Chicago Weekend Fun!

It finally feels like spring in Chicago and we should get out and enjoy it before the oppressive heat starts! Here are some suggestions for activities and events this weekend in Chicago.

1. Chicago Green City Market opens on May 14th and they have a special event with Mayor Daley on Saturday May 17th. The Market will be open weekends now until fall at 1799 N. Clark, and Stockton Drive. This is very close to Lakeview and Lincoln Avenue. Green City Market’s 10th Anniversary Rally for Local Sustainable Farming  Saturday, May 17, 9:00-10:00 am, South Lincoln Park *RAIN OR SHINE*. Come see what fruits, vegetables and foods have been locally grown and delivered fresh. I assume though that because of the location and the premium to raise produce locally these prices will be higher than your grocery store. I think that if you can afford it, locally grown food is a better choice for ecological sustainability.  Check out the Green City farmer’s market for what food is fresh and local this weekend.  (Many of the suburbs have local farmer’s markets also starting soon)

2. Lollapalooza Tickets  are still on Sale and if you want to make it to this fantastic festival this summer get them now before they are sold out. They have also set up a contest called Last Band Standing that you can find out more about on their site.

3. Eddie Izzard  is playing at the Chicago Theater on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm. Tickets are about 95% sold. See Ticketmaster for those last few nosebleed seats if you can get them. Eddie is fantastically funny and not to be missed since it may be another 5 years before he comes to Chicago again.

4. Chocolate Grape Restaurant opened last weekend and now that the crazy rush has passed it might be a good time to stop in and give them a try. Expect wine and chocolate themed food. It sounds luscious. Chocolate Grape Restaurant is located at 2113 West Division Street, between Damen and Hoyne Ave. call 773-772-3990 for reservations. 

5. The Field Museum  has  several new exhibits opening in May 2008. Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters opens next weekend May 23rd and advance tickets can be purchased online. This may not seem like regular Field Museum Fare (maybe more Science and Industry?) but it will be interesting in our current climate crisis. They also have a new permanent exhibit the “DNA Discovery Center” open now and “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids” is open at The Field Museum through September 1, 2008.

6. Before you blow your $600.00 government economic stimulus rebate check at Home Depot on a giant grill consider these options. Jewel food stores are offering a 10% bonus if you give them the entire check amount. This may seem like a lot of money for groceries, but with no time limit for the card usage, who wouldn’t really get good use out of a 10% bonus on your money?  Also, consider the tax implications of this money. I think you still have to pay taxes on it like income. If you have most everything you need right now, why not stash it away in an interest bearing savings account like the ones online at ING? This will provide a safety net for when you need it later. You never know how much worse the economy is going to get or how global economic conditions will affect your job in the long term.

7. Register to start training for the Chicago Marathon.  I know this is a huge bragging right of passage in Chicago every year, to say you ran and finished the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. (they were bought by Bank of America so the name may change?) What most people don’t know is that you have to train for 6 months to get in shape enough to run 26 miles of Chicago city streets. It is about 6 months from now, so if you are interested the Chicago marathon site has training program guides available and Nike.com has some great running training tools and groups they coordinate for running locally. Check them out to get into better shape and stay away from the malls this summer.

8.  Chicago Mayfest  is this weekend and this opens the summer event festival season officially. Expect streets to be blocked off and traffic to be backed up for social-networking yuppies to be drinking al fresco all summer. The Chicago Mayfest includes the ambiguous staples such as beer, live music and dogs. It is located in Lakeview at 3100 N. Ashland Ave. It will be open from noon to midnight Friday Saturday and Sunday and is $5 to enter.

9. Try the ginormous Iron Maiden Burger  on a yummy pretzel bun at Kuma’s Corner.  (seen in the picture above) They are located at 2900 W. Belmont Ave in Chicago, IL 60618. Phone 773.604.8769 for more info.

Every summer provides a long list of movies trying to get our attention away from the beach, the grill, your computer and the video games. This summer in Chicago will be no different. Whether you see your movies at AMC Theaters or Cineplex Odeon you will need a scorecard to keep up with the new releases.

New Comic-Book Movies. This genre wasn’t even around before Toby Miguire made it sexy to be Spider Man. Now the comic book franchise has hit an all time high with 4 movies this summer and some new actors trying their hand at playing comic book characters.

Iron Man (May 2), features Robert Downey Jr at the Iron Man and Tony Stark a billionaire inventor who develops an iron suit with all kinds of special superpowers built in. Of course this is an interesting project because the character battled alcoholism and so has the actor. Although when Robert Downey Jr was in rehab it was more rare than it is now, what the stars do regularly makes his stint seem pale by comparison. I just saw this movie last week and while some people were there to see how true to the comic books it was or how good the special effects were, I thought the story and the characters were great too.

The Incredible Hulk (June 13) is back with Edward Norton as the guy who gets green, and he decided to also co-write the screenplay for this movie. There has been mixed feedback about that decision with people writing that he has made some not so good decisions about it but we won’t know for sure until it is out. The Hulk or Bruce Banner is a scientist trying to find a cure for the disease that causes his metamorphosis and change at the same time as being chased by Tim Roth as a villain called The Abomination.

Also, Wanted (June 27), Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy are in the film they shot here in Chicago last fall. James is an office worker guy who is recruitd by a sexy assassin Angelina find his hidden superpowers and work for good not evil.

Hancock (July 2) isn’t actually a comic book story but makes fun of them. The film has Will Smith as a much-disliked superhero and Jason Bateman as his publicity guru and Charlize Theron as the wife of the PR guy. Not much info is available about this movie yet, but these are pretty big names.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11) is directed by Guillermo del Toro and features Ron Pearlman as Hellboy, a demon and hero. (weird that one can be both) This is a mythological story with armies coming to fight from every direction. This does not really sound like an appealing film to women, unless you enjoy a good fight.

Also, you can’t forget the much hyped, filmed in Chicago Batman film The Dark Knight (out July 18). Thie is the movie that Heath Ledger just finished after filming as the Joker. This is a sequel to Batman Begins but before all the ones we know from Clooney-Keaton times. Christian Bale is Batman once again and battles the Joker as the series continues to evolve in a character, set and costume way.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (releases May 22) This movie is being released 19 years after the last film in the series! I am surprised they decided to do this and not really sure why they would risk the legacy of positive fans the series has now that everyone is older. Steven Spielberg is directing like old times and Harrison Ford is pitted against a Russian spy Cate Blanchett in a race to find this crystal skull. This seems like a fun retro movie, and Shia LaBouf is in this also which should add some excitement.

I can’t believe they still make these Mummy movies, and I don;t know who watches them, but The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (releases Aug. 1) is the only work that Brendan Fraser seems to get. He is still an archaeologist and this time he goes to China to find mummies. Who knew they had mummies in China? But it does give them a chance to feature Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh.

Sci-fi and fantasy movies are also big box office hits in the summertime. I am suprised by the growth of this genre and how its cool to be a geek into sci-fi now and everyone wants to see these movies and geek out.

Speed Racer (May 9), is a film loosely based on the 1960s Japanese cartoon animated series and is remade here by The Wachowski brothers. All I have heard about is how Christina Ricci is in this film, and how her chin implant makes her look totally different. I am never sure about animated (or anime) car films. They rarely have anything to do with cars. So, if you’re into cartoons, see this, if you’re into cars skip it.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (releases May 16) is the next in the Narnia Book/Movie series. I am not one for fantasy films/books either so it is hard for me to suspend my disbelief that these geeky children’s books have become multi-million dollar box office hits. I do hear though that Eddie Izzard plays the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep. That alone might coax me into the theater.

M. Night Shyamalan is back with The Happening (June 13), another thrill type movie that never really explains itself or is about anything that people really care about. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel are in this one, but I am not sure where this one is going with a general title and no real details that makes sense.

Brendan Fraser scores his second job in many years in Journey to the Centre of the Earth: 3D (July 11), but this is a 3D movie best seen on those IMAX theater screens.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (opening July 25) is odd because we had just finally packed up our fan fiction and forgotten about aliens, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The creator of the 1993 television series, is back with new ideas and pursuits for these characters that we knew and loved. I always wonder though if they really can recapture the magic when it has been gone so long.  

More Cartoon heroes are also back for kids, not based on comic books, there seems to be more animated and cartoon related work being created than ever before.

First off Kung Fu Panda (opens June 6) with Jack Black voicing a chubby panda in a team of kung-fu fighting animals. Ok, I know kids need a lot to stay entertained so they go pretty far with the disbelief thing. Apparently Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Lucy Liu are also fighting animals in the film trying to fight an evil leopard (they are just misunderstood) from their valley.

Wall-E (which premiered a commercial during the super bowl, opens June 27). This is another brilliant Pixar film with a story about one last robot left on a planet. (awww) I am sure the animation is great here and Pixar has a great history with developing great stories too. Bring the kids to see this one.

Also for kids and some adults is Star Wars: The Clone Wars (releasing Aug. 15) an animated movie with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala. This is supposed to take place between the real movies somehow and tie together story lines. Apparently there are dozens of Star Wars books besides the ones made into movies and there are all kinds of side stories that they never even got into on film that they want to start exploring now that geekdom is cool and sci-fi brings in big crowds.  

Fly Me to the Moon (opens Aug. 22), is a 3-D (oh we love the glasses) animated movie about three little flies who become the first insects on the moon by hitch hiking a ride on the Apollo 11 rocket. Buzz Aldrin voices a character and these flies aim to entertain. 

Made of Honor (released May 2). Patrick Dempsey ( of Grey’s Anatomy and Enchanted fame) plays a guy who looses his best gal pal to an engagement to another guy. He has to either get over it or get the girl back. He somehow agrees to be the maid of honor in an effort to undo the wedding. Does Patrick Dempsey only get Ken Doll movies? Is he the new Jude Law?

Sex and the City: The Movie (releases May 30). Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) are all back for their big paychecks to reprise their roles in the big screen version of the cable TV show. While I enjoyed the TV show for years I am not sure if there was enough there to pull together a movie. I think it will still be entertaining though and many long time fans will enjoy seeing their old friends once again.  

He’s Just Not That Into You (Aug. 1) is an ensemble film and a romantic comedy, with Drew Barrymore as a woman who pursues an advice columnist. Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connolly and Kris Kristofferson complete the ensemble. It is an interesting ensemble.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 (Aug. is back since young tweens everywhere loved the first movie in 2005. I am guessing this is a small market for girls between the ages of 10 and 15 but it will do well there and possibly with their moms too. A story about self discovery, coming of age and long term friendships is usually a winner with girls because they emphasize everything they want to be and try to inspire good things. Which is an honorable task for a movie these days.

Adam Sandler stars in You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (June 6) releases at the exact same weekend as Steve Carell’s Get Smartspy series movie remake.  Generally I always think Steve Carell is funnier than Adam Sandler but this will be the battle of the comedies weekend. Why not see both? Personally I think Anne Hathaway will be great as Agent 99 and Steve’s partner.

There is actually a comedy triumvirate happening with The Love Guru also launching, starring Mike Myers as a self help guru from India. Jessica Alba is a co-star and other celebrity cameos are included ala Austin Powers. I am actually pretty un-impressed that Mike Meyers is the guy who created many great characters on SNL and now relies on only one formula for these movies. Foreigner in US + fake facial or body hair + prosthetics + bad accent + cameos from other stars + phonetically spelled lewd words used as names. Some of us just don’t think it’s funny anymore. Plus he has so much more talent than that. This movie can most likely be skipped without any social implications.

Rainn Wilson ( of The Office fame) stars in The Rocker (Aug. 1), a comedy movie featuring a mid-aged rock band drummer who gets a second chance at fame, playing with his nephew’s high-school band. Kewl.

Tropic Thunder (Aug 15) Ben Stiller directs which means this is going to be full of awkward moments that make you feel uncomfortable again and again. You either love his work or like me you loathe it. If army awkward comedy is your thing and you don’t like social conventions, go see this one. If not, this would be one to skip. 

The Ellen DeGeneres Show will be filming live outside in Chicago on Saturday May 3rd. I can see the covered stage and lighting structures from our building that is kiddie corner across the street. It has been a huge project taking 3 days just to get the roof on the stage. I don’t think I will have much of a view of the filming though because a) its on a weekend and I am only downtown during the week b) I don’t have tickets to the show and they are all gone now c) I am on too high a floor to see any detail down there. The people walking around look like tiny ants from this perspecitive. 

But , in advance of Ellen’s show coming to Chicago, they have a dance cam set up somewhere in the Equitable plaza at 401 N Michigan Avenue next to the Chicago River that you can visit from 11 am to 1 pm and dance on camera. No word on whether they provide music to dance to or not. The clips get sent to the Ellen DeGeneres Show web site.

Ellen is pretty popular in Chicago and even my Mom likes her show. She has brought a different twist to daytime television with more intelligence and humor than the majority of programming out there. And the last time I had a holiday from work and saw it, there were less commericals and sponsors crowding the content too, which is a better balance for the show.

So, if you can’t see the Ellen DeGeneres show live in person here in Chicago Saturday May 3rd at least tune in and see it on TV when it Airs. I am sure come Monday everything will be gone in the Equitable plaza, cleaned up like nothing was ever there. 

And what’s better than Seeing Ellen Live? Seeing Eddie Izzard Standup show “Stripped” Live! (no, there is no stripping involved in the show) We are all about all sorts of alternative sexualities in Chicago. Eddie is playing 3 stellar nights at the Chicago Theater and some balcony seats are still available. If you like Ellen, you have to check out Eddie Izzard on May 15, 16 and 17. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.  

It’s rainy here in Chicago right now and believe it or not, the weekend plans you have very much depends on the weather. And guess what? The forecast sais it will rain all day today (Friday) and part of Saturday as well. So that said, I advise indoor recreational activities instead of outdoor ones. It isn’t great for the list of events planned for this weekend in Chicago, but then again when has mother nature ever cooperated with the citizens of Chicago?

There will be 3 things everyone will hear about this weekend. Looptopia, Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby.  These may or may not be good choices depending on the weather, but who knows really until the night really falls. Anyway, here are some events happening this weekend and some that I recommend as well:

1. Everyone has been talking about Looptopia 2.0 on Friday night May 2 from dusk till dawn. This loop night festival is about arts and culture in Chicago. Last year they had interesting artists that ranged from DJs to Improv to 3-d works of art on display to performance artists that posed as statues on the steps of the cultural center and almost got trampled. Most everything in this festival was obscure and hard to understand, and I’m not that old. (32) I also found the crowds of teens and college students blocking the sidewalks and streets while yelling and being rowdy to be annoying and unnecessary. (maybe I am getting old?) This year it is pouring rain anyway, so the only thing worse than being shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of shoving teens is being shoved pushed and pulled in a crowd while being drenched by rain. I don’t recommend this event even though it is free.

Instead there is a special boat tour that won’t be as crowded or deal with any traffic because it is on the Chicago River. See the city lights from a unique perspective during Looptopia with the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture Tour on May 2. Their web site says: The tour will leave from the Sears Towner Shoreline Taxi Dock at Quincy Park along the Chicago River. (200 S. Wacker Dr) for 3 tours. (7:30 pm, 8:30 pm & 10 pm) Tickets are available online at  or at the dock the night of the cruise if they are not all sold out. The price is $24 for the cruise, $21.00 for seniors and $12 for kids under the age of 12. This would be a better option than most of the free events included in Looptopia. Check them out.

2. I also recommend to see Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr Friday night. I saw the movie last night and it was a fun movie (although a little violent for my taste) that everyone seemed to enjoy. The characters and story are very good even though it was based on a comic book. They didn’t just make it about the special effects, the story and characters draw you in too. Afterwards why not go to Buffalo Wild Wings like we did? I enjoy some good  boneless sweet wings when I can find them, and if you are there with a group of guys there will be an inevitable wing-off competition with the insane wings which can be epic-hot.

3. On Saturday May 3 the Kentucky Derby is on NBC Channel 5 at 4pm and the coverage will last 2.5 hours. Tune in and wear a big frilly hat just for fun. I am going to a Kentucky Derby party here in Chicago so maybe this horse racing thing is getting more popular again. (despite Arlington Racecourse’s issues with profitability)

4. Also, on Saturday May 3rd if it is not raining, there is a Chicago History Museum walking tour of the Gold Coast. The tour starts at 10 AM promptly and is $10.00 and they are located at 1601 N. Clark St. in Chicago, IL. For more information visit the chicagohistory.org web site or call 312.642.4600. 

5. Saturday Night will be full of margaritas and quesadillas because Cinco de Mayo is Monday May 5th and we like to celebrate a little early when it doesn’t land on a weekend. Numerous Mexican bars and restaurants have special menus, drinks and music planned for this un-official Mexican holiday.

6. And finally make reservations for Lettuce Entertainment’s new premium modern seafood restaurant (which I think might be their take on the concept of TRU). They announced their opening of L2O in Lincoln Park May 14th, 2008 and are taking advance reservations now. If you aren’t familiar with the TRU experience, it is a multi course, jacket required, very expensive meal. A dinner for 2 might run $500.00 including wine and desert. It is usually a splurge restaurant for special occasions unless you are from the jet set. Many yuppies like to go there too even if they can’t really afford it, just to see how the other half lives and see the extravagant glass caviar presentation staircase. L2O is not going to be the same of course, but it will be in the same price range and be all about the extreme premium dining experience. The email announcement read

“Mimicking the elemental formula for water, the restaurant’s name, L2O, is an abbreviation for “Laurent” and “Water” evoking Chef Laurent Gras’ reverence for seafood and the ocean.  The dining experience at L2O ranges from the lounge’s alluring atmosphere where guests order from an à la carte menu, to an evening in the elegant dining room where both a four-course prix-fixe menu and tasting menus are offered.”

L2O is open for dinner on: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Friday & Saturday from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. For your reservation call 773-868-0002 or visit the web site at l2orestaurant.com.

7. And make reservations to take mom out to brunch next week end for Mother’s day before everything is booked.

And happy belated RSS Awareness day which was May 1st. In celebration sign up for the ChicagoWeekendFun.com RSS feed to read the weekly posts!

Cinco de Mayo translates litterally in to “The 5th of May”. This doesn’t help us sort out the origins or the meaning of this festive holiday but we usually celebrate in Chicago all weekend long leading up to the holiday anyway. This year is no exception with lots of Restaurants and Bars have a lot going on this weekend and on Monday May 5th to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

It is a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, but it is not. That is actually September 16th. Cinco de Mayo is more of a Mexican Heritage Celebration for everyone who is Mexican in descent and not living in Mexico. It commemorates a battle won by a General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla in Mexico on May 5 in 1862. So it has something to do with celebrating independence and resisting foreign rule, but not in the way many people think.

Chicago is one of the places in the United States that has a large Mexican population so this holiday is always a favorite here. It also serves as a party subject for many Spanish classes in Illinois since foreign language is required for most college entrance prerequisites. And that furthers the popularity of the holiday with people who aren’t Mexican at all but enjoy the culture, language and food from Mexico. So, just about everyone will hear, see or do something related to Cinco de Mayo this Weekend and next week on the 5th of May except people who actually live in Mexico.

Some suggestions for celebrating in Chicago this weekend are:

1. If you live in Oak Park check out the special menu and drinks for Cinco de Mayo at Maya Restaurant on Oak Park Avenue. I was walking by the other day and they have everything from crepe paper streamers to Mexican music playing that adds to the festivity. Maya is a great upscale Mexican fusion restaurant much like what you see on Mexico One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless. They actually have a Chef from Rick Bayless’ restaurant downtown. I really enjoy this restaurant and you will too. The dinner menu has entrees from $12.00 - $25.00.

2. Check out the Free Cinco de Mayo Festival on May 2, 3 and 4 (from 10 am to 10 pm) in Lawndale for an authentic Mexican experience. The festival includes lots of food, live bands and a Parade. It is located at 1401 S. Sacramento Drive Chicago, IL 60623. Call 773-762-2842 for more information.

3. The Adobo Grill in Wicker Park also has special menu items and drinks to celebrate this weekend. They are located in East Village / Ukrainian Village at 2005 W. Division St. Chicago, IL 60622. This weekend there are $5 margarita specials and a live Mariachi band playing.  Call 773-252-9990 for reservations and more information.

4. The El Nuevo Mexican Restaurant in Lakeview is also featuring Cinco de Mayo specials if you live in that area of the city.  They are an upscale Mexican restaurant that offers great service and interesting twists on traditional Mexican food.  They are located at 2914 N Clark St between Oakdale Ave & Surf Street in Chicago, IL 60657. Call 773 528-2131 for reservations this weekend, it will most likely be very crowded.

The weather has gone from cold and frigid to balmy and a little humid in Chicago. Everyone is outside enjoying the sun (and rain) thankful that the snow has finally ended. There are lots of things happening this weekend but here are my recommendations and picks. Personally it’s time to change the brakes on my car, but if you don’t already have plans, check out these suggestions:

1. Put your air conditioners in the windows but don’t turn them on yet. I am thinking this is a great time to get ready for the oppressive heat that is to come this summer and fit all the air conditioners in the windows of my condo now, before it is 90 degrees and sweltering humid inside. It also may be a good time to check if you need a new air conditioner since the freon or whatever cooling material they use now doesn’t last forever. Mine maybe has one more year left. I will also be sealing better around the air conditioner this year to try and conserve some energy on cooling.

2. Rake the lawn and garden, plant some flowers and fertilize the lawn. I have seen many families tackling these tasks already but most of us have not yet. It is time to pull yourself away from the television and internet to get working outdoors. At least if you live in the suburbs it is. If you live in the city, lucky you.

3. Spring clothing sales at the mall. Since gas is near $4.00 a gallon and people are cutting back on non-essential purchases like clothing, the retailers are not having a great season and they are putting stuff on sale. So, if you need yet another pair of red shoes, see Macy’s or DSW.

4. New movies this weekend. Baby Mama should be plenty weird and possibly funny. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler get wacky with surrogates. Harold & Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay. This could be really funny satire or really awkward and sad. I am hoping for funny. Chicago native and Second City alum Helen Hunt stars and directed the film “Then She Found Me” with Bette Midler which actually sounds like a  good drama-comedy type movie. That is my best bet recommendation for this weekend. If more manly fare is your style, Forbidden Kingdom and Forgetting Sarah Marshall are still playing too.

5. Rodeo in Chicago?Someone in our office said that they had a Rodeo bull rider on the morning news a few days ago and there is a Rodeo at AllState Arena this weekend. They had it almost right. If you enjoy seeing men flung off livestock you can attend the Professional Bull Rider’s Show at 6:50 PM Saturday April 26th. Ticket prices range from $20-$100.00. Call 312-559-1212 for tickets.

6. The NFL Draft is Saturday and Sunday.This means most men will be glued to the TV or Internet all weekend. This is the pre-cursor to the Fantasy Football season draft. It’s necessary educational programming if you play the fantasy league.

7. Artropolis is an Art and Antique show at the Merchandise Mart. Tickets are $20.00 just to walk around, but the volume, rarity and quality of art and antiques is supposed to be high. If you are in the market for rare antiques or a window shopping day this is for you. I found their website artropolis.com confusing, but what I can gather is that it is open from 7am to 6pm (I think) but you may want to check it out yourself just to be sure. Parking is pretty difficult in the Merchandise Mart area downtown, take the brown, green or any line that stops by the Merchandise Mart for an easier trip.

I was alerted that the former Virgin Megastore Music Store on Michigan Avenue has been silently changed into a hip young teen clothing store called XXI. And even though these are the roman numerals for 21, they don’t pronounce it Twenty One. They said “Hello Welcome to X-X-I”. Literally. I guess I am not the only one sketchy on the roman numerals anymore. The feel is like an early Express at around 1994-ish crossed with Bebe and  with more of what I can only assume are clubbing clothes. People excited about all this new stuff and they can’t get enough of it. It was very crowded at the lunch hour.

It is a new clothing store from Forever 21, which is either re-branding or branching out. They have super-cheap women’s clothes but there is a huge caveat. If you want the $12.99 dark denim jeans, the babydoll tops and strappy dresses you have to be really young, and really thin.

This isn’t really a surprise. I have a love hate relationship with H&M for the same reason. I love that they produce super cheap fashion forward clothing, but I can’t wear any of it. I normally wear a size 12 and nothing there fits. The large is like an 8 and after that you’re out of luck. I do understand though that by 18 years old you haven’t had 32 years to slowly get calorie creep or get off the fashion bus at 1998.

That brings me to the other problem with stores like this; these styles are either fugly or things I wore as a teen back in the 1980’s. I don’t really have any affection for the dropped sleeve diagonal stripe tops or big black polka dots on green, wide belts or high waisted pleated pants. Why are they bringing these things back? And why are the dresses and T-shirts all the same length? They aren’t long enough to be a dress nor short enough to be a t-shirt. I am so confused. Even with leggings these tops would be indecent on someone like me.

The other problem with this store is that it is huge. There are 3 levels and no real division of clothing type by section. Things are either matched by color or by some other reason that escapes me. I find that there is no standard for finding anything and you end up roaming the store for hours unsure which European size will fit. Apparently a 12 is a 30 in their jeans, although there weren’t any there in that size. There were some fancier dresses upstairs in a corner, although none were even close to knee length, and a small men’s section that was just as confusing as the women’s. (mostly because it was in a women’s store)

I did like the accessories though. Somehow buying some big dangly earrings doesn’t seem so intimidating. (most from 5-10 dollars a pair) But all their shoes were sold out and the necklaces and headbands were a but gaudy over the top. There were a few other dazed and confused over 30 women in there too and we all left empty handed. Oh well, I guess another store gets my money then. 

Last week I wrote about the yellow Chicago River Taxi that I see every day on the Chicago River because one of my coworkers uses it to commute to work every day and raves about the convenience of traveling by river and not by bus or auto taxi. Then I got an email from a second River Taxi Boat company (Shoreline Sightseeing) in Chicago that I previously did not know about.

This is cool because I enjoy when companies and readers reach out to me to let me know about new services and things going on in Chicago. I wanted to give this new startup Shoreline Commuter Chicago River Taxi service mention on the Chicago Weekend Fun blog too, because they are offering a week of free rides between Sears Tower/Union Station and the Michigan Avenue Bridge through April 25th, 2008. The free rides this week are from 7:00 to 9:30 am and 4:00 to 6:30 pm. Regularly the visitor Taxi will run from 10:00 am–6:00 pm daily and they also run between the Museum Campus, Navy Pier and 200 S Wacker Dr in addition to the stop at Michigan Avenue across from the the Wrigley Building.

You can recognize their boats by their red, blue and white colors. This is a great way to try out the commuter water taxi service that Shoreline offers at no cost. What beats a free ride on the Chicago River to get to and from the work and the train? Nothing! 

If you want to find out more about Shoreline Sightseeing’s Water Taxi Service or other Chicago River Tours visit their web site at shorelinesightseeing.com. There you can find maps of the tours, the dock locations,  schedules and prices. The regular price of the Shoreline Chicago Commuter River Taxi will be $3 (or $2 each way if bought as a round trip ticket) from Union Station to Michigan Avenue after the free rides end on April 25th. Still a great deal and less than a car Taxi in rush hour!