Sybil has been trying to persuade me to do a Chicago journal for quite some time now. It certainly makes a lot more sense for me to write about the town I was born in and know the best, than for me to try to write about Singapore, Beijing, and Asia. However, it's hard to write about your hometown. You don't see it through the fresh eyes of a traveler. It's all too easy to take a hometown for granted.

Taking things for granted runs very much against my philigion though. I strongly believe that the best way to travel is to be a traveler in your own town. You should always strive to see things with fresh eyes. Walking to work every day, along the same path, I remind myself to look around and see the wonder of living in the middle of a grand city. When I do this, I always seem to see something that catches my eye.

Chicago is far from perfect. In fact, I used to loathe the place much of the time while growing up here. I moved away as soon as I could and didn't return for a dozen years. I've stayed here five years out of the past seven though and have discovered and rediscovered much I like. Many areas have greatly improved. The area where I now live, Printer's Row on Dearborn Street in the South Loop, is rather upscale. When I was in high school, I remember coming down south Dearborn Street and passing derelict buildings inhabited by many vagrants. The area where I used to live on Wells Street was a warehouse district, completely deserted at night outside of a few dubious looking bars. I can remember standing in the middle of the intersection of Wells Street and Erie looking at darkness all the way downtown. I stood there talking with my uncle for about fifteen minutes and no cars came by. Today, this area is now called "River North" and is a hot area both for nightlife and for people moving back to the city.

The city in general was run-down and derelict. Now it seems to be thriving. The mayor has done a great job at beautification. I can't believe the number of flowers I've seen planted around town. The parks are greatly improved. Unemployment is low and construction goes on everywhere.

Economic booms do not come without drawbacks though. Traffic is worse than ever. Any major event seems crushingly crowded. There are still some very bad parts of the city that have seen little to no benefits. Prices are higher. Busy, busy, busy.

Something happened last weekend to finally get me started on this journal. I was on the El train with my wife Sybil. She's courageously battling cancer and is wearing a cumbersome back brace due to mets to the spine. Riding on the El is rather difficult for her. Despite this, she noticed two foreign travelers and went well out of her way to give them directions and touring tips. Sybil approached them unsolicited and wound up sketching a rough map for them. They were two nice women from Columbia who appeared to be extremely grateful for her help.

I'm not so good at butting my way into other people's lives. Sybil is just more outgoing and relentlessly considerate. Yesterday we were hurrying to get to a film preview (Roger Ebert was there). Some friends of ours had dropped out at the last minute, so we had four spare tickets. Sybil made sure the tickets didn't go to waste, soliciting strangers on the street and before the ticket line. I can admire her methods, but I'm just not like that. However, I can jot down some travel tips for Chicago, giving the visitor a local's perspective that you won't see in most guidebooks. I'll try to concentrate on things that are near each other and will try to give you logistics on getting there with public transportation.

May as well start with some of the tips Sybil offered the women from Columbia. If you're on the Red Line El train running north from the loop, you could have a pleasant day poking around the area that runs from the Belmont stop north to the Sheridan stop. I'm not a baseball fan (go Bulls!), but Wrigley Field is in this area and its vine-covered walls and enthusiastic crowds make this one of the best places to see the game. I go out of my way to see soccer and rugby matches when I'm overseas. I have little interest in these sports; I just like to see the local take on their favorite sports. Likewise, I think that a Cubs game would be a revealing stop for a foreign visitor.

If you were looking for a place to eat in this area, I would head south from the park on Clark Street. The Salt and Pepper is one of Sybil's favorites for diner type food. Just next to this is a branch of the local Goose Island Brewpub -- their Honker's Ale is the best bet. Further south, there are a bunch of pretty decent Japanese places, along with an interesting Ethiopian place. There's certainly no lack of dining choice in this area, known variously as Wrigleyville or Lakeview (some would argue the former is a subset of the latter). Around the Sheridan El stop, I can recommend the small Mexican restaurant across the street from the Tibetan Café (also recommended -- good for vegetarians).

Wrigley Field and some restaurants are not much of a tip though. For something truly unique, head north from the park and walk along Alta Vista Street. This was originally a modest housing development from Samuel Gross around the turn of the century. Today, these houses are recognized as architectural gems and have posh interiors. The small houses on this "street of forty doors" are mirror images (with some slight variation) of each other, running along the opposite side of the street. You'll notice this easiest from the middle of the block.

Even better, head north again to the cemeteries! Graceland is the famous one, but both Wunder's and Jewish Graceland are worth a look. Chicago is full of great cemeteries. Rambling Rose Hill on north Ravenswood is perhaps my favorite. A trip to the colorful Bohemian National Cemetery was a fun expedition with Sybil. Resurrection has some great statuary and Oak Woods has many famous residents. Mount Carmel is expansively wonderful and holds Al Capone's (and my grandmother's) remains.

Graceland is very special though and small enough to be manageable in one visit. Many locally famous people are buried here and the landscaping is amazing. After entering, check out a map inside the office. You'll want to head towards the pond in the upper left part of the grounds. Meandering is the best way to get there though -- don't just stick to the roads. I've seen a coyote in Graceland as well as deer.

I have some pictures of Graceland that I'll put up on my home page. For more pictures, I can recommend the Graveyards of Chicago site.

The Music Box Theater, on Southport, is in this neighborhood. I rarely go here, preferring the downtown Film Center at the Art Institute, but they do show a very good selection of art house films. Lots of places to eat around Southport as well, although some of my favorites are gone. You can pick up a Brown Line El train further south on Southport. Even further south, on Belmont you'll find some good live performance theaters (there's one on Clark as well) that are cheaper than downtown theaters. Heading east on Belmont will bring you back to the Red Line El. You'll pass an Indian restaurant that isn't bad at all. There are some places for dancing around here in the evening.

 Basic transportation tips. The tickets for the El train can be used on buses, usually as a free transfer within the hour. If you're going to be in town for a few days, I would recommend picking up a transit pass at any of the El stations. You can buy them from the machines, putting any amount you like on it. This ticket can be "recharged" if you need to add more money later. Bus drivers will not have change, so this is the easiest and most economical way of getting around. The tourist trolleys that go around the museums, Lincoln Park, Navy Pier, and even all the way out to Garfield Park are all free. Between these, you don't have to take too many taxis, although they are not unreasonable for short trips. From both airports, the CTA El train is definitely the recommended way to get into town.

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