In the aftermath of this horrible event, I would like to say a prayer for those who did not survive the disaster of Hurricane Sandy. Thankfully everyone that I know that has friends and family on the East Coast are saying that they are hanging in there. My sisters lost power in NYC but are surviving. They're cold but safe. I know that people and communities will be there for each other as they piece their lives back together. Disasters like this could happen anywhere, anytime and I want those suffering this hardship to know that people all over are thinking of them.
November 2nd Update:
Yesterday my sisters' apartment building gained power after 4 days without it, however it wasn't all good news. One of my sisters was home alone in the building and a fire started in one of the lower apartments. My sister got out of the building unharmed and actually because she was in the building, she was able to let the firemen in when they arrived to put out the fire. She saved valuable time by letting them into the building and they were able to put out the fire before it spread. I know people all over New York and the East Coast have been having tragic experiences all week and my heart goes out to these people.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Happy Halloween 2012!!
Happy Halloween Everyone!! I am currently watching "Pumpkin Wars" on HGTV. It showcases two towns, Highwood, IL and Keene, N.H., that are competing for the world record of most displayed jack-o'-lanterns. Since I live in Illinois, I'm partial to Highwood but I am very impressed with Keene. Keene is determined to win even though it doesn't have the population like that of the Chicagoland area. Click on this link for more info from HGTV's website.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Chicago vs. The World
This past Friday night, we went to a charity hockey game at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. It featured the players from the 2010 Champion Blackhawks team and other NHL players including many that flew in from different states. Also, former Cubs Ryan Dempster "coached" the Chicago team and Bears Robbie Gould "coached" the World team. The game was to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Foundation and 11,649 fans showed up. What made this really amazing was that it was all planned within 2 weeks and had no advertising besides a couple of write-ups in the newspaper. People traveled from all over Illinois to see this game and I even saw some cars with Indiana license plates. It was a fun game for a good cause. Here are a few photos from the game that I thought I'd share:
Be on the look-out for other charity hockey games going on throughout the U.S., especially with the NHL lock-out. Friday night one NHL player from Minnesota had mentioned that he was playing in a charity game tonight (Sunday night). This game will take place at the University of Minnesota and will benefit the children of members of the military.
Be on the look-out for other charity hockey games going on throughout the U.S., especially with the NHL lock-out. Friday night one NHL player from Minnesota had mentioned that he was playing in a charity game tonight (Sunday night). This game will take place at the University of Minnesota and will benefit the children of members of the military.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Croatia - Did You Know?
Did You Know that it's believed that the Zinfandel wine grape originated in Croatia?
I learned this tonight on Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope: "Cruising the Mediterranean".
I learned this tonight on Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope: "Cruising the Mediterranean".
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Who Has The Top Transportation Systems?
After seeing how many people used the Metra train to get to the Ryder Cup in Medinah, Illinois this past September, I started to think about all the times I've used public transportation in other cities around the world. In Madrid, we took the metro to get to a bullfight. In Munich, we took the S-Bahn to get to the Hofbrauhaus. I've taken a train from Saint Raphael, France to Italy and then from Italy to Monaco and back to Saint Raphael. I can not ever recall having issues with the public transportation that I have taken so far. I think Chicago public transportation is about average. Some days I get to and from work without an issue but other days train delays really work my patience.
So what cities have the best transportation systems? Here's what a little internet research turned up:
CNN provided a list of cities on May 3, 2012:
10. Coppenhagen, Denmark
9. Singapore
8. London, England
7. Sao Paulo, Brazil
6. Paris, France
5. Montreal, Canada
4. Madrid, Spain
3. New York City, U.S.
2. Tokyo, Japan
1. Guangzhou, China
Below is a photo we shot from the Cathedral overlooking the train system in Cologne, Germany.
So what cities have the best transportation systems? Here's what a little internet research turned up:
CNN provided a list of cities on May 3, 2012:
10. Coppenhagen, Denmark
9. Singapore
8. London, England
7. Sao Paulo, Brazil
6. Paris, France
5. Montreal, Canada
4. Madrid, Spain
3. New York City, U.S.
2. Tokyo, Japan
1. Guangzhou, China
Below is a photo we shot from the Cathedral overlooking the train system in Cologne, Germany.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Humboldt Park - Chicago, IL
Despite the dreary weather, this past weekend we made it to a Chicago neighborhood for the Open House Chicago. After much debate, googling, and mapquesting (I don't know my way around every neighborhood in Chicago), we decided to visit Humboldt Park. For those movie-savvy readers, Humboldt Park was the backdrop for the movie "Nothing Like The Holidays". The movie is about a Puerto Rican family coming together to celebrate Christmas. It's true that Humboldt Park is a mostly Puerto Rican area and this is what makes it so unique. With its Boat House, lagoon, and gardens, Humboldt Park is a green oasis in an urban setting.
Humboldt Park has gone through many different waves of immigrants. It started with Germans and Scandinavians towards the end of the nineteenth century. The Germans erected statues of Alexander von Humboldt (1892) and Fritz Reuter (1893). Then in 1901, Scandinavians enjoyed their statue of Leif Erikson (below). Poles immigrated to the area and cherished their statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko. The 1920s and 1930s brought German and Russian Jews as well as Italians. Finally, the 1950s brought large influxes of Puerto Ricans with some Mexican immigrants.
When we arrived in Humboldt Park, it wasn't raining yet so we seized the opportunity to check out the Boat House (1440 N. Humboldt Dr.) and surrounding lagoon and gardens. Walking along the path was very peaceful and I was surprised at how many areas there were where people could get right up close to the water. There was even one guy that was fishing.
Next we visited the Field House (1440 N. Sacramento Ave.) On the main level there was a workout area and basketball courts. Behind the Field House was an area that used to be a beach. Now it just looks like a bunch of water-logged sand.
After the Field House, we headed over to the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture. We didn't really know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised when we were greeted by a trio of college students who gave us a tour. We viewed a lot of interesting artwork and photographs. We also got to see the former office of landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951). Originally from Denmark, Jensen at one time lived in Humboldt Park and designed the garden areas along with those of Garfield Park. Jensen also helped to establish the Illinois State Parks system, the Cook County Forest Preserve, and the Indiana Dunes State Park. The building that the Institute is housed in was once stables for horses. Years ago, people would use the Institute building to park their carriages and have their horses tended to.
At the Boat House, Field House and Institute, we were able to park for free. We had to pay for street parking when we made our way down Division Street. We stopped at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School (2739-41 W. Division St.). This is a charter school with an average class size of 12 students. We got a tour of its rooftop green house which took a lot of money and effort by the school to make happen. The green house is a hands-on learning tool for the students and they even grow and harvest their own vegetables there. One of the science teachers told us what they went through to get the green house up and running and what kinds of things they were growing. He also showed us tropical fruit plants that he had brought back from a trip to Puerto Rico. Even with our harsh winters, Chicagoans still try to find ways to bring the tropics to the Windy City.
Next we moved on to Cafe Colao (2638 W. Division). After viewing the Cafe's century-old ovens in the back of the restaurant, we enjoyed an avocado sandwich. Quite delicious! Across the street from the Cafe is La Casita De don Pedro (2625 W. Division St.). La Casita is a traditional Puerto Rican style house where cultural and educational events are held. It has a zinc roof and porch and inside there are some traditional Puerto Rican decorations and furnishings.
We ended our Open House tour with a visit to Architechs Inc. (2541 W. Division). The owner gave us a nice tour where he described what he went through to acquire the office space and how he designed the interior. All different types of materials were used and it was interesting to see what he did to make the space look and feel a certain way.
As we walked back to our car, I had a big smile on my face just thinking about how much I learned in one day. It's amazing how Chicago has all these nooks and crannies that I didn't even know existed! Even though this is only year two of Open House Chicago, I'm hoping that it grows and envelopes even more areas of Chicago.
Humboldt Park has gone through many different waves of immigrants. It started with Germans and Scandinavians towards the end of the nineteenth century. The Germans erected statues of Alexander von Humboldt (1892) and Fritz Reuter (1893). Then in 1901, Scandinavians enjoyed their statue of Leif Erikson (below). Poles immigrated to the area and cherished their statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko. The 1920s and 1930s brought German and Russian Jews as well as Italians. Finally, the 1950s brought large influxes of Puerto Ricans with some Mexican immigrants.
Next we visited the Field House (1440 N. Sacramento Ave.) On the main level there was a workout area and basketball courts. Behind the Field House was an area that used to be a beach. Now it just looks like a bunch of water-logged sand.
After the Field House, we headed over to the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture. We didn't really know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised when we were greeted by a trio of college students who gave us a tour. We viewed a lot of interesting artwork and photographs. We also got to see the former office of landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951). Originally from Denmark, Jensen at one time lived in Humboldt Park and designed the garden areas along with those of Garfield Park. Jensen also helped to establish the Illinois State Parks system, the Cook County Forest Preserve, and the Indiana Dunes State Park. The building that the Institute is housed in was once stables for horses. Years ago, people would use the Institute building to park their carriages and have their horses tended to.
At the Boat House, Field House and Institute, we were able to park for free. We had to pay for street parking when we made our way down Division Street. We stopped at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School (2739-41 W. Division St.). This is a charter school with an average class size of 12 students. We got a tour of its rooftop green house which took a lot of money and effort by the school to make happen. The green house is a hands-on learning tool for the students and they even grow and harvest their own vegetables there. One of the science teachers told us what they went through to get the green house up and running and what kinds of things they were growing. He also showed us tropical fruit plants that he had brought back from a trip to Puerto Rico. Even with our harsh winters, Chicagoans still try to find ways to bring the tropics to the Windy City.
Next we moved on to Cafe Colao (2638 W. Division). After viewing the Cafe's century-old ovens in the back of the restaurant, we enjoyed an avocado sandwich. Quite delicious! Across the street from the Cafe is La Casita De don Pedro (2625 W. Division St.). La Casita is a traditional Puerto Rican style house where cultural and educational events are held. It has a zinc roof and porch and inside there are some traditional Puerto Rican decorations and furnishings.
We ended our Open House tour with a visit to Architechs Inc. (2541 W. Division). The owner gave us a nice tour where he described what he went through to acquire the office space and how he designed the interior. All different types of materials were used and it was interesting to see what he did to make the space look and feel a certain way.
As we walked back to our car, I had a big smile on my face just thinking about how much I learned in one day. It's amazing how Chicago has all these nooks and crannies that I didn't even know existed! Even though this is only year two of Open House Chicago, I'm hoping that it grows and envelopes even more areas of Chicago.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Open House Chicago
Last weekend was Open House NYC, this weekend it's Chicago turn to show us what it's got. Open House Chicago is the one weekend a year where different buildings around Chicago are opened up to the public. The public can see areas of buildings that they would not normally be able to see. Some buildings are giving special tours, others are showing off some of their secret gems. These areas of Chicago have Open House buildings: Downtown, Gold Coast, Pilsen, Rogers Park/West Ridge, Uptown, Hyde Park, South Shore, Bronzeville, Little Village, Garfield Park/North Lawndale, and Chinatown.
For more information visit: http://www.openhousechicago.org/
For more information visit: http://www.openhousechicago.org/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)