SSW 09.16.21 - BoSS 2021

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BEST OF THE SOUTH SIDE

W

hile we managed to get through 2021 feeling more hopeful than the previous year, it would be disingenuous to say that things are back to normal or that they’re going to be. As we think about how far we’ve come, we notice the different ways that our communities are internalizing a new

normality.

Neighborhood parks are more active than ever with organized activities; restaurants that survived the pandemic have mastered outdoor dining and making food to go; some mutual aid efforts are expanding or formalizing their services; there are more food vendors and farmers markets on the sidewalks; more art is going up on the walls; and workers in various industries are striking and organizing for what they know they’re worth.

In the annual Best of the South Side we invite South Side residents—community leaders, writers, youth, regular people—to help us craft the issue by telling us what they love about their neighborhoods.

We invite you to immerse yourself in the responses you find here and to patronize local businesses, get inspired, and learn from one another. In no way is this an exhaustive list of everything that’s good in the South Side, or even of every neighborhood, but it may show you a side of things that you may not be used to seeing. #BoSS2021 To learn about getting involved in next year’s Best of the South Side, email editor@southsideweekly.com.

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 Managing Editor

Volume 9, Issue 1 Jacqueline Serrato Martha Bayne

Senior Editors Christian Belanger Christopher Good Rachel Kim Emeline Posner Adam Przybyl Olivia Stovicek Sam Stecklow Arts Editor Politics Editor Education Editor Housing Editor Community Organizing Editor Immigration Editor

Isabel Nieves Jim Daley Madeleine Parrish Malik Jackson Chima Ikoro Alma Campos

Contributing Editors Lucia Geng Matt Moore

Francisco Ramírez Pinedo Jocelyn Vega Scott Pemberton Staff Writers Kiran Misra Yiwen Lu Data Editor

Jasmine Mithani

Director of Fact Checking: Kate Gallagher Fact Checkers: Susan Chun, Grace Del Vecchio, Hannah Faris, Maria Maynez, Olivia Stovicek

archer heights & west elsdon 4

garfield ridge 47

auburn gresham & chatham 6

hegewisch 49

avalon park & calumet heights 11

hyde park & kenwood 52

back of the yards 15

la villita 58

beverly 19

mckinley park 61

bridgeport 20

morgan park 63

brighton park 24

mount greenwood 67

bronzeville 28

north lawndale 69

chicago lawn & west lawn 30

pilsen 72

chinatown 33

pullman & roseland 76

east side & south chicago 37

south loop 79

englewood 40

south shore & woodlawn 82

gage park 43

washington park 84

Visuals Editor Haley Tweedell Deputy Visuals Editors Shane Tolentino Mell Montezuma Anna Mason Staff Illustrators Mell Montezuma, Shane Tolentino Layout Editors Haley Tweedell Davon Clark Tony Zralka Social Media Editor Davon Clark 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 distribute each Wednesday in the fall, winter, and spring. Over the summer we publish every other week.

Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@southsideweekly.com or mail to: South Side Weekly 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 For advertising inquiries, contact: (773) 234-5388 or advertising@southsideweekly.com

Cover Illustration by Jennifer Chavez

ARCHER HEIGHTS & WEST ELSDON Compiled by Joseline Rodríguez Neighborhood Captain

I

n the south and most western part of the city you will find the adjacent neighborhoods of Archer Heights and West Elsdon. These neighborhoods are composed primarily of single family homes, local businesses, and big streets that connect them to the far East, South and North Sides of the city. What the naked eye can’t see is that, for many of the residents that live or work in these neighborhoods, they also encompass the American Dream. For some, it's the place where they purchased their first home, for others, the place where they started, operated, and expanded their business. In either case, a goal was set and achieved. You have the desire to make something happen, you work hard to obtain this desire, and finally you achieve your goal. Isn’t this the American Dream? There is no denying that Archer Heights and West Elsdon embody this dream through the people and the businesses that make them.

Even though the demographics of both of these neighborhoods have changed throughout the years, they have always been places where immigrants have been known to settle. In many cases, including my family’s, purchasing a home or starting a business are dreams one could only achieve by leaving one’s home country in pursuit of more opportunities and a better life. Families that migrate from their home country tend to settle where they already have friends and family in the United States. Like many of his friends and family from Guerrero, Mexico, my dad moved to Chicago because he was promised a job and a roof over his head. Even though he first settled in Little Village, he was determined to work hard and one day move out of his aunt's garden unit apartment and into a place of his own. Of course at the time, he had no idea it would be into his own home in West Elsdon. While it all didn’t happen at once or even within a decade, he accomplished his goal.

What I find is that the American Dream is evolving. For my dad, it was purchasing a home and raising his family in it. For my sister and I, the American Dream consists of not taking any of the sacrifices our parents made for granted, taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to us, and fulfilling our dream of graduating from college. In either case, a goal was set and achieved. We had the 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PHOTO BY JOSELINE RODRIGUEZ

desire to make something happen, we worked hard to obtain this desire and finally we achieved our goal. ( Joseline Rodriguez) Neighborhood captain Joseline Rodriguez is a South Side native who helps run her family’s business in Gage Park, La Quebrada Restaurant. She aspires to follow her parent’s footsteps and open up a business of her own. In her free time she enjoys going on walks with her xoloitzcuintle named Teotl.

BEST QUESABIRRIA

Birrieria Zaragoza

In 2020, the quesabirria blew up on social media and it seemed like everyone wanted to dip their tacos in the hot and steamy broth called consomé. While there are many businesses, including pop-up restaurants and food trucks, that specialize in quesabirrias, Birrieria Zaragoza is doing something completely different. For starters, their quesabirria is made with a handmade tortilla. This on its own makes their quesabirria unique, but it’s what’s inside that really differentiates them from the rest.

To appreciate Birrieria Zaragoza’s product as a true quesabirria, we first have to understand the difference between birria and barbacoa. Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat that also refers to the meat itself, while birria is a product of barbacoa.

Originating from the Mexican state of Jalisco, birria is a stew made by submerging barbacoa in its own broth. While barbacoa can be the cooking method for many types of meat, including goat, lamb, and beef, birria is typically made from goat meat—so one would assume that a quesabirria would be made of goat meat, right? However, some of the most coveted quesabirrias in the city are made with beef. Deceiving, some might say. Birrieria Zaragoza sticks to the origins as their quesabirria is made with goat. Their quesabirria is served as a type of sincronizada, two handmade tortillas filled

ARCHER HEIGHTS & WEST ELSDON El Popocatepetl Tortilleria, 4246 W. 47th St. Monday-Saturday, 7am-5pm; Sunday, 7am1pm. (773) 843-0888. elpopotortillas.com

BEST PUESTO DE ABARROTES

Artesanías Neri

It's easy to get lost inside of the Super Mall on S. Pulaski Road, with its narrow hallways and what seems like an endless number of merchants, but make a right turn from the entrance and a quick left at the end of the photo studio and you will find Doña Rosa down the hall on your left. I first came across her stand when I was on the lookout for a tortillero. After moving into my very first apartment, I wanted to make it homey, and I felt like purchasing my own tortillero was a great place to start. After all, every Mexican household needs one! Doña Rosa, her husband, and son own and operate this small business. They take trips out to Mexico, primarily Guadalajara and Michoacán, and bring back artesanias to fill up their small but organized and wellstocked store. Need a molcajete, huaraches, tazas de barro, or even a comal? No need to make the trip out to Mexico yourself, Doña Rosa has you covered. I was able to purchase my tortillero, four tazas de barro for café de olla, and a beautiful wall decor piece for under fifty dollars, definitely much more affordable than a round trip to Mexico. ( Joseline Rodriguez)

PHOTO BY JOSELINE RODRIGUEZ

with cheese and goat meat and cut into fourths. You can also request a quesabirria taco, which is served as the quesadilla we have come to recognize online. Make it a combo and it includes the consomé used to dip the savory and delicious treat. Their consomé is delicious on its own, but it is served with onions, cilantro, and lime on the side to add to your liking. Next time you are craving a quesabirria, consider making the trip to Archer Heights and trying one that lives up to its name. ( Joseline Rodriguez) Birrieria Zaragoza, 4852 S. Pulaski Rd. Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm; Saturday, 8am-8pm; Sunday, 8am-6pm. (773) 523-3700. birrieriazaragoza.com.

BEST NIXTAMALIZATION

El Popocatepetl Tortilleria

Nixtamalization is an Indigenous process used to make grains, most commonly corn, edible. Nixtamal is the product of nixtamalization, where dry corn is cooked with slaked lime (cal), steeped, and washed. Nixtamal on its own can create exquisite dishes like the classic holiday favorite pozole, but if taken one step further, nixtamal can transform and provide us with so much more. At El Popocatepetl, nixtamal is ground through a machine with large discs made of volcanic rock, also known as a molino.

The end product is a dough called masa, one of the most important ingredients in Mexican cuisine. While most families tend to stick to one or two tortilla brands to purchase for their home, odds are that if you have ever dined at a Mexican restaurant in Chicago, you have tried El Popocatepetl’s products. Their product list is extensive, ranging from pre-packaged corn and flour tortillas to different types of ready-to-use masa for tortillas or tamales. Loved by so many families, chefs and business owners, El Popocatepetl honors the ancient tradition of making masa and has been doing so for over fifty years. ( Joseline Rodriguez)

Artesanías Neri, Super Mall, 5220 S. Pulaski Rd. Monday-Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 10am-7pm. (773) 581-9200.

social justice We’ll help fill in the blank.

With a Master of Social Work degree you’ll have the advanced skills and knowledge to be an agent of social and racial justice in your community.

UN I V E RS I T Y OF ILLINOIS C HICAGO Jane Addams College of Social Work Get Started

go.uic.edu/socialwork SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

AUBURN GRESHAM & CHATHAM Compiled by Martha Bayne Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY NABEELA WASHINGTON

Since his eight-year-old daughter turned him on to TikTok last year, it’s been a ride for Sherman “Dilla” Thomas, aka the Urban Historian. Not only has he been producing his signature, wildly popular videos about bites of Chicago history, he’s leading Chicago neighborhood tours, fielding media requests, and trying to open a museum, all while holding down his day job at ComEd and raising eight kids. We caught up with the Auburn Gresham native, who lives just three blocks from his childhood home, to get his take on what makes the neighborhood great.

I

’ve been here my whole life. I grew up right on 81st and Throop St. I attended John W. Cook school, which is on Bishop, went to Calumet High School, which is on 81st and May, and then went away to college at Eastern Illinois University. When we came back, I bounced around a little bit, but when it was time to buy a house, I just really wanted to anchor where I grew up. Despite what the news says, Auburn Gresham is a really great place.

Growing up it was good and bad. In the late eighties and nineties we had a real bad gang problem. So, you needed to navigate that, you know, it was very serious— you had to be aware of what block you were on. But then also there was a lot of programs left, I guess, that hadn't necessarily been cut yet. So I played Little League baseball. I was a junior lifeguard. I eventually became a Park District lifeguard. So all that was awesome. Cook School had this program called Principal’s Scholars, and I got to take high school classes in seventh and eighth grade. So that put me on the bus, and that was also awesome. It was like a great way to learn the city and learn different neighborhoods.

Today, I don't think the kids play outside as much as we did. My teenage boys, I always make them take a younger sibling with them when they want to go to the store or something. Because my thirteen-year-old looks like he's sixteen, you know? I don't want him to be misidentified as somebody’s gang target. But we also are learning 6 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

to engage people too. I mean, we go on really long walks around here. When we see people, we say “hi,” and I introduce myself, I introduce my kids, and like, half-heartedly jokingly look for the toughest-looking group to say like, ‘Hey there, these are my kids.

They're not involved in anything. So you see them, you know, don't shoot, you know what I mean?’

[People are starting to know who I am], especially here in the neighborhood.

That's cool. But the other part about it is, I'm one of the few kids that, like, grew up and didn't get a felony, and went away to school and all that. And so even the people who got caught up in some of the neighborhood trappings are happy to see me.

Even before TikTok, I was kind of like this Auburn Gresham success story, right?

The guy who, you know, you see the ComEd truck outside and say hey, that type of stuff.

What’s your favorite bit of neighborhood history?

Did you know the modern-day St. Patrick's Day parade started in Auburn Gresham?

Up until the 1950s, there was no every-year parade. Sometimes there will be a parade, sometimes not, but it wasn't a unified parade until Captain Hennessey, who was a very proud Irishman out of the Auburn Gresham police district on 84th and Green, and St. Sabina church decided that they needed a yearly St Patrick's Day parade. And so they started it on 79th and Ashland, and they marched down 79th Street. And when Richard J. Daley found out how famous and how popular it was, he came over here and he said, if I ever become mayor, I’m going to move the parade downtown. And you know, of course he did. But it started right here.

And the great Kirby Puckett, Hall of Fame baseball player, he played at Calumet High School. And Chaka Khan, when she turned the corner to start singing she

AUBURN GRESHAM & CHATHAM transferred to Kenwood, but she was over here for a good chunk of time. And Marsha Warfield from Night Court, is an alumnus of Calumet And there’s a guy by the name of Hitmaka, he's a real, a very popular rap-producer. Young Berg was his former name.

He’s from over here.

How is the neighborhood changing?

Auburn Gresham is the fastest-growing residential area in the city and it has the second-largest home ownership rate on the South Side. I think like, Beverly, might be the one neighbrohood that's ahead of us. We have an amazing stock of bungalows, that have been lovingly preserved, right? Like, the same houses on the North Side cost from half a million or $700,000. But you know, they're kind of high now, but most of the time you get them right about $200,000, which is right in, like, a middle-class price range, you know, and then they can blow the top off, add that dormer and make them bigger houses. So, it's so much flexibility that you can do with these bungalows.

And I think the people of Auburn Gresham, we’re starting to understand our worth in the city. You know, we are a very solid tax base. If you live here, you're not too far from the expressway, so you can get to work. And the neighbors are starting to push back on crime … and what the Auburn Gresham block clubs are starting to do, is they're not allowing vacant houses to be boarded up. And so instead of you boarding up the vacant houses, the block clubs are starting to say, Hey, we're going to chip in, we'll keep that grass cut, I'll turn my garage camera toward their door. And that way it keeps the aesthetics of the neighborhood. And I'm a person that thinks aesthetics matter, right? Once you look good, you feel good. Our blocks look good, and they're starting to feel clean.

What’s up with this museum?

I want to open a museum here in Auburn Gresham—I want to call it the GRACE Museum of South Side History, Grace being Gresham, Roseland, Auburn, Chatham, and Englewood. And the [Greater Auburn Gresham Community Development Corporation] has been very helpful in moving that needle. Right now, there's an abandoned church that's a hundred years old that will be perfect. I believe the City owns it, but they're making sure that it doesn't have any deeds or liens. And then, because we're in the Invest/Southwest corridor, they're really just waiting on me to get my not-for-profit off the ground so we can start that process.

Anything else to add?

Just that here in Auburn Gresham, there is crime. I won't say there isn't, but if you're minding your business, you're not staring at people like zoo animals, you'll, you'll have a good time. You know, Cafe 75 just opened, Afro Joe’s Coffee just opened. And there's always amazing things to do at St. Sabina church. So, you know, this is a great place to visit and live, and I encourage people to come and explore.

As told to Martha Bayne Neighborhood captain Martha Bayne is the managing editor of the Weekly.

BEST COFFEE SHOP

Afro Joe’s Coffee

On South Halsted St., a specialty coffee shop is working to preserve the culture of the South Side and support the community that remains. Afro Joe’s Coffee & Tea is more than your average coffee shop. From locally sourced art lining the walls, to a family working together to sling flavorful drinks that are quickly savored by eager crowds, the space is also one of safety. It radiates Blackness from the outdoor patio to the order counter, and acts as a refreshing hub that offers refuge for professionals looking for a space to exist outside the media’s stigmatized lens, for poets looking for a stage to root their voice, for Black mothers and fathers looking for resources to fight the city’s skewed birth mortality rates.

“My grandmother used to give me coffee in the morning when I was a kid with a lot of cream,” said Kendall Griffin, who co-owns Afro Joe’s Coffee & Tea with his wife, Aisha Griffin. “From that point on I fell in love with coffee and as I got older I always found myself traveling to specialty coffee shops, initially in the city. I complained so much about there not being a coffee shop in my community that my wife finally said, ‘Why don’t you do something about it!’”

While the space is nothing short of instagrammable, and has a wealth of indoor and outdoor seating, it’s the coffee that steals the show. The Cold Foam Mocha is an incredibly smooth and frothy drink with sweet hints of decadent chocolate notes. Or, try the Milk & Honey Iced Latte—the perfect pick-me-up with tender bits of honey wrapped amid freshly brewed beans. Both drinks pair well with menu items such as a warm, flaky Apple Cobbler Afro Puff or the Bronzeville Breakfast Sandwich.

“Every item on our menu is inspired by a dish I’ve had on our travels around the world. And there are still so many things I haven’t perfected yet, watch out for our specials board,” said Aisha.

For those looking to extend their time at Afro Joe’s, support is as simple as making a purchase from the Black-owned business or attending an upcoming event. “Support is a verb, so anything anyone does helps and is appreciated. Even if our menu isn’t your thing you can check out our art shows and birthing events. Oftentimes, we have to leave our community for any type of entertainment so our events reduce the need to travel far and allow greater support of local talent. We really are trying to create a space where there is something for everyone and really be a community hub.”

(NaBeela Washington) Afro Joe’s Coffee and Tea, 8344 S. Halsted St. (773) 234-1308. Thu-Fri 7am-3pm, Sat 8am-3pm, Sun 9am-1pm. www.afrojoes.com SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

AUBURN GRESHAM & CHATHAM

BEST ATMOSPHERE

Oooh Wee It Is

I’ve always heard that the best things in life are worth waiting for. The first time I went to Oooh Wee It Is, I called to see if I could get a take out order. The kind lady on the other line informed me that they only do dine-in (no reservations), and added that the estimated wait time was two hours. Two. Hours. I thanked her and got off the phone, and decided within myself that I wasn’t going to be eating there that day.

But then I began looking through their menu. Soul food is my weakness, and with each tap and scroll I fell further and further in love with food I hadn’t even tasted yet.

I called a friend so I wouldn’t wait in line alone, and we drove to Chatham.

The restaurant is tucked into an otherwise residential neighborhood. That stood out to me because I imagined patrons of the restaurant simply walking out of their houses and having access to this place. Why does that matter? Well, a lot of Black neighborhoods are riddled with closed businesses and fast food restaurants. I was warmed to know that this restaurant was here, and clearly thriving, walking distance from whoever lives in the area.

When I walked up, I saw a girl I’d gone to elementary school with waiting in line. We greeted each other with a hug. Her parents still live around the corner from mine in our old neighborhood. I asked whether the food was worth the wait, and she assured me it is, listing menu items she’d tried. She recommended the Obama drink, among other things.

After an hour and a half, I got a call saying our table was ready. We went inside, walked through a sanitizing mist, and a host led us to our table. The table was a long high-top, and one side had chairs while the other had swings. I sat on the swing (why not?). The restaurant was whimsical and fun. Everyone was talking and having a good time. There was a cereal bar that showcased shelves of options to choose from, life-sized superheroes, and large TV screens. Our server, Damon, approached us and offered us water. He was swift and welcoming. I ordered the lobster tail with macaroni and mashed potatoes, and my friend ordered chicken tips with yams and macaroni.

While we waited, another couple sat at our table, too.

The food was amazing. The lobster tail I got was fried; I’d never had a fried lobster tail before. I didn’t even know that was a thing! The macaroni and cheese had crispy corners and rich insides, while the mashed potatoes were thick and textured just like I like them. Damon, our server, was so thoughtful, he made sure to check on us to ensure we were enjoying our meal. Even when we were ordering, he was patient as my friend changed his mind a few times.

My friend and I were eating and laughing, cracking jokes about things that were happening in our lives. I’m a clown when I laugh, and as I cackled I never felt out of place, I never felt as though I was disturbing anyone. Everyone in the restaurant was eating and laughing and having a good time as well. The atmosphere was truly amazing, and genuinely worth the wait. As I ate my food and enjoyed the conversation, I understood why folks wait that long to get a table. It’s an irreplaceable experience. (Chima Ikoro) Oooh Wee It Is, 2208 E. State St. (773) 933-0363. Tue–Thu 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am– 10pm; Sun 11am–7pm; Closed Monday.

PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

8 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACOBY COCHRAN

BEST SOUTH SIDE STORYTELLER

Jacoby Cochran

Jacoby Cochran grew up variously in Gresham, Brainerd, “the border of like Chatham and Englewood,” Pill Hill, and Chicago Heights, and just recently moved from South Shore to Hyde Park. When someone asks where he’s from he often just says “South Side,” but he said, “I usually identify most with my late grandmother’s home in Gresham, right on 87th and Sangamon.”

A writer, teacher, performer, and storyteller, Cochran was born in 1991 and went to St. Ethelreda from kindergarten through eighth grade. “My Chicago was from Stony Island to Cicero; about 95th St. to 47th,” he said. “My entire life I grew up around Black folks.” His maternal grandparents both came to Chicago from Mississippi and Louisiana as part of the Great Migration and while he remembers their deep accents and love of food and the country, he remembers his childhood as “prototypical’—playing with kids on the block, roller skating (his mom was an ace skater), and going to block parties. “I don't even think as a child, I really knew how significant that move was, for so many Black folks to own homes, you know, right off 87th Street.”

His great-grandmother on his mother’s father’s side was a brilliant storyteller.

“She was constantly teaching us about the city and our history, would sit us down and teach us about key moments in the civil rights movement. I remember being a child and learning about the story of Emmett Till, and her teaching us about the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton.” But it wasn’t until he got to high school, a self-described “very talkative, very argumentative” kid who was constantly being told to shut up, that he learned to organize his own thoughts into compelling stories when a teacher got him involved with the speech team. He went on, at Bradley University, to win eleven National Forensics League speech and debate championships.

Getting involved with the storytelling scene back in Chicago helped pull him out of a post-grad-school slump. “I felt very pessimistic, very unenergized, and storytelling helped bring me out of that. It was an opportunity to explore what my relationship to the city was and what was it like to grow up here. It helped me process some traumat-

ic moments throughout my life and coming up in the city. And through that, I just started to get re-engaged and re-energized.” He started teaching storytelling at Cook County Jail and Literacy Chicago, and credits volunteer work like that with getting him back in the flow that led him to start posting YouTube videos under the tagline “Southside Stories,” and that eventually led to his new-this-year gig as the host of the city-news podcast City Cast Chicago.

In this new role, he said, he’s seeking to always complicate the narrative about an already–complicated city. “I always want to be in conversation with the people who are doing the work on parts of the West Side, like Austin, Pilsen, Little Village, that I’ve only experienced tangentially as part of my life. Our first, like, 120 episodes, I can’t believe the amazing people I’ve gotten to sit down and talk with, organizations that are grinding every day for the city.”

Asked to tell a story about the old neighborhood, he reaches back to St. Ethelreda, about a time when he challenged a teacher he thought was being unduly harsh. Of course he wound up getting in trouble, was banned from the eighth grade trip and the honors luncheon, and told he had ruined his chances for a high school scholarship.

His mom, he recalled, “was not a big fan of this scenario.” Fast forward to 2018, he’s invited back to the school for that year’s honors luncheon, and he tells the students this story—with the very same teacher in the room.

“It was just like a really cool 180 moment for me, because, you know, I didn't understand as a kid, but I gave thanks to those teachers because that running narrative of my mom and my teachers wanting me to control my voice so that I can be safe, I've come to appreciate. It's not because of respectability politics, it’s because they knew it just takes one bad conversation with the wrong person, for things to go wrong. And so, after all of that, to have been this kid who was constantly talking back maybe making more noise than necessary, to someone now who is in audio and telling stories for a living, and getting to talk to those students and simultaneously laugh at my teacher but also let the students know that like there, there is something you hear and it's not about respectability, it’s more about caution, and that’s been an important lesson in my life.” (Martha Bayne) More on Jacoby Cochran at jacobycochran.com.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

AUBURN GRESHAM & CHATHAM

BEST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DO-OVER

838 W. 79th St.

Changes are coming to Auburn Gresham—but not all residents are happy with how they are being implemented.

Chicago’s Invest South/West development initiative intends to transform commercial corridors in underserved neighborhoods by matching City-owned sites with developers.

In Auburn Gresham, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) sought development proposals for 838 W. 79th St. While other neighborhoods’ Invest South/West sites garnered multiple submissions that the DPD selected from, Auburn Gresham's site only solicited one, for a mixed-use building with ground-floor retail and affordable housing developed by Evergreen Real Estate and the Imagine Group (Evergreen Imagine JV).

After the City announced winning proposals for each neighborhood in March— including Evergreen’s, which won by default—neighbors and corridor stakeholders who saw new rental units as antithetical to their vision of Auburn Gresham spoke out against the mixed-use building in DPD-led meetings.

“If you track the meeting cadences over the last one-plus years, you’ll see that there’s been a lot more participation over the last three or four months,” said Carlos Nelson, the CEO of the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC).

Evergreen Imagine JV will break ground at an intersection that is already undergoing development. Across the street, the GAGDC’s Healthy Living Hub, which will include a pharmacy, bank, restaurant, and healthcare services, is currently under construction. In one DPD meeting, a resident worried about how new development would fundamentally alter 79th St., saying “You have to account for the increased traffic jams, you guys have added in all these bike lanes so where we had two lanes [for cars] we barely have one lane.”

At other DPD meetings, some neighbors asserted that new City-led development should serve existing residents, many of whom have fought to remain part of their neighborhood, before bringing transplants in. Others said that amenities like safe public spaces, streetscape beautification, and small business incubation were higher-priority community needs. While the developer argued that increasing the number of households would catalyze development such as grocery stores in the area, neighbors saw a corridor that needed more stability before adding more people.

Other residents felt as though they were only made aware of the project after it had already been decided. Cheryl Johnson, a neighborhood resident whose consulting firm manages Special Service Area #32 on 79th St., one of the City’s fifty-three zones in which property taxes fund local initiatives to attract businesses, called the City’s decision to approve affordable housing before finding out what the corridor was lacking “tunnel vision.”

Since neighbors first started speaking up, Evergreen has altered their initial proposal to lower housing density by splitting the development into two sites—a testament to the power of community engagement. ( Jonathan Dale) 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

AVALON PARK & CALUMET HEIGHTS AQUATIC OASIS, PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

I

grew up in Avalon Park and loved it. My family and I lived on a quiet, tree-lined street where neighbors were polite but largely kept to themselves. I remember being able to walk to the corner store on 83rd and Stony Island that was owned by a man named “Doc,” a retired police officer, with my sisters when I was eight or nine years old. This was a big deal because at that age, we weren’t allowed to go many places without our parents—not because our neighborhood was violent, but because it was the 80s, and parents (at least those I knew) were very concerned with kidnapping. This was around the time six-year-old Adam Walsh was kidnapped and murdered, leading his father, John Walsh, to create the true-crime television series America's Most Wanted.

During my adolescence, the Stony Island Food Mart was still in business, and I remember walking there with my dad to pick up staple food items. During the summer as preteens, my sisters and I would ride our bikes around the neighborhood, sometimes crossing into Calumet Heights so that we could ride around Jesse Owens Park. To this day, the park holds a special place in my memories. One summer, I took tennis lessons there at the prompting of my eighth grade teacher, Mrs. Tate. A group of us spent our summer with our teacher learning how to serve and volley. You can never forget moments like that.

There was always a pride I had growing up in this neighborhood, with the wellkept homes and lawns. At schools like McDowell, the teachers were really invested in your success and the care for your general wellbeing was visceral.

After middle school, I didn't spend as much time in the neighborhood. I went to

Compiled by Rovetta McKinney, Neighborhood Captain

high school, eventually went off to college, and things just got kind of busy. After I graduated, I moved to Philadelphia and would visit from time to time.

I recently returned to Chicago, and to my old neighborhood. And while we still have the well-cared-for lawns and homes, there have been some changes.

Always a very quiet pocket of the city, it’s still relatively quiet—but since the pandemic, there have been some incidents of violence, and like the city in general, the area has been affected by the surge in carjacking incidents. While there have been some new investments, we could definitely benefit from more new businesses. But despite all of that, the people who live here make this neighborhood a treasure. Hard-working people, retired people, interesting people, people who care.

I’ve always believed that neighbors make the neighborhood. Avalon Park is made up of amazing people who love their neighborhood and work to make this community a slice of solace in a big city. It is that mindset that makes Avalon Park a great place to call home. (Rovetta McKinney) Neighborhood captain Rovetta McKinney works in procurement in the interior design industry. Prior to that, she worked as a merchant/designer in the jewelry industry for over a decade. She has a masters of science in international marketing and a passion for travel, history, arts, and culture.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

AVALON PARK & CALUMET HEIGHTS

BEST PLACE TO FIND NEMO

Aquatic Oasis

Looking to add fish to your family? Look no further than Aquatic Oasis on 87th and East End. At Aquatic Oasis you can custom design your aquarium, receive maintenance, and purchase a wide variety of fish and plant life, as well as aquarium supplies.

Brandon Holmes opened Aquatic Oasis in 2021 to fill the void of aquatic stores on the South Side of Chicago, but his path to small-business ownership was long and winding. A native of Beverly, Holmes went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., an HBCU, and graduated with a marketing degree.

He then worked as a marketing specialist in D.C. and for a newspaper in Minnesota, but was still restless. After receiving news about his father’s declining health as a result of cancer, Holmes decided to change course and returned to Chicago.

Shortly after he came home, his father passed. This traumatic experience, coupled with his own first-time fatherhood, caused Holmes to search his soul. He started “trying to become a good man” and “trying to build a legacy.” He tried various occupations, but nothing really worked out and, over time, he got discouraged.

Looking back, Holmes admits he was "kind of lost."

Holmes credits God, his strong sense of spirituality, and support from his mother with helping him walk in his purpose. He realized that he wanted to open a business— but he wanted to do something different, something he’d truly enjoy.

At Aquatic Oasis, you can find options for varying budgets. The store sells $0.16 goldfish that are sometimes given away, as well as more expensive saltwater options.

Holmes had the community in mind as he built out his store, and was intentional in making his offerings accessible to varying budgets.

As for the future, Holmes envisions having a national presence. His store in Avalon Park, he said, is just the beginning. (Rovetta McKinney) Aquatic Oasis, 1700 E. 87th St., aquaticoasischi.com.

BEST AT KEEPING SOUTH SIDE SMILES BRIGHT

Watson and Watson Dental Associates

Founded in 1962 by Dr. Charles E. Watson, the practice now colloquially known as Watson and Watson Dental has been providing exemplary dental service to Avalon Park for nearly sixty years.

Born in a small town in Tennessee, Watson did not initially plan to become a dentist; as an undergrad at Tennessee State University, he majored in agriculture. It wasn’t until a cousin suggested dentistry that Watson considered it as a career, and completed his doctorate in dental surgery at Nashville’s Meharry Medical School, an HBCU and the first African American medical school in the South. Upon completion of his degree, Watson relocated to Chicago and started his practice.

In 1987, Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry, his daughter, took over the practice, now named Watson and Watson Dental. Watson-Lowry started working with her dad at the age of eleven, pulling charts and addressing envelopes. When she got older, she was trained to develop x-rays and sterilize instruments as well as pour up models.

Initially, Watson-Lowry wanted to become a pediatrician, following in the footsteps of one of her aunts. However, hoping to one day also become a wife and mother, and after observing her aunt’s twenty-four-hour on-call life as a pediatrician, Watson-Lowry decided to pursue dentistry at UIC. That decision was aided by fond memories of her father as a family man—which was made possible due to the autonomy of his schedule. As a dentist, he was able to largely control his hours, spend more time with his family, and be active within his community. Watson-Lowry also chose to pursue dentistry because of, surprisingly, her love of art. She enjoys drawing and painting and making things, and said that when you combine art and craft with a love of science, you get dentistry. As a good dentist, one needs a certain eye in order to mimic a patient’s natural tooth shape, color, and contours to ensure the restoration looks natural.

When asked what’s most rewarding about practicing dentistry, Watson-Lowry said, “Being able to help people. Being able to explain to people how to keep their mouth healthy, being able to talk to them about the cause of their problems. And helping them understand preventative measures to stop further decay by asking questions like what their habits are, what their diets are. Being able to take that time out really has a positive impact on the oral health of the patient.” Dr. Watson-Lowry proudly boasts that the practice has patients in their 80s and 90s that have most of, if not all, of their teeth.

In 2019, Dr. Watson-Lowry was president of the Chicago Dental Society—the third female, and fourth African American president in its 156-year history. While she’s stepped down from that position, Watson-Lowry still foresees many more years of service. She jokingly said her husband, Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry, says she’ll be practicing until she is 104. (Rovetta McKinney) Watson and Watson Dental Associates, 8325 S. Stony Island Ave. (773) 768-3100.

12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

HOUSE OF MUSIC, PHOTO BY THOUGHTPOET

BEST SPACE CULTIVATING THE SOCIAL SIDE OF AVALON PARK

The Woodlawn

Serial entrepreneur Donnell Digby has been bringing cultural space back to the Avalon Park area since 2018 with his multipurpose event space/internet cafe/restaurant, The Woodlawn. After frequently seeing delicious-looking food popping up on social media, and having people come into his hair salon (another of his business ventures) with cases of freshly cooked dishes, he realized there were a lot of talented neighborhood chefs who didn’t have the capital to invest in a proper storefront. Enter The Woodlawn: a space providing aspiring restaurateurs access to their turn-key restaurant and an outlet to serve their existing patrons while attracting new ones. The venue has a restaurant retail license that allows the facility to rent out the kitchen to caterers, chefs, and restaurateurs. Chefs can try out the concept for as little as one day or up to three months.

In addition to the restaurant, the Woodlawn is home to yoga classes, pop-up markets, and a tech incubator. On weekends, the venue hosts live music and a DJ on its rooftop, and the facility also has been used for tea parties, bridal showers, birthday parties, and more.

Digby decided to open The Woodlawn in Avalon Park because he noticed there were few recreational venues or places that offered interesting food options. He made it his mission to “breed purpose and re-create his community.” As with many other businesses, the pandemic was a challenge for The Woodlawn. Digby realized that people still wanted to go out, but in small groups, so he outfitted the Woodlawn with small pods that seat four or five people and are ventilated and heated, with televisions.

He procured indoor/outdoor igloos that seat up to six people on the rooftop deck in winter. And over the summer, the space has hosted elaborate outdoor events, like a Juneteenth block party and more. Donnell Digby’s vision for The Woodlawn continues to unfold. (Rovetta McKinney) The Woodlawn, 1200 E. 79th St. Hours vary. thewoodlawn1200.com, @thewoodlawn1200.

BEST MUSIC STORE

House of Music

It could be argued that music is in Tearched Scott II's blood. His father, Tearched Scott Sr., opened his first music store in 1974 in downtown Chicago. Prior to that, he was the president of Mid America Records and Downtown Records, both chain music stores downtown.

The 70s were a very lucrative time for the Scotts. At the height of the business, the family owned five stores: two downtown and two in the former Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL, along with a novelty store in the mall. At one point, their most profitable store in the mall brought in $5,000 daily and showcased local DJs. Unfortunately, the mall closed in 1979 and they were forced to shutter the three stores, leaving only the two Chicago stores remaining.

Presently, the younger Scott owns one store, which has been at the Avalon Park location for seven years, after moving from its former home at 95th and Jeffery.

Scott prides himself on selling old school music that crosses genres, from soul and R&B to rock to hip hop. While he can obtain pretty much anything, Scott tries to only promote music that “puts out a positive message.” He has loyal customers who have always patronized his stores, but since the killing of George Floyd and after things started opening up during the pandemic, he has noticed an uptick in business. He attributes this to the Buy Black movement, which encourages Black people to spend their money in their own community.

House of Music’s average customer skews mature, but with the recent rebirth of interest in vinyl, the store has experienced an increase in foot traffic from younger generations keen to learn about the classics. According to Scott, “The interesting part is when these young people come in and start asking for Nina Simone. These days it is a beautiful thing. Those are the types of young people that I want to see in the store.”

(Rovetta McKinney) House of Music, 1637 E. 87th St. Monday-Saturday, 10am-7pm. (773) 734-9100. facebook.com/HouseofMusic1637 SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

PHOTO BY VALENTINA PUCARELLI

BACK OF THE YARDS Compiled by Guadalupe Ceja & Jacqueline Serrato, Neighborhood Co-Captains

W

hat makes Back of the Yards so special?

A neighborhood that took its name from where it was built, literally behind the old Union Stockyards; an afterthought meant to house the poor immigrant workers who endured unsafe and unsanitary labor conditions to then come home to more unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Houses built over a former city landfill with small rooms whose purpose was to fit as many workers as possible.

In its heyday, as the slaughterhouse capital of the country, some even referred to the neighborhood as a “smell” depending on what direction the wind blew. A neighborhood that still today is often an afterthought to many of the local politicians (not all). A community that has suffered decades of systemic disinvestment and lacking of sustainable resources.

It’s the people that make the neighborhood. If there’s one common strand that connects the German, Polish, Lithuanian, Slavic, Mexican and Black migrants that have inhabited this area since the mid 1800’s, it’s the grit, the ganas and determination for survival. I mean, how else do you become Upton Sinclair and write The Jungle, which led to the creation of the USDA, or Saul Alinsky, who some consider the father of modern day organizing, or Carmen Velazquez, the founder of Alivio Medical Center?

Like them, there are many, past and present who have con-

tributed to the fabric of what is now the Back of the Yards.

My family arrived in January 1979, welcomed by the blizzard that famously caused Mayor Bilandic his reelection, to a part of the neighborhood that was quickly changing from Lithuanian to Mexican. They left the city they loved with a climate in the high seventies to an unknown frontier with twenty-plus inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures. It still amazes me to think what drove them, like many others, to leave behind the life they knew to a future of unknowns.

Like them, there are many untold stories of immigrant plight amongst my neighbors past and present.

Some, because they choose to bury the memories because the pain of bringing them up is too much to bear, thers, because their stories are not as valued. But mostly, it's because the story of our neighborhood is often narrated by outsiders with no firsthand experience or relationships to invest the time.

Not everyone is an Alinsky or a Sinclair, but without the Candelaria and Vicente Iñiguez’s of the world, our local economy wouldn’t be thriving; laborers who bring the pan de cada dia (“the daily bread”) from the neighborhood panaderia and carniceria that employ people from the neighborhood. If it weren’t for them, there wouldn't be any of us. That is what makes this neighborhood so great.

The neighborhood is changing, but not because of developers, speculators, and politicians. It is changing because of its own people. For the first time, the next generation isn’t leaving in search of upward mobility. We’re staying, building, and challenging the norms. Longstanding institutions like the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council and the Peace and Education Coalition are coexisting with younger organizations like Increase the Peace and Amor al Arte, all of which were founded by natives.

You also have newer small businesses like the Back of the Yards Coffee Company, which I own, and Tom’s Place, started by community members, co-existing with longstanding businesses like Atotonilcos, El Guero, and La Internacional. Despite the picture that outsiders paint of Back of the Yards, this community is thriving, and it’s thriving because of the people and the time, energy and money we’re investing, filling the gaps where the City, County and State have failed us for so long.

We are organizing, hiring local, and representing the Back of the Yards with pride. These are just some examples of the many jewels that exist here. The people are the Back of the Yards’ best. ( Jesse Iñiguez) Neighborhood co-captain Guadalupe Ceja was captain of Best of Back of the Yards in 2020 and co-captain Jacqueline Serrato is the editor in chief of the Weekly.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

BACK OF THE YARDS

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

BEST MILKSHAKE MAKER

El Señor de los Licuados If you’re from Back of the Yards you know who I’m talking about, but you probably don’t know much else. I don’t even have to say from where and you can already picture him, with his flawless 80’s grupero haircut, impeccable mustache, and neatly ironed attire.

I’m talking about the cashier of the Atotonilco’s on 47th that has been here since forever. He is better known as “El [señor] de los licuados” or the licuadoman (the milkshake man). I’ve known him for years, but even I didn’t know his name until recently, even though I chitchat with him every time I’m there. He’s been a neighborhood institution since I can remember. I can’t picture there ever being an Atotonilco’s without him. While the tacos at Atotonilco’s are good and unique themselves (I learned recently that they make their own tortillas from corn grown in the owner’s farm), that’s not what they’re famous for. They’re famous for the chocolate and strawberry licuados, but specifically made by el señor de los licuados.

His name is Juan Alberto Chávez, a married father of two from Huandacareo, Michoacan, who arrived here at sixteen in 1983. He was the first in his family to leave his town and has been here ever since. The eldest brother of eleven, he started working at Atotonilco’s after short stints at a factory through a temp agency, the typical story of many

BEST RECREATIONAL SPORTS LEAGUE

Friday Night Softball at Davis Square I grew up across the street from Davis Square Park in the 90s. While playing soccer, basketball and baseball as children, we learned to quickly drop to the ground when gunshots were heard. For many years people were afraid of coming to this park. My own friends from high school or bandmates would drop me off on 43rd Street or Ashland so as to not “enter” the neighborhood.

If you google Back of the Yards or you only watch the news or listen to ambitious politicians, they would have you believe that the neighborhood violence is at its worst, that this is a violent community and that nothing here is worth saving. Violence is a reality, one that has hit close to many of us who live here, but it doesn’t define us. We have many bright spots in our community and Davis Square Park is one of them.

Davis is host to many soccer games, community performances, and boxing matches, but the biggest ray of light often gets overlooked: the Friday night Davis Square Softball league.

In the early 90s a bunch of the local party crews got together and formed a softball league. The Turbos, Marshfield Mariners, The LT’s (Latin Taste), Maddogs, 16 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

immigrants that have come here. That’s where he found his home. He started as a waiter and moved up to head cashier, but picked up his touch for the licuados right away. Along the way, four of his brothers also worked there with him, but he has outlasted them all. One is now a teacher, another a policeman. The third is a TV chef, known as the famous El Chile Mayor.

He is a gym rat who in his younger days was an avid basketball and volleyball player. Nowadays, when he’s not at the taqueria or spending time with his family, he is at the gym.

If there was a Back of the Yards Hall of Fame, he would be one of my first inductees. Many people know of him, yet very few people actually know him. Like him there are many, who arrive here looking for a better life, and who for better or for worse, are loyal employees who stay with their employer until they retire, like my father. Juan Alberto or Beto, as his friends and coworkers call him, worked two jobs so that he and his brothers could help build a house for their mother, like many immigrants dream to do. He did it. That is something that he is very proud of.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood and you’re craving a delicious licuado, stop in and say hello to el de los licuados, and ask him for his favorite licuado, El Levanta Muertos, which consists of two eggs and all the fruits available. ( Jesse Iñiguez) Taquería Atotonilco No. 2, 1649 W. 47th St. (773) 247-5870 Monday-Thursday 9am-11pm, Friday 9am-3am, Saturday 8am-4am, Sunday 8am-11pm

and Cuñados, to name a few. It lasted a few years; some joined the local gang, others moved on. The 90s were a different time. It was competitive and fun. In 2007, Miggy Ramirez, a local resident and Park District employee who reminisced about its glory days (he also grew up in the 90s) and looking to organize something positive for the neighborhood, decided to bring it back. And we are thankful to him for that. Fourteen years later, it is still running and is more competitive and family friendly than ever.

Every Friday at 6pm a mixed bag of nuts assemble to play competitive adult sixteeninch softball at Davis Square. It doesn’t get much more Chicago than that. You get young people, and OG’s who played in the original league, some well into their 60s.

You get neighborhood residents and people from outside meeting here every week to compete for that coveted trophy, and most importantly, for the bragging rights. You get young professionals, laborers, and the unemployed. While Mexicans dominate the demographics, you see Black, white, and Puerto Rican players, and even some Tejanos who gather here to play.

Here the playing field is leveled (outside of some teams bringing ringers because that's how bad they want to win). It doesn’t matter what your salary or title is, what matters is if you can play. Hundreds of people gather to play or to watch the drama of the rivalries. I’ve been playing so long in this league that I now play with or against the children of some of the former players I used to play against. Santos, one of the oldest players in the league, probably played against some of their grandfathers too! He’s the who that taught me how to pitch years ago. I’ve even played against my old little

BACK OF THE YARDS

league baseball coach, as well as priests and pastors!

There’s so much trash talking and arguing with the umpires that you’d think you were in a Cubs vs. Sox game.

Speaking of which, the league is pretty divided between supporters of the best baseball team in Chicago and those who root for the North Siders.

Children watch and play as their parents or older siblings are on the field.

At each exit of the park you have a street vendor or as we call them, the elote ladies. Whenever someone passes away, neighborhood people bring out the grill and take advantage of the people that are gathered by selling tacos to fundraise to help the family. You have the two undercover cops parked in the parking lot, sent there to make sure there’s no trouble, even though there has never been an incident in all the years the league has been around. Zero. I think they secretly like softball and are there as spectators, but those are just my thoughts. This is where friends and family see each other once a week to talk about what’s going on in our lives. This is about the bragging rights, but it's also about the camaraderie.

Why is it important to highlight this? Because whenever something bad happens in the neighborhood, it always gets reported, but when good things like this happen for years, it gets ignored. How do you fight violence? Like this. This is community building. Last year, during the height of the pandemic in 2020, the league was forced to shut down. I missed these guys, even the really annoying ones.

Friday nights in the summer are the highlight of the week to many including myself. You get a little exercise in, a little brewskies and lots of camaraderie. Most of all, you get a safe community. But again, it’s the people. They are the ones who make this special. What good is a beautiful park if we don’t have the people using it? On Friday nights, it is put to good use. ( Jesse Iñiguez)

BEST RESTAURANT SOON TO BE OPEN

Tom’s Pancake House Named after former priest and community leader Bruce Wellems’ late father, Tom’s Pancake House is one of the most anticipated restaurants in Back of the Yards that there have been in a while. Bruce and Angie Kolacinski, a longtime resident and retired nun, embarked on this journey a couple of years ago as an extension of their mission and ministry. For years they worked to bring resources for the neighborhood youth through the Catholic church, helping start the Marimba Ensemble and a kids’ cafe, for example. Their work with youth, specifically those deemed “youth at risk,” has reaped huge dividends. Many of us who have stayed and invested in the community have been because of them.

Longtime residents know Bruce and Angie for their activism and commitment to the people of the neighborhood, but those

of us who had the privilege of meeting Tom and enjoyed a meal with Bruce and Angie, know the other thing they’re known for: pancakes. You see, Bruce and Angie understand one thing, that in a Mexican community like Back of the Yards the way to bring people together was by sharing a meal. That was something Tom emphasized. That is community organizing. Their meal of choice just happened to be pancakes, and delicious ones to boot.

One of the reasons people are so excited about the opening is because ever since The Sunny Kitchen shut down many years ago to make way for the Walgreens that stands there today, we haven’t had a breakfast/brunch spot in Back of the Yards. If we want an American-style breakfast, we have to drive outside the neighborhood. I’ve had the privilege of seeing their menu, but I won’t spoil it. The food no doubt will be delicious, as they will be using an array of locally sourced ingredients, offering freshly made meals and healthy options as well.

However, that is not the only thing people are excited PHOTO BY BRUCE WELLEMS

Davis Square Park softball, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave. (312) 747-6107 Fridays in the summer 6-8pm.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17

BACK OF THE YARDS

about. The pancakes were never the end, but rather the means to the end, and this project is no different. The pancake house, aside from bringing a muchneeded service and delicious food, will be providing workforce development for people in the community looking to work in the restaurant and hospitality industry. They will provide much needed jobs and experience to a community that sorely needs them.

After the shop closes, it will serve as a space focused on mental health and peace circles. They will sell coffee bags from Back of the Yards Coffee Shop, whose profits will go directly to youth serving neighborhood programs. But mostly, they will be there, present and available when the community needs them. The best part is that they are doing it east of Ashland, in a part of the community that has been severely disinvested in for years.

So if you're looking to enjoy some delicious breakfast and at the same time contribute to a good cause, stop by Tom’s Pancake house and kill two birds with one stone. ( Jesse Iñiguez) Tom’s Open House, 1509 W. 47th St. Slated to open early October. Hours TBD. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PEACE AND EDUCATION COALITION

BEST PANDEMIC COMMUNITY BUILDING

Peace and Education Coalition Way back in early 2020, I started attending the Peace and Education Coalition’s monthly meetings of Back of the Yards community leaders, clergy, activists, social service providers, and others with a stake in the well-being of the neighborhood. I only made it to one or two meetups in person before the whole endeavor pivoted to Zoom, and eventually my own attendance fell victim to Zoom fatigue.

But through all of last year and into this one the PEC has continued to meet online and do the slow, thoughtful work of meeting neighborhood challenges in community with each other. Founded in 1997, the PEC was instrumental in the creation of Dugan Alternative High School, which has since morphed into the dual-campus Peace and Education Coalition Alternative High School. Today, it fundraises to provide college scholarships for Back of the Yards youth, and organizes everything from mothers’ marches against gun violence to nights out in the community.

Through a simple process of meeting, moving into breakout groups to address a particular prompt or question, and then regrouping to reflect, the coalition meetings helped keep BOTY stakeholders connected. Executive director Bruce Wellems said that over the past year, anywhere from thirty to sixty people representing maybe fifty organizations, participated in the monthly meetings.

18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

“Although many found COVID challenging in providing services within their agencies, they expressed hope in the stories they told, and they drew strength from one another in the telling and listening to the story,” he said. “We were limited with residential gatherings and technically challenged as well with neighbors, but the experience of COVID and being separated makes many of us all the more determined to find ways that our agencies and network can reach out to others.”

“I think the PEC Stakeholders meetings keep me accountable to a community, and not just a school,” said one respondent to a July feedback survey. “The meetings help me ‘see’ the larger web of how adults and communities can connect to make a positive impact.”

Rebecca Sumner Burgos, until this summer the community engagement coordinator at La Casa Norte, which has a Back of the Yards site on 47th and Hermitage, agreed. “I’ve been to a ton of community engagement meetings and a lot of times it feels like there’s a lot of talk and not much action,” she said.

“But these meetings are special because they feel like there’s real sense of neighborhood investment in them, and they’re really focused on building relationships.

But they also get things done. It’s a real grassroots, ground-up process where these organizations and residents come together and develop projects, and then realize them.” (Martha Bayne) Peace and Education Coalition, peaceandeducation.org

B BEVERLY

Compiled by Jim Daley, Neighborhood Captain PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

efore Europeans settled what is now Chicago, the indigenous Potawatomi whose language gave the city its name primarily lived in the area now called Beverly. The history of the community’s original inhabitants is still there, laid down as Vincennes Ave., which traces the route of what was once a Native trail that traversed modern-day Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana.

Beverly residents proudly and correctly remind anyone who asks that no, it’s not a suburb, it’s a neighborhood in the city—it is and it ain’t, though: the neighborhood, once a streetcar suburb before being annexed

by Chicago in 1890, is still the last stop before you hit the city’s southwestern borders. But its residents, many of whom commute to the Loop for work, are also acutely aware of what the neighborhood may still be missing, and in conversations will

often note recent openings of newer, hipper locales as a sign that Beverly is trending towards some version of cool.

They’re right—but it’s nuanced. The neighborhood is sometimes described as an “oasis” of integration in Chicago’s hyper-segregated South Side, but try to drive through North Beverly—a whiter, more affluent section of the community—when leaving Evergreen Plaza on 95th and Western, which Black South Siders patronized historically, and you’ll find yourself stymied by a maze of literal roadblocks designed to keep nonresidents out. And a pizza parlor on 95th Street has some of the best thin crust in Chicago, but last year it began flying a “thin blue line” American flag out front, acutely aware that the 19th Ward is home to one of the highest percentages of cops in the city.

That said, Beverly is where you can find some of the most

unique spots in Chicago, let alone the South Side. Hip-hop artist Kanye West’s grammar school, Vanderpoel Elementary, still overlooks the north end of Longwood Drive atop a sloping ridge. That geographical formation, the Blue Island Ridge, is at its highest point the tallest spot in Chicago, one hundred feet above Lake Michigan. As Longwood winds southward up the ridge’s eastern slope, stately mansions—and even a 140-year-old castle, complete with towering battlements— gaze down what were prehistoric shores of an inland lake that was carved out by receding glaciers. These days, the ice and snow that will soon pile up on the ridge’s slope will mean only one thing: great sledding. ( Jim Daley) Jim Daley is the politics editor at the Weekly.

BEST SOUTH SIDE–THEMED CANDLES

Beverly Dry Goods

In 2019, Mary Bujwid and Jason Moss started selling handmade candles at farmers markets and community events in the neighborhood, as well as from their home and online. Last year, the pair opened a brick-and-mortar location at 99th and Walden Parkway—which has grown into a bustling collection of small businesses over the past couple of years—and expanded their inventory to include apparel, tote bags, and more.

The shop offers candles with unique South Side themes: there’s the Frunchroom, which is described as a “mom-approved blend of florals and cotton” and sells for $25; the Music Fest, which blends the smells of BEST ROAMING COMEDY SHOW incense and cannabis and goes for $30; and the Record Store, which costs $25 and marries patchouli and LP jackets. There are also candles named for prominent Beverly streets such as Longwood, Western, and the shop’s own Walden Parkway.

Beverly Dry Goods also sells PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN candle accessories such as snifters and South Siders Mary Kate Beck and Maggie Depalo debuted All That wick trimmers so you can properly Good Stuff at neighborhood fixture Cork & Kerry, an Irish-themed maintain your candles. As someone bar on Western Ave., but when the city shuttered bars in response to whose knowledge of candles extends COVID-19 last year, they took it on the road. to the occasional tea lights, I had nevSince then, the show has held events at pizza parlors, bars, er heard of wick-trimming. If you’re and retirement communities, and features a rotating lineup of local like me, don’t worry: the store’s webcomedians performing their stuff, often outdoors when weather site includes a helpful “education” permits. page that explains how to take care of Upcoming shows will be at the Elm Lagrange on September your candles and keep them burning 15; Cork & Kerry on October 5; and back at the Elm Lagrange on bright. ( Jim Daley) October 13. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales typically go to a local good cause. ( Jim Daley) 9915 S. Walden Parkway. Tue-Fri 10-

All That Good Stuff Comedy Show

All That Good Stuff Comedy Show, bit.ly/ATGSBev

5; Saturday 10-3; closed Sunday. 773701-6029.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

BEVERLY

BEST FREECYCLE GROUP

Beverly Free Box

What started as a small Facebook group in 2018, inspired by the North Side’s Rockwell Free Box and committed to the four Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle, and renovate—has grown to include more than 3,500 members. Residents created this hyper-local freecycle group not only to keep gently used household items out of landfills but also to build connections with their neighbors.

“It’s really become so much more than just a way to get free stuff,” said Sussan Navabi, who lives in Beverly. “I’ve lived here most of my life but I’ve honestly never felt more connected to my community than the past couple years because of Freebox.”

Free Box members are required to live in Beverly, and cannot be members of more than two different neighborhood boxes at a time. New members must share an item that they no longer need before they can claim another member’s offer. Cash transactions are prohibited, and if you claim an item, you have to pick it up.

So if you live in Beverly and you’ve got an attic full of old Star Wars toys or a shed with too many tools, or if you’re looking for gently used housewares to round out your kitchen makeover, check out the Beverly Free Box. You might find a new treasure...or a new neighbor! ( Jim Daley) Beverly Free Box Facebook group. bit.ly/BevFreeBox

BRIDGEPORT Compiled by Nikki Roberts Neighborhood Captain

W

GONZALO GUZMAN

hen I sat down last year to write the introduction to the Bridgeport section of the 2020 Best of the South Side issue, I thought about all the factors that led me to settle there after I moved to Chicago in 2016: its diverse and eccentric residents, its strong sense of neighborhood pride, and the plethora of independent businesses, restaurants and bars that give the neighborhood its gritty charm. I described Bridgeport’s working-class history, its tradition of fighting for workers’ rights, and how this laid the foundation for a community where neighbors help each other through tough times.

One year later, I have so many new things to appreciate about this neighborhood—a place that has felt more like home to me than anywhere else I’ve lived. Each time I take a new route on my daily walk to CVS, chat with the women who work at the Suds Factory laundromat, or meet with a friend for before-work coffees at one of the neighborhood’s many independent coffeehouses, I’m convinced that I will never stop discovering (and re-discovering) things to love about Bridgeport.

But, don’t just take my word for it—ask Jeremy Kitchen, head librarian at the Richard J. Daley Branch, who is featured in this issue as Bridgeport’s Best Punk Rock Librarian.

When sharing what he loves about Bridgeport, Kitchen mentions classic local businesses, bars, and restaurants, like George’s Gyros (“where they still call you ‘hun,’”) or The Stockyard Coffeehouse (“the Mexican Mocha is divine, as is the breakfast sandwich. Also, [there are] no embarrassing ‘trying just a little too hard’ baristas working there. A family business owned by Bridgeport natives”). He also gives a mandatory shout out to the South Side’s very own Chicago White Sox: “Tim, Jose, Eloy, and the boys are killing it this year.

The energy in the park is electric, and the bullpen slays. LaRussa has proven his worth after my initial skepticism, with proven competency and wins with injuries galore. The Sox are probably the most affordable pro sports ticket in America, which is good for families.”

And, as a librarian and Lumpen Radio host, Kitchen feels compelled to highlight 20 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

BRIDGEPORT some of the neighborhood fixtures that contribute to Bridgeport’s vibrant art scene.

The Zhou B Art Center, owned by brothers ShanZuo and DaHuang, was one of his top picks, as were the Little Free Libraries on Morgan and Wallace. Kitchen was lucky enough to discover a Paris Review with two William S. Burroughs stories at the miniature library on Morgan, and he often drops the books he reviews on his Lumpen Radio show, Eye 94, at the library on Wallace.

But the best part of talking to anyone who’s lived in Bridgeport long enough is the strange, niche reasons they have to love the neighborhood—reasons that go beyond a favorite bar or restaurant. As the neighborhood captain, these unusual responses are the ones I love to explore further and feature in the Best of the South Side issue.

One favorite landmark Kitchen mentions is Bubbly Creek — “a gnarly piece of history; decomposing blood and guts from the Union Stockyards kept it bubbling for decades. It bubbles less than in the past, yet the mythology persists.”

He even mentioned skateboarding at the Sox Park parking lot, which is also featured in this year’s section: “I spent many hours of the COVID-19 pandemic skating, and there is just something rad about skating around Sox Park. Flat, smooth, fast, and funa winning combo. I was able to have a few decent conversations with walkers, bikers, and rollerbladers during a lonely time.”

Whether your favorite things about Bridgeport are among the five items highlighted in this year’s Best of the South Side, or whether you have your own ideas—I hope this issue gives you an insight as to how the neighborhood’s unique people, infrastructure, and local businesses all shape our community. (Nikki Roberts) Nikki Roberts is a freelance writer living in Bridgeport. This is her second year editing the Bridgeport section for Best of the South Side. You can connect with her online at @bynikkiroberts.

BEST PUNK ROCK LIBRARIAN

Jeremy Kitchen

Jeremy Kitchen is Bridgeport’s Best Punk Rock Librarian. For fourteen years, the heavily tattooed head librarian at the Richard J. Daley Branch has been helping residents find their next read, fighting for accessible and inclusive library access, and even booking the occasional punk rock show in the library’s multi-purpose rooms.

After growing tired of trekking from the west suburbs of Detroit to Chicago to see live music each weekend, Kitchen moved to Wicker Park in 1995. His background in social work and his passion for literature made him an ideal candidate for the children’s librarian position at the Northtown Branch. When he was offered a promotion at the Daley Branch in 2007, Kitchen moved to Bridgeport—partly because he’s a diehard White Sox fan who jumped at the opportunity to be close to Sox Park—and has played a vital role in the neighborhood’s music and literature communities ever since.

As head librarian, Kitchen prioritizes sourcing from independent publishers and stocking the library with translated books. He is proud to offer a large selection of books to Bridgeport’s Chinese-speaking community, as well as a smaller section of material for Spanish-speaking residents.

“You can go to any library and get bestsellers. When you come to my branch, I want it to feel more like an experience,” said Kitchen.

Another way that Kitchen integrates the neighborhood into his work is by hosting Punk Rock & Donuts, a series of free matinee shows at the library that feature rock and punk bands. Growing up in the violent Detroit hardcore scene of the 1980s, Kitchen wanted a way to make heavy music accessible and community-driven. His shows draw punk rockers from all over the city—but parents with children, routine library patrons, and older neighbors who are interested in checking out a new event are also regularly in attendance. Coffee and donuts from local coffee shops and bakeries are offered to all attendees while they enjoy the show.

GONZALO GUZMAN

When Kitchen isn’t at the Daley branch, he can often be found just around the corner at the Co-Prosperity Sphere, where he co-hosts Eye 94, a literature talk show on Lumpen Radio. His work to make Bridgeport’s public library accessible to residents of different interests, ages, and languages is what makes him a stellar community leader; his involvement in Bridgeport’s music and literature scenes displays the passion he has for both his work and the neighborhood.

You can read some of Kitchen’s original writing in Echoes of a Natural World: Tales of the Strange & Estranged, which is published by First to Knock Books — one of the indie publishers Kitchen supports when selecting books for the Daley Branch.

(Nikki Roberts) Richard J. Daley Branch, 3400 S. Halsted St. Temporarily closed for renovation, more details at chipublib.org. (312) 747-8990.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Greek Prime

Deciding where to dine out in Bridgeport can be a difficult—but delicious—decision, given the varied cuisine that’s offered across the neighborhood. From the saucy wings at Buffalo Wings & Rings to the bowls of noodles swimming in spicy pork broth at Min’s Noodle House; from the savory breaded steak sandwiches at Gio’s Cafe and Deli to the hearty American breakfasts at Bridgeport Restaurant; sometimes I feel as though I could try a new dish at a different restaurant for every meal and never be forced to repeat myself.

When it comes to gyros, George’s Gyros has provided Bridgeport residents, visiting Sox fans, and hungry mouths from across the city with gyros and other fast food favorites at a low price point for years. But now, there’s a new gyro spot in town: Greek Prime.

Greek Prime has been the hype of the neighborhood since it opened in June 2021, and with a large modern menu, excellent customer service, and cozy wooden bar seating, it’s not hard to see why. While George’s will always remain a comfort food favorite when grabbing a quick bite, Greek Prime offers its customers a more authentic selection of homemade Greek dishes, including flaming saganaki cheese, a variety of pita sandwiches, and avgolemono—a traditional Greek soup made with homemade chicken broth, rice, and egg-lemon. Along with traditional staples, the restaurant also offers an interesting selection of modernized dishes like BBQ pulled pork egg rolls, Greek seasoned french fries, and a Greek-style ribeye sandwich.

For those who are ready to switch from the takeout counter to dining in again, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21

BRIDGEPORT

Greek Prime is ready to host guests with a small sidewalk patio, a wood-panelled dining room, and bar seating.

In a neighborhood full of authentic Chinese, Italian, and Mexican cuisine, a more traditional Greek restaurant with a quaint outdoor patio and cozy indoor seating is a welcome addition to the dining scene. Because of its unique menu,generous portions, and fair prices, Greek Prime is Bridgeport’s Best New Restaurant. (Nikki Roberts) Greek Prime, 901 W. 35th St. Open daily, 11am-11pm. (773) 565-4690. greekprime.com GONZALO GUZMAN

BEST USE OF PUBLIC SPACE

U.S. Cellular Field Parking Lot

A park, a race course, a bike field, a snowman’s home, a dog’s meadow, a driver's education practice course—even if a bright red sign in both Chinese and English says otherwise. U.S. Cellular Field, Comiskey Park, Guaranteed Rate Field—whatever you call it—its parking lot isn’t just a place where cars congregate as their owners trek to the stadium to witness both sparks and baseballs fly. It’s not even just for tailgating!

The hot, empty asphalt is also the perfect stage for a variety of local activities.

Throughout the lockdown year, my friend and I would make heavy use of these private-made-public spaces. Besides our time spent circling the area, filling the hours with both small chats and deep conversations, we would run into our neighbors. Young and old, they might be walking their dogs, or unsupervised and doing less-than-appropriate activities, or swinging their arms to get their daily exercise in with their decades-long significant other, or zooming around on their bikes. The same quotidian joy bubbled in each of us in this shared, albeit controlled, freedom.

In the winter, the parking lot was the perfect foundation for layers of snow. My friend and I would weave ourselves through the gates to set our feet on the not-yettouched, sparkling canvas—until, inevitably, it would turn back to a well-trodden greige with worrisome patches. Still, when the sun sets or rises, turning our space a sherbet orange, it reminds us that we all live here, truly and fully.

22 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

GONZALO GUZMAN

Maybe our grit reflects larger problems about limited green community space in Chicago’s South and Near South Side neighborhoods—but I think this parking lot is a celebration of our collective imagination, and how, out of ourselves and one another, we are carving a community space. Of a forgotten, of an outskirts, we are the architects.

(Mendy Kong) Guaranteed Rate Field, 333 W. 35th St.

BRIDGEPORT

BEST PRESCHOOL IN AN OLD SALVATION ARMY BUILDING WITH A ROOFTOP PLAYGROUND THAT OFTEN SMELLS OF SAUTÉED ONIONS DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE MAXWELL STREET DEPOT

Bridgeport Child Development Center

What I love most about Bridgeport is that it is a true community. A hardscrabble community of the future, as some might say, but a beautiful, vibrant, diverse collection of interdependent humans, nonetheless. In a city known for its segregation, this diversity must count for something.

One morning when I lived on Quinn Street, a sweet, somewhat gruff older neighbor stopped me on the sidewalk, and in true Bridgeport fashion, asked where I was going. “I’m late for work.”

She didn’t pick up on my rush and asked where I worked and what I did. “I work as a preschool teacher at the Bridgeport Child Development Center.”

“The old Salvation Army? This is before you were born, but when I was a kid, I would go to the dentist there.” She had piqued my curiosity for neighborhood history, but I excused myself to maintain an illusion of punctuality.

At 31st and Normal there is an old brown brick building. If you stand outside, you may hear the sounds of children overhead. Their voices drop from a rooftop playground where there is a small garden, a sensory table, and enough tricycles for children to race in circles. Taking a break from her chalk drawing, a three-year-old once asked me, “Mr. Neil, what’s that smell?” It happens to be the delicious onion and sausage scented air pollution from the Maxwell Street Depot across the street. Inside its front doors is a warm, and well-worn Head Start preschool. The current director, Marybeth Mlikotic, prefers to call the building “historic.”

Next to the time clock hangs a framed resolution from the City Council of Chicago celebrating our school’s tenth anniversary in 1989. It commends the school for helping “bridge the many cultural backgrounds of the children and parents of the Bridgeport community,” and congratulates the co-directors of the center, Mark McHugh and Rosanne DeGregorio.

Thirty-two years later, Rosanne still works for One Hope United, the parent agency of the Child Development Center, as the Director of Program for Early Learning and Child Development. Rosanne is our longest tenured fixture at the school, but she is hardly unique in her decades of service. By the end of August, JoAnn Taitt will have retired after teaching with us for twenty-two years. Our center also participates in a Foster Grandparent Program, where seniors volunteer with children. Sadly, the program has been paused due to the pandemic, But before then, Grandma Nannie Crudup—who turned ninety-nine this year—had been making near daily appearances at the center since the early nineties.

While things have changed since 1989, our commitment to the families in Bridgeport isn’t one of them. Congruent with the 2020 census data for Bridgeport, the majority of our students are Chinese American, and as such, we make it a point to celebrate our students’ heritage. Multiple dialects of Chinese are spoken in each classroom by teachers and students alike. Festivals and celebrations occur throughout the year, such as our family breakfast to mark the Lunar New Year and weekend events in Chinatown for the Dragon Boat races. We are a center with a focus beyond rote memorization of the alphabet. Instead, we embrace the whole child, and prepare them to become a full and active member of our community. (Neil Joseph Clark)

BEST MEALS TO GO

Bridgeport Community Canteen

2020 was a year of changes, but also a year of innovation. Throughout the pandemic, many businesses have had to reinvent themselves to stay afloat and fight against the adversities of this new COVID world.

In June 2020, the co-owner of Maria’s and Kimski, Ed Marszewski, founded the Community Kitchen and Canteen through the Public Media Institute. The Community Kitchen and Canteen is a food service program that provides complimentary meals to in-need Chicago residents, families, and workers during a year where many struggled during a global pandemic. The program has partnered with eight restaurants, which together have provided over 100,000 meals. At the moment, the community canteen located at Kimski is offering to-go meals every Wednesday. Unfortunately, they had to reduce their operations due to a lack of funding.

As the indoor city restrictions tighten in the City, the Community Kitchen and Canteen is ready to continue serving the community. “We are ready to provide the same service,” Marszewski said.

If you are in Bridgeport and need a hot meal, stop by Kimski every Wednesday starting at noon (until supplies last), and pay what you can. You can also access over a dozen other mutual aid food distribution programs, kitchens, and food pantries that provide free meals and provisions to the public across the city. (Sofia McDowell) Kimski, 954-960 W. 31st St. Tuesday–Saturday, 5pm–11pm; Sunday, noon–9pm, kimskichicago.com. More information and locations at communitykitchenchicago.org.

Bridgeport Child Development Center, 3053 S. Normal Ave. (312) 842-5566.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 23

BRIGHTON PARK

B

righton Park represents a crossroads for an immigrant family business, a mother and daughter, and a first-generation Latina college graduate.

Despite not knowing one another, they share names of streets, favorite flavors from local food, and the locations that define Brighton Park for this Best of the South Side edition. They also share major life trajectories here: launching their first business during COVID-19, meeting their daughter’s father, or seeing the world through Brighton Park as a child. This neighborhood has shaped lives and opportunities for these three perspectives.

Brighton Park is irreplaceable.

However, Brighton Park is also at its own crossroads. Future generations could be crossed out of Brighton Park’s current form as interest in the area grows. For example, the Chicago Park District has planned to build a new headquarters in the neighborhood. Alarms of gentrification are growing and with them, questions about who can claim ownership of the community. Like many neighborhoods in Chicago, working-class communities have been targeted through various forms of structural and physical harms as the pandemic before COVID-19.

Yet, many Black, Indigenous, and people-of-color com24 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

A MURAL UNDER A VIADUCT THAT READS "BRIGHTON PARK." PHOTO BY JOCELYN VEGA

Compiled by Jocelyn Vega, Neighborhood Captain

munities continue to collectively care and show love for this hood. They approach this current crossroad with culture, generations of connections, and ancestors from these streets. Alejandro Vargas, Reyna, Daisy Vega, Adeline Rosiello, and Brenda Benítez are some of those community members.

A recent mural, on the intersection of South Archer and West 47th Street captures this dynamic. The piece covers both sides of Archer and recognizes the deep ties between Archer Heights and Brighton Park. It highlights community members whose dedication, time, and energy have kept the neighborhood alive during the pandemic. Various community members, families, and affirming messages have transformed the space and recognized the humans that make Brighton Park possible.

As a couple, Alejandro and Reyna launched their family-run restaurant MEXICOLOMBIA this year, facing the odds as a new business during COVID-19.

They’re determined to show the South Side South America from their family to yours.

Daisy and her eleven-year-old daughter Adeline pass through the neighborhood to connect with the larger South Side. Brighton Park is their bridge to fam-

ily in Gage Park, memories, and ancestors who passed away, like her grandfather Ricardo Lara in 2016. Brighton Park connects Daisy’s past with her daughter’s childhood. Shopping small allows Daisy and Adeline to stay creative and on budget. Together, they spend time visiting locally owned businesses as a family tradition.

“I want investment, and I want development, I want better infrastructure there. I want to see the roads built up, I want to see more jobs for people, but I want them to be owned and led by the people that live there, that know that community, and that have worked so hard to build it up into what it is...I don't want [Brighton Park] to be pushed away… Something has to be intentionally done differently for there to be a result. Or else, we're going to keep seeing the same thing over and over again,” said Brenda Benítez. Having grown up in Brighton Park, Brenda is the oldest sibling of immigrant parents and continues to advocate for communities like hers.

Neighborhood captain Jocelyn Vega is a first generation Latina and hija de Enrique y Obdulia Vega. She dedicates her life to intergenerational healing and ancestral justice for past and future generations.

BEST COLOMBIAN FOOD ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE

MEXICOLOMBIA

“We wanted to have something different, very different from what is currently in the neighborhood,” said Alejandro Vargas, father, husband, and owner of the family-run MEXICOLOMBIA. “It’s a combination of Mexican and Colombian food that is very delicious. We invite the whole world to come try our food. Come see the difference there is between Central American and Mexican food. We have the best combination so that everyone can feel like family and at home. A food that is ‘casera (‘homemade’ in Spanish) y muy rica (‘very delicious’ in Spanish)’.”

Community members from Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Ecuador, countries in Central America, and elsewhere have already visited to signal their support.

MEXICOLOMBIA moves between cultures as an immigrant family expressing its own roots in Chicago.

This restaurant is truly run as a family. Together, Alejandro and co-owner and wife Reyna—self-proclaimed “Reyna De MEXICOLOMBIA” (Queen of MEXICOLOMBIA)—along with Juan, their son, and Reyna’s mama dedicate their days to preparing the restaurant and caring for each customer.

Despite COVID-19’s devastating impact on their lives, Alejandro remains motivated and excited by his family’s progress and effort in making this dream possible. He added, “Vamos adelante!” (“We move forward” in Spanish.)

Reyna understands that her son could work anywhere but is extremely thankful for his presence and commitment to their family business. “He gives us confidence and

a big help because we don’t have many people that we trust or any employees. We have struggled a lot,” she said. Standing in between his father and grandmother, Juan smiled and made eye contact with his mom in that moment.

“It’s a new restaurant that we opened six months ago. And yes, we have been lucky to sell as we withstand this pandemic,” said Reyna. She describes their food as “Comida Poblana” that maintains and combines distinctive Mexican and Colombian recipes. They are also inventing new plates that can be found in their updated menu with photos. She added, “Ahi estamos poniendo ganas en todo.” (“Here is where we are putting everything into this.”)

This family is continuing to overcome many barriers as first-time business owners. Reyna described the financial burdens of permits when opening up a restaurant, costing her family a significant amount. “We are so grateful to our customers because despite everything that is happening right now, we are able to sell something,” she added.

Reyna's dream is to simply see her restaurant succeed as it has become a home for her family. She said, “Sácalo adelante y échale ganas porque ahorita con esta enfermedad, ya no se sabe. Ahorita está calmado, mañana, ¿quién sabe?” (“Moving it forward and putting effort in this very moment because with this disease,you don’t know anymore. Right now, it is calm but tomorrow, who knows?”) ( Jocelyn Vega) MEXICOLOMBIA, 4129 S. Archer Ave. Monday-Sunday, 10am-8pm. (773) 526-6921.

MEXICOLOMBIA STAFF. PHOTO BY JOCELYN VEGA

PART OF THE SSA MURAL. PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

BEST SSA MURAL

Archer Heights and Brighton Park

At the intersection of Archer Avenue and 47th Street, you will find a beautiful mural depicting the essence of its host neighborhoods, Archer Heights and Brighton Park. Commissioned by the Special Service Area #39 and painted by Anne Heisler (@buttrbelle), this mural brightens up the viaduct that once was a blank canvas.

The Archer Heights side of the mural pays tribute to essential workers that worked throughout the pandemic and to the residents that love and care for their community.

Perhaps my favorite part of the mural is the image of two girls watering a small plant.

Looking at this image, the first thing that comes to mind is the phrase, “nos quisieron enterrar pero, no sabían que éramos semillas” or “they tried to bury us but they did not know that we were seeds.” This empowering phrase reminds us that despite hardship, we are able to overcome challenges and persevere. ( Joseline Rodriguez) Under the viaduct on 47th and Archer.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 25

BRIGHTON PARK

BEST PALETAS TO CHASE AS A SMALL CHILD

Paleteria Ayutla

“At eight or nine, I remember me and one of my siblings would hear the [paleta cart] ringing of the bells, and it would be like 'Oh shoot, paletas! All right!' We're like, 'okay, you run at them, and you will get coins. Go ask mom for a dollar.' And one of us would run and finally catch up to the paletero and be like, 'my sister, my mom, or someone's coming with money' kind of thing." This mission to get paletas was common in Brenda's family. She joked that when she entered Paleteria Ayutla's storefront that she described it as a "headquarters” and asked [and] “this is where they are? Is this where they keep them all!" Before visiting the shop, Brenda understood the paletero to be "the beginning and the end of where paletas come from."

She encourages visiting the shop but also supporting local paleteros. If possible, tipping a paletero goes a long way and is deeply appreciated. “Pay what you can…and buy from them instead of buying paletas from a chain,” Brenda added.

"It is the best paleteria that is consistently good that doesn't taste artificial, like some other paletas. It was awesome," said Brenda. Some of her favorites are mamey, arroz con leche, and guava. The chunks of fresh fruit makes these paletas irresistible to any taste buds. "Branch out and try new flavors," said Brenda. ( Jocelyn Vega) Paleteria Ayutla, 2404 W. 46th Pl. Monday-Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 11am-6:30pm.

Cash only.

BEST BAKERY FOR YOUR INNER LATINX CHILD

La Central Bakery

On Saturday mornings, this bakery was Brenda's family spot to get “pan" (“bread” in Spanish). After moving to Brighton Park at eight years old, this bakery continues to be one of her favorites in Chicago. As the oldest sibling, Brenda remembers jumping into the car early in the mornings to buy fresh bread. "It always felt like a place where we could go,” Brenda said. “My parents could say ‘yes’ to things, like this bunch of conchas or those little cookies. It just felt like we had so many choices, and so many of them were available to us. It's a combination of [La Central Bakery] just being a bomb bakery that has so many different options, and that it was priced affordably for my family."

She also describes it as one of the few places she was allowed to be a curious child.

"It was nice as a kid to have your own tongs, to be able to grab stuff, and put it on the big tray. I felt welcomed even as a kid," she said, comparing it to other stores that didn’t want kids touching or doing things. To this day, Brenda remembers the tall kitchen windows, stacks of trays holding hot bread, kind workers, and family bonding over “pan” despite challenging times.

“Despite whatever was going on at home, when we got there, it was something that everybody enjoyed and brought everyone together. A special moment each or every other week," she added. ( Jocelyn Vega) La Central Bakery, 2422 W. 47th St. (773) 890-3950. Cash only.

PHOTO BY SAMUEL COLON

26 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

BRIGHTON PARK

BEST “LITTLE CRIB” CAFE FOR MENTAL HEALTH ACCORDING TO A TEN-YEAR-OLD

Café El Mesón

“It feels like a home on the top. I think it’s really nice and beautiful, and I am excited to eat their food,” Adeline, a ten-year-old Virgo, told me after placing her order. Café El Mesón is one of her favorite coffee shops in the city. This new sixth grader picked this cafe to celebrate her first day of school and came with an appetite.

“You can pick to eat upstairs or downstairs, your decision,” said Adeline. “If you want, you can buy some stuff ” from their inclusive faith-based store and book shop, she added. Adeline recommends buying one of their “cute bags and a mug” for a friend, especially if you’re searching for a gift and you’re hungry for fresh food.

However, don’t bring your classmates, or if you do, bring only the “calm ones,” according to Adeline. “They would just interrupt people who want to eat, relax, read, and stuff,” said Adeline. This is her go-to for peace, comfortable seating options, and delicious food under one roof. She loved the shifting natural light shining from the various windows on the second floor.

She commented that there aren’t places like this near her current home, her dad’s side of the family, her great grandmother’s community, or any other nearby neighborhoods. Café El Mesón is her relaxing place. Adeline also recognizes the labor behind the beauty. “They work so hard, and I think we should tip them cause it’s always nice,” she said. “Like, [what if ] they can’t pay stuff ? That one guy just wants to keep this place the best [that he can] to get money and to pay these bills with this beautiful house. It’s a small business cafe.”

That “guy” is Juan Crespo, the owner of Café El Mesón. Adeline appreciates the cafe’s friendliness toward children. Pictures are important for this ten-year-old and her decision making. Menu photos allow her “to see what it is, to see if you want it or not,” she added. The owner also turned to Adeline when it was our turn to order and reviewed each ingredient to confirm her preferences.

The food finally arrived! Adeline received a tall glass jug for her oreo frappe for five bucks. She titled it the best five dollar frappe that you can get due its large size and consistent flavoring.

Adeline said, “I’m not impatient, but I just really want to have one” after a long day of in-person classes for the first time in one year. “I recommend you to come to this place” and try the grilled chicken sandwich, she added. She doesn’t eat vegetables often but had no need to remove the spinach, tomato, or avocado because it was fresh and Café El Mesón’s flavors were “very good.”

Before we left, Adeline pointed out the most important image to her about Café El Mesón. The sign read “Home is where family gathers, friends meet, and roots grow.” ( Jocelyn Vega)

PHOTO BY SAMUEL COLON

Café El Mesón, 4631 S. Kedzie Ave. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am9pm; Wednesday, 10am-6pm; Saturday, 9am-6pm; Sunday, closed. (773) 696-9691. cafemeson.com.

Brighton Park's Best of the South Side is continued online.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 27

BRONZEVILLE Compiled by Anwulika Anigbo Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

I

BEST WELLNESS ONE-STOP

f you stand on the east side of 43rd and Martin Luther King Drive facing north, you’ll see a large portrait of a smiling Gwendolyn Brooks holding a copy of A Street In Bronzeville. You can walk west on 43rd and catch the bus headed south to 51st St., or you can walk slightly further down and catch the Greenline at 43rd and take that to 51st St. The bus offers a view of the greystones lining King Drive, but the train gives you plenty of opportunities to marvel at life on Prairie Avenue framed by the iconic wooden back staircases that distinguish Chicago.

Standing not too far from the 51st Street Green Line stop, you can look up at a mural of Lorraine Hansberry, who is looking out at life on 51st St., one of the neighborhood’s liveliest corridors. I started my relationship with Bronzeville at that intersection, in the community garden across from Boxville. I bought my red Schwinn from the Bike Box when it was the only thing on the lot. Sam got the bike tuned, then sent me over to Blackstone Bike Works to get a bike lock. That ride from 51st and Prairie to 61st and Blackstone was my first real taste of the South Side. I still remember my face relaxing into a smile as I rode alongside the tennis courts on the west side of Washington Park. Since then I began working at the Invisible Institute, which shares a building with Blackstone Bike Works. Bronzeville is always providing clues, inviting visitors and residents alike into a call and response. (Anwulika Anigbo)

Haji Healing Salon

Neighborhood captain Anwulika Anigbo is the development director at the Invisible Institute and a contributor to the Weekly.

Haji Healing Salon, 4448 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Tuesday-Sunday: 12pm-6pm.

(312) 375-7445.

28 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

There is no place in the city like Haji Healing Salon. My personal journey with Haji started with me making the trek from Rogers Park to Chatham to visit their previous location, eventually recruiting friends to journey with me. Haji rooted "wellness" in something tangible, making it attainable in the present, rather than another aspirational lifestyle aesthetic. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Haji expanded online services and created a strong community of support for people across the country in the process. This summer Haji opened its Bronzeville location on Cottage Grove, offering a variety of ways to release and connect online and in person.

Haji offers a class on Zoom every day of the week. Vinyasa Yoga with founder Aya-Nikole Cook is offered for all levels of expertise on Sundays, as well as Restorative Movement and Reiki-Infused Rest with Maria "SistaShamon" Lanier. The classes are a great place to jump into a practice in the familiarity of your own home. You could also head into Haji for community services and classes like communal or private acupuncture and reiki sessions, bodywork, and private yoga sessions. Their full list of programming can be found on their site. (Anwulika Anigbo)

BRONZEVILLE

BEST WAIT FOR A GOOD MEAL

Ain't She Sweet Cafe

Every time I visit, there is always a line at Ain't She Sweet Cafe, but the wait is never bad. You can call ahead to order, but there is more to the wait; you never know who you might meet or what they might tell you about the neighborhood. I also enjoy the walls.

In a world that is converging into the same six aesthetics, the walls are a rare comfort.

I recently had the jerk chicken wrap with a berry smoothie and red velvet cake (for research) and I recommend all of it. I'll be working my way through the wraps before heading to bowls. Next up is the buffalo chicken wrap. Ain't She Sweet is one of those places where the entire menu is worth a look. They offer salads, bowls, paninis, sandwiches, smoothies, ice cream and desserts. It is easier to find vegetarian and vegan options across the menu with some customization.

The lack of seating due to the pandemic only creates an occasion for a lunch at the park. Once you get your food you can walk or take a quick drive over to Hayden Pendleton Park off 43rd for its water feature and tiny hill for enjoying the view of downtown. You could also visit Mandrake Park, our Best of the South Side pick for Best Place to Catch a Good Vibe. (Anwulika Anigbo)

PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

Aint She Sweet Cafe, 526 E. 43rd St #2920.

Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm, Saturday: 11am-6pm. (773) 373-3530.

BEST PLACE TO CATCH A GOOD VIBE

Mandrake Park

You can do a little bit of everything at Mandrake Park. Coming off of Dusable Lake Shore Drive, you might think the park is limited to the track, which is usually full of people doing a wide range of activities. However, if you look farther you might find young people practicing football, workout groups, friends making their taking laps around the track as they chat, and a few people just enjoying the view. If you keep walking south you'll find basketball courts, kids playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball fields, seating, and more than likely, more people.

It isn’t a large park by any measure, despite the number of amenities it boosts. It’s bordered by roads, visible from every area of the park. Still, there is a modest mound that surrounds the track. If you sit at its base, resting on the slope, and tilt your head slightly upward you can just obscure the view of the street. You won’t be able to tune out the sounds of the street but somehow it seems to matter less at Mandrake Park, it’s part of what makes the park.

I recently drove by on my way downtown and saw a group of about five women doing a line dance on the paved walkway at the eastern tip of the park. I hadn’t seen it before, it looked a little more rigorous than your standard line dance. They were all black women over forty. he instructor was taking time to gesture to the people joining in virtually via a phone carefully placed where an in-person participant might otherwise be. I thought of my partner's mother, now retired, and the line dance that broke out at a barbeque I attended at Rainbow Beach a few weeks prior. Mandrake has a lot of familiarity.

Head east a few paces and you'll be crossing the 38th St. bridge to the lakefront.

This is a great location to let the day unwind at its own pace. (Anwulika Anigbo) Mandrake Park, 3858 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Daily: 6am-11pm. (312) 747-9938.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 29

CHICAGO LAWN & WEST LAWN Compiled by Gisela Orozco, Neighborhood Captain

K BUENA SUPERMARKET PHOTO BY ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL

I

t may be described as a “melting pot” of cultures, but in these two neighborhoods Mexicans are thriving in the city. Chicago Lawn and West Lawn are linked by a commercial street that serves as their main artery: 63rd St. Although not everything is within walking distance, both are close to Midway Airport, public schools, two parks with family and extracurricular activities and, of course, Mexican food from various places and of various specialties.

The history of the Mexican community in West Lawn and Chicago Lawn is not new. Their arrival is recorded dating back to the 70s. Previously, these neighborhoods were inhabited by European immigrants of Polish and Lithuanian descent. Proof of this is the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, located at 6500 S. Pulaski Rd., and the Lithuanian Catholic Press Society, at 4545 S. 63rd St. However, in the last two decades the Mexican community has grown. In West Lawn, for example, recent figures highlight that eighty percent of the population is of Latinx origin, the majority being of Mexican descent. This is notable along 63rd St., and on its storefronts, the use of the Spanish language and a variety of Mexican customs and traditions are clearly present.

In these parts of the city, unlike Pilsen and La Villita, there is not a museum or a robust commercial network, but West Lawn and Chicago Lawn have something going for them and are a mix of big and small family-owned businesses that, additionally, have easy access to public transportation. That’s why you can find places here that make you feel like you’re in a Mexican city and a community-based environment.

At the business level, many try their luck, but some stores remain operating through the years without having a marketing strategy or even social media. Their clientele is dependent on the original social network that never fails: the word of mouth, and customers who, without being "influencers", pass along their recommendations. People 30 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

are treated like family.

Last year the 60629 zip code, which encompasses Chicago Lawn and West Lawn, was one of the most affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s where a large number of cases of the virus and deaths were registered.

However, in this zip code, one never stops eating or dancing. Perhaps because of that very Mexican philosophy attached to sayings such as “las penas con pan son buenas” or “a falta de amor, unos tacos al pastor.” (Gisela Orozco) Neighborhood captain 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 now-defunct Hoy newspaper, the Spanish-language publication of the Chicago Tribune. Previously, 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 (Sun-Times) and translates articles for South Side Weekly and the Institute for Nonprofit News.

This section was originally written in Spanish and has been translated by Jacqueline Serrato.

BEST SUPERMARKET

La K-Buena Supermarket

For five years, La K-Buena Supermarket has also been known as the site of the “Juanga” mural. It is the store where you can see the face of the late Juan Gabriel (1950-2016),

CHICAGO LAWN & WEST LAWN one of the most celebrated Mexican singer-songwriters. But before the artist, Debso, painted “El Divo de Juárez” on its walls, the supermarket already had a history in the neighborhood.

Located a few blocks from West Lawn Park, this family business was established in 2000. “It was the first Hispanic business around here,” says Manuel Chávez, the son of the owners. "My dad first had it on 61st Street and then we moved."

When they arrived at their current location, Chávez said, there weren't many Latinx or Mexicans in the area and there were a few gangs tagging the supermarket walls with graffiti.

It was then that Debso proposed to the owners to make a mural, right when Juan Gabriel had passed away. "He wanted to make a large mural to celebrate not only the Mexican culture, but also Juan Gabriel. And the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Catrina are also [in the mural]."

This has made it the scene of several photographic sessions and music videos, such as the song “La muerte del palomo”, by two Chicago talents, the singer José Alfredo and the Mariachi Sirenas.

That's the appeal of the outside. Inside, the supermarket offers traditional Mexican products, from tortillas, salsas, cuts of meat, to snacks and cecina. It is the typical neighborhood corner store that’s there in an emergency when your groceries run out or when you want to buy a snack.

“We have products that we know are going to be sold and that people need, for example, during a holiday. And on weekends we sell carnitas, menudo, pozole. People come because they know the food is good,” Chávez said.

In this neighborhood, what has made La K-Buena Supermarket a family business is not only its owners.

“What makes the neighborhood different is that we are close to everything, like large stores, but people have the habit of coming to small stores, to family businesses.

The customers themselves are already like family. We get along that way and they keep an eye on us”. (Gisela Orozco) La K-Buena Supermarket, 4324 W. Marquette Rd. (773) 838-8425 Monday-Sunday 9am-8pm.

BEST BAKERY

Bambino’s Bakery

Walking into the bakery or tasting the bread is enough to be transported through time to memories of your childhood, such as sitting at the family table with a piece of bread and a delicious hot chocolate or a good café de olla.

To achieve this, there is a formula: using the right ingredients while doing as most Mexican bakeries do, working to the rhythm of loud music as a way to get inspired in the kitchen.

Omar and his wife, Estefanía Coronel, get up before sunrise with their seven employees to serve their customers in the early hours of the morning. “We open at 5 a.m. and the girls [who make] the gorditas start at 6 a.m., and we work until 4 p.m.”, said Coronel.

The gorditas de nata are Bambino’s specialty bread. They are not only made to sell in the store, but also wholesale for other distributors so it is common to find them in chain supermarkets like Cermak Produce.

As far as taste, there is variety. There are bolillos dobles, the heartier ones that are used in León to prepare the famous guacamaya tortas, which have chicharrón, super spicy red salsa, avocado and lime, and which are one of the most famous snacks in that city.

In Bambino's there is representation of bread from various parts of Mexico. "We have like a hundred varieties of bread," Coronel calculates. "Something also very typical of Guanajuato are the famous atole quesadillas and bread from other regions, like the coyotas" that are originally from the state of Sonora.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, their business was unaffected. On the contrary, “We did pretty well,” Aguilera recalls. "As the tortillerías closed, the Mexicans, when there is no tortilla, we eat more bolillo".

Being a family business, the owners of Bambino’s had to learn as they went about managing, equipping, and improving their business.

“We jumped into the ring and learned along the way. The mistakes we made [in the other bakery] we didn't make here,” Aguilera added.

In addition to bread, in Bambino’s you can find cakes, chocoflanes, jellies, cajeta (dulce de leche) and honey. And yes, the Mexican-style coffee with cinnamon and brown sugar, café de olla.

"One thing we do: we give a [free] coffee to everyone who buys bread."

(Gisela Orozco) Bambino’s Bakery, 3510 W. 63rd. St. (773) 306-2987 facebook.com/bambinosbakery Monday-Saturday 5am-9pm BAMBINO'S BAKERY, PHOTO BY ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL

When you enter Bambino’s Bakery, the first thing that greets you is the smell of fresh gorditas de nata being cooked on the comal and of the bolillos coming out of the oven.

Then you’re drawn to the glass window displays containing every kind of pan dulce, from empanadas to the cuernitos, to the traditional conchas and certain bread styles that look like they have just been brought in from one’s pueblo. They make you crave a bite. And since love is born at first sight, there is no way to resist so much temptation shaped like bread.

The name of the bakery, which means "child" in Italian, cannot hide the fact that what’s being baked is authentic Mexican bread in the style of León, Guanajuato, where the owner Jesús Omar Aguilera is from.

When he immigrated to Chicago twenty-three years ago, Aguilera was not a baker. His family’s trade, as is tradition in León, was shoemaking. However, when he arrived to Chicago, his first job was in a bakery, and from there he perfected his craft.

"We liked [baking] and we are still here," he said in an interview.

Before venturing to open Bambino's in late 2016, he owned another small bakery located on Archer and Sacramento. His goal when opening Bambino's was to offer Mexican pan dulce with the true flavor of Mexico, and he’s doing it.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 31

CHICAGO LAWN & WEST LAWN

BEST PASTOR TACOS

Taqueria El Pastor

It is common to find countless places or listicles that proclaim that they have "the best taco al pastor", and that depends on personal taste. But only one taqueria can literally say that the name carries the flavor.

La Taquería El Pastor takes its name from the taco style. Although they include a variety of tacos and dishes on their menu, visiting the restaurant and not tasting their tacos al pastor is like going to mass and not making the sign of the cross.

Fermín Hernández Limón and one of his brothers opened the first taqueria in Chicago Lawn in 1998 on the corner of 63rd and St. Louis, in order to give their father, who has been a taquero all his life, a business of his own so that he wouldn't have to work for anyone else.

Originally from Jalisco, his father first emigrated to Mexico City where he learned the tacos al pastor technique and added his own style and seasoning. Upon emigrating to Chicago, at first by himself, he began working in taquerías.

With hard work he was able to bring the rest of his family to live with him.

Hernández, who was nine years old when he arrived to Chicago, remembers that they first settled in the neighborhood of La Villita.

"We opened this 'little business' for him so that he wouldn't work," he said.

El Pastor has been in its current location since August 2002. Hernández said they moved from the original place they were renting when the new 63rd St. police station was built in that area.

What is offered in El Pastor are the original recipes of his father, from the salsas that are served to accompany the tacos to the marinade with which the al pastor meat is seasoned. Moving did not lose him customers.

Three years ago they expanded into the next storefront. They currently have twenty-two employees working two shifts and during the peak of the pandemic their orders did not decrease. Without having applications such as Uber Eats or home delivery, customers placed and continue to place their orders to-go. "We have always had a lot of take out orders."

Hernández remembers that when they arrived in this location, there was only one other Mexican restaurant, La Valentina, located feet away from El Pastor. Now right next to him is Rafa’s Chicken, which specializes in charcoal-roasted chickens.

Still, El Pastor has earned its place and has done it through tacos.

“Our customers are the people of the area. I have customers from when we were in the other place who would go with their parents and now they come with their children,” he said.

In his business, he says, the most important thing is to maintain the quality and customer service. "My customers are the ones who feed me, you have to take care of them and offer them the best quality at the best price." (Gisela Orozco) Taquería El Pastor, 4418 W. 63rd St. (773) 284-1003 Monday-Sunday 9am-12am

32 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

TAQUERIA EL PASTOR, PHOTO BY ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL

BEST BOTÁNICA

Oshun Yemaya Botany

In Mexican markets it is common to find stalls with medicinal herbs and also botánicas.

They have different methods, but the same principle: to cure and heal with plants.

Although botany is the branch of biology that studies herbs, botánicas are not always a matter of science, but of believing. In these businesses, they sell teas, oils, candles, concoctions, special baths to remove bad vibes, incense, and all kinds of potions and products that promise to attract love, money or provide protection from envy.

There are some who associate these places with magic, witchcraft, and mysticism and some even with charlatanism. To each their own. Botánicas are common in Mexican neighborhoods, and West Lawn is no exception.

Mexican resident Martín Martínez established his botánica, Oshun Yemaya, in 2013. Originally from Jalisco, he migrated from California to Chicago. He says that for forty-five years of his life (he is fifty-seven) he has dedicated himself to doing limpias (spiritual cleansings). He claims he was born with the gift.

"My grandfather helped me to develop it," he says. The gift of healing with herbs or warding off spirits and bad energies was held by both his paternal and maternal grandparents. When he immigrated to California, he had his first normal job.

However, little by little, word of his cleansing and protection abilities began to spread from people who went to him.

He says the controversy over what he does is out of fear or disbelief. “When you do a job, it is not about doing harm, but about removing the bad [energy]. It has to be protected”.

What he does, he emphasized, is use the connection to his ancestors, the shamans, using herbs and the four elements: water, earth, fire and air, and become a spiritual guide.

Cleaning or "developing the gift" is not about getting rich nor doing harm. "You cannot do wrong, there is karma."

It is another West Lawn business that during the pandemic last year had no drop in their clientele. “There are ups and downs, as in any business. When [there is a challenge] somehow I overcome." (Gisela Orozco) Oshun Yemaya Botánica, 4138 W. 63rd. St. (773) 735-6044 Monday and Friday 11am5pm; Tuesday and Thursday 11am-7pm. Closed Wednesdays. Weekends by appointment only.

CHINATOWN

PHOTO BY SARAH DERER

Compiled by Maddie Parrish, Neighborhood Captain

W

hen I think of Chinatown, my mind instinctively pictures the bright red gate on South Wentworth Ave. that boldly announces, “Welcome to Chinatown” in gold italic letters, the two-story outdoor mall that encompasses Chinatown Square, the Nine Dragon wall next to the Cermak-Chinatown station. But increasingly, discussions of the Chinese-American community in Chicago will refer to the Greater Chinatown Area, expanding beyond the commercial area that is often described as the heart of Chinatown.

The commercial area is small, encompassing a few blocks of Cermak and Wentworth Avenues. “The Wentworth part has been around since Chinese-Americans first moved from the South Loop to downtown in 1912,” said Grace Chan McKibben, the Executive Director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community.

Chinatown Square has been growing since the late ‘90s, she explained. “The Greater Chinatown Area acknowledges the fact that the Chinese-American population has been steadily growing out South and West along the Archer bus line. So the Chinese-American population now is in Chinatown, Bridgeport, McKinley Park, and also in Brighton Park and Archer Heights,” said Chan.

Chicago’s Chinatown is often recognized as the only growing Chinatown in

North America, referring not only to a growing population but growth in diversity as well. “There are folks representing different parts of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, speaking different dialects,” Chan said. “The original Chinatown folks speak Toisan, which is a sub dialect of Cantonese, and now we’re seeing more Mandarin speaking people, and it’s shown by the diversity of the restaurants. Now their restaurants represent different cuisines within China.”

“The Greater Chinatown Area encompasses this whole area that is where the folks are living, and so there’s shops, there are schools, there are car repair shops all up and down Archer that kind of reflect the services that people need.”

If you want to experience Chinatown’s growing diversity, you can let your stomach lead the way—whether it’s to Sichuan cuisine, Hong Kong-style cafes, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, or even Japanese ramen, Korean corn dogs, and Vietnamese pho. And in the process, you might just find yourself exploring outside the boundaries of Chinatown’s traditional commercial area into nearby neighborhoods where Chinatown’s growth is taking place. (Maddie Parrish) Neighborhood caption Maddie Parrish is the education editor at the Weekly.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 33

CHINATOWN

BEST COMMUNITY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) Founded in 1998 by C. W. Chan, the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) seeks to unite the resources of the Greater Chinatown Area.

Chan—a former board chair of both the Chinese American Service League, a social service organization, and the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of businesses—had a vision that community organizations which typically represent different interests could work together, explained Grace Chan McKibben, the Executive Director of CBCAC. “We do see ourselves as a bridgebuilder, and include as many diverse voices within the community as possible when there is an issue or a project,” McKibben said.

CBCAC initially formed in response to large numbers of casino buses that would come into Chinatown day and night to pick up seniors and take them to casinos. “CBCAC’s first project was to work with the casinos to limit that, so that now there are still casino buses, but there are smaller numbers and they only pick up in the mornings and drop off at night,” McKibben said.

Since then, they have successfully advocated for a field house and a library. Now, they are advocating for a neighborhood high school for Chinatown and Bridgeport students. “There has never ever been a high school that is not selective enrollment, not charter or anything in the Chinatown or Bridgeport neighborhoods in the history of CPS,” McKibben said.

Students in Chinatown and Bridgeport go to as many as fifty to sixty different schools across the city, with only about one third being in selective enrollment schools. “So this is what we’re pushing for, a school that is close by, that students don’t have to test into, that will center immigrant services and experience, offer bilingual education, English and Chinese—possibly English, Chinese, and Spanish because of the demographics of the students in the

Greater Chinatown Area. But really have services that would be comfortable for parents that have lower-English ability to access.”

CBCAC is also pushing for more affordable housing in the Greater Chinatown Area, specifically for seniors and families.

“While there are a few senior housing buildings that are for low income seniors in the neighborhood, in both Chinatown and Bridgeport and the Greater Chinatown Area, the waitlist is very long. The wait lists are ten, fifteen years long,” McKibben said.

“So in general, more resources from city planning and state funding organizations to think about how they can support this community, but also advocating for the community to think about what needs they have and how to voice those, whether it is having high school or having more park spaces.”

Before the pandemic, CBCAC’s outreach involved a combination of phone banking, community meetings, and doorto-door outreach. Since its onset, they’ve pulled back the in-person work but have continued with phone banking.

CBCAC is also working on a redistricting campaign. In 2011 as part of a larger coalition, they were successful in advocating for the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011. “We now know with the census numbers that it is completely possible to draw a city ward that has a majority Asian American population,” McKibben said. “So we're working hard on this redistricting, both in drawing the map ourselves, but also getting community voices to be behind it, residents as well as organizations, and then urging City Council as well as the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission. We're urging both of them to draw a city map that would have a majority Asian American ward.”

In addition to individual advocacy projects, CBCAC conducts get-out-thevote campaigns for every local, state, and national election. “A lot of our constituents are working long hours in restaurant retail

34 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

jobs and don't really have time,” McKibben said. “And then if they don't see how it's connected with them directly, then they won't spend the time to do it.”

This work involves sharing information about why voting is important and how to do it. Last year, they did in-person assistance, including driving individual people to polling places and explaining how to apply for and fill out a vote-by-mail ballot.

“I think the level of engagement is still lower than the general stats,” McKibben said.“Because it’s an immigrant community, there are constantly new people coming.

So every season, it feels like you’re talking to a lot of people that, even if they’re citizens they’re not registered, or if they are registered, they haven’t voted before. So there’s still a lot of engagement that needs to happen.” (Maddie Parrish) Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, 2301 S. Archer Ave. (312)-761-9738. info@cbacchicago.org PHOTO BY SARAH DERER

CHINATOWN

BEST CULTURE EVENT

Chinatown Hip-Hop Festival

Many people knew Shifa Zhong from TikTok, probably while browsing for the best Chinese food in Chicago. Immigrated to the U.S. from China at the age of 13, the now twenty-four-year-old Bridgeport resident has become the unofficial voice for the youth of Chinatown on social media.

On TikTok and Instagram, Zhong brought his 22,000 followers to the hidden gems of Chinatown, from the latest Boba shops and the oldest bakery. “Chinatown is my playground,” reads the bio of Zhong’s TikTok “chiantownshifa.” He proved that by break dancing in Chinatown Square, playing Jae Trill’s JOTARO!. That part of Chinatown—a rich cultural avenue that goes beyond dumplings and dim sum—is what Zhong wanted to showcase to his audience.

Zhong started to organize the Chinatown Hip-Hop festival during his sophomore year in college in 2017.

In one TikTok video, Zhong explained that Hip-Hop

functioned as an empowerment for the youth population in Chinatown, as well as a bridge connecting the Asian and Black cultures in the community. “If we are bringing Hip-Hop to Chinatown, we have to do it with respect to Black culture, history, and community,” he said.

In a video, Zhong said he realized that the festival would not be possible without the support from across the community, especially with the older generations, who are not necessarily ready to connect with other cultures and communities. This year, he collaborated with Gene Lee, the longtime chairman of the Chicago Chinatown summer fair and nicknamed “the mayor of Chinatown,” to bring back the Hip-Hop festival as part of the two-day Chinatown summer fair on July 31 and August 1.

While the summer fair has been a Chinatown staple for decades, 2021 was the first time younger generations became part of the organizing effort. Along with his startup team Tian Represent, Zhong and other young residents marketed the event on social media, with a focus on messaging to youth and the community outside of Chinatown. In an interview with the Reader, Zhong said that it was surprising to many that Chinatown community leaders are letting the young people be part of the team.

It was a necessary and important move, other organizers said, since it shows the leaders’ willingness to

engage younger generations who have grown up in the community and cared about it.

The threat of COVID-19 made organizing such a large-scale event difficult. Not having enough sponsors at the beginning, Zhong and team took to GoFundMe for their fundraising effort, which ended up bringing the organizers $7,000 over their $25,000 goal, Block Club Chicago reported. With the sponsorship and donation, the cross-generational collaboration held the largest Asian American festival in the Midwest with over 40,000 attendees.

The summer fair arrived in Chinatown as the city recovers from the pandemic – where AAPI businesses were hit particularly hard. Zhong said that more than sixty vendors participated in the 2021 fair, with a majority of AAPI vendors, and local businesses totalled more than $10,000 in sales during the two days. During the night, hip-hop artists like King Marie, Supa Bwe, and Eddie Supa filled up the square with live performances. “My mission is accomplished; the community got to thrive because of all of you,” Zhong told the crowd.

(Yiwen Lu) For more information on the Chinatown Hip-Hop Festival, visit hiphopinchinatown.com

PHOTO BY SARAH DERER

BEST DESSERT

Ice Grass Jelly Signature

Finding the best dessert in Chinatown is an exercise in intuitive eating, working through the most joyful mental flow chart. Are you craving something chewy or crunchy? Cold or hot? Fruity or nutty? Rich and creamy, or light and refreshing? Is this more of a post-meal treat or a midday snack?

Are you sharing it with friends? And perhaps, most importantly, is it not too sweet?

There's a running joke in Asian-diaspora online communities that the highest compliment you can pay about a dessert is that it’s not too sweet. Once you get off the Red Line at the Chinatown stop, whether you head south on Wentworth or cross the road and veer slightly west on Archer, both directions will lead to a staggering number of excellent candidates. Taro rolled ice cream? You got it. Red bean paste-stuffed egg waffles? Done. A towering bowl of shaved ice with chunks of fresh mango topped with vanilla ice cream? It’s just another Tuesday.

But here’s the thing: the best dessert is actually on Clark at Meet Fresh, a Taiwanese dessert cafe. Meet Fresh has a large menu, and while I’m sure everything is delightful, the Icy Grass Jelly signature is really what you should order.

The Icy Grass Jelly signature is a bowl of herbal grass jelly shaved ice with a layer of dark herbal jelly, topped with lilac and gold taro balls. If you want a creamier texture, you can add a swirl of the complimentary coffee creamer. It's refreshing and satisfying: slippery, chewy, soft, and crunchy all at the same time. It's perfect for sharing with friends or for eating by yourself on a hot and humid summer evening. It celebrates flavors that you don't find as frequently outside of neighborhoods with large Asian communities. It's self-assured, or as much as a dessert can be.

And best of all, it's not too sweet. (Charmaine Runes) Meet Fresh, 2026 S Clark St., Unit A. Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Thursday, 1pm-11pm, FridaySaturday 1pm-12am, closed Tuesday.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 35

CHINATOWN

BEST WALL

Nine Dragon Wall

Stop someone on the street and ask them to picture a wall. Perhaps they’ll come up with an image in their head of the ancient Great Wall of China or the infamous Trump border wall that so animated his 2016 campaign supporters. Ask someone to name their favorite wall in Chicago’s South Side. Maybe they’ll tell you about the Rev. Jessie “Ma” Houston Jackson Mural opposite the basketball courts at 49th and Drexel, or maybe they’ll just give you a blank stare and walk away.

For those who fall into the latter camp, boy do I have a wall for you to set your eyes to. Standing between the corner of Cermak and Wentworth and the Red Line entrance is the Nine Dragon Wall, bearing a warm “Welcome to Chinatown” in both Chinese characters and English script. This wall is a replica of an original Nine Dragon Wall in Beijing’s Forbidden City, where the Qing emperor who commissioned it in 1773 resided.

The original used to screen the emperor’s compound from the peering stares of the public. Chicago’s 2003 replica blocks from view a less-than-magnificent parking lot

BEST FESTIVITIES ON WATER AND LAND

Dragon Boat Race for Literacy

Teams racing on the Chicago River in brightly decorated dragon boats to the beat of a drum; Tai Chi, opera, and sword swallowing on land; booths tabled by community organizations: Chinatown’s annual Dragon Boat Race for Literacy in Ping Tom Park has festivities for community members and tourists alike. This year’s Dragon Boat Race took place on August 28.

Hosted by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, the annual Dragon Boat Race for Literacy fundraises for the chamber itself as well as for local literacy programs.

Each year, five to eight organizations apply for grants, and usually all of them are granted, according to Emma Yu, the Executive Director of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. Last year, funds went to St. Therese Chinese Catholic School, James Ward School, Pui Tak Christian School, John Charles Haines School, Project: VISION, and SitStayRead.

More than thirty teams, each composed of fifteen to twenty-five people, begin the 36 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

that charges two bucks an hour for a spot. “Why are there nine dragons?” you might wonder. Because in the Daoist tradition odd numbers are ‘yang’ numbers, and nine the greatest of them. “Why dragons?”

Because dragons represent rain, thunder, and ‘yang.’ They were symbols of the supremacy of the emperor, often embroidered onto their regal robes.

The replica is made principally from jade and gold-glazed tiles that form the roof, back, and edges of the tableau. Green, red, and white dragons are depicted in bas relief against the teal backdrop of blustery sky above undulating green hills. Their serpentine bodies, fuming nostrils, clasping talons, and leonine faces present an amalgamation of many beasts.

As I peered upon the wall on a late August afternoon, storm clouds threatening on the horizon, many passers-by on their way to the train or returning home from work kept their faces straight ahead or down on their phones, unaware of or ignoring the splendor of the striking Nine Dragon Wall, perhaps because of its humdrum locale. I was thrilled when a couple came up and started taking pictures of the wall, both of them grinning in front of it. If these out-of-town sightseers came to marvel at it, maybe you Chicagoans should come out too. (Max Blaisdell) Nine Dragon Wall, 158 W. Cermak Rd.

PHOTOS BY SARAH DERER

race at 8:30am. “More than half are from the big corporations outside the Chinatown community, some are the Dragon Boat Club teams, a few are community teams,” Yu said. Guests are welcomed at the opening ceremony, which begins at 9am, and the festivities last until 4pm. In addition to their usual entertainment program, this year, they invited Sally Marvel, one of fifty known female sword-swallowers worldwide.

In addition to vendors, the Chamber of Commerce offers two free community booths. This year, the booths were occupied by the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, Project: VISION, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

“Traditionally, this event is to promote Chinatown, and also to promote this great, ethnic sport, which has been there for more than 2,000 years,” Yu said. “And I believe this is a great opportunity for people outside of this community to learn about this culture, and for them to come to Chinatown. And in this year, 2021, in this postpandemic time, it's extremely important because it's also helping the Asian-American owned small businesses in this area, because we are bringing visitors, we're bringing tourists.” (Maddie Parrish) For a recap on this year’s Dragon Boat Race for Literacy, visit chicagochinatown.org.

EAST SIDE & SOUTH CHICAGO Compiled by Weekly Staff

PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

F

ew Chicagoans seem to know the East Side exists.

In fact, it's so common for new friends to confess unfamiliarity with the neighborhood that East Siders have turned it into an inside joke. The conversation presents three common questions: “Is that still Chicago?” “Isn't the lake east?” “Oh, so you're from Indiana?” To which we answer: “Yes.” “Yes, but farther.” And, well, “No.” Tucked away on the city’s far southeast side, East Side is nestled between the Calumet River and the Indiana border, and endearingly dubbed "alphabet land" by locals. Chicagoans shake their heads at the neighborhood's street signs named by an unorthodox arrangement of letters. There's no "Avenue A." It starts at "Avenue B," runs to "Avenue H," skips "I," and picks back up at "J." Home of orange hot sauce, an M60 battle tank dedicated to the region’s contribution during wartime, originally installed in 1979, and Eggers Grove, a 240acre woodland and wetland preserve with a trail and picnic areas, the area is well worth exploring. But how accessible is it? Although the recently redesigned 95th Street Red Line Terminal is integral to South Side residents, it doesn't reach the far Southeast Side. The disconnect forces residents to take multiple buses and allocate hours of travel time to get anywhere.

This predominantly Latinx but diverse working-class community welcomed my family when we escaped the Bosnian War in the mid-90s. At the time, my parents had no idea we had resettled in Chicago’s largest industrial corridor. It would be at least twenty years before we'd learn the health hazards of local environmental pollutants like petcoke, the fine powder produced as a byproduct of the oil refining process.

But despite—or thanks to—its history of disinvestment and environmental racism, the Southeast Side is a bastion of resistance and community care. The Southeast Environmental Task Force has worked to promote environmental education, pollution prevention, and sustainable development here since 1989. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Side organizers and residents held a thirty-day hunger strike protesting the relocation of the General Iron metal recycling plant from Lincoln Park, one of the city’s most affluent and majority-white neighborhoods, to one of the city’s most environmentally discriminated against and poor.

Creative enclaves have emerged across the Southeast Side over the last decade as artists found power in expressing their thoughts and their neighborhood pride.

Multidisciplinary artist Runsy, Roman Villareal (founder of Under the Bridge Studio, an artspace in the shadow of the Skyway), designer David Gonzalez, and filmmaker Steven J. Walsh are among a few locals whose work uplifts our spirits.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 37

CENTRO DE TRABAJADORES UNIDOS, COURTESY OF ANA GUAJARDO

At times we might be annoyed when forced to explain the geography of our neighborhood. Yet every moment serves as a reminder of the unwavering commitment to our legacy. Welcome to the East Side, we’re happy to show you around. (Ermina Veljacic)

BEST IMMIGRANT AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS ORGANIZATION

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos

Founded in 2008, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos (United Workers’ Center) is a grassroots community organization on Chicago’s Southeast Side and in the south suburbs. Locally, the center’s organizers work with immigrant families offering citizenship workshops, leadership training, worker’s rights information to low-wage workers, and COVID-19 education. At the city and state level, the center works with the Campaign to End the Gang Database, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), and other worker’s rights groups.

For many years, the organization was housed in the basement of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in South Chicago, which also served as a refuge for newly arrived immigrants. The organization later moved to the East Side neighborhood and in 2014, after receiving a donation from Landbank for a vacant building, and a capital grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce for half a million dollars, the center has been expanding. But the process has been complicated. The grant was suspended under former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, according to Ana Guajardo, the center’s 38 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

executive director, and it was a challenge to get the remainder of the funds. Though she eventually did, “By then, the cost of construction had tripled,” said Guajardo.

Regardless, at long last the building is currently undergoing construction with the help of local unions and other community supporters that have stepped in to assist with labor and materials.

With its expansion, Guajardo said her staff would provide a community space on the first floor to host citizenship classes, meetings, and leadership training for community members. The basement will be dedicated for workforce development and will be converted into an industrial kitchen to incubate worker cooperatives. The upper floor will be transformed into temporary housing for newly arrived immigrant families. According to Guajardo, the latter was inspired by their earlier work at Our Lady of Guadalupe and the priest who supported it during that time. Members of the organization, according to Guajardo, said they want to continue the mission.

With the worker cooperatives, Guajardo envisions people in the community creating small businesses inside this food incubator. “As a nonprofit, we depend, unfortunately, on grant funds. But our goal is to eventually move to a social enterprise.

But in this sense, our leaders are going to [also] benefit from this business,” she said.

Part of this vision is to also educate community members about investing and taking production to the next level.

One of the challenges of working under grants is the restrictiveness of the system.

“Our goal is to eventually have a business that will be able to financially sustain the entire organization. So we don't have to depend on government funds or private funds, and actually be able to do our work freely.” (Alma Campos) Centro de Trabajadores Unidos/United Workers' Center, 10638 S. Ewing Ave. info@ctuiwp.org. centrodetrabajadoresunidos.org

EAST SIDE & SOUTH CHICAGO

BEST LOCAL CONDIMENT

Quality Brand Hot Sauce

Few would guess that a hot sauce with a cult following was born in the Southeast Side of Chicago, an area more often associated with gritty steel manufacturing plants, close-knit mom-and-pop taquerias, and an abundance of unobstructed views of Lake Michigan. While all these attributes are great, the best of the neighborhood comes sealed in a gallon jug.

Folks in the know drive from all over the Midwest to stock up on Quality Brand Hot Sauce. The thick, orangey-mauve sauce is distributed by Food and Paper Supply and has been around since the 1970s. The taste of QBHS (sometimes known as Hienie’s, after the chicken and shrimp house that popularized it) is misleadingly mild at first. But the blandness from the first impression disappears after a couple of bites, as a strong kick of vinegar, turmeric, spices, and oleoresin capsicum (the ingredient found in pepper spray) sets your mouth on fire.

Despite the burning sensation of being pepper-sprayed in the mouth, folks can’t stop putting QBHS on all types of food. It is not uncommon to see it used as a condiment for fried chicken, burritos, potato chips, or, really, anything edible. A gallon jug of QBHS sells for $7.49 at Pete’s Fresh Market, and can be purchased at Food and Paper Supply as well as most other markets on the Southeast Side. Don’t want to leave the house? Amazon carries it as well. (Al Southers) Food and Paper Supply, 7247 S. South Chicago Ave. (773) 752-0700.

BEST SUMMER ARTS FEST

Nest Fest

The third annual Nest Fest, featuring local bands, artists, and vendors, was held Saturday, August 14 outside of Crow Bar on 106th St. Event curator and born-andbred South Sider Michael Ramirez said the festival celebrates freedom of expression and community, while creating a safe space for other Chicagoans to explore an often forgotten neighborhood.

“My family’s from all over South Chicago,” Ramirez said. “When asked where I’m from, I say the south side. ‘Oh, like Bridgeport?’ people usually ask, and I’m always like, no, further southeast.”

Although the Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep alum attended high school in nearby Roseland, Ramirez recalls the culture shock of encountering many classmates who didn’t have a clue about the East Side–let alone the Hienie's hot sauce he grew up thinking was a Chicago staple.

“You start realizing that there's a rarity to it, that there's something special about [this neighborhood],” Ramirez said. He constantly found himself on a quest to share the beauty to be found in this industrial area once dominated by steel mills.

In 2015, after South Chicago’s longest running art festival Vlado's Fest announced it was closing its doors for good, Ramirez, who toured the local bar scene with his garage rock band, The Crooks, rallied friends and local creatives to host Nest Fest. The name pays homage to the block party’s location—the neighborhood’s go-to pub and the fest’s first sponsor—Crow Bar, where Ramirez worked as a barback in college.

Last held in 2019, Nest Fest was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, but it returned in 2021 with help from 10th Ward Alderwoman Susan Sadlowski Garza and local businesses. DJs Surge, Matt B, Flex, and Pete Roxx kept the vibes going as local artists Don’t be Hayden, Nick Naumoff, Skyway Stereo, and Mass Attack, to name a few, graced the stage. Dom Ramirez, a licensed barber at The Mustache Lounge, provided complimentary haircuts, and Lucky Kat Tat tattoo artist Felix Roman offered custom design services.

Attendees shopped local vendors showcasing clothing, jewelry and other handmade goods while grubbing on food prepared by Memos Jr, South Ave Catering, BuzzinBBQ, and Up in Smoke BBQ. David “DaveTheSLKR” Gonzalez, a creative, entrepreneur, and owner of Los SLKRS Brand, has been a vendor since the fest’s inception. "Even though I grew up in the East Side, I always meet new people [at the fest] and it’s an awesome opportunity to introduce my brand to other members of the community," said Gonzalez. "It’s been awesome seeing the fest grow every year. This is definitely something I wish was around when I was younger."

Lifelong East Side resident and make-up artist Clarissa Rodriguez hopes Chicagoans attending the fest will see how much heart and soul East Side creatives possess.

“It means a lot to have a festival like this in the neighborhood, that we are able to get all these incredibly talented South and East Side talents in one space,” said Rodriguez. “Finally in our own space! For us South Siders, we used to have to go to Wicker Park and Pilsen to be a part of something like this. It felt like we were always overlooked as artists and creatives. I can’t wait to see the next batch of hidden talents that join the roster next year.” (Ermina Veljacic) To learn more and keep up with Nest Fest, follow their Instagram @NestFest_So_Chi.

An architecture firm dedicated to the built environment of the city we call home

SILVESTRO D E S I G N OPERATIONS

silvestrolab.com/architecture c o r r i d o r o f f i c e . c o m / r e s e a r c h J A M E S @ S I L V E S T RSEPTEMBER O D E S16, IG NOPS.COM 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 39

ENGLEWOOD Compiled by the Weekly Staff

PHOTO BY THOUGHTPOET

I

t was October 1981, and already Chicago-chilly, as my mom and I walked the four blocks to the 79th and Vincennes bus stop to ride to my grandparents' new home.

The first bus rode up Vinncenes past McDonald’s and the famous Fred and Jack’s toward 75th, where we did a light jog to transfer to the 75th Street bus. The driver greeted us, said something about it getting cold out there, and waited for us to take our seats. It was a short ride to the corner of 74th and Halsted. We walked one block east of Halsted to arrive at 74th and Emerald.

I spent most of the bus ride trying to understand why my grandparents had left what I called, “the palace.” Their huge, maybe 1,400-square-foot apartment with high ceilings on Michigan seemed majestic to me. The white walls seemed chalky white compared to the high-gloss paint used now. There were three bedrooms and one big white bathroom. It had a long hallway and a bathroom with two doors, one door leading to my grandmother’s bedroom near the front entrance and the other to what seemed like an unending hallway with entrances to two more bedrooms before you got to the back living room.

In this living room, I could turn myself around without the fear of breaking any of Granny’s decorative items or framed family photos. I would turn and turn around until I was dizzy and in a pile on the floor. I only gained my composure to start all over again. In the palace, there was room for Friday night fish fries, card parties, and Sunday 40 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

dinners with friends and family in the afternoon. But the best part was the front room.

Built into the wall beneath a high ceiling and embedded in crown molding was a “built-in mirror.” To this day it is where I have given my best singing and acting performances. I gave an emotional rendition of Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” and recited lines from <i>The Wiz</i> and <i>Pearlie Victorious</i>, and sang “Papa don’t take no mess” as good as James Brown. This journey to the new home was a wonder and curiosity. How could my Granny and Grandaddy leave the palace for home “ownership?”

I was eleven years old when I turned off 74th onto Emerald. As I walked down the street there were still kids out at 3pm on a Saturday, playing ball and sitting on the porch. Breaking up the sky, as if to frame the block, I could see a tall viaduct; I didn’t yet know it was a train route: beneath the viaduct there were four yellow-painted concrete posts so cars couldn’t pass through to 75th. On the street, no house or building was the same, but they also weren’t very different. They stood out because of the uniformity of the lawns. They were what adults would call “well-manicured” and the houses did not have fences in the front. Every porch seemed to welcome you to sit down; most had some type of foliage, or you could see huge pots where the flowers had withered as fall began its slow takeover. Even on this frigid day in October, Emerald was paved with concrete but the lawns accented the street like emerald green rugs.

ENGLEWOOD

My grandparents' building was dark brown and the bricks had tan lines between them, with a concrete porch and reflective white numbers on the storm door that read 74XX. The building was two stories with a basement apartment. Both apartments came with tenants that had lived in the building for almost ten years. Granny, Grandaddy, and my uncle lived on the top floor, with one tiny bathroom, a hallway one-third the size of the one at the palace, and a living and dining room that were functional at best.

The only fascinating space was the balcony on the front, but you had to climb out the window to use it. Still, I soon exchanged living room concerts for sunrises and soul music on that balcony.

Two weeks later, my mom and I returned with the last of our items to move in as well. Before my foot could competently hit the landing, the bell rang. My mom turned around to answer it and in less than a minute, she called me down. There was a very fair-skinned boy with sandy brown to blonde hair. He had on a green parka with a brown fur hood and was pointing a water gun at me, ordering me to come out and play. I had made my first friend—a friend who would encourage me to take the entry exam to St. Ignatius and support me in my first two years as my friend and math tutor.

Because of him, I made honor roll my first and second quarter. He also taught me about HBCUs and supported my application to Xavier University.

We lived on a mixed-income block with different kinds of families. There were senior, middle-aged, and young married couples. There were single mothers. Families were living in the same building as tenants or owners. There were entrepreneurs, bluecollar workers, and folk that stayed home on assistance. Everyone had a role. When my mother wasn't around my teenage behavior was reined in by many “nosy neighbors.”

I owe the preservation of my teenage innocence to someone I will call Ms. V. She could sense a boy headed to your house when your parents were home, and make him disappear into thin air. Her porch presence was as ominous as an eagle circling its prey.

a Black-owned lounge owned by a neighbor, and of course we had Harold's Chicken.

I felt possibility in my community.

I have lived in the same home and community intermittently for twenty-nine years. I believe in Englewood and its capacity to sustain energy, safety, and possibility for all its residents. I believe and love Black people in totality and I have raised three free Black children in this community.

I currently serve as the chair of Grow Greater Englewood (GGE). Supporting farming and green spaces in Englewood is essential to addressing the impact of racism in our communities, particularly inequities in food and health. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to visit other Englewood spaces, like St. Peter’s, and experience the effective operation and quality services provided by the food pantry.

Attending the unveiling of Hank Willis Thomas’s “All Power to All People” installation on the grounds of Englewood Village Plaza was the highlight of the summer for me. The installation is essentially a gigantic pick, a symbol of power and beauty. There, I was surrounded by Englewood residents and friends, community business owners, and Black nonprofit leaders. I was standing in that space with my people, outside again, feeling the air, and celebrating what remains when we fight white hegemony and a pandemic and continue to build our families and communities.

As I spoke, I shared that this event was happening at home in the heart of Englewood.

At this moment hope was no longer surreal, but felicitous, restorative, actualized. I could feel our collective energy, desire, and need to just be together. It was a good day.

We are Englewood Strong. We are actively working to frame the destiny of our community through strategic partnerships and collective action to ensure Safety, Energy, and Possibility. Ase’. (Atara B. Young)

E

veryone needs energy, safety, and possibility to thrive, including communities.

Energy in communities is about a shared actualized value system. These values may be spoken or unspoken and when these values are challenged their collective consequences are enacted by the community. For example: there was no drug selling on our block. This was unspoken, but anyone attempting to set up shop was shut down immediately. Energy was also demonstrated by our yearly block club parties. As teens and young adults we were valued in our village and were allowed to express ourselves. Parents supported our group events, activities, and parties. No child was left behind. Every child was encouraged. When mothers or fathers met with life challenges, someone on the block covered you. I felt the energy of my community.

My middle school years included bike rides as far as our energy and legs could take us before the streetlights came on. When I came home, I smelled like outdoors and had to take two baths to get clean. In my teen years, it was boomboxes, preppy clothing, and house parties. The kids in my neighborhood went to community schools like Simeon, Roberson, and Lindblom; Whitney Young and St. Ignatius. But we were together. We attended each other’s parties and activities. When I got accepted into St. Ignatius, seven kids from my block met at sunset at Harold's on Halsted, we ate hot sauce and mild sauce, listened to the jukebox, and opened the envelope together.

We celebrated with each other. It was OK to be who you were. I felt safety in my community.

When I walked down my street in Englewood, I was surrounded by Black people doing Black things, running and buying from Black businesses. Before I could walk the block to Halsted there was a Black-owned and operated cleaner. The owner lived on my block. One block over to Halsted and on the east side of 73rd was a Black womenowned and -operated liquor store and lounge. The owner lived in the community. A few doors down was a Black-owned and operated pizza parlor. On the opposite side of the street, there was John’s Groceries, John’s Hardware, and John’s bike shop. There was a Black-owned game room with candy, snacks, and icies. On the same street was

BEST SAMARITAN

The Street Barber

He stations himself on 63rd near Halsted a few times a month, turns up his speaker, and offers a free haircut to people walking by. Sometimes he’s there for two hours, sometimes for twelve.

David McDonald was a professional barber in Florida for thirty years. He had his own business at one point that was successful, and would even cut celebrities' hair, like that of Venus and Serena Williams' father, Richard Williams.

But he and his wife, who are people of faith, got "a calling from God," he said, and Chicago kept coming up in conversations with friends who they respected in and out of church. Roughly a decade later, the couple made the move to the Midwest.

When I stopped by on Sunday afternoon, McDonald was concentrating on doing SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 41

ENGLEWOOD a lineup on a young man who was visiting his family in Englewood. Russell McDade grew up in the neighborhood, but moved to Milwaukee because "my mom wanted better choices for us," he said. He heard about the street barber on Facebook and decided to drive by.

"He's someone I could talk to if I ever needed to talk. I offered him a tip and he said no. No tips, no nothing," he mumbled, careful not to move as the trimmer grazed his chin.

McDonald does all types of men’s haircuts when he’s outside: fades, brush cuts, tapers, afros, comb overs, mohawks… After he was done, Russell asked him for a photo. Then an older gentleman sat on the barber's chair, while a teenager arrived and waited.

Bruce Lee has been coming to McDonald "every Sunday that I catch him," said the Englewood native, "because people don't have a lot of money these days. ... You know, you go to a barbershop and it's $20-$25 for a haircut. To do it free is a blessing."

McDonald said people tried to discourage him from going to the South and West Sides when he first arrived to Chicago two years ago, especially Englewood. But he took that as a sign that those places are where he needed to be.

“They depict it real rough, you know what I’m saying?” Lee said about his neighborhood.

The street barber has been inspired by the reception and wants to do more. As a licensed barber and cosmetology teacher, one of his dreams is to open up a tuition-free school for young people to learn the trade.

His biggest reward, he said, has been connecting with the community.

The Street Barber, near the corner of W. 63rd St. and S. Halsted St. Sunday afternoons, weather permitting. facebook.com/DavidMcDonaldCuttingEdgeMobility PHOTO PROVIDED BY R.A.G.E. PRESIDENT ASIAHA BUTLER

PHOTO BY JACKIE SERRATO

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP DIAPERS

Englewood Free Market

After the uprisings of 2020, many of Englewood’s stores were boarded up and out of commission for local patrons. This was the case for many of Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods, and beyond the temporary unavailability of services, the boards were eyesores for residents.

What started as an organic conversation between the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.), the Englewood Arts Collective, and Alt_, has now evolved into a thriving, self-sustaining community market on 66th and Halsted, called the Englewood Free Market.

A mural was painted on the side of what used to be an In and Out Deli, and more famously, a Church’s Chicken, and it now serves as the bed for outdoor wooden shelves that hold items like food, diapers, and other essential items that are offered free of charge to residents and restocked weekly by local partners and community members.

R.A.G.E. took the opportunity to go above and beyond, also piloting resource days at the market this summer, where residents could come to learn about job opportunities, childcare services, and healthcare providers. The spirit of this effort encompasses so many things, but in R.A.G.E. executive director Asiaha Butler’s words, beauty is at the core: “Even though it's abandoned and vacant, you can still make it beautiful. And I think that's what R.A.G.E. has always been about and that's what we think about our community. It's been abandoned, it's been vacant, it's been stripped [of ] tons of resources, but we still find ways to make it beautiful.”

(Malik Jackson) Englewood Free Market, W. 66th St. and S. Halsted St. Open to whoever, whenever.

42 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

GAGE PARK

ENGLEWOOD

Compiled By Jocelyn Vega Neighborhood Captain

BEST GARDEN THAT COULD

Englewood Veterans Garden

Since 2015 the Englewood Veterans Garden has relied on referrals from the recreational therapy program at the VA to provide the help that garden leader Cordia Pugh needed to keep things shipshape. According to gardener Ron Stacy, from 2015 to 2019 the garden could reliably count on ten to fifteen veterans to get involved each year, helping plant and weed the raised vegetable beds and tend to maintenance of the space, a former vacant lot on 56th and Hermitage. Then, said Stacy, “2020 happened, and you had COVID. So everybody disappeared.”

Stacy, himself a U.S. Navy veteran, has been volunteering at the garden since its inception, and wanted to stay engaged. It was left to him, Pugh, and her son Leonard to keep both the Veterans Garden and the Hermitage Street Community Garden across the street from falling into weedy disrepair. “It was so hard,” he said. “When I joined the garden, we always had these huge volunteer groups”—first-year college students and church groups—”throughout the spring, the summer, and the fall to make our gardens possible. When COVID hit, we lost those volunteer groups.”

They did “alright” in 2020, Stacy said, but this year was all about changing the way they garden. It was a transitional year, in which—anticipating future years with few volunteers—the trio transformed both gardens to make them lower maintenance. In the persistently weedy ground between all the raised beds, they laid in an underlayer of cardboard or plastic, and then covered that up with wood chips. Voila, no more weeds.

“It was a lot of work. It just consumed us, the entire year.” Now, he added, they’re gearing up to completely overhaul their composting setup.

“A lot of what we're doing now is just to prepare for next year, right? Even if COVID is, is still affecting people's lives, people are getting more comfortable with doing things and being active again. And being that this is a garden. I think that's going to be one of the biggest things going to be able to promote is that you're going to be able to be in a safe environment ‘cause you're outside.”

He may not have grown much this year—mostly cayenne peppers and kale—but the garden has been key to his mental health, Stacy said. Being able to come to the garden and read or meditate or listen to music was invaluable—which was the whole point of the garden in the first place. And, finally, he might get a little break: the first group of college student volunteers returned this month. (Martha Bayne) Englewood Veterans Garden, 5641 S. Hermitage Ave. (773) 245-3017.

VETERAN GARDEN, COURTESY OF ENGLEWOOD VETERANS GARDEN

I

t’s an honor to introduce three young Gage Park visioners at Gage Park Latinx Council, a queer, DACA, Latinx grassroots organization dedicated to strengthening identity and community in Gage Park. We joked about the summer heat before jumping into their “Best of Gage Park” locations. For them, these addresses mirror their childhoods, identities, and hopes to protect their neighborhood with honor. Gage Park has seen Jesus, Karen, and Fabian develop into their current form. Together, these three young people share what they hope for others to “see” what’s in their eyes about Gage Park.

“If you could feel kindness [when reading this], I would like for that to be shown,” said Karen J. Dorado, a sixteen-year-old, Aries Sun rising, Mexican-American with she and her pronouns. “I want people from Gage Park to see how beautiful we really are. To see all this community, joy, kindness... [To see] how really close we could all be [by] working together. If we work together, we could help others see that as well because that's what community is all about—working together, trusting each other, and helping each other out.”

Gage Park does not deserve its disappointing media representation of being “dangerous” as a Black, Indigenous, and people-of-color working-class community.

Gage Park deserves community representation of struggle and strength. Fabian SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 43

GAGE PARK Cornejo, Taurus with he and him pronouns, introduced Gage Park as home and safety for immigrant communities, cultural belonging, and an extension of México’s lands.

“Literally, everybody's hard-working for the future, and for the community,” said Fabian. “You want to see more hope, more love, and more appreciation, because there's a lot of negative views on Gage Park. It's not always about that.” He recognizes that people go through a lot in the community but emphasized the strength of love within families and neighborhoods that make him proud to represent Gage Park as a college freshman this fall. He encourages young people “to embrace it.”

The rhythm of walking down the same 51st Street businesses captures Gage Park’s spirit for Jesus Hidalgo, who identifies as first generation with he and they pronouns. As it is for Karen and Fabian, Gage Park is home for Jesus. However, Jesus is concerned about gentrification and balancing people visiting the neighborhood but not moving in, especially people who are not Black, Indigenous, or people of color. For Jesus, Gage Park is knowing people who know you when you’re walking around or recognize one another.

“I went to high school a couple blocks from here too, so it does feel a lot like home. I feel not only welcomed, but also I know a lot of people that live here and I have a lot of memories here. Those memories helped shape me into who I am today, and what I've experienced and what I've seen other people experience too,” said Jesus.

EMPTY K MART ON 51ST AND KEDZIE, PHOTO BY ANTONIO SANTOS

Neighborhood captain Jocelyn Vega is a first generation Latina and hija de Enrique y Obdulia Vega. She dedicates her life to intergenerational healing and ancestral justice for past and future generations.

BEST SPOT TO REBUILD GAGE’S PARK HISTORICALLY DISINVESTED LIBRARY

BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF TACOS

Empty Kedzie Kmart

Taquería Jamay Jal

Karen’s heart remembers moving into Gage Park at three years old. Her eyes caught a bright orange building on a sunny day but she couldn’t read what it was. She would grow to love this bright orange place with no name. Others in the group agreed that this orange building remains a childhood classic. To this day, Jesus jokes that many neighbors and friends make the evening walk, as it is one of the only late-night spots.

Without saying the official name, everyone knew we were talking about Taquería Jamay Jal. “I don’t remember the first time I ate there, but I have memories, that late at night, talking to my father and say ‘Oh, I’m hungry. Let’s get tacos.’ We would walk there with our dog Oreo,” Karen said. At Taquería Jamay Jal, options range from breakfast tortas to legendary tacos—classics that customers can enjoy at this all day and latenight spot. “Every time I bite into los (the) taco, it’s like flashbacks to when I was little.

It's so good and the meat has stayed the same flavor and the same texture. I don't think I've ever gone wrong with ordering it.”

Jesus agreed and recommended tacos of asada (skirt steak in Spanish) or pastor.

They added it is also a business that is “rooted in the community” by allowing community groups to promote their events and post their flyers without question.

Across community and memories, the group collectively titled Taquería Jamay Jal as “one of the many bellies of Gage Park” that is shared in friend groups, families, and hungry students at affordable prices. Karen said, “I still feel like a little kid walking… [with] all of those memories,” whenever she visits Taquería Jamay Jal. This connection to Jamay runs in the family. After a recent family trip, Karen said, “We just come back from the happiest place on earth, Disney, and the first thing we agreed on is Taquería Jamay Jal.” ( Jocelyn Vega).

Taquería Jamay Jal, 2500 W 51st St. Sunday-Thursday, 9am-11pm; Friday and Saturday, 9am-1am. (773) 776-0254. Highly recommended to bring cash.

44 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

At the intersection of 51st and Kedzie, a 275,000-square-foot building with a large, corporate Coldwell Banker banner stares into a blocked off parking lot. Before the Kmart shut down, there was a thrift store, a buffet, and street vendors selling outside on this buzzing corner. That’s all gone. Now, even cars can’t get through the old Kmart parking lot, and the corner remains completely isolated. Kmart’s bankruptcy and the subsequent corporate real estate hogging of empty space reflects Jesus’s concerns for Gage Park as an overlooked and oversold neighborhood.

“It'd be better to renovate that space and make it a library or even a community center,” said Jesus. “It's something that would benefit the community because it's so big. It's literally an empty lot, and it's been like that for a while. I'd rather see it be something that gives back to the community instead of being another big corporation or another big factory... I think adding a library there will help people see that we deserve better.”

In addition to economic exploitation, Gage Park faces academic and social inequities with its current library and lack of youth spaces. Gage Park youth represented 33.5 percent of the neighborhood’s total residents from 2015-2019, yet their social and emotional development is left to them to build with minimal resources. Gage Park has been historically denied community centers and public gathering spaces, such as adequate parks, community-wide youth programming, and cultural centers.

“We deserve better things than just things [that] are damaging our neighborhood,” said Jesus. He emphasized that Gage Park residents do not deserve to be exploited in heavy labor or warehouses, like Amazon’s recent neighborhood warehouse opening, just to have access to jobs. He encourages more local businesses and supporting community members to expand their own opportunities instead.

They advocate for a community center to exist at the heart of a major intersection and commercial district. Gage Park youth are currently surrounded by several, gigantic processing centers, but not much for them to process their personal development on that scale. The under-resourced Gage Park library and corporate ownership of Kmart’s ghost hold promise for Gage Park’s youth. Until it is truly owned by the community, this corner will symbolize the community’s own intersection between disenfranchisement

GAGE PARK and the potential for its young people to belong in their own community.

Jesus said, “Whoever has been living in Gage Park for a while just know[s] that Kmart used to be [a] spot [where] everyone would link up… When the Kmart was empty, I would go in there with my friend sometimes to just go explore too…[and] it also goes to show that we went there because there was nowhere else to go in the neighborhood.” ( Jocelyn Vega) W. 51st St. and S. Kedzie Ave.

BEST CHILDHOOD TAMAL

Rosa's Tamales

“I remember, when I was young, I would always go [to Rosa’s Tamales]. I would wake up for Christmas and then my dad will be like ‘oh let’s buy tamales,’” Fabian said. He would then put on his “little puffy coat” before walking with his father to Rosa’s. They often found a long line early in the morning.

“We would always wait, but I mean it was worth it.” Carrying back warm tamales, Fabian and his father woke up their family to eat tamales on Christmas morning and other holidays. “We had a big family. I’m the youngest out of four brothers, so I feel like we would always get two [dozen], and then we had my mom and dad and would have our dog,” who would eat tamales. Fabian loves to pair his tamales with champurrado, a classic chocolate drink made with masa, often confused as atole, which is an ancient, Nahuatl-based word. Champurrado is distinct and a must try.

“Because my parents back then didn’t have a lot, we won't be able to buy a lot. We would always buy two cups [of champurrado] to split it. Always, I would want more.

It was really good except that I always wished that I could get my own cup when I was little, but that never happened,” added Fabian.

Rosa’s is a go-to for any celebration. Fabian said, “My family is really busy, so we don't really get to eat together. We don't really have family meals. So, I feel like the only time [that] we would was Christmas, Thanksgiving, or something like that. That's why it was always special to me, because of the memory I have. Because that's the only time that we have family meals.”

Rosa’s Tamales have grown into four locations in Gage Park. At Rosa’s Tamales #4, at 4617 S. Kedzie, they expanded their menu beyond tamales, ranging from the classics to Huaraches estilo DF. At Rosa’s Tamales #1, #2, and #3, they strictly offer tamales but sell menudo, carnitas estilo Michoacán, and even pozole on the weekend.

However, tamales and tamales oaxaqueños remain a delicious classic that requires trying more than once. ( Jocelyn Vega) Rosa’s Tamales #1, 5632 S. Kedzie Ave. Monday-Sunday, 4am-5pm. (773) 863-0646.

Highly recommended to bring cash. There are three other locations in the Chicago area.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 45

GAGE PARK

BEST BASEBALL FIELDS TO IMPROVE

Gage Park Baseball Field

COLONY THEATRE, PHOTO BY ANTONIO SANTOS

BEST MOVIE THEATER TO RENOVATE FOR CROSSCOMMUNITY AND YOUTH PROGRAMMING

Colony Theater

“Ever since COVID hit, the community got separated. It really hasn't been the same ever since. I feel like if they opened a theater, it would bring everybody together again,” Fabian said. He described COVID’s impact in distancing relationships and amplifying losses across households and neighbors. According to Fabian, many people don’t greet or acknowledge each other anymore. He finds people walking past each other in a daze.

“Nothing has been the same,” he added. He urged community members to advocate for positive change to recover from COVID as a collective by opening this theater for various communities.

However, Gage Park was vulnerable to this social separation before COVID. Many young people lack programming opportunities. Local organizations don’t have capacity or space for physical activities or social gatherings. “There's not much around here, and there's not any theaters,” Fabian said. “You have to drive, and you have to drive [a] pretty decent distance to go watch a movie, or just to go enjoy stuff with your friends and family. If they opened [Colony Theater], it's right in the middle [of several communities and across age groups] … It'd be a good idea to bring the kids together and bring the community together.”

He envisions talent shows, dance practices, and accessible after-school activities for kids and families, not just “exclusive to performers” who can afford to rent. Fabian has never seen Colony Theater’s doors open (it’s been closed since the early 90s) but already sees its transformative potential for current and future generations.

Fabian also imagines the theater economically linking families to continue socializing at nearby small businesses after programming or movies. “Once you're done watching the movie, you could just walk right there and go to Betty's Ice Cream or you could go get tacos, burgers, or Rosas Tamales because everything's around. If they renovate that theater, it would open a lot of joy and happiness within the community, and bring us closer again,” Fabian said. ( Jocelyn Vega) Colony Theater, 5208 W. 58th St.

46 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

“My dad and I bond over baseball … We connect over that, but we can’t go to Gage Park because the field is messed up. It’s more dirt than field–more grass than field.

It’s nothing, to be honest. Nobody looks after it,” said Karen. Her father, who has professional baseball experience in México, finds the field unsafe.

The field has lacked quality care from the Chicago Park District, despite their recent plan to build their headquarters 0.8 miles north in Brighton Park. Karen, Jesus, and Fabian were disappointed by the Park District’s decision to move into the area after years of neglect and racially inequitable funding of services and programming across Gage Park sites. The field remains inaccessible and quite dangerous due to uneven ground and minimal attention, as is the case for other parks and play areas in Gage Park.

Karen described her frustration attempting to practice grounders at the only park nearby her home. “Our schools always promote ‘Oh, go outside, sixty minutes of physical activity every day,’ but I don't think what they realize is that a lot of kids don't have access to that, because we don’t have fields to go to,” Karen added. The current situation forces her family to drive far for a decent field.

Unfortunately, many nearby schools, children and families similarly struggle to fully enjoy the parks due to other issues including an under-resourced field house and lack of seating, hydration stations, protective shading, or proper sanitation options.

Like Karen, they depend on the parks to gather and engage in physical activities in a free and public space. People of all ages and potential baseball leagues are all undermined by the institutional racism that leads to inequitable parks.

Karen hopes the field will be improved soon and calls on the Chicago Park District to improve existing parks before stomping their new footprint–their plan to build their headquarters is already raising gentrification concerns. She believes innovating the parks would be an improvement for all Gage Park residents and nearby neighbors.

The issue expands beyond baseball for Karen. “I want to see people who don't even know the game, and they just go and watch. It's free, it's public, and you're outdoors.

You just get to be there with your community, and watching this, it's more than a game,” Karen added.

Fabian said, “it’s a social vibe” where individuals can build relationships and new connections. Karen, Jesus, and Fabian encourage the Chicago Park District, the Cubs, and the White Sox to invest in the South Side to foster young people’s ability to play in teams and become teammates in their communities. ( Jocelyn Vega) Gage Park baseball fields, 2411 W. 55th St. Gage Park’s Best of the South Side is continued online.

GARFIELD RIDGE

Compiled by Rob Bitunjac, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

W

hen outsiders think of Chicago, they likely envision State Street or Michigan Avenue. They think about the Sears Tower (not the Willis Tower!), the Picasso, or more recently, the Bean (not Cloud Gate). But a true Chicagoan knows that this is only the façade—that the real lifeblood of the city lies in Chicago’s neighborhoods and, more specifically, in the people and organizations that make up those neighborhoods.

Like many other neighborhoods, Garfield Ridge has its share of special people and amazing organizations, which provide a sense of community like nothing else.

If you are a business in Garfield Ridge you talk to Mary Ellen Brown, the president of the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce, or Anita Cummings, the president of the United Business Association of Midway (UBAM). If you are an individual with a local concern, you talk to Henry Pukala, the president of the Garfield Ridge Civic League. Have a security concern? Reach out to Al Cacciottolo of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch. And finally, to find out what is going on in the neighborhood and to get all your questions answered, talk to Louis Kujawa, branch manager of the Garfield Ridge Library.

The Chamber of Commerce sponsors parades, farmers’ markets, and holiday decorations among other things. UBAM holds seminars for small businesses, dedicates parks, and provides a way to network in the community. The Garfield Civic League hosts tours and luncheons for community leaders. The neighborhood watch serves as the community’s Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) organization and

hosts rummage sales, car shows, and other fun activities for the neighborhood. And of course the library is the community hub, serving as the go-to place for students looking for help with their homework or adults looking for help in finding a job.

In the last year, community organizations like these have taken on more importance as we lost much of our personal connection to others. They also have adapted themselves to take on new tasks, as the pandemic necessitated. The Chamber of Commerce provided special banners for graduates in 2020 and 2021 who were unable to have in-person graduations or parties. The neighborhood watch helped community members get access to much-needed help and health-care needs. The library stayed open during most of the pandemic, held virtual programs, and helped people connect to vaccines and unemployment registration.

A community can be defined by its people and organizations, and in 2021, Garfield Ridge is certainly an example of that. (Rob Bitunjac) Neighborhood captain Rob Bitunjac, and his wife and three children, are lifelong residents of Garfield Ridge, where their family has lived for the past hundred years. He has worked for the Chicago Public Library for the past thirty years and is currently the branch manager for the Clearing Branch Library. In 2011, along with a group of other local historians, he formed the Clear-Ridge Historical Society and has served as the president since its inception.

The Clear-Ridge Historical Society has written three books on local history and offers tours as well as free programs at the Clearing Library, where it maintains a local history file.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 47

GARFIELD RIDGE

BEST ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL BUSINESS

BEST PARK NAMED FOR A CHICAGO MAYOR

Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce

Wentworth Park

“Wow, we do really do a lot of stuff !” said Mary Ellen Brown, president of the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce, when asked to list the things that her organization does.

She’s not kidding. Aside from providing businesses in the community with many resources, including Business 101 seminars and chances to network, the Chamber of Commerce also sponsors several parades each year during Independence Day and Halloween, hosts “Back to School” events, holds a farmers’ market each week, coordinates the making and hanging of decorations for the holidays, has put on a “Breakfast with Santa” program for the past thirty-eight years, and too much else to list here.

When asked why she does it, Brown is at a loss for words. Like other community leaders, she’s not in it for financial gain—she is not paid—but because a sense of community is important to her. Just before we spoke, another community leader called her up and suggested they do something to honor the veterans that were lost recently in Afghanistan. Brown also said she would like to feature local crafters, home-based businesses, and local authors at future farmers’ market events. This is an example of how community works together. Because of organizations like the Chamber of Commerce residents can feel that connection and be proud to live where they live. (Rob Bitunjac) Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce, 6554 W. Archer Ave. (773) 767-0014. garfieldridgecc@live.com.

“Long John” Wentworth lived up to his name. A contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, Wentworth was 6’ 6” and towered over our tallest president.

He was also a big personality. As mayor of Chicago in the 1860s, he once fired the entire police force. Another time, upon being visited by the Prince of Wales, he introduced his colleagues by stating, “Boys, this is the Prince of Wales. Prince, these are the boys.”

In another larger-than-life gesture, he once owned the 4,700 acres of land that now comprises the neighborhoods of Garfield Ridge, Clearing, and the neighboring suburb of Summit.

In honor of his legacy, Wentworth Park is the main park in Garfield Ridge and the center of much of the community activity. The park serves as a playground for both Kinzie Elementary School and John F. Kennedy High School. It also is home to an ice skating rink and a newly built baseball diamond, home to the Clear-Ridge Little League, the 2016 Senior League World Series champions. It is also where, on any given Sunday in the summer, you can watch the Chicago tradition of 16-inch softball being played.

It is also home to almost every major community activity as it serves as the end point for several different neighborhood parades, community rummage sales, and a community Christmas tree lighting.

In other words, much like its namesake, the park is larger than life.

Wentworth Park, 5625 S. Mobile Ave. (312) 747-6993

BEST TRIANGLE

The Land Just East of Archer, Narragansett, and 55th, Near Where Sizzler Used to Be

As most people know, Chicago streets are laid out on a grid. The few diagonal streets are not only unique but create unique intersections when they cross both a northsouth and an east-west street.

One such intersection exists where Archer Avenue intersects Narragansett Avenue and 55th Street. The result is a triangular piece of land that has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, and known by many as simply “the Triangle.”

It may look like a nondescript triangle of land notable only as a place for John F. Kennedy High School students to wait for the bus, but history tells a different story.

If you go back far enough this piece of land was known as the “Turn O’ The Road,” because at this point Archer ceases to run diagonally as it merges with 55th to run due west. When the Sanitary and Ship Canal was being built in the 1890s, it was said that workers often gathered at this spot and held Sulky Races, horse races with a cart and person in the back.

Later, part of the land was dedicated to Lech Walesa, the Polish labor leader, and dubbed the “Lech Walesa Triangle.” More recently, part of the land has been dedicated to veterans and has taken on the moniker Veterans Park. Several historic cement posts that used to adorn Archer Avenue from 1910-1990s have been reused as bases for statues honoring our fallen heroes. A fitting and timely tribute.(Rob Bitunjac) Intersection of S. Archer Ave., S. Narragansett Ave., and W. 55th St. 48 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

MEMORIAL IN VETERANS PARK, PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

HEGEWISCH Compiled by Alma Campos Neighborhood Captain

T

he rest of Chicago seems light years away whenever I’m in Hegewisch, visiting my brother or crossing the state border while passing through to visit family in Hammond, Indiana. Living on the Southwest Side for ten years, I’ve grown accustomed to walking a few minutes to a bus stop or train station and being immediately connected to Chinatown, Bridgeport, the Loop, and other parts of the city in a matter of minutes.

Driving down Brainard Ave., in Hegewisch,you’ll pass Calumet Harbor Lumber Company—a saw mill and manufacturer. Vlado Truck Parking—a lot that is dedicated to truck parking—also operates down the avenue. Great Lakes Reloading—a steel processing company—is located nearby. Power posts and power towers stand visible as the area’s skyscrapers. The rest: rows of bungalows, small businesses on Baltimore Ave., some abandoned industrial sites, and blight.

For this project, I asked friends, family, and locals to describe the area. Their responses included the neighborhood’s industrial past; its steel mills, manufacturing, and factories; Wolf Lake’s natural areas as well as vacant land; and the police.

Even natural spaces such as Wolf Lake are surrounded by industry. The Hegewisch Marsh, which contains 129 acres of native marsh, wetland, and prairie habitats along the Calumet River, sits south of the Ford Motor Plant at Torrence Ave. and 130th St. and east of an enormous landfill. Wolf Lake’s 804 acres straddle the Indiana and Illinois state line near Lake Michigan, and have suffered years of environmental damage caused by Hegewisch’s history of heavy industries. Local environmental activist groups have worked hard to clean both Wolf Lake and the marsh. Avenue “O” takes drivers on a narrow scenic path through Wolf Lake on the left if you’re driving south.

Just as nature perseveres in Hegewisch despite the threats of polluting companies, so do its people. I met Melany Flores, who participated in the Stop General Iron

PHOTO BY LEO HERNANDEZ

hunger strike in the spring of 2021 to keep a metal-scrapping company from coming to her neighborhood. When I first spoke to Flores months back on the phone, she told me she still could not eat like she used to before the hunger strike.

I also spoke to Jesse Diaz, who opened a nutrition club in Hegewisch last year.

His goal is to bring happiness in the neighborhood around the topic of nutrition and provide a welcoming space to all. He opened his business in spite of the pandemic, and in spite of being the only LGBT and brown individual on the board of the Hegewisch Business Association.

Flores told me that after the hunger strike, which came about during the pandemic and was motivated largely by the social momentum built during the past year’s movements such as Black Lives Matter, her neighborhood would not be the same. She said the pandemic revealed a lot of the ruptures in her neighborhood and beyond but she remains hopeful for change. This reminded me of what Arundhati Roy wrote in her latest essay, “The Pandemic Is a Portal”—from her book Azadi: Freedom.

Fascism. Fiction. She writes: “Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to ‘normality,’ trying to stitch our future to our past and refusing to acknowledge the rupture. But the rupture exists. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine we have built for ourselves. Nothing could be worse than a return to normality. Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew.

This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.”

(Alma Campos) Neighborhood captain Alma Campos is the immigration editor at the Weekly.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 49

HEGEWISCH

BEST STARTUP

Hegewisch Nutrition

Hegewisch Nutrition is a place where the music is always beating loud, new items are added to the menu and every single customer gets a big, “Hello.” “One of the main protocols that we have is that nobody enters without a big hello. And nobody leaves without a sorrowful goodbye,” said owner Jesse Diaz.

While some businesses closed temporarily and some for good during the pandemic, Diaz took a risk and in the spring of 2020 he opened his nutrition shop. Diaz said he wanted to build community around the topic of nutrition. He wanted residents in the area to have access to nutritional items that are often only available in other parts of the city. Residents can find various health snacks at Hegewisch Nutrition such as fruit smoothies, protein drinks, acai bowls (smoothie bowls made from fruit and acai berries), and teas.

But the establishment is more than a nutrition shop for neighbors. Diaz said it has become a community hub and social gathering space that brings people together in an upbeat and motivational environment. A quote from C.S. Lewis is painted on the wall inside the shop’s waiting area: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” Smiling customers of all ages take selfies or group photos behind this wall and tag the business’s Instagram account.

Diaz currently operates Hegewisch Nutrition from a pop-up window where people can stop by and order. He originally wanted to serve inside his establishment but he had to pivot due to the pandemic. “So I made the philosophy a little bit more bigger than the actual product.”

Diaz sits on the board of the Hegewisch Business Association where he is the first brown and LGBTQ member. While thirty-five percent of the neighborhood’s

PHOTO BY VIVIANA GONZALEZ

population is Hispanic and 60 percent is White, chamber members are mostly white males, said Diaz. “I think, you know, it was something that was needed in that area,” he said.

Among his favorite customers are Ford Factory employees, who he said appreciate the healthy options available and tell him they would otherwise be drinking pop. He also appreciates older adults who walk in to buy smoothies. “They see the pride flags everywhere and it's something different to them, but they’re accepting. We are the ones who provide the vibe and you just come into it and you become part of it. That’s been the most gratifying thing to see… that shift in people.” (Alma Campos) Hegewisch Nutrition, 13538 S Brandon Ave. Monday–Friday, 6am–7pm; Saturday, 7am– 5pm; Sunday, 8am–2pm. instagram.com/hegewisch_nutrition_

50 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

HEGEWISCH

BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST

Melany Flores

Growing up, Melany Flores, now twenty-five, said she didn’t like her community. She refers to the Hegewisch neighborhood located in the Southeast Side. At the patio of Small World Bar and Grill, located at 106th and Mackinaw, just a few minutes from Hegewisch, we were surrounded by structures and businesses such as Z Materials, a stone supplier, Cruz Brothers Tuckpointing, Cronimet Corporation, a stainless steel plant, and smokestack skyscrapers. Flores talked to the Weekly about a couple of major events that shifted her perspective.

Flores was a victim of racial discrimination. Three years ago, inside a local tavern, a bartender asked her if she had a green card. The bartender continued and asked her if her parents also had green cards. “I was extremely confused and extremely uncomfortable,” she said. But when she spoke out against the incident on social media, she was surprised at how many people in the neighborhood had experienced the same at the local establishment. “The post blew up,” Flores said. She said this experience made her see how powerful it is to speak up. And so she began to do so even more.

In the summer of 2020, Flores showed her support for Black Lives Matter openly outside her home despite her neighbors' criticism. Flores and her daughter would sit outside their porch on many summer days, holding Black Lives Matter signs and playing music to show solidarity. While this made many of her neighbors upset, Flores said, others viewed her home as the safe space in the community. “It was very interesting to see all the different people that would actually come to my house to talk to me.

And to hang out…it had become a safe haven…”, she said. She participated in marches and joined groups to support Black Lives Matter. “All the right people fell together in the right place. You could kind of really tell what side you were on.”

In the spring of 2021, Melany joined the Stop General Iron Coalition—a group of community and environmental activists fighting the relocation of a metal shredder to Hegewisch from the affluent Lincoln Park neighborhood. She had already been attending rallies and events but she felt she needed to do more. That is why she decided to take part in the hunger strike. Melany developed dangerous symptoms from not eating anything for fifteen days: fever, extreme cold body sensations, headaches, and lethargy.

Flores said that her biggest motivation is her six-year-old daughter and her community. “I want to teach her that even though she might think she has a little voice.

She has a big one.” Flores grew up with a single mother who told her she can do just as much as anybody else. “And that if I ever wanted something, I needed to work for it.”

PHOTO BY ALMA CAMPOS

BEST COMMUNITY PUSHBACK

The Fight Against General Iron

I wrote my first story for the Weekly, “Rise Against General Iron,” almost a year ago. I left my apartment that fall morning and drove on the Skyway to interview organizers on the Southeast Side at the East Side Memorial on 100th Street and Ewing Avenue.

People were setting up a table to sell t-shirts and face masks. The t-shirts read “Stop General Iron” and demonstrators painted Halloween makeup on their faces and hopped on their bikes en route to George Washington High School where they would meet students to protest the metal shredder that was slated to come to the neighborhood.

At the rally, high school students shouted they wanted justice now, as the area is already overburdened with toxic pollution. Students and advocates said they wanted answers from the city, and from the alderperson in their ward, Susan Sadlowski-Garza. The high school is a walking distance from the metal shredder. Police officers and squad cars surrounded hundreds of demonstrators and they followed the crowd when they marched to Sadlowski-Garza’s home some blocks away. Dozens of similar rallies and marches would take place that year including a thirty-day hunger strike in the spring of 2021.

In May of that year, the EPA said the plan by General Iron to operate in Hegewisch raises “significant civil rights concerns.” As a result, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she would conduct an additional environmental analysis and indefinitely delay a final permit needed to operate on the Southeast Side. This would not have happened without the work of local residents and organizations. The coalition’s work over the last three years has also helped raise consciousness to a new generation about environmental concerns in the area though it has been decades-long work that has made this happen.

The coalition continues to fight to close down the metal shredder completely and continues addressing environmental racism in Hegewisch and surrounding neighborhoods. (Alma Campos) Learn more about the movement and get updates here: Stop General Iron Coalition. stopgeneraliron.org

PHOTO BY VANESSA BLY

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 51

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 51

PHOTO BY SAMUEL COLON

Bill Gerstein is the former owner of Mr. G’s Finer Foods, a longtime high school principal, and a civic force in Hyde Park, having served on the boards of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, the Hyde Park Development Corporation, The Hyde Park–Kenwood Community Conference, and the Kenwood High School Local School Council. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

B

oth my parents were from Hyde Park. They went to Hyde Park High, they went to Kozminski Elementary School, they got married after World War II. They moved to South Shore, which is what a lot of Hyde Parkers were doing back then—that’s a whole other history. My father started a grocery store. His father was in the grocery business on 31st in Bronzeville. [My father] decided he didn't want to work for his father, so he started his own store on 53rd and Kimbark. It was called G's Certified, and he had another store in the neighborhood called Prairie Shores, where Michael Reese Hospital used to be.

52 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

As a kid I worked in the store on and off, starting when I was eleven. I didn't want to go into the family business, so I became a high school teacher until 1981. My uncle got real sick, and he was running the Hyde Park store. I decided if I was ever gonna be in the business, I only wanted to do the Hyde Park one, because I loved Hyde Park. I took a leave of absence from being a teacher and I ended up loving it.

I loved the neighborhood. You got to really touch the community in a way that very few people see a community. Grocery stores are very democratic institutions. I hired all these neighborhood kids. I’m very proud of the fact that many, many, many of them have turned out to be really important people in the world.

As a supermarket owner who also had to make money, I saw myself as somebody who stayed away from a lot of controversial big issues, otherwise you alienate half your customers. I promoted all good stuff: the schools, the parks, solid community projects that brought affordable housing or good development. To be good at retail you have to get along with your customers, who were in my case my neighbors. I ended up living

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD Compiled by the staff of the Hyde Park Herald

two blocks from Mr. G's, so for almost fifteen years. My whole life was in a one-anda-half-mile concentric circle of where I lived.

I got involved in this movement to create high schools—the small schools movement. I ended up starting a whole bunch of schools. I was principal until 2010 at South Shore High School and Austin High School.

Any kind of neighborhood school is the center of a community. It used to be everybody would send their kid to a neighborhood school. If you have a parent of a child in your school and they are angry with something, they're gonna come right to the top. They're gonna want to, in some cases, curse you out. My job, I felt, and I learned this from the supermarket business—you let them vent, okay, and after they've vented you apologize if you need to, and in almost every case you need to. Then you try to figure out how you keep them as your customer and as your neighbor and build their trust and make sure it never happens again.

My big obsession was how do we get better K-12 systems for the neighborhood?

Hardly any school in Hyde Park has a large number of Hyde Park children going to it.

That was always one of my big interests, and I wish that people who were spending time, energy, and money on the typical, the rocks at the Point, would take on: How do we get more Hyde Parkers engaged in the schools?

I'll be real specific on this: I think people move to Hyde Park for its racial diversity, and you could create a better sense of community if everybody sent their children to the neighborhood schools. That way, they're all in the same place, children and parents are all in the same place, but people get to know each other. You build community through neighborhood schools.

The strength of my store was that I was able to attract the full diversity of Hyde Park—I had a really good cross-section. My estimate was eighty percent of my customers came from the Hyde Park community—and it was a strength, and we built community around that. By doing that, you have racial integration, you have economic integration.

I think having a larger group of neighborhood residents owning key businesses creates a civic culture, for lack of a better term, where people feel closer together. The small business ownership is not what it was back in the day. There was Herman Cohn from Cohn and Stern, there was Hans Morsbach, there was the old John Swain from the old Kimbark Liquors. There is a decline in the number of neighborhood business owners.

I really believe most Hyde Parkers want what I'm talking about. They want to live in a community where they know their neighbors, people go to the same schools. They want that, but how are you gonna actualize what they want, is the big dilemma.

I knew a lot of people and I liked people. A lot of people don't like other humans.

I felt really good about almost everybody in Hyde Park. They were good people, I liked engaging with them. I loved the diversity of it. I couldn't have done what I did at Mr. G's in any other neighborhood. It gave me more of a sense of place, how important place is in human society. That, I never thought about that before.

As told to Morley Musick.

The Hyde Park Herald, Chicago’s oldest community newspaper, prints once a week and updates online every weekday with news about Hyde Park, Kenwood and Woodlawn.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 53

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD

IN MEMORIAM: BEST NEWSLETTER WRITER

Roberiste

I used to go drinking at my friend’s apartment on 53rd St. Walking home, I would pass the Falcon Inn, where, for several years, a weekly newsletter was posted in the window.

It included the editor’s musings on life, as well as puzzles, trivia, and local and national news. The letters were laid out in three columns with clip art in the margins and a decorative border dividing each section.

I liked to stop by here while I was drunk and try to solve the puzzles. The newsletter also contained updates on the lives of the bar regulars. I have happy memories standing outside here on summer nights and reading the newsletter by the orange light of the streetlamp.

I was hoping to write about it and its author for this issue, but when I checked a week ago, there was no newsletter to be found. The bartender working at the time, Belinda Roddy, informed me that its author had passed away three or four years ago.

His name was an unusual one and no one I spoke with was entirely certain about how it was spelled: “Roberiste” was the most confident guess, though I also heard “Robaris” and “Roberis”. One person said his last name was Walton. I have been unable to confirm any spelling with the City coroner’s office.

Belinda told me that the newsletter had originally been her idea and that Roberiste had taken it on. “He used to put all of us in there, Pudgy, Jackie, Floyd, we was all in [the newsletter],” said Roddy, gesturing at several regulars sitting around the bar.

Roberiste had helped manage the Falcon Inn’s softball team and organized its Thanksgiving dinners. Belinda recalled him wearing white latex gloves outside the door on Thanksgiving, spritzing the hands of customers before they walked in.

Jackie, who was sitting across from us, spoke about Roberiste’s work with the Department of Health. As a gay man, he had worked for decades to raise awareness about AIDs and other sexual health issues. “He used to always bring condoms in here, all kinds, even lady condoms, little pamphlets and things,” said Jackie.

Belinda retrieved a water pitcher from a cabinet behind the bar which was about a quarter of the way full with condoms—Roberiste had left it here years ago. An elderly man asked for a Magnum condom, to which Belinda replied, “Don’t have any. You’ll have to glue two together.”

One of the younger Falcon Inn regulars, Tommy Deaderick, had been good friends with Roberiste, and remembered his distinct look.

He said, “I always used to joke about his fashion cause it looked straight out of the 80s, broad jeans, things like that. But back in the day I would’ve probably wanted to wear his whole catalog.”

Belinda remembered his custom Cubs shirt, and others recalled clothes he had sewn himself.

Tommy recalled, “I went to Atlanta and so I knew about gay culture, gay lifestyle… and the Falcon Inn was an accepting place. But I would sometimes say, you know, ‘oh that’s gay’, stuff like that. Roberiste kinda took me aside one day, like, ‘Do you know how you sound when you say that?’ I thought about it, I said, ‘Yeah I sound pretty dumb.’ He was upfront like that. He changed me.”

Jackie said she and Roberiste frequently argued about the news, and that Roberiste made sure to include his opinions in the newsletter.

“We’d get in a fight, yelling at each other, all that. Then I’d see him the next day: ’Hey baby, how you doin?’”

Tommy said, “He was a real one, genuine. I don’t think you’ll find too many people like Roberiste no more. He gave a shit. At the same time he was so ahead of his time, the world was different thirty years ago. You had to be a bold person back then to be outright gay. He was like that.”

54 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

He recalled that Roberiste had broken up with a partner shortly before passing away, and that he had concealed his illness from the regulars. Roberiste disappeared from the bar for many months before his death and, when he returned, appeared sick and small. Floyd, another regular, remembered that his usual hat fit “so loosely on his head that you could stick two hands in it, between the ears.”

“He was angry,” said Tommy, “He didn’t want to die.”

It took the Falcon Inn regulars several months to learn that he had passed. They drank shots in his honor after they finally heard.

Among the Falcon Inn’s mementos, Belinda could not find any of Roberiste’s newsletters, nor a photo, nor the custom t-shirt she had made celebrating him (“his name was spelled wrong on it anyway”, she said).

I mentioned all of this to a friend, who had previously worked for The Hyde Park Herald, and he remembered Roberiste sending him a few of the newsletters. Though he unfortunately signed the email “Rob”, there were nonetheless four newsletters attached to the email (editor.falcon.news@gmail.com) all dated from 2017.

Of these, the July 8th edition is my favorite.

It contains many things: a notice for the Friday afternoon dominoes game; patron reviews of Falcon Inn Karaoke — “Some men come because their wives or girlfriends enjoy it.” — Anonymous, “I love Friday Karaoke... the diversity of people and the talent. A shot of beer will do you good.” — Tanya; various ads for local businesses — “www.Twoffold.com is the place to go if you are looking for great service that provides ‘a second set of eyes for your business’.” “ATTENTION all candle lovers.” — along with what must have been an unsanctioned beer ad that simply read: “Miller Lite. The Original Lite Beer. Born in the 1970s...”

It also records historical events that occurred the week of the newsletter: the marriage of the Duke of Windsor to Wallis Warford Simpson, the assasinations of Medgar Evers and Robert F. Kennedy — and then an event of local significance: “On Thursday, May 25th the FALCON INN was blessed with the presence of renown [sic] Blues Harmonicist, Mr. Billy Branch.”

It includes a survey of Falcon Inn patron opinions on the occasion of Father’s day: “A beautiful Sunday to honor or remember our fathers and maybe enjoy a nice cold beer.” — Terrence. “Father’s Day for Black men is a very important day mainly because of the significance of the absence of Black fathers.” — Billy Branch. “It’s just a day to highlight what fathers do anyway. It really doesn’t hold any weight because even without that day father’s do it anyhow.” — L. L. This is what I could find.

Roberiste wrote the Falcon Inn newsletter for several years without expecting glory, for a small group of friends, on the edge of oblivion, and posted it in a tavern window. (Morley Musick)

PHOTO BY SAMUEL COLON

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD

BEST GRASSROOTS SPORTS SCENE

Kenwood Park

This spring, nearly 150 parents and residents petitioned the city to repave Kenwood Park. In an accompanying letter they explained that the blacktop, despite twenty years of neglect, was being put to good use again: Local shop Natty Bwoy Bikes and Boards had started offering skateboarding lessons to children at the park each Sunday.

Founded last October by brothers Kahari, Kari, and Katon Blackburn together with their friend Carlos Cortes, Natty Bwoy is located in nearby Boxville, the mall on 51st St. near the Green Line station. They ended up at Kenwood Park because Katon spent lots of time there when he was first learning to skate. “It was just like, what else can we do around this brand that can also help with the community in some sort of way,” he told the Hyde Park Herald.

This summer, the park got even more crowded, after DePaul undergrad Maxwell Murray started up the Urban Football League (UFL). The UFL is Murray’s attempt to bring more Black kids into soccer at the local level. Murray, who grew up in Detroit, often had to travel long distances for practices and games.

“I was the only black kid on my teams,” he said. “To the majority of people around the world, soccer is a working poor man's game. I want to let our communities know that as well. It's not a game of affluence. Only here, it's marketed that way.”

For now, he’s offering soccer lessons to children in the park each Saturday, as well as hosting a pick-up game on Sundays on a paved part of the old basketball court he’s dubbed “The Pavement.” He’s got plans to expand to more days and neighborhoods, including Pilsen and Woodlawn, as well as dreams of partnering with professional clubs.

“It's very much a diverse community out here,” Murray said one Sunday afternoon while drill music played from a set of speakers, and a radio broadcast the Manchester United–Wolverhampton Wolves game. “To play in a community like [Hyde Park/ Kenwood] where we are able to listen to our music, where we are able to communicate in the way we naturally communicate, you know. It gives it a different feeling.” (Marc Monaghan, Christian Belanger, and Corli Jay) Kenwood Park, 1330 E. 50th St. Natty Bwoy Bikes & Boards, nattybwoychicago.com/.

Urban Football League, instagram.com/theurbanfootballleague/

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 55

HYDE PARK & KENWOOD

BEST AND LONGEST-TENURED WAITSTAFF

Original Pancake House

Standing on the porch of the Original Pancake (OPH) on 47th and Lake Park and waiting in line has been the norm since the restaurant opened. People wait patiently under the store's eaves for the host to stick their head out of the entryway and call a name, even in the winter.

There must be a reason.

Once inside and seated, a busser will quickly bring you your silverware and water, and then a server will put a menu on your table.

As you read the menu, you might watch the servers move through the room. Nearby, one might say to a customer, “More coffee?” Another across the room: "The Dutch Baby? You know that takes about twenty minutes?” “You pay up front,” says a third, pointing toward the door.

And then, as you hold your menu and watch an apple pancake or an andouille chicken sausage skillet order being carried by, you look up. Your server is waiting, pen and pad in hand, "Has your order been taken yet?", she asks.

What makes OPH a great pancake house? It has great food, but a lot of places have great food. So what makes it so special?

“The waitresses are spectacular. Yeah, we are just spectacular,” said Latisha Warfield, a Wendell Phillips graduate who has worked twenty-seven years at OPH, mostly as a server, but for the past three months as a store manager. “We get the job done. We take the order, we put the orders in, you know. Service with a smile. This is how we make our money. So, if we don't give good service, we don't make any money.”

Jonte Marshall, a Dunbar graduate who has been serving for nine years at OPH, had another answer to the question.

“The food, everything is just about made from scratch. So that's number one. We serve fresh fruit, you know that's a plus. The pancakes is awesome," she said.

"You can't go to all breakfast places and get a Dutch Baby. You know some people don't even know what a Dutch Baby is. And then we have thick bacon. Who don’t like thick bacon?"

Marshall said she has worked at OPH for so long because “I always feel like God put me here to [serve] people," said Marshall as she explained why she has worked so long at OPH. She previously served at Soul 56 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

Queen, a restaurant located at 90th and Stony, which closed in 2009 after its proprietor Miss Helen Anglin passed.

Many of the servers working at OPH have done so for a long time. “It’s the hours and the money," said Helen Linn, who has been at OPH for about thirty years. “I start at 6:30 a.m. and I pretty much get off by one-thirty, two o’clock in the afternoon. So, I can go and do what I gotta do.”

Linn and Warfield are the only two workers still at OPH who started out at its old location on the corner of 51st and Lake Park, where Joe Zimmerman first opened his doors in 1971. He would eventually expand to three other locations in the Chicago area. The four locations opened by Zimmeraman and one other are now owned

by Zimmerman's great-niece, Lisa LaRoche Sczurek, and her husband Steve Sczurek.

“On 51st Street, when I was down there, there was some ladies there when I first started, and they had been there for years ,” Linn said. “Now it's me and one other girl that came from 51st to here. It actually was three others, Trish, Cerita and Cat. Cat isn't working here anymore, Cerita is a manager out in Oak Forest, and Trish is the manager here now."

“We call each other, hang out with each other. We know their kids, you know, from babies until now. Trish has a daughter that's like twenty-five, twenty-six years

old. And I've been knowing her since then. It's a great place to work. Everybody pretty much get along. We fight like sisters and brothers sometime. And Cerita, I am her son's godmother."

Yocelyn Santana attends Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy in the Little Village neighborhood and has been serving at OPH for about a year. She started on her sixteenth birthday; it’s her first job. Her dad is a manager with the business, mostly at the Orland Park location.

“I basically grew up here. I used to eat blueberry pancakes all the time,” Santana said. The job “gets difficult sometimes, because I am young. You know, I have to deal with people my age, older people. I like it though. I like the people I work with. Sometimes I like my customers."

Alicia Price is the only server I spoke with who wasn’t raised in Chicago. She has been serving at OHP for about three years. “I moved here from Ohio, and I came up here,” she said. “Ended up moving into Hyde Park. Seeing that the Pancake House is always busy, been serving my whole life, came here and got a job."

“This is the busiest restaurant I have ever worked at and I’ve made the most money here selling pancakes and eggs. More than I've made in the last seventeen years of my life serving, like literally. The hours too. My kids go to school from 8:45 to 3:45 and there is a 9 to 3 o'clock

PHOTO BY SAMUEL COLON

BEST EGG

The Bird of Peace PHOTO BY SAMUEL COLON

shift here that works perfect. My kids go to school right down the street.”

Quentin King, a King Prep graduate, is one of two male servers at OPH. He has been serving at OPH for two years. “I've been a bartender, a bar back, a floor manager, a store manager. I’ve done it all,” he said. “Nothing good comes easy. So, if you have great service in a restaurant, if the food is great, if the service is great, if the music is great, it took a lot of time and effort to get there. So as seamless as it looks, that's how much work we are putting in. If you have a great experience, we are putting in great work, a great amount of work. We're going to be the foundation and the glue.”

Tamara Mack-Lee, a Westinghouse High School graduate, has been serving at OPH for about four years. She said the biggest benefit was being able to work around her children’s schedule.

“I have an associates degree, a paralegal, I have certifications in medical assistance, phlebotomy, EKG. You name it, I've done it,” she said. “But this is the only job at this point that has given me the opportunity to basically be a good mom, you know, for my kids. Without having to ask someone else, can you pick them up from school, can you do this, can you do that, so it gives me the level.”

“What got me here?," she asked herself as we spoke. “I was recently married, now divorced. I had moved to Atlanta, Georgia. I was down there for maybe like six years.

It didn't work out for me."

“My aunt, she works with the company as well. She started off pretty young, I think, maybe right after high school. She, like, has over, maybe, thirty-five years with the company.” Her aunt said OPH was hiring, so she told herself she’d see how it would go.

“I am still here.” She laughed. “It worked out.” (Marc Monaghan) Original Pancake House, 1358 E. 47th St. Daily, 7 am-3pm. ophchicagoland.com

Plenty of public art is monumental, aimed at making an impression on a grand scale, but not the Bird of Peace. Inside Nichols Park—unobtrusive in its own way compared to the acres of space found in its neighbor parks, Jackson and Washington—the Bird of Peace is tucked away by a little plaza in front of the fieldhouse. A bronze egg standing on two other eggs, with a beak that resembles an upside-down coat hanger, it’s innocent without being naive, puzzling but not inaccessible.

The sculptor, Cosmo Campoli, was a local character, one of those eccentrics remembered mostly by old-timers. When the Herald interviewed him in 1986, he told them he’d like to be mayor of Hyde Park and outlined his vision for the neighborhood: “I’d encircle Hyde Park with parking lots. You’d leave your car in the outer circle before you come in, and then Hyde Park would be free of all this traffic.”

Even then, Campoli was a bit of a fossil, the last hirsute relic of the Monster Roster, an overlooked group of post-war artists in Chicago who made up a loose movement oriented around existentialism and psychoanalysis. Like the Chicago Imagists, their more celebrated descendants, the Roster found a home at the Hyde Park Art Center.

Campoli’s work was strange and obscurely dark, working out a fascination with birth, death and nature that developed, he said, after witnessing chicks hatch from eggs as a child on his family’s Indiana farm.

Bird of Peace, installed in 1968, was graffitied repeatedly. Campoli didn’t care. “I don’t mind a bit because they can’t destroy that bronze, even with their pipes, stones, whatever, they can’t even put a dent in that,” he told the Herald. “You know, kids write their names on things.”

In 2000, the sculpture went missing for a day after someone took it from its pedestal. (The park supervisor said that, “given the aerodynamic shape of the statue, it wouldn’t have been able to catch enough of the wind to topple by itself.”) It was soon recovered and, a few years later, anchored in place by titanium steel rods. It may be there until the Earth falls into the sun.

The Bird of Peace, an egg that is not yet a bird, represents the promise of future peace that might never be realized. It is also a reminder of an oddball artist and a past version of Hyde Park that is now mostly gone. “The egg is the most exquisite shape there is,” Cosmo once said. “You hold one in your hand and you are holding the universe.” (Christian Belanger) Bird of Peace, Nichols Park, 1355 E. 53rd St. SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 57

LA VILLITA Compiled by Jacqueline Serrato Neighborhood Captain

T

his year, La Villita received the most media attention in recent memory in response to the police killing of thirteen-year-old Adam Toledo. In the aftermath of his death, the community went through a torrent of emotions: anger, helplessness, shame, grief, and even harsh self-criticism.

People from all over the country and on social media came out of the woodwork to confirm their biases about this community and to distance themselves from it: "Bad parenting, bad kid, bad mother, bad neighborhood, bad people, criminals," were some of the things that were said.

Some conservative members of the community were on the defensive and had strong opinions about Adam’s ill fate. Nevermind that Adam never pulled a trigger, that he ran in fear of the police but then stopped and complied. Nevermind that, ultimately, he was an innocent child.

The Mexican community are a proud and resilient people, sometimes to a fault. Most don't want to believe that after their migration to a different land, their backbreaking labor, and the sacrifice and discrimination that they or their family may have endured in this country could somehow result in street violence so close to home.

Their journey could be interpreted as having been in vain when what they're seeking is progress and to feel accepted. They are still trying to believe that it all paid off even after an anxiety-filled four years of former president Donald Trump.

Moreover, people in La Villita are so busy working full-time and surviving a pandemic. Not everyone has the bandwidth to think about how systemic factors may be weighing the community down and contributing to the countless youth in this city feeling purposeless and without direction.

There is a silver lining to this whole mess. The city truly showed up for La Villita. All summer, thousands of neighbors, activists, families, organizers, youth, teachers, clergy, and out-of-towners made it to the site where the boy was killed.

Other communities held their own marches and vigils. Local grassroots organizations doubled down on their efforts against abusive policing, called out the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the mayor, and are building coalitions and actively advocating 58 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

LITTLE VILLAGE ARCHES, PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

for more public resources for La Villita.

At the policy level, CPD's foot-chase protocols are getting revised and the idea of community control of the police is increasingly viable.

It's too early to tell what the lessons and long-term effects Adam's death will have on our collective psyche, but something will come out of this. In the meantime, it's important not to be overcome by the loudest narrative and not to lose sight of the beauty, the glimmers of hope, and the small and big victories that happen on a daily basis in La Villita.

This year’s Best of the South Side issue is coming out on September 16th, so ¡Viva México! ( Jacqueline Serrato) Jacqueline Serrato of is the editor-in-chief of the Weekly and co-manages the largest neighborhood page on Facebook.

BEST FRIED FISH

Pescaditos Estilo D.F. aka Mr. Fish

You can find fried fish in many parts of the South Side and La Villita is no exception.

For the past seven years, the Rivero family have put up a stand on the intersection of Cermak Rd. and Fairfield Ave. on weekend afternoons.

Owners Doña Emelia and Don Ricardo, immigrants in their 60s, were inspired by the beer-battered fried fish that are popular in the streets of Mexico City. While their stand is known to locals as Pescaditos Estilo D.F., their adult children promote the business to a wider clientele under the name Mr. Fish. Through word of mouth and videos on social media, customers are drawn to that corner for a quick snack or a full meal.

Reluctant to share what type of fish they work with, they have assured me that it's not tilapia, but that it's better. And a taste test confirms it: The white fish has a simi-

BEST FARMER’S MARKET

Mercado De Colores

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. FISH

lar texture, but it's cut thinner and it’s longer in length than tilapia, and the taste is more buttery. The crust is deep-fried and toasty, and it's supposed to be drizzled with bottled Mexican hot sauce and a squeeze of lime. I personally like to add more salt.

This is the type of food that you have to eat on the spot in order to appreciate all of the flavors. People like to eat standing or in their car, but there are still many orders to-go. At under $2 per filet, people typically order three to five pescaditos (little fish). Then they walk into the corner store next door, La Copacabana, and buy a Mexican Coke to wash it down.

In 2019, someone called the City inspectors and the Riveros were taken to court for obstruction of the sidewalk and minor infractions like attaching a Mexican flag to a pole when they set up shop. Since then, they have received an outpouring of customers who want to support their hustle.

Come through! The owners are hygienic, and they wear aprons, face masks, and gloves, and everything is cooked in front of you. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Pescaditos Estilo D.F./Mr. Fish; 2732 W. Cermak Rd. Friday-Sunday 3pm-8pm

Many residents don’t know that there is a recreational plaza on 26th Street, the Manuel Pérez Jr. Plaza, because it’s located between large commercial buildings and shadowed by rows of trees. Yet it’s the perfect place to stand and watch the popular Mexican Independence Day Parade, which has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19, according to the Little Village Chamber of Commerce.

Still, during the pandemic, the plaza became a hangout for La Villita families who needed fresh air and social distancing. That’s why neighbors, mainly women, put their heads together in July 2020 to launch a weekend farmer’s market, el Mercado de Colores, in the underutilized space.

The intention was to foster a network of farmers and gardeners to improve access to food and “agroecological products”, their mission states, and to increase environmental awareness, promote health, and strengthen the local economy.

Throughout the summer and fall, the group of organizers prioritized vendors who came from the community. They are asked to offer products that are organic, in season, and attained through sustainable means (no pesticides, fertilizers, and using recyclable packaging). During the stay-at-home order, they held virtual workshops through Facebook on planting, beekeeping, pickling, and visited each other’s gardens.

Recurring items that you can find on Sundays include natural honey, culinary and medicinal herbs, potted plants, fruit preserves, seeds and nuts, salsas,

LA VILLITA organic eggs, handmade crafts like textiles, huaraches, artisanal soap and cosmetics, jewelry and accessories– even live painting. On a really good day, you’ll hear live mariachi, a DJ, or a dance class.

The effort has received the support of community organizations, churches, and the local alderman. And in just two years, it has grown considerably. Make a visit and eat an elote from the nearby vendor while you browse the wide selection. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Mercado de Colores, 4345 W. mercadodecoloreslavillita.org Sundays 11am-3pm weather permitting.

26th

St.

BEST BIKE SHOP IN LA VILLITA

Sanchez Bike Shop Sanchez Bike Shop is located just off the #60 bus stop on 26th St. and Lawndale Ave. Sanchez’s serves La Villita residents with bike services, tools and equipment for any cyclist's needs.

Owner Sergio Sanchez, 35, has provided bike repairs and other services for the community since 2013. It was originally established near 31st St. and Millard Ave. next to La Villita’s Gary Elementary School. Sergio is happy to be a part of the community by being a supportive presence for local bike riders, and he is able to feel more connected to home.

As an avid rider from Veracruz, Mexico, Sanchez felt the community needed a support system for daily riders as

PHOTO BY GERRI FERNANDEZ

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 59

LA VILLITA he thought about how thrilling yet dangerous the roads are in Mexico. He has advocated for protected bike lanes and better eco-friendly transportation. Now, in his neighborhood, he is motivated to provide support for cyclists as a means of improving the quality of health in La Villita.

Apart from providing services such as bike repairs and tune-ups—with a focus as a family-friendly shop—you may find BMX bikes, fixed, single, and even tricycles for riders of all levels. The array of bikes come in all colors, styles, and sizes.

“Me gustaría ver más pistas, parques, y reconocimiento de ciclistas en la comunidad.” (I would like to see more bike lanes, parks, and recognition of bike riders in the community.)

With Sanchez’s intention to see more bike equity for South Side cyclists who are in need of safe passage, Sanchez wishes to see more safe-guarded bike lane systems implemented in his neighborhood and green spaces for youth to explore in the neighborhood.

Sanchez likes to share with others the simplicity and joys of a safe and healthy bike ride. (Gerardo S. Flores, Yollocalli Arts Reach and City Bureau)

beacon,” he said.

Since being established in 2020, Lone Wolf Records, LLC has recorded artists from both Mexico, Chicago and other states: El Grave (Aguascalientes), Juan Zarate, Phero, and Flatline Vendetta (Chicago) among others.

The cost of sessions is negotiable and intended to be affordable to community residents and young people. You can find Alex and his studio by searching for Lone Wolf Records or Demo Ramirez on Facebook and Instagram. (Laura J. Ramírez) Lone Wolf Records, LLC., 2430 S. Pulaski Rd. Visits by appointment at lonewolfrecords23@gmail.com.

Sanchez Bike Shop, 3654 W. 26th St. Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.

BEST HIP-HOP RECORDING STUDIO

Lone Wolf Records, LLC

Nestled between large brick buildings along one of the busiest corridors of La Villita, you will find an unlikely space for creativity and connection: Lone Wolf Records, LLC. Founder and owner Alexis “Demo” Ramirez created this space in order to allow community residents, specifically young people, to have a place to create music, audio productions, recordings, DJ drops, and other digital content.

Demo grew up in the Little Village streets and found solace, inspiration, and community through music, specifically hip-hop. “I wanted to do it since I was a kid,” said Demo when I asked why this space is important to him. Additionally, building up the community is also important because he realized there was no record label registered in the neighborhood, although music is and has historically been an anchor for the Mexican and Mexican-American community.

The location, beyond being a strategic place near a business corridor, is also a lesson in honoring the labor of his late father’s work over three decades. An immigrant from Mexico, Jorge Ramirez bought a home in an area that during the early 90’s was fraught with violence and lack of City investment. Yet remaining connected to his culture was essential, and the home where the studio came to life is a testament to the arduous labor and sacrifice of Ramirez’s father as well as his belief in maintaining their cultural roots alive, which also shines through the work that Lone Wolf Records, LLC aims to do.

As a self-taught sound engineer, Demo has been able to transform the home’s basement to bring to life his dream of having a state-of-the-art recording studio. “Now that the whole digital platform has changed, it is important to distribute your own stuff when you can pay for your own stuff.” The labor and the equipment have been put together through his own investment, as well as a modest income earned by helping to record community artists.

His dream is to continue to provide music recording and sound mixing for hiphop artists but also to branch out to other music genres including Mexican regional.

He also hopes people can use his studio for podcasts and interviews that they want to make available on digital platforms.

More importantly, his dream is set on growing the label to be able to provide a safe space for young people to pursue and evolve their passion for music in the heart of their own community. “People in the community know that if they want to do music, especially hip-hop, I’m willing to be someone who helps them out. It’s about having a 60 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

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McKINLEY PARK Compiled by Alma Campos, Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY MOSER

M

cKinley Park is a predominantly Latinx working-class neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side, located between Pilsen, Bridgeport, Back of the Yards, and Brighton Park. The neighborhood is only a fifteen-minute drive away from the Loop and walking distance to the Mexican corner store, La Placita on 35th. McKinley Park gives off a family-friendly vibe as it is common to see runners, parents pushing strollers, cyclists, and people walking their dogs. Tall trees cool in the summer, and their leaves provide a thick blanket of oranges and reds on sidewalks in the fall.

The neighborhood’s namesake public park, which covers 71.75 acres, has a skating rink, swimming pool, new tennis courts, and soccer fields. The Chicago Park District offers recreational activities throughout the year for children, teens, and adults.

Visitors to the park will also find an eight-acre lagoon filled with native wetlands and prairie grass, inhabited by various bird species and other wildlife.

According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Irish workers first came to live in the area in the 1830s. The community grew as railroads were built, and the area later became home to steelworkers and stockyard workers from other ethnic minorities.

But today, this juxtaposition—manufacturing and distribution surrounding a residential area—is concerning to many residents. Despite the schools, daycare centers, homes, and family-friendly amenities, significant portions of McKinley Park are designated for manufacturing and industry. As time has passed, land use and zoning designations haven't been updated to reflect an evolving neighborhood.

This section will highlight some of the neighborhood’s family-friendly spaces, as well as some of the challenges residents face. (Alma Campos) Alma Campos is the Weekly's Immigration Editor xxxxxx

BEST LOCAL ACTIVISM

Neighbors for Environmental Justice

It was with the sudden appearance of a hot mix asphalt plant across the street from McKinley Park that Neighbors For Environmental Justice (NFEJ) was born.

Alfredo Romo, the organization’s executive director, said it was during the winter of 2018 when he first found out about it. The sight of smoke pouring out of the plant columns is hard to miss if you’re walking down Pershing Ave. or walking around the park. According to the organization, the plant has been cited more than half a dozen times in 2020, for air pollution, failure to control windborne material, and operating equipment without a permit. Some community residents also say the neighborhood's alderman, George Cardenas, did not inform the community about the asphalt plant coming.

“We just felt like those were very irresponsible processes that allowed this company to come in such close proximity to our park, schools, and residential homes,” Romo said. That is why Romo and members started to organize and began to understand the procedure around permitting and zoning within the city and state.

The group’s organizing efforts have led to state senators pushing Michael S. Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to provide oversight of the asphalt plant, pointing to more than 100 odor complaints from residents in the past three years alone.

Though things are not moving as fast as Romo and others would like, as long as the asphalt plant is still operating, the group is not stopping. “You look at what's in front of you, and either you accept that sort of treatment—the city or the state coming in with a seal of approval, essentially authorizing a permit to pollute your environment to degrade your environment—or you push back, and I'm willing to push back.”

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 61

MCKINLEY PARK NFEJ is also part of the Chicago Environmental Justice Network, which connects their organizing to citywide issues including the Hilco warehouse in Little Village and General Iron plant in the Southeast Side. The group continues the fight to close the asphalt plant. “The air pollution health and economic stressors data within these marginalized communities are primary examples that zoning ordinances and state environmental policies are clearly not working for us,” said Romo.

So if you’re in the area while it smells bad, you can head on over to the Google form smellsbad.today to submit a report or file a complaint with the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. (Alma Campos) You can learn more about Neighbors For Environmental Justice at: bit.ly/2X97dWb

BEST PLACE TO COOL OFF IN THE SUMMER

McKinley Park Pool

McKinley Park Pool is a twenty-five-meter outdoor swimming pool located on the southwest corner of the neighborhood’s namesake park. Bordered by the field house, Pershing Road, the parking lot, and a dog park, this pool area has two swimming pools. The main pool is between three feet and nine feet deep and six lanes across, so even when the pool is busy, there is plenty of space to swim. The pool area also includes an eighteen-inch, zero-depth entry kid pool with water sprinklers, a climbing structure, and a water slide.

Both pools are run by the Chicago Park District and are free to everyone. Be sure to check the calendar online or by calling the park before you go—the pool is open late June through Labor Day, but the schedule is slightly different every summer. You must be wearing a bathing suit upon entry or you will not be allowed in. On hot days, be sure to arrive early for family swim and open swim, as the pool often reaches its maximum capacity quickly. This is a fantastic place for people of all ages to cool off and relax, or get some exercise. People are friendly, and you will probably even see someone you know.

This pool has meant a lot to my family and me throughout the years. As a native Texan and a teacher, summer is my time to shine. We have this great pool that we can walk to, and it’s free. When my daughter was born, I was excited to finally have a reason to go in the kid pool. When I found out I was expecting a son, I contacted the Park District about the gender-segregated swim times and got that changed so now

we can all go together. It is absolutely my favorite place in Chicago. It’s also refreshing to see the city put resources into the southwest side for the enjoyment of all who live here. (Kate Moser) While the pool is only open during the summer, McKinley Park is open all seasons. You can see a list of activities such as ice-skating, nature walks and more here: bit.ly/38QkyVt.

BEST PLAY AREA

McKinley Park Community Play Garden

You hear the shrieks of young children’s laughter before you can see anything. The wooded area looks almost out of place between the alley, the library, and the homes along Wolcott Avenue. As you walk through the wooden gate made of twigs and branches, your eyes adjust to the shady space and you see nature. It’s magical. The McKinley Community Play Garden opened in June 2018, and has quickly become a center of community life for the residents of McKinley Park and surrounding neighborhoods. “I think the space is an awesome resource. It’s unique because it’s kid-centric, and is a great way to connect with neighbors,” said resident and garden committee member Sara West.

The park, or “Library Park” as residents used to call it, was acquired by the organization NeighborSpace in 2002 and was maintained until 2016 by a neighbor.

Folks on the block remember that it was just one man who helped maintain the space, but once he could no longer physically do the work, Library Park fell into disrepair, with weeds growing out of control. NeighborSpace reached out to local resident Katie Flores, who mobilized a group of neighbors and other local stakeholders to work with a design firm and envision a space to connect young children and their families to nature.

Although the space was originally designed for young children, on any given day you can see adults taking their lunch break or teenagers hanging out with friends alongside groups of toddlers and preschoolers from the local schools: Namaste Charter School, Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center, and Little Tykes Daycare.

I am deeply committed to bringing nature play opportunities to children of color in urban environments. During the 2016-17 school year, I engaged in a year-long action research project looking at the impact of nature play on young children.

I found that children playing in nature play spaces used more language and more advanced language compared to those who played in the classroom or in a traditional playground. The results were startling, and solidified my commitment to nature play. I currently work at CPS Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center and bring my students to the nature play garden at least two times a week.

The space is currently cared for by a group of sixteen residents from McKinley Park as well as from Bridgeport and Pilsen. This past spring and summer, the volunteer committee was busy organizing clean-up days, a Summer Solstice Family event, and a Community Market. The space is also used for Community Yoga every Saturday morning. This group of dedicated and passionate neighbors plans to host a movie night, a Halloween Harvest celebration and an adult beer tasting event in the future.

You can follow the Play Garden on Facebook for event information.

The space is also available to rent for events for individuals, nonprofits and businesses. 100 percent of the proceeds from rentals go to maintaining the garden and bringing more free events to the community. ( Jessica Fong) McKinley Park Community Play Garden, 3518 S Wolcott Ave. bit.ly/renttheplaygarden

62 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA FONG

MORGAN PARK

MORGAN PARK Compiled by Anna Carvlin Neighborhood Captain

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA CARVLIN

A

n 1886 pamphlet enticing would-be homeowners describes Morgan Park as a destination with “high and rolling character” a “mere step” on the suburban Rock Island line from the “bustling mart” of the city’s center to the “quiet of green fields.” While the only green fields remaining are parks and cemeteries, many spots in Morgan Park are indeed quiet and still hold much of the quaintness its developers originally intended.

About a decade after the Potawatomi ceded land to the U.S. government, one very wealthy Thomas Morgan purchased about 2,000 acres on and around the Blue Island Ridge, sight unseen, while still in England. Morgan then relocated via his own ship, with home furnishings, dairy cattle, and wolfhounds for hunting in tow. A year after the Civil War, when people moved North from the South in droves, spurring escalated economic activity, Morgan’s heirs sold the estate to the Blue Island Land and Building Co., which planned, developed, and founded Morgan Park. It was touted as a religious, educational, and temperance community—dry from the start—and incorporated in 1882.

People often combine neighboring Beverly with Morgan Park to refer to the Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood. They usually mean to include the west side of Morgan Park, not the area east of Vincennes Avenue or the interstate. The Vincennes Trace, what is now Vincennes Avenue, was once a well-trodden buffalo migration route, which Native Americans utilized for their purposes over centuries. During the Great Migration, Black people who moved to the area lived east of the natural dividing line Vincennes created, in a tacit understanding they wouldn’t, or could not, live west of it. Those racial dividing lines largely persisted through the 1960s. The construction of Interstate 57 in the sixties further solidified the geographical division to create two separate Morgan Parks. The two different ward boundaries may better reflect a true community connection. Today Morgan Park is integrated racially but still segregated

block by block. As of 2013, it was the largest Black-majority area with the highest percentage of white people.

Morgan Park was annexed by Chicago in 1914 after a heated twenty-year battle.

Women, who had the year prior gained limited suffrage in Illinois, carried the vote.

They wanted better schools, police, and fire protection. Now, the majority of Morgan Park men and women consistently vote Democrat in national and local elections, although some areas are more “purple” than others. In continuing with its founders’ intent to promote excellence in education, Morgan Park lays claim to the longest running Montessori program at a Chicago Public School, Clissold Elementary.

Observers can feel the history while walking through the community. Present-day residents keep busy preserving old houses, their stories, and still riding the Rock Island train line. Special thanks to Carol Flynn of the Ridge Historical Society for assisting with several important details of the area’s history. (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. This is her first contribution to the Weekly.

BEST STROLL INTO THE PAST

Prospect Park and Surrounding Streets

To get a sense of Morgan Park through the ages, take a stroll through Prospect Park and the surrounding streets. The park itself was imagined and designed by Danish SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 63

MORGAN PARK landscape architect Jens Jensen, complete with a lily pond. Remnants of that original layout remain in a fenced enclosure within the park. Prospect Park Nature Garden provides a cozy spot to enjoy lunch atop a boulder while admiring native plants and trees.

The tree-lined streets that curve around the park catapult your mind out of the gridfixed Chicago and into an old English village – an intentional design. Homeowners have done a wonderful job maintaining the unique character and charm of the historic Prospect Ave. A number of beautiful houses with varied designs were built on the north side of the park during the post-Civil War boom for the most prominent and wealthy citizens of Morgan Park.

At the corner of Wood and Prospect and across from the park, purple trim really pops on the upper timber half of the Dickey-Castle craftsman home, built in 1912.

Boasting one of the largest single-family home lots in Chicago, its expansive wooded yard feels like a small forest preserve. Every spring, multi-colored rows of tulips line the long walkway to the front door.

The Ingersoll-Blackwelder mansion, a Victorian built in the 1870s, was purchased by artist Jack Simmerling in 1970 when it fell into disrepair. He spent the next several decades restoring and maintaining the house—a pursuit aligned with his lifelong devotion to preserving the memory of Chicago architecture through his paintings and sketches and by salvaging artifacts. Notably, Gertrude Blackwelder was the first woman to cast a vote in Cook County after Illinois’ limited suffrage passed in 1913.

The Simmerlings sold the house in 2014; the current owner rents it for special events.

Morgan Park’s first physician, Dr. German, neighbor to the Ingersolls, founded the first United Methodist church in Morgan Park across from his house. The building is now home to a thriving congregation, but the Morgan Park United Methodist Church moved a few short blocks away at 110th St. and Longwood Ave. Since that initial planned community was realized a century ago, several ranch houses have been built on further-subdivided land plots. Those, plus the apartment building south of the park, make for a very mixed-income swath of Chicago.

West of the park, Metra Rock Island trains deliver commuters from downtown to the historic Morgan Park 111th Street train station. The Blue Island Land and Building Co., original developers of the planned community, lobbied for the train to come out to this area in the late 18th century—a huge draw to people working downtown. That twelve-mile trip was impossible on a horse and buggy during rain or snow.

Visible from the park are the bright red roll-up doors of the century-old firehouse for Engine Company 120, established just after annexation. On that same street toward Monterey Avenue is an old post office building, now home to a hair salon and an ornately embellished brick apartment complex, both built in the 1920s. A home formerly owned by one Dr. Frederick Harry B. Parsons is nestled on that block as

well—the only house remaining of that late 1800s–era on the street.

A short jaunt to the block northeast of the park, especially on Drew Street, seekers will find another goldmine of neat old homes. One in particular, the expansive Hopkinson-Platt house, sits on about three acres of land. While the Ridge Historical Society has debunked claims of it having been a stop on the Underground Railroad, it is historically significant for the simple fact that it was one of the original homes built in the area. Also, the Platts, longtime owners, took in exchange students, refugees from the Hungarian Revolution, and Japanese-Americans released from WWII internment camps. (Anna Carvlin) Prospect Park, 10940 S. Prospect Ave.

BEST SPOT FOR CHEETOS, MILK, AND CHIT-CHAT

Longwood Foods

Longtime resident Ann Digby has fond memories of living in Morgan Park, like putting in an order at Gramp’s Dicola’s on 111th St. to get her meat cut and dressed to perfection for holiday meals. She appreciates that when white flight was rampant, many white people in the area refused to leave, and instead figured out how to get along. She misses the time before the disruption created by the interstate, observing that there was definitely a “before and after.” She catches up with folks from the neighborhood at the annual Morgan Park High School picnic, where alumni are “serious” about supporting their school.

But Digby seems especially delighted to chat about Longwood Foods.

She loves the little grocery store—so much so that she would get her coffee there every morning before work. “Friendships begin there,” Digby said. She describes a congenial atmosphere where people can check up on people they haven’t seen in a while, or find out what’s been happening in the neighborhood. “They call me Miss Ann there.”

Digby played the lottery every day, which is how she met so many friends. “We would get our coffee and stand around the scratch-off machine and stay and talk. If it got busy we’d move outside and continue the conversation.”

Digby’s kids all went to Morgan Park High School. Students would go to Longwood Foods in the morning to pick up the lunch special—sandwich, chips, and a soda. In fact, numerous Google reviews mention the delicious sandwiches and excellent service. And people come from everywhere to get the nachos because they’re piled high.

While it has changed management at least once over the past four decades, Longwood Foods has been not only a reliable “basic neighborhood ‘run in & grab a few things’ spot,” as one reviewer put it, but also a trusted locale for swapping stories and making connections. (Anna Carvlin) Longwood Foods, 11106 S. Longwood Dr., Monday–Thursday 7am–10pm; Saturday 8am–10pm; Sunday 9am–9:30am; (773) 779-4901.

64 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

MORGAN PARK

BEST ROOTS FESTIVAL

Morgan Park Roots Festival

For forty-six years, families and friends have gathered at Ada Park for the annual Morgan Park Roots Festival. The motto is “peace, love, and unity.” Crystal Warren is both the president of the Ada Park Advisory Council and a member of the Morgan Park Roots Organization, both of which host and sponsor the event. “It has a different feel than most community festivals in the city,” she said. “It’s a celebration within families and all together with the wider community, especially east Morgan Park.”

The festival is all about connecting back to the roots of oneself—enjoying the company of a tight-knit community that is a little more like an extended family in one of the oldest African-American neighborhoods in Chicago.

A need arose when community leaders realized people were only gathering for funerals and weddings. They wanted a time to enjoy each other purely in a spirit of celebration. It was more of a reunion picnic in the early days, for people who were born and raised there. It has evolved over time. People grew up, left town, and many still come back specifically for the Roots Festival.

There is always a main stage with plenty of space in front for line dancing. Local musicians and singers playing House and R&B would jockey to get on stage since it was a great place to showcase skills. Now the event pulls talent locally and from afar.

A children’s canopy offers face painting and coloring activities. A senior and veterans tent get prime real estate right near the stage to eat lunch.

Mark your calendar for next year. Every first Saturday in August Ada Park is the place to be for live music, African drumming, line dancing, battle of the DJs, Bingo and prizes and more! As the organizers said, “Bring your grill, chairs, tent, and children. We will take care of the rest!” (Anna Carvlin) For more information about the Morgan Park Roots Festival, contact Crystal Warren at (773) 896-6552 or crystalqcee3@gmail.com.

BEST LGBTQ+ NETWORK

Two Churches, the BAC and Grace English

Morgan Park has a robust LGBTQ+ support network within some of its most well-established institutions, including the Beverly Arts Center, the Morgan Park Presbyterian Church, and the United Methodist Church.

The Beverly Arts Center has hosted several events geared toward the LGBTQ+ community, including the Chicago Gay Men’s Choir, abOut Art, and OUTspoken.

None of these events would have happened if not for one Morgan Park resident in particular, Grace English, who has led the charge in making sure resources are available, especially to younger folks. English pestered the Beverly Arts Center (BAC) for six years to host the Gay Men’s Choir. When they finally did, it was a sold out show. “I’d never seen so many people I didn't recognize at the BAC,” English said. The abOut Art exhibit was her idea as well. From conception to pitching it to the BAC, within

six weeks the first show was on. OUTspoken is a live storytelling event by LGBTQ+ people, and English worked to bring its organizer to the arts center.

English’s other brainchild, Rainbow Youth Connections, has been providing a safe space for over two years for LGBTQ+ youth to connect through the arts. English wants it to become a nonprofit so it can “spread its wings and fly.” People often donate food and baked goods. Some teens will show up to every meeting and not speak up.

Some were afraid to come in at all. If they made it to the doorway, they would join in due to the warm welcome.

The teens had been meeting at English’s former place of business, and when its doors shuttered they needed a new spot. After hearing of the unmet need, Pastor Ben Heimach-Snipes offered the Morgan Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) space for them.

Just across the street from MPPC, the United Methodist Church is part of the Reconciling Ministries Network, which “equips and mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves,” according to the MPPC’s website. The Network “began as a faith-based response to institutionalized homophobia braided into the fabric of The United Methodist Church.”

It’s one thing to share that connection on the church website, but quite another to put those sentiments into action. Pastor Dennis Langdon has opened the doors of the church to host an annual Burning Bowl event for Affinity Community Services, an organization serving the Black LGBTQ+ community. Other events and volunteer opportunities with an LGBTQ+ focus have also taken place through the church, and, in the spirit of inclusion, they have included the rainbow symbol on some of their signage.

These institutions and people in Morgan Park that identify and respond to the community’s needs are what makes for a safe and caring place where kids can grow up and feel a part of and accepted by the community. (Anna Carvlin) Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., (773) 445-3838, beverlyartcenter.org; Morgan Park United Methodist Church, 11030 S. Longwood Dr., (773) 238-2600, morganparkumc.org Morgan Park Presbyterian Church, 2017 W. 110th Pl., (773) 779-3355, morganparkpres.org

BEST COMMUNITY-ORIENTED CHURCH

Morgan Park Presbyterian Church

The Morgan Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) has gained a reputation for being a resource the local community can really count on. It’s not an accident. Through a visioning process, the congregation decided to focus on three main areas: inclusion, healing and collaboration. “We know we're small, but we have a giant space and a history we’re proud of,” says Pastor Ben Heimach-Snipes. “We want to actively seek out partnerships that resonate with that identity of inclusion.”

One recent example is the church’s collaboration with the Southwest Chicago Diversity Collaborative on a successful Beverly/Morgan Park Juneteenth Family Festival and Black Business Crawl. MPCC committed to hosting the event on their grounds. Through further collaboration, activities like storytelling, drumming circles,

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 65

MORGAN PARK PHOTO COURTESY OF ISIAH THOUGHTPOET VENEY

BEST COMMUNITY GARDEN COMEBACK

Edna White Community Garden

African-based art, food trucks, music, and kid-oriented activities extended into neighboring Bohn Park and the United Methodist Church lot. Heimach-Snipes described the event as phenomenal. “There was such a spirit of love and care and dignity. And free food!”

The church also agreed to host the Free Store, a local initiative through 19th Ward Mutual Aid created in response to heightened community needs at the start of the pandemic. More food distribution sites were necessary to address growing demand with fewer helping hands, since elderly volunteers stayed home for safety. While the United Methodist Church across the street runs the Maple/Morgan Park Food Pantry, the Free Store provided an after work time slot on Wednesdays.

Other offerings open to the community include Tai Chi, and healthy cooking classes are planned for the future as a way to further address high rates of obesity and heart disease. In addition, MPPC now has a seed library named in memory of beloved community member Megan Robb, who died of breast cancer this past year.

Also, the church has committed to hosting Rainbow Youth Connections, an LGBTQ+ support group, which aligns with the congregation's focus on healing.

Pastor Heimach-Snipes was first introduced to organizer Grace English, who had mentioned the group would march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. He asked to march with the group wearing his collar and a rainbow flag. While the parade and most of the in-person support group meetings have been on hold due to COVID-19, the youth still get the message: they are welcome here.

Heimach-Snipes summed up the congregation’s spirit of service to the community: “There’s a strong conservative Christian movement that’s digging into the traumatizing theology of the last century,” he said. “Christianity has been used to oppress people.

So that’s got to be our work, to undo that and heal the traumas we received from the church and to find a way to belong in spite of the baggage.”

In the fall, the themes of worship will include welcoming all, following Jesus, and finding hope. Upcoming community events at MPPC include a fall festival and an All Saints Day celebration. Follow their page for more information. (Anna Carvlin)

A mainstay of Morgan Park and Beverly for almost three decades, Edna White Community Garden has provided a space for gathering in nature. Kathy Figel, community garden director, says people might get “vegetables, friendship and warm fuzzies,” but that the bottom line is the garden is a space to feel safe and enjoy each other.

During the past year-and-a-half of mass exodus from office spaces, people all over America have clocked more hours gardening. The spike in vitality at Edna White is evident, as people have sought outdoor spaces to hang out. The community aspect of the garden happens during one of the many events hosted throughout the year including yoga classes, acoustic musical acts, impromptu peace vigils, DJ nights and cocktails, Monarch butterfly activities for kids, and hot cocoa and holiday albums in the winter. In addition to an uptick in events, a new grant-funded bee-and-insect observatory was installed last year. Figel had secured a separate grant in years prior dedicated to supporting an African American beekeeper. Cedrick Jordan maintains the bee hives, and now anyone can observe the goings-on from within the observatory.

Now situated across Esmond Street from the 22nd District police station, the garden project had somewhat of a rough beginning. Sadly, days before the garden opening in 1993, a main propeller of the project and now its namesake

Morgan Park Presbyterian Church, 2017 W. 110th Pl., (773) 779-3355, morganparkpres. org

66 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA CARVLIN

was murdered by an acquaintance.

“Exactly what we were trying to help address happened to Edna,” Figel says of her organizing partner and friend, Edna White.

Then after a few years, the garden needed to move. Neighborspace owns the land under the agreement that nothing can be built there in perpetuity. But Alderman Virginia Rugai wanted a new police station on that spot in 2002. So Figel negotiated for the City to ensure a clean space and plenty of soil right across the street. After some hiccups during the transfer, such as when the old lamppost salvaged from the World's Fair was broken and left for forgotten, or when the city piled in sub par dirt leftover from Millennium Park, the new garden space is bigger and better than before.

There are so many ways to get involved with the garden. Raised garden plots are available for $30 and ten hours of community service, and the garden is an excellent opportunity for anyone who needs to complete mandatory community service hours. Rent the space for a private event or come to one of the many upcoming events! A Day of the Dead Celebration with music and dancing will happen Tuesday November 2 at 6pm and the Family Holiday Celebration with Peanut Characters, Santa Claus and records spinning by Beverly Records is Saturday December 4 at 6pm. (Anna Carvlin) Edna White Community Garden, 18461898 W. Monterey Ave.. For information about garden plots and hours contact Kathy Figel, (312)-622-0634.

Compiled by L.D. Barnes Neighborhood Captain

MOUNT GREENWOOD

M

ount Greenwood is a place full of dichotomies, where the living co-exist with the dead, where the city can be a farm, where the neighborhood number—seventy-four of seventy-seven—is nearly the last on one list, but the number of city workers in the neighborhood puts it near the top of another. From building inspectors to tax collectors, lawyers to laborers, educators and everyone in between, a wide variety of other city workers also live in Mount Greenwood.

If I were designing a flag for Mount Greenwood, I’d take the Chicago banner, replace the upper and lower fields of white with dark blue for the police and dark red for firefighters, Both groups are heavily represented in Mount Greenwood, which is home to more Chicago police than any other community area in the city. In the past, the neighborhood’s affinity for police has led to ugly incidents, as has its racism: as recently as 2016, an off-duty Chicago cop shot and killed twenty-five-year-old Joshua Beal in Mount Greenwood, sparking Black Lives Matter protests which were met by angry neighborhood residents who waved “Thin Blue Line” flags and shouted insults.

Bisected by a green swath of acreage made up of a golf course and three cemeteries undulating between two very active freight train lines which once brought funereal mourners from the city, Mount Greenwood incorporated as a village in 1906 to keep the taverns and restaurants “wet,” when nearby Beverly and Morgan Park decided to go “dry” and prohibit the selling of alcohol. It has kept its out-of-town character by having the last working farm in the city until 1980, when the farm became part of the Chicago Public School system as the Chicago Agricultural High School, which still works the land today.

To include some of these best-ofs, I’ve stretched the boundaries of Mount Greenwood slightly to the entire 60655 ZIP code, which has Western Avenue as its eastern edge. (L.D. Barnes) L.D. Barnes is the neighborhood captain for Mount Greenwood.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 67

SOUTH SIDE IRISH IMPORTS, PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

BEST IRISH IMPORT SHOP

South Side Irish Imports

On 111th St., South Side Irish Imports is the go-to place for any Irish themed gift you can think of. Linda and Ron Gorman run this eclectic collection that runs from Belleek china to Waterford crystal, t-shirts to brass door knockers to wool caps. They have a vast assortment of Catholic themed items for Christening, first communions, confirmations or weddings. In a neighborhood full of police, firefighters and city workers, Irish Imports has signs, mugs, flags and shirts especially for them to show their Celtic heritage. With forty-one years in the neighborhood, they guarantee you will get a sincere “Cead Mile Failte” (one hundred thousand welcomes) any time you go there. (L.D. Barnes) South Side Irish Imports, 3446 W. 111th St., (773) 881-8585. 10am–5:30pm Monday– Friday; 10am-5pm Saturday; closed Sunday.

BEST MEMORIAL

Korean War Memorial

Stretching the boundaries may be viewed as a bad thing—but to be able to include the first monument in the country and the only one in Chicago to veterans of the Korean War is a good thing.

On the corner of 113th and Western Ave., what looks as if it could be a misplaced tombstone that wandered from one of Mount Greenwood’s many cemeteries is actually a five-foot-high and ten-foot-long semi-circle of marble engraved with a remembrance to the American soldiers who served in the Korean War. Conceived by Korean War veteran Ed McCarthy, funded by the Windy City Veterans Association, it was installed in Kennedy Park in 1988. Contributions of labor from the Korean 68 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

War veterans of the Maurice Moore Memorial company and many others made this possible. Visit it to get the statistics about the war that claimed 36,574 American lives and never officially ended: although an armistice agreement stopped the fighting in 1953, North and South Korea never signed a peace treaty, and the United States still maintains a force of more than 20,000 troops in the South. (L.D. Barnes) Korean War Memorial. Kennedy Park, 11320 S. Western Ave.

BEST RECORDING STUDIO

On Track Recording Studio

Driving south on Kedzie past 103rd, there are a couple of blocks inhabited by chain restaurants, doctors’ offices, a bicycle shop, a funeral home, and a pet shop. Hidden in the middle is a combination video store/recording studio. Since 1992, On Track Recording Studio has been an unimposing storefront at 10437 S. Kedzie, but once inside, the expertise of Ray Vanda and the equipment he has is amazing. The studio can accommodate a large band like the Funkadelics, a Do-Wop ensemble like the Spaniels, the Oak Lawn Barbershop Quartet or solo artists like Killer Ray Allison, Shirley King or podcasters in the homey space. Six days a week by appointment, the studio awaits you.

The rates are reasonable at $40 per hour. Ray works with either analogue or digital, has a variety of microphones, plus a few miscellaneous musical instruments.

From recording to posting your masterpiece on YouTube, Ray and his wife Julie work with artists in genres ranging from blues to zydeco, singing to spoken word. Should you have old photos, home movies or videotapes to be preserved, they can do that too.

(L.D. Barnes) On Track Recording Studio 10437 S. Kedzie (773) 238-6752. Monday–Thursday 10am– 8pm; Friday–Saturday 10am–9pm; Sunday 12pm–8pm.

NORTH LAWNDALE Compiled by Martha Bayne Neighborhood Captain DOUGLASS 18 MINIGOLF COURSE, PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

Pastor Phil Jackson has been working with young people in North Lawndale for more than thirty years. He currently runs the Firehouse Community Arts Center out of a converted 100-year-old firehouse at 21st and Hamlin, which he and some partners purchased in 2007. The center offers classes in dance, technology, film, music production through DJ classes and audio engineering, culinary arts, spoken word and open mic poetry, and visual arts.

Firehouse’s Spark Arts program works with young people aged thirteen to eighteen—mostly young men but some young women—with the goal of violence prevention. Their V.I.P. (“Very Important Process”) program works intensively with youth up to age twenty-five to provide alternatives to violence they may be involved in . And the Firehouse culinary program and catering company offers employment and workforce development skills. Find more at thefcac. org.

O

ur mission is to interrupt the cycle of violence in the lives of youth and adults in North Lawndale through the power of arts and faith. And so when we say faith is not [about] church, it's just that we’re an African-American neighborhood where there are 130 churches. So, it is about being aware of the reality that sometimes faith is a part of people's lives. But it's not like we have church services or we’re praying with folks every time they come to the door for this and that. But we just [laughs]—we’re a Black neighborhood, so church, praying for food and praying for a situation, having guys on the block will be a part of the culture. This is just a cultural reality.

And so it is with old situations, complicated systemic situations in our community, we're wanting to use art to create redemption and transformation in the lives of young people. There are lots of young people in the streets, lots of young people who are homeless, lots of young people who were just abandoned in their own world because of [their] family situation, and through the arts—whether it was through music and poetry, through dance, video, DJ classes—they find a space to have their identity and not be defined by those things that have kind of sucked the life out of them.

What I've noticed over the years is that residents are tired of all that’s gone on.

There comes a point when systemic injustice has just come to a head, such as fifty

schools being closed and things like that, that have created, you know, uncomfortable paradigms. Most of the younger guys that are shooting folks are more reckless than the ones in the generation before.

But at the same time I think there is a rise in so many organizations that are a little bit more aggressive, in a good way, to create connections. I mean, schools are trying to be creative, you know, the high schools and some elementary schools, but there's only so much they can do as well. The thing that I've seen change has been that systemic issues are coming to a head and now, like Malcolm said, the roosters are coming home to roost, right? Chickens come home to roost. You know, like COVID showed there’s a great disparity for Latinos and African American communities in healthcare. Like, nobody else knew that! Everyone else covered it up. But Black and Latino folk knew it.

In Lawndale at one point, I think that data was in 2011, it was like there was one program for every 398 kids. It’s like, what? That's a problem. All the money paid to the Park District, which is like the second largest budget in the city, in North Lawndale there should be more options for that. My whole premise is like Dr. King said, right?

Darkness doesn't shoo away darkness. The quote is basically like light shoos away darkness. Love pushes out hate. And so we just need more light. Like when you can't find the keys, you've got one set of lights on and you turn on all the lights! So when things are just complicated, as they are, we need to turn on all the light, you know. We need to get churches a discount with ComEd so that they may be able to, if they're not full time, see if we can get them open four days a week, and now that's more light. And we’ve got the Firehouse: that’s a lamp.

Our vision for North Lawndale would be an example of what safety, prosperity, and holistic shalom would be—that guys and ladies would be like, “What, they used to shoot over here? They used to shoot in this neighborhood? Get out of here.” That would be the ideal. And that the residents would rise up. That the residents would say, “Look, I may be raising my three grandkids, but this ain't happening anymore.” There’s so many folks taking care of folks, people raising their nephew ‘cause there was a situation that happened in the family. And people are just tired.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 69

NORTH LAWNDALE But if there's a way that residents can feel empowered and step up—I'm not talking about only snitching on the guys shooting folks, but I'm saying we're in the schools and making sure that kids get safely home or making sure kids are listening to the teacher. Cause we got a retired grandmother who could just be in school two days a week and just sit in the math class and make these kids listen. Whatever little things there can be, they’re not letting the city dictate their quality of life plan, they’re not letting anything else but themselves. It would be such a beautiful reality of peace and restorative justice that there’s no real experience for the generation after that to not see that as the norm. And folks are saying every kid can walk to every part of this neighborhood. You don't have to be concerned with the fact that you are from K-Town. And it’s prosperous, there’s housing and economic development stuff. And I mean, they just came out and put in bike lanes in the streets. And so that [it would be] like, okay, this is not just for white folks living in the neighborhood. This is for everybody who wants to ride a bike.

As told to Martha Bayne Neighborhood captain Martha Bayne is managing editor of the Weekly.

BEST POP-UP BBQ

5th Ave Smokers

The best things in life can be hard to come by. The BBQ at 5th Ave Smokers falls into that category. The first time I swung by, I was met with disappointment: I hadn’t done my research, and the pop-up only functions on Fridays and Saturdays. Luckily, I am hungry every day, so when Saturday rolled around I arrived bright and early to buy an assortment of slow-roasted meats to feast on in a nearby park.

I purchased pork slices, pork ribs, brisket, chicken, and baked beans to sample.

You can order your BBQ “naked” or “sloppy”, smothered in the signature house sauce.

I opted for “naked” to keep the sauce on the side. The meats themselves were already so juicy that they soaked the white bread they came served on. Even so, they came treated with a flavorful rub— but the smorgasbord of sauces that came alongside it amped up the sweetness and heat in equal measure. I particularly enjoyed the brisket, and the chicken fell (quite literally) off the bone when I took my first bite.

5th Ave Smokers was launched in June by W.D. Floyd, founder of the West Side community organization 360 Nation, and Sumner Elementary teacher Amon Brooks.

Floyd had learned to smoke meat in college and started a BBQ catering company, and Brooks has been a pitmaster at numerous spots.

“We had decided about a year and a half ago that we would start training some

W.D. FLOYD, PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

70 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

W.D. FLOYD, PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

young folks in how to do it because it was an actual skill set that we knew that we had benefited from,” said Floyd. “So back in the summer of 2020, we started teaching some of the 360 folks how to actually smoke meat, how to marinate it, and how to prepare a rub.” In recent years 360 had taken over a vacant lot at Lexington and Kildare and turned it into a community herb garden; now 5th Ave Smokers shares the lot. “It’s part of this bigger initiative that is a community-based ecosystem,” said Floyd. “Fifth Ave is just a branch of the tree of 360 Nation, but it's about really good quality barbecue but still community focused and community centered.”

No wonder the meats are so tender—the connection shines through in their buttery soft texture and infused smoky taste. Now, I find myself antsy for the weekend to roll around again so I can visit 5th Ave Smokers again. But I know it’s worth the wait.

After all, what’s the fun in a craving if you don’t get time to obsess over it? (Sage Behr) 5th Ave Smokers, 712 S. Kildare Ave. Open Fri-Sat, 11am-7pm. Instagram @5thavesmokers.

BEST BIRD-THEMED MINI GOLF COURSE

Douglass 18

I visited the newly inaugurated Douglass 18 minigolf course on one of August’s steamiest afternoons. Douglass Park was pulsating with a humidity that seemed to slow everything down. Although many park visitors rushed to dive into the cerulean pool that shimmered in front of the Cultural and Community Center, I made my way around back to the freshly inaugurated golf course for an afternoon of putting and play.

Despite the heat, I wasn’t the only one that had opted to tee up. In fact, the father and son that arrived shortly after me were so keen that they quickly overtook me on the green. The course is bird-themed, with each hole named after one of the more than 200 species of bird that migrates through Douglass Park. I could hear the young golfer ahead of me shouting out “American Robin!” and “Goldfinch!” as he deftly tapped the ball past obstacles that reflect the birds’ preferred habitats or notable characteristics.

The course of the Douglass 18 was designed over the last three years by high school students and their adult mentors, including kids from the Firehouse Community Art Center’s Spark Arts program and artist and educator Haman Cross III. It opened to the public on August 7th.

The varied terrain of the course presented a challenge for this pedestrian putter.

For a breather, I stopped to read the bird facts posted on placards at every hole. The placards credit the students that penned them, and give insight into the obstacles I

NORTH LAWNDALE had so much trouble getting by along the green. There are cattails for the redwinged blackbirds, colorful oversized fruits, and even an Oscar the Grouch-like garbage can tipped on its side in a nod to the ring-billed gull’s love of trash heaps. A small re-creation of Chicago’s famous skyline commemorates a more somber bird fact: many goldfinches meet their end crashing into windows downtown.

Turns out, the Douglass 18 offered more than enough fun to power me through one of those Chicago afternoons so humid it just makes you say, “Really?!” As I warmed up to the play, a breeze rustled through the tall prairie grass behind the course, and I realized that with my head in the game, the heat just melted away. (Sage Behr) Douglass 18 Mini-Golf Course, Monday through Friday from 11am to 7pm, and Saturdays from 9amto 5pm. The cost is $5 per round per player, with a two-for-one discount on Tuesdays from 8am to 12pm. To book a private party, reach out to Sheila McNeary at (312) 907-7701.

at her Peace & Plants yoga classes, which have been popping up in Chicago parks all summer, every participant leaves with a free plant to take home.

When she was little, Carr loved helping her grandmother in Kansas City in her extensive garden. Then when she became pregnant with her son, that same grandmother urged her to put some plants in the future nursery, saying “you can watch the plants grow as your belly grows.” When she died, shortly after Carr’s son was born, and when Carr was herself struggling with postpartum depression, she turned back to houseplants as a way to feel connected to her grandmother.

Since then, her fascination has just kept growing. Her horticultural knowledge is largely self-taught, gleaned from YouTube and trial and error. During the pandemic, she left her full-time job to focus on plants and parenting and has never been happier.

“I have a toddler who’s always running around and doing things,” she said, “but plants are such an awesome hobby because yes, they can take up a lot of your time in certain situations. But for the most part it’s a mist there, a check on them here, something that you could do in the midst of your day.”

She’s almost done with her yoga instructor certification, and she and her husband Brandon—who teaches PE at Sumner Elementary and who currently leads the Peace & Plants classes (and who works with 5th Ave. Smokers as well)—would like to open a brick and mortar store and studio on the South Side.

Asked what her favorite plant is, she lights up. “Right now, a Monstera, but not the deliciosa, the adansonii. They have those holes in the leaves, but it's just a smaller leaf and it kind of looks like an Afro? I'm actually obsessed with the way that it is growing in. It's like a perfect round. It was looking kind of weird, and then the past week, it just, all of a sudden it's filling out really nicely and I'm obsessed and the leaves are nice and soft. They kind of feel velvety, which is like, the little details are what make you fall in love with them.” (Martha Bayne) Find Jordan Carr online at @photosynthe_sis or etsy.com/shop/MyPhotosynthesisShop. The next Peace & Plants yoga class is at 5:30pm Friday, September 24, in Henry C. Palmisano Nature Park, 2700 S. Halsted St. Tickets are $45 and include a free plant and a mimosa.

Register at bit.ly/3ns9Dd5.

JORDAN CARR, PHOTO BY MARTHA BAYNE

BEST DAUGHTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN BLOOM

Jordan Carr

“My passions are both yoga and plants,” said Jordan Carr, walking through the Japanese Garden in Jackson Park with her young son. “I think that passing down the art of yoga and passing down how to care for plants is ultimately passing down peace.”

Carr, the daughter of Pastor Phil Jackson, grew up in North Lawndale and now lives in Greater Grand Crossing, but she’s on a citywide mission to spread that peace around. On Instagram she dispenses wisdom as @photosynthe_sis; you can buy her custom potting mixes and signature Black Planter Party t-shirts on her Etsy store. And

Free Writing Classes To Ignite Your Creativity playonthepage.com This project is partially supported by an Individual Artist Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 71

PILSEN

Compiled by Jacqueline Serrato Neighborhood Captain

NEW MURAL THAT'S GOING UP AT THE CORNER OF 18TH AND THROOP, PHOTO BY MARC MONAGHAN

I

t was already hard for many lifelong Pilsen residents to hold on to the place they call home with the rising cost of living and the pandemic didn’t make things easier.

Homeowners and business owners have noticed their property taxes double, the viaducts are sheltering more houseless people than ever, gang violence is a constant, and some families are asking themselves whether they should put that rent money toward a mortgage somewhere else.

While preliminary Census numbers suggest the community has lost an additional five thousand Mexican and Latinx residents in the last ten years, likely an undercount, it doesn’t mean community members are giving up. In 2021, 18th St. saw local businesses begin to reopen. Relationships are being rekindled, grassroots efforts are being revitalized, and culture continues to be practiced. These things are the building blocks of Pilsen.

This year it feels appropriate to lift up the work of artist Salvador Vega, who’s in the process of renovating a mural on 18th, which he originally worked on with artist Aurelio Díaz in 1978 to honor the life of reformed gangbanger David “Boogie” Gonzalez.

Boogie was shot in the chest in 1973 in Zapata Park, today known as Harrison Park, after attempting to diffuse a conflict between rival gangs. “Our carnal (brother) 72 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

was trying to talk ‘peace’ with members from different clubs who were about to get it on,” read a flyer announcing a march in his memory a month after his death. He and others had spent a year brokering a peace treaty that was abruptly cut short.

Today, with the blessing of the Gonzalez family, the building owner, and the alderman, Sal is recreating the faded mural on 18th and Throop through a kaleidoscope of bright colors, a reference to Tenochtitlan, and a portrait of Boogie next to a dedication that says, “Boogie was the first to unite the clubs on 18th St. to bring about peace and unity.”

Both Sal and Boogie lost their brothers to gang violence, and the relevance of the mural more than fifty years later is a tragic reminder that while the community has made strides across generations, it continues to hope for a better future for its children and youth. It reminds lifelong residents of all the sacrifices they’ve made, and that there are unfinished battles within and outside the community to be fought.

This collaboration between a Pilsen family, a local artist, a property owner, and an elected official is a testament to different sectors of the community working together toward a common vision of community. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Neighborhood captain Jacqueline Serrato is the editor-in-chief of the Weekly.

PILSEN

BEST MEXICAN AMERICAN BRUNCH

Frida Room

Every time I come back from my college town, the perfect brunch date with my sister is a blend between Mexican and American food in one brunch spot, Frida Room, a family-style cozy layout highlighting the modernist painter Frida Kahlo. Wherever you look there is pop art, whether it’s a portrait of Frida or a luchador. My favorite part would have to be the altar that is set up for the Mexican icon herself in the middle of the room. The establishment is always displaying our culture and showing their respect for the person whom this location was named after.

You can enjoy a nice breeze that comes in through the wide open windows and a view of the buzz on 18th St. Upon arrival, the aroma hits you with a deep feeling of nostalgia, gives you a sense of home, and definitely adds to your appetite.

When I was younger and visiting Mexico, my grandfather would wake me up to the smell of a freshly-made pot of café de olla. Walking into Frida Room took me back to those times. For the coffee lovers like myself, they have many options, but a highly recommended one is their lattes, hot or cold. They offer unique flavors such as cajeta and coconut, but also traditional, cinnamon, vanilla, and mocha. The cool part? There are non-dairy options!

The variety of foods and flavors accommodates everyone in the family. From French toast and sandwiches, to chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. The chilaquiles can be either verdes or rojos. An option that was new to me was campechanos, which appears to be a blend of the two; perfect for those who are indecisive and, instead of picking one, can have the best of both worlds.

You can choose between indoor and outdoor seating. They also provide carryout and GrubHub if sitting down to eat is not on your radar yet. If weather allows, after your meal you can take a stroll down Pilsen to shop, walk your food off, and support small businesses. (Cynthia Salgado, Yollocalli Arts Reach) Frida Room, 1454 W. 18th St. Monday–Friday, 8:30am–2:15pm; Saturday–Sunday, 8:30am–2:45pm. (312) 631-3620.

BEST HOT DOG STAND

Emilio’s Hot Dogs

Chicago has the best hot dogs in the country—and that is not up for debate. What makes the Chicago-style hot dog so special are the layers of cultural influences it embodies from German, Jewish, and Polish immigrants who settled in this meatpacking city.

A born-and-raised Pilsen resident, Emilio Moreno loves a Chicago-style dog, with its mustard, relish, onion, poppy seeds, tomatoes, pickle spear, and celery salt— sans ketchup. But the hot dogs that he vends outside of his house on hot summer nights are not quite Chicago-traditional. Still, they’re as authentic to his immigrant family’s identity as they come.

Before they met, Emilio and his wife, Noemi Ortega, had enjoyed Mexican street hot dogs in their respective hometowns in Michoacan and Jalisco. After they got together, the couple went to taste the locally famous hot dogs at the Plaza de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, where the hot dogs are commonly known as “jochos”.

“They are hot dogs wrapped in bacon,” Emilio said. “The reason for this is because hot dogs in Mexico are a mixture of pork, beef, and chicken, so in order to add a better flavor to the [meat] they wrapped them in bacon.”

Other key ingredients in the jocho are sauteed onions and grilled jalapeños, which

COURTESY OF EMILIO'S HOT DOG STAND

bear a resemblance to the garnishes of the Maxwell Street Polish (RIP Jim’s late night hours). The jocho also comes with diced tomatoes and is topped with mayonnaise or sour cream, and yes, ketchup!

The Pilsen version is practically a jocho with a Chicago twist. The one hundredpercent-beef local hot dog brand and a squirt of yellow mustard are the elements that make it Chicago.

Emilio and Noemi aspire to one day open a brick-and-mortar restaurant on the famous 18th St., but that goal is not easy for first-generation business owners in a trendy neighborhood. For now, they enjoy interacting with people from their block and serving customers young and old, many of whom are other Mexicans from Pilsen, La Villita, Back of the Yards, and the suburbs.

If a Chicago-style hot dog represents the essence of this hard working immigrant city, then Emilio’s Hot Dogs is the modern iteration of this long culinary tradition. ( Jacqueline Serrato) Emilio’s Hot Dogs, 2318 S. Hoyne Ave. Monday–Friday, 6–10pm, weather permitting.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 73

PILSEN

BEST HEALING SPACE

El Paseo Community Garden

Hidden behind new lofts and other rehabbed industrial buildings on the east side of Pilsen—the more gentrified side of the neighborhood—is a community garden that local residents have taken ownership of in recent years.

Formerly a contaminated empty lot with train tracks cutting through the hard dirt, El Paseo Community Garden is now an active green space that produces vegetation, showcases a mural, and hosts activities almost every day.

The remediation of the site was spurred by a planned development in the area. While that project is currently stalled, the entire city block has come to life thanks to the maintenance, unity, care, and constant presence of the community.

The use of El Paseo Garden has been especially important throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Pilsen native Cristina Puzio, who has maximized the space to provide outdoor socially distanced group healing.

Since 2016, Cristina, who is an energy healing practitioner and meditation instructor, has gathered people in the garden to help guide them to look inward. In 2020, when people everywhere were feeling isolated, drained, and grieving, El Paseo Garden became a popular —and safe—source of catharsis.

“Especially families of color. Families that may feel like they can’t take up space.

Families in need of relaxation and mental wellness,” Cristina said. “Young people that are BIPOC and LGBTQIA also join our [events] and it is just beautiful to know we can be there for them. We can allow them to feel safe enough to take up space and reclaim their spiritual essence.”

Her sessions usually begin with people sitting or laying on the grass with their eyes closed or looking up at the sky. She offers fifteen minutes of mindfulness, enhanced by sound healing, which consists of the purposeful listening to individual music instruments or “listening to the sounds around them and then listening to the sounds inside them, which is the sound of their breathing,” Cristina explained. “This helps center them before starting the meditation.”

As she weaves between participants during the meditation, she tries to inspire self awareness, teach grounding techniques, and introduce Indigenous-based practices.

The garden is located next to Alivio Medical Center and a senior center called Casa Maravilla. The foot traffic attracts families, the elderly, children, and dogs to the open space that they might have otherwise not come across.

“We all just want to feel safe and supported and if we can find that in meditation, reiki, sound healing and practices like Curanderismo, then why not offer that to our community?” ( Jacqueline Serrato) 74 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

EL PASEO GARDEN, PHOTO BY CRISTINA PUZIO

BEST TORTAS

Doña Torta Chilanga

I owe all the credit for introducing me to the most delicious, mouth-watering, decadent, juicy tortas in all of Chicago to my dear friend Stephanie. I don't know why, but tortas have always been my favorite thing to eat at a Mexican restaurant.

Since I was a kid, even my parents knew my order would always be the same.

“Una torta de asada con todo y una sangría.” I would read down the menu filled with seemingly hundreds of combinations of tortilla, carne (meat), salsas, vegetables, and frijoles (beans)—all the same just in different presentations: tacos, gorditas, flautas, sopes, huaraches, and tostadas. But the minute my eyes graced the word “torta,” my hungry little soul knew that was what I needed at that moment.

There’s an unimaginable amount of options possible at Doña Torta Chilanga for around $10: asada, jamón, huevo, pollo, milanesa, and aguacate for the vegetarians. I'm thankful to tortas for existing and providing me the nourishment I’ve needed to keep my blood running after all these years. They really are a gift sent from heaven.

Speaking of heaven, let me tell you something about my girl, miss Doña Torta Chilanga in Pilsen. Picture this, you walk into a lil’ shack with Mexican ceramic tiles on the tables and booths worn from generations of grannies sitting there. There are photos of famous people on the wall who your Mexican parents seem to know, even though you have no clue who they are and—wait, is that Paquita la del Barrio?

You're instantly engulfed in the intense scent of grease, grilled meat, and melted cheese. You can taste a cold drink on the tip of your tongue. Ooh girl, sign me up!

When you sit down you're greeted with some hard tortilla chips that taste five days old... I promise I'm not leaving a bad Yelp review, I’m on my way to the good part: the

PILSEN

menu. The whole reason you came was the limitless torta combinations: “La Chilanga,” “La del Chavo del Ocho,” “La Doña Guapachosa,” “La Señorita,” “La Rusa”, “La ‘No Era Penal’,” “La Memo Ochoa,” and my all-time favorite, “La Bomba.” Imagine a cow, pig, and a bolillo walk into a room, then ignite. Boom, that's “La Bomba.”

They start by toasting a bolillo and smothering it with mayonesa, then they add what seems like a pound of chopped asada, ham, and bacon mixed with fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and melted cheese on top. It comes to you in a cute little basket the size of a football (they’re literally nicknamed “tortas futboleras”) and you can squeeze some lime and salsa verde on top. I take the biggest bite into it and mmmm-mmmmMMMM. I always forget that they only accept cash even though I come here once a month, and have to convince Steph to pay. Honestly, writing this hurts me because I wanted to keep this place all to myself. Gatekeeping? Maybe. Delicious? Very! (Emmanuel Ramirez, Yollocalli Arts Reach) Doña Torta Chilanga, 2152 W. Cermak Rd. Monday–Sunday, 11am-11pm.

(773) 927-3497.

BEST PLANT POP-UP

Semillas Plant Studio

It’s undeniable that many of us are secretly turning into our grandmas: we love growing plants, shopping for them, and dedicating time and love to our plant babies.

Throughout the pandemic, I picked up plants from stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Target. However, I love a good local Latinx owned plant shop that I can tell everyone about so we can support local businesses.

Angelica Varela is a Pilsen native and proud owner of the one and only Semillas Plant Studio, which closed down in June to focus on outdoor vending. Varela has expressed a deep-rooted connection with her family’s history of taking care of plants.

It goes back to her early childhood, which are shared memories with her grandmother and her Mexican culture.

Tending to plants and being surrounded by them has helped her mental health, and many people who own plants, myself included, can also agree. During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, a lot of us needed something to shift our focus on to avoid spiraling into a dark state of mind.

In July 2020, Semillas Plant Studio opened doors as a sanctuary space during the pandemic—a lovely shop to stop by with your friends that is instagram-worthy and to take a deep appreciation of the wide variety of plants that the chic studio had to offer: pothos, snake plants, anthuriums, gorgeous monsteras and so much more.

Before their closure, they were constantly switching out inventory to provide something new for returning customers, restocking beautiful pots for your plants and even delicious coffee for you to sip on while browsing the store. Aside from that location, they offer workshops and pop-ups at other places in collaboration, like Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery in Fulton River District, Mi Tocaya Restaurant in Logan Square, Caminos de Michoacán in Pilsen and Osito’s Tap in La Villita.

Keep up with their social media and watch out for their next pop-up location until the main studio reopens and support this Latinx-owned business! Pick up one plant, two plants, and or even three plants to help your mental well-being, beautify your home and spice it up, or even gift one to a friend. It is so important that we shop locally so we can become a community that is constantly growing and thriving, especially in times like these when we need to be extra kind to one another and find ways to bring nature into your home. ( Jennifer Lara, Yollocalli Arts Reach) Semillas Plant Studio, pop-ups at various locations. Instagram: @semillasplantstudio

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PULLMAN & ROSELAND

Compiled by Weekly staff

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n Labor Day weekend this year, Pullman stepped back into the spotlight. The town where Labor Day originated following the deaths of thirteen company workers during the great rail strike of 1894, celebrated the restoration of the iconic Pullman administration building and clock tower, and its conversion to become the new National Park Service Visitor Center.

On February 19, 2015, then-president Barack Obama declared the Pullman Historic Site a National Monument, putting the historic buildings and the district under the direction of the National Park Service. The restoration has been underway ever since, and the long-awaited ribbon cutting took place on Monday, September 6.

The model factory town was built just south of Chicago city limits between 1880 and 1884 by George M. Pullman, to manufacture railroad passenger cars, and to house his company's workers and their families. The industrial experiment of building Pullman was well-regulated, sanitary, and employed thousands. Mr. Pullman also forbade drinking establishments in his town.

The town of Pullman, prior to being annexed to the city of Chicago, was considered the first planned industrial community in the United States. It is nationally significant for its history, architecture, urban planning, and its important role in the U.S. labor movement.

For barely a decade Pullman enjoyed a reputation as a model community, attracting visitors and acclaim from around the world—until the plunging American economy caused the company to lower wages, and increase housing and food costs for the workers. The nationwide, bloody strike in 1894 was the impetus for President Grover Cleveland to establish Labor Day. Today, much of the original housing and many public buildings in Pullman remain intact and well preserved. The location of the factory complex is at 11001 S. Cottage Grove Ave. The residential neighborhood of Pullman stretches for a few city blocks north and south of the factory and administration buildings, divided from neighboring Roseland by the Metra tracks along Cottage Grove. (Tom Shepherd)

BEST CLOCK TOWER

Pullman National Monument Clock Tower

Wake up before sunrise, strike a match to light a lantern filled with whale oil, and stumble downstairs to the kitchen in your two-story Pullman Company house to scarf 76 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

PULLMAN NATIONAL MONUMENT CLOCK TOWER, PHOTO BY ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL

down a hearty breakfast of corn bread and boiled eggs. Walk down Watt Avenue. (now St. Lawrence) past the soaring Greenstone Church, its green steeple and panes of stained glass glowing in the dawn light; past the imposing Arcade shopping center with its Pullman Trust and Savings Bank, capacious library, and many-seated theater; and past the Hotel Florence where visiting dignitaries stay content and warmed by coal-filled ovens. Line up outside the wrought-iron gate just before sunrise with thousands of others on their way to jobs in the erecting shops, the wood machine shop, the dry kilns, the lumber sheds, the blacksmith workshop, the paint shop, or the administrative building with its immense clock tower that counts out the working hours for all. The year could be 1883, although the inscription above the gate house door reads PULLMAN WORKERS' GATE, PHOTO BY MARTHA BAYNE AD 1880, the year George Pullman built this temple of industry to produce palatial wood-and-iron train cars replete with the trims and comforts expected by a bourgeois American passenger.

On Labor Day 2021, as I walked down St. Lawrence, much was the same, and much was gone or altered from this nineteenth-century tableau. The Arcade is no longer, replaced by a squat concrete building that houses the Historic Pullman Visitor Center. Greenstone United Methodist Church and the Hotel Florence still stand impressive as ever, even if under construction. So too, the reconstructed working clock tower. Faithful to its original design and purpose, the clock tower at the National Pullman Monument marks the hours in black Roman numerals over white inlay. Although workers may no longer be setting their watches in accordance with the company clock face, tourists can check it to make sure it is still between nine in the morning and five in the evening when the Monument Visiting Center is open. The weathervane at the

PULLMAN & ROSELAND pinnacle of the clock tower is topped by a copper eagle that glints resplendently in the sun. The original clock tower overlooked Lake Vista, no more, now a grassy dell.

From up in the sky, it must have witnessed the numerous strikes and walkouts of the 1880s and the churning out of thousands of Palace train cars with wooden walls inlaid with marquetry and seats of plush red velvet through the decades up until the Pullman Company’s closure in the 1960s. The original clock tower met its end too in 1998 when an arsonist set it on fire. At the thought of its revitalization as a striking emblem of the National Monument, I paused to think of the men and women who spent their lives beneath as industrial laborers or piece workers, and the struggles they waged for safe workplaces and a living-wage, the same kinds of demands being fought for by a nascent twenty-first century labor movement. (Max Blaisdell) Pullman National Monument, 610 E. 111th St. Open daily 9am-5pm. (773) 264-7431. nps.gov/pull/

BEST AFRICAN AMERICAN LABOR HISTORY MUSEUM

Pullman Porter Museum

On Labor Day afternoon just off S. 104th and Corliss Avenue, the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum had the neighborhood swinging to the soulful tunes of Meagan McNeal and the percussive genius of Jeremiah Collier and the REUP. Barbecue smoke lofted between the viewers dancing on the hot asphalt and the players up on stage. A bar served cocktails in the main lot, easels and paints were out front on the grass, and organizers set up stalls on the back porch championing the fight for fifteen dollars an hour for restaurant workers. The bleachers were mostly empty due to the blazing sun, but a dozen people sat coolly on a wooden platform shaded by the museum itself, watching all that went on around, below, and across from them.

David A. Peterson, Jr., president and executive director of the Pullman Porter Museum, dressed in a fine red suit, got on stage between sets to deliver a stirring address commemorating the role of Pullman Porters in United States labor history as members of the first Black union recognized by the American Federation of Labor and eulogizing A. Philip Randolph for his role as leader of their union—the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Founded in 1995, the museum operates on a non-profit basis, and—other than today—is currently open by appointment only. It also acts as an event space and hosts a media arts program that teaches students to create podcasts that voice their desires for change.

From a brief stint playing football with students from A. Philip Randolph High School in New York City, I knew his name but otherwise the history and significance in the Civil Rights Movement was sadly unfamiliar to me. The top floor of the three-story museum hosts an educational film. The second displays quotes from Randolph’s speech “The Call to Negro America to March on Washington” and posters for the planned 1941 march, which pressured President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to end racial discrimination in federal hiring practices and the awarding of federal contracts through Executive Order 8802. The first floor provides a tidy overview of the Porters’ history, from their recruitment by railroad companies that had formerly bought and sold people as slaves to lay tracks, to the dignity they maintained in the face of difficult working conditions, and also their importance to Black communities stretching from train stops in the Deep South all the way north to the Bronzeville neighborhood many of them called home. If this is news to you as it was for me then the Pullman Porters Museum is well worth a visit to delve into this underappreciated chapter of South Side Chicago’s industrial past. (Max Blaisdell) Pullman Porter Museum, 10406 S. Maryland Ave. Open by appointment only. aprpullmanportermuseum.org

BEST RESTORATIVE JUSTICE EXPERIMENT THROUGH URBAN COMMUNITY GARDENING

Cooperation Operation

When walking down 114th Street, it’s not immediately apparent that one of Pullman’s gems resides on the corner of 114th Street and Langley Avenue. What was once known to long-time Pullman residents as a fenced-off hazardous waste site is now full of tall, native, and misplaced plants, obscuring the view along the chain-link fence.

Beyond the gates, there lies a community-led initiative that has been making great strides to place collective care and power back in the hands of both the land itself and the residents of Pullman.

Cooperation Operation (Coop Op) is an urban community garden that is actively working towards a site for Pullman residents to have access to healthy, sustainable food in what is otherwise a place experiencing food apartheid. Previously a Sherwin-Williams paint waste processing facility, the site was deemed a superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA took measures to remediate the highly polluted and damaged soil, and Coop Op took on their own initiative to further heal the soil by incorporating a mycelium network to break down pollutants and prevent further toxins from being released into the air. Not only does Coop Op aim to heal the land of toxins, but also works to practice healing with anyone who steps foot on the farm.

The mission of Coop Op is to teach individuals through a cooperative and communal lens how to create autonomous green spaces in their community with practices centered on environmental literacy, sustainability, regeneration, remediation, and decolonization. Founded in 2012, Coop Op has historically been a space where the Pullman community could harvest food and participate in community events and education. There have been many iterations of Coop Op as collective members have changed over the years. Currently, collective members have been working on restructuring systems centered in reimaging and rebuilding the farm with restorative and sustainable operations in mind. The land was cleared of the rotting materials and abandoned structures, remnants from its previous function as a dumping site, and has been replaced by massive beds and a hoop house designed to grow as much food and medicine as possible for local distribution. Throughout the farm, every structure serves as an intentional memorial dedicated to friends and community members who have passed. Even in their organizational structure, Coop Op is a horizontal structure where no one member has more power than the other in an effort to decenter colonization.

Coop Op’s future plans and ideas include a dog park, a skate park, a nature play space, and areas where community members can easily access nature while learning how to grow their own food and strive towards food sovereignty. Coop Op hopes to be a model that inspires creative possibilities around what can happen when a community works to take back their space. (Sal Valli) Cooperation Operation, 657 E. 114th St. facebook.com/CooperationOperation/

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR SHOT

Roseland Community Hospital

The world has been scary for a freelancer. While I was a teaching artist and journalist, I was merely a contractor as both, and wasn’t too sure if I’d be able to use either occupation to qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine in the early-priority waves this spring.

But through a friend of a friend, I was able to get validated for a vaccine at Roseland Community Hospital. I’m not too sure what I was expecting, but when I got there, two things shocked me: there was plenty of free parking, and all of the hospital staff were in good spirits.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 77

PULLMAN & ROSELAND From the desk attendant I met when I walked in at the wrong entrance, to the people who were patient with everyone who forgot to fill out every line on the paperwork, to the nurses who walked us to the waiting room to get our shots, I felt so much more comfortable than I did in the days leading up to thinking about what getting a shot would mean for me and my loved ones. I’d only really seen dreadful news about getting the shot, but the jokes and jargon amongst the crowd made the slight pinch such an afterthought. My heart goes out to all health workers this past year, but I have a huge amount of love for the staff at Roseland Community Hospital, who were vaccinating people by the hundreds every day in the early times of vaccine rollout. (Davon Clark) Roseland Community Hospital, 45 W. 111th St. Open daily, 24/7. (773) 995-3000. roselandhospitaltalks.org

BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE SUNSET

Kensington/115th St. Metra Station

According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Roseland is named as such because the neighborhood was once filled with beautiful flowers. I grew up in Beverly Woods, close enough to Beverly to have white neighbors, but still hood adjacent. I frequented Roseland especially in high school because my friends lived there, and it was about a seven-minute drive or one quick bus ride away.

I don’t know if I remember flowers with petals, but I remember flowers. Parks with old-heads sharing a drink, chatting with me as I walk my dog; screaming my friend’s stepdad’s name from the sidewalk because I got locked out; borrowing change from the guys at the gas station because I was a dollar short; giving my extra bottle of water to whoever was at the bus stop with me; those are the flowers I can recall, flowers that bloom and wither and bloom again. Flowers that made me feel safe and loved in a place some people only see for its thorns.

I really understood how beautiful Roseland is when I took the Metra back to a friend's house from the Auto Show at McCormick Place one night. I’d rarely taken the Metra, nor had I ever stopped at Kensington on 1165th Street. The train platform is high up and suspended above the edge of the neighborhood. I’d never seen Roseland from that angle before.

As I stood facing west, I imagined the sunset blooming across the horizon like a bouquet of marigolds resting against the blue canvas and clouds, spreading yellows and oranges and reds between branches and onto the tops of apartment buildings.

Trees create a border between the open Metra parking lot and the rest of what seems like the world, and it felt like where I was standing was the highest point in the entire neighborhood. It probably was.

Something about watching the sun dropping into the neighborhood like yolk into a mixing bowl makes me feel warmth. I’ve watched the sun set from so many places; my current apartment has huge windows that face directly west, and I catch golden hour every day, and yet nothing compares to watching it happen from that Metra station platform.

I want whoever's reading this to know that the sunsets are beautiful in Roseland, too. They are quiet, and hospitable. They invite the working class folks who live there to return to their homes and rest. They give the moms rushing out the house to their night shifts a golden lining to keep them company on their commute. They tell me what direction I’m traveling in as I ride the #119 bus to the Red Line station or back.

Sunsets in Roseland are indeed flowers, ushering themselves out of the dirt day after day without fail, giving its residents something to see that is just as beautiful and just as resilient as them. (Chima Ikoro) Kensington/115th St. stop on the Metra Electric Line.

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SOUTH LOOP Compiled by Chima Ikoro Neighborhood Captain

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PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

his neighborhood has a history that is as old and as long as the railroads that run through it. South Loop, the doorway to the Loop for South Siders, is one of the city’s first residential districts, dating to before the Chicago Fire of 1871. The South Loop today is home to schools, colleges, and universities, three of the city's largest museums, and some of the most popular restaurants and sights in Chicago. South Loop also holds Grant Skate Park, one of six skate parks in the city, and with its walkability and diverse transit options it has become a hub for the city's youth.

With so many points of interest in this neighborhood, the list of “bests” is endless.

(Chima Ikoro) Neighborhood captain Chima Ikoro is the community organizing editor at the Weekly.

BEST PARK TO PET DOGS THAT AREN’T YOURS

Fred Anderson Park

When I first began school in the South Loop, I found myself exploring between classes.

One day, as I wandered down Wabash, I passed what looked like the perfect, low-key spot to practice on my skateboard. Streaks of paved white paths, small steps, and cliffs woven between green patches of grass drew me towards this park. However, I didn’t practice a single trick. Instead, I was greeted by dogs running freely and playing. It was a dog park.

Fred Anderson Park is a 1.2-acre piece of the city that was acquired by the park district in 2015. This park is as human-friendly as it is dog-friendly, and is designed to accommodate all types of dogs and their specific needs. It has separate enclosed play areas for small and large dogs, and is riddled with tunnels and artificial turf, as well

as fountains and strips of concrete that create mini water parks. There are also picnic tables, and while they’re designed for humans it’s not uncommon to see dogs standing and jumping on them as they play. The style of the park makes the environment extremely welcoming, and both pet owners and the canine-free congregate on warm days to play and chat. The dogs are sociable and excited and the friendly atmosphere makes it the perfect place to pet random dogs if you need a furry fix.

The park is named after the late Fred Anderson, who was a pillar of jazz music in Chicago and an internationally acclaimed musician. Anderson lived a few blocks from the park, and his famed club the Velvet Lounge, at 2821½ S. Indiana, welcomed musicians from around the world. The park features a small stage area for local artists to perform, a fitting legacy for a man who was a mentor to so many of Chicago’s young and up-and-coming musicians. (Chima Ikoro) Fred Anderson Park, 1611 S. Wabash Ave. Daily: 6am-9pm. (312) 328-0821.

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SOUTH LOOP

BEST PLACE TO CLOUD WATCH/BEST HILL TO ROLL DOWN

BEST NEW STUDENT CENTER MADE MOSTLY OUT OF GLASS

The Great Ivy Lawn

Columbia College Student Center

The Great Ivy Lawn, 425 E. Roosevelt Rd. Open daily 24/7.

Columbia College Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave. (312) 369-8000. studentcenter@ colum.edu. Access with Columbia ID only.

The Museum Campus is home to some of the city's largest museums and tourist attractions. The Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, and the Adler Planetarium sit majestically on this beautiful landscape accented with bright gardens and beds of flowers. The campus sits right on the lake, with panoramic views of both the skyscrapers and the water from the Lakefront Trail that wraps around the aquarium. There are, in short, so many reasons to visit this area, but there’s a facet of the Museum Campus that is often overlooked: the Great Ivy Lawn.

The Great Ivy Lawn stretches from the Museum Park pedestrian underpass across the width of the Field’s north-facing facade and up to the courtyard of the Shedd.

Freshly cut grass ripples from top to bottom as the lawn cascades to the edge of the walkway that leads to the Lakefront Trail. It’s hard to imagine that a patch of grass could be so regal, but the Great Ivy Lawn is so well tended, it is easily the most comfortable place to relax between classes or on a lunch break. And unlike most things on the Museum Campus, the lawn is free to enjoy. All the greenery is a breath of fresh air after you’ve spent your day trapped within downtown's concrete and buildings. The flowers and gardens that line the lawn attract butterflies and small critters that breathe life into this corner of the South Loop.

The perfect place to lay back and cloud watch, this spot is also great for a picnic, as long as you’re not bothered by the bees that keep the gardens lively. At the farthest end of the lawn is Kim and Carlo’s Hot Dog Stand if you’re craving an authentic, no-frills Chicago-style hot dog. More importantly, the Great Ivy Lawn’s gentle slopes and plateaus make it the best hill to roll down. As childish as that may sound, there’s no better way to release some positive energy and have a good laugh. (Chima Ikoro)

Columbia College Chicago welcomed its first-ever student center in the fall of 2019, which was also my first year at the school. This building is five stories high and 114,000 square feet. In other words, it is a giant block of glass standing on the corner of 7th and Wabash. You absolutely cannot miss it. However, this building is more than just a pigeon's nightmare. It’s a hub of endless resources for students of the college and whoever else they can sneak in.

The center features a coffee shop and dining room with food that is more edible than what’s found at most college cafeterias. The space has several lounges and couches for napping and a maker space that provides tools to craft a variety of projects, including sewing machines. Soundproof studios on the third floor are the perfect place to scream between classes or record music and audio. The student center also has private study rooms that can be rented as well. The fourth floor has a fitness center, a prayer room, and a rec room featuring ping-pong tables and TVs students often gather around to play video games. Private meeting rooms and event spaces are used for college-wide events and can be utilized by student organizations. And if you want to stand on a glass ledge attached to this glass building, the student center has two balconies as well.

The student center provides young artists of all disciplines with a space to work on personal projects or class assignments. The college is also fairly disjointed, since its classrooms and buildings are scattered throughout the South Loop. This building serves as a place where students who might otherwise never meet can get to know each other. Also, did I mention that it’s made out of glass? (Chima Ikoro)

PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

80 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

SOUTH LOOP

PHOTO BY K'VON JACKSON

BEST SPOT TO CATCH THE BUS GOING SOUTH

South Michigan Avenue and Ida B. Wells Drive

Bus stops in Chicago are far from scarce. There might be just as many bus stops as there are potholes! The third largest city in the nation, Chicago has the second-largest transit system; according to the Chicago Transit Authority website we have 10,768 bus stops that service 129 different routes. Buses are particularly important to South Siders, because the South Side has fewer train services than the North and West Sides.

Only the Green Line and the Red Line go directly south, and the Green Line stops at 63rd St. The bus stop at Michigan Ave. and Ida B. Wells Drive services seven different bus routes, all of which travel south. The #1 bus goes to Bronzeville. The #3 will take you all the way past Chatham. The #4 goes as far as Pullman and Roseland into the 100’s.

The #6 passes through Hyde Park, Jackson Park, and takes you to South Shore, while the J14 “Jeffery Jump” will take you all the way to Pullman with ease because it “jumps” from the Museum Campus to 67th and Jeffery with no stops in between. Similarly, the #26 bus services to Pullman and has an express route to Jackson Park, where it then travels southeast and southwest through South Shore. The #28 goes from Union Park through Hyde Park and South Chicago all the way to Olive Harvey College, but only on the weekdays.

For Chicagoans who live farther south or farther east than the Red Line’s final stop at 95th/Dan Ryan, buses to trains or buses that travel directly downtown are their only way to reach the city center without a car. These long lines of public transportation are what give South Siders access to otherwise inaccessible parts of the city. This creates opportunities for commuters who want to work and go to school in the Loop, or more simply help young people to explore fun things to do further north.

Michigan and Ida B. Wells Drive may seem to be just an intersection or a bus stop, but it’s much more than that. It’s a doorway and a passage point, and you’re likely to run into a few friends if you decide to catch the bus there. (Chima Ikoro) Southbound CTA bus stop at S. Michigan Ave. and Ida B. Wells Drive.

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SOUTH SHORE & WOODLAWN Compiled by Malik Jackson, Neighborhood Captain

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his shared introduction comes at an interesting time when both South Shore and Woodlawn residents might feel that their neighborhoods are in flux. For some, this was probably always the case, but the recent groundbreaking of the Obama Presidential Center has intensified sentiments that the conditions of these neighborhoods today might be different tomorrow. ‘For better or worse?’ remains the question, but defining either outcome would require an up-to-date understanding of both neighborhoods. For a long time, both South Shore and Woodlawn were characterized by what they lacked, like grocery stores and other neighborhood amenities. Recent developments in these neighborhoods have certain publications crowning them comeback kids. But we know that there were always assets in these neighborhoods, despite what the system deprived them of. Highlighting these assets is the objective of Best of the South Side.

These neighborhoods cradle one of the largest and most gorgeous parks in the city, Jackson Park. South Shore boasts beaches and rich architecture, Woodlawn is dotted with small parks, gardens, and historic buildings. If you step into the South Side YMCA, or the fields along the easternmost edge of Jackson Park on Stony Island, you’ll see people of all ages enjoying Woodlawn’s amenities. This is the case despite narratives that have been created to suggest the park and the neighborhood are “underused” and “under-utilized.” The narrative is a sure contradiction because, if not for the neighborhood’s involvement and strength in numbers, they wouldn’t have been able to win a significant housing preservation ordinance in the face of gentrification. In South Shore, new efforts are ramping up to build people power behind an ordinance of their own, with the same goal in mind: staying in the neighborhood they know and love.

In 2020, BoSS highlighted the food, jazz, and activism that came out of South Shore and Woodlawn. If BoSS happened in the 1970s, it’d be the same story. Despite changes in population and housing makeup, the culture has always been rich, and that spills out of historic establishments like Daley’s, and the Jeffery Pub. And sometimes the good things don’t have to be housed in a building. Sometimes they’re a table stand 82 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

71ST ST BUS STOP. PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

on the side of the road, sometimes it’s the simple atmosphere of a park. Sometimes the sights of your morning walk are enough to keep you enamored with a neighborhood forever. These are the feelings of home that one gets when walking through Woodlawn and South Shore.

Neighborhood captain Malik Jackson is the housing editor at the Weekly

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

Taco King

Always under shade, you can grab your curbside taco somewhere along 67th St. east of Jeffery Ave., depending on where the King sets up shop.

For most, the blue and yellow sign draping from the foldable table that reads “Taco King” can only be read if you bend over and lean around. Since the sign is too long for the height of the table, the bottom of it is a bit hard to make out. This won’t be a deterrent though, because the smell of shrimp and chicken and the sounds of soul music will be enough to make you stay, and the spread of sauces and lettuce, onion, and pineapple will be enough to kickstart your imagination: “How many tacos do you want?” The King of Tacos, the Taco King, decisively steps away from his grill with his own inquiry. He knows why you’re here, he just wants to know what you want from him. And his tone is almost hurried, like he wants you to get going, even though there’s no one else in line. The music is so loud behind him that he asks you to repeat everything you’re saying, at least once, maybe four times and on the third “Huh?” you can’t help but think, “Maybe that music’s too loud, man.” But it’s okay, because the shrimp is grilled and the sauce is green and from the way the Taco King lays it all on the tortilla, it doesn’t seem like he makes too many considerations for portion size.

SOUTH SHORE & WOODLAWN

BEST CORNER

71st and Jeffery

You know the movies where the actor is going through a crisis and they somehow find themselves in the middle of the street at some point, overwhelmed by the sounds of the city and the people, dodging oncoming traffic and covering their ears from the loud honks of car horns? 71st St. and Jeffery Ave. is that, with added color.

Though the Jeffery Theater closed down in 1977, people still crowd the intersection of 71st and Jeffery to talk shit, trade squares, and watch the neighborhood boil into one corner. It’s the landing zone for the J14, one of the busiest routes in the city, and the 71, which can take people from the 100s on the Southeast Side to the 69th Street Red Line station. It also houses the Bryn Mawr Metra Electric stop, which gives people a quicker option to get further south or downtown. Because of this, and because 71st St. is one of the more well-resourced commercial corridors in the area, many people find themselves on this corner or at least walking along the adjacent streets on a daily basis.

There are different scenes for every corner of the intersection. On the northwest corner, there are sometimes street pastors setting up chairs and speakers to preach the word that compels them, which tends to humor others. Ironically, Jeffery Pub is right behind it, which is one of the country's longest running Black LGBTQ bars. On the southwest corner, people spill in and out of the 71st Street Walgreens, which locks most if not all of their products, from toothpaste to bar soap, behind plexiglass. The southeast corner has one of the most iconic gems of the neighborhood, the Currency Exchange, which has the magical ability to admit customers in a happy mood and send them out much angrier than they were before. The energies spill out onto the street and make for a better melting pot but it’s all love in the end.

(WORST) REPURPOSING OF A SCHOOL

South Shore High School

South Shore High School’s old building has been standing since 1940. For decades it was an anchor in the community with a vital function: educating youth. It was a place where youth from families around the neighborhood would come to congregate, make new connections and discover their passions. The motions of the twentieth century changed the makeup of the school and the area. White flight, deindustrialization, and divestment are just a couple phenomena that caused South Shore to not only struggle with resources, but school attendance as well. After a series of experiments to keep the school going, the Board of Education voted to phase out the school in 2009, and yet another community anchor would be closed, no longer administering its once vital service. In 2020, City Council approved a plan to turn the old South Shore High School building into a police training facility. In a city where police regularly brutalize Black youth, this seems like the worst idea ever, let alone the antithesis of what the building was created for. These are the metaphors Chicago grants its citizens, with no regard for backlash.

Donny Hathaway, Minnie Ripperton, and G Herbo have passed through the halls at some point.

Recently, new legacies were kickstarted at the school. As the Weekly has reported recently, Hyde Park Academy was central to the citywide push for the removal of School Resource Officers (SROs) from Chicago Public Schools. Hyde Park voted to remove one of their SROs from the school and use the new funding for a new Dean of School Climate and Culture.

Hyde Park Academy, 6220 S. Stony Island Ave.

BEST POTENTIAL

Jackson Park Comfort Station

If you are ever driving east on Marquette to merge onto South Shore Drive, you’ve likely seen what appears to be anything between a rundown rest station to a target for Jackson Park golfers. It’s battered, to say the least. Parts of the roof are practically slipping off. The facade is cracked. Its pillars are collectively on their last leg.

But under the sun, you can tell what it once was. The tiles that are slipping off are Spanish-style, with a warm terracotta color to them. The details of the exterior are striking. And if you step closer, you can tell that the struggling pillars once had color and structure, like the others that haven’t yet fallen into disrepair.

The Comfort Station was built in 1912 by D.H. Burnham and Co., which was headed by Daniel Burnham, one of the first city planners in Chicago. It served as a restroom for men and women who’d golf in Jackson Park, but today, unless you’re willing to hop the gate that surrounds it—it has no current use. But that’s the beauty of the structure. It’s been standing long and stable enough for us to know what it used to be, and if the Chicago Park District’s South Lakefront Framework Plan comes to fruition, we might be able to see the building’s future.

Park voted to remove one of their SROs from the school and use the new funding for a new Dean of School Climate and Culture.

Hyde Park Academy, 6220 S. Stony Island Ave.

BEST WIN

Hyde Park Academy

Schools are some of the most long-standing institutions in the city. Many public school buildings in Chicago are distinctly recognizable within their given neighborhoods. Hyde Park Academy is no exception. Its bold-bodied structure and white facade is highly anticipated when venturing down Stony Island, and the legacies that come from inside are even more treasured, as Gwendolyn Brooks,

COMFORT STATION. PHOTO BY ZAKIR JAMAL

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WASHINGTON PARK Compiled by Jacqueline Foreman, Neighborhood Captain

K.L.E.O. COMMUNITY FAMILY LIFE CENTER. PHOTO BY JASON SCHUMER

T

he Washington Park community is well-known for its historic development during the late nineteenth century on Chicago’s South Side, and its vibrant music scene during the mid-twentieth century. Seven miles south of the Loop, it takes its name from the recreational area situated along the eastern border of the community, stretching from 51st to 60th Streets along Cottage Grove Ave. Hosting one of the largest and most historic parks in the city, it is an important public amusement space for the entire South Side.

The Washington Park community takes advantage of its convenient location, its transportation, its great greystones, its vibrant, creative churches, its historically significant structures, and its most important asset: its people.

Our residents work to strengthen their families and their community. The Washington Park Chamber of Commerce works to attract and maintain economic opportunity to improve the quality of life for all. And the Washington Park Neighborhood Watch Group has organized to be responsive to the needs of local families. Our churches and organizations reach out to serve the identified needs of the families and children around them and to strengthen the community as a whole.

We have new restaurants and eateries that have opened up along 55th St., and they promise a unique vibrancy to the historic boulevard. You will not be hungry or thirsty in Washington Park, with The Park Supper Club, The Retreat Coffee House, a new Harold’s Chicken, along with the return of neighborhood treasure Ms. Biscuit.

(Yvette Legrand) Neighborhood captain Jacqueline L. Foreman is a first-time homeowner who took on an 84 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

immediate sense of community pride since moving to Washington Park right before the pandemic in December of 2019. From volunteering at a local church food pantry to playing Double Dutch with community members, Jacqueline looks forward to being a continued helping hand in one of the best up-and-coming communities on the South Side.

BEST PLACE FOR SOLACE AND CREATIVITY

K.L.E.O. Community Family Life Center

When I was in high school, K.L.E.O. (Keep Loving Each Other) was known for its poetry slams and meetings of like-minded, community oriented people. Immersed in the creativity of my peers, you saw early acts like Dometi Pongo (who now works for MTV), K Love The Poet, and much more. It was a place of safety and solace and birthed a lot of creativity. That’s what makes this place the BEST. Founded by Torrey L. Barrett in 2008 to help eradicate domestic violence after Barrett’s younger sister, Kleo, was killed by her boyfriend, the organization offers afterschool and mentoring programs for youth, a mobile food pantry, and job training and placement services for adults. (Kia Smith) K.L.E.O. Community Family Life Center, 119 E. Garfield Blvd. Monday, 10 am–6pm; Tuesday, 10am–12pm; Wednesday–Friday, 10 am–6pm; Saturday–Sunday, closed. (773) 363-6941. thekleocenter.org

WASHINGTON PARK

BEST REGENERATIVE EPICENTER

Sweet Water Foundation

Nestled between Washington Park and Englewood, the Sweet Water Foundation (SWF) is a rapidly growing community center organized around principles of social justice, creativity, and regeneration. Practicing a process of “Regenerative Neighborhood Development,” the foundation works with youth, their families, and other local residents to transform the ecology of so-called “blighted” Chicago neighborhoods into productive and sustainable community assets. Current projects combine urban agriculture, art, and educational initiatives to transform classrooms, vacant lots, and abandoned buildings into re-imagined spaces of arts, culture, and connection.

Working together over the past five years, the SWF team and local community members have redesigned four contiguous city blocks into its flagship location, The Commonwealth. Acting as an urban agriculture epicenter, The Commonwealth invites local residents, artists, and others to engage with its on-site farm, greenhouse, makerspace, and additional spaces in co-creating a community centered around values of hope and inclusion. SWF also recently launched its Sweet Water Academy at this location, offering an urban ecology apprenticeship, K–12 field site programs, and volunteer days for those interested in getting involved.

SWF is currently participating in the multi-venue exhibition “Toward Common Cause: Art, Social Change, and the MacArthur Fellows Program at 40”, organized by the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. As a part of the exhibition, SWF is hosting two collaborative, site-specific installations.

The first is Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle’s "Hydrant, 41°47’22.662 N – 87°37’38.364 W", from the series, Well which provides water to the neighborhood while encouraging viewers to consider the politics of water access. Located nearby, Mel Chin's "Safehouse Temple Door", a functioning bank-vault door, is installed at SWF’s Civic Arts Church ­­­­­­— a community design center and gallery space for events, workshops, and field lessons. Tours are available every Wednesday from 1–4pm, and reservations are required. (Lauren Beard) Sweet Water Foundation, 5749 South Perry Avenue, Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm" should be changed to "5749 S. Perry Ave. Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm.

BEST FANCY NIGHT OUT

The Park Supper Club

Comfort food elegantly presented: that’s the credo at the Park Supper Club, whether a meal, or cocktails and bar bites. Both my order of lamb chops and my dinner guest’s order of the same dish were served tender—mine in a perfectly faint reddishpink hue of medium rare and hers, well done—a true testament to the attention to detail from executive chef Serge Hien. Four crosshatched lamb chops on the bone, $30, rested on a neat mound of mushroom risotto, and were garnished with roasted and quartered carrots, with a generous flourish of balsamic vinegar. An herb puff pastry floating atop refined the lobster bisque, $14, dashed with white truffle oil. For a casual meal option, I’ve been recommended the chicken sandwich, $16, by Chef Hien, who rose to the role of Executive Chef soon after Park Supper Club’s opening in May. The Park Supper Club’s cocktails like the Hennessy Sidecar, $14, hearken SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 85

to the Jazz Era, the Harlem Renaissance, New York City’s Cotton Club, and its Chicago namesake—all fitting and clear inspirations for the restaurant.

Sitting on the open-air patio allows patrons to breathe easier during dinner service, CDC and city government mandates notwithstanding. En plein air, some patrons were masked for part of their meals; others on the patio went completely without. All waitstaff and front of house employees wore masks at all times.

Sounds of cars and foot traffic on Garfield Boulevard often punctuated our meal as ambulances and neighbors alike passed by. Nevertheless, said MaryAnn Marsh, back of house manager and co-owner of the Park Supper Club, “As consumers in the Black community, establishments have to be deserving of our business, but if we don’t support them, they will forever stay in white communities. If we want to be entertained, dine well, and be treated with respect, we need to bring it home ourselves.”

(Sarahlynn Pablo)

THE ARTS INCUBATOR. PHOTO BY ERIC ALLIX ROGERS

The Park Supper Club, 65 E. Garfield Blvd. Thursday–Saturday, 4pm–12am. Ample, free parking in the lot across on South Michigan Avenue. (773) 420-3661. theparksupperclub.com.

BEST TENNIS CLUB

XS Tennis and Education Foundation

Growing up, the tennis court was my haven. I spent summers rigorously training for tournaments, hitting the court early to assure my top-six seed on our high school tennis team. The sport can be pricey, but the pros always outweigh the cons. Now, as an adult, finding community in a city of three million people can be hard.

Then I found XS Tennis.

XS Tennis and Education Foundation (XSTEF) is the only club in Chicago focused solely on tennis. Located in Washington Park, the establishment is the first tennis facility of its kind on the South Side. With twelve consecutive indoor courts, fifteen outdoor courts, and four clay courts, XSTEF not only promotes a welcoming environment for tennis enthusiasts, it also seeks to educate youth about off-court success with three academic classrooms.

Truly an unbeatable experience for anyone who loves tennis.

Split into four divisions, tennis programs are available to everyone ages four and up. Aiming to provide opportunities at college scholarships for those willing to put in the work, XSTEF has sent forty-seven students to college on tennis scholarships equaling a combined value of $9 million. Unlike other tennis organizations around Chicago, XSTEF boasts affordable prices, starting at $25/month for kids, $45/month for adults, and $85/month for a family package. If you’re looking for affordable tennis time, there’s no better option than XSTEF. Moving to a large city, making a community can be hard. I miss the friends I made in tennis, the happiness I feel with the court under my foot as the sun shines on my face. With bills, rent, and groceries being as expensive as they are, I never expected to be able to afford the luxury of tennis again. Luckily, XS Tennis understands the necessary balance that exercise can bring to one’s life and, more importantly, the kind of opportunities tennis can provide in the future. Building a community through hard work, passion, and perseverance, the people at XSTEF promise memories and opportunities providing people access to the best sport there is: tennis. (Meggie Gates) XS Tennis and Education Foundation, 5336 S State St. (773) 548-7529. Monday–Friday, 8am–9pm; Saturday–Sunday, 8am–8pm.

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BEST SPACE TO SHARE CULTURAL WEALTH

Washington Park Arts Incubator

As the video on the website of the Washington Park Arts Incubator says, the South Side is not without tremendous cultural wealth—but we’re often left without a space to share it with one another. The Arts Incubator seeks to offer such a space.

Developed by artist Theaster Gates, for the University of Chicago’s Arts and Public Life initiative, the incubator’s focus is on artist residency, arts education, community engagement, and program exhibitions. It’s a great way to engage with the community around them and use art as a tool to heal and uplift the ones that are present.

The Arts and Public Life 2021 artists-in-residence, who have access to the Incubator’s resources and space to develop works relevant to the South Side that examine race and ethnicity, are Zakkiyyah Najeebah Dumas-O'Neal, A.J. McClenon, and Lola Ogbara. (Kia Smith) Washington Park Arts Incubator, 301 E. Garfield Blvd. Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday, 10am–6pm; Thursday, 10am–7pm; closed Saturday–Monday. (773) 702-9724. arts.uchicago.edu/artsandpubliclife/ai.