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Chicago-GAF OT of Not the Second City, the BEST damn city.

J

Jugendstil

Member
Ignatz Mouse said:
It's still called that. They have a little display of 50s memorabilia outside.

Fun fact I learned when I worked for McDonald's HQ 20 years ago. That used to be a franchise and not a company-owned store, until the operator got busted for running drugs out of the basement. That allowed Corp to take it over (which I am sure they were happy to do, as it was very profitable).

Take all with the grains of salt required for 20-year-old memories of company rumors.
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I'm totally not surprised it was a drug front, it was really weird. Also they can call it Rock 'n Roll McDonalds all they want, but I'll never acknowledge it until they bring back the over abundance of neon and creepy Beatles statues.

McDonalds-2.jpg
 
I

IAmtheFMan

Member
Jhoan said:
Say what?! That's pretty damn cool man! Which wing did you get married in? I enjoyed the hell out of it so no regrets. It's basically MoMA fused together with The Met. Unfortunately it moving to NYC means it's going to be flooded with shit tons of more tourists and selfie sticks if it ends up where I think it's going to go (MoMA). :(
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We did the historic side. We had a pre-cocktail hour optional viewing for our guests of the American Wing (the American Gothic, Nighthawks area) with a cocktail reception down in the McClintock Courtyard and then reception was in one of their reception halls overlooking Grant Park.

It was actually more reasonable price-wise than some of the other traditional wedding venues we looked at in the city.
 
J

Jhoan

Member
IAmtheFMan said:
We did the historic side. We had a pre-cocktail hour optional viewing for our guests of the American Wing (the American Gothic, Nighthawks area) with a cocktail reception down in the McClintock Courtyard and then reception was in one of their reception halls overlooking Grant Park.

It was actually more reasonable price-wise than some of the other traditional wedding venues we looked at in the city.
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Was McClintock Courtyard the area between the entrance and marble statues? I snapped a quick picture of it. It reminded me very heavily of The Cloisters' courtyard. That's pretty damn cool!

Being back in NYC proper now, it felt natural in a way that I can't describe. Granted, I stayed mostly in The Loop/River North areas so I didn't see the "real" Chicago in the South Side but it was still a fun experience. I noticed a good bit of the homeless population near the financial district. I also noticed that River North is basically Williamsburg and that much like other cities, minorities work at the retail. There were little things like that I couldn't help but observe and wonder about the bigger picture and the areas I didn't see but had local friends describe.

That being said, I enjoyed my time in the city, loved all the art, and amazing architecture. In retrospect, I wish I spoke to some people in my hostel sooner rather than later because it would have been nice to have a few people to go out to explore with. However, the people that I spoke to were all interesting and came from all walks of life/places so I like staying in hostels. I will definitely continue to do so in the future whether it means a trip to another state or abroad. I'm one of those people that once I head out of my hostel/hotel, I'm usually the last one to turn in really late at night.

In a way, I'm jealous that you guys have Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin nearby as well as the start of Route 66. I'll post a select bunch of pictures in the next post as I took way too many! I can only wonder what Lake Michigan looks like during the winter frozen over.
 
K

Kisaya

Member
Jhoan said:
Went into the modern art section super fast since I spent too much time in the old section. Got to see and interact with some of Oiticica's stuff. It was FUCKING AWESOME! I'm sad I didn't spend much time in the modern wing but if it's one thing I would recommend seeing since it's in town for one more week, it's the Oiticica exhibition. Staff told me it's going to NY next so I'm going to experience it to the fullest then.
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Next time check out the MCA if you're really into Modern/Contemporary art. Lots of great stuff by primarily living artists. They're having a Takashi Murakami retrospective this June.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Kisaya said:
Next time check out the MCA if you're really into Modern/Contemporary art. Lots of great stuff by primarily living artists. They're having a Takashi Murakami retrospective this June.
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The MCA is awesome. My fiancée and I went there when they had David Bowie Is installed. It was AMAZING.
 
I

IAmtheFMan

Member
Jhoan said:
Was McClintock Courtyard the area between the entrance and marble statues? I snapped a quick picture of it. It reminded me very heavily of The Cloisters' courtyard. That's pretty damn cool!
Click to expand...

McClintock Courtyard's in the interior; by the cafe and also member's lounge. You may have seen it from above on your way to the Modern Wing though it's easy to miss though as the galleries are above, and you have to look down from the open windows.

orig.jpg
 
R

RBH

Member
I need some help.

I currently live in Orland Park, and I'm thinking about moving to an apartment in South Loop. I would be moving in with a roommate, but not sure if we want to have 2 BR or not. Anyone have any recommendations on places to look at in the South Loop area?
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
Soka said:
Can't recommend anything in the South Loop as I have no idea around there, but be sure to use Domu.com in addition to Trulia or whatever other rental look-up places you use. Domu was great for me when looking in areas north of the river.

A side question: What the hell is the average speed on LSD at night? I've been driving out there between 10PM-midnight on weeknights a bit recently and even if I'm going 55 MPH I still am getting passed pretty frequently. I think the actual speed limit is 40, but obviously no one follows that.
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Based on my own experiences, the unofficial low-traffic speed limit is 60. I once got a ticket for doing 64, but I've never had any issues if I kept under that. Seems the bulk of traffic follows that as well.

Lots of people do 70, which seems a bit crazy actually.
 
T

ToD_

Member
Laevateinn said:
I wouldn't recommend using speed on LSD. That seems like a bad mix.
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I remember years back, when I was still rather new to the city, I was supposed to meet up with a friend downtown. He was running late and sent me a text saying: "I'm on LSD right now. I'll be right there." I legitimately thought he was on drugs. I wasn't feeling ready to hang out that evening with a guy on acid.
 
K

Krauser Kat

Member
Unless you are by the s curve, LSD is go as fast as traffic allows for you to go. max is usually 80. Cool Summer nights driving there are the best.
 
I

IAmtheFMan

Member
RBH said:
I need some help.

I currently live in Orland Park, and I'm thinking about moving to an apartment in South Loop. I would be moving in with a roommate, but not sure if we want to have 2 BR or not. Anyone have any recommendations on places to look at in the South Loop area?
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I'm in South Loop. There's a ton of new development in Printers Row and also around the Roosevelt area by Michigan and State and so forth.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
I love everything about this city so far except that I have no idea how to meet people or friends. Six months in now and I basically only interact with the two other coworkers who are also based here
 
K

Kisaya

Member
The Technomancer said:
South edge of Ravenswood right on the brown line
Video games (obv), reading a lot of books, cooking, starting to work out
26
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Do you like art or music? I noticed that it's easier to talk to strangers and make connections at exhibition openings or concerts. Best advice I could give is to find events that align with your interests.
 
L

Laevateinn

Member
Concerts and video game stores is where I typically would meet people outside of work (or school when I was in it).

I haven't been super social since moving here outside of my day-to-day stuff though. I've been too focused on work, retro gaming, and saving up some money.

If anyone wants to see Lords of Acid or My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult with us this October, tickets went on sale today.
 
K

Krauser Kat

Member
Go to meetups on facebook or meetups.com. Join a running or workout group. Go to a trivia night they usually throw people on the a random team and you can socialize
 
J

Jugendstil

Member
The Technomancer said:
South edge of Ravenswood right on the brown line
Video games (obv), reading a lot of books, cooking, starting to work out
26
Click to expand...

Meeting people as an adult is hard no matter what, but especially in a new city. My advice is to take classes doing something you enjoy or something you might be interested in. You're in Ravenswood, so you're really close to the Old Town School of Folk Music. They have tons of classes there and I've really liked the ones I've taken and met some cool people that way. If you like reading, Unabridged Bookstore in Lakeview has tons of awesome readings and discussion groups (and is also my personal favorite bookstore in the city). They have a great sale section too! If you're just starting to get into fitness, there are a lot of great gyms in the city. Taking classes there might be a good way to meet people too, especially if you do something like crossfit which is group oriented. I also used to do a lot of yoga and I made a ton of contacts through my yoga studio. Just being a regular at a place will make you familiar to people and even if you're shy, eventually someone will make small talk with you. It's really hard to get comfortable doing this stuff by yourself, but it's a skill worth cultivating.
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
A workout/running group seems like a good idea.

I asked about non-video games because I know of lot of people in the board/card/minis gaming scene (and I am one).
 
K

Kisaya

Member
Ignatz Mouse said:
Check out Dice Dojo at Broadway and Bryn Mawr. Large game store. Wednesday nights are board game nights, but people come to play all sorts of games the time.

You'll find me there most Tuesdays.
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That's right by me and Sai-kun so if you need some company don't hesitate to let us know
 
SOME-MIST

SOME-MIST

Member
Jugendstil said:
Old Town School of Folk Music. They have tons of classes there and I've really liked the ones I've taken and met some cool people that way
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+huge bonus
whenever jonathan kreisberg is in town he goes there to teach some master courses


by the way, did anyone go to the pipedream last weekend? it was the pipeworks pop-up taproom which was a 10 minute walk from me. I went a couple times and it was constantly jammed
 
V

Viewt

Member
Laevateinn said:
Just finished watching Hausu at the Music Box Theatre. Does every event here begin with a long speech about Chicago?
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Haha, can't say that's happened to me in the dozen or so times I've been to the Music Box. Sometimes they do intros, but they're usually under three minutes. I'm actually gonna be back over there on Thursday, - my fiancée and I are seeing a live Savage Lovecast.
 
L

Laevateinn

Member
Viewt said:
Haha, can't say that's happened to me in the dozen or so times I've been to the Music Box. Sometimes they do intros, but they're usually under three minutes. I'm actually gonna be back over there on Thursday, - my fiancée and I are seeing a live Savage Lovecast.
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Oh man, I'd love to see Dan Savage. I'll be seeing Iron Maiden instead though. Maybe next time.
 
D

djcatskratch

Member
V

Viewt

Member
So it's looking like this is going to be our last year in Logan Square. :(

I got the news from our landlord that he's selling the building, so there goes any chance of keeping our $1200/month rent. No way that doesn't become $1500 minimum, considering how close we are to the train, central air, in-unit laundry. It fucking blows - I've been in that apartment for 4+ years, which is the longest I've lived anywhere since leaving my parents' house for college.

It was probably inevitable, though - my fiancée started working at Northwestern a couple months ago and the commute to Evanston every day has been a real killer (on Fridays, with any bad weather, it can take nearly two hours to drive home). So we're going to be looking for apartments off the Red Line, probably in Uptown, Andersonville, Edgewater, and maybe Rogers Park if there's a really good deal. I'm a little wary of going so far north, but considering I work right off the Red Line (Grand stop), it makes sense.

No way in hell we'll find a 2/1 with the same amenities we have now for $1200, though. I'm trying to look at it as an overall upgrade in space (our 2/1 is actually kinda small at 800 sq ft) and putting my expectations in the $1500-1800 range.

Sigh...
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
Viewt said:
So it's looking like this is going to be our last year in Logan Square. :(

I got the news from our landlord that he's selling the building, so there goes any chance of keeping our $1200/month rent. No way that doesn't become $1500 minimum, considering how close we are to the train, central air, in-unit laundry. It fucking blows - I've been in that apartment for 4+ years, which is the longest I've lived anywhere since leaving my parents' house for college.

It was probably inevitable, though - my fiancée started working at Northwestern a couple months ago and the commute to Evanston every day has been a real killer (on Fridays, with any bad weather, it can take nearly two hours to drive home). So we're going to be looking for apartments off the Red Line, probably in Uptown, Andersonville, Edgewater, and maybe Rogers Park if there's a really good deal. I'm a little wary of going so far north, but considering I work right off the Red Line (Grand stop), it makes sense.

No way in hell we'll find a 2/1 with the same amenities we have now for $1200, though. I'm trying to look at it as an overall upgrade in space (our 2/1 is actually kinda small at 800 sq ft) and putting my expectations in the $1500-1800 range.

Sigh...
Click to expand...

If you live close to the Red Line, the commute to Grand will be super fast.

Likewise, you can train up to Northwestern. And a reverse commute, so not that crowded.

Uptown or Rogers Park are probably the cheapest options. Andersoneville is the coolest, though.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Yeah, I've always enjoyed Andersonville when I've gone there to hang out, so I'm sure I'd like living there. I worked in Uptown for a bit when I first moved to Chicago four years ago, and while it's not *as* nice as Andersonville, I still felt like it was an interesting area, and there's a lot of great food to be had.

I honestly don't know much about Edgewater or Rogers Park - I've been to The Mayne Stage a couple times, but that's literally it. I dunno how I'd feel living there.
 
K

Kisaya

Member
Viewt said:
Yeah, I've always enjoyed Andersonville when I've gone there to hang out, so I'm sure I'd like living there. I worked in Uptown for a bit when I first moved to Chicago four years ago, and while it's not *as* nice as Andersonville, I still felt like it was an interesting area, and there's a lot of great food to be had.

I honestly don't know much about Edgewater or Rogers Park - I've been to The Mayne Stage a couple times, but that's literally it. I dunno how I'd feel living there.
Click to expand...

Rogers Park has a handful of nice bars and food spots, I would like to hang out more there tbh. You're definitely removed from the rest of the city though which is kinda lame.

I would suggest to look for a gem in Andersonville.
 
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