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

Would you guys ever be interested in a GAF Day at Galloping Ghost sometime? I live in Lagrange and would be down for something like that. It would be fun to meet everyone and hang out there. I haven't had a chance to do the ones in the city, but just something to consider :)
 

Kisaya

Member
Would you guys ever be interested in a GAF Day at Galloping Ghost sometime? I live in Lagrange and would be down for something like that. It would be fun to meet everyone and hang out there. I haven't had a chance to do the ones in the city, but just something to consider :)

We've honestly had hard times meeting up in Chicago, I don't think meeting up outside of the city would be any better.
 

reKon

Banned
what's the most GAF place to even do a meet up? headquarters? lol

EDIT: wtf, I had no idea about the re-name. I just want back a page and already saw that some of the arcades were mentioned. I guess that answers me question.
 
people. Friends and Family find coming into the city a bane of their existence. I dont understand it. My parents are finally going to make a concentrated effort to make it into the city more. It also helps, i always plan really great dinner when they show up, so my mom is sated.
 

ToD_

Member
Logan Arcade sounds good. They have two things-- a record shop with a small arcade in the back (which is so-so) and a bar that looks much better but that I haven't been to..

I went to the bar location a couple of weeks ago and it left a good impression on me. Granted, I had a few drinks in me at the time (went bowling before), but there are plenty of games and the people there were actually interested in playing the games. For example, there's a Third Strike machine with a good competitive crowd. I also had a blast playing this Aliens shooting game, which looked rather modern. I enjoyed my time there more than some of the other popular arcade bars.
 

SOME-MIST

Member
I only end up at gga one time a year for a 3 day marathon which usually gets my fix for the year.. and I usually lug in about 6 or 7 pcb and help with getting the candy cab setup which is usually exhausting. I do agree that for some reason there's a barrier between city and burbs...

but speaking of logan arcade, we used to have the shmupsmeet at logan hardware (as it was known before) in the back room before they opened it up to the public.
I have some pics from the last time we had it there in 2013 (you might recognize the space before it was converted into what it is now):

http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac297/somemist/20130601_164940_zpsa4f6f391.jpg

http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac297/somemist/20130601_164950_zps784d3365.jpg
 

Viewt

Member
Last year, my girlfriend and I went to Pitchfork. When I go to festivals, I try to wear clothes that I don't mind getting super dirty/ruined by weather. So I dug up some old shorts that I hadn't worn in forever. On the way down the stairs, I extended my legs a little far, and a tiny hole popped in the crotch. My girlfriend asked, "Do you wanna change before we leave?"

"Nah, it's cool. It's not noticeable at all. S'fine."

Once we'd gotten there, we found a good spot in the shade to watch Diggable Planets, and I decided to use the bathroom. On the way over to the porta-potty area, some dudes were playing frisbee and it went flying my way. I crouched down to catch it, and when I did...

(You can probably guess where this is going)

MASSIVE hole in my shorts. Like from the crotch running all the way down the right leg, there's a huge rip. If you looked at me, you would have just seen my boxer briefs with rags draping down from my waste. I may or may not have also been VERY stoned at this point. Basically, bad times. Since I was right by the bathroom, I decided to hit that up first. When I got back to my girlfriend, she instantly had this look of laughter and horror. Needless to say, I was pretty fucking embarrassed. But that's not actually the end of it. We spotted a Buffalo Exchange and I was like, score! I'll find some shorts and just wear those the rest of the day. But there was only ONE pair of men's shorts. Specifically, these shorts:

hTMJ3Bm.jpg

Now, if you knew me in real life (or hell, probably here too), you'd know that I'm way too much of a fuckin square to pull these off. Being the easily-embarrassed fool I am, I was visibly uncomfortable after putting these on. But my girlfriend wisely pointed out that I wouldn't even make the Top 50 for weirdest-dressed people at Pitchfork, which put me at ease. The shorts (nicknamed Moon Pants around the apartment) have since become reliable laundry-day-wear.

So yeah, Pitchfork Tip: If you think your shorts might rip, wear different shorts. Unless you can pull off moon pants.
 

Viewt

Member
Decent amount of snow this morning. I wonder how much it'll end up being once it finishes. It's supposed to keep going into tomorrow, I think.
 

Jhoan

Member
Wanted to give you all an update and mention that I booked my flight and reserved my hostel bed at Hi Chicago the other day from the 20th-25th. I'll be in the city by 2pm on the 20th, checked into the hostel by 3:30 or so, then will go pick up my work badge/shirts and would be free/plan to do some sightseeing/consuming of local beer afterwards. I'll be getting my schedule/assigned area in the next week or two.

My return flight is at 8:10pm on the 25 so I will get up bright and early to do/see as much as stuff as possible on both Monday and Tuesday. I definitely want to squeeze in Galloping Ghost for an hour or two into my itinerary. I'm super excited!

I wonder if it's worth RSVP'ing for this after party before I get my final schedule or I would be going off to a bar with co-worker friends (it's 10 bucks so eh): http://www.c2e2.com/Events/After-Parties/
 

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
So I'm probably going to move back to the Chi this summer. Actually it's more likely a suburb since I'm moving with my family. Looking forward to some meetups even though you guys rarely go through with them lol.
 

Horse Detective

Why the long case?
I noticed the further out of the city you go, the higher your chances of being fucked by the public transit. I actually hate commuting out there these days.
 
I'm thinking of spending a day in Chicago at the end of the month. The plan is to take portraits of people on the street.

What's the best neighborhood to stay in for street photography, and where should I eat? What's the best park?
 

Viewt

Member
I'm thinking of spending a day in Chicago at the end of the month. The plan is to take portraits of people on the street.

What's the best neighborhood to stay in for street photography, and where should I eat? What's the best park?

Depends on the kind of photography you're looking to get. If you want to capture some good graffiti art, Logan Square's got a lot of great stuff. If you just want to get good shots of people walking around framed by the skyline, the Loop is the go-to. Personally, I'm a big fan of the view from the LaSalle St. Bridge facing south on Wacker.


You get the Board of Trade building at the end, the L, and lots of color. There's a reason Nolan used this area quite a bit in The Dark Knight. It's just a really dramatic-looking locale.

As far as parks, my favorite is Humboldt Park. It's huge, it's got lots of statues/art, a mini-beach, and just generally has cool nooks and crannies that you don't find in other parks. Millennium Park gets way more foot traffic being in the Loop, though, and also has the Bean, the Pritzker Pavilion, and other stuff that might be more appealing as a photographer.

Where to eat is a tougher question. Chicago is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to food, so it all depends on what you're looking for. Just remember the golden rule: The best food is out in the neighborhoods, so don't sequester yourself in the Loop. Go to Avondale and eat amazing Polish food at Starapolska. Get great Korean BBQ at Cho Sun Ok in North Center, get some dope Belgian Mussels and frites at Hopleaf in Andersonville, get a jibarito (signature Puerto Rican invention in Chicago cuisine - it's basically a steak sandwich with fried plantains instead of bread - delicious!) at La Bomba in Logan Square.

Hope you have fun!
 

Jhoan

Member
Man I should try to find the point and shoot camera I misplaced in my room before heading out there. My mirrorless camera is out of commission and my phone takes potato cam quality pics.:( The Jibarito sounds like a heart buster. I wonder how far Humboldt Park and the Board and Trade buildings are from my hostel.

I was listening to Team GFB Radio and they recommended visiting the museum of Science and Industry as well as Revolution Brewing. If I had a license, I would have rented out a car to check out Skate 'n' Place as it was mentioned in a Polygon Feature article.
 

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
I guess it's good that folks can recommend Humboldt park for walking and taking pictures in the hidden corners of the park. Place has changed a lot from my college days.
 

clav

Member
So I'm probably going to move back to the Chi this summer. Actually it's more likely a suburb since I'm moving with my family. Looking forward to some meetups even though you guys rarely go through with them lol.

Years ago someone here organized a meetup and bailed. Been permabanned since.
 

Jhoan

Member
I forgot to mention for anyone going to C2E2, I'll be working at Artist Alley in the afternoon shift (2pm through closing) all weekend long. I should update my avatar with a real pic or self-portrait before I depart so you can get an idea as to what I look like.

That being said, if anyone sees a 6'2'' Hispanic dude with a silver watch on the left wrist, long curly dark brown hair, black framed glasses, and a blue lanyard decked out with all kinds of pins, that would be me. Since C2E2 is a much smaller show compared to NYCC and SDCC, hopefully I should be easy to spot because I think I stand out. If anyone plans to make a C2E2 OT, I'll definitely post in there seeing as I'm out of my element/city.

claviertekky said:
Years ago someone here organized a meetup and bailed. Been permabanned since.

That's a damn shame. Meanwhile in NYC GAF, Toronto GAF, and Brit GAF they happen semi-regularly or even on a small scale. If I lived in Chicago, I would organize a meetup once in a while.
 
Depends on the kind of photography you're looking to get. If you want to capture some good graffiti art, Logan Square's got a lot of great stuff. If you just want to get good shots of people walking around framed by the skyline, the Loop is the go-to. Personally, I'm a big fan of the view from the LaSalle St. Bridge facing south on Wacker.



You get the Board of Trade building at the end, the L, and lots of color. There's a reason Nolan used this area quite a bit in The Dark Knight. It's just a really dramatic-looking locale.

As far as parks, my favorite is Humboldt Park. It's huge, it's got lots of statues/art, a mini-beach, and just generally has cool nooks and crannies that you don't find in other parks. Millennium Park gets way more foot traffic being in the Loop, though, and also has the Bean, the Pritzker Pavilion, and other stuff that might be more appealing as a photographer.

Where to eat is a tougher question. Chicago is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to food, so it all depends on what you're looking for. Just remember the golden rule: The best food is out in the neighborhoods, so don't sequester yourself in the Loop. Go to Avondale and eat amazing Polish food at Starapolska. Get great Korean BBQ at Cho Sun Ok in North Center, get some dope Belgian Mussels and frites at Hopleaf in Andersonville, get a jibarito (signature Puerto Rican invention in Chicago cuisine - it's basically a steak sandwich with fried plantains instead of bread - delicious!) at La Bomba in Logan Square.

Hope you have fun!

Thanks for all the tips. I super appreciate them. I wanna spend a few hours in what is considered "downtown", but ideally I'd spend most of my day wandering, and eating in neighborhoods where locals would actually kick it.

As for photography, its all about portraits. So people with character, or neighborhoods where people are always out in the street hanging out.
 
have you guys ever been to blue light on western? im planning on going just to see how awful it gets. i love people watching.

Also who is going to the earth day march next weekend.
 
I forgot to mention for anyone going to C2E2, I'll be working at Artist Alley in the afternoon shift (2pm through closing) all weekend long. I should update my avatar with a real pic or self-portrait before I depart so you can get an idea as to what I look like.

That being said, if anyone sees a 6'2'' Hispanic dude with a silver watch on the left wrist, long curly dark brown hair, black framed glasses, and a blue lanyard decked out with all kinds of pins, that would be me. Since C2E2 is a much smaller show compared to NYCC and SDCC, hopefully I should be easy to spot because I think I stand out. If anyone plans to make a C2E2 OT, I'll definitely post in there seeing as I'm out of my element/city.



That's a damn shame. Meanwhile in NYC GAF, Toronto GAF, and Brit GAF they happen semi-regularly or even on a small scale. If I lived in Chicago, I would organize a meetup once in a while.

I'll be at C2E2 with the bf and a Gaf buddy on Friday!

And also I've organized a few meet ups, mostly around a large crew of people coming into town for something like Lollapalooza or Pitchfork. But it's usually only a core group of us that are friends that get together. People usually bail or don't seem interested.
 
Hey guys! I'm going to be in a Chicago for a week from June 3. Staying with my sister (who lives right next to Lincoln Park) but she's working on weekdays so I'll have to keep myself entertained Monday to Friday. I'm sure she'll have a list of stuff ready for me but I thought I'd swing by here for any suggestions you guys may have. Thanks!
 

Charcoal

Member
Hey Chicago-gaf, this is a long shot, but does anyone have any experience with the Wolf Point West apartment building in river north?

I'm moving up from Bloomington next month and it's one of my top choices.
 

Jhoan

Member
I'll be at C2E2 with the bf and a Gaf buddy on Friday!

And also I've organized a few meet ups, mostly around a large crew of people coming into town for something like Lollapalooza or Pitchfork. But it's usually only a core group of us that are friends that get together. People usually bail or don't seem interested.
Nice! There's a GAF member who usually tables at all the major cons, TheBaroness (Ashley Riot is her artist name) along with her boyfriend Gray Matter. Cool peeps for sure. I know a bunch of other acquaintances that table there as well.

Ah I see. I heard so much about Lollapalooza and how it takes over Grant Park. That's the case here as well where we'll a public meetup every so often but otherwise hold smaller meetups in the NYC GAF thread.
Hey guys! I'm going to be in a Chicago for a week from June 3. Staying with my sister (who lives right next to Lincoln Park) but she's working on weekdays so I'll have to keep myself entertained Monday to Friday. I'm sure she'll have a list of stuff ready for me but I thought I'd swing by here for any suggestions you guys may have. Thanks!
Here's my laundry list of places to visit that I took a screenshot of:
 
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