A feeble attempt at my own city guide: an ode to Chicago

Inspired by Alissa Walker's "Dwell's Guide to Los Angeles," I've decided to start a list of my favorite places in Chicago. This will be a growing list, which I will add to as I come across new venues or am reminded of those visited in the past. For the fifteen years we have lived in Chicago, friends and family have visited us and endured our suggestions, maps, and drives-about here and there to our preferred spots of the moment. These are the places that stand out to me tonight in no particular order (some new finds, some well worn, and others just somewhere in between):

Penelope's  Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park. When we moved to Chicago in 1998, we first lived in Ukrainian Village south of Division. At that time, the only shops on Division were old Polish bakeries, sausage shops, and even a Russian bath. Soon some lovely little boutiques and restaurants came in, one of the loveliest being Penelope's, which features apparel from eclectic designers, accessories, and some other objets d'art from the U.S., Europe, and Japan. 

Coffee Studio  Neighborhood: Andersonville. A beautiful little neighborhood coffee shop that blends cozy design with well-crafted drinks made with Intelligentsia Coffee. The owners are wonderful, and the baristas know your name and drink preferences. It opened the winter after our son Ettu's birth earlier that fall. He's literally growing up there. Hop across the street to Roost for some vintage browsing. Oh, and if you go to their website, you can see the back of my head and Ettu's in the first photo on the page. Cool. 

L'Patron Tacos  Neighborhood: Logan Square. Okay, so here's our new fave rave. Can't get enough of these tacos. We read on Tasting Table about the stretch of great taco joints on Diversey and had to try them out. We've only made it to this one as of yet and can't bring ourselves to try the others out of sheer desire for going back here. The pastor tacos, fish tacos, and homemade horchata have been particularly inspiring. Only counter seating that makes a U-shape within the small location, but if you go off-hours, you may just get a spot. 

Green Genes  Neighborhood: Andersonville. This great little children's boutique, selling eco-friendly clothing, toys, and other accessories for children and adults opened in the spring of 2008. Owners Heather and Christina are warm, knowledgeable, and lovely people. And their store is pretty great, too! 

Winnemac Park  Neighborhood: North Lincoln Square. Our boys just started riding bikes without training wheels, and this is where they both learned. A park located on the central north part of town, Winnemac has great sidewalks for walking, biking, and scooting; prairie gardens, nature trails, baseball and soccer fields, and a playground. A true little oasis in the heart of the north side. 

Smart Museum  Neighborhood: Hyde Park. This small but truly significant art museum on the University of Chicago campus has been home to some of our favorite exhibits over the years. Smartly curated and boldly envisioned, the exhibitions and events are not to be missed. And given that the admission is always free, it is one of the best things do do on the weekend. 

Seminary Co-op Bookstore  Neighborhood: Hyde Park. When we moved to Chicago in the winter of 1998, I had just left a doctoral program in comparative literature. I was feeling a little woozy with this decision and was happy to find a cavernous bookstore on the south side of town at the U of Chicago that fulfilled my every academic desire. This bookstore has since emerged from below ground to a beautifully and naturally-lit location nearby but still retains its labyrinth feel through its book shelves. Widely considered one of the best academic bookstores in the world, I still go here to get my academic and bookish fix every once in a while. 

Black Dog Gelato  Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village and Roscoe Village. The first location of this gourmet gelato store was housed in a corner storefront literally four doors down from our first apartment in Chicago. Back then it was the Lava Lounge. Now, it is its own sanctuary of sorts. Amazing artisinal gelato that inspires the taste buds. A particular favorite? Goat Cheese Cashew Caramel. Doesn't that just say it all? 

Aroy Thai and Rosded  Neighborhood: Lincoln Square East/Lincoln Square. Here's the gist of it. These two thai restaurants represent both our new and old selves in Chicago. Aroy Thai is our relatively new discovery with a great authentic Thai menu (you have to ask for it separately, and you must order from that!), and Rosded is our old stand-by from our earliest days in Chicago. Great, simple Thai food. Consistently. Enough said. 

The Sweden Shop  Neighborhood: Albany Park. I'm going to give away a little secret here. Every time I want a truly special gift for someone, I try to find it here. The owners and employees at this Scandinavian design and home store are magical merchandising mavens. Everything from table linens and Finnish pottery to children's toys, this shop has the most beautiful elements from all over Scandinavia. A lovely little gem near North Park University. 

Sandmeyer's Bookstore  Neighborhood: South Loop. I haven't been here for quite a while, mainly due to the fact that my life now keeps me far off from the South Loop, our old stomping grounds. But back in the day, I spent many hours perusing shelves at this amazing and one-of-the-few-left family-owned, independent bookstores in Chicago. 

Pastoral Artisan  Neighborhood: Lakeview and Downtown. A good friend of mine in Lakeview introduced me to this artisan cheese, food, and wine shop a few years ago, and soon after, I discovered my favorite lunch craving when it opened a sister store just a few blocks from my office downtown: the Sandwich Campagne, with country pate, gruyere cheese, whole grain dijon mustard and cornichons. Exceptional offerings and great service.

So there it is for now. Obviously there are oodles of places I have left off the list, so I will continue to post as things come to my mind. For now, happy dreaming of your favorite spots, wherever you may roam.

The writing on the wall: do we really grow out of creativity?

A painting project with the boys

My husband and sons have been reading books on the Lascaux cave drawings and have even gone as far as taping up large swaths of paper in our hallway for the boys to recreate their own cave drawings. So far we have dolphins, snakes, zebras, mammoths, birds, etc. scaling the walls. This project is one of many that seem to take place around our apartment, the most frequent being Ettu's tape installations, where various colors of masking tape can be found on walls, windows, and baracading bedroom doors. Nalin and I were recently watching a video of Khoi Vinh, the former designer director at NYTimes.com who acutely states that "as we get older, we grow out of creativity." What a solemn thought. Vinh goes on to illustrate, through his own daughter, how children are endlessly interested in creating and imagining new things. And yet, somewhere along the way our children are taught, just as we were, that the values of creation are of secondary importance in life. Or perhaps we become more and more self-conscious of the ways we can contribute creatively on a personal or especially on a societal level.

Entrepreneur and blogger Andrew Chen wrote an interesting post today for new college graduates, stating quite simply and emphatically: Don't sell your time. Step number 1: "Learn to make something, anything." And yet this notion seems to baffle most of us. If anything, perhaps the frustrated economy of the last four-to-five years may compel some to let go of some of the tried-and-not-always-true beliefs that our education and upbringing alone will help us survive, navigate, and even succeed in the new economy. Our challenge for ourselves and for our families is ever more complex. Or perhaps it is simply more basic. We need to go back to the roots of creativity that are evident in all of us from the beginning. And we need to have an unembarrassed and unencumbered faith in ourselves in ways we haven't felt since we were very young. And that is the writing on the wall. A foray into the new, building upon something very old: our own tenacity of spirit and will — growing from and through creativity, rather than outgrowing it altogether. And like the painters of Lascaux, we can explore artistic expression and make creative decisions that may just set us apart, in the end.

What do paper-clips and wicker furniture have in common?

Love this. Thanks, Nalin, for sending this from Explore. Gotta assemble my own list and then find some lovely artist to illustrate. This might prove to be an exciting challenge! Anyone want to join me?

Lynore Avery illustrates Susan Sontag's favorite things