I just wanted to share the list of streets closed for this weekend’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon in the city. If you live downtown or up north in Chicago, beware of parking bans and getting your car towed tonight also in addition to these streets that will be inaccessible. Most streets re-open on Sunday afternoon when the race is over, but some streets take longer to clear and won’t be open again until Monday morning. If you are viewing/cheering the Chicago Marathon, take public transportation downtown. If you live in the area, I recommend staying in for the weekend, or using public transit. Driving will be difficult. But then again its just once a year.

The following information was provided by the Chicago Police Department.

Please note that although the Bank of America Marathon is on Sunday, some street closures will be in effect as early as Thursday evening.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Date: Sunday, 11 Oct 09

Start Time: 7:30 am

Start Location: Monroe and Columbus

Finish Location: Columbus north of Roosevelt Street

Closures for site set up, event and teardown:

• Columbus from Roosevelt to Congress Pkwy- Closed: Friday, 09 Oct 09 at 10am Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Columbus from Congress Pkwy to Jackson- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 4pm
• Columbus from Jackson to Monroe- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 11am
• Columbus from Monroe to Randolph- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3 am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 9:30am
• Balbo from Columbus to LSD- Closed: Thursday, 09 Oct 09 at 7pm Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Balbo from Michigan to Columbus- Closed: Friday, 10 Oct 09 at 10am Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Congress Pkwy from Michigan to Columbus- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 4pm
• North & South Congress Circle Michigan to Congress Pkwy- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3pm
• Jackson from Michigan to Columbus- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 11am
• Jackson from Columbus to LSD- Closed: Saturday, 10 Oct 09 at 6am Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Monroe from Michigan to LSD- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 9:30am

For further marathon route and information go to chicagomarathon.com There will be rolling street closures and streets will be opened as soon as it is safe to do so. Also check the Chicago CTA website for updates on how they have modified the bus routes for the weekend and added extra trains to handle crowds.

The Chicago Gourmet Festival 2009 is going to be a huge foodie event in Chicago. On Saturday September 26th and Sunday September 27th in Millennium Park (age 21 and up because there is a lot of wine!) there will be many opportunities to revel in being a foodie and try out new wines with some of the top gourmet food in Chicago. (see schedule below) This is the ultimate event for someone who really likes to be on the cutting edge for cooking/entertaining with friends and wants to learn from the expert presentations. The Chicago Gourmet Festival does get crowded though and sometimes there is more wine than food, which is not always a good combination.

So, my advice for attending the Chicago Gourmet Festival is take the CTA public transportation, get there early before they run out of food and bring a notepad to take notes if you hear something you really want to make at home. You can also purchase cook books at chef signings which is cool but expensive. The neatest part is to get to see some of these accomplished chefs work in person in their demonstrations and possibly taste some new gourmet flavors and wines.

Tickets are $120for general admission from 11 am – 5 pm for one day. (Saturday or Sunday)Tickets for 2 days are $240. Tickets for Grand Cru tastings are $175 in addition to the admission fees. Its not cheap, but it is rare that you can get access to an event like this open to the public, so for the people who love gourmet food and the exclusivity of the famous presenters it is probably worth it for the unique experience. Then again they probably assume that if you’re cooking gourmet food all the time, you can probably afford it. (I’m not sure that is true anymore in this economy though) They have an elaborate buy tickets online system and you print them directly off the internet so there is no waiting for tickets in the mail. Print this page for the complete schedule to take with you the day of the Chicago Gourmet Festival. AMEX card holders get a special 15% discount.

The events and demonstrations and book signings are listed below with the schedule for the 2009 Chicago Gourmet event:

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26:

Listings by Time Title Host and Location
11:30am – 12:00pm Perfect Pairings Ted Allen, Food and Wine Ambassador for
Robert Mondavi Private Selections wines Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage
12:30pm – 1:00pm Mexico Meets the Sea Rick Bayless,Frontera Grill/Topolobampo
Paul Bartolotta, BARTOLOTTA Ristorante di Mare Marcus Samuelsson, C-House Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Main Stage
1:30pm – 2:00pm Peaches & Pork Mindy Segal, Hot Chocolate Bill Kim, Urban Belly
Stephanie Izard, The Drunken Goat Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage
2:30pm – 3:00pm Signatures of Santa Margherita Fabio Vivani, Bravo’s Top Chef and Cafe Firenze
Anthony Terlato, Terlato Wines International Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage
3:30pm – 4:00pm Fish with Flair John Hogan, Tavern at the Park/Keefer’s Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia
Thierry Rautureau, Rover’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage
4:30pm – 5:00pm The Artistry of Seafood & Salt Jose Garces, Mercat a la Planxa Jimmy Sneed, SugarToad
Ken Vedrinski, Trattoria Lucca Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage
5:15pm – 5:45pm Prime Cuts Klaus Fritsch, Morton’s The Steakhouse
Rock Harper, Chefrock Inc. Jay Pritzker Pavilion Main Stage
12:00pm – 12:30pm Seasonal Cuisine Bruce Sherman, North Pond Gourmet Pavilion Culinary Stage
1:00pm – 1:30pm Upgrading Your Pantry: Must Have Pantry Items From “Wine Bar Food” Tony and Cathy Mantuano, Spiaggia Gourmet Pavilion Culinary Stage
2:00pm – 2:30pm Spice Up Thai Food Arun Sampanthavivat, Arun’s Gourmet Pavilion Culinary Stage
3:00pm – 3:30pm Demystifying Whole Fish Cookery Paul Bartolotta, BARTOLOTTA Ristorante di Mare Gourmet Pavilion Culinary Stage
4:00pm – 4:30pm The Multi Uses of Mojo Randy Zweiban, Province Gourmet Pavilion Culinary Stage
5:00pm – 5:30pm Two Countries, Two Traditions, One Plate Carlos Gaytan, Mexique Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage

WINE SEMINARS
Time Title Host Location
11:45am – 12:30pm Exploring Champagne Fernando Beteta, Master Sommelier Choral Room
1:00pm – 1:45pm Understanding the Difference between Great Wines and Good Wines William Terlato, President Terlato Wines International Choral Room
2:15pm – 3:00pm Franciscan Estates Bordeaux Style Blending Fred Dame, Master Sommelier Choral Room
3:30pm – 4:15pm American Tradition Since 1795 Fred Noe, Master Distiller
Beam Global Choral Room
4:45pm – 5:30pm Beer’s Intrinsic Affinity For Culinary Pairing Ryan Johnson, U.S. Trade Brewer/Certified Cicerone MillerCoors Choral Room
11:30am – 12:15pm Green Winegrowing Paul Dolan, Owner
Mendocino Wine Co. Park Grill South Plaza Tent
12:45pm – 1:30pm Where Innovation Meets Tradition:
The Versatility of Prosecco Manlio Collavini, Owner Mionetto Winery Park Grill South Plaza Tent
2:00pm – 2:45pm Why French Wine Matters Today Martin Sinkoff Frederick Wildman & Sons Park Grill
South Plaza Tent
3:15pm – 4:00pm Discovering the Wines of Costello di Monsanto… A Tuscan Treasure Laura Bianchi, Owner Moet Hennessy Park Grill South Plaza Tent

GRAND CRU TASTING
Listed by Time Title Host and Location
4:00pm – 5:30pm Grand Cru Tasting Event Fred Dame MS, Alpana Singh MS, Serafin Alvarado MS and Fernando Betata MS Choral Room

GOURMET TASTINGS PAVILIONS
Listed by Time Theme Presenter and Location
11:00am – 2:00pm Regional American Paul Virant, Vie Restaurant Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 2:00pm Regional American Paul Kahan, Blackbird
Michael Sheerin, Blackbird Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 2:00pm Regional American Kevin Hickey, Four Seasons Hotel Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 2:00pm Regional American John Hogan, Keefer’s Gourmet Pavilion I
2:30pm – 5:30pm Regional American Stephanie Izard, The Drunken Goat Gourmet Pavilion I
2:30pm – 5:30pm Regional American Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia Gourmet Pavilion I
2:30pm – 5:30pm Regional American Graham Elliot Bowles, graham elliot Gourmet Pavilion I
2:30pm – 5:30pm Regional American Jimmy Bannos, Heaven on Seven Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 2:00pm Latin Carlos Gaytan, Mexique Gourmet Pavilion II
11:00am – 2:00pm Latin Randy Zweiban, Province Gourmet Pavilion II
11:00am – 2:00pm Latin Jose Garces, Mercat a la Planxa Gourmet Pavilion II
11:00am – 2:00pm Latin Café 28 Gourmet Pavilion II
2:30pm – 5:30pm Latin Zapatista Gourmet Pavilion II
2:30pm – 5:30pm Latin Nicholas Ibarzabal, 5411 Empanadas Gourmet Pavilion II
2:30pm – 5:30pm Latin Mario Santiago, May Street Café & Catering Gourmet Pavilion II
2:30pm – 5:30pm Latin Mercadito Gourmet Pavilion II
11:30pm – 2:30pm Stockyard Philip Foss, Lockwood at Palmer House Gourmet Pavilion III
11:30pm – 2:30pm Stockyard John Gatsos, Tavern on Rush Gourmet Pavilion III
11:30pm – 2:30pm Stockyard Mario Navarro, Gene & Georgetti’s Gourmet Pavilion III
11:30pm – 2:30pm Stockyard Fogo De Chao Gourmet Pavilion III
3:00pm – 6:00pm Stockyard Capital Grille Gourmet Pavilion III
3:00pm – 6:00pm Stockyard Flemings Gourmet Pavilion III
3:00pm – 6:00pm Stockyard Ditka’s Gourmet Pavilion III
3:00pm – 6:00pm Stockyard Gale St. Inn Gourmet Pavilion III
11:30pm – 2:30pm Asian Jackie Shen, Red Light Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:30pm Asian Rodelio Aglibot, Sunda Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:30pm Asian Joshua Linton, Ajasteak Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:30pm Asian Bill Kim, Urban Belly Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:30pm Asian Le Colonial Gourmet Pavilion IV
3:00pm – 6:00pm Asian Arun Sampanthavivat, Arun’s Gourmet Pavilion IV
3:00pm – 6:00pm Asian Hans Aeschbacher, Trader Vic’s Gourmet Pavilion IV
3:00pm – 6:00pm Asian Tony Hu, Lao Szechuan Gourmet Pavilion IV
3:00pm – 6:00pm Asian Gene Kato, Japonais Gourmet Pavilion IV
3:00pm – 6:00pm Asian Carol Wallack, Sola Restaurant
Alex Shalev, Sola Restaurant Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 6:00pm Dessert Fannie May Dessert Pavilion

BOOK SIGNINGS
Time Title Author(s) Location
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm The Food You Want To Eat Ted Allen Author’s Corner
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Mexican Everyday The Soul of a New Cuisine Osteria Tru
Amuse-Bouche Rick Bayless Marcus Samuelsson Rick Tramonto

Author’s Corner 2:30pm – 3:00pm Wine Bar Food Tony and Cathy Mantuano
Author’s Corner 3:30pm – 4:00pm Taste TBD Anthony Terlato & Fabio Viviani
Author’s Corner 4:30pm – 5:00pm Morton’s The Steakhouse: 100 Steakhouse Recipes for Every Kitchen
Rover’s: Recipes from Seattle’s Chef in the Hat!!! Klaus Fritsch Thierry Rautureau

Author’s Corner 5:15pm – 5:45pm Latin Evolution Jose Garces Author’s Corner

Sunday, September 27, 2009 11am – 5pm

LIVE COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS
Time Title Host Location
11:30am – 12:00pm Farm to Table Carrie Nahabedian, NAHA
Kevin Hickey, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Main Stage
12:30pm – 1:00pm Tallgrass and Green City Market Bounty Sarah Stegner, Prairie Grass Cafe
George Bumbaris, Prairie Grass Cafe Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Main Stage
1:30pm – 2:00pm Flavors of Italy John Colletta, Quartino
Federico Comacchio, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Main Stage
2:30pm – 3:00pm Asian Delights Jackie Shen, Red Light
Takashi Yagihashi, Takashi Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Main Stage
3:30pm – 4:00pm Rustic Delicacies Dirk Flanigan, The Gage
Tony Priolo, Piccolo Sogno Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Main Stage
4:15pm – 4:45pm Savory Starts Michael Altenberg, Bistro Campagne
Art Smith, Table Fifty-Two Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Main Stage
11:15am – 11:45am How to Make a Classic Hollandaise Sauce Shelley Young, Chopping Block Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage
12:00am – 12:30pm Cheese Fonduta John Colletta, Quartino Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage
1:00pm – 1:30pm TBD Paul Katz, Harry Caray’s Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage
2:00pm – 2:30pm Savory and Sweet Desserts Martial Noguier, Café des Architectes
Suzanne Imaz, Café des Architectes Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage
3:00pm – 3:30pm Mini Rockit Burgers James Gottwald, Rockit Bar & Grill Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage
4:00pm – 4:30pm Caribbean Ceviche Luigi Garcia, RIVA Gourmet Pavilion
Culinary Stage

WINE SEMINARS
Listed by Time Title Host and Location
11:45am – 12:30pm Wines Best Kept Secrets Revealed Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier Choral Room
1:00pm – 1:45pm Wine Pairing in Chicago Neighborhoods Alpana Singh, Master Sommelier Choral Room
2:15pm – 3:00pm Special Ticketed Event -GAJA: 150 Years of Winemaking Heritage Gaia Gaja, Co-Owner

Gaja Family Wine Estates Choral Room
3:30pm – 4:15pm Carneros… Napa’s Unique Appellation Jay Schupert, President

Cuvaison Estate Wines Choral Room
11:30am – 12:15pm The Versatility of Prosecco Enore Ceola, Winemaker
Mionetto Winery Park Grill

South Plaza Tent
12:45pm – 1:30pm If The Wine Matters, So Does The Glass Robert Hall, President
Bottega del Vino Crystal Park Grill

South Plaza Tent
2:00pm – 2:45pm Green Wine Revolution: What Does It Mean? Serafin Alvarado MS, Alpana Singh MS,
Fred Dame MS, and Fernando Beteta MS Park Grill

South Plaza Tent
3:15pm – 4:00pm Seasonal Cocktails from the Garden to
Glass Bridget Albert, Mixologist
Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois Park Grill
South Plaza Tent

GRAND CRU TASTING
Listed by Time Title Host and Location
3:30pm – 5:00pm Grand Cru Tasting Event featuring Fred Dame MS, Alpana Singh MS, Serafin Alvarado MS and Fernando Betata MS in the Choral Room

GOURMET TASTINGS PAVILIONS
Listed by Time Theme Presenters and Location
11:00am – 1:45pm Gastropub James Gottwald, Rockit Bar & Grill Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 1:45pm Gastropub Dirk Flanigan, The Gage Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 1:45pm Gastropub Chris Pandel, The Bristol Gourmet Pavilion I
11:00am – 1:45pm Gastropub John Manion, Goose Island Brewing Co. Gourmet Pavilion I
2:15pm – 5:00pm Gastropub Chris Curren, Blue 13 Chicago Gourmet Pavilion I
2:15pm – 5:00pm Gastropub Jared Van Kamp, Old Town Social Gourmet Pavilion I
2:15pm – 5:00pm Gastropub Paramount Gourmet Pavilion I
2:15pm – 5:00pm Gastropub Michael Cisternino, Tavern at the Park Gourmet Pavilion I
11:30pm – 2:15pm Seafood Shawn McClain, Spring Gourmet Pavilion II
11:30pm – 2:15pm Seafood Mark Grosz, Oceanique Restaurant Gourmet Pavilion II
11:30pm – 2:15pm Seafood Luigi Garcia, RIVA Gourmet Pavilion II
11:30pm – 2:15pm Seafood Laurant Gras, L20 Gourmet Pavilion II
2:45pm – 5:00pm Seafood Seth Siegel-Gardner, C-House Gourmet Pavilion II
2:45pm – 5:00pm Seafood Ryan Pitts, RL Restaurant Gourmet Pavilion II
2:45pm – 5:00pm Seafood TBD Gourmet Pavilion II
2:45pm – 5:00pm Seafood TBD Gourmet Pavilion II
11:00am – 1:45pm French Christpohe David, NoMI Gourmet Pavilion III
11:00am – 1:45pm French Martial Noguier, Café des Architectes
Suzanne Imaz, Café des Architectes Gourmet Pavilion III
11:00am – 1:45pm French Tim Graham, Tru Gourmet Pavilion III
11:00am – 1:45pm French Michael Lachowicz, Michael Restaurant Gourmet Pavilion III
2:15pm – 5:00pm French Matt Tobin, Marché Gourmet Pavilion III
2:15pm – 5:00pm French Shelley Young, Chopping Block Gourmet Pavilion III
2:15pm – 5:00pm French Chris Nugent, Les Nomades Gourmet Pavilion III
2:15pm – 5:00pm French Frank Ferru, L’Eiffel Bistrot & Creperie Gourmet Pavilion III
11:30pm – 2:15pm Mediterranean Reza’s Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:15pm Mediterranean Koren Grieveson, Avec Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:15pm Mediterranean Tony Priolo, Piccolo Sogno Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm – 2:15pm Mediterranean Jimmy Bannos, Purple Pig Gourmet Pavilion IV
2:45pm – 5:00pm Mediterranean Federico Comacchio, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush Gourmet Pavilion IV
2:45pm – 5:00pm Mediterranean John Colletta, Quartino Gourmet Pavilion IV
2:45pm – 5:00pm Mediterranean Carrie Nahabedian, NAHA Gourmet Pavilion IV
2:45pm – 5:00pm Mediterranean Mark Sparacino, PROSECCO Gourmet Pavilion IV
11:30pm -5:00pm Dessert Fannie May Dessert Pavilion

BOOK SIGNINGS
Time Title Author(s) Location
12:15pm – 12:45pm TBD Author’s Corner
1:15pm – 1:45pm TBD Author’s Corner
2:15pm – 2:45pm 200 True Italian Pasta Dishes John Colletta Author’s Corner
3:30pm – 4:00pm Takashi’s Noodles Takashi Yagihashi Author’s Corner
4:30pm – 5:00pm Market Fresh Mixology Bridget Albert Author’s Corner

It is Fall TV Season Premiertime again in Chicago. Yet few of the listings I see on the internet are in local Chicago time zone time. So, I have taken the eastern standard time zone listings and converted them below into the new fall season schedules for Channels ABC 7, NBC 5, CBS 2 and Fox 32 in Chicago. (and the suburbs)

Every year this is the time new TV shows start popping up on TV and unfortunately within a month about half of them fail on average. I hope you enjoy all of the new TV season premiers this year in 2009. I also hope you find some good shows to watch this season and I hope your favorite premiers become long running series shows. Sometimes you can find recaps and episodes of the season premiers on the web also, on the network websites within a week before the launch date. I usually watch everything once and then whittle it down to the shows I want to watch and its usually 2-3 per year.

ABC New Fall TV Series Premiere Dates: Channel 7 in Chicago

Saturday Night Football: Saturday, September 5, 7 pm CST
20/20: Friday, September 11, 9 pm CST
Dancing With the Stars: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST
Castle: Monday, September 21, 9 pm CST
The Forgotten: Tuesday, September 22, 9 pm CST
Dancing With the Stars Results Show: Wednesday, September 23, 7 pm, (special day and time)
Modern Family: Wednesday, September. 23, 9 pm CST
Cougar Town: Wednesday, September 23, 8:30 pm CST
Eastwick: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST
FlashFoward: Thursday, September 24, 7 pm CST
Grey’s Anatomy: Thursday, September 24, 8 pm CST
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Sunday, September 27, 6 pm CST (two hours)
Desperate Housewives: Sunday, September 27, 8 pm CST
Brothers & Sisters: Sunday, September 27, 9 pm CST
Shark Tank: Tuesday, September 29, 7 pm CST (summer run began on Sunday, Aug. 9)
Hank: Wednesday, September 30, 7 pm CST
The Middle: Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 pm CST
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Sunday, October 4, 6 pm CST
Ugly Betty: Friday, October 9, 8 pm CST (two hours)
Supernanny: Friday, October 16, 8 pm CST

NBC Series Premiere Dates: Channel 5 in Chicago

Sunday Night Football (Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers): Sunday, September 13, 8:15 pm CST
The Jay Leno Show: Monday, September 14, 10 pm CST (series premiere, every weeknight)
The Biggest Loser: Tuesday, September 15, 8 pm CST (two hours)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Thursday Update: Thursday, September 17, 8 pm CST
Parks and Recreations: Thursday, September 17, 8:30 pm CST
The Office: Thursday, September 17, 9 pm CST
Community: Thursday, September 17, 9:30 pm CST (series premiere); moves to Thursday 8 p.m. six weeks later
Heroes: Monday, September 21, 8 pm CST (new time, two hours)
Mercy: Wednesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Law & Order: SVU: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (new day and time)
Law & Order: Friday, September 25, 8 pm CST (new day and time)
Southland: Friday, September 25, 9 pm CST (new time)
Dateline: Saturday, September 26, 8 pm CST
Trauma: Monday, September 28, 9 pm CST (series premiere)
Community: Thursday, October 8, 8 pm CST (new time period)
30 Rock: Thursday, October 15, 9:30 pm CST

CBS Series Premiere Dates: Channel CBS 2 in Chicago

Survivor: Samoa: Thursday, September 17, 7 pm CST (18th edition premiere)
How I Met Your Mother: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Accidentally on Purpose: Monday, September 21, 7:30 pm CST
Two and a Half Men: Monday, September 21, 8 pm CST  (7th season premiere)
The Big Bang Theory: Monday, September 21, 8:30 pm CST  (3rd season premiere)
CSI: Miami: Monday, September21, 9 pm CST (8th season premiere)
NCIS: Tuesday, September 22, 7 pm CST (7th season premiere)
NCIS: Los Angeles: Tuesday, September 22, 8 pm CST
The Good Wife: Tuesday, September 22, 9 pm CST
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Gary Unmarried: Wednesday, September 23, 7:30 pm CST (2nd season premiere)
Criminal Minds: Wednesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (5th season premiere)
CSI: NY: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST  (6th season premiere)
CSI: Thursday, Sept. 24: Thursday, September 24: 8 pm CST (10th season premiere)
The Mentalist: Thursday, September 24: Thursday, Sept. 24: 9 pm CST (2nd season premiere)
Ghost Whisperer: Friday, September 25, 7 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Medium: Friday, September 25, 8 pm CST  (6th season premiere, new network)
Numbers: Friday, September 25, 9 pm CST  (5th season premiere)
48 Hours Mystery: Saturday, September 26, 9 pm CST
60 Minutes: Sunday, September 27, 6 pm CST  (42nd season premiere)
The Amazing Race: Sunday, September 27, 7 pm CST (15th edition premiere, two hours)
Cold Case: Sunday,  September 27, 9 pm CST (7th season premiere)
Three Rivers: Sunday, October. 4, 8 pm CST

Fox Series Premiere Dates: Chicago Channel 32

Cops: Saturday, September 12, 7 pm CST
America’s Most Wanted: Saturday, Sept. 12, 8 pm CST
So You Think You Can Dance: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7 pm CST
Glee: Wednesday, September 16, 8 pm CST (new)
Bones: Thursday, September 17, 7 pm CST
Fringe: Thursday, September 17, 8 pm CST
Brothers: Friday, September 18, 7 pm CST(new)
‘Til Death: Friday, September 18, 7:30 pm CST
Dollhouse: Friday, September 18, 8 pm CST
House: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST (two hours)
The Simpsons: Sunday, September 27, 7 pm CST
The Cleveland Show: Sunday, September 27, 7:30 pm CST (new)
Family Guy: Sunday, September 27, 8 pm CST
American Dad: Sunday, September 27, 8:30 pm CST
Lie To Me: Monday, September 28, 8 pm CST
The Wanda Sykes Show: Saturday, November 7, 10 pm CST

The Garrett Popcorn Shops will open a new store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago this summer replacing the one on North Michigan Avenue that closed last year. Their presence on the Mag Mile was missed by locals and tourists alike. Their flavored popcorn is such a Chicago Classic and we are glad to see that they will be back. The new Garrett Popcorn Shop will be located on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Ontario Street. Look for the new store to open in late summer, (August?). Everyone loves the caramel popcorn but there is a large range of flavors available, all are great to try. Check them out the next time you are downtown shopping.

These are the updates I just got about Memorial Day Parade and Street Closures in Chicago. If you are planning on attending the Chicago Memorial Day Parade, The JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge Race, The Memorial March, or the Bike the Drive event, check this list first to find out where the streets are closed and where/when the events happen. I hope eveyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend and have a burger from the grill for me!

J. P. MORGAN CHASE CORPORATE CHALLENGE (3.5 miles) on Thursday, 21 May 09, 6pm – 10pm:

This event site will be in Grant Park, Lower Hutchinson Field.

The run will take place on Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Rd to Wacker Drive.

Start time for the run is at 7:10 pm.

Columbus will close at 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm from Roosevelt Rd to Balbo.

Columbus from Balbo to Wacker Drive, as well as the east west streets in this area will remain open for as long as possible to allow for the end of rush hour traffic.

The on site CPD Commander will give the order to close the streets shortly before the race begins.

At the end of the race, as soon as it is safe to do so, Columbus from Balbo to Wacker Drive and the east west streets in the area will be opened.

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE on Saturday, 23 May 09:

The parade route is from Wacker Drive to Van Buren on State Street, step off 12 noon.

State Street and the east west streets along the route will close at 11:30 am.

Wacker Drive will be closed for staging from Wabash to Lake Street at 8:00 am.

Van Buren will be closed for vehicles and disbanding from Michigan to Franklin at 8:00 am.

The parade will last approximately 2 hours and streets will be opened to traffic as soon as it is safe.

BIKE THE DRIVE on Sunday, 24 May 09:

The event site will be in Grant Park, Butler Field the bike route is on Lake Shore Drive.

Lake Shore Drive will be closed to vehicle traffic from 5:00 am to 10:30 am from Hollywood to 63rd Street.

AMERICANS FOR LIFE, LIFE MEMORIAL MARCH on Friday, 22 May 09:

This group will meet at the Thompson Center Plaza; the march will step off at 11:30 am.

A group of 2000 to 3000 people will march south on Clark St to Adams, east on Adams into Federal Plaza.

The group will hold a rally at Federal plaza until approximately 2:30 pm.

During the march traffic will be affected from Wacker Drive to Jackson and State to LaSalle.

As soon as it is safe, streets will be opened to traffic.

Spring is the time that most people look for an apartment in Chicago. Rental Leases are up and it is the first time for the year that it is warm enough that you can actually move furniture our of one apartment and into a new apartment without freezing. April-June are the high points for most apartment rental searches so that means most people start looking in February, March and April in order to see enough places to make a decision on which lease to sign and where to move to in Chicago by May or June.

There are many ways to start your search for a new apartment in Chicago. If you are moving here from out of town most people find that making an appointment with an apartment rentals listing/finder service is an efficient way to see a lot of apartments over one or two weekends (with a guide) that they visit and then they can make their decisions within a few weeks. This way of searching for a new apartment in Chicago has a higher price though because there is always a finder’s fee involved in the cost of the apartment.

Lots of vintage buildings have apartments available that have charm and character you won't find in new apartment rentals.

Other people prefer to go it alone looking at craigslist or other apartment rentals listing sites (like apartments.com) for individual apartment listings and see the units on their own time schedule. This is more convenient if you already live in the neighborhood and generally you find better deals this way,but it may take 2-3 months to find the right apartment unit. Craigslist has many search options and ways to filter the search results and RSS feeds so you only see what you can afford and most listings have some photos that help you weed out the seedy/gross places. 

A lot of people consider the night life and amenities in a particular Chicago neighborhood to be a large part of their decision on where to find an apartment. Getting around in Chicago with 9.5 million other people isn’t easy, so being as close to work, friends and convenient places to hang out is definitely an asset. The problem is that the places closest to downtown are the most expensive and the places closest to a lot of bars and trendy hangouts in Lincoln Park and Lakeview are also in high demand and therefore cost a lot also.

A typical 1 bedroom apartment floorplan in Chicago

Sometimes you can find better prices on rent for apartments further north in the city like Buena Park, Uptown and Lincoln Square. These neighborhoods have a longer commute if you work downtown, but you can save $200-$300 per month on your rent. Another option may be to rent a condo that someone can’t sell in this bad real estate economy. Many condo owners who have moved or gotten married just want to recoup some of the cash they are paying in monthly mortgage payments so they are usually very negotiable on rental prices. You also get someones home that was probably taken care of much better than a rental unit. A lot of newly rehabbed condos with luxury details are available for rent from individual owners listed on craigslist or other classified sites.  

How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Chicago?

I know people in Lakeview/Lincoln park that pay $750 per month for a 500 sq ft studio apartment without parking, and the price goes up from there. A 1 bedroom might be around $1,200 per month and a 2 bedroom might be around $1,800 especially if you want parking. Extra parking rental spaces can run from $150 – $300 per month depending on where it is located and if it is a garage or not.

A modern apartment that would be typical in Lakeview or Wicker Park neighborhoods in Chicago.

If you go further north the prices drop a few hundred dollars per unit. Also, Oak Park is a convenient alternative where a 1 bedroom might only be $850 per month and the parking is free. Oak Park apartments are still walking distance to the el for commuting to work downtown every day and the suburb is right next to the city so you can enjoy all the nightlife. Other people have found Evanston to be an alternative to living in Chicago and paying high apartment rentals prices. Evanston prices are very comparable to Oak Park and the buildings there are very similar also. The only difference is which train line you take to work. The Purple line instead of the Green line.  

Even cheaper apartment rent yet is available the south side of the city or some of the near west neighborhoods like Humboldt Park in Chicago.These neighborhoods may have lower rent rates for a reason though and it is always important to feel safe in the area that you decide to rent an apartment and live for a few years. Checking the crime reports through the local newspapers online is a good way to assess the situation and decide. 

How much of your income should you spend on rent each month?

A typical starter apartment where someone brings their bikes in because in Chicago cutting the locks & stealing bikes is all too common.

I think the guide to getting approved for a lease is around 25-30% of your monthly after tax income.Don’t forget you have to figure in the cost of utilities, parking, food and transportation also each month on top of rent. Some apartments come with heat or water included in the rent price, but not all of them do. If you find one that does, it is rare. The cost of food and utilities is about 25% more in the city than in the suburbs also. Finding roommates can help share the costs of rent but finding someone you can live with and share a bathroom with can be a serious challenge.

Wherever you decide to live in Chicago I hope this information helps you find the best deal on cheap apartment rent while finding a place you really like to live in. After you find your new apartment that you love you may want to check out whitefence.com for finding the cheapest utilities in your area also.

Ira Glass ready for the show.

This American Life has gone on the road again to produce 2 live stage shows, one in Chicago at the Chicago Theater and one in New York City which will be taped and beamed live via some fancy newfangled satellites to a bunch of movie theaters (400!) across the country so you can see the show as it happens from where ever you live. The two live shows have sold out instantly so if you want to get tickets to this yearly event you can only get tickets to the movie theater beamed shows now. See full list of This American Life Live Movie Theaters below.

I like that even though This American Life has gotten more popular and more widely known in the last 10 years they haven’t forgotten that people still like live shows on stage and seeing the personalities firsthand. I am also glad that  they haven’t forgotten their Chicago peeps since they went out and made it big in NYC, and are willing to still do a show in the Chicago Theater as a dress rehearsal of sorts.

The Chicago Theater from a past This American Life Show Live.

The show is said to include a radio show taped live with Ira Glass (as we would expect from past live shows) and include their local contributors: Dan Savage, Starlee Kine, Mike Birbiglia, David Rakoff and Dave Hill. They also mentioned an appearance by Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?? (am I msising something?) The live show should last around two hours.  I am planning on attending one of the movie theater beamed shows in Illinois, since that is what is available. If you get tickets to the Chicago Theater version of the show, let me know how it goes. Things are rather unpredictable in live shows.

If you would like to find out which cities the live This American Life Show will be instantly beamed, here is the list that I found: (hopefully they won’t be pissed that I copied it from their site, but I like info to be all in one place when I’m researching it, and it was a few pages buried into the site. It seems like all the states are represented, way to go!

Illinois: 7 PM Tickets are $20.00 each.

Addison – Addison 21
Barrington – AMC South Barrington 30
Batavia – Randall 15 with IMAX
Bloomingdale – Century @ Stratford Square
Carbondale – Carbondale Showplace
Chicago – AMC River East 21
Chicago – Chicago City North
Chicago – Chicago Webster Place
Crystal Lake – Showplace 16
Deer Park – Century 16 Deer Park
Edwardsville – Edwardsville Stadium 12
Elgin – Elgin Fox Theatre
Evanston – Evanston 18
Gurnee – Gurnee Cinemas 20
Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire 20 plus IMAX
Lombard – AMC Yorktown 17
Naperville – Naperville Showplace
New Lenox – New Lenox Showplace
Niles – Niles Showplace
Orland Park – Orland Park Cinemas 14
Pekin – Pekin Showplace
Peoria – Willow Knolls 14
Rockford – Rockford Showplace
Savoy – Savoy 16
Springfield – Springfield West Showplace
Warrenville – AMC Cantera 30
Woodridge – Cinemark Woodridge 17 with IMAX
——————————————————————————–
Alabama: Birmingham – Trussville 16
Gulf Shores – Cobb Pinnacle 14
Huntsville – Hollywood 18 – Huntsville
Mobile – Stadium 18
Tuscaloosa – Hollywood 16
——————————————————————————–
Arksansas: Little Rock – Breckenridge Village
——————————————————————————–
Arizona: Glendale – AMC Arrowhead Town Center 14
Glendale – AMC Westgate 20
Mesa – AMC Mesa Grande 24
Mesa – Cinemark 16 – Mesa
Oro Valley – Century – Oro Valley Marketplace
Phoenix – AMC Ahwatukee 24
Phoenix – AMC Desert Ridge 18
Scottsdale – Sonora Village 10
Tucson – El Con 20
Tucson – Park Place 20
——————————————————————————–
California: Alhambra – Alhambra Renaissance 14
Arcadia – AMC Santa Anita
Bakersfield – Bakersfield Stadium 14
Burbank – AMC Burbank 16
Chico – Cinemark Chico
Chula Vista – AMC Otay Ranch 12
Cupertino – AMC Cupertino 16
Daly City – Daly City 20
Dublin – Hacienda Crossings 20 plus IMAX
El Centro – Cinemark Imperial Valley Mall 14
Elk Grove – Laguna 16
Emeryville – AMC Bay Street 16
Fresno – Fresno Stadium 21 plus IMAX
Hayward – Century – Hayward
Huntington Beach – Huntington Beach 20
Irvine – Irvine Spectrum 20 plus IMAX
La Jolla – AMC La Jolla Village 12
Long Beach – Long Beach 26
Los Angeles – AMC Century City 15
Los Angeles – The Bridge
Manteca – Showplace 16
Merced – Mainplace Stadium Cinema
Mill Valley – Mill Valley Cinearts Sequoia 2
Milpitas – Milpitas Great Mall 20
Monterey – Monterey 13
Mountain View – Mountain View Cinemas 16
Ontario – AMC Ontario Mills 30
Orange – AMC The Block 30 @ Orange
Orange – Orange Stadium Promenade 25
Palm Springs – Palm Springs Courtyard Stadium 9
Pleasant Hill – Pleasant Hill Downtown 16
Redding – Movies 10
Redwood City – Century 20 Downtown Redwood City
Riverside – AMC Galleria at Tyler 16
Roseville – Roseville 14
Rowland Heights – AMC Puente Hills 20
Sacramento – Natomas Marketplace
Sacramento – Sacramento Downtown Plaza 7
Sacramento – Sacramento Greenback Lane 16
Sacramento – Sacramento Stadium 14
San Bruno – Century Theatres at Tanforan
San Diego – AMC Mission Valley 20
San Diego – Horton Plaza
San Diego – Mira Mesa 18 with IMAX
San Francisco – Century 9 San Francisco Centre
San Jose – AMC Eastridge Mall 15
San Jose – Cinearts Santana Row 6
San Jose – San Jose Oakridge 20
San Mateo – San Mateo Downtown
San Rafael – San Rafael Regency 6
Santa Barbara – Arlington Theatre
Santa Clarita – Valencia Stadium 12
Santa Rosa – Rialto Cinemas Lakeside
Stockton – Stockton City Center Stadium 16
Tracy – Movies 14
Tustin – AMC Tustin Legacy 14
Union City – Union City Union Landing 25
Ventura – Ventura Stadium 16
Walnut Creek – Walnut Creek 14
Woodland Hills – AMC Promenade 16
——————————————————————————–
Colorado: Aurora – Southlands 16
Boulder – Southlands 16
Broomfield – AMC Westminster Promenade 24
Castle Rock – Castle Rock Stadium 12
Colorado Springs – Cinemark Carefree Circle with IMAX
Colorado Springs – Hollywood Theaters 14
Colorado Springs – Tinseltown
Denver – Pavilions 15
Englewood – Greenwood Plaza 12
Fort Collins – Cinemark Fort Collins
Greeley – Cinemark Greeley Mall
Highlands Ranch – AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Lakewood – Bel Mar 16
Lakewood – Colorado Mills Stadium 16
——————————————————————————–
Connecticut: Branford – Branford 12
Fairfield – Quick Center for the Performing Arts
Manchester – Buckland Hills Showcase Cinema
——————————————————————————–
DC: Washington – AMC Mazza Gallerie 7
——————————————————————————–
Wilmington – Brandywine Town Center 16
——————————————————————————–
Florida: Altamonte Springs – AMC Altamonte Mall 18 with IMAX
Aventura – AMC Aventura Mall 24
Boca Raton – Shadowood 16
Brandon – AMC Regency 20
Coral Springs – Magnolia Place 16
Delray Beach – Delray Beach 18
Fort Myers – Belltower 20
Ft Lauderdale – Cypress Creek Station 16
Gainesville – Gainesville Cinema 14
Jacksonville – AMC Regency Square 24
Jacksonville – Tinseltown USA
Lake Buena Vista – AMC Pleasure Island 24
Lakeland – Lakeside 18 Cinemas
Merritt Island – Merritt Square 16
Miami – Dolphin Cinebistro
Miami – Movies @ The Falls 12
Miami Beach – South Beach Stadium 18
Miami Lakes – Miami Lake 17 Cinemas
Naples – Hollywood Stadium 20-Naples
Oldsmar – AMC Woodland Square 20
Orange Park – AMC Orange Park 24
Orlando – Pointe Orlando with IMAX
Orlando – Waterford Stadium 20
Palm Beach Gardens – Downtown At The Gardens 16 Cinemas
Royal Palm Beach – Royal Palm Stadium 18
Sarasota – AMC Sarasota 12
Sarasota – Hollywood Stadium 20-Sarasota
South Miami – AMC Sunset Place 24
Tampa – Citrus Stadium Park Mall 20
Vero Beach – The Majestic
Wesley Chapel – Grove 16 Cinemas
——————————————————————————–
Georgia:Alpharetta – North Point 8
Atlanta – Perimeter Pointe 10
Augusta – Augusta Exchange 20
Chamblee – Hollywood 24 @ North I-85
Kennesaw – AMC Barrett Commons 24
Lawrenceville – AMC Discover Mills 18
Lithonia – AMC Stonecrest Megastar 16
Morrow – AMC Southlake Pavilion 24
Savannah – Savannah Stadium 10
——————————————————————————–
Hawaii: Honolulu – Dole Cannery 18
——————————————————————————–
Iowa: Ames – Movies 12
Cedar Falls – College Square 12 Theatre
Council Bluffs – Star Cinema 17 with IMAX
Davenport – Davenport 53 Showcase Cinemas
Dubuque – Star Cinema 14
Iowa City – Sycamore 12 Theatre
West Des Moines – Jordan Creek 20
——————————————————————————–
Idaho: Boise – Boise 21 plus IMAX
——————————————————————————–
Indiana: Bloomington – Bloomington Showplace East
Evansville – Evansville Stadium 16
Fort Wayne – Coldwater Crossing
Indianapolis – AMC Castleton Square 14
Indianapolis – Galaxy 14
Indianapolis – Indianapolis Showplace with IMAX
Lafayette – Eastside 9
Michigan City – Michigan City Showplace
Mishawaka – Movies 14
Muncie – Muncie Showplace
Noblesville – Hamilton 16 with IMAX
Portage – Portage 16 with IMAX
Schererville – Schererville Showplace 16
Terre Haute – Terre Haute Showplace
Valparaiso – Valparaiso Commons
——————————————————————————–
Kansas: Lawrence – Southwind 12
Leawood – AMC Town Center 20
Merriam – Cinemark 20 (Merriam)
Olathe – AMC Olathe Studio 29 with IMAX
Topeka – Hollywood Stadium 14
——————————————————————————–
Kentucky: Florence – Showcase Cinemas De Lux Florence
Lexington – Hamburg Pavilions 16
Lexington – Lexington Green Movies
Louisville – Stonybrook Cinemas
Louisville – Tinseltown Louisville
——————————————————————————–
Louisiana: Baton Rouge – Citiplace 11
Baton Rouge – Perkins Row
Covington – Hollywood Stadium 14
Harahan – AMC Elmwood Palace 20
Harvey – AMC Westbank Palace 16
Shreveport – Tinseltown
——————————————————————————–
Massachusetts: Boston – Fenway 13
Braintree – AMC Braintree 10
Burlington – AMC Burlington 10
Dennis – The Cape Cinema
Foxboro – Patriot Place
Framingham – AMC Framingham 15
Great Barrington – The Mahaiwe Theatre
Hadley – Hampshire Mall 12
Lowell – Lowell Showcase Cinemas
Marlborough – Solomon Pond Mall 15
Millbury – Blackstone Valley
Randolph – Randolph Showcase Cinemas
Revere – Revere Showcase Cinemas
Swansea – Swansea
Wellfleet – Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre
West Springfield – West Springfield Showcase Cinemas
——————————————————————————–
Maryland: Abingdon – Bel Air Cinema 14
Bowie – Bowie Crossing 14
Columbia – AMC Columbia Mall 14
Columbia – Snowden Square 14
Germantown – Germantown 14
Owings Mills – AMC Owings Mills 17
——————————————————————————–
Maine: Brunswick – Brunswick 10
Ellsworth – The Grand
Rockland – The Strand Theatre
——————————————————————————–
Michigan: Ann Arbor – Quality 16
Battle Creek – West Columbia 7
Canton – Canton Cinema
Flint – Flint West Showcase Cinemas
Grand Rapids – Celebration Cinema – Grand Rapids North
Holland – Holland 7
Jackson – Jackson 10
Kalamazoo – Kalamazoo 10
Lansing – Celebration Cinemas Lansing
Lansing – Lansing Mall Cinemas
Livonia – AMC Livonia 20
Mount Pleasant – Celebration Cinema Mt Pleasant
Oxford – Oxford 7
Port Huron – Krafft 8
Saginaw – Saginaw 8 / Quad
Sterling Heights – AMC Forum 30 with IMAX
Traverse City – State Theatre – Traverse City
Walled Lake – Commerce Township 14
Ypsilanti – Ann Arbor Showcase Cinemas
——————————————————————————–
Minnesota: Duluth – Duluth 10 Theatre
Eagan – Eagan 16
Eden Prairie – AMC Eden Prairie 18
Mankato – Movies 8
Maple Grove – AMC Arbor Lakes Megastar 16
Minneapolis – Brooklyn Center 20
Minneapolis – Kerasotes Block E
Oakdale – Oakdale Cinema
Roseville – AMC Rosedale 14
Waite Park – Parkwood 18 Theatre
——————————————————————————–
Missouri: Cape Girardeau – Cape Girardeau Town Plaza
Chesterfield – AMC Chesterfield 14
Columbia – Forum 8
Hazelwood – St. Louis Mills 18
Joplin – Northstar 14
Kansas City – AMC Barrywoods 24
Kansas City – Cinemark 14, The Palace
Kansas City – Kansas City 18 Cinemas
Saint Joseph – Hollywood Theaters 10
Saint Louis – AMC Esquire 7
Springfield – College Station
——————————————————————————–
Mississippi: Pearl – Tinseltown Jackson
——————————————————————————–
Montana: Bozeman – Gallatin Mall Cinema 11
Helena – Great Northern 8
——————————————————————————–
North Carolina: Asheville – Hollywood 14 Asheville
Charlotte – Stonecrest 22 @ Piper Glen
Concord – AMC Concord Mills 24
Raleigh – Brier Creek Stadium 14
Raleigh – North Hills Stadium 14
——————————————————————————–
North Dakota: Bismarck – Grand Theatre
Fargo – Century 10 Theatre
——————————————————————————–
Nebraska: Lincoln – South Pointe Cinemas
Omaha – AMC Oakview 24
Omaha – Village Pointe Cinemas
——————————————————————————–
New Hampshire: Portsmouth – The Music Hall
——————————————————————————–
New Jersey: Clifton – AMC Clifton Commons 16
Edgewater – Edgewater 16 Multiple Cinemas
Hamilton – AMC Hamilton 24
North Brunswick – Commerce Center 18
Paramus – AMC Garden State 16
Parsippany – Parsippany Cinema 12
Rockaway – AMC Rockaway 16
Voorhees – Showcase at the Ritz Center
——————————————————————————–
New Mexico: Albuquerque – Albuquerque Downtown 14
Albuquerque – Cottonwood 16
——————————————————————————–
Nevada: Las Vegas – Century 16 South Point
Las Vegas – Colonnade 14
Las Vegas – Orleans 18
Las Vegas – Sams Town 18
Las Vegas – Village Square 18
Reno – Riverside 12
——————————————————————————–
New York: Albany – Crossgates Stadium 18 – Albany
Bronx – AMC Bay Plaza 13
Brooklyn – BAM – Brooklyn Academy of Music
Buffalo – Elmwood Center 16
Farmingdale – Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas
Holtsville – Island 16 Cinema De Lux
Hudson – Time and Space
Ithaca – Ithaca Mall 14
Loch Sheldrake – Sullivan County Community College
New Rochelle – New Roc Stadium 18 plus IMAX
New York – Chelsea Cinema
New York – First and 62nd Cinemas
New York – Union Square Stadium 14
Port Washington – Port Washington Cinemas
Potsdam – Roxy Theatre
Rochester – Tinseltown 17 with IMAX
Syracuse – Carousel Mall Stadium 17
Victor – Eastview Mall 13
Westbury – Westbury Stadium 12
White Plains – City Center 15 Cinema Delux
Whitestone – College Point Multiplex
Williamsville – Transit Center Stadium 18 plus IMAX
——————————————————————————–
Ohio: Akron – Montrose Movies 12
Cleveland Heights – Severance Stadium 14
Columbus – AMC Easton Town Center 30 with IMAX
Columbus – AMC Lennox Town Center 24
Columbus – Crosswoods Cinema 17
Columbus – Georgesville Stadium 16
Dayton – Hollywood Stadium 20 @ Fairfield Commons
Mason – Deerfield Town Center
Maumee – Maumee Showcase Cinemas
North Canton – Tinseltown USA 290
Pickerington – Pickerington Cinemas 16
Springdale – Springdale Showcase Cinemas
Valley View – Cinemark 24 Cleveland
West Carrollton – Dayton South Showcase Cinemas
Westlake – Crocker Park Stadium 16
Zanesville – Colony Square Mall
——————————————————————————–
Oklahoma: Norman – Spotlight 14
Oklahoma City – AMC Quail Springs 24
Oklahoma City – Tinseltown USA
Tulsa – Cinemark Tulsa 17 with IMAX
——————————————————————————–
Oregon: Beaverton – Cedar Hills Crossing 16
Bend – Old Mill Stadium 16
Happy Valley – Clackamas Town Center
Medford – Tinseltown
Portland – Lloyd Center 10
Springfield – Cinemark 17 (Springfield)
——————————————————————————–
Pennsylvania: Bensalem – AMC Neshaminy 24
Erie – Movies 17
Harrisburg – Susquehanna 14 Harrisburg
King Of Prussia – King of Prussia 15 plus IMAX
Lititz – The Penn Cinema
Moosic – Cinemark 20 Moosic
Philadelphia – Riverview Plaza
Philadelphia – The Bridge – UPenn
Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh West Showcase Cinemas
Plymouth Meeting – AMC Plymouth Meeting 12
Reading – R/C Reading Movies 11 & IMAX
Tarentum – Cinemark 17 Pittsburgh Mills
Warrington – Warrington Crossing 22
——————————————————————————–
Rhode Island: Warwick – Warwick Showcase Cinemas
——————————————————————————–
South Carolina: Columbia – Sandhill Stadium 16
Greenville – Hollywood 20-Greenville
Myrtle Beach – Cinemark 14 at Coastal Grand
Summerville – Azalea Square Stadium 16
——————————————————————————–
South Dakota: Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls Stadium 14
——————————————————————————–
Tennessee: Knoxville – West Town Mall 9
Nashville – Green Hills 16
Nashville – Opry Mills 20 plus IMAX
——————————————————————————–
Texas: Amarillo – Hollywood USA
Arlington – AMC Parks At Arlington 18
Austin – Cinemark Southpark Meadows
Austin – Metropolitan 14
Bee Cave – Cinemark Hill Country Galleria
Burleson – Movies 14
Cedar Park – Cinemark Cedar Park
Dallas – AMC Northpark Center 15
Dallas – Cinemark 17 with IMAX
Dallas – Galaxy Theatre
El Paso – Cinemark Cielo Vista
Fort Worth – Fossil Creek
Grapevine – Tinseltown Movies 17
Harker Heights – Harker Heights
Highland Village – AMC Highland Village 12
Houston – AMC Gulf Pointe 30
Houston – AMC Willowbrook 24
Houston – Houston Marq*E Stadium 22
Houston – Memorial City Mall
Humble – AMC Deerbrook 24
Killeen – Stadium 14
Lewisville – Vista Ridge Mall
Longview – Hollywood Stadium 14 Theatres
Lubbock – Movies 16
Mesquite – AMC Mesquite 30
Midland – Tall City
Pflugerville – Tinseltown USA Pflugerville
Plano – Cinemark 24 (The Legacy)
Plano – Tinseltown USA Plano
San Antonio – Cielo Vista 18
San Antonio – Fiesta 16 Theatres
Spring – Cinemark at Market Street
Sugar Land – AMC First Colony 24

Waco – Jewel 16
Webster – Cinemark 18 Webster
——————————————————————————–
Utah: Midvale – Union Heights 16
Ogden – Tinseltown Newgate
Provo – Cinemark 16 Provo
Salt Lake City – Salt Lake City 16
West Jordan – Cinemark 24 W. Jordan
——————————————————————————–
Virginia: Alexandria – AMC Hoffman 22
Arlington – Ballston Commons 12
Fairfax – Fairfax Towne Center
Glen Allen – Virginia Center 20
Hampton – AMC Hampton Towne Centre 24
Mclean – AMC Tyson’s Corner 16
Norfolk – Mac Arthur Center 18
Virginia Beach – AMC Lynnhaven 18
——————————————————————————–
Vermont: South Burlington – Palace Cinema 9
——————————————————————————–
Washington: Auburn – Auburn 17 Theatres
Federal Way – Century Theatres Federal Way 16
Kent – AMC Kent Station 14
Lynnwood – Alderwood 7 Theatres
Olympia – Capital Mall 14
Port Townsend – The Rose Theatre
Redmond – Bella Bottega 11 Cinema
Seattle – AMC Pacific Place 11
Spokane – Northtown 12
——————————————————————————–
Wisconsin: Appleton – College Avenue 16
Appleton – Hollywood Cinemas 14
Ashwaubenon – Bay Park Cinemas
Brookfield – The Majestic – Brookfield
Kenosha – Tinseltown Kenosha
Madison – Point Cinemas 16
Mequon – North Shore Cinemas 11
Oak Creek – South Shore Cinemas 16
Oshkosh – Oshkosh Cinemas 12
Sheboygan – Sheboygan Cinemas 13
Sturtevant – Cinema at the Renaissance
This show is one night only. Thursday, April 23rd, on these select movie screens nationwide.

Delaware:

Many of us know Tesla Motors because of the news involving either:

1. High Gas Prices and alternative fuel vehicles talked about by magazines like WIRED.

2. The CEO of the Tesla Motors Company being removed by the board because of lots of personal differences and internal conflict which have led to the Tesla Roadster being behind on it’s delivery schedule and having engineering problems in getting the product to market.

3. The BBC UK show Top Gear reviewed the Tesla roadster this past season and it quit on them several times. They generally liked it when the batteries were running though.

The Chicago Tesla Dealership and Showroom will be located at 1053 West Grand Ave in Chicago, IL this spring near the Kennedy Expressway in the River West neighborhood. (kind of a desolate location from the looks of Google Street View) The dealership will be Tesla’s first electric car sales showroom and service center outside of California. I am also excited about this new Tesla Dealership in Chicago because this is the first fully electric car to be commercially available in Chicago that I know of.

I was a fan of the GM EV1 back in the day and they never even offered them here in Chicago since the test never expanded that far. Now Tesla will be the first company the test out battery powered electric cars (green cars) in this climate. Many people think that the cold winters will reduce the performance of the batteries that power the cars since batteries generally don’t do well here with out below zero temperatures.

Tesla is offering one couple model of their electric car for $109,000.00 ($55K down payment) at this time and have plans to offer another one at a lower price ($60K) in the future and maybe adding seats for more passengers. Right now Chicago is thrilled that we had enough people and interest to support an electric car dealership and we welcome Tesla to the Chicagoland area.

No word on how these little 2 seater Tesla roadsters will fare in the snow and cold, but we plan on enjoying them in traffic, emissions free, in the other season: construction.

The Shamrock Shuffle is an 8K run or 5K walk race for charity in Chicago on March 29, 2009. The Chicago Shamrock Shuffle is usually a fun run without a lot of pressure that a marathon might have and it inspires us Midwesterners to get out and exercise again after the frigid winter. This year Bank of America is the main sponsor. Registration is open now and the only requirements are that you can run a 15 minute mile or walk the 5K and pay the $40 entry fee.

Update: the registration is closed now due to the 32,500 person limit being filled already!

I know that a lot of people enjoy this race as runners also, since the Chicago Marathon isn’t until October and this is a lot shorter. But mostly the Shamrock Shuffle is a race for people who live in the city and enjoy running for exercise or want a goal to get back in shape and like the idea of doing it while supporting a charity. Many runners like to run in green for St Patrick’s Day also.

Try it out this year you might just get hooked on running! Nike has a great training site for runners also. They have detailed plans to get yourself up to speed of running a race if you need help.  After you register you get assigned to a corral depending on your speed and that determines when and where you start.

There are a number of street closures that happen for the Shamrock Shuffle beware if you are near any of these on the morning of March 29th:

• Columbus Dr., from Randolph Dr. to Grand Ave., 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
• Grand Ave., from Columbus Dr. to Rush St., 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Rush St., from Grand Ave. to Hubbard St., 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Hubbard St., from Rush St. to State St., 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• State St., from Hubbard St. to Jackson Blvd., 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
• Jackson Blvd., from State St. to Jefferson St., 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Jefferson St., from Jackson Blvd. to Harrison St., 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Harrison St., from Jefferson St. to Michigan Ave., 9:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Michigan Ave., from Harrison St. to Roosevelt Rd., 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  
• Roosevelt Rd. (westbound lanes only), from Michigan Ave. to Columbus Dr., 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

And have a happy Shamrock Shuffle! 

Click here for a map of the entire shamrock shuffle course map.

See the official website for the sign up forms: shamrockshuffle.com/cms400min/

See the Nike Running Blogs and Training Info here: nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?locale=en_us

With the Fed lowering the interest rate to effectively 0% a few weeks back we have all been waiting to see how the consumer mortgage rates will be affected in Chicago. Both the city and suburbs have been affected by the real estate housing bubble and many people who have 6-7% mortgage rates on their homes and condos would love to refinance their mortgage and save some money in this economy.

Just this week Jan 12th, marketwatch reported that 30 year fixed rate mortgage rates went below 5% and down to the lowest rate ever. I am surprised that they have gotten so low and see that marketwatch lists the average mortgage rate for a 30 year fixed rate loan at 4.62% now. Wow that is low. A 300K mortgage with 20% down and a 30 year fixed rate loan at 4.62% is $1,333.00 a month.

If that rate was 5.62% it would be $1,481.00. Low rates save you a lot of money and allow you to use those savings to make extra principle payments and pay the loan off faster which saves a lot on interest paid to the bank over the life of the loan. (remember interest is calculated on the entire loan amount each year, so the amount you really pay for your house over 30 years is usually about 3x the value)

I am not sure which mortgage companies in Chicago can offer these rates though because so many of the banks are in trouble financially right now. Taking in less profit on loans would hurt their chance of recovery. Citigroup Banks is one that is giving higher interest rates like 5.5% on a 30 year fixed loan because of their current financial situation.

I hope that people living in Chicago can refinance their loans at the lowest rate possible and pay off their mortgage home loans quickly and own them outright. It is a difficult thing to do but owning your own home without a mortgage is one of the most rewarding things you can do and gives you so much financial freedom and saves a lot of stress. Look into how you can lower your interest rate and pay off your loan in a shorter time and get freedom from mortgage payments.

This is a friendly reminder that the CTA train and bus fares will increase on January 1, 2009. Even though the state of Illinois approved the budget increases last year that prevented a fare increase then, the state revenues from sales and income taxes is down in 2008 and 2009 due to the current economic recession.

So, the CTA isn’t able to get the full amount of the funding and most estimates show that CTA public transit use it still up year over year even though the price of a gallon of gas has gone back down to about $1.70 in most areas of the suburbs and just under $2.00 in Chicago.

This means that the CTA fares have to increase to cover the gap between what the expenses are and what funding is provided from the state. Plus somebody has to pay for all those station improvements they started and the shiny new website design. Most people should be highly annoyed by the increase in CTA fares but it probably won’t keep people from going to work.

My daily commute is going from $3.50 to $4.50 per day. (still far less than driving and paying $25-$35 per day to park plus gas) My CTA Chicago Card Plus monthly unlimited pass will also go from $75.00 to $86.00. Most people pay for them pre-tax through companies like Wageworks though so you do save something on not paying taxes. (in an odd twist of fate keeping the CTA from getting more state funding) All of this will seem cheap someday when I have to take both Metra AND the CTA to work.

The people hardest hit are usually low income hourly workers that make around minimum wage. ($7.75) After the taxes and health insurance fees are deducted from a paycheck (if health insurance is even available) and they buy CTA fares and possibly buy lunch at work they are left with a very small amount of money each day.  I would guess about $800 per month is left for everything else from rent to utilities after “work costs” are considered. (plus uniforms are usually required to purchase) It is a meager life.

CTA Fare Types Current Fare Structure and Increases in January 2009

Full Fare Transit Card (TC) Bus Now: $1.75 January 2009: $2.00
Full Fare TC Rail Now: $2.00 January 2009: $2.25
Full Fare Chicago Card (CC) Bus Now: $1.75 January 2009: $2.00
Full Fare CC Rail Now: $1.75 January 2009: $2.25
Full Fare Cash (bus only) Now: $2.00 January 2009: $2.25
TC or CC Transfer Note #1 Now: $0.25 January 2009: $0.25
Chicago Card Bonus Note #2 10% Eliminated

1-Day Pass5 Now: $5.00 January 2009: $5.75
2-Day Visitor Pass Note #5 $9.00 Eliminated
3-Day Visitor Pass Note #5 Now: $12.00 January 2009: $14.00
5-Day Visitor Pass Note #5 $18.00 Eliminated
7-Day CTA Pass5 Now: $20.00 January 2009: $23.00
7-Day CTA/Pace Pass5 Now:  Did not exist, January 2009: $28.00

Full Fare 30-Day Pass Now: $75.00 January 2009: $86.00

U-Pass Note #3 15% Increase
Reduced Fare Note #4 TC or CC Now: $0.85 January 2009: Unchanged
Reduced Fare Cash (bus only) Now: $1.00 January 2009: Unchanged
Reduced Fare TC or CC Transfer Now:$0.15 January 2009: Unchanged
Reduced Fare 30-Day Pass Now:  $35.00 January 2009: Unchanged

Notes:
1 Transfer fare allows two additional rides within two hours of the first boarding
2 For every $20 purchase of pay-per-use fares, $22 of value is added to the card
3 Available through participating universities only; price change effective 2009 Fall Term
4 Reduced fares offered to eligible customers only
5 Only the 30-Day and the new CTA/Pace 7-Day passes will be valid on Pace beginning January 1, 2009. 

Happy New Year…

The emails are arriving in my inbox already for Day After Christmas Sales at stores in Chicago. It wasn’t even Christmas day yet and the stores had already planned out how they will discount the merchandise to help you find a great deal on anything you did not already get this Christmas. The day after Christmas sales are also a common destination of you really need to return those purple socks or snake print sweater you got as a gift this Christmas. Some of the after Christmas sales I have gotten info about are:

JC Penny has a big after Christmas Sale and Clearance starting at 5:30 am Friday December 26th and Saturday December 27th. There are special door buster deals available from 5:30 am to 1 pm if you are an early bird. There is also a store wide 60% off clearance sale. This does not mean everything is on sale in the store but a lot of the seasonal items like clothing or home decor should be marked down. There are 2 printable coupons on their site you can use to get an extra $15 off $75 or $10 off $50. AND there is 50%-70% off at JCP.com.

Kohl’sis going head to head with JC Penny to capture that middle class market and they also have big sales planned for Friday December 26th and Saturday December 27. Almost everything from clothing and apparel for the entire family and all holiday home decor is 50%-80% off at Kohl’s after Christmas sale and clearance. The items may be subject to availability though since we didn’t have an easy time finding boots this winter at Kohl’s they seem to frequently sell out of popular items.

Best Buyhas a very merry Christmas sale going all weekend long from Friday December 26 through Sunday December 28. Check Best Buy for their Christmas sale items like TVs, dvds, wireless digital photo frames and home appliances. This is not a sale in stores though. Check bestbuy.com for details.

Crate and Barrelhas a day after Christmas sale going with 70% off on all of their holiday decor and many specialty items for the season. See here for a link to the Crate and Barrel sale page. I am a big fan of Crate and Barrel Christmas ornaments, home decor and wrapping. If you can get these holiday decorations or housewares (glasses, baking equipment, pillows, candle holders, festive swags, rugs) at a large discount now and save them for next year you might just come out ahead in your 2009 budget.

Old Navy also has a lot of great clothing, sweaters, jeans and t-shirts on sale at 75% off. Old Navyis one of my favorite stores for getting the same basic clothes as more expensive stores, and half the cost. And when the clothing is on sale, it is the most affordable time of the year to buy. So, if you have birthdays in the next 2 months or so to buy for or need anything yourself that you didn’t get to buy before Christmas, check them out online or in the stores. (personally I think clothing is better to shop for in person since it is so dependent on fit and you have to try everything on to know it will work before you buy) They have women’s cashmere cardigans on sale for $35.00 right now. That is a great deal.

Lastly, check out Macy’s for some additional discounts (15%) on purchases made online with the promo code SAVEMORE. There are already discounts of 20%-6% on a lot of clothing and merchandise. I have found that Macy’s does have good deals if you hunt for them. I got some great women’s turtleneck sweaters as gifts last week at 1/2 price of $20. You just have to be careful because there are a lot of items not on sale mixed in too. Macy’s has done a lot of business this holiday with promo codes, discounts and free shipping deals, so make sure that if you shop there you are getting to take advantage of them.

Happy Holidays and happy after Christmas Day sale shopping!

I don’t know anyone who isn’t resolving to loose some extra weight for their New Year’s Resolutions in 2009, and if you want to see how long your resolution lasts, why not try out this offer from the Chicago Park District Gyms: Free membership to the city’s gym facilities from January 2-16. That is a 2 week free to the public membership to over 60 Chicago Park District Gym facilities. It is also a chance for you to get a free gym bag from Nike if you end up starting a membership during this free trial period.

The Chicago Park District Gyms have low rates to begin with and are usually always a better deal than health clubs so why not check out your local Chicago Park District Gym and look at the facility? You might find that they have been recently updated and all kinds of people in the community come to use them. It is a way to get fit for your New Year’s Resolutions in 2009 and get to know your neighbors at the same time. It only costs $40-$75 for 3 months depending on the gym and location. It is a cheaper way to stay in shape than all those pushy salesy big gyms that cost 2-3x as much.

The Chicago Park District Gyms have the same equipment and classes as many of the popular health clubs in the area (Bally’s, Equinox, Total Fitness)They all have computerized treadmills, upright and recumbent bicycles, cross trainers, free weights and benches, multi-station weight machines, cable cross-overs machines and core-focused weight equipment.  The gyms also offer a variety of fitness classes such as circuit training, kickboxing, conditioning, Pilates, spinning, yoga and aerobics.  Some of the facilities also have lap pools. 

If you need a list of the Chicago Park District Gyms, here is one for you with their phone numbers included:
1. Altgeld Park District Gym, 515 South Washtenaw Ave., 312.746.5001
2. Amundsen Park District Gym, 6200 West Bloomingdale Ave., 312.746.5003
3. Archer Park District Gym, 4901 South Kilbourn Ave., 773.284.7029
4. Armour Square Park District Gym, 3309 South. Shields Ave., 312.747.6012
5. Austin Town Hall Park District Gym, 5610 West Lake St., 773.287.7658
6. Avalon Park District Gym, 1215 E. 83rd Street, 312.747.2545
7. Broadway Armory Park District Gym, 5917 North Broadway St., 312.742.7502
8. Calumet Park District Gym, 9801 South Avenue G, 312.747.6039
9. Carver Park District Gym, 939 East 132nd Street, 312.747.6047
10. Clarendon Park Community Center, 4501 North Clarendon Ave., 312.742.7512
11. Columbus Park District Gym, 500 South Central Ave., 773.287.7641
12. Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 337 East Randolph St., 312.742.7648
13. Davis Square Park District Gym, 4430 South Marshfield Ave., 312.747.6107
14. Don Nash Community Center, 1833 East. 71st St., 773.256.0904
15. Eckhart Park District Gym, 1330 W. Chicago Avenue, 312.746.5490
16. Fernwood Park District Gym, 10436 South Wallace Street, 312.747.6132
17. Fosco Park, 1312 S. Racine Avenue, 312.746.5086
18. Foster Park, 1440 West 84th Street, 312.747.6135
19. Fuller Park, 331 West 45th, 312.747.6144
20. Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Avenue, 312.746.5092
21. Gage Park, 2411 W. 55th Street, 312.747.6147
22. Gale School Park, 7631 North Ashland Avenue, 773.262.5051
23. Gill Park, 825 West Sheridan, 312.742.7802
24. Grand Crossing Park, 7655 S. Ingleside Avenue, 312.747.6158
25. Harris Recreational Center, 6200 South Drexel Boulevard, 312.747.2706
26. Harrison Park, 1824 West Wood, 312.746.5491
27. Hayes Park, 2936 West 85th Street, 312.747.6177
28. Hiawatha Park, 8029 West Forest Preserve Drive, 312.746.5559
29. Homan Square Park, 3559 West Arlington Street, 312.746.6650
30. Humboldt Park, 1440 North Sacramento Avenue, 312.742.7549
31. Independence Park, 3945 North Springfield Ave., 773.478.3538
32. Jackson Park, 6401 Street Stony Island Ave., 773.256.0903
33. Kelvyn Park, 4438 West Wrightwood Ave., 312.742.7547
34. Kennicott Park, 4434 South Lake Park Ave., 312.747.7138
35. LaFollette Park, 1333 North Laramie Ave., 773.287.0541
36. Lake Shore Park, 808 North Lake Shore Drive, 312.742.7891
37. Lindblom Park, 6054 South Damen Ave., 312.747.6443
38. Margate Park, 4921 North Marine Drive, 312.742.7522
39. McFetridge Sports Center, 3843 N. California Ave., 773.478.2609
40. McGuane Park, 2901 South Poplar Ave., 312.747.6497
41. Mozart Park, 2036 North Avers St., 312.742.7535
42. Norwood Park, 5801 North Natoma Ave., 773.631.4893
43. Ogden Park, 6500 South Racine Avenue, 312.747.6572
44. Palmer Park, 201 East 111th Street, 312.747.6576
45. Peterson Park, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd., 312.742.7584
46. Piotrowski Park, 4247 W. 31st St., 312.747.6608
47. Pottawattomie Park, 7340 N. Rogers Ave., 773.262.5835
48. Rainbow Beach & Park, 3111 E. 77th St., 773.745.1479
49. Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood Drive, 312.747.6639
50. Russell Square Park, 3045 E. 83rd St., 312.747.6651
51. Rutherford Sayre Park, 6871 W. Belden Ave., 312.746.5368
52. Scottsdale Park, 4637 W. 83rd St., 773.284.1826
53. Sherman Park, 1301 W. 52nd St., 312.747.6672
54. Sherwood Park, 5701 S. Sheilds Ave., 773.256.0926
55. Taylor Park in Bronzeville, 39 W. 47th St., 312.747.6728
56. Trumbull Park, 2400 E. 105th St., 312.747.6759
57. Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., 312.746.5494
58. Washington Park, 5531 S. Martin Luther King Drive, 773.256.1248
59. Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave., 312.742.7511
60. West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St., 773.284.2803

Visit the park district’s official Web site chicagoparkdistrict.org or call 312.742.PLAY, 312.747.2001. Or see the website for more info: cpdit.com/resources/fitness_centers/ And have fun getting more exercise in 2009 while your work on your New Year’s Resolutions.

I just read that the City of Chicago received a winning bid to hand over the management of the 35,000 parking meters to a private company from the department of revenue in Chicago. The new (privatization of) parking meter prices will likely have to be higher because they think this will close the $150 Million dollar budget gap (in a total of a $469 Million dollar budget shortfall) we have for 2008 and 2009 from several years of leasing. Yikes! The Chicago parking meter revenue was estimated at 19.5 million dollars in 2007. So, I am guessing this might be 10 years? More is due to be released in a press conference on Tuesday.

As if we needed another cost increase in the price of living in Chicago amidst a global recession.

UPDATE: The cost of the parking meters will quadruple from $0.50 per hour now to $1.00 per hour in 2009 and $2.00 per hour in 2013. The most competitive parking spot meters in the loop will go from $3.00 per hour now to $6.50 an hour in 2013. Holy cats, we will all have to sell our cars. The parking lease is also for 75 Years!  (and no free parking on Sundays) So Chicago has lost all future revenue from this area of the budget for the next 75 years. That will contribute to future budget shortfalls.

I think this privatization change may turn out like London or other crowded commuter cities where the parking rates are dramatically higher for peak usage times and the prices in general are raised anytime without any citizen or voter approval. Basically it just got a lot more difficult, expensive and exclusive to own a car in Chicago or to drive one downtown. (what’s next a congestion tax?) The higher meter rates will most likely influence paid parking garage rates to go up also and higher parking ticket rates if you fail to pay the meters. What I hope it improves is the way you have to pay for your parking meter. We really would like to see a pay by cell phone or pay by credit card swipe on the meters if they can get a high level of security with your private credit card data.

What they haven’t said is how long this private parking meter contract agreement is for with this un-named company Chicago Parking Meter LLC (which is made up of two Morgan Stanley infrastructure funds.) and the City of Chicago and how long we will have to endure even higher fees. (forever!) I am thinking the jump in Chicago private parking meter fees will most likely just push more people and commuters on to the already overburdened public transit bus and el train system. The rates for one time use CTA tickets and monthly CTA passes have also gone up in 2009, but it is far less that what people will see at the privatized parking meters.  Yuck!

Since winter started this weekend with a blanket of snow I thought I would offer some top driving tips for how to drive in the snow and ice, in blizzards and generally Chicago style in the winter so you get where you need to go whatever the weather is like. This is also important for safety since driving in blizzards and snow conditions can be very dangerous. That said, I am not a professional driver in any way. I’m just someone who lives in Chicago and hears about people in other areas who are curious about how it is that we can drive through all this snowy weather. (we had about 60 inches of snow in the winter of 2007-2008 in Chicago, that is 5 feet! Crazy!)

Chicago is known for having dreaded bitter cold winters where snow can be frequent and unforgiving for driving the city’s streets even if they try to plow. The entire Chicagoland metropolitan area is made up of a pretty scrappy bunch of people and we don’t let any blizzard, snow storm or ice stop us from where we have to go even if we have to drive behind a plow to get there. Sometimes it is also good to know how to drive in the snow for when there are no snow plows since many municipal budgets have been cut in the recession. Many people are already complaining to Mayor Daley in Chicago that the snow is not getting cleared in the city fast enough. (realistically it takes 12-24 hours after the snow stops to make all the roads travelable after a large storm)

In Chicago, school doesn’t even get canceled unless there is 2 ft or more of snow on the ground. Seriously, I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and I only remember having a snow day twice from kindergarten through high school. We take transportation very seriously and are very good at figuring out how to drive in bad weather in the winter and all kinds of snow conditions. The only people who are better at this are northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Denver Colorado drivers and possibly some people who live up in Maine. They have it worse than us and we commend them for daring driving attempts in all kinds of smart 4 wheel drive vehicles.

CWF Top Tips for how to go Driving in the Snow this Winter:

1. Front wheel drive cars are better for snow than rear wheel drive cars. I know some people love their rear wheel drive cars for performance but it just isn’t as controllable in the snow. 4 wheel drive is the best but not available on many 4 door cars. If you are a truck or SUV owner you have already probably considered the snow in your purchase decision. It’s mostly the sports cars and tiny cars that loose the snow battle. (I wonder how the smart car fortwo will fare this winter? how many of the mentos-commercial-guys do you need to lift it out?)

2. Automatic transmissions are better in the snow than stick shift. I know this may not be something people want to believe but not having a “crawl” speed where you are not giving the car any gas and just let your foot off the brake is one of the ways to get yourself out of many sticky snow situations. Some people think crawling in a manual transmission is easy, I don’t drive stick so I don’t know. I have just watched my fiance slide about because he couldn’t give his car gas slow enough and just spin in place and not go anywhere in his integra on ice and snow. I have had to push his car out of street parking spots twice now.  Most of us just simplify things and go with an automatic transmission car.

3. Heavy cars are better than light ones in the snow because if you don’t have enough weight over the wheels giving the power you just spin in place.

4. If you have a heavy front wheel drive car with an automatic transmission you have won half of the battle. (usually some kind of front wheel drive sedan) Congratulations on your astute snow car buying skills. Now put a small shovel, flashlight, ice scraper and bag of driveway/road salt in the trunk. This is going to help you out a lot this winter. (some jumper cables and a portable battery jump starter are also wise additions since batteries only last from 2-5 years in the cold Chicago gets and you never know when they will die)  All these things do make a good car kit gift for Christmas too, if you know someone that needs them.

5. Allow extra travel time for driving in the snow. Pretty much anywhere you have to go will take double the travel time in the snow. Just allow for it and you will be less likely to try something like passing cars or fast turns that lead to a crash.

6. In general when you are driving in the snow you have to slow way down. Try and be 5 mph below the speed limit and be careful not to expect your car to perform the same way it does on dry pavement. (sometimes only driving 10 mph if its is snowing at that moment and there is no salt on the roads) This is usually most apparent in how long it takes you to stop at a stoplight or accelerate away from one. Double your stopping distance so you start braking twice as far away from the light than you usually need in good weather. Also let the car crawl away from the stoplight on its own a bit before giving it any gas or your wheels will spin.

7. When driving in the snow you also should take corners very slowly. Brake way before you get to the corner, (while still going straight, and not during the corner) and make sure you are pretty much at crawl speed (5mph) through the turn and then slowly accelerate after the corner again. Too much speed into the corner or acceleration during the corner will either cause your car to fishtail or loose traction and slide because of the snow. So many mailboxes get hit because of this. Some people believe that if you add power in a slide you can control it but I do not. I have found that if you turn into the direction of the slide with your steering wheel and let off the gas you will regain control of the car almost immediatley. It’s like a return to default settings way to get out of an uncontrolled slide.

8. If you have to pull out of a parking spot that has been covered with a foot or two of snow first uncover your car. Next use the shovel to clear snow from around the wheels and a few feet in whatever direction you are going to pull out in. (the idea is to get enough traction to get up to 5 mph momentum which will continue to pull you through the rest of the deep snow) You can try and pull out then using the crawl method or letting it crawl and then giving it a little gas in the rocking back and forth method, but if that doesn’t work spread the salt chunks on the snow in the pathyou are pulling out in for more traction. This should work. Sand can help sometimes too but the large chunks of salt generally work better for grip. (this is more necessary if there is a sheet of ice under the snow) Once you get moving your momentum will help you through the rest. If the snow is actually covering your bumper or higher than the bottom of your car this may not be much help. Best to leave the car and cross country ski or snowshoe to the store then. (most snows in Chicago are 1 inch or less though, so this process of getting out of deep snow should not be necessary all that often unless we have another winter like last year.)

9. If you are driving in heavy wet snow or an ice storm stop every 1/2 hour or so (or whenever you need to) and uncover the windows and mirrors with the ice scraper to see better and clear the headlights, tail lights and the snow/ice which gets encrusted in the wheel wells. (also known as car boogers)

10. If you are driving on the highway in a lot of snow, or on any multi-lane road, follow the tracks of other drivers the best that you can. (without tailgating because it takes twice as long to stop!) These tracks have less snow in them and sometimes the compacted snow has more grip than the slippery stuff. Also slush is always better than snow for grip, so aim for that rather than making a new path. Changing lanes is also tricky if you have a snow drift in between lanes. Always change lanes slowly and try and keep the wheel as straight as possible even if it tries to drift when going over the new snow between lanes. If you feel spin, let go of the gas immediately, the automatic coast momentum will handle it until you find the new lane grooves. 

Most of the time you will find that they plow the slow lane first (because it is the most in use) and work their way to the middle lane next as far as clearing snow goes. If you are following a snow plow truck be careful of the road salt they may be dumping behind them. The spray goes across all 3 lanes on the highway sometimes, and can dent your car if it is large chunks and you are close enough.  So, following a snow plow is good in getting a cleared road but bad in that the salt may hit and dent your car.

11. Also it is widely known that the salt from all the roads will rust your car out from underneath so after the snow has melted or been plowed and it is safe to take a non-essential trip, go to the car wash and get it washed off and removed before it starts to corrode the fenders of the car like Swiss cheese in a few years. This may mean more expensive car washes in the winter but it helps extend the life of the car and protect your trade in value. If you have a garage kept car it is even more important to get the salt washed off regularly since your car sits inside a damp wet environment when all the snow melts off the car and sits in a pool on the floor of the garage. Rust always starts in the garage in the winter! (professional rust proofing spray underneath your car fenders can help but it only lasts so long and should be applied by the dealer or a professional) 

12. I also thought I should mention snow tires. I have never bought “snow tires” so I can’t say how much of a difference they would make since I have never gotten completely stuck either. (I think it is a pain to own 2 sets of tires and switch them out every fall and spring) Most people in the midwest buy an all season tire that has a good toothy tread on the outside and a water channel through the center and is rated for all seasons. (dry, rain and snow) It is also important to note that using chains or metal spiked tires are illegal in Illinois since they rip up the pavement, so don’t buy or use those. Really the only tires you don’t want to own are slick or soft rubber performance racing type tires or the super cheapo tires that are made of hard slick plastic and have weak treads and grip. Again it is the sports cars and small cars that loose out here. If you buy a mid-priced all season tire and have a front wheel drive car you should be in good shape. If your tires are bald or near bald, getting new ones on at least the wheels that power the car before winter can be a great help.

Hopefully some of this information will be helpful to you and maybe help you get where you are going despite the bad weather and snowstorms we sometimes get. Best of luck in the snow!

This year the Chicago Windy City Wine Festival is being held on September 5th and 6th at Daley Plaza downtown in Chicago. The Wine Festival starts on Friday evening at 4pm and goes until 10 pm. It continues on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm and is open until 10 pm again. Tickets are available to purchase for the Windy City Wine Festival Online at windycitywinefestival.com/buy.html or call 847-382-1480 to purchase them by phone.

Tickets are $25.00 for the wine tasting in advance and $30.00 each at the door. Additional tasting coupons can be purchased for more tasting at the festival for $5.00. There is even a designated driver ticket available for $10.00 which gets you 2 non-alcoholic drinks and food as well as access to cooking demonstrations and a copy of the festival program.  

They have also included live bands performing at the event to add to the relaxed atmosphere and they have brought in several local wine experts and Sommeliers to present information about choosing, buying and pairing wines with food as well as information about the wine making process.

It is interesting that even though the economy has slowed down people have certainly not stopped drinking wine. People have decided that buying cheaper food and clothing as well as saving energy were all bearable changes but the Chicagoans are not giving up their wine drinking. Wine sales have increased an enormous amount in the last decade thanks to movies like Sideways that made it a cool, independent, social and cultural hobby to have.

Chicago may not have any vineyards or be written about much in Wine Spectator but we have a lot of wine drinkers and buyers in the Chicagoland area. They have been a fan of the Chicago Wine Festival and the Naperville Wine festival the last few years. Also a few stores like Armanetti’s, Sam’s Wines and Spirits and Binny’s have made buying from huge selections of wine from all over the world possible under one roof for very affordable prices. Also, hundreds of small wind boutiques have popped up like Wine Expressions and Wine Styles in all the small shopping centers in the suburbs.

Yuppies and baby boomers liked taking a bottle of wine to dinner at a friend’s house or serving a new wine guests had never tried before at parties. This novelty as well as great taste has kept wine popular while other luxury items have trailed off in popularity since the economy has slowed down. Click here for a map of the wine festival grounds and plan your trip today.

The entertainment and educational presentation schedule for the fest:

Friday, September 5 – 4-10pm

5:00-5:25pm – Tim Laird, Mixology, The Art of the Wine Cocktail.
5:30-6:00 pm – “Cutting Edge White Wines” Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier Director of Wine Education, Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois
6:05-6:35 pm – Sheri Sauter Moran, Wines of France
6:40-7:10 pm – Colleen Stewart, The Bonterra Vineyards Organic Road Show
7:15-7:45 pm – THE HEARTY BOYS
8:00-9:45 pm – KIM MASSIE

Saturday, September 6 – 3-10pm

3:30-4:05 pm – Sheri Sauter Moran, Wines of France
4:10-4:40 pm – Steve Ciappette Viand
4:45- 5:15pm – Fetzer Eco Tour “Growing Green”
5:30-6:40 pm – DAYNA MALOW
6:50-7:20 pm – Tim Laird, Mixology, The Art of the Wine Cocktail.
7:25-7:55 pm – THE HEARTY BOYS
8:15-9:45 pm – MICHAEL HEATON BAND

Have you ever needed a zip code to find out an address or mail a letter to someone and needed their zip code? I run into this problem a lot so here are the zip codes I have been able to compile from a few different places on the web. There are Chicago neighborhood zip codes from the north, south and west side of the city and some near Chicago suburban zip codes too. The zip codes are all listed aphabetically for easy reference. Hopefully this list will be helpful and if you bookmark it you can come back again to look the zip codes up as soon as you need them. No more hunting for old letters or christmas card envelopes with return addresses on them!

Albany Park zip codes- 60625, 60630
Andersonville zip code - 60640
Belmont Cragin zip codes – 60639, 60634, 60641, 60707
Berwyn & Forest Park, IL zip codes - 60402, 60130, 60398
Beverly zip code - 60643
Bridgeport, IL zip codes – 60608, 60616, 60609
Bronzeville - 60653
Bucktown zip codes - 60622, 60647
Chatham zip codes - 60620, 60619
Chinatown zip code - 60608
Dearborn Park & Printer’s Row - 60605
DePaul zip code - 60614
Downers Grove, IL - 60515, 60516
Edgewater - 60640, 60660
Edison Park & Jefferson Park - 60630, 60631, 60646
Englewood - 60636
Evanston, IL - 60201, 60202, 60203
Gold Coast & Streeterville - 60610, 60611
Greektown - 60607
Highland Park, IL - 60035
Horner Park - 60618
Humboldt Park - 60647, 60651, 60624
Hyde Park & Kenwood - 60615, 60637, 60653
Irving Park - 60641, 60618
Lakeview - 60657, 60613
Lincoln Park - 60614
Lincoln Square - 60625, 60659
Logan Square - 60647, 60641, 60639
Loop - 60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, 60605, 60606
Marquette Park - 60629
Naperville, IL - 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565
Near North Chicago- 60610, 60611, 60654, 60606
Near South Chicago - 60605, 60607
Near West Chicago - 60606, 60607, 60610, 60612, 60622, 60661, 60608, 60616
North Center & St. Ben’s - 60613, 60618, 60657
North Park & Budlong Woods – 60625, 60659, 60646, 60630 Old Town: 60610, 60614
Oak Lawn, IL - 60453, 60454, 60456, 60457, 60458, 60459
Oak Park & River Forest, IL - 60301, 60302, 60303, 60304, 60305
Pilsen & Little Village - 60608, 60616
Portage Park - 60641
Ravenswood – 60625, 60640
River North - 60610, 60611
River West - 60606, 60622, 60610, 60661
Rogers Park – 60626 Roscoe Village: 60618, 60657
Schaumburg, IL - 60173, 60179, 60192, 60193, 60194, 60195, 60196
Skokie, IL - 60076, 60077
South Shore - 60649, 60617, 60619, 60637
St Charles, IL – 60174
Tri-Taylor & UIC University Village – 60607
Ukrainian Village - 60622, 60612, 60607
Uptown & Buena Park - 60640, 60660, 60613
Washington Park - 60615, 60637, 60609, 60621
West Ridge & Warren Park - 60659, 60645
West Town - 60612, 60622, 60647, 60610
Wicker Park - 60622, 60647, 60614
Wilmette, IL - 60091
Winnetka, IL - 60093
Wrigleyville Chicago - 60613, 60657

New and Returning TV Series Fall Start Dates Schedule in Chicago - Mark Your Calendars Now! With just days to go until the official start of the 2008-2009 Television season, here is an updated listing of returning TV series and new season TV premiere dates. Also, the return of Deal or No Deal and debut of America’s Toughest Jobs, on NBC, started early this season on August 25th. So if there is not much happening in Chicago on weeknights this fall, there is a lot of new programming on TV. The thing is though, every year all the channels put out a bunch of new shows and only about 1/2 or less remain at the end of the fall. Some perish after only one week. We will see which new fall shows will stick and which returning series will hold our attention on Television very soon. Here is a rundown of all the networks in Chicago and their Fall Programming Schedules. Look for your favorite shows on the list.

ABC Network Fall TV Shows Channel 7 in Chicago

20/20: Friday, September 19, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Dancing With the Stars: Monday, September 22, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Boston Legal: Monday, September 22 9 pm CST (season premiere, final season)
Opportunity Knocks: Tuesday, September 23, 7 pm CST (series premiere)
Dancing With the Stars: Tuesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (time period premiere, two-hour performance show)
Ugly Betty: Thursday, September. 25, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Grey’s Anatomy: Thursday, September. 25, 8 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Sunday, September. 28, 6 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Desperate Housewives: Sunday, September 28, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Brothers & Sisters: Sunday, September 28, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Pushing Daisies: Wednesday, October 1, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Private Practice: Wednesday, October 1, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Dirty Sexy Money: Wednesday, October 1, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Wife Swap: Friday, October 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Supernanny: Friday, October 3, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Sunday, October 5, 6 pm CST (season premiere)
Samantha Who?: Monday, October 6, 8:30 pm CST (season premiere)
Life on Mars: Thursday, October 9, 9 pm CST (series premiere)
Eli Stone: Tuesday, October 14, 9 pm CST (season premiere)

CBS Network Fall TV Shows Channel 2 in Chicago

The Big Bang Theory: Monday, September 22, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
How I Met Your Mother: Monday, September 22, 7:30 pm CST (season premiere)
Two and a Half Men: Monday, September 22, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Worst Week: Monday, September 22, 8:30 pm CST (series premiere)
CSI: Miami: Monday, September 22, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
NCIS: Tuesday, September 23, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Mentalist: Tuesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Without a Trace: Tuesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Wednesday, September 24, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Gary Unmarried: Wednesday, September 24, 7:30 pm CST (series premiere)
Criminal Minds: Wednesday, September 24, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
CSI: NY: Wednesday, September 24, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Survivor: Gabon: Thursday, September 25, 7 pm, CST (season premiere, two hours)
48 Hours Mystery: Saturday, September 27, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
60 Minutes: Sunday, September 28, 6 pm CST (season premiere)
The Amazing Race: Sunday, September 28, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Cold Case: Sunday, September 28, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
The Unit: Sunday, September 28, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
Ghost Whisperer: Friday, October 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Ex List: Friday, October 3, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Numb3rs: Friday, October 3, 9 pm CST (season premiere)
CSI: Thursday, October 9, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Eleventh Hour: Thursday, October 9, 9 pm CST (series premiere)

NBC Network Fall TV Shows Channel 5 in Chicago

Heroes: Monday, September. 22, 9 pm CST (season premiere, two hours, Heroes clips show at 8 pm CST)
Law & Order: SVU: Tuesday, September. 23, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
Knight Rider: Wednesday, September. 24, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Lipstick Jungle: Wednesday, September. 24, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
My Name is Earl: Thursday, September. 25, 8 pm CST (season premiere, one hour)
The Office: Thursday, September. 25, 9 pm CST (season premiere, one hour)
ER: Thursday, September. 25, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
Chuck: Monday, September. 29, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
My Own Worst Enemy: Monday, September. 29, 10 pm CST (series premiere)
Life: Friday, October 3, 10 pm CST (season premiere)
Kath & Kim: Thursday, October 9, 8:30 pm CST (series premiere)
Crusoe: Friday, October 17, 8 pm CST (series premiere, two hours)
30 Rock: Thursday, October 30, 9:30 pm CST (season premiere)

Fox Network Fall TV Shows Channel 32 in Chicago

Prison Break: Monday, September 1, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Bones: Wednesday, September 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Kitchen Nightmares: Thursday, September 4, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?: Friday, September 5, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Cops: Saturday, September 6, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back: Saturday, September 6, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Monday, September 8, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Fringe: Tuesday, September 9, 7 pm CST (series premiere, two hours)
‘Til Death: Wednesday, September 10, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Do Not Disturb: Wednesday, September 10, 8:30 pm CST (series premiere)
Don’t Forget the Lyrics: Friday, September 12, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
House: Tuesday, September 16, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Simpsons: Sunday, September 28, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
King of the Hill: Sunday, September 28, 7:30 pm CST (season premiere)
Family Guy: Sunday, September 28, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
American Dad: Sunday, September 28, 8:30 pm CST (season premiere)

CW Network Fall TV Shows Channel 9 in Chicago

Gossip Girl: Monday, September 1, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
One Tree Hill: Monday, September 1, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
90210: Tuesday, September 2, 7 pm CST (series premiere, two hours)
America’s Next Top Model: Wednesday, September 3, 7 pm CST (season premiere, two hours)
Privileged: Tuesday, September 9, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Smallville: Thursday, September 18, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
Supernatural: Thursday, September 18, 8 pm CST (season premiere)
Everybody Hates Chris: Friday, September 19, 7 pm CST (season premiere)
The Game: Friday, September 19, 7:30 pm CST (season premiere)
In Harm’s Way: Sunday, September 21, 6 pm CST (series premiere)
Valentine: Sunday, September 21, 7 pm CST (series premiere)
Easy Money: Sunday, September 21, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Stylista: Wednesday, October 29, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Surviving Suburbia: Sunday, November 2, 6:30 pm CST (series premiere)

There is so much happening in Chicago this weekend I am not sure how you will choose which activities and events to attend! The weather should be beautiful with temperatures in the 80’s and no rain.

The Chicago Air and Water Show is front and center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Lakefront. The show turns 50 this year and is still a huge draw to the city for the weekend.

The Cirque Shanghai Gold is still in town and performing at Navy Pier.

The Olympics have the Closing Ceremonies next Sunday night on Channel 5 NBC and a lot of sports coverage all weekend and next week. Check out all the track and field events this weekend on TV or on NBC.com.

You should buy tickets to the Robin Williams stand-up show at The Chicago Theater on September 26 & 27 when they go on sale through Ticketmaster on Saturday morning. (they will sell out) Tickets are from $40.00 – $95.00 and VIP packages are available to meet and greet Robin Williams in person and sit up in the first few rows of the show for $400.00. (Ouch!) No starving comedian who idolizes him will be able to afford that. Ray LaMontagneis also coming through Chicago to play his music this fall on October 1 and tickets are on sale for this folksy acustic gutar player and soulful singer.

If you haven’t seen Dark Knight or Wall-e you should they are still in theaters and have gotten great reviews. Pineapple Express is getting rave reviews too. It is only like th 5th weed themed movie out this year, but people still want to see them. Tells ya something about what people do with their free time around Chicago.

Dance Chicago tickets have also gone on sale and they are available earlier this year. If you have never been to Dance Chicago, it is a month long Dance Festival in November at the Athenaeum Theater on Southport featuring the best performance artists in the Chicago area in many nights of dance performances. Each show is made up of one number from each group and usually contains 7-12 dance groups or performers. The results are diverse and stunning. Order tickets online from Ticketmaster to avoid the rush later.

You can also get tickets to Macy’s Glamorama Party featuring Cindy Lauper and benefiting the Art Institute of Chicago coming up on August 22ns, Next weekend. It has a 80’s pop candy arcade theme and tickets start at $50.00. It sounds like part fashion show, part concert, part 80’s theme party all rolled up into one.  One thing is for sure, you will be able to find out what is hip to buy and wear in clothing this fall.

You could also register to Vote, since the Presidential Election is closer than you think. I know Chicago is hot for Barack Obama but there are some very adamant McCain supporters who live here too. We do know though that it is better to duke it out in the polls legally than in person of course. So, register to vote if you haven’t already.

And if you just want a quiet afternoon with the kids, there is always Lincoln Park Zoo, which is the only Free admission Zoo in Chicago. (although it is a lot smaller than Brookfield Zoo) If your kids are older you may want to check Macy’s, Target, Kohl’s and WalMart for sales on back to school clothes, shoes, supplies and college dorm gear. This year may be a lean one with less money to spend, so it is more important to make sure eveything is on sale and the best deal possible. Many people I know utilize the Kohl’s charge card which gives you 15-30% off coupons in the mail combined with sales in the store. They end up getting everything at 50% off or more. But go early the stores get unbearably crowded in the afternoons.

If none of this is on your weekend to-do list just relax, have a lemonade and enjoy a hamburger from the grill since 6 months from now it will be frigid cold and snowing.

So, have a great weekend and remember “it’s your weekend, have fun with it“!

Every year the Chicago Air and Water Show airplanes buzz our buildings on the Thursday and Friday before the show downtown. They practice the airshow routines over the buildings and the Chicago lakefront. You can see some of the show from here but because we are on Michigan Avenue a lot of the other buildings block some of the view. The clearest view is still near the beaches north of downtown. (Gold Coast, Old Town, Lakeview, Lincoln Park areas) if you plan on coming into the city from the suburbs to view the Chicago Air and Water show in person, beware of expensive parking garages and lots of traffic. Most people avoid driving (plus Gas is wicked expensive these days) and just take the Metra into Union Station and take a cab or bus to the North Ave or North Street beach. 2.2 Million people is a lot to deal with in a small area. Public transportation is the way to go.

From the official City of Chicago page we learn that:
There will be an additional day of shows on Friday, August 15. This is new, they have never done a show during the work week before.

The Friday Schedule :
• the show starts with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels at 3:00 p.m. and then the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team will parachute into the city.
• There is a Free concert at the North Ave. Boat House @ 5:00 pm and after the concert, the air show starts again with more flying and aerobatic demonstrations until dusk. (Lima Lima)
• Fireworks will be shown from 8:45-9:00 pm

The Schedule is a little different for Saturday, August 16 & Sunday, August 17:
• The Water portion of the show begins at 9 am (but does anyone really watch this part?)
• The Air Show runs from 11 am – 4 pm with the same performer list as on Friday.

Chicago Air and Water Show Performers 2008:

• U.S. Navy Blue Angels F-18s
• U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights
• F-22 Raptor
• U.S. Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team
• AeroShell Aerobatic Team
• The Firebirds F-16
• Lima Lima Flight Team
• Sean Tucker & Team Oracle Challenger
• Bill Leff Airshows T-6
• Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band and Special Guest play at the North Avenue Boat @ 5:00 pm on Friday.
• Shell Extreme Watershow
• Herb Hunter – The Voice of the Chicago Air and Water Show
• The Collaborators with the Oracle BiPlane

Some great pictures from Flickr:

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The Drake Hotel is one of Chicago’s most elegant and historic hotels. The Drake Hotel is located downtown right on Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast neighborhood so it overlooks Lake Michigan and is located close to everything happening at the beach. Hilton Hotels owns the hotel now, but it has been in operation since 1920 and is a formal hotel built in a time when only the wealthiest people could travel for leisure and they wanted all the lavish accoutremonts of home. Now the hotel is known as a luxurious place to stay for business, vacation travel, downtown shopping and weddings. It can be a bit more expensive (hence the luxury) than other Hotels in Chicago, but you can still get good prices on rooms at off peak times of year.

If you live in Chicago it is also a great place to have a fine dinner experience or to stop in to hear live jazz and piano music in the cocktail lounge. The entire hotel renovation was complete in 2003 and the Drake Hotel has been restored to it’s full glamour and elegance and has been featured in several Hollywood movies.  

Drake Hotel Reservations can be made by phone or online at the Drake Hotel Chicago’s website. If you would like to call for reservations you can use the toll-free number 1-800-55-DRAKE or the local direct number 312-787-2200 if you are in Chicago. The room rates aren’t cheap, but remember the location is in the center of downtown and most rooms have spectacular views of the lake or the city or both. The room rates vary depending on the season, view, room size and number of beds (or a suite). In the summer travel season rooms range between $265.00 and $1,200.00 per night. In January and February when it is colder and less of a liesure travel season, the room rates vary from $145.00 to $1,000.00 per night. The official address of the Drake Hotel in Chicago is 140 East Walton Place. Because they are a Hilton owned hotel, you can earn and use Hilton Honor Points there for your stay.

There are several restaurants in the Drake Hotel Chicago. The Coq d’Or is open for lunch and dinner (11 am to 1 am) and they have an upscale restaurant and bar atmosphere. There is live jazz music performances played on weekend evenings. The Drake Brothers is a new steakhouse in the Drake Hotel with the best local food Chicago has to offer. Yet the attire can be casual for both of these restaurants.

The Cape Cod room is a seafood restaurant that has been a part of the Drake for 75 years. Seafood is flown in fresh daily to maximize the flavor of the dishes. Zagat has honored this restaurant many times since it’s opening in 1933. The Cape Cod is only open for dinner between 5:30 and 1o pm daily. It is difficult to get good seafood in Chicago, so this is a place not to miss if you visit.

The Palm Court is a kind of tea room and lounge all in one depending on what time of day you visit the hotel. I have been to the Palm Court room in the evening to see live music playing and enjoy some cocktails with friends after work. They have also served high tea in the afternoon to many dignitaries there over the years. The striking limestone water fountain in the center of the room gives the Palm Court an elegant garden feel. Afternoon tea is served from 1pm to 5pm daily. Jazz music and Cocktails are served between 5pm and 1am. Even if you live in Chicago, a trip to the Palm Court room is a fun night out.

It is also worth mentioning that the Drake Hotel is a great location for business meetings and conferences in Chicago. The room accommodations and the meeting accommodations are stellar. If you need meeting or conference room space in an elegant and impressive setting, the Drake would be a hotel to consider. The Drake is also popular for Chicago Weddings although they are usually booked a year in advance and are not cheap.

The room amenities include (from their web site):

• Fresh fruit at the Front Desk daily
• Elegant bathrooms with 100% cotton bathrobes
• Individual climate control in rooms
• Dual-line telephone system with speakerphones and caller ID
• Broadband Internet access in all guest rooms and meeting spaces
• Wireless hot spots in various public areas (Drake Bros.’, Palm Court, and the Gold Coast Foyer)
• Voicemail messaging
• Shoeshine Station
• A Secure safe in every room
• Non-allergenic pillows (optional by request)
• Remote control television with cable and video on demand access
• In-room iron and ironing boards for your convienience
• A Daily complimentary newspaper of choice
• Non-smoking floors and handicapped accessible rooms
• Chocolates with turndown service daily
• A Clock radio with alarm
• A Minibar
• A Hairdryer
• MSN TV (formerly WebTV)
• Valet parking
• Turndown service on request

The Drake Hotel also offers these following guest services:

• Gold Key Concierge
• Fully staffed Business Center
• Contemporary Fitness Center
• Luggage storage
• Multilingual staff
• 24-hour safety-deposit boxes
• Valet and laundry services: seven days a week
• Executive rooms with a private lounge
• Express check-out

There are so many places to see Fireworks on the 4th of July in and around Chicagoland this fourth. If you are looking for your local town or city’s listing or looking for options to see fireworks near you this list we have rounded up may help. View the list below and all the city websites are listed too so you can copy past them into your browser address bar and see what details and schedule information they have also. Have a great fourth of July and enjoy the fireworks!!

All the cities listed below in alphabetical order, scroll to see your city listing in detail: Addison, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Batavia, Beecher, Bensenville, Berwyn, Blue Island, Buffalo Grove, Calumet City, Carol Stream, Chicago, Country Club Hills, Darien, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Forest Park, Fox Lake, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glenview, Gurnee, Hoffman Estates, Huntley, Itasca, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lockport, Lombard, Lyons, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Naperville, New Lenox, North Aurora, Northbrook, Oak Brook, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Oswego, Palatine, Palos Heights, Park Forest, Park Ridge, Roselle, Skokie, South Holland, Streamwood, Vernon Hills, Warrenville, Wauconda, Waukegan, Wheeling, Wilmette, Winnetka, Woodridge and Zion.

Addison fireworks at Community Park
Location: 120 E. Oak street in Addison, IL
Call 630-833-0100 for the full schedule or view the website at addisonparkdistrict.org
Show Time:  July 4th @ dusk set to music

Arlington Heights fireworks at the Arlington Park Racecourse
Location: 2200 W. Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights, IL 60006
Call 847-385-7500 for the full details or check out the website at arlingtonpark.com
Show Time: July 3rd at 7:30 after the racing ends.

Aurora fireworks at Aurora Central Catholic High School
Location: Indian Trail and Edgelawn in Aurora, IL
Call: 630-844-3640 for the full schedule or visit aurora-il.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Barrington fireworks at Barrington High SchoolLocation: 616 West Main Street in Barrington, IL
Call 847-304-3400 for the full event details or view barrington4thofjuly.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk on the front lawn of the HS

Bartlett fireworks in Apple Orchard Community Park
Location: South Bartlett and Stearns Roads in Bartlett, IL
Call 630-837-0800 for the full event details or go to the website village.bartlett.il.us
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (community party beforehand)

Batavia fireworks at the Batavia High School
Location: 1200 W. Wilson in Batavia, IL
Call 630-879-7134 for the full event details or go to cityofbatavia.net online
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Beecher fireworks at Firemen’s Park
Location: 711 Penfield in Beecher, IL
Call 708-946-2261 for more info or visit villageofbeecher.org online
Location: July 4th at 9:30 pm Parade beforehand at 4pm

Bensenville fireworks at the Redmond Recreational Complex
Location: 735 E. Jefferson in Bensenville, IL
Call 630-766-8200 for more information or go to bensenville.il.us for details.
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following a free concert at 7:30 pm

Berwyn fireworks at the Morton West High School
Location: 2400 Home Avenue in Berwyn, IL
Call 708-788-2660 for more event information or go to berwyn-il.gov for details
Show Time: July 4th at 7 pm from the football stadium

Blue Island fireworks at Eisenhower High School
Location: 127th Street and Sacramento in Blue Island, IL
Call 708-388-1000 for more detailed information about this event
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following the parade at 11:30 am at 123rd st and Western.

Buffalo Grove fireworks at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course
Location: Lake Cook Road and Raupp Boulevard in Buffalo Grove, IL
Call 847-459-2500 for the full event listing or visit vbg.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following a symphonic band concert

Calumet City fireworks at Thornton Fractional North
Location: Pulaski in Calumet City, IL
Call 708-868-2530 for details
Show Time: July 3rd at 9:15 pm following a 6pm free community concert

Carol Stream fireworks in the Town Center
Location: Gary St and Lies St in Carol Stream, IL
Call 630-665-7050 for more details or visit carolstream.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (about 9:30 pm)

Chicago Grant Park fireworks
Location: Grant Park 337 E. Randolph Street in Chicago, IL 60602
Call the city at 312-744-3370 for full details or visit egov.cityofchicago.org
Show Time: Thursday, July 3rd at dusk (9:30 pm) following a 8pm free concert from the Grant Park Orchestra

Chicago Nay Pier fireworks at Navy Pier
Location: 600 E. Grand Avenue in Chicago, IL 60611
Call 312-595-7437 for more information or go to navypier.com
Show Times: Wednesday, July 2nd at 9:30 p.m.; Friday, July 4th at 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 5th at 10:15 p.m. (set to music)

Chicago White Sox fireworks at the U.S. Cellular Field
Address Location: 333 W. 35th Street in Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-559-1212 or view chicago.whitesox.mlb.com
Show Time: July 4th after the Sox game presented by Pontiac

Country Club Hills fireworks in the Community Park
Location: 175th and Maple in Country Club Hills, IL
Call 708-798-2616 for event schedule or view countryclubhills.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following a concert (concert is not free)

Des Plaines fireworks at the Oakton Community CollegeLocation Address: 1600 E. Golf Rd in Des Plaines, IL
Call 847-391-5301 for full event schedule and listings or visit desplaines.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm (campus grounds open beforehand for picnics and free concert from 5-7 pm)

Downers Grove-Woodridge-Darien Fireworks at Four Corners
Location Address: 4 shopping center corners parking lots of 75th Street and Lemont Rd (also known as Main St DG) or near the ZigField Troy Golf Course
Show Time: July 4th at Dusk (9:30 pm)

Elgin fireworks at the Elgin Sports ComplexAddress Location: 601 S. McLean St in Elgin, IL
Call 847-931-6120 for full event schedule or go to enjoyelgin.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (free concert beforehand at 7pm)

Evanston fireworks at the Clark Street Beach
Location: Clark Street and the lakefront in Evanston, IL
Call 847-328-2100 for schedule details or visit evanston4th.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:15 pm (free concert from 7:30-9pm and parade at 2pm beforehand)

Evergreen Park fireworks in Duffy Memorial Park
Location Address: 92nd and Millard in Evergreen Park, IL
Call 708-422-1551 for full event schedule or view the website at evergreenpark-ill.com
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk following the parade at 6:30pm at 95th and Pulaski

Forest Park fireworks in the Town Park
Location Address: South of I290 just east of the Desplaines Avenue Exit in Forest Park, IL
Call 708-366-7500 for the full event schedule or view forestpark.net
Show Time: July 4th at 9:15 pm following the 4pm parade and a free 6pm concert

Fox Lake fireworks at Mineola Bay
Location Over the Fox Lake in Fox Lake, IL
Call 847-587-2151 for more specific directions
Show Time: July 7th at dusk (9:00ish)

Glen Ellyn fireworks in Lake Ellyn Park
Address Location: 645 Lenox in Glen Ellyn, IL
Call 630-469-5000 for full schedule of events or go to the website at glen-ellyn.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk following food and music in the park at 1:30 pm. $2.00 admission for all the events

Glencoe fireworks at the Lakefront Park
Location: Park Avenue and the beach in Glencoe, IL
Call 847-835-3030 for more schedule details or visit goglencoe.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm following a parade at 2 pm and a BBQ on the beach at 6:30 pm

Glenview fireworks at the Glenview Park District Golf Course
Address Location: 800 Shermer Road in Glenview, IL
Call 847-724-1700 for the full schedule or visit glenviewparkdist.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm set to music following 7:30 free community concert

Gurnee fireworks at the Warren Township High School’s O’Plaine Campus
Address Location: 500 N. O’Plain Road in Gurnee, IL
Vistit gurnee.il.us for the full event schedule
Show Time: July 4th at 9:25 pm

Hoffman Estates fireworks on the Village Hall Grounds
Address Location: 1900 Hassell Road in Hoffman Estates, IL
Call 847-781-2660 for the full event schedule or visit hoffmanestates.com
Show Time: July 4th and July 7th @ 9:30 pm

Huntley fireworks at the Prime Outlet Mall
Address Location: 11800 Factory Shops Blvd in Huntley, IL
Call 847-669-9600 for schedule and details
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm )

Itasca fireworks at the Hamilton Lakes Office Park
Address Location: Illinois 53 and Thorndale Road in Itasca, IL
Call 630-773-0835 for full schedule or view the website at itasca.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following 4pm food vendors and picnicing grounds open and 7pm concert

Lake Forest fireworks in the Deerpath Community Park
Location Address: Hastings and Deerpath in Lake Forest, IL
Call 847-234-6702 for full event schedule or visit cityoflakeforest.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Libertyville fireworks at the Butler Lake Park
Location: Lake Street, west of Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville, IL
Call 847-362-5664 for the full event schedule
Show Time: July 4 at dusk (9:30 pm) free music concert beforehand

Lincolnshire fireworks at Spring Lake Park
Location Address: Oxford Drive, just east of Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolnshire, IL
Call 847-883-8600 for full event schedule or visit village.lincolnshire.il.us
Show Time: July 4th at dusk

Lisle fireworks in Lisle Community Park with the Lisle Eyes to the Sky Festival
Address Location: Short Street and Illinois 53 in Lisle, IL
Call 630-769-1000 for full event schedule or visit eyestotheskiesfestival.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:45 pm

Lockport fireworks in Dellwood Park
Address Location: Route 171 & Woods Drive in Lockport, IL
Call 815-838-0549 for full schedule of events or visit lockport.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk

Lombard fireworks in Madison Meadow Park
Location Address: Madison and Ahrens in Lombard, IL
Call 630-620-5700 for full schedule of events or view tasteoflombard.com website
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm in association with the taste of Lombard festival with food and live music performances

Lyons fireworks
Address and Location: Lawndale & Ogden Avenue in Lyons, IL
Call 708-447-8886 for full details or view lyonspolice.org website
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm follwing a parade at 1pm and music at 8pm.

Morton Grove fireworks in Harrer Park
Address: 6250 Dempster in Morton Grove, IL
Call 847-965-7447 for full event schedule or go to mortongroveparks.com
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm following the parade at 2:30 pm

Mount Prospect fireworks in Melas Park
Location Address: Central Road and Busse Road in Mount Prospect, IL
Call 847-392-6000 for full event schedule or go to the website mountprospect.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm (additional fireworks on July 2nd and July 3rd at 9:30 pm also)

Mundelein fireworks on the Mundelein Festival Grounds
Location Address: Seymour and Courtland in Mundelein, IL
Call 847-949-3200 for full holiday event schedule or visit mundelein.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Naperville fireworks at the Naperville Ribfest in Knoch Park
Address Location: West Street and Martin Avenue in Naperville, IL
Call 630-848-5000 for full Ribfest Event Details and Schedule or go to ribfest.net (if the site is not down again)
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

New Lenox fireworks at The CommonsLocation Address: Veterans Parkway between Haven Avenue and U.S. 30 in New Lenox, IL
Call 815-485-6452 for full event schedule or go to newlenox.net for details
Show Time: July 4 at dusk (9:30 pm)

North Aurora fireworks at the Village owned property adjacent to the North Aurora Towne Center
Address Location: I-88 & Orchard in North Aurora, IL
Call 630-897-8228 or go to vil.north-aurora.il.us for full event schedule and details
Show Time: July 4th @ 9 pm

Northbrook fireworks in Techny Park
Address Location: 1750 Techny Road in Northbrook, IL
Call 847-291-2980 for full event schedule or details or view northbrookjuly4th.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following a float filled parade at 2:30 pm

Oak Brook fireworks in the Oak Brook Polo Fields
Address Location: 31st and York Road in Oak Brook, IL
Call 630-990-3000 for full event schedule details or view the website at oak-brook.org
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk following the Taste of OakBrook festival

Oak Forest fireworks at 159th and Central at OakFest
Address Location: 159th and Central in Oak Forest, IL
Call 708-687-4050 for full event schedule or view website at oakfest.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm)

Oak Lawn fireworks at the Richards High School football fields
Address Location: 106th and Central in Oak Lawn, IL
Call 708-857-2200 for full event schedule and details olparks.com
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:30 pm) following the Centenial Park festival and a free corchestra concert at 7:30 pm

Orland Park fireworks at Centennial Park
Address and Location: 156th and West Avenue in Orland Park, IL
Call 708-403-6100 for full event schedule and details or view the website at orland-park.il.us
Show Time: July 4th set to music at 9:15 pm following a free concert at 6pm

Oswego fireworks at PrarieFest Park
Address Location: 313 E. Washington Street in Oswego, IL
Call 630-554-3259 for the full event schedule or view the website at oswegoil.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9:30 pm

Palatine fireworks at Community Park
Location Address: Northwest Highway and Palatine Road in Palatine, IL
Phone 847-604-0288 for more schedule details or view the website at palatine.il.us
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk (9pm) after a carnival at 4pm

Palos Heights fireworks at Lake Katherine
Illinois 83 and 76th Avenue in Palos Heights, IL
Phone: 708-361-1807 for schedule details
Show Time: July 3rd at 9:15 pm

Forest fireworks at Central Park
Address Location: Lakewood Boulevard, next to Freedom Hall in Park Forest, IL
Phone: 708-748-2005 or view the website at villageofparkforest.net for more schedule details
Show Time July 4th at 9:15 pm following a free orchestra concert at 7pm

Park Ridge fireworks at Maine East High School
Location Address: Dempster and Potter in Park Ridge, IL
Phone: 847-692-5127 or view the website at parkridge.us for schedule details
Show Time: July 3rd at dusk (9:15 pm)

Roselle fireworks at Lake Park High School
500 West Bryn Mawr in Roselle, IL
Phone: 630-980-2000 for more info or view the town website roselle.il.us for the schedule listings
Show Time: July 4th at 9:40 pm following free music entertainment at 5:30 pm

Skokie 3-D fireworks at Niles West High School
Oakton Street and I-94 in Skokie, IL
(847) 674-1500 or view the schedule online at skokieparkdistrict.org
Show Time: July 4th at dusk (9:15 pm)

South Holland fireworks at Thornwood High School
170th and South Park in South Holland, IL
(708) 210-2900 or view the schedule at southholland.org
Show Time: July 4th at 9 pm

Streamwood fireworks at Dolphin Park
Location: Park Boulevard north of Irving Park Road in Streamwood, IL
Call 630-837-0200 for a full listing of events or chekc the town website at streamwood.org
Show Time: July 4 at dusk around 9 pm

Vernon Hills fireworks in Century Park
Location: 1001 Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills, IL
Call 847-367-3700 for the full schedule of events or check out the website at vernonhills.org
Show Time: July 4 @ 9:30pm
Music starts at Century Park at 6:30 pm followed by fireworks at 9:30 pm.

Warrenville fireworks at Cerny Park
Location: Forestview Avenue & River Road in downtown Warrenville IL
Call 630-393-9427 for the schedule of events
Show time: July 3rd 5-10pm
The celebration runs from 5 to 10pm with a parade, food and fun. It ends with fireworks at 9:30pm.

Wauconda Fireworks at Cook Park
Location: Main Street & Garland Drive in Wauconda, IL
Call 847-526-9600 for full information and schedule or check out the Wauconda Park District Web Site at waucondaparks.com
Show Time: July 3 @ dusk (usually 9:30 pm)

Waukegan Fireworks at Waukegan Harbor
Location: the lakefront near Grand & Sheridan in Waukegan, IL
Call 847-599-2949 for the full details or check out the Waukegan Website at waukeganport.com
Hours: July 4 @ 9pm

Wheeling Town Fireworks
Location: Park District behind the Saint Joseph Worker Catholic Church
Address: 181 West Dundee Rd in Wheeling, IL
Call: 847-459-2600 for more details and info or visit the Wheeling Town Website at vi.wheeling.il.us
Show Time: July 4 @ 9:15pm

Wilmette fireworks at Gillson Park in Wilmette, IL
Call 847-256-6100 for more details or visit the Wilmette Park District website at wilmettepark.org
Show Time: July 3rd over the lake @ 9:30 pm

Winnetka fireworks at Duke Child’s Field
Location: Willow and Hibbard Streets in Winnetka, IL
Call 847-501-2040 for details or check the Winetka Park District website @ winpark.org
Show Time: July 4th @ 9:15pm
The Fireworks are also accompanyied by recorded music which is nice.

Zion fireworks at Shiloh Park
Location: 25th and Emmaus Avenue in Zion, IL
Call 847-746-5500 for more information or check the Zion website at zionparkdistrict.com
Show Time: July 4th @ 9:30pm

I am all about dining out on weekends. I love eating dinner alfresco and eating dinner at a restaurant that offers outdoor patio dining as the sun sets over Chicago and the suburbs. We live in such a frigid climate most of the year that when summer arrives we are even ok seeing just cars and exhaust as we eat as long as we get a few rare sunbeams to warm our shoulders or have some tiny white lights twinkling over our heads along with the moon and stars.

Many local Chicago restaurants offer garden seating or patio tables  outside but three restaurants announced new patios in their restaurants open this weekend. The weather should be upper 70s to low 80s too, so it is perfect for eating outside, and there aren’t many bugs out yet either.

Many of you know Mia Francesca in Lakeview and Francesca’s in Downtown Naperville (both are favorites of mine) but now there is another Francesca in the family and she offers outside patio dining too. Francesca’s Passaggio is located at 3124 South Route 59 in Naperville, IL. Call (630) 946-0600 for reservations. The Francesca’s family of restaurants offer fine Italian dining in a relaxed but upscale atmosphere.  The new patio looks lively with TV screens and a fire pit for those chilly nights in September.

Pergolas are great over patios. They are like a trellis with big support beams creating an outdoor room space. Perennial opens its’ patio for the summer in Lakeview Friday in the Park View Hotel at 1800 North Lincoln Avenue. Call 312.981.7070 for reservations. Perennial restaurant features elegant American bistro food including peekytoe crab salad and crispy confit chicken leg with blue cheese foam. A little different from the regular bistro fare.

WAVE Restaurant and Bar is located in the W Hotel at 644 N. Lake Shore Drive (312-255-4460) and continuing their theme of mixing fun with class they have opened a make your own sundae bar on the Patio. The difference between the Sundaes you made as a kid and these at WAVE? The Bailey’s drizzled on top of course. Could anything be richer on a warm summer evening?

The Old Town Art Fair is just one of many festivals going on this weekend in Chicago. On June 14th and 15th (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 am to 6 pm you can pay $5 bucks to wander through the stations and view all the artwork and hear the local jazz and musicians play. The entrance is on to the Old Town Art Fair is at 1763 N Park Avenue but most people seem to get there by Second City at North Avenue and Wells Street because the Piper’s Alley theater has a paid parking garage. (it fills up fast and costs $25 to park for the afternoon) From there you can walk north or south to view the posh artwork.  

The Old Town Art Fair features local artist’s work from Chicago and the surrounding areas. You can find everything from fine art like paintings and watercolors to photography, sculpture and other creative arts. It is not though a craft fair. You won’t find flower arrangements or sewing projects. It is all about art in the traditional sense. They even feature some interesting emerging artists you might also see at the Around the Coyote Festival in Bucktown each year. So if you are looking for art to furnish your condo or home in Chicago or if you are just looking for an entertaining way to spend the afternoon in the Old Town neighborhood, check out the Old Town Art Fair. Expect large crowds (like in the picture) and this weekend expect it to be hot and sunny so remember the water and the sunscreen while enjoying the art fair.

It is being reported by major news agencies this morning that a 5.2 magnitude earthquake originated from near Salem, IL last night at 4:37 am. Many people here in my office said they woke up last night about that time and felt the small ripples of earthquake shake here in the Chicago area. This is odd for the Midwest. We don’t live near a large active fault like San Andrea’s in California so you don’t think of earthquakes happening here. (just bad winters)

Just this morning at around 10:15 am we felt the floor in the building we work in shaking in an upward bounce type motion. (we work on the 31st floor on Michigan Ave) Everyone stood up from their cubicles and said “what was that?” And one coworker was even compelled to put his fire saftey evacuate team hat on for whatever protective properties that has. We assumed it was another earthquake, and the map with the log of all the US earthquakes proves that it was. I took a screenshot of the map and put it up on flickr to archive it. It says that the red square there on the Southern part of Illinois was an earthquake of 3 magnitude within the last hour today. So, how many more will we get?

I emailed my boyfriend in Naperville and he did not feel it there, but then again he is working in a building that is only 1 story high and you don’t feel as much that way. He remembered that when he lived in California in the 1990’s the people on high floors always felt the earthquakes more than people on the ground. So, this makes sense.

The last Illinois earthquake we had was in 2002 and it was the first one I had ever felt even though I have lived here my entire life. I was woken up in the middle of the night then by being bounced upward off the bed. It was odd and puzzling but not really scary. I live on the 3rd floor of a 3 floor walk up building. So, maybe that is why I slept through this one? It’s just old hat now for us Midwest earthquake veterans.