiling sun, stating “Summer is tomato season and every season is friendly season.” (Maggie Ruble) Open Produce, 1635 E. 55th St. Daily 8am-12am. (773) 496-4327. openproduce.org

BEST VEGAN COMFORT FOOD

B’Gabs Goodies

Veganism is on the rise, as are the array of dining options in the neighborhood. For longtime herbivores or those new to the dietary movement, B’Gabs Goodies is a tasteful refresher in plant-based dining.

Located at the corner of 57th and Blackstone, B'Gabs “focuses on whole plantbased nutrition,” said owner Gabrielle Darvassy.

Every meal is made fresh, and the sensory experience when you walk into the eatery is calm and refreshing. A mix of potent aromas, jazz music, and a bright “hello” from someone in back of house greet you at the door. The walls are filled with abstract paintings by artist Fanta Celah, and adjacent to a cozy dining space is a collection of herbs and holistic products such as chloride-free toothpaste and aluminum-free deodorant.

B’Gabs first opened in Woodlawn’s Experimental Station in 2011, with Darvassy running the eatery with her two sons, her husband, and her mother. “We wanted to offer this quality (food) to our own community as options were very limited (in Woodlawn),” she said.

But her foray into veganism began much earlier. In a 2018 interview with the Hyde Park Herald, Darvassy attributed her recovery from pregnancy-related blood clotting to a change in diet and adoption of alternative medicine. “I was sick many years ago, and I used raw veganism to cure myself. And I did cure myself… because food will do that,” she said.

In 2015, Darvassy moved her operation—and an expanded menu—north to 57th Street.

Today, every item is soy and gluten free, and “we also specialize in alternative diets, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 57

PHOTO BY MIKE RICHARDSON

such as raw, juicing, and alkaline,” said Darvassy. Offerings include jackfruit nuggets and raw buddha bowls filled with sweet potatoes, mushrooms, chickpeas, and zucchini.

There’s also an array of substitutions for popular fast foods such as nachos, burgers, and Philly cheesesteaks.

“I do food you can emotionally identify with, because for many people raw and vegan food is so far out there,” Darvassy said in a 2012 Herald interview. “What I really care about is people eating (healthy) food… I am so sick and tired of (the community) not having a choice.” (Kristian Parker) B’Gabs Goodies, 1450 E. 57th St. Wednesday-Thursday, Sunday 11am-3pm; Friday-Saturday 11am-6pm. (773) 256-1000. bgabsgoodies-100666.square.site/

BEST GLIMPSE INTO WHAT CHICAGO COULD HAVE BEEN

Burnham Nature Sanccctuary

At a secluded trail head near 47th Street and just west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive., visitors are given a choice between two paths: a well-maintained paved trail or a more adventurous wood chipped trail winding beneath a dense canopy of trees.

Along the wood-chipped trail birds sing through the dappled light that sifts through the trees, and squirrels rustle in the brush foraging from berry trees. For the amateur botanist, special habitats and plants, such as native cottonwood and white ash trees, are identified by clear plaques. The canopy periodically gives way to lush prairie teeming with butterflies and birds. Intentionally designed to support native plant species, the prairies, meadows, and woodlands are a brief glimpse of the environment 58 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

before the city was built.

Burnham Nature Sanctuary is a part of the Burnham Wildlife Corridor, a 100acre ribbon stretching along the lakeshore from Kenwood to McCormick Place.

Amidst this path, you may come upon a gathering space entitled “Sankofa for the Earth.”Throughout Burnham Wildlife Corridor, there are five gathering spaces which reflect the culture of nearby neighborhoods in Chicago. “Sankofa for the Earth” was a partnership with the South Side Community Art Center in nearby Bronzeville, which advocates for African American arts and artists. This space reminds us that history holds important information that allows us to successfully move forward in our lives.

It is a sacred space to reflect on South Side history and connect with the land our community depends on.

For a more casual stroll, the paved option gives all the beauty at a slower pace. The trail winds beneath the edge of the canopy, and benches provide a place of rest to relax and breathe in the view. One section of the trail is designed as a boardwalk, elevated just above the rippling prairie. If you come here at the right time of the year, beautiful blooming wildflowers are abundant and make the perfect backdrop for pictures with loved ones.

This wildlife corridor is named after Daniel Burnham, the Chicago city planner and architect responsible for designing the World’s Columbian Exhibition of 1893, which took place in Jackson Park, just south of the sanctuary. The Burnham Nature Sanctuary pays tribute to Burnham’s 1909 “Plan of Chicago,” which envisioned transit improvements, reclamation of all twenty-nine miles of the Chicago lakefront with public parkland and an expansion to the city’s park and boulevards—though most of it was never realized. (Piper Graham) Burnham Nature Sanctuary, 1600 E. 47th St. .chicagoparkdistrict.com/burnham-wildlife-corridor-burnham-nature-sanctuary

LA VILLITA

Compiled by Laura Ramírez, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY SILVIA MORALES

Laura Ramírez is a writer and community organizer from La Villita. She recently co-edited an anthology called Never Normal Again with the Hoodoisie collective.

L

a Villita neighborhood, located on the West Side of Chicago, has been the site of arrival for many immigrants from Mexico and Central America since the late 1970s. Yet in recent years, the culture of the neighborhood has shifted from one that has supported recent immigrant arrivals to one that is burgeoning with multiracial and multicultural residents, many who are the children of the immigrants that began to adopt this Chicago enclave as a home away from home.

This change is evident, from the businesses to the people walking around buying elotes and goods from the many vendors that line the main strip of 26th Street, as well as Cermak Road on the north and 31st street on the south. Vendors and residents welcome the influx of new visitors who contribute to the economic wellbeing of the community.

Yet due to its central location and proximity to the University of Illinois at Chicago, Little Village is also being heavily impacted by gentrification. Although made up of mostly working class families, recent spikes in property taxes, combined with concerns about street violence and environmental pollution, are driving many longterm residents to sell their homes and move to more affordable neighborhoods where they feel safer.

But even as Little Village residents continue to wrestle with these issues, the neighborhood remains one of the safest spaces for newly arrived immigrants from

Latin America and their children. Little Village is a space where people can thrive whether or not they can speak English or are documented; it is a neighborhood where culture and community have been built and preserved over the past four decades.

More and more stores are full of artisanal items such as embroidered blouses, leather shoes and belts, straw and handwoven hats, tapestries, and handmade jewelry.

Likewise, there are stores that are stocked with Mexican and Central American products that are a gift to those who left their homeland.

We invite you to visit and enjoy Little Village, admire its street art, eat some of the most delicious Mexican food in the United States, and enjoy an elote or raspa from a street vendor. (Laura J. Ramirez)

BEST PLACE TO FIGHT FAST FASHION

Village Discount Thrift Store

Walking down the busy commercial strip of 26th Street, it is easy to spot what seems like endless opportunities to shop. Yet I belong to a generation that is acutely aware of the damages of climate change and the ways in which fast fashion impacts the environment. This is why I am always on the lookout for secondhand items to fill my closet, and the Village Discount on 26th and Pulaski is an excellent choice for me.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 59

LA VILLITA

This Village Discount is one of the largest thrift stores in Chicagoland. They have a lot to choose from and great deals and prices. The store is well-organized and always has new items in stock, with extensive sections for all ages and sizes. They also have half-off everything on holidays, three-for-$1 color tags on Sundays, and three tag colors are half off every day! Walking in is alway an adventure because I feel like there’s forever more to discover.

Beyond the adventure, I always appreciate the helpful staff, who seem to have an endless supply of clothing, records, books, dishes, and knick knacks for those who, like myself, also like to collect small ceramic objects and other vintage items.

Another reason why I love to shop here is because it is mostly people from the community: mothers and their children, young people, elders, and working professionals. I love seeing how Black people from North Lawndale are now coming to shop here. As an Afro-Mexican, it is always a beautiful sight to see both of my backgrounds coming together to experience this wonderful place where I always feel I can find something unique, affordable and fashionable.

I think about ninety percent of my wardrobe comes from this store and I also think I dress pretty well. I’ve shopped here as long as I can remember and it’s only gotten better! (Imani Al-Uqdah) Village Discount Outlet Store #9, 4020 W. 26th St. Monday–Saturday, 9am–9pm; Sunday 10am–6pm. (708) 388-4772

BEST PLACE TO BE TRANSPORTED TO MEXICO

La Ordeña

Walking into La Ordeña, located in the heart of 26th Street, is a much-needed experience for those of us who migrated or are deeply connected to our roots. The scents, colors, sounds, and decorations all make you feel like you have found a home away from home.

There are colorful containers full of tantalizing offerings organized in ways reminiscent of the local mercados in Mexico. They have extensive offerings of condiments, moles (spicy and labor-intensive sauces), candies, cheeses, clay dishes, as well as items that are otherwise nearly impossible to find in Chicago, like nata, an artisanal milk curd that is not easy to find in any large supermarket in Chicago or in Mexico itself.

It is like finding a small piece of home that is unknown to many, making it even more precious to foodies like myself.

Long-term customer Heidi Ramirez, when asked why she liked to go to La Ordeña, said, “Because I felt it was a little Mexico. The smell, the traditional Mexican stuff: lavaderos (washboards), molcajetes (mortars), salseros (salsa containers), tortilleros (tortilla warmers), mandiles (aprons). It reminds me of my childhood, like candy and chile at the same time.”

The location on 26th is the third business under the name of La Ordeña, which despite its small size, is able to fill a niche with those who seek these authentic ingredients. If you are looking for an authentic small supermarket that can transport you into another space and time, I highly suggest you visit La Ordeña. (Laura J. Ramírez) Cremeria La Ordeña, 3234 W. 26th St. Monday–Saturday, 9am–8pm; Sunday, 9am–7pm.

(773) 823-1336

60 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

PHOTO BY SILVIA MORALES

BEST HAIRCUT AND RECORD SHOP

Del Pueblo Barbers and Records

Located near Cermak and Albany, in the heart of Little Village, Del Pueblo Barbers and Records is a gem that mixes cultural appreciation and style. “It’s a place where you can get a fresh fade or buy some classic records [or] tapes,” said co-owner and head barber Jonathan Guzmán.

As I sat to interview Jonathan, the vinyl record of “Los Terrícolas” played in the background. This barbershop and record shop reminded me of someplace I’ve been before, like when our parents used to put two chairs together at the quinceañera so that we can sleep, and that way they didn’t have to leave the party. It was abuelita playing her music as loud as she could while cleaning the house type of feeling. You know, home.

The barbershop walls are covered with art from local artists. Co-owner Leo Guzmán, or DJ Wero, says he hopes that Del Pueblo can be a place for the youth in the community to find an outlet through music. They currently sell vinyl and throwback cassette tapes at the shop. The collection of music is focused on Spanish-language genres. You can find both records with corridos and a vinyl from Psycho Realm.

As I was getting my hair cut (you can book an appointment through their Facebook page) it was great to see the interaction they have with the community. “We want this to become a space where the kids can feel free to express themselves and get fresh. They can come and get the experience of digging for a vinyl and putting the needle on themselves,” DJ Wero said. (Demo Ramirez) Del Pueblo Barbers & Records, 3051 W. Cermak Rd. Monday–Wednesday, Friday– Saturday, 10am–6pm;Thursday 10am–5pm; Sunday 9am–6pm. (708) 631-6720. facebook. com/DelPuebloChicago/

UNIVERSITY VILLAGE/ TRI-TAYLOR/ LITTLE ITALY Compiled by Jocelyn Vega , Neighborhood captain

PHOTO BY TUCKER

T

he history of University Village and Tri Taylo represents a community before my time as well as hope for communities facing similar historical forces. These two neighborhoods represent two sides of a coin of Chicago’s housing segregation and economic development. There have been multiple lifetimes experienced in both areas, with many changes occurring over the last decades thanks to changing city policy. The neighborhoods might feel removed from its past as they climbed the social mobility ladder in the past century.

Depending on the generation,both neighborhoods symbolize a reflection of the past and fight for the future of a community’s identity or history. Generational perspectives on these changes might vary depending on class, race, age, and socioeconomic status.

For some, economic development represented progress while others perceived it as threatening livelihoods. Before being renamed University Village, this neighborhood was Little Italy and extended into Tri-Taylor. Many immigrants and working-class families built homes all the way down to Taylor Street. The neighborhoods were strong webs for recent immigrants from Italy and nearby European countries at the turn of the century.

However, many were displaced, and their diaspora continued elsewhere after the construction and expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus, the Illinois Medical District, the Eisenhower Expressway, and policy shifts in public housing in the area. These developments also rippled through nearby Black and Latinx communities. Policy and economic forces uprooted many families. However, the sense of community continued, and the immigrant spirit of entrepreneurship remains strong. Generations of Italian families and businesses are continuing the legacy of their families and culture. Immigrant and second generation-based businesses remained constant since Little Italy was renamed.The neighborhood expanded its “village” across continents, flavors, and languages.

Walk down Taylor Street today, you’ll still find the same street dotted with independent businesses and local restaurants serving nationality-based food. TriTaylor retains its power as a hub till today and symbolizes a bridge to access the rest of

the city. Both neighborhoods vibrantly uphold their community, diversity, and strong community connections despite historical shifts. Today, University Village and TriTaylor represent historical and cultural villages that will never be forgotten—only transformed. ( Jocelyn Vega) Jocelyn Vega is a first generation Latina dedicated to intergenerational healing and ancestors

BEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT SALSA AND BACHATA

Tropical Nights at Vintage Bar

This has to be my favorite place to dance on a Wednesday night. I hold so many memories, new friendships, and silly dance floor moments at “Tropical Nights” at Vintage Bar. For ten dollars, Latin Street Music & Dancing hosts weekly Latin dancing at Vintage, with dance lessons starting around 7pm. They facilitate beginner lessons, typically an hour long, to warm up the crowd and help shy dancers break out of their shell. Participants have the option of rotating partners or sticking with a buddy.

Every week, Vintage is filled with people ready to groove. Dancers travel from various zip codes, outside of Chicago, and even out-of-state to dance.

Latin Street creates a friendly environment where all dancing skills are embraced and welcomed by community members. People casually approach one another and encourage beginners to just “enjoy the music” while trying their best. I’ve seen so many beginners initially reject dances but slowly gain confidence after confessing their insecurities to the dance partner. It’s an amazing sight to witness. I’ve also seen gender and age inclusivity on the dance floor. Tropical night is a place where people from all walks of life come together to simply share a moment on the dance floor.

If dancing isn’t your thing, you’ll enjoy seeing all of the amazing dancing warm your heart and possibly spark your dancing curiosity. I’ve met people who later sign SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 61

up for dance lessons or simply come back for more. Just make sure to arrive early to save a table because seats move fast. This typical sports bar in University Village is transformed into a dance studio. It’s truly not the same place if you return on another night.

Whether you pull up a seat or stand by the bar on Wednesday, you’ll see a smiling crowd and even bursts of laughter between dancers. Another common sight is seeing a birthday rueda (circle) take place. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s when someone is invited to the middle on the dance floor for their birthday. Usually, it’s a friend who talks to the DJ to request this recognition and makes sure to mention a song genre, like salsa, cumbia, bachata, or another Latin dancing genre. It’s possible to approach the DJ yourself, but usually people are surprised when the DJ announces their name to report to the dance floor. The crowd starts to form a circle and take turns jumping into the dance with the birthday star. It’s a beautiful sight of celebration, joy, and new friendships born.

Watching a crowd of mostly strangers come together is motivational. A sense of trust is created and shared without words as a dance unfolds. This scene is repeated throughout the night. It’s inspirational to see people come together and share a moment that doesn’t really happen in daily, mundane life. ( Jocelyn Vega) Latin Street Music & Dancing Studio at Vintage Bar. 1449 W. Taylor St. Wednesday, 7pm– 2am. latinstreetdancing.com/event/vintage. (312) 427-2572.

PHOTO BY TUCKER

BEST AFFORDABLE GYRO ON WESTERN

Westside Gyros

This restaurant reminds me of growing up and getting a quick bite between bus rides or after a long day. Westside Gyros also resembles this memory for many who appreciate its affordability with most meals costing under thirteen dollars. Their menu, printed on the wall, has a retro feel that is usually lost or underappreciated at restaurants now.

This old school shop has a meal that can satisfy most budgets and appetites. There are combos that are simply amazing, like their triple cheeseburger or Double Whipper Style Special. They also have Mediterranean food options, like pitas and, of course, gyros. Just make sure to bring cash. Despite any inconveniences with payment, you will get the best bang out of your buck here.

A family of four can eat under forty dollars and leave satisfied. Westside Gyros is one of the few remaining businesses that offer these prices and quality of food in the area. If you stop by, you’ll find workers, families, youth, and other community members making a line to fill their bellies. The restaurant is dedicated to serving its customers—and their wallets. They also have separate menus for wings, sides under six dollars, and all items on their main menu all include a can of pop and fries. This spot reminds me of the strength that small shops have in feeding entire communities. As 62 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

a small and family-owned business, Westside Gyros deserves all of the support from hungry customers. They have some of the best lunch specials and crispiest French fries in town. ( Jocelyn Vega) Westside Gyros, 754 S. Western Ave. Monday–Saturday, 9:30am–9:30pm. (312) 7339300.

BEST ITALIAN CAKES IN LITTLE ITALY

Scafuri Bakery

Scafuri Bakery is the living legacy of Luigi Scafuri and his daughter, Annette, who built their business in the Little Italy neighborhood that is now referred to as University Village. The family migrated from Calabria, Italy before moving to Chicago. Their business opened back in 1904 and has stayed within the family for five generations.

Annette continued the business after her father passed away and retired until she was ninety years old. It is incredible to know that their recipes and everything-from-scratch methods continue from the past century. This storefront is a piece of Chicago’s history and a multigenerational cultural dedication. It’s also a beautiful space to visit, especially around the winter holidays. The window decorations remind me of Christmas movies and a flash from the past. Scafuri Bakery is truly a culinary gift for Chicago.

What makes me love this bakery is that their pastries have equally stolen my heart and broken it at the same time after realizing I ate all of them. They are most famous for their Italian cookies and cakes, but you shouldn’t overlook their other options, like their Biscotti di Noci (hazelnut) or lemon ricotta loaf bread. Their Cuccidati cookies have forever changed my life as my first Italian fig cookie. I also recommend the Pignoli (pine nut) and the Tri-Color cookies that remind me of Mexican Polvorones (similarly tri-color with brown instead of green) cookies. They also serve coffee to accompany those lovely treats.

There’s even a gluten free menu that includes the coconut macaroons and pignoli (pine nut) cookies. Just make sure to have friends or an appetite when buying cookies because they only sell by the pound. You can also buy their assorted cookie pound for eighteen dollars. If you’re hosting a gathering, I recommend purchasing their special for around $52 that includes two pounds of Italian cookies and a loaf of your choice as a great deal. If you’re looking for over twenty pounds of cookies, you can contact them directly for special pricing. Scafuri Bakery, which was also featured in 2015 BoSS, also ships nationally if you’re looking to wow a loved one or brighten someone’s day with some Chicago love! ( Jocelyn Vega) Scafuri Bakery, 1337 W. Taylor St. Thursday–Friday, 8am–4pm; Saturday–Sunday, 7am– 4pm. scafuribakery.com. (312) 733-8881.

BEST PIZZA ON TAYLOR STREET

Damenzo’s Pizza

Damenzo’s is legendary for its presence in the neighborhood since the mid-1980s.

For me, this pizza spot has earned one of the “best” titles after decades serving its community and surviving a pandemic. Their menu offers many affordable options, like a large twenty-four-inch pizza starting at $31.50. For stuffed or pan pizza, the maximum size is fourteen inches and starts at $19.50, or try their “everything” pizza for twenty eight dollars for the same size but have all the flavors. These prices are rare and don’t minimize flavor. Their calzones are amazing and can easily be shared between two people. The starting cost is $6.98, and one dollar for each additional

topping. It’s a hard deal to beat these days. All of their Italian dinners are under twelve dollars and include garlic bread and parmesan cheese, with the option of adding meatballs or a sausage for under four dollars.

There’s also an extensive ten dollar sandwich deal, all of which are served with delicious cottage fries. If you’re willing to pay for more, there is the jumbo gym shoe sandwich that is unlike anything I’ve tried. If you’re looking to feed a party, Damenzo’s catering trays can serve up to thirty-five and are under a hundred dollars each.

The quality of the food is a reflection of its people throughout generations of the family. The story goes that Damenzo’s reflects both of its founders’ names, Damiano Mannino and Vincenzo Leone, who are also brothers in law. The restaurant’s current location is also down the block from where Damiano grew up. This pizza shop is a testament to families coming together and becoming entrepreneurs in their own neighborhood. It’s amazing to see their decades of success and community roots continue, hopefully for more generations.

This family-owned restaurant is open until midnight. If you’re curious to check it out but not sure what to order, Damenzo’s is on the Too Good To Go application, which allows customers to buy surprise meals for under six to eight dollars, usually.

It’s part of a larger effort to reduce food waste while helping hungry customers save money. Check out Damenzo’s website for more information or stop by! It’s definitely worth the visit just the smell alone will motivate you to buy more than what you planned. ( Jocelyn Vega) Damenzo’s Pizza, 2324 W. Taylor St. Friday–Saturday, 10am–1am; Sunday–Thursday, 10am–midnight. damenzospizzaandrestaurant.com. (312) 421-1142.

BEST MOMO ON THE SOUTH SIDE

The Momo World

In University Village, there’s an incredible Himalayan street food spot that reminded me of my dear friend Tenzin. A few years back, my teen cousin and I were rushing to New York’s LaGuardia Airport at 4am. Tenzin packed us some dumplings for the road as a gift. Those dumplings would end up saving us as we faced a long journey to get back home. When I first tasted The Momo World’s dumplings, it brought me back to my best friend Tenzin and her talented family’s cooking skills. At Momo World, I remembered my friend and the pieces of home that she was willing to share with me. I always think of Tenzin, her sisters, and her parents whenever I eat there.

This restaurant brought together people, countries, and lifetime friendships for me. I recognize that we do not share the same culture, but I will never forget her willingness to share her connection to it. One day, I hope to bring Tenzin and share a meal with her then as she did for me in the past.

If you visit Momo World, be prepared for momo overload—you will truly enter a new culinary world if you’re not already familiar. The Special Momo menu alone will probably change your taste buds forever. This restaurant emphasizes its Nepalese roots and celebrates its country’s legacy with food. For example, the butter masala momo is an incredible creation as either the chicken or vegetarian option. You will need to revisit multiple times to try their extensive menu of different types and methods of cooking momos. Just keep in mind there is a fifteenminute cooking time for most momos. However, I promise it’s worth the wait. The momo soups were also a game changer, like the Titanic Soup Momo. Other menu options range from Biryani, Nepali Pulau dishes, and Sekuwa menu options.

I also love their drink menu. I am guilty of ordering three drinks at a time because I haven’t found another spot that offers such fresh options at affordable prices. Here, I’m able to buy two drinks for the price of one compared to other fresh juice spots.

My favorites are the guava juice and the matcha lemonade. However, the mango juice and llam Ko Chiya Milk (Nepali hot milk tea) usually rotate as my third drink. If

you somehow have room, the deserts are worth the extra splurge and “itis” afterwards.

All deserts are under six dollars and offer unique items like chocolate momos and Nepalese classics. Bring a friend because you’ll definitely want to process and debrief with a buddy this new world across continents. ( Jocelyn Vega) Damenzo’s Pizza, 2324 W. Taylor St. Friday–Saturday, 10am–1am; Sunday–Thursday, 10am–midnight. damenzospizzaandrestaurant.com. (312) 421-1142.

BEST TRENDY MEAL ON A STICK

Kong Dog

According to my twelve-year-old niece, Adeline, Korn Dog is “very good and my first experience at a new type of place.” Kong Dog is not local to University Village but has become a popular spot for many in the area. With multiple locations in Chicagoland and across the United States, Kong Dog was a summer rage this year. Lines stretched down the block when they first opened their University Village location. When you enter, you’ll be greeted with plasma TVs advertising their food like an action film.

Kong Dogs are prepared by first determining if you would like a meat or cheese dog, and topping preferences. They additionally offer half and half options for those who want to mix either types of meats or cheeses. Once you pick your preferences, it is deep fried in front of you. The smell is incredible, if you’re a deep fried foodie. The restaurant also has an extensive boba and separate drink menu, featuring iced ube lattes, brown sugar bubble milk tea, and sparkling ginger ale.

The original cheese Kong Dog was Adeline’s favorite, and she complimented the Cheeto one as second best. Despite some initial hesitancy, she also liked the sweet potato option that balanced savory and sweetness. Adeline said, “I would totally go back if I had a vehicle. My goal is to try all of them.”

Next on her list is the sweet chili dog and the Churro Kong Dog. Adeline hopes to find her favorite and believes that the sweet chili dog might be the future winner.

She described Kong Dog as a perfect “grab and go” spot, but also liked the storefront experience. She took several photos of a fist breaking the wall with a Kong Dog and the Gorilla cut out made her giggle. The plating of the Kong Dog was definitely her favorite part after patiently waiting in line. Kong Dog has recently blown up in the Tik Tok world and is worth the try if you’re a corn dog fan or willing to try new flavor profiles, like my niece Adeline—who maybe likes sweet potatoes now. ( Jocelyn Vega) Kong Dog, 1424 W. Taylor St. Monday–Friday, 11am–9pm. kongdog.us. (312) 265-0958.

PHOTO BY TUCKER

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 63

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NORTH LAWNDALE Compiled by Alex Price, Neighborhood cCptain

NORTH LAWNDALE POP-UP SPOTS, PHOTO BY ALEX PRICE

Neighborhood captain Alex Price is an active volunteer in North Lawndale.

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orth Lawndale, located on Chicago’s West Side, is a neighborhood with a rich history. A short walk around the neighborhood reveals several beloved historical landmarks.

On Douglas Boulevard, the striking facade of Stone Temple Baptist Church, which once served as the First Romanian Synagogue and still features the Star of David in its windows, speaks to the community’s religiosity and to its past as a center of the early Jewish immigrant community.

On Hamlin Avenue, the Dr. King Legacy Apartment complex commemorates the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. based his Chicago activism in the 1960s out of an apartment in North Lawndale.

On Central Park Boulevard, the African Heritage Garden—with its large flower bed in the shape of the African continent—reflects the predominantly African-American community of North Lawndale that resulted from the Great Migration and urban renewal projects elsewhere on the South Side.

There is much more to these landmarks than just historical significance, however—each of these sites serves as a hub of current-day activism and community gathering in North Lawndale, highlighting the deep commitment of the neighborhood’s residents to investing in their community.

At Stone Temple, volunteers convene every Monday for “Soup for the Soul,” a weekly event where visitors receive free warm meals and fresh produce. The Dr. King Legacy Apartment complex has forty-five low-income units, while the organization that manages it—the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation—is working to advance a new “1,000 homes” campaign to build affordable housing in the neighborhood. Finally, the African Heritage Garden is a central hub for many in the community and is linked to recent efforts by the Greening, Open

Space, Water, Soil, and Sustainability (GROWSS) committee of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council to beautify the neighborhood. In addition, the African Heritage Garden occupies a lot that was once vacant and frequented by gangs.

Its transformation showcases the power of creativity and connection to bring people in the neighborhood together.

Ultimately, Lawndale’s residents—both long-term and recent arrivals—are the lifeblood of the community. As you walk around the neighborhood learning about its vibrant histories of activism and community building, you will also come across several small displays with photographs and profiles of residents, which were created for a 2020 exhibit at the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot called “Lawndale: A Living History.”

At each of these sites—two of which are located at Stone Temple Church and the African Heritage Garden—visitors can learn about the Lawndale Community through its residents’ own words and stories.

More than just a storied past, Lawndale has a dynamic present and—thanks to the efforts of residents who continue to invest in building their community—a bright future. (Alex Price)

BEST COMMUNITY MUSEUM IN SHIPPING CONTAINERS

Lawndale Pop-Up Spot

On many an evening in North Lawndale, music and laughter can be heard from the Love Blooms Here Plaza, located on the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Central Park Avenue. The plaza is decorated with flowers, pear trees, art installations, and small shipping containers that house one of the neighborhood’s preeminent cultural institutions: the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 65

The Pop-Up Spot was founded by Jonathan Kelley and Chelsea Ridley when the two were graduate students in museum studies at UIC. Inspired by community museums that they had experienced in other communities, Kelley and Ridley wanted to create a space in North Lawndale “for neighborhood residents to research and curate the history, art, issue, and science exhibitions and associated programming.”

Initially, the community museum was housed in a brick and mortar building on 16th Street. However, due to an accident, the building was demolished in 2018 and the duo had to pivot.

“We decided we would try something different, something experimental, that would be a little more cost-effective and nimble,” Kelley explained. The idea they came up with was unique and ambitious: to create the first-known community museum in shipping containers. Thus, the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot was born.

In 2021, the Pop-Up Spot “popped” over from its former location at the Spaulding Memorial Garden to its current site at the Love Blooms Here Plaza. The plaza provided new opportunities for programming by providing close access to the Stone Temple Baptist Church (which owns the plot on which the plaza was built) and Douglas Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in the neighborhood. Two of the PopUp Spot’s recurring events, “Fridays on the Plaza” and “Sundays on the Boulevard,” reference its iconic location.

“Sundays on the Boulevard” is a particularly beloved tradition, in part because it embodies one of the Pop-Up Spot’s chief successes: its wide-spanning collaborations with the community. The event, which takes place every other Sunday during the summer, regularly features dozens of collaborators who bring community members together “to do arts and crafts, do live music, to eat, dance, learn, and have fun.” A recent Sunday on the Boulevard on August 21 was themed as a “Back to School Lit Fest.” It featured free books from Open Books, backpack and school material handouts, live music by two different bands, ice cream, mosaic making, free seeds and plants, arts activities, and much more.

“Now, during our Afrofuturism Summer, we’re collaborating with a bunch of different organizations to do art exhibits, a book club with the library…all sorts of things,” Kelley explained. “So to me, it’s really been about how we can use this static box as a vehicle for community connection and participation.”

The Pop-Up Spot has a variety of exciting events coming up this fall, including the first ever Chicago Sukkah Design Festival, a collaboration with architecture firms, designers, community organizations, and community residents to build three unique and reusable sukkahs (small booths built for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot) for community-based organizations and to build connections through programs such as an interfaith dinner, movie night, community clean-up, youth learning event, and much more. The final day of the Sukkah Festival—Sunday, October 16—will also coincide with the Open Boulevards Festival, Open House Chicago, and a new exhibit at the Pop-Up Spot in collaboration with the North Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society. (Alex Price) Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, corner of Douglas and Central Park Blvds. Fridays 4–7pm, Saturdays 2–5pm, Sundays 2–5pm, in addition to regularly scheduled events and programs. lawndalepopupspot.org

BEST NONPROFIT COFFEE SHOP SERVING LOCAL HONEY

Beelove Café

Beelove Café cultivates a warm, eclectic ambiance, but their work is rooted in the concept of community.

The nonprofit Café opened in August 2021 and “provides customers with a high-quality, hand-crafted, coffee experience, specialty drinks, salads, and pastries prepared by local entrepreneurs of color.”

66 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

PHOTO BY LUZ MAGDALENO FLORES

Founder Brenda Palms Barber said Beelove was designed to be a welcoming gathering place that fosters joy and pride and promotes community partnerships.

“Our cafe offers access to resources, the opportunity to meet your neighbors, a quiet place to study, or just people-watching while enjoying a Beelove honey-infused glass of lemonade. The Beelove cafe is community wealth-building in action, through coffee and conversation.”

The Café is the newest social enterprise of the North Lawndale Employment Network. Beelove was made possible due to the success of Sweet Beginnings LLC, a subsidiary of the Network, which offers full-time transitional jobs to formerly incarcerated people. The work includes the production and sales of all-natural skin care products featuring urban honey under the Beelove brand. The company manages apiaries throughout Chicagoland and has trained over 500 people since 2008.

“We found that there were many people who were looking for jobs but weren’t even given an opportunity to interview for positions,” said Sergio Dukes, Director of Operations. “The demand was there, and we knew we could fill some of that gap.”

What sets the Café apart, however, isn’t just their great coffee, pastries and reasonable prices; it’s the bighearted community partnership. They source their coffee from Metropolis, a Chicago staple, and pastries from Trini’s Tasty Pastries, a local entrepreneur, as just two examples. The Café has hosted many free educational events, live music, art exhibits, and informal meetings centered on themes with community members.

Some of their partnerships include the Chicago Public Library, Art West, the I AM ABLE Center for Family Development, and Open Books, a nonprofit bookstore with thousands of donated used books for adults and kids. A few of their events have centered on International Women’s Day, “The Stigma of the Black Woman,” “Guitars not Guns,” LGBTQ+ shows, and more.

“The café serves as a conduit to uplift people,” Sergio said. “This place is for everyone. People who live in our community work there as well, and you’ll keep seeing the same faces.”

One of those faces is Tyshena Cage, the Café’s Supervisor since December 2021.

While she was making me an almond milk vanilla latte with Beelove honey (delicious), she was smiling and chatting with her co-worker and dancing to their chosen music.

“I love working here because we get to express our individuality—hair, shoes, clothes, personality. Doesn’t matter who you are, we don’t discriminate.”

PILSEN

Hearing everything they accomplished in just one lightning fast year, I asked them how they not only kept their head above water but excelled and made their own unique footprint in the neighborhood. The Beelove team admits their biggest challenge was starting a new business during the pandemic, but they pushed forward and have been met with encouragement all along the way. Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Governor Pritzker and the President of Microsoft have all visited the Café. Donors include the Lincoln Park Zoo, Heartland Alliance, Bank of America, and iHeart Media Chicago, among many others.

Sergio said seeing everything come together “almost like magic” was very special.

“The idea was there for a while before we were able to start the Café. And what the Café is today evolved from need. We see this as a place of service. We are a small, tight-knit group, and we’re all hands on deck. And we want to work with our community partners as much as possible. We’re not in the art business or music business or book business, but we want to provide as much of that magic as possible.

The way we do that is to give our partners control over their vision. We want to give them that space.”

Beelove’s next big event, on September 29, is a collaboration with Art West called “Spread Love.” (Nicole NeSmith)

Compiled by Cristina Puzio, Neighborhood Captain

Beelove Café, 1111 S. Homan Ave. Monday–Friday 7am–4pm, Saturday 8am–2pm.

(773) 265-7945.

BEST STREET MARKET FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Black Wall Street on Roosevelt

In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, a new initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship appeared in North Lawndale: the Black Wall Street Market on Roosevelt. The idea came to the market’s founder, Lavern Herron, as a way to encourage residents of North Lawndale to invest in their community and to help small business entrepreneurs succeed.

The market takes its name from the Black Wall Street district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was the center of Black cultural and commercial success in the city in the early 20th century. The main boulevard featured banks, cafes, hotels, movie theaters, and more. In 1921, this vibrant community was destroyed during an attack by white mobs.

However, it hasn’t ceased to be an inspiration to Black Americans who see in the story of Black Wall Street themes of success, hard work, resilience, and hope.

2021 marked the 100 year anniversary of the destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, but its legacy lives on through Herron’s initiative in North Lawndale.

During the summers of 2021 and 2022, the Black Wall Street market has set up shop on Roosevelt Rd. every Saturday from 12pm to 6pm. Each week, the market brings twenty to thirty vendors out to the lot to sell a wide variety of products, including clothing, jewelry, art, herbal medicine, food, drinks, and more. The market space also hosts various events, such as a recent “State of Women’s Health Townhall” with Congressman Danny K. Davis and several other health experts on August 24 and a “Cocktails and Conversation” networking event on August 22.

In addition to the weekly outdoor market, Herron owns a building with eight studios where small, Black-owned businesses are able to grow. Having started out as a small entrepreneur herself, Herron has experience in launching and starting a business that she hopes to be able to share with others to uplift her community.

If you’re interested in supporting Black-owned businesses in North Lawndale, come out to visit the market, or encourage a business owner you know to become a vendor! The market will reopen next year in early summer. (Alex Price) Black Wall Street Market, 3708 S. Roosevelt Rd. Saturdays 12–5pm. instagram.com/ blackwallstreet60624

PHOTO BY WILLIAM GUERRERO

Cristina Puzio was born and raised in Pilsen. She enjoys creating safe alternative healing spaces to the community. Cristina enjoys writing in her authentic bilingual voice and has been writing poetry since she was seven.

Remember when we'd walk to La Potosina to buy hot chips and juice?

At the corner of Allport and 18th St. Do you remember those times?

Seems like yesterday when we were just kids being fun, funny and happy, My childhood was fun because of you!

Because of you, I had friends. Good friends!

Amigas to live life fully in this barrio sometimes tainted with violence, but also painted with cultura and colorful dreams.

I remember laughing with you, I remember how it all used to be.

Sometimes I still feel like that niña little girl on 18th St.

P

ilsen has been home to many people and families. You can see its rich history in its buildings and lively murals. Pilsen is a living, vibrant breathing neighborhood in every way.

Paula Acevedo, co-director of El Paseo Community Garden, shared how she feels about living in Pilsen since 2008. “Growing up, I was the minority and had no sense of community. My only connection to my heritage outside my family was church. As most Latinos, it was all about family so my upbringing was a bit sheltered. I never had a sense of belonging. I do in Pilsen. We have community where people help one another and look out for each other.”

“Here, the saying ‘it takes a village’ rings true. I am no longer isolated and I finally feel a part of something bigger. I’m connected. I feel purpose and grateful my son will grow up with all of this. Culture. Self identity. Belonging. Support. And all the culturally relevant events and spaces. Mexican corner stores and products. And food!

Especially since my Abuelita moved back to Mexico.”

Growing up in Pilsen you understand what Paula is talking about. There is a lot to see and experience in our community but what makes it special are the people in the community. Our ties and connections.

This is why I get emotional at the thought of moving one day and living some SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 67

where else. I can be having a bad day or feeling stressed, but then I go into one of our local businesses and suddenly my energy shifts. I get so much love from the people here. I open my bag of delicious food and I see that I got extra food. They not only know my name, they know my family nickname and feel comfortable enough using it.

That is another level of community. How could I not feel happy? How could I not feel blessed and fortunate?

As we continue to deal with a wave of obstacles, world events, political warfare and pandemics, our community is doing its best to keep going. We can help Pilsen by visiting their local spots and by being inspired by our parents and grandparents by opening our own small business or restaurant in Pilsen.

There is so much possibility to continue to care for and nurture the beautiful spirit of our beloved barrio. And as much as things are changing, let us be part of that change. Let us be part of the next chapter of this Chicago South Side neighborhood.

What are you waiting for? (Cristina Puzio)

BEST TORTILLERIA

El Popocatepetl Tortillería

How can Pilsen be Pilsen without a tortilleria? The oldest tortilleria in Pilsen is El Popocatepetl on 21st Street. It was established in 1958 as El Popocatepetl by Ernesto Avina. Before that it operated under a different owner.

I spoke with Avinas’s grandson, Julian Rodriguez. Julian can be found on certain days taking orders at the register and serving you hot, fresh tortillas with a friendly demeanor. Julian is the general manager and software technician among many other things at El Popocatepetl. “I do a little bit of everything. [I’m] kind of more involved with the software end of everything, but I’m also not afraid of doing deliveries,” Julian said.

There are three generations of family running the business. The current company president and vice-president are Mexican women, Elizabeth and Yvonne Avina.

Why do I love “El Popo”? They have the best “tortilla caliente,” in other words, the best hot, fresh tortilla! Julian mentioned how they only use local ingredients in their tortillas. The corn for the dough comes from southern Illinois. There is nothing like hitting up El Popo for tortillas calientes “en papel.” As soon as you get them, you want to take one and make a taco, and you want to eat it with mole or other delicious food waiting for you at home.

I also love it because of the memories that it brings up for me. The other day I was eating some tacos with El Popo tortillas. As I bit into my taco, I was like this reminds me of someone. Then I thought of my father. Yep, we've been eating tortillas from El Popo for so long that I remembered eight-year-old me being in the kitchen with my father making tacos. Years later, the quality and recipe haven’t changed.

I told Julian how sad I was when I came to the realization that there are only two tortillerias in Pilsen remaining. He understood my pain. “Access to fresh food that is affordable and nutritious is very important. Obviously tortillas in a Mexican community are synonymous; they go hand in hand,” he said.

Having fresh affordable food in the community is important for Julian and El Popo. This is why they pride themselves on their tortillas and other tortillas products.

This is why they have donated to food pantries and food drives. Even during the pandemic they did not raise their prices. They’ve also sponsored events like Día del Niño and have given scholarships to students. They care about the community. This is why I love El Popo.

I want local fresh food that reminds me of my culture and I will never stop going to El Popo. If you are in Pilsen, support El Popocatepetl Tortilleria! Get your tortillas calientes en papel, fresh masa for tamales, crispy chips, tostadas and more!

Lastly, don't forget to take a picture of their huge beautiful Mexican mural painted by Manny and Brenda Macias. (Cristina Puzio) 68 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

El Popocatepetl Tortilleria, 1854 W. 21st St. Monday–Saturday, 7am–3pm; Sunday, 7am– 1pm. (312) 421-6143. elpopotortillas.com

BEST LATINX SHOP

Mestiza

Each time I walk east on 18th Street from Ashland Avenue, I always check the black gate in front of Mestiza. An open gate means an open store. I like to pop in even if I don’t have the intention of buying something that day.

The second you enter the store, the music is energizing, the colors on the wall pop, and the scent of <i>palo santo</i> evens everything out into a calming experience.

There’s always something new to glance at: mugs, jewelry, candles, t-shirts, headbands, concha-shaped pillows, to name a few.

The store owners, Lorena Almanza and Sugeiri Martinez, set out with the intention of creating a space that felt like their own home. The original store opened in 2004 had a mix of vintage and Mexican items and art for sale, but after closing in 2009 due to family health concerns, Mestiza returned in 2017 with the more focused intention of highlighting the beauty of Mexican, Chicanx, and Latinx cultures. The artists showcased at Mestiza are thoughtfully chosen, as relationship building is a priority for them.

The store owners create connections with other artists while vending at markets and connecting through social media. At Mestiza, you can find the work of local artists like AngMir, WerkMija, and Dachi por Adriana Rivera. You can also find items from Texas, California, Peru, Guatemala, and Mexico. Martinez’s artist pick is Edith Orozco from Guanajato who creates hand-painted paper mache jewelry with sacred heart imagery.

Whether you’re shopping for a gift for someone or looking to add to your own home, Mestiza is the place to find colorful, calming, and creative pieces for a loving home atmosphere. (Victoria Rose Parra) Mestiza, 1523 W. 18th St. Tuesday–Friday 1–6pm; Saturday–Sunday, 12–5pm; closed Monday. (872) 395-1814. Mestizashop.com. Follow Mestiza at @mestizashop

PHOTO BY WILLIAM GUERRERO

BEST ARTS HUB

Pilsen Arts and Community House

the PACH team will help you feel like a part of the community. Take a step inside and see what connections you make. (Victoria Rose Parra) Pilsen Arts and Community House, 1637 W. 18th St. (312) 468-9046. pilsenartscommunityhouse.org. Follow PACH @ pilsenartscommunityhouse

BEST YOUTH INITIATIVE

Peace in Pilsen

PHOTO BY WILLIAM GUERRERO

When I think of a dynamic duo, I think of the founders of Pilsen Arts and Community House (PACH). They are a team who work for the greater goal of their community.

Teresa Magaña is a poet, art curator, and visual artist who focuses on line work representing femme bodies and the Chicana experience. Pablo Ramirez is a poet and artist who uplifts hip-hop culture and the artistic history of Pilsen.

Teresa and Pablo founded their art gallery, Pilsen Outpost, in 2015, and have since grown the gallery into PACH, a non-profit organization that creates accessible events for the community and highlights work of local and international BIPOC artists.

I remember meeting Teresa years ago when I visited the Pilsen Outpost gallery, which was originally located on 21st Street and Damen Avenue. The gallery stood because of Sam Kirk’s colorful mural of Frida Kahlo I lived down the block and didn't have wi-fi at the time. Teresa was open to me stopping by to use the internet when I needed to.

This was just one of the many invitations she has made over the years to community members like me. Teresa mentioned that she had recently left the corporate world to focus on her true passion: art. She hoped to one day have a non-profit that would focus on making art accessible to the Pilsen and surrounding communities.

Fast-forward to this summer and PACH hosted an exhibit titled <i>A Tribe Called Chicago</i>, showcasing visual artists from the city on Chicago-themed pieces.

“A Tribe Called Chicago” is the perfect way to describe how PACH invites artists to form a tribe that works together in the name of art.

Screen printer Carlos Barbenera and art educator Adriana Peña support the PACH team by providing workshops in the space of their respective art forms. PACH not only showcases existing artists but holds workshops to expand community skills.

Hecho En:, a community market, also brought together vendors from around the city for a weekend outdoor market.PACH was able to close down 18th St.from Ashland Avenue to Paulina Avenue to showcase ceramics, clothing, jewelry, photography, and visual art, and healing vendors. Families, friends, and individuals strolled through the market to show support for local artists.

Though primarily an arts space, PACH also uplifts the community by supporting fundraisers. This fall, they will be co-hosting a community mural walk for Pilsen Food Pantry, as well as curating the mural to expand La Malinche Coffee’s goal of creating their own community space. PACH also rents out the gallery when community organizations need a location for fundraisers to be held.

Whether it's to sign up for a creative workshop, attend a gallery opening, or if you're just in the neighborhood and would like to purchase some local art, Teresa, Pablo, and

Summers in Pilsen can be full of many festivals and events, but sometimes our summers need more than just these things. Our <i>comunidad</i> needs spaces and events for our families and our youth. In 2022, Leonardo Quintero officially founded Peace in Pilsen with his son Romeo. And we are so grateful that they decided to make it happen!

You can pass by a block like Cullerton Avenue and Wood Street and you’ll see young boys and girls playing basketball side by side, and the smiles of parents sitting in lawn chairs watching from a distance as they enjoy the summer in a peaceful and fun way. It is so refreshing to see families together taking over our streets and feeling at home.

Inspired by the old programs like B-Ball on the Block and Hoops in the Hood, they decided to bring those kinds of programs back. Leonardo and Romeo saw the need for youth programming in that area. “A youth mentioned being interested in gaming more than basketball. So we were able to create a gaming event that took place at El Paseo Garden”, Leonardo said.

Peace in Pilsen listens to the youth even if it’s just an idea for a new kind of event. Sometimes our youth need support to bring their ideas to life. Leonardo works alongside other community members dedicated to preventing violence. Felipe Luna, a long time Pilsen resident, is also a part of the program. “We originated by a grassroots initiative and our purpose is helping parents keep their kids out of trouble,” shared Luna.

Peace in Pilsen truly gives a positive vibe in the community! You can notice how proud the youth look in their Peace in Pilsen gear. It really gives the community hope.

As much as people notice the demographics changing in Pilsen there are still many youth and families living in Pilsen that need safe and nurturing spaces. Leonardo and Romeo asked themselves a few years back, “How do we give our community peace of mind?”They have now created a way for the youth and their families to feel that way by getting involved in positive activities and meaningful circles.

“Having ‘father figure and me’ events [through] men's circles for the parents or dads, father figures, step parents, whatever it is, and…young people…We kind of teach that positive male interaction and then we put it into practice that same day,” he said.

“In order to create a healthier bond with dad and son or dad and daughter, whatever [that relationship] may be.”

The youth initiative just kicked off this year and they truly stand by what they want to see, and that is friendship, kinship and happy, healthy male relationships among the youth.

What is their vision or goal for Pilsen? “To build enough community and create a dense deterrence for violence,” Leonardo said. (Cristina Puzio) Follow Peace in Pilsen on Instagram and Facebook @Peace in Pilsen. peaceinpilsen@gmail. com.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 69

PULLMAN & ROSELAND Compiled by Pachina Fletcher and Joseph S. Pete OLD FASIONED DONUTS, PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

G

rowing up in Roseland in the 70s was a wonderful experience. Walking to the neighborhood school past beautiful single-family homes along tree-lined blocks, or to the Pullman library for books, or to Gately Park, marked my days as a child. JCPenney, Gately’s Peoples Store, the Roseland Theater, and Kresge’s Drug Store were all on South Michigan Ave from 107th to 115th Streets, the Magnificent Mile of the South Side. If you look closely, shadows of historical architecture can be seen in some of the older buildings still standing on these streets.

Roseland was named by Dutch immigrants who settled the area, and research has turned up that several of the original settlers sheltered enslaved people in their homes as part of the Underground Railroad. It is only fitting that the growing African-American middle class began buying homes there in the late 60s and still populates the area.

As businesses began to leave Roseland in the late 80s and early 90s, the community fell into disinvestment and hard times. However, Roseland is still filled with well-kept homes and residents who care for their community. With the recent announcement by the city of new housing, shopping and potentially a new CTA train station coming to the long neglected Michigan Avenue, there seems to be a vision that Roseland’s Magnificent Mile will rise again and jump-start the renaissance and renewal of this community.

Bordering Roseland, the community of Pullman is historically significant as one of the first planned community for workers in the United States. Built in the 1880s, Pullman is an architecturally beautiful community that was designated a National Monument in 2015. It has seen lots of investment and development in recent years, including the Pullman Community Center, a new Visitor Center for the National Monument, restaurants and manufacturing, and a plan for a hundred-room hotel on land formerly occupied by the closed Ryerson Steel plant.

The hope is that new investment and interest in Roseland and Pullman will keep these communities viable for future generations of South Siders. (Vanessa Johnson)

70 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BEST ATHLETIC CENTER INSPIRED BY A CHICAGO ACTIVIST

Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center

The Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center opened in 2021 after three years of construction. Located within Pullman’s Gately Park, the center seats 3,500 people and is equipped for track meets, volleyball and basketball games, and various fitness needs.

It also has multipurpose meeting rooms for non-sporting events , such as the Words of Wonder Literary Fest this past July. In addition, the center includes programming from the teen employment program After School Matters.

The center is named after Dr. Conrad Worrill, a longtime Chicago resident and activist who pushed for its creation. Worrill led a rich, long life full of many pursuits, from being a civil rights activist to a talk show host on WVON. He was drafted into the army and stationed in Japan, during which he read widely about African-American history and culture, and talked to Black soldiers from back home. When he returned home he enrolled in college and became an active member of the anti-war Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He earned a doctorate in education and taught at George Williams College and Northeastern Illinois University, where, as he put it, he helped young people understand the relationship between “power and institutions.”

Worrill played a role in the election of Harold Washington and in the National Black United Front, a radical organization with roots in the Pan-African movement and which now has chapters all over the country. He was instrumental in organizing the Million Man March with Louis Farrakhan in 1995. Worrill would always say he was influenced by his father who was active with the NAACP and YMCA. In an interview with WTTW, Worrill’s daughter Femi Skanes said, “He despised the fact that our children did not have an adequate facility to help them hone their track and field skills.” Worrill passed in 2020, shortly before the center’s completion. Skane

PULLMAN & ROSELAND

BEST PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY

Chicago State

CONRAD WORRILL TRACK AND FITNESS CENTER, PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

said her father would talk about the building fondly. “He would burst with pride when he talked about the new track and field stadium.” (Pachina Fletcher) Dr. Conrad Worrill Track and Field Center, 10201 S. Cottage Grove Ave. 7am–10pm.

773-941-8232.

BEST FUTURISTIC SOURCE OF LOCAL FRESH GREENS

Gotham Greens

If you’re in the produce aisle of Jewel-Osco, Pete’s Fresh Market, or another local grocery store, Gotham Greens is a familiar brand. Gotham Greens’ Arugula, Baby Butterhead, Greenhouse Crunch, and the Grateful Dead-inspired Grateful Greens medley of butterhead, green, and red leaf lettuce often line the shelves. They come in clear plastic containers that showcase the leafy goodness in all its earthy glory.

The salad greens are crisp, fresh, longer-lasting than average, and often on sale if you buy a few. They’re eco-friendly and sustainable as they do not travel far. The produce is grown in a pair of state-of-the-art renewable energy-powered urban greenhouses in Pullman. Not far from the planned worker community, bastion of organized labor, and historic railroad car factory that’s now a National Monument, it’s hardly a traditional farm out in the countryside.

Gotham Greens first came to Pullman in 2015, opening a 75,000-square-foot climate-controlled greenhouse on the roof of the LEED-Platinum certified William McDonough + Partners-designed Method Products plant that makes soap with the help of a wind turbine and solar trees. Gotham Greens’ rooftop hydroponic greenhouse produces millions of heads of lettuce and herbs for supermarkets and restaurants across Chicago and beyond, growing thirty times more crops per acre than farm fields in modern greenhouses that operate year-round and are impervious to drought, pests, and other occupational hazards most farmers face.

The national Brooklyn-based company that seeks to reinvent agriculture to make it more sustainable sought to expand on its initial two-acre footprint in the historic Pullman neighborhood by building a second 100,000-square-foot facility on the former Ryerson Steel site in 2019. The expansion created “Chicago’s largest urban agriculture campus” and expanded the company’s distribution reach across the Midwest.

A salad made with Gotham Greens was never trucked halfway across the country.

It’s never out of season. It’s never been doused in pesticides. It’s always locally sourced and fresh to the bite. ( Joseph S. Pete)

In 1987, before the start of my senior year of high school, the CPS teachers went on strike. Many parents were trying to find a safe place for their children. I recall Chicago State University (CSU) opening their doors for all high school students. We could sign up for workshops, resume writing, employment strategies, and financial aid for college. Throughout the four weeks of the strike, I enjoyed my time at the university and appreciated CSU for helping the teens in the city during that time.

Chicago State is the only public four-year university on the South Side, and for the last half century, a cornerstone of higher education for many Black Chicagoans, including myself and many family members. Founded in 1867 as the Cook County Normal School, a teacher’s college, the school was originally in Englewood and has changed names, locations, and purpose more than once since then. It became Chicago State University in 1971 and moved to its current location in Roseland the following year. As the student population became majority Black, the school added an African-American Studies program, and its first African-American president, Benjamin Alexander, pushed for the university to promote multiculturalism. In 1990, CSU opened the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing in honor of Brooks, who taught at CSU for over a decade.

CSU is an important institution in my family. My godmother graduated from Chicago State back when it was named Chicago Teachers College and went on to teach home economics for CPS for over thirty years. My sister Veronica graduated from Chicago State in 1993, and had this to say about it: “CSU was a godsend for me. After five years of floundering between [colleges and universities], I discovered Chicago State. It was a school close to my home and I could continue to work while I attended school…

With a forty-hour workweek, grants and student loans, the school was very affordable.

CSU gave me support in classes that were a challenge for me, math and statistics. I even found a part-time job on campus as a tutor to students who struggled in English and writing.”

She went on to say, “I enjoyed the atmosphere being on a mostly African-American campus. My classes had students of various ages. We all seemed to have the same goal in mind and that was to graduate. And to obtain a job in their chosen field. CSU was a great experience for me.”

For my niece Geneva, who was trying to finish her education, CSU was the only school that was affordable, close by, and offered a degree program that would benefit her academically and line up with her schedule. She enrolled in the Individual Curriculum adult education program which is a nontraditional degree program and graduated in May 2021. “The professors are great and knowledgeable about their subjects. And they are willing to give you extra help if necessary. Many instructors had an open door policy about office hours. You can come and ask questions and get the answers you need.”

In addition to the many traditional offerings of a university, CSU has a wide variety of programs to meet your needs. Take the Options program: it offers continuing education courses for adults and children, from business to exercise. The Rise Academy is a new program they have for college freshmen. Once a student applies and is accepted, each student will receive free tuition, fees, and textbooks. In addition, a free laptop will be provided for them as well, and each student will have an advisor to assist them academically.

Chicago State University is a community institution that is committed to assisting students to succeed academically and in life. (Pachina Fletcher) Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Dr. Visit csu.edu or call (773) 995-2000 for more information.

Gotham Greens, 720 E. 111th St. (718) 935-0600.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 71

SOUTH DEERING & JEFFEREY MANOR Compiled by Paula Lea, Neighborhood Captain, and Renaissance Atunse MERRILL PARK, PHOTO BY ISABEL NIEVES

T

he cultivation of a higher-quality life is and has always been a priority for this quiet community. Located in the corner pockets of the 7th and 10th Wards, Jeffery Manor and South Deering shine in a monochrome of manicured lawns, uniform property lines, and smoothed pavement. Accompanying these beautiful neighborhoods is the business district flowing down 95th Street, especially between Stony Island and Clyde avenues. For many years, the community was overflowing with businesses like the popular amusement park Funtown, a Courtesy hardware store, a Hillman's grocery store, a roller rink, and a bowling alley, just to name a few. People who have settled in South Deering and Jeffery Manor remember the energy and liveliness that the business district provided for the community.

Residents like South Deering Manor Community Association president Echelle Mohn express frustration that media coverage of the neighborhood doesn’t focus on the active community work going on to improve and maintain South Deering and Jeffery Manor and the culture that has been upheld in this community.

Yvonne Bass, a resident of fifty-one years, recollects moving to South Deering because of safety issues in her previous neighborhood. South Deering became her quiet haven, as many other residents claim the neighborhood to be. A former resident, this section’s co-captain Paula Owens-Lea, emphasizes how everyone in the neighborhood greets and interacts with each other, neighbors are good company, block clubs are prolific, and you never pass someone without a hello. This was and remains the culture of South Deering and Jeffery Manor. She says that the community helped her build her own sense 72 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

of the word, as she would go on to live in many other neighborhoods and nothing would mimic the feeling of community Jeffery Manor provided her.

Over the years,businesses closed because of lack of resources or were even destroyed in the summer of 2020. The South Deering Manor Community Association and 7th Ward Alderman Greg Mitchell have been determined to revitalize the community.

They consistently host monthly community meetings and community events to uphold the circulation of information. Jeffery Manor is anticipating the opening of a new produce store that will also transition into a coffee shop for the community, and welcomes the reopening of Dollar Tree in a new and bigger location. This community is working to bring businesses and economic prosperity back. Residents of South Deering and Jeffery Manor always prevail. (Paula Lea and Renaissance Atunse) Paula Lea was raised in Jeffery Manor and continues to reside on the South Side. Her passion is mentoring youth—when you encourage a child, you empower the future. Paula serves as president of the Local School Council at her daughter’s school and aspires to start a NFP where the mission will be to provide computer skills for all ages with a focus on seniors.

Renaissance Atunse is from the South Side and is a multi-talented artist studying at Columbia College Chicago, where he is pursuing a major in acting with a minor in playwriting. He plans to continue being a writer and educator after college and to give back to the communities that help mold and shape the person and artist he is today.

BEST POST-INDUSTRIAL SUBURBIA

South Deering

South Deering gets its name from Charles Deering, a late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century executive at the Deering Harvester Company, which was located in the neighborhood. Jeffery Manor, meanwhile, is named after nearby Jeffery Boulevard and Merrionette Manor, which, according to the Chicago Public Library, were “developed by Robert Merrion as a result of the increased demand for housing after World War II.” A hundred years ago, these neighborhoods were industrial areas with a plethora of factories that attracted many European immigrants. Businesses like U.S. Steel, Ford, and the Federal Furnace Company sought out workers hungry for employment, which attracted many immigrants. As the Great Depression developed in the 1930s, many of these factories closed, leading to unemployment. Most of the residents were dependent on federal financial support, and the community began to adapt, becoming less industrial and more suburban. In the mid-twentieth century, more families began to move in and the racial makeup began to change from mostly European immigrants with industrial jobs to residents of all colors looking for safer communities. In the period of time this migration was happening, this did not receive a positive reaction from residents who were already settled in the community. During the sixties and seventies, like many South Side communities, South Deering was the victim of redlining and white flight. Although most former residents decided to relocate, there were a few white families who decided that they were comfortable with the influx of Black residents, and South Deering soon became a cauldron of mixed identities that was predominantly Black and Latinx.

The community pushed for the neighborhood’s transition away from its industrial roots due to the negative environmental effects. More factories were abandoned, chemical plants shut down, and natural landscapes cultivated so that the community might be healthier for not only the homeowners, but for the many children and elders that lived in the neighborhoods as well. Between 2013 and 2016, under then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! playground initiative, the community’s parks were revitalized and expanded, and new parks added. Community members continue to beautify the neighborhood through a driveway resurfacing project, not only removing stress from residents with vehicles, but also creating accessible travel for those that are disabled. The community has emphasized that their mission is for the neighborhood to be a safe, peaceful community in which residents can stay comfortably and children are not forced to shelter in their homes due to fear of the outside. In 2015, the neighborhood elected one of their own longtime community members, Greg Mitchell, as alderman, to maintain fair leadership and revive what this community once was.

DOLLAR TREE, PHOTO BY ISABEL NIEVES

Many who continued to live in these neighborhoods cultivated generational connections, as the children they raised in these homes eventually returned to settle and raise their own children—current residents hope for no interruption to this ritual. Many residents refer to the community as a community “for the children.”The parks are regularly filled with children, their sneakers stomping along the pavement as laughs and shouts of joy resonate throughout the neighborhood. Families routinely attend the community churches to strengthen their spiritual relationships. South Deering has always been inhabited by people who uphold the true meaning of community.

(Renaissance Atunse)

made shopping challenging for many. This new location replaces a Walgreens that left the community a few years ago. However, this community is working to rebuild.

My daughter and I are excited about the new location, pleased with the cleanliness of the store, friendliness of the employees and the abundance of items on the shelves. And super excited to be able again to shop in the community. (Paula Lea) Dollar Tree, 2011 E. 95th St. Monday–Saturday, 9am– 9pm, Sunday 10am–8pm. (773) 437-1381

BEST REOPENING OF STORE CLOSED IN 2020

Dollar Tree at 95th and Jeffery

It’s open and huge and full of all the items we love. The new location is easily accessible by public transportation and has lots of parking for those who drive. The new store is larger and packed with stuff. I stopped by there, grabbed a clean cart, and purchased twice as much as I intended to.

The new store has a larger selection of items and more room to shelve these items. I was looking for items for a party and found items I hadn’t seen at other Dollar Trees. A few days later, I was running errands and dropped in another Dollar Tree to purchase this cute container for deviled eggs that I had seen and a few more of the pretty white plates I had purchased. Neither of the items were on the shelves; I was only able to purchase them at the new Dollar Tree.

The community welcomes Dollar Tree back after the previous store that was located a few blocks away was burned to the ground in 2020 when peaceful protesting turned into something else. We lost businesses which

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 73

SOUTH LOOP Compiled by NaBeela Washington, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY MICHELLE GAN

Neighborhood captain NaBeela Washington is an Alabama-raised poet, editor, and budding art collector. Read more at nabeelawashington.com.

W

hen I first moved to the South Loop, I wasn’t aiming to live there. But I quickly fell for it after learning it was a place where whispers of the city’s pulse could be heard. At times it was ferocious, but it could be sleepy, too, with the steady jingle of sirens and construction. The pandemic made this part of Chicago a haven: picture dewy walks along the Chicago River, standing beneath Harrison Street’s very own bascule bridge, built in 1960, to the tune of gathering groups.

Home to some of the city’s first manufacturing plants, saloons, and galleries, the South Loop was pivotal in the reconstruction of a city devastated by fire and organized crime. It’s evolved further over the years, from Printer’s Row, a former hub for some of the country’s largest and most impressive printers and publishers (and current host of the annual Printer’s Row Lit Fest), to Dearborn Station, one of six prominent train stations that served downtown Chicago—and now a fleeting caricature of the past, offering new spaces for shopping and high rises. Of course, South Loop also has some of the city’s best hidden eats—Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen and Umai, I’m looking at you.

There isn’t a particular kind of resident that dwells here, as the South Loop is an ever-changing melting pot of immigrants, families, business owners, and singles.

You’ll be greeted by enthusiastic dog moms (and dads), coffee snobs obsessed with Hero Coffee, newly transplanted Wisconsinites, or recent college grads exploring a new business venture.The South Loop is one-of-a-kind, and a splash in the larger pool that is Chicago. Whether you’re heading north, south, east, or west, you’re certain to find a new memory waiting to be made here.

A myriad of “bests” are within a moment’s reach. Experience them for yourself below. (NaBeela Washington)

BEST AFRICAN GROCERY

L’Afrique Market 74 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

If you’re looking for high-end African products that you can’t find anywhere else in the South Loop, L’Afrique Market is the place to shop. From fresh produce to spices to baked goods, the quality of their items is hard to beat.

Owner Ibrahim Agoro is a first-generation immigrant originally from Nigeria.

When he moved to the South Loop, he found few shops that carried ethnic products like Obiji, Ola-Ola plantains, Asiko spices, or Aboniki balm, and noticed that the stores were not run by Africans. At times, he would reach out to family members back in Nigeria who would ship items to him.

Frustrated and determined, Agoro put matters into his own hands. “Over the years, I took my time to really see how we can tackle the need for provision of ethnic foods to the highest level, just like you can walk into Mariano's and be assured that you can make any meal from a whole range of items,” he shared.

Immediately, he knew that he wanted his shop to be located in the South Loop, because he did not see any stores that catered to Black and Indigenous residents.

By last September, things were finally coming into place, and Agoro was ready to open the store. A week before the grand opening, a woman knocked on the storefront’s door and expressed her appreciation for opening a shop with the products that she desperately needed. She took some flyers after she shopped, and within an hour, six more customers arrived, all before the actual store opening.

Now, L’Afrique Market is celebrating its one-year anniversary. Over the course of the last year, the team has continued to sell hard-to-find products, and now offers curbside pickup and delivery services.They also collaborate closely with the community to make sure their voices are heard and the products they desire are available.

As for what’s next: “The master plan for L’Afrique Market, my key idea, is to be as close [as possible] to the doorstep of every desired customer,” Agoro told me. He hopes for L’Afrique Market to become a franchise and to expand to Dallas, Houston, New York, and Atlanta. As Agoro and L’Afrique Market have made African products accessible to South Loop residents, he hopes to provide an identical service to other Black communities throughout the United States. (Lauren Johnson) L’Afrique Market, 2001 S. State St. Open noon–8pm Mon, 10am–9pm Tues–Fri, 9:30am– 8:30pm Sat, and 11am–7pm Sun. (312) 344-1931. lafriquemarket.com

BEST EVERYTHING FROM CRYSTALS TO ZEN

The Lotus Den

One step inside this luxurious, Black woman-owned, three-level metaphysical emporium is a transformative experience for all the senses—sight,touch,smell,hearing, taste, and the intuitive senses. Colorful stones in countless hues mesmerize the eyes and are irresistible to the touch. Tibetan singing bowls reverberate in a full range of pitch. Rows of candles, incense, sustainable sage bundles, and palo santo wood sit in conversation with exotic feathers, crystal pendulums, herbal teas, Indigenous dream catchers, books, jewelry, and tarot, oracle, and greeting cards. All merchandise is handpicked in support of other Black-owned businesses whenever possible. Every item in stock has information and meaning behind it; someone on staff can tell you what each item is and how it is best used. A menu-style chalkboard announces upcoming workshops, moon phases, a featured crystal of the week, holistic healing sessions, Reiki training and certification, womb wellness, social media handles, and more.

Owner Kellie Woods, whose business portfolio includes real estate, fashion, and personal care, was led to open her store through a mystical journey that began in 2007, when her very first piece of crystal—a necklace—was gifted to her by a complete stranger. Woods describes The Lotus Den as a place of refuge for those who are trying to find their way on their spiritual path. Since Fall 2018, when she opened The Lotus Den, Woods has held a supportive space for spiritual life guidance where visitors can release energies that no longer serve them and leave feeling lighter and renewed.

There is a sense of welcoming and community inside The Lotus Den—complete with an intention altar and crystal grid where visitors can write their intentions on small slips of white paper to leave in a bowl, where they will be infused with supportive collective energy. An in-house quote, displayed on artwork above the counter, reads: “Love is … always welcomed here, self belief is a requirement, as you speak, you create.

Trust in yourself & know you’re the light!”

Team member and lightworker Karizma, who lived nearby and would shop as a customer, enjoyed the vibe so much she’s now on staff. Inventory manager Ajanae, who has been part of the team since day one and helped with the installation, put me up on her three favorite crystals: smoky quartz to help release unwanted energy, citrine for abundance and happiness, and black tourmaline, a popular protection stone which she says the store keeps affordably priced to make the stone accessible for nearly any budget. Ajanae firmly believes that everyone should have a piece of black tourmaline.

I firmly believe The Lotus Den has exactly what you are looking for, even if you didn’t know you were looking for it. Whether shopping for yourself or for the perfect gift, you’ll come for the vibe and stay for the tribe. (Nicole Bond) The Lotus Den, 18 E. Cullerton St. Open daily 11am–7pm. (312) 285-2685. thelotusden. com, IG and FB @thelotusdenchicago

BEST CORNER GROCERY STORE

Totto’s Market

Out of bread? Craving fresh pasta and sauce for a quick meal? Need a plant to keep you company? Looking for flowers to make amends with a friend? But wait, you’re out of deodorant and want to smell your best before trying to make up. Look no further than Totto’s Market, your one-stop shop for all your household goods, packed into one tiny corner store on historic Printer’s Row. They’ve got fresh produce so bright it looks like it was produced in technicolor, prepared sandwiches and tubs of salads behind their deli counter, and an array of scrumptious pastries in a glass case just before the register.

By no means a large space, Totto’s nonetheless has a sunny, airy, and open feel that is a marked contrast from the narrow, jam-packed, dimly lit bodegas and local super-

SOUTH LOOP markets of my native New York City. West and south-facing windows provide plenty of natural light, and orb-shaped lamps hanging from the ceiling keep the market welllit even in the post-sunset hours as fall and then winter roll around.

Totto’s is the brainchild of Scott Perin, whose father, Allen “Totto” Perin, was a local butcher for the better part of six decades in Chicago’s grocery business. Ergo the motto of the place—“You’re a stranger here but once”—is homey and inviting in a mom-and-pop shop way.

Scott himself met me at the checkout counter. He wasn’t the overly saccharine grocer I had expected from the motto—rather, he had a no-nonsense kind of vibe. I was purchasing an assortment of goodies: a walnut and goat cheese salad, a tofu wrap, and a baguette by Publican Quality Breads, which he rang up quickly on a digital monitor. I was mildly surprised that there was no old-fashioned cash register, given such antiquated touches as the loose candies displayed in glass containers beneath the counter. The prepared food was solid enough to sate my partner and I’s appetites. We enjoyed it on an evening picnic spent watching and listening as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed at the Grant Park Music Festival. Whether it was the music or the crowd or the generally congenial atmosphere, I will now associate Totto’s dinners with au plein air dining, and recommend that you, too, think of them too for your next picnic plan. (Max Blaisdell) Totto’s Market, 751 S. Dearborn St 8am–8pm daily. (312) 888-3600. Tottosmarket.com.

BEST NON-ISLAND ISLAND

Northerly Island

East of the South Loop and just south of the Adler Planetarium sits a man-made island with a 119-acre park, a five-acre pond and a natural area teeming with prairie, savanna, and native plant life. It’s hard to believe that twenty years ago it was an airport – the site of Meigs Field, a small airstrip serving commuter planes and corporate jets.

The story of Meigs, which was abruptly destroyed in 2003, its own saga. But in its place you can now find 12th Street Beach, a beautiful spot layered with brick and stone along the beachfront—the perfect spot to bring a date and picnic under a tree while red-winged blackbirds fly overhead and the waves crash onto the shore. Del Campos Tacos sits right behind the beach. Grab a bite, take a path, and see a variety of native wildlife, or by chance, see a sailing ship pass by on Lake Michigan.

The Northerly Island Visitor Center has many programs available, including tours, camping, fishing, boating, field trips for children, a music venue that holds concerts and events, and annual seasonal festivals that highlight the city’s natural life.

There are also public artworks throughout the island that are worth the trip—like Denise Milan and Ary R. Perez’s America’s Courtyard, a spiral galaxy made of stone that represents an ancient celestial observatory, located just south of the city’s largest public telescope (behind Adler).

To get there, I got off the train at the Roosevelt stop and headed east. At the southern end of Grant Park, I found the Mississippi Blues Trail Marker #77, in honor of Muddy Waters and the many other blues musicians who came to Chicago. Further east, I passed the train tracks, and just before Columbus Drive, I took the Museum Park Roosevelt Underpass, which takes you directly to the Museum Campus and the lakefront trail. Walking through the Field Museum’s Ivy Garden was a trip through the past. Next, I made my way to the Shedd Aquarium, before heading south towards Solidarity Drive, which leads to Northerly Island. Burnham Harbor is a perfect location for a shot of the city’s skyline, named after the famous Chicago architect and planner Daniel H. Burnham, who designed the island. I made it to 12th Street Beach, sat below a tree, and watched the sunset. A perfect night. (Santino Napolillo)

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 75

SOUTH SHORE Compiled by E'mon Lauren, Neighborhood Captain

COLLAGE MADE BY E'MON LAUREN

E’mon Lauren was titled the first Youth Poet Laureate of Chicago and is the author of COMMANDO. She is host of her hit podcast, “The Real Hoodwives of Chicago.”

S

outh Shore is easy to glamorize—our wave-crashing cushion, boulders of brick, and archived architecture are all wonderful things to add to a list of “amenities.”

But as developers feel entitled to make their properties more profitable and the neighborhood meets its new residents at a rent-raising rate, many original residents are feeling—and being—displaced. Some might remember the Dominick’s, turned food desert, now turned Local Market, bringing them to question: “Who is the new development for? If not us, who makes this neighborhood a ‘wonderful attraction?’”

And what does this mean for longtime Black-owned businesses, or elder care services, or the preservation of nature in this community? Then there’s the ever-present concept of “safety,” which often leads to this dissolution of feelings—perhaps one of the biggest “amenities” to a golf-loving gentrifier of this neighborhood.

What qualifies a neighborhood to be categorized as an “at-risk” zone? To a generational South Shore patron, all this neighborhood has ever been is a haven. Despite historic inequities that force families into conditioning, this neighborhood has made a diasporic pot out of whatever upheaval and disheveling a united Black Chicago

76 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

people had undergone in the 1960s and 1970s. Pushed out from upper Chicago and finding the edge to sit on, the people of this community hold onto themselves and this sunrise-facing side.

This introduction is a gentle reminder, and a treasure-chest guide, to those fighting to remain in concrete they’ve heard crack before. South Shore holds a founding beginning for many homes and folks. Yet from the Black Wall Street of South Shore to communal candy lady feeding, so many starving voices get flushed out by the white noise of redevelopment and whispered diversity.

With easy access to our city front via the #6 and #26, and with copious musical pop-ups at 63rd Street beach, it’s no wonder this neighborhood thrives as a peace shelter for the city. The historians who complete the inner workings of our blocks offer understanding of how the “Ova-East” crust remains intact. Research is always made available at South Shore Library, and a curated conversation is always at arm’s reach by any street-hearted security. Young builders of liberated homes take in the city’s stretched trails, and unwind themselves from the gridded passages the rest of the city offers.

The back of the city, our waterfall. Praise the shore that closes us in, and opens us to daily horizons. (E’mon Lauren)

SOUTH SHORE such as air for your tires, chains, or brake replacements, are available for purchase at a very reasonable price. With much available in stock, this one-man pit-stop crew gets you in and out on the road. When asked about the mission of his shop, Mr. Leroy humorously answers: “To keep everybody rolling.”

The peace-driven, old-school Mr. Leroy welcomes visitors with a gentle hand wave or nod of approval. Holding used and vintage bikes as well as new road dusters, a deal can be found and made for you. Surrounded by other fresh businesses, neighborhood voyeurs will stop by to see the process of motorcycle gangs greasing up for their grind. No stranger to this community, Leroy has spent two decades shedding “wheels of wisdom” and “locks of light” for children, adults, and adults who first came into the store as children. Huffys and fixies, bike galore, this shop grants all mechanical needs for a pedestrian to explore. Rest up for water or a quick tire check, then head to trails and paths on the approaching corners. Be sure to stop by for the safest and best-prepared experience. With no appointment necessary and only a short tripaway, the Bike Clinic is a seasonal necessity. (E’mon Lauren)

BEST FRIED PORK CHOP BREAKFAST

L&G Restaurant

Bike Clinic, 2221 E. 71st St. Monday–Saturday, 11am–6pm. Closed Sundays. (773) 9552028.

PHOTO BY E'MON LAUREN

From sunny eggs to hams and buttered grits, this breakfast house has it all. Since its opening in 1980, L&G’s mission has always been to serve the community—whether by providing locals with first-time customer service gigs, or with hot maple-syruped, made-to-order service. Sitting adjacent to the 75th & Exchange Metra train stop, L&G gives early morning commuters a place to break their fast with an early bird special, or a cup of joe at the window booth while jukebox tunes play on. Waitresses with smiles and coffee pots bring conversation and advice that a lone and hungry decision-maker may need.

A star menu item—and southern classic—is their fried pork chop breakfast. One or two deliciously crispy and golden fried pork chops come with hash browns, two eggs (any style) with cheese of your choice, and white, wheat, or rye toast. For a less caloric choice, pork chops can also be grilled, with the option of rice and gravy instead of potatoes. These traditional fixings are made with quality ingredients and served in fair portion sizes—with a full tray of food, this $15-17 breakfast can put you well over into lunchtime. Meat is not your thing? Not a problem for this full-house, family friendly restaurant. Any request for a “no-cheese” or vegetarian option can be answered through omelets and sandwiches. At their diner countertop, opposite photos of neighborhood patrons and supporters on the entry wall, morning and lunchtime stories are served up with food every day. L&G leaves mouths full, doors open, and the hearts of its neighborhood beaming. With breakfast all day, warm plates will always be served your way. (E’mon Lauren) L&G Restaurant, 2632 E. 75th St. 6am–2pm. $2–$20. (773) 374-3098.

BEST DEALS ON WHEELS

Bike Clinic

Whether you’ve got a busted kneecap or tire, Mr. Leroy of Bike Clinic provides you with a summer experience that keeps your wheels spinning. The Black-owned bike shop, established about twenty years ago, is run by the street and self-proclaimed “Bike Man”, Mr. Leroy, who has always given a free, tactile look to any bike, whether a tadpole of a vehicle or a full-blown toad of transportation. Parts and physical needs,

BIKE CLINIC OWNER, LEROY RICKS. PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

BEST “CUT”

South Shore Nature Sanctuary

We all have our secret place that we wish to keep a secret. First date kiss spots, perfect hills for rolling, views that win you the cool points. Tucked in the “cut” of the South Shore Cultural Center on 71st and Exchange, a steady stride will take you past shady lawns, well-maintained beaches, and a cattail-covered lagoon. A winding wooden bridge overlooks baby frogs and bird-occupied branches, crossed at the top with two bonfire pits and a wonderful view of the water and our city’s skyscraper crown. A perfect spot for midday getaways or late-night lyrics, this nature sanctuary is a vital safe space for the community.

As the heat rises and the water freezes, discussions of if this natural gem will continue to live here stay in our forecast. Conversations and theories dispersed amongst the community shed light on which developmental decisions will be made to further the eye and comfort of newcomers. With the sanctuary at risk of being replaced with a giant golf course—rumored to be named after Tiger Woods—this scenic treasure sits atop a list of reasons why the South Shore community needs to SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 77

SOUTH SHORE remain intact. Not just for its people, but for the animals and other living creatures of this water-coasted land. According to the Chicago Park District, South Shore Nature Sanctuary “contains over six acres of dune, beach, wetland, pond, woodland, prairie, savanna, and shrubland habitats.”

Displacement is much bigger than the developments and businesses that separate an enriched culture from its people for profit. It also includes the displacement of all living things who inhabit this area. While pest extermination is still a common request from the residents of renovated older buildings, will the removal of mice bring an influx of private developers? Who’s to say; but nature-viewing and outside enjoyment can still be an occasion for a perfect date, a private artistic outing, or a secluded corner for you and your comrades. Join the elements and take in the city, in a way you never have before. (E’mon Lauren) South Shore Nature Sanctuary, 7059 S. South Shore Dr. Dawn to dusk. (312) 742-7529.

BEST TRADITIONAL BLACK HAIR SALON

Hair 4 U

If you’re a kinky/coily/curly person, you may be all too familiar with the “my hair used to be real long until my mom put that perm in my hair,” or the “my cousin wanted to go to cosmetology school so she died my hair with peroxide” story. Such narratives live deep in the femme cultural canon of South Shore, with it being predominantly a Black neighborhood. As a fair tribute to Madam C.J. Walker, who became America’s first

78 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

self-made woman millionaire through her invention of Black hair tools and products, most of us would find our kitchens, siblings’ rooms, or living room fold-out chairs to be our first salon—though leaving much ambiance to be desired. Hair salons have historically been important places of storytelling and safety. When thrown into new salons that may deter our original comfort, in the midst of lessons regarding life and hair upkeep, we naturally have so many questions running through our unkempt head.

Is this hair stylist “scissor happy?” Is a wash and blowdry included? Do I have to bring my own hair? How long am I gonna have to wait? Taking new chances on new shops and stylists will always be a gamble. This 72nd & Exchange salon is a safe bet, and will crisp any nostril hair with nostalgia and comfort.

Hair 4 U Salon, a Black woman-owned and run salon, specializes in every hair need or dream. From haircuts to braids, natural styles to permanent care, this crew of women focuses on giving all forms of hair its very best treatment. From cast-iron hand combs and curlers to flavorsome heated flat irons, a bumped end is only a corner away.

With advice, empathy and compassion, any head is safe here. Appointment booked and reliable, but walk-in ready, you can find some auntie tunes that make you feel good in the spritzed air. With prices also raising the nostalgia factor, you will find your most traditional treatment, such as a wash, deep conditioning, blow dry, silk press, and split-ends clip, all for $60. A reasonable tip is always given to the ladies who keep us laid—our stylish stuarist of South Shore. (E’mon Lauren) Hair 4 U, 7205 S. Exchange Ave. Tuesday–Friday 9am–7pm, Saturday 8am–5pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. (773) 221-8561

WEST PULLMAN AND RIVERDALE Compiled by Jasmine M. Green, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY JASMINE BARNES

W

est Pullman and Riverdale, two neighborhoods tucked away on the Far Southeast side, are easy to overlook. Historically, both neighborhoods were viewed as accessories to larger industrial areas. West Pullman, for instance, was initially populated by men who worked for the nearby Pullman Palace Car Company. Disillusioned with the town’s planned worker community, which, despite its profitability, was shackled by an unrelenting and unethical corporate monopoly, Pullman employees packed up and formed a new community in the bordering area. A century later, the Pullman Porters are memorialized as only being a part of Pullman’s history; the refuge these workers sought in West Pullman—the fledgling neighborhood—is mostly forgotten.

Like West Pullman, Riverdale is also a tangent to the city’s main narrative. Riverdale is not a suburb, although the neighborhood does border a separate town of the same name, which often gets confusing. Riverdale is a Chicago neighborhood, home to the massive housing complex Altgeld Gardens. Altgeld Gardens was launched by the Chicago Housing Authority in 1945, and like West Pullman, was originally a community for industrial workers. However, unlike West Pullman, the first residents of Riverdale’s Altgeld Gardens were majority Black; by the year 1960, over 10,000 Black residents lived in the complex. These Black residents were shunned, harassed, and isolated by city officials and nearby white residents alike—including by those who lived in West Pullman. Unfortunately, racism in West Pullman and Riverdale didn’t end there. In the 1960s, race-integration busing sent white students from West Pull-

man to Carver High School in Riverdale, and Black students from Riverdale to elementary schools in West Pullman, which was highly controversial and even provoked violence. Thus, West Pullman and Riverdale, two peripheral neighborhoods who possessed such rich, shared history, were locked in racial conflict for many years.

By the next decade, West Pullman and Riverdale would again be in alignment, suffering from the same social phenomenon: white flight. White residents left both neighborhoods in droves, and poverty settled amongst who was left.

However, while these neighborhoods did experience a great decline in the decades that followed, they did not—contrary to what many may think—fade into oblivion.

West Pullman and Riverdale boast valuable assets to their respective communities and to the city at large. For example, West Pullman’s Ray and Joan Kroc Center is the largest community center in the state. Likewise, Riverdale has Beaubien Woods, a gorgeous forest preserve that encircles the perfect lakeside fishing spot. Both neighborhoods have a host of community organizations rallying behind it, covering for the city’s blindspot with fierce dedication and care.

Statistics and breaking news articles are not what define these areas.The resilience of our community, who total more than 33,000 people combined, are what give West Pullman and Riverdale meaning. Though they are positioned at the edge of the city, West Pullman and Riverdale are the centerpieces of our lives—the many Chicagoans who are used to being forgotten. ( Jasmine M. Green) SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 79

WEST PULLMAN & RIVERDALE

BEST BASEBALL TEAM

Roseland Little League

From a ball field at the southernmost end of South Michigan Avenue, the Roseland Little League baseball team has served as a fun outlet for kids and a source of entertainment for families on the Far Southeast side since 1952.

Rick Bolin is the current administrative head of the program, and has been affiliated with the team for the past nineteen years. Bolin himself was a Little League player for the South East team, where his father was his first coach, until he reached high school. And like his father, Bolin acted as his childrens’ first coach when he signed his two sons up for tee ball with the Roseland Team in the early 2000s.

Though his sons have long since aged out of youth baseball, Bolin has maintained a steadfast commitment to serving his community by curating an environment where local kids can release their energy in positive ways. Each year, between 100-150 kids participate in Roseland Little League’s seasonal programs.The children are grouped by age: four- to six-year-olds play T-Ball, seven- to ten-year-olds are in the intermediate level, and eleven- and twelve-year-olds are the most advanced players. Roseland Little League’s regular season, when the games kick off, begins in late May and runs until early August, adjusted from a typical baseball schedule to account for the school year.

Their pre-season practices run from late February through the end of April, and take place indoors at the newly opened Pullman Community Center, which boasts three turf fields and four batting cages.

However, the games don't have to end when summer does: Roseland Little League also hosts additional programs at PCC in the fall. The Fall Ball League is an instructional unit that runs from September through the end of October and focuses on fine-tuning baseball skills.

The winter and fall training programs are $25 each per child.The cost for the main season varies by age, but never exceeds over $100 for the two-month program.

Additionally, no child is turned away for lack of funds. Bolin is cognizant of the financial pressures that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has placed on local families, and strives to make the programs affordable for all. This is why Roseland Little League offers grants for families who are struggling financially, ensuring that fees do not stand in the way of any child’s enrichment.

As the summer comes to an end, Roseland Little League has a lot to celebrate.

The intermediate team did not lose a game all season, and continued their winning streak when they claimed the championship title in the Chicago Youth Baseball Alliance playoffs. The advanced team placed second for their division. Bolin, and the six coaches who currently oversee the team, are always looking for more volunteers to lend their time and support the effort to provide a safe and fun activity for children of the South Side. If you are interested, please sign up to become a volunteer through the Pullman Community Center website during the off season. ( Jasmine M. Green) Roseland Little League, 12483 S. Michigan Ave. (games) and 10355 S. Woodlawn Ave. (training). pccindoorsports.com/roseland/

BEST SOLAR PLANT

West Pullman Solar Farm

The name West Pullman invokes the area’s industrial history: in the 1800s it was populated by workers for the Pullman railroad car company located just to the east.

The railroad and the Calumet River forming West Pullman’s boundaries were veins for raw materials and industrial products, in a region where coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, foundries, and steel mills spewed pollution.

80 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

So perhaps West Pullman is a fitting site for an installation symbolic of the shift toward clean energy happening in the state and, if far South Siders have their way, in that part of the city.

In 2010, a ten-megawatt solar farm began producing power on a forty-acre brownfield site, billed as the nation’s largest urban solar farm. It is owned by the power company Exelon—owner of the state’s six nuclear plants—and it produces enough electricity to power up to 1,500 homes. Exelon sells the power into energy markets, where power is procured for the state’s two utility companies—Ameren in downstate Illinois and Exelon’s own subsidiary, ComEd, in the Chicago area.

Before the West Pullman solar farm went online, there were only about five megawatts of solar installed in the whole state of Illinois.

Six years later, the state passed ambitious clean energy legislation meant to make solar blossom across the state. Subsidies in the form of Renewable Energy Credits did indeed spark solar on homes and businesses statewide, as well as larger utility-scale solar farms on open land in downstate Illinois. Another energy bill passed in 2021 expanded the solar subsidies and programs to encourage solar development in low-income and environmental justice communities—those neighborhoods, like many on the South Side, that have suffered disproportionate harm from the fossil fuel industry.

Now, there are over 1,500 megawatts of solar installed statewide.

Coming years before the state’s solar industry began to take off, the West Pullman solar farm could be seen as ahead of its time.

A state program called Illinois Solar for All now makes it nearly free for many Chicago residents and non-profits like churches to get rooftop solar, though few people have taken advantage of it. Auburn Gresham resident Debra Earl was among the first South Side residents to get solar under that program in 2020, and she hopes her neighbors are inspired to do the same. Qualifying Chicagoans can also get free training in solar jobs under Illinois Solar for All, and get hired for local solar installations.

The Exelon solar farm is an important source of clean energy, but individual Chicagoans and the grid as a whole benefit even more when smaller solar installations are scattered on rooftops throughout neighborhoods. That way individual households can get the bill savings from solar, rather than essentially buying solar energy from the massive company that got $700 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies in the recent energy bill. As local leaders say, solar installations and solar jobs on the South Side would be one way to continue the transition from an industrial “sacrifice zone” burdened by pollution to a leader in the clean energy economy. (Kari Lydersen) Exelon Solar Plant, 201 W. 120th St.

BEST URBAN FARMERS

Urban Growers Collective

“Eat your vegetables!”

I remember this phrase being said years ago in many households all over the country. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods have changed through the years, but we all need nourishment of some type on a daily basis. Yet the thought of having and making good use of fresh vegetables and fruit is not what many desire to eat. It helps though, when fruits and veggies are grown and harvested nearby. Farm-fresh produce is low-calorie and nutrient-dense. Health professionals have found that growing food crops in and near your neighborhood contributes to a healthier community overall, because this engages residents in work and recreation that improves public and individual well being.

They bring people together, help heal a community, and fosters a sense of purpose for people who simply want to contribute to society and their neighborhoods. Plus, when you take advantage of neighborhood gardens and farms you save money, which can free up funds you have to buy other foodstuffs or meet other household needs.

Urban Growers Collective aims to make all this a reality for as many Chicagoans

WEST PULLMAN & RIVERDALE as possible. With seven farms across the South Side, including a two-acre bee sanctuary at Altgeld Gardens, plus a teaching farm smack downtown in Grant Park, the nonprofit organization is planting the seeds of healthy eating all over town. They also run a farmstand in nearby South Chicago, and the Fresh Moves Mobile Market, a bus that has been converted into a mobile farmers’ market. Their goal is to bring food justice and just plain good food to Black and brown communities that don’t otherwise have access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables—and aim to raise awareness through apprenticeships, farm tours, and workshops. This community needs to eat healthier daily. But if you still don’t want to eat your vegetables, why not go check out one of Urban Growers Collective’s farms and see all the hard work others are putting forth to make this happen for you and your neighbors. (Phyllis Soriano) Multiple locations. urbangrowerscollective.org

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION

People for Community Recovery People for Community Recovery is an organization focused on combating environmental issues for residents of the Altgeld Gardens community. Activist Hazel Johnson, who current outreach specialist Beria Hampton calls “the mother of environmental justice,” founded PCR in 1979. Johnson conducted a health study and realized the vast amount of waste and toxic materials in her heavily industrial neighborhood were negatively impacting the health of the community. For decades PCR has fought to bring clean air and water to the Far Southeast Side—where the high concentration of polluters surrounding Altgeld Gardens led Johnson to coin the term “the toxic donut”---and has done much to raise awareness of the intersectionality of race and class with environmental justice.

Since moving to Altgeld Gardens in 1985, Hampton herself has been a witness to Johnson’s incredible leadership and has been involved with People for Community Recovery since she was a child. “Then I didn’t understand a lot of the things [PCR] was doing because I was a kid,” she explained to me. But she saw how her own mother adored the organization and constantly volunteered, so Hampton continued to learn and do the groundwork, like passing out flyers and protesting at City Hall.

Although Hampton originally studied chemical engineering, she decided to shift her job priorities and now works for PCR full-time. In addition to being the outreach specialist, she is also a youth development coach, a role in which she strives to reduce violence within the community. “I’m all over the place all the time,” she joked. “I wear many different hats in this organization.”

Hampton added that one of PCR’s recent biggest accomplishments was stopping the demolition of the historic C Building in their community. Now, the team is brainstorming ways they can restore the building, such as curating a museum honoring Hazel Johnson’s work and opening an accessible grocery store for Altgeld Gardens residents.

Since Hazel Johnson’s passing in 2011, Hazel’s daughter Cheryl Johnson has become executive director and has worked hard to continue her mother’s mission. Some of the current projects include health recovery mutual aid, installation of solar panels, economic development, affordable housing, and of course preserving the legacy of Hazel Johnson. Even though the pandemic has brought new challenges to the organization, PCR is still as strong as ever. The organization is also constantly looking for volunteers for phone banking and other projects, and Hampton stressed that she understands that everyone has a lot of responsibilities so PCR is flexible with how much individuals want to get involved. (Lauren Johnson) See peopleforcommunityrecovery.org for more.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 81

82 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

WOODLAWN Compiled by Max Blaisdell, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY REEMA SALEH

Max Blaisdell is an educator and basketball coach based in Hyde Park. He is originally from New York City and later served in Peace Corps Morocco. He last reported “ER Doctor Conveys Health Inequities at South Side Hospital” for the Weekly.

W

alking into the sanctuary of Woodlawn’s First Presbyterian Church of Chicago on a Monday afternoon in midsummer, I stood admiring the stained-glass windows with Pastor David Black, sunlight illuminating the panes in a dazzling array of colors. He remarked on the special features that reflected the radical tradition of his church: the all-female panels in the arch over the doorway, the beehive symbolizing the labor movement, and the depiction of Jesus as carpenter, a nod to his working-class roots.

He commented on unplanned details too—bullet holes pockmarking the panes and the slightly dulling effect of the panes’ plexiglass backings.

Earlier I had asked Black how he’d first formed relationships in the community when he moved to Chicago from New York in the early days of the pandemic. His recent change in residence comes after a peripatetic childhood bouncing around Eastern Europe and two years as a pastor and community organizer in New York City, including at Riverside Church near Harlem.

“Getting integrated into the community and getting to know people was really a fun process. It didn't feel like a huge exertion. It was just like you keep showing up, keep asking people their names, who they are, and their stories and people are open to sharing that.”

Black, who is white, is young and affable.

“I'm also really privileged to be the pastor of this church because people in this community know this church and they know this church’s history,” said Black.

That history is a unique and fascinating one. As Black said: “Every part of Chicago history was a part of the church’s history.”

First Presbyterian, the oldest continuous congregation in Chicago, has been around for 189 years, calling six different buildings home. The only physical item carried from its first location in old Fort Dearborn all the way through to its current one on 64th Street and Kimbark Avenue is a wooden beam that looks not much worse for wear than the newer beams that were installed in 1927.

Founded as an abolitionist institution, the church’s pastors declaimed the evils of slavery from their pulpits in fire-and-brimstone style. Following the Civil War and the assassination of her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln called First Presbyterian her house of worship, according to Black. The social justice tradition of the church continued with the founding of the first public school and the first interracial classroom in Chicago. And against religious intolerance, First Presbyterian hosted the 1893 First Parliament of World Religions, an interfaith forum that remains one of the world’s most important.

First Presbyterian made its move to Woodlawn back in 1926, constructing the American Gothic cathedral that still towers over rooftops and treetops. But just as Lincoln, quoting the Bible, famously declaimed from the statehouse in Springfield that “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” so the church could not hold together amid increasing discord in its congregation concerning whether to accept Black members, even as the neighborhood became increasingly Black demographically because of the Second Great Migration.

When the church’s leadership decided to go ahead with their integration plan in 1953, half of the white congregation up and left for the suburbs, taking with them a huge sum of funding.That may have been a blessing in disguise, as the church returned to its radical roots, introducing an interracial team of pastors, and inviting activist Saul Alinsky to lead community opposition to the University of Chicago’s plans to buy up the neighborhood.

For a time, the church provided refuge to members of the neighborhood gangs.

“It was common knowledge that the Blackstone Rangers were here,” said Black.

The Rangers’ rivals, the Gangster Disciples, sometimes shot up the place, hoping a bullet might strike the likes of Rangers’ leader Jeff Fort. This happened even though the Chicago Police Department and the FBI knew of the Rangers’ presence, having previously allowed the church to set up a weapons cache for the rival gangs in their main vault in an attempt to reduce the internecine violence by safeguarding their weapons.

For a time, the church gave the Rangers use of their second-floor basketball court, which they painted in the colors of the Black Power Movement: red, black, and green.

Fort, seated in an ersatz throne, held court with his supplicants there, planning SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 83

WOODLAWN projects to develop and keep the neighborhood safe using funds from the Johnson Administration’s “War on Poverty.”

Now, a new chapter of Woodlawn history is unfolding, with construction of the Obama Presidential Center underway and with organizers continuing their yearslong fight for an anti-displacement plan for longtime residents; in 2020, their efforts culminated in the passage of an ordinance committing to developing affordable housing and other provisions for Woodlawn tenants and homeowners.

First Presbyterian remains a source of stability amid the flux and change.

Neighbors and parishioners of the church tend the thriving community garden that has existed in some form since the 1970s, volunteers and residents come together for a weekly food pantry, and Black stands at the door ready to welcome you anytime you happen to stop by. (Max Blaisdell)

BEST PEACEFUL SPOT HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

The Pier at the 63rd Street Beach

The pier at the 63rd Street Beach is shaped like an enormous elbow, extending far out into Lake Michigan. It’s so thin and narrow that when I ride my bike along it, I have to remind myself not to ride too close to the edge lest I fall off into the blue waters.The path to the pier is unmarked, flanked by tall grasses growing out of loose, sandy soil, reminiscent of the shorelines of Cape Cod or Montauk from my native East Coast.

There are two enormous towers on the pier that have electrical equipment and lights on them. Their wrought iron ladders could easily be scaled, just as one might have scaled the mast of an enormous sailing ship on the waters of Lake Michigan in the era before steam power, back when the trade in furs was the principal economic raison d’etre for the white settlement of Chicago.

There are metal rails extending the first part of the pier and wooden panels where fishermen can rest their poles. That length of the pier faces south towards La Rabida Children’s Hospital, with the South Shore Cultural Center visible in the near distance, and further off the stacks of the Gary steel works puffing their plumes of smoke into the atmosphere like a pair of old cronies chomping on cigars while yacking away.

As you turn left to the outer section of the pier, you face north, bringing Promontory Point and the whole skyline of the Loop into view. The pier now has no guardrails along either side, only one down the middle, and it ends so abruptly that, as you’re walking towards the outer edge, you could imagine continuing your stroll onto the water like a modern-day Jesus.

I rarely see another person on the pier. This comes as a surprise to me given how much city life can oppress and burden its denizens with all its noise, heat, and chaos.

To escape and find a piece of peace amid the din and daze of the city is a rarity that can be found at this pier.

The clamor of the city lowers from the volume of a shout to a whisper, one that is equal to the steady susurration of water lapping against the concrete walls of the pier. The limpid blue of Lake Michigan edges into a horizon of gossamer gray clouds pinned beneath the immense cerulean sky.

Whether it be impromptu encounters with people of the negative kind, the claustrophobia induced by walking between enormous buildings, or an indescribable happening on the L or bus ride home, come to the pier at the 63rd Street Beach for a bit of serenity. (Max Blaisdell)

BEST GHOST KITCHEN TURNED SIT-DOWN RESTAURANT

Lloyd’s Upscale Street Food

I had the pleasure of coming upon Lloyd’s Upscale Street Food as a beautiful oasis during a hot (and, let’s be honest, sweaty) summer bike ride. Lloyd’s sits like a beacon on the corner of 61st and Eberhardt, in a building clad beautifully in white and green glazed terra cotta tile.

Lloyd’s has a vibrant presence and a clean, modern aesthetic. Loud R&B music spills out of this spot, which is as good for a coffee as it is for a hearty meal. Lloyd’s menu has pasta, tacos, and burgers, as well as some outstanding salads and appetizers.

To quench my thirst, I ordered a caramel iced coffee with oat milk, a burrata salad, and some garlic parmesan fries. The food that came out was hot and fresh. Those three things were exactly what I needed to power me up for my bike ride home. I was also extremely pleased to find I could feed my bougie side and my constantly-cravingfresh-fries side all at the same time. The iced coffee was, in a word, amazing.

Maybe it was the heat, but everything from the bold coffee flavor to the sweet caramel just hit the spot. Really, it couldn’t have just been the heat. It was a solid coffee.

During a later visit, I met one of the three owners of Lloyd’s: Lai McCoy. McCoy has been cooking professionally since 2015. After years working with the Chicago Park District, McCoy started Lloyd’s in February 2021. They initially worked out of a series of ghost kitchens in Logan Square and South Loop.

The restaurant is named for McCoy’s grandfather, Lloyd, who loved to eat the food Lai cooked. McCoy’s vision is to provide something different, a gathering space, for the people of Woodlawn. McCoy envisions a centerpiece for the community and a showcase for the arts, such as spoken word, painting, and live music. They currently do brunch on Saturdays, and will be having after-hours gatherings twice a month starting on September 2nd from 7pm to midnight. In the long term, expect to see food trucks and additional locations of Lloyd’s Upscale Street Food. (Smitha C. Vasan) Lloyd’s Upscale Street Food, 501 E. 61st St. Open Monday through Friday, 9am–5pm; Saturday, 11am–5pm. See website for Lloyd’s After Dark announcements. $5–22. (224) 489-0937. facebook.com/cheflaimccoy

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WOODLAWN

BEST LOCAL MUSEUM

Johnny Twist Historical Blues Museum

PHOTO BY REEMA SALEH

Near the corner of 64th and Cottage Grove sits the Johnny Twist Historical Blues Museum; it’s incredibly difficult to miss. The brick facade can barely be seen behind the slew of rainbow posters that read “Black Love Is Power” and “The Black Shoe Delta Blues.” In addition to the colorful posters across the front of the museum, there are several racks of beautiful clothing, accessories, and posters that can be purchased as well.

The front of this museum gives you just a taste of the rich, artifact-packed museum just beyond the front door. There is a single narrow pathway through the museum and where you’ll be surrounded by newspaper clippings, photographs, magazine covers, posters, and artifacts from Twist’s time as a rock-a-boogie blues superstar. Twist himself guides you through the museum, first establishing himself as a prominent blues star,and if you still doubt his stardom, he has a stockpile of newspaper clippings and magazine articles written about him from the Chicago Defender and the Weekly.

Throughout the tour, Twist welcomes questions about his collection and is happy to share his contributions to and knowledge about blues history. As he explains the meaning behind the various artifacts of the museum, he sometimes sighs with nostalgia. Twist highlights many of the people who made blues the legendary music genre it is today. His museum keeps their legacies alive by sharing with guests stories of those who have passed.

At first glance, this museum appears to be an assortment of random objects but the museum truly comes to life once you’ve experienced it alongside Twist himself as he explains their significance. It’s called the Johnny Twist Blues Museum for a reason!

Twist’s guidance and knowledge gives meaning to the museum, an experience that would be difficult to find anywhere else.

Leaving the museum is almost as strange as entering it, you step back to reality and leave the cramped storefront behind. This museum leaves a lasting impact on you though. You will find yourself thinking back on Twist’s quirks and small trinkets around the museum. The Johnny Twist Blues Museum is more than a museum, it’s the history of an entire people and genre all in one place. (Mo Thornton) Johnny Twist Blues Museum, 6455 S. Cottage Grove Ave. $5. Open Monday through Saturday, 11am–5pm. (312) 779-411

BEST BACON, EGG, AND CHEESE FOR THE HOMESICK NEW YORKER

Robust Coffee Lounge

On a hot midsummer Monday afternoon, people continuously bustle through Robust Coffee Lounge on the corner of 63rd Street and Woodlawn Ave. in their shorts and tees. A nurse in dark blue scrubs is nestled in an armchair by the entrance dozing peacefully, perhaps after a late-night shift. “Order 91, order 91,” calls the server, and the nurse jolts awake from her cat nap and grabs her sammie, prepped fresh to order in under five minutes. “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” as sung by Aretha Franklin blares over the speakers and a TV on the wall displays a cooking show, building mouth-watering anticipation within the customers who have yet to order. The whir of the coffee grinder behind the corrugated metal counters matches the industrial décor of the space—exposed vents, newspaper print wallpaper, street signs adorning the walls instead of paintings, and floor-to-ceiling concrete columns.

An old-fashioned gumball machine that takes quarters and an array of loose-leaf teas in glass jars lends a timeworn feel to the space, despite being founded in 2009.

The backroom, larger than the space out in front, has leather booths along the east-facing windows and a back wall with huge drapes to block out light from the rising sun, which, when drawn, evoke the backrooms of the old South Side, obscure places where deals might be struck between the mafiosos and political heavies.

From where I stand looking up at Robust’s blackboard menu, there are eight different breakfast options and a plethora of sandwiches featured, all lettered in white chalk by a practiced hand, maybe that of a former schoolteacher.The reason I’d stopped by, though, was not to admire their signage or gawk at the crowd, but to sink my teeth into another piping hot bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich, one so good it cured my friends from New York of their hangovers just a few days before.

The bacon, egg, and cheese (made with American, not cheddar or any other Midwestern fromage) is a New York City staple, one that “chases off any remaining morning demons and clears the way for whatever fresh demons are waiting at work,” according to one New York Times food critic. Comparable only to the Subway and counter slices of ‘za, the bacon, egg, and cheese also pulls off the remarkable feat of not dividing New Yorkers along the lines of class, ethnicity, or neighborhood in a city profoundly segregated in ways Chicagoans are surely familiar with.

After emerging from the kitchen with freshly washed hands, Jake Sapstein, the co-owner, told me that the bacon, egg, and cheese is Robust’s best-selling menu item.

Though I didn’t say it, I wanted to tell him that my taste buds felt validated by this fact.

Sapstein and his husband decided to start Robust after they were laid off from their corporate jobs in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Using money from their 401(k)s, they decided to bump up their retirement dreams of opening a neighborhood coffee shop rather than searching for other work.

Having worked eight-hour shifts every day in an understaffed cafe since the start of the pandemic, Sapstein said that he was finally instituting days off for himself, starting, well…soon. “Right now, we're just thankful for the help that we have. Everybody's definitely being stretched thin. Everybody's definitely putting in their most effort [because] this is the most productive staff that we've had.”

Curious to uncover the secret of how they make such good bacon, egg, and cheeses, I was tempted to submit a job application myself. But then I thought some beloved things—maybe all things beloved—are better left a mystery. (Max Blaisdell) Robust Coffee Lounge, 6300 S. Woodlawn Ave. Open daily, 7am–3pm. $2.75–$12.95.

(773) 891-4240 SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 85

WOODLAWN

BEST MCNUGGET OF HISTORY

McDonald’s Restaurant

You’ve driven south on Stony Island Avenue—maybe on your way to the Pullman National Monument for a history tour or to fill up on some smoked and fried fish at the venerable Calumet Fisheries. Or maybe on your way to a dip at the 63rd Street Beach or to take a stroll through Jackson Park. Whatever the case may be, if you’ve taken this route, you’ve passed a McDonald’s that from the outside is as unremarkable as any other of the 38,000 locations you can find anywhere around the globe. And if you’ve ordered food from the drive through, you’ll find that the food is no different from that of any other of Chicago’s 111 McDonald’s.

Indeed, that is one of the enduring appeals of fast-food chains like McDonald’s—no matter which one you go to, you can order a Big Mac and it will taste exactly like the Big Mac you scarfed down decades ago when you were a kid with an insatiable appetite.

But what belies the unexceptional appearance and menu offerings of this particular McDonald’s, is that this spot is the very first Black-owned-and-operated McDonald’s franchise in the country. Herman Petty opened the franchise in 1968 during the heyday of the civil rights era when there were growing calls for Black ownership of businesses, and the restaurant was later purchased by Yolanda Travis in 2007, keeping it in Black hands.

“Make no mistake—Herman Petty was a true history maker and risk taker.

When he purchased the store, it meant that African Americans could invest in and strengthen our communities, and we’ve been doing that ever since,” Travis said in an interview with Block Club Chicago.

If you walk inside, that much is abundantly clear. Al Green and Marvin Gaye play over speakers, while life-size photos of Black children beam at customers. Near the back, a large bronze plaque displays the names of all the current Black McDonald’s owner-operators, recognizing their contributions to the growth and permanence of the Golden Arches chain.

Mere miles away from Travis’s outpost is the seat of McDonald’s global operations, the headquarters from which strategic marketing and supply chain decisions get made. Their training program for aspiring franchise owners, Hamburger University, is also run out of those same offices in Fulton Market.

For the corporate executives of the late 1960s, placing a McDonald’s under Black leadership had less to do with altruistic motives and more to do with self-interest—with white owners and employees deserting neighborhoods, McDonald’s needed people to fill those vacant restaurants and positions. And at the same time as Chicago’s South and West Sides went into serious economic decline because of disinvestment and the flight of industry, McDonald’s benefitted from massive federal investments in new highways that cut apart neighborhoods, creating food deserts where residents would have no choice but to eat out at their restaurants.

Today, Black franchisees like Travis are struggling to hold on to their businesses and to keep their dreams of making a fortune off frying patties alive, even as corporate profits hit all-time highs. Based on documents from the National Black McDonald’s Owners Association, the number of Black owner-operators declined from 304 outlets to only 222 from 2008 to 2017. What explains that drop? Apparently, the gap in cash flow between the typical McDonald’s franchise and Black-owned ones has widened from $24,600 a month to $60,600 over the five years preceding 2017.

So if McDonald’s corporate is to live up to the commitments made in its marketing blitz in support of Black Lives Matter after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, it had better reinvest its profits where its buns are and do more for Black franchise owners to minimize the cash flow gap— but it should also accede to the demands of its Black and brown workers in their fight for paid leave and basic workplace protections. (Max Blaisdell) 86 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

McDonald’s, 6560 S. Stony Island Ave. Open 24/7. (773) 493-5800

88 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 23, 2022