From the Saturday, May 26, 2012, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Chicago’s tourist hotspots – they’re not just for tourists

The WISCH LIST

May 26, 2012

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, otherwise known as the unofficial start of summertime.

And in Chicago, otherwise known as “Summer’s Favorite City,” that means it’s officially time to start enjoying all that the city has to offer under the sun. That includes some of the obvious things that you might have already enjoyed in the past. Or, perhaps, those that you haven’t enjoyed because they’re, well, so darn obvious.

This past weekend, I spent time in Colorado visiting family. And during a conversation with a cousin who has lived in the San Francisco area for the past few years, the topic of Alcatraz came up.

Despite living just miles from the bay, my cousin explained how he’s never visited “The Rock,” which has long been one of the top tourist destinations (and my personal favorite) in San Fran.

My cousin remarked how sometimes you just don’t think about seeing the “touristy” sights in the big city nearest to you. That, of course, got me thinking about Chicago and its stereotypical tourist hotspots that everyone from out-of-state seems to visit, but locals often seem to ignore.

Well, I’m here to say that you shouldn’t ignore them.

There’s a reason why Chicago’s tourist hotspots are so hot. They’re fun. And the following is a list of five places in Chicago that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

SkyDeck at Willis Tower

It’ll always be Sears Tower to me (even if it now isn’t). And it’s still the tallest building in North America (even if it might not always be, as New York City’s Freedom Tower may ultimately rise higher.)

If you’ve never been, the SkyDeck atop Chicago’s most iconic skyscraper is worth climbing up to (by elevator, of course). And if you haven’t been there recently, it’s worth revisiting. Especially to experience “The Ledge,” a quartet of enclosed glass boxes that stick out four feet from the 103rd floor Skydeck – and leave you peering 1,353 feet straight down.

The Signature Room

The Sears, er, Willis Tower’s SkyDeck gets all the glamour in Chicago. But it’s actually the John Hancock Tower’s 95th floor observatory – featuring the famous Signature Room lounge – that offers the city’s most spectacular view.

Situated on the northern end of Michigan Avenue, the Signature Room offers sweeping views the lake, the Magnificent Mile and the city sprawling off to the west. The drinks aren’t bad, either.

The Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier

During Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the world’s first Ferris wheel made its debut. The version found today at Navy Pier today is modeled after the original, and has become one of Chicago’s most visible attractions.

Speaking of views, the 150-foot-tall wheel offers a truly breathtaking one of the skyline during a seven-minute ride in one of its gondolas.

The Bean

Officially known as “Cloud Gate,” although no one calls it that, the most iconic element of Millennium Park is a treat to see, no matter if you’ve seen “The Bean” a hundred times before, or if you’ve never seen it at all.

The stainless-steel, mirrored sculpture is especially enjoyable during the summer when the sunshine and skyscrapers are reflecting off it, while little kids scurry about beneath its 12-foot-high arch.

“Eat at Ed’s”

It’s not as popular as it once was, but for any red-blooded Chicago area resident, Ed Debevic’s – the famously kitschy 1950s-themed “diner deluxe” in River North – is still a must-see at least once.

No doubt, Ed’s notoriously smart-aleck wait staff will tell you the same – right after they’ve slid you into a sparkly plastic booth and forced you to wear a paper deli hat throughout your meal.

Today’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

NATO protests the latest under Chicago’s ‘Big Top’

The WISCH LIST

May 19, 2012

Well, the circus is in town.

That’s both figuratively with the arrival of Chicago’s NATO summit and, well, literally thanks to a pack of protesting clowns.

Yes, clowns.

On Wednesday, WBBM Newsradio 780 reported that a radical group called Clown Bloq whose members dress in circus-style get-up is expected to take part in protests during this weekend’s summit.

Supposedly armed with 1,000 whipped cream pies potentially targeted for police officers, Clown Bloq says on its website that its main goal is “to provide hilarity in the face of a humorless police state and to provide a fool’s critique of organized and militarized repression of the people, their voices and their best interests.”

On a lighter note, upon hearing word of Clown Bloq via Facebook this week, one of my friends commented that, “Police anticipate minimal traffic congestion, as the protesters will be arriving in one car.”

In Chicago, clowns on parade would be just the latest chapter in the city’s colorful – and controversial – history of protests. The hope here, of course, is that nothing violent spins out from the NATO crowds this weekend. But the following are some of the most notorious moments in Chicago’s history that sparked its ugliest riots.

Haymarket Riot

On May 4, 1886, in Haymarket Square on Chicago’s Near West Side, a rally was held in support of workers striking for an eight-hour workday. The demonstration was peaceful until an unknown person tossed a dynamite bomb at police. The explosion and ensuing gunfire killed seven officers and at least four civilians.

Eight anarchists were later convicted of conspiracy, although prosecutors conceded that none of them had thrown the bomb. The Haymarket affair is generally considered the origin of the international May Day observances for workers.

Pullman Strike

Eight years after Haymarket, a Chicago protest sparked a nationwide movement. In 1894, employees of railroad car magnate George Pullman went on strike protesting severe wage cuts he had instituted in the midst of an economic depression.

Sympathy strikes soon spread to 23 other states, and when the protests were accompanied by violence, President Grover Cleveland made the decision to dispatch federal troops to quell the uprisings. During the course of the strike, 13 strikers were killed and another 57 wounded.

Six days after the strike ended, Cleveland and Congress quickly passed legislation that made Labor Day a federal holiday.

Chicago Race Riot of 1919

On July 27, 1919, ethnic tension caused by competition between new groups in Chicago came to a boil when a major racial conflict erupted in the city and lasted until Aug. 3.

During the Chicago riot, dozens died and hundreds of others were injured as it came to be considered the worst of approximately 25 riots across the nation during the “Red Summer of 1919,” named so because of the violence and fatalities.

1968 Democratic National Convention

In a year known across the nation for political protest, civil unrest and violence, Chicago became the poster child for such turbulence when the Democratic National Convention rolled into town in late August.

Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley had intended to showcase his city’s achievements to national politicians and the news media. But on Aug. 28 outside the Conrad Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue, chaos broke out instead.

Approximately 10,000 Vietnam War protesters gathered outside the convention, where they were met by 23,000 police and National Guardsmen. While network television cameras rolled, the groups clashed for 20 minutes. As some protesters were being led or dragged away, others chanted: “The whole world is watching. The whole world is watching.”

Hopefully, this weekend we don’t see clowns chanting the same.

This weekend’s Wisch List column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

What you need to know about NATO in Chicago

The WISCH LIST

May 12, 2012

As you’ve likely heard, NATO is coming.

Even if it might not know exactly where it’s coming to.

Next weekend, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will roll into Chicago for its May 20-21 summit. However, if a video released last week by NATO’s in-house television news channel had its say, the international dignitaries might instead be bound for central Illinois.

Or Hawaii.

“More than 60 heads of state and government will meet to discuss matters of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area,” a narrator said during the five-minute video as images of Chicago rolled across the screen. “And so, the leaders of the member nations of the organization created by the 1949 Washington treaty will meet in the capital of Illinois this time.”

Springfield says hello.

Later, the narrator added about Chicago, “There was a good reason for this choice. The decision was made by the American president, Barack Obama, who wanted this event to take place in the city he grew up in.”

Honolulu says aloha.

Regardless of what NATO’s video might say, its summit is indeed coming to Chicago along with expected loads of controversy, traffic and protesters. Here’s a primer to get you up to speed about how NATO’s arrival will impact the Windy City.

So, what is NATO?

Described as an intergovernmental military alliance, NATO was formed following the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, in Washington, D.C.

The organization – which is based in Brussels, Belgium, and has 28 members across North America and Europe – operates as a collective in which each member agrees to help defend the others in case of attack by an external party. It’s estimated that the combined military budgets of NATO’s members constitutes more than 70 percent of the world’s defense spending.

Steer clear of city driving

If you’re planning to drive into downtown Chicago on May 19-21, transportation experts have offered the following advice: Don’t.

But, if for some reason you must, be sure to avoid the expressways that feed into the Loop and downtown on Saturday, May 19 (summit eve) and on May 20-21 when NATO leaders will meet at McCormick Place and nearby locations. According to city officials, portions of several major thoroughfares – the Stevenson Expressway, Lake Shore Drive, the Kennedy Expressway and the streets near the lakefront Museum Campus – will be closed during the summit.

The road closings are supposed to be wrapped up in time for rush hour on Monday evening, but with a motorcade of more than 50 vehicles set to drive delegates to O’Hare sometime that afternoon, don’t count on it.

Additionally, transit officials say rail commuters should expect to see a heightened level of security similar to what airline passengers face.

Tourist hotspots closed

Roadways won’t be the only Chicago closures. The Adler Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium will all be closed from May 19-21. The Field Museum will be closed on Sunday.

Also expect the Magnificent Mile to be bottlenecked for much of the weekend. On Sunday, a protest rally and march is scheduled along Michigan Avenue, while a debate involving protesters will be held at the Pritzker Military Library near Millennium Park on Friday.

Casual Friday (through Monday)

Speaking of protestors, if you happen to be walking around downtown Chicago next weekend, it may be wise to dress down.
Some companies in the Loop are going so far as to encourage employees to ditch their business suits and instead “look like a protester” to reduce the chance that they will become targets of those involved in the protests. Might be better to work from home.

However, even with all the security, traffic and protest headaches expected for the NATO summit, there is one silver lining.

At least the G-8 Summit isn’t coming to town, too.

This week’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Get warmed up for May days in Chicago

The WISCH LIST

May 5, 2012

In Chicago, just how rare is it that the month of March turns out to be a warmer than the month of April?

Well, rare enough that the Cubs have won a World Series since the last time happened. So, you know, pretty darn rare.

According to WGN-TV weather guru Tom Skilling, this March, with an average temperature of 53.5 degrees, ended up 2.8 degrees above April’s average of 50.7 degrees, marking just the second time in 142 years of Windy City weather history that a year’s third month measured warmer than its fourth.

The only other time such it happened was in 1907, one year before the Cubs won their last championship. So, perhaps that means next year is the Cubs’ year.

Or, perhaps, not.

Either way, here’s to hoping that May is our month, weather-wise. And assuming temperatures do rise the next few weeks, the following are some suggestions about how to take advantage of the outdoors in Chicago this May.

Cinco de Mayo Parade
Sunday, Noon to 11 p.m.

Today, of course, is the Cinco de Mayo. But Chicago’s festivities honoring the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, will be going strong through the Seis de Mayo, as well. And all for free.

From noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, the city’s Cinco de Mayo parade will be held along Cermak Road on Chicago’s Southwest Side, beginning at Wood St. and ending at Kedzie Ave.

Then, from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., the third annual Cinco de Mayo Festival, located at 26th St. and Kostner Ave., in the heart of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, will feature live music, authentic foods, arts and crafts and activities for the entire family.

For more information, visit chicagoevents.com.

Chicago Mayfest
May 18-20

Billing itself as the first great event of Chicago’s renowned summer festival season, Mayfest is a three-day extravaganza that features some of Chicago’s premier cover bands, along with plenty of food and drinks.

At the very least, it’s the first great Mayfest event of the season (more on that later).

Staged beneath a giant tent at the corner of Ashland and Barry avenues in Lakeview, Mayfest’s music lineup includes the popular “16 Candles” (on Friday), followed by “Too White Crew” and “Hairbangers Ball” (Saturday) and finally “Rod Tuffcurls” and “Mike and Joe” (Sunday).

For a full schedule and more information, visit starevents.com.

Randolph Street Market Festival
May 26-27

On Memorial Day weekend, more than 200 antiques, vintage collectibles and indie designer apparel dealers will set up shop along Randolph St. between Ada St. and Ogden Ave. for the ninth annual Randolph Street Market Festival on the near West Side.

The “European-style” fair – which also offers shopping inside the air-conditioned Journeymen Plumbers Hall (1340 W. Washington Blvd.) – is known for its themed mini-markets that offer such items as rare vinyl recording, international goods and fancy foods, as well as beer and wine vendors.

Tickets are $8 to $10 for adults, with kids 12 entering for free. For more information, visit randolphstreetmarket.com.

Mayfest Chicago
May 31 to June 3

Far different from Chicago Mayfest – no, really – Mayfest Chicago is a free four-day, German-themed event held at the intersection of Lincoln and Leland avenues in Lincoln Square, the heart of the city’s German community.

Spelled Maifest in German, the festival is the traditional German celebration of the arrival of spring – think of it as an Oktoberfest in May – with live music, maypole dancing and, on Friday night, a traditional keg tapping and crowing of the May Queen.

Or is that Mai Queen?

For more information, visit mayfestchicago.com.