Just about an hour North of the City in Ottawa, rests Skydive Chicago.  This family-owned facility has grown from a small, little-known place to an enormous, fun-filled adventure over the course of 10 or so years.  There is so much other to do here rather than or besides skydiving.  There is a rec room with billiards, a deli/bar, a theater, pro-shop, etc.  Canoeing, hiking and horseback riding are also avialable on the 230-acre campus.  Just a little to the East of the skydiving hangar lies a pond with decks and volleyball too.  You may even just decide to sit around and chat with other skydivers in the hangars or the grounds.  It’s almost impossible to get bored even if you chicken out of the skydiving part.

After enrolling in a short course in the early morning on the basics of the sport and then practicing your moves on a simulator, be prepared to fly up about 13,500 feet in a small cargo plane filled with other veterans or first-timers. 

The first jump requires, by law, for the jumper to be attached by hooks and cables to an experienced diver, which they call “tandem jumping”.  Once you jump from that plane though, you’ll be glad to have that jumper attached to you as sometimes all you learned that morning goes out the window (as it did with me) and the incredible rush of adrenaline is all-encompasing.  The man I was attached to pulled my ripcord for me when I had forgotten.  Trust me, this is one law that I was glad to abide by.

You can hire a videographer to film the entire jump for you (the videographer jumps with you so he is right there the entire time) which we did and makes for great memories and a perfect conversation starter at parties. 

After we landed, which was very smooth, we sat around and chatted with others for a while and then went on home.  After all, this whole process takes the entire day.  Plan on getting there about 6 or 7 a.m. and staying until  long around 5 or 6 p.m.

And, if I were you, I’d go on an empty stomach.  But that’s just me.

Don’t be ashamed, we all have one.  It doesn’t have to be your dirty little secret.  Because regardless of whether you have an informal list in your head, or a hard copy in your wallet backed up with a Word document, in some way shape or form, you’ve probably got what I like to refer to as the “Life Long To-Do List.”  And while there are certainly a fair number of items on my own personal list that will require me to leave not only Chicago but also the Continental US (spend time with Nepalese Monks for example) there is plenty of ridiculous adventure that awaits you somewhere within the city limits.  And so, here you have a few great places in Chicago that will not only help you cross a few items off your list, but also give you some great party lines (”So, this one time, when I was doing a Trapeze catch!”) and maybe just make you the interesting person you’ve always aspired to be.

1.  Learn to Fly

Since attending the circus as a youth, you have no doubt been envying the trapeze artists.  They were second in glory only to the show girl on the unicorn (or, in hindsight the middle aged woman on a white horse with a cardboard cone) who rode around the rings.  Thanks to the tireless work of the Gaona family, you can share in the renown but pass on all that sketchy carnie business.  At the Flying Gaona Gym at 5917 N. Broadway you have the opportunity to learn the craft year round.  In the summer months they hold lessons in various places around the city.   

2.  Tempt Fate with Sushi

Any hardcore Sushi afficianado will be sure to gasp in awe if you’re able to say that you had the wherewithal to choke down some Fugu.  This rather rare (especially outside of < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Japan) form of sushi is made from the blowfish.  If not cleaned properly the fish is deadly.  You can currently get your hands on some at Tsuki in Lincoln Park. 

3.  Get Over Your Stage Fright

If you have been harboring a fear of public speaking since your elementary school days, there is no time like the present for getting over it.  And, at the weekly poetry slams at the Green Mill on North Broadway you’ll do it in style.  The hypertrendy club hosts not only the best poetry slam in town, but also the open mic night that happens shortly before the pros go on stage.  Get over your fear, and get bragging rights that you performed at the Green Mill.  Clearly two birds with one stone.

4.  Learn a Party Trick Yoga Move

While you may not yearn for the Zen lifestyle, you certainly wish you could be that bendy.  True, some of the more difficult maneuvers might not be safe for beginners, but a life without risk isn’t worth living.  So, pick up a yoga class at a Bikram Yoga Center in Wicker Park.  After a few short sessions you’ll be busting out a Salamba Sirasana before you know it.

5.  Learn to Knit while Meeting People your own Age

At the Museum of Contemporary Art something rare happens the first Tuesday of the month.  The tradition is known as Stitch and Bitch, and it is much cooler than it sounds.  You know you’ve always wanted to craft your own winter accessories, and there is no place to learn like from people who have been doing it for years.  Plus, the event Sponsor Target is picking up your drink tab.  You might as well give it a shot.  If yarn work isn’t your thing, at least you’ve got a whole museum worth of art to distract yourself with.

Obviously this list is just a starting point.  Chicago is full of perfect places for crossing items off your to-do list, or even for finding new items to add to the list.  Keep it up though, because pretty soon you’re going to be tired of hearing from friends and relative strangers, ”I always wanted to do that!”

Chicago is a beautiful city, with lots to do and see for everyone who visits or lives here. There’s great museums, great food, great clubs and bars, and of course, great shopping. The Magnificent Mile is one of the best places around to spend a day indulging in all the material glory of this fine nation. But maybe you’re feeling rebellious and want to show corporate America where they can stick it, or you’re looking for a unique experience to tell all your friends back home about, or maybe you’re just looking for somewhere new to satisfy your shopping cravings. Whatever the reason, if you’re looking for somewhere other than The Gap to go spend crazy, why not try some of Chicago’s independent retailers? Chicago is filled with a thousand little shops that no one with an independent streak should miss. Here are a few of the better ones.

Hollywood Mirror

Hollywood Mirror is a funky little shop just a few blocks east of the Belmont stop on the Red Line. In here you’ll find the greatest array of second hand clothes this side of well, anywhere really. Everything from pin stripe fedoras, to bowling shirts, to Chicago Police shirts (sorry, no badges) can be found in the clothing sections. Don’t let the second hand second hand label worry you though. All the clothes are in great shape, and if you look long enough you’re sure to find something you absolutely can’t live without. But it doesn’t stop with clothes. Hollywood Mirror also has a sizable toy/miscellaneous junk section. Looking for pirate playing card (with gold doubloon)? They’ve got you covered. Or maybe you’d prefer a 50s style toy robot, or a rubber duck? They’ve even got a ninja themed arcade game you can jam on to bring you back to the glory days of the arcade. Whatever your mood or tastes, there’s bound to be some treasure awaiting you at Hollywood Mirror.

Sandmeyer’s Bookstore

The Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, at 714 South Dearborn (a mere one block East of the Harrison stop on the Red Line), is an independently owned and operated store, located in historic Printer’s Row for over twenty years. They’ve got a wonderfully cozy atmosphere, with creaky hardwood floors, jazz music playing over a small set of speakers, a very friendly and helpful staff, and a card catalog system (you read that right at no point in their twenty-three years of business have they had a computerized system). On most days you can find one of the Sandmeyer’s working there, and they’re more than happy to help you find that perfect book. They’ve got a wide variety of books, and a good sized collection, too. Most worth taking a look at is the very large section of Chicago books. If you’re looking for any kind of guide to the city, fiction or non-fiction about the city, or just a nice photo tour of the city, you won’t find a better selection than what they’ve got here. You’d be hard pressed to find a more complete collection of books on, about, by, and for Chicago and its people. You’d also be hard pressed to find an independent bookstore in the city with more charm, atmosphere, and a better staff and collection than the Sandmeyer’s. So if you’re looking for a good read to cozy up with when you get back to the hotel room, check them out and you won’t be left reading the room service menu.

The Gourmand

After finding the perfect read at the Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, you may well want to sit down and enjoy your book with a nice cup of Joe. But why spoil your day of independent store fun with a stop at Caribou or Starbucks? Well you’re in luck, because the Gourmand, one of the best independent coffee shops in the city, is just two doors south of the Sandmeyer’s, so you don’t have to resort to same old, same old quite yet. The Gourmand’s menu, colorfully written on a number of blackboards, ranges from the best mocha (and any other kind of coffee you could want) in the city, to soups, salads, lasagna, sandwiches, cookies, cakes, pies, and even microbrewed beer. Stop in any time of the day and you can get a complete meal (including breakfast the author recommends the chocolate chip pancakes), which can then be enjoyed on one of the sofas lining the walls or at one of the more traditional hardwood, coffee shop tables. Several speakers play alternative and folk music, the green walls are adorned with original works of art, and there is a wide variety of local newspapers to browse through. So stop in, order up your drink of choice, sit back, and enjoy the atmosphere of this wonderful coffee shop as you reflect on your day of independence or at least your day of independent shopping.

These are, of course, only a few of the many great independent stores in the Second City, so as you travel the city, keep your eyes peeled, because you never know what hidden gem you might stumble across next.

This one is a nobrainer, I have live in Chicago all of my life and this is one of Chicagos best kept secrets. Hyde Park. Its a little community in it’s own right, and its still one of  the best places to live because diversity thrives here. Nesstled in the heart of Hyde Park is one of the best and hottest places to sit down and eat after a stroll on the beatuful lake front, The Dixi Kitchen has the best serving of red beans and rice I’ve had in all of my life, they also have fried green tomatoes, gumbo and fried corn bread so good it’ll make your mouth water. This place rocks and they have been serving some of the best southern cooking in all of Hyde Park for many years now. This place is a must to visit if your visiting from out of town. After filling your tummy I suggest you take a long romantic walk along the HOTT spot,  us kids from back in the day called our favorite spot, the hott spot, which is normally called the point. The point which is located right on the outter drive, behind the Museum of Science and Industry and can been seen on your way downtown, the point is a very romantic place to take your sweetie for some cuddling on the big massive rocks that sit just inches from the water, its an awsome must see and one of the most romantic palces I’ve ever been. There are many old historic buildings that still sit in the heart of Hyde park and they all tell their own story of surviving in a constent changing envrionment. Hyde part is on my A list for must see places in Chicago. 

Want to experience Chicago’s famed Lincoln Park but only have a day?

1. Stanley’s Kitchen & Tap (Armitage and Lincoln): Start your day with breakfast at Stanley’s (opens 7AM, Monday thru Friday), where you’ll find biscuits and gravy, scrambles, hash, french toast, pancakes, and a number of sides.  On the weekends, brunch starts at 10AM and includes a make-your-own-omlette bar, sandwich fixings, and a variety of pastries, fruits and vegetables.  This brunch comes full circle at the bloody mary bar.

2.  Armitage Shopping and DePaul History: After breakfast, walk up Armitage past the many boutiques and shops that range from designer consignment to local designer retail.  My favorites include: McShane’s Exchange, Lori’s Shoes, Art Effect, L’Occitane and, to top it off, a hot or cold drink at Argo Tea.  Continue north on Sheffield to Fullerton.  If you aren’t hungry yet, stroll through the comfortably small DePaul University Campus and make a stop at the Richardson Library which also houses art exhibits (Fullerton/Seminary).

3. Bourgeois Pig (Fullerton and Lincoln): The Pig is a locale favored by students, Children’s Memorial staff and others looking for a cafe that’s trendy in a not-even-trying-to-be-trendy kind of way.  The Pig’s lineup includes: sandwiches (also many veggie options), salads, soups, baked goods, ice cream, coffee, espresso drinks and looseleaf tes, housed in large glass jars lining the walls.  Wireless available, as well as eclectic music played by the staff.

4. Lincoln Park Zoo: Next, continue east on Fullerton to and through Lincoln Park Zoo, a free attraction.  This zoo is home to elephants, bears, lions, penguins and many other birds, mammals and amphibians/reptiles.  Also one of the oldest “zoological gardens” in the country, Licoln Park Zoo overlooks a popular section of Lincoln Park and Lake Michigan.  Bring a frisbee for some fun or a blanket for some afternoon rest and relaxation.

5. Victory Gardens (Lincoln Ave, between Beldn and Webster): Home to many Tony Award-winning plays and actors, Victory Gardens has a couple cozy stages on which you can see local and world talents performing primarily local works.  Great for just yourself, a date, or the parents.  If you’re still hungry (before or after), there are plenty of sandwich/pizza shops and bars in this area.  A nicer but very affordable option is Tillie’s, at Halsted south of Armitage, or Green Tea, a tiny but excellent sushi restaurant at Clark and Webster.

When it comes to matters of the heart, it’s hard to deny the
very best for your romantic paramour. 
However, in reality, wining and dining your sweetheart can be a costly
affair.  Here are the five best Chicago ways to have a
seemingly luxe – but fundamentally inexpensive – date with the one you love:

1)      As
Pepe Le Peu proclaimed, what more do you need than “a loaf of bread…a bottle of
wine…”?  How about the grass between your
toes and the sound of Bach in the air? 
The grounds at Ravinia offer
$10 lawn tickets to virtually all of their summer season performances.  All it takes is a short train ride (there’s a
$5 special) and a picnic basket, and you’re there.

2)      Bring
Your Own Bottle restaurants are popping up all over the city, so hop on the
brown bag wagon!  The cost of alcohol can
easily double the total on your dinner bill, so why not bring your own and skip
the double (or even triple) markup on the standard restaurant wine?  Here’s a tip: a lot of newer restaurants in
the city will start off BYOB while waiting for their liquor license – just call
ahead and ask what their policy is.  You
just might be able to score a table at a hot new restaurant that you may not be
able to afford otherwise!  Check out www.byob-chicago.com
for restaurants.

3)      Create
a theme and your creativity will outshine any frugality.  Check out one of Chicago’s Independent Film theaters (try the Landmark Century Cinema at Clark and Diversey) and pick out one of their foreign
films to see.  The first tickets of the
day there are only $7.  Picked a Chinese
flick?  Head up to Ecce Café (3422 N. Broadway) post-show for some pan-Asian – and
very moderately priced – fare.

4)      Want
totally free entertainment?  Take a
stroll through Chicago’s
Lincoln Park Zoo – one of the
nation’s largest free zoos.  Afterwards,
you can mosey on over to the Treasure Island (1639 N. Wells) – on Saturdays, there
are samples of artisan cheeses, breads, and meats abound – and if you ask
nicely, the bakery will give you a piece of chocolate to try!

5)     
Every girl loves to window shop, so take your lady
friend for a relaxing walk down one of Chicago’s
best boutique streets – Armitage
Ave, west of Halsted and up to Racine. 
Check out the latest duds at Cynthia
Rowley and Active Endeavors,
before treating yourselves to some quality Italian ice at Tom and Wendee’s – yum!

Are you yearning for a quiet, refined and authentic Italian lunch buffet which will not blow your budget?  I have found just the place.  Pescatore Palace Restaurant and Banquets is tucked away in an industrial area of Schiller Park on River Road (between Irving Park and Belmont Avenues) just minutes away from Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Theatre and O’Hare Airport. 

From the moment you walk up the stairs into this haven, you are surrounded by the sensual tastes and sounds of SouthCentral Italy.  The main dining room has a quiet sophistication which welcomes you with calming shades of blue and reminders of the ocean.  You find fishing nets hung from the walls filled with crab and starfish.  You admire the various paintings depicting dreamy seaside scenes under a border of hand-painted grapevines.  You hear Andrea Bocelli’s melodic voice seranade you as you are seated by one of the courteous male waiters.  If you are lucky, you may even be seated in the bright Bocelli room which is enveloped in afternoon sun from it’s wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.  Yes, Andrea himself has visited here on a few occasions to enjoy the outstanding and authentic food. 

Master Chef, Vito Barbanente, will probably greet you himself as he ensures the buffet table is amply stocked with his day’s delicious entress.  Vito brings to his restaurant his culinary passion, hard work and dedication from his native Bari, Italy seaside town.  His fish dishes are the freshest and most flavorful available.  His mouthwatering soups fill your senses with warmth and his chicken, beef and vegetable dishes offer a subtle medley of spices and seasonings. 

The lunch buffet is offered from 11am until 2pm Monday through Friday at a price of $9.99 per person.  It includes both a hot and a cold buffet.  Pizza and bruschetta is always available as well as fruit salad and delicious desserts. 

Pescatore Palace offers an extensive and rich wine list and a full menu for those who would like to sample one of Chef Vito’s personalized creations.  The coffee is always fresh-brewed and full-bodied and the service is impeccable. 

The lunchtime crowd is mostly comprised of businessmen from the neighboring light-manufacturing establishments.  The buffet selections change every day and include fish, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, caprese and assorted salads and rich desserts.   What keeps me coming back every week is the personal service I receive and the unparalleled food I find in this quiet getaway. 

If you too are yearning to eat your lunch in smoke-free, pleasant place where you can have a quiet conversation with your friend and where you know the food will always be fresh and good, I highly recommend Pescatore Palace to you.  By the way, ‘Pescatore’ means ‘Fisherman’ in Italian.   And, if the finest fish is what you seek, Chef Vito will please your every wish. 

Food is my drug of choice, and considering Chicago has over 9,000 restaurants, I’ve fallen off the wagon more times than Courtney Love. But sometimes we fall into routine, and if you’ve had your fair share of Chicago-style everything like I have, you start to crave the foreign, the exotic, any that is different.

Well, take a seat in first class and sip your complimentary mimosa, because it is time to take a trip around the world with out leaving the city limits. Sorry, motion sickness bags not included. And if they were, would you really want to be here?
We start our tour off in Central America, specifically, Oaxaca, Mexico. Located at 6113 W. Diversey, La Taqueria Oaxaquena provides Chicago with a much needed dose of great Latin American food. Don’t be fooled by the common interior, brightly colored with Mexican art and plastic wrapped tables. The food here is cheap, but it also spicy and amazingly flavorful. They start you off with a tasty trio of salsas, each one spicier than the next. I never cried so much while eating, but I also never knew salsa could hurt so good. The entire menu is great, from the mole-rubbed chicken to the traditional Oaxacan appetizer of grilled cactus with onions and jalapenos. You’ll leave mourning the fact that you were not born Oaxacan.

Next we head on over to Ethiopia. We’ve all heard our fair share of Ethiopian jokes, and before you ask, yes, they do eat. Very well, I might add. After my first experience at Ethiopian Diamond (6120 N. Broadway), I new exactly why Sally Struthers gained all that weight while filming the “Save the Children” commercials over there. Just the smell upon entering the restaurant was enough to make me weak in the knees, and I had to be stopped from eating off of other people’s tables. All food is served on a large, thin piece of injera bread, which is also used as an edible utensil to scoop up all the stew-like concoctions served there. Favorites include atkilt wot, a stew of potatoes and carrots, a spicy lentil stew, and beef sambusas, little fried pastries filled with ground meat. The bread is tangy, almost sourdough-like, and with a glass of sweet honey wine, life doesn’t get much better than that.

As we travel back towards the Middle East, we can make a quick stop at Old Jerusalem (1411 N. Wells), a no frills restaurant that serves, in my opinion, the best falafel to ever grace the planet. They have all the usual goodies, like schwarma, pita, and hummus so good, you may never eat anything else again, just so you could savor the flavor a little bit longer. And for those with a sweet tooth, it doesn’t get much better than their baklava. A full meal for under $10 and the best falafel in the entire world? You don’t have to tell me twice!

Finally, we land on Devon Ave., the famous strip of stores and restaurants in Chicago that boast Indian (and Pakistani and Mexican) food and goods. Just walking down the street is enough to soak up another culture completely different from ours. You could try one of the fancy restaurants, but I found the best bets to be the snack shops, which are like the fast food places we have, only much better. I love Sukhadia’s Sweets & Snacks (2559 W. Devon Ave.). Not only can you get exactly what you want to eat, but it is three times cheaper than eating at any of the restaurants, and the quality is just as good. I love getting a frosty mango lassi to drink and a big plate of spicy channa masala served with crispy warm naan. If you have room left, try out some of their sweets, which are known to be a little bit decadent, to say the least. My favorite is called dudi hulva, a bright green sweet made of sugar, milk, cardamom and shredded squash.. And once again, all these good eats for under a 10 spot.

Who says you have eat to deep dish pizza when you are in the city? With so many good, affordable food choices, you can easily tour the world without leaving the city limits. And when you dream about falafels all day long like I do, it’s nice to know that my fantasy is not so far away after all.

Let’s face it:  Chicago is intimidating.  As the third
largest city in the country, Chicago has a lot to offer to everyone,
from every walk of life.  If you aren’t used to living in a city,
then Chicago goes from intimidating to down-right scary.  Having
just moved here myself, I know first hand how hard it is to find
something to do in the hub-bub that is Chicago.  This is why I’m
here:  To help you, the reader, traverse the metropolitan muck of
the city and keep busy, entertained and cultured.

We all hate tourists, no matter where it is we come from.  Loud,
obnoxious and rude, tourists are the bane of any city culture. 
Until you, have gotten your feet wet by exploring the city, though, you
are one of them.  Live it up; there is a lot that you can do upon
moving into the city to get accustomed to your new surroundings. 
Part of the fun of living in the city is the diversity of life; a world
class city like Chicago has Navy Pier, an amazing park district and a
plethora of musuems to frequent.  Take advantage of it all. 

First things first, though.  If you are without a car, get a CTA
thirty day pass.  It’ll be helpful and money well spent. 
Taking the El will get you through the city, and the option of taking a
bus, though sometimes a terrible idea, is always a nice option should
you get stuck/lost.  It’d also be a good idea to head to any
library branch (I prefer downtown because it’s fancy); with a library
card, you have the option of checking out museum passes and visiting
any of the city’s fine cultural institutions FOR FREE.  Be warned,
though:  only certain museums are available at any given
time.  There are a limited number of passes for each museum, so
you may not be able to go to the one of your choice, depending on its
popularity. 

Moving to the city is a big decision to make, but with proper planning,
adjusting to life won’t be too difficult.  There is a lot to do,
places to see, stores to shop, people to meet.  Get out there and
do something, otherwise, your potentially expensive move will be for
naught.  Until next time, enjoy your time in the Windy City.