South Side Highlights, Chicago

Chicago, although officially having 2 Major League Baseball teams, really only has one. You really can't count the Cubs, as that is nothing more than a sham and not any more dissimilar than any money-stealing sideshow. Fact is, the White Sox have been a more consistent and winning team than even, yes, the Cubbies.

The White Sox are Playoff-bound this year, and are legitamate contenders to win the World Series this year. Meanwhile, the Cubs have been mathematically eliminated. Life is sweet.

The White Sox home field is US Cellular Field, located in the Canaryville neighborhood on the South Side. It is located only 10 minutes South of the downtown area, and is easily accessible by train and the Dan Ryan Expressway.

With the core of their team under contract for a decent amount of years to come, the White Sox promise to be THE baseball team to see when visitng Chicago. Come on out, enjoy the game, then either go furhter South to the Beverly neighborhood for a celebratory night out or into the city if you prefer. Or, you can stay right in the neighborhood and drink at Jimbo's or Puffer's with some real die-hard Sox fans!

In the late 19th century Chicago's wealthy elite called Prairie Avenue home. The nearby Levee district, notorious for its brothel and drug houses (patronized mainly by cops and politicians) and a worker's protest march, which saw disgrunted proletariets actually ringing the doorbells of their employers, egging them to come out, caused Chicago's elite to look for a slice of the good life elsewhere.
   The 20th century saw a quick decline, as mansion after mansion fell to commercial interests and the rich escaped north to the Gold Coast.
   Today the Prairie Avenue Historic District is an elegant peaceful respite from the bustle of the Loop and Near North, a mere two miles away. Please visit my detailed travelogue for more pictures and visiting information.

The dream of railroad industrialist George M. Pullman came to reality in 1881 with the birth of Pullman, the archetypical industry town; a place where the American worker would live and work in a wholesome, healthful enviroment and Pullman himself would always see a 6% return on his investments. Most, but not all, residents worked for the Pullman company, which produced railroad cars.

   Things came to a head with the violent Strike of 1894. Pullman workers, led by Eugene Debs and the newly formed American Railway Union fought battles against hired thugs and scabs. President Cleveland sent in federal troops who arrested Debs and forced the strikers back to work.

 Declared a blighted area in 1960, Pullman today is a testament to community pride and civic action. Please visit my separate "Pullman, IL" page for more pictures of these beautiful row houses and information on resident-led wakling tours.

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The University of Chicago campus is located in Hyde Park on the city's South Side. It is where I got my bachelor's degree. The school, whose campus is not too big, was founded in 1890 by John D. Rockefeller. Besides enjoying the neo-Gothic architecture, there are several historically significant or famous spots on campus that should be noted. First is the site of the world's first self-sustained nuclear reaction which is marked by the sculpture "Nuclear Energy" by Henry Moore located on Ellis Ave between 56th and 57th streets. The famous Oriental Institute is located at the corner of 58th and University Ave. You will also be able to find the original homes of Nobel Prize-winning scientists Enrico Fermi and Robert Millikan on Woodlawn Ave. The impressive Rockefeller Chapel, located at the corner of 59th and Woodlawn, is the tallest structure on campus. To have lunch or dinner, eat at the Bartlett Dining Hall (2nd floor), which is located at the corner of 57th and University Ave. I think it has the best food on campus. You obviously should not miss the the Main Quadrangle, which could make you think you are on the campus of Oxford or Cambridge.