Upcoming PUBLIC events
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CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY EXPLORATIONS
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Join a rotating selection of our expert guides for a tour that will help you decipher Chicago's unique architectural quirks, distinctive infrastructure, and topographic clues to make educated inferences about your city surroundings.
Whether you use your newfound knowledge to impress dates, look cool in front of your mom, or as a foundation for creating history tours of your own, this tour (and accompanying handout) distills years of study into a quick, interesting walk that will open your eyes to the beauty and history around you. Highlights include:
Developed by Patti Swanson and Laura Schuetz, with Phil Thompson of Cape Horn Illustration. |
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Thursday, May 16: 6:30-8pm
Pilsen with Laura Schuetz |
More dates coming soon!
Check back here for updates. |
Tastes & Tours of Albany Park
Chicago for Chicagoans is once again excited to partner with the North River Commission to offer a jam-packed weekend of walking tours & history-infused events in Albany Park. For a complete lineup of events, visit their Facebook page or website.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering tours on a "pay-what-you-can" basis. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is suggested & appreciated, but not required. Reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! Donate online fee-free at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering tours on a "pay-what-you-can" basis. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is suggested & appreciated, but not required. Reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! Donate online fee-free at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate.
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KICKOFF EVENT: NORTHSIDE HISTORY ROUNDTABLE Friday, May 3rd · 6:30-8:30PM Learn more about the history, development, and heritage of Albany Park, Irving Park, and North Park from a roundtable panel of local experts, all while enjoying tasty brews & food at the Kedzie Inn! Featuring Frances O'Cherony Archer (francesarcher.com), Joel Bookman (North River Commission), Jacob Kaplan (Forgotten Chicago), and Chicago for Chicagoans' own Anthony Alfaro & Patti Swanson! |
FROM BEAVERS TO BRICKYARDS:
ALBANY PARK WALKING TOUR Saturday, May 4th · 11:00-1:30PM Join Chicago for Chicagoans founder Patti Swanson on Saturday, May 4th for a one-of-a-kind Albany Park tour, exploring the history of the Chicago River and the way it has impacted the growth, identity, and shape of our community. From the earliest days of Native Americans and European explorers capturing beavers along the banks, to the impact of the industrial revolution's settlement, sewers, and brickyards, to the modern-day revival of this captivating natural resource, you'll discover how the history of the North Branch is inextricably intertwined with the history of our picturesque neighborhood. Beginning at the Francisco Brown Line station, the tour will wind through Albany Park along the path of the Chicago River's North Branch, ending at Marie's Pizza and Liquors. Participants are encouraged to stay & enjoy a meal with the group! |
BROWN LINE TOUR: MONTROSE TO KIMBALL
Saturday, May 4th · 6:00-8:00PM Join train enthusiast Ava Battocchio and Chicago for Chicagoans founder Patti Swanson on Saturday, May 4th for a brand new tour exploring the north end of Chicago's Brown Line and the unique slice of history its neighborhoods have to offer. Starting at the Montrose Brown Line station, this tour will keep you in the climate controlled confines of the CTA while you learn more about what's out the windows of your daily commute. From the industrial legacy of the Ravenswood industrial corridor, to the rich German heritage of Lincoln Square, to the diverse immigrant stories that pepper the history of Albany Park, we'll examine how Chicago neighborhoods are impacted, shaped, and forever bound by the history of their closest elevated train line. After the tour, participants are encouraged to put their newfound knowledge to the test at Nighthawk Chicago's debut Albany Park trivia night! |
ALBANY PARK GIRA DE HISTORIA: EN ESPANOL!
(ALBANY PARK WALKING TOUR IN SPANISH) Domingo, 5 de Mayo · 11am-1pm Chicago para Chicagoans esta feliz de presentar el primer gira en español con Elizabeth Nieto y Audrey Marquez! El tour empezará en Nighthawk Chicago (4744 N Kimball, Chicago, IL 60625) y continuará a el lado oeste de Albany Park-- el lado más multicultural y diverso. En esta área descubriremos las casas típicas de Chicago las Bungalow, las casas de campo icónicas que han sido diseñadas por el arquitecto Clarence Hatzfeld, y también la historia de los inmigrantes del área, teatros notables, hipódromos y 198 acres de parques. El gira terminara en Salsa's Grill (3808 W Lawrence Avenue), donde los invitamos a los participantes para almorzar con el grupo. Chicago para Chicagoans es una organización sin fines de lucro donde se “paga-lo-que-se-pueda”. Un tip de $10-20 por cada participante es sugerido y apreciado. Si no, una revisión en yelp o post en Facebook, y simplemente promocionandonos es invaluable. |
L'DOR VADOR:
THE JEWISH HISTORY OF ALBANY PARK Sunday, May 5 · 5:00-7:00PM From the early 1920s to the late 1970s, Albany Park was the center of the Northside Jewish population. Home to huge synagogues, multiple after-school youth centers, a Chicago library branch stocked with books on Jewish life and culture, and countless Jewish-owned delis and businesses, the Albany Park community was a bustling and vibrant example of American Jewry pre-urban flight. Albany Park historian Patti Swanson of Chicago for Chicagoans joins fourth-generation city resident and longtime collaborator Samantha Prestigiacomo for a tour that traces the history of the neighborhood and its residents, with a special focus on the Jewish roots that have faded into the neighborhood’s modern tapestry. Beginning at Nighthawk Chicago, the tour will end at Great Seas, where participants are encouraged to enjoy a meal with the group! |
2019 Walking tours
Chicago for Chicagoans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering tours on a "pay-what-you-can" basis. A suggested tip of $10-20 per person is suggested & appreciated, but not required. Reviewing us on Yelp, liking us on Facebook, spreading the word, and attending future tours tells us how much you love us too! Donate online fee-free at chicagoforchicagoans.org/donate.
MCKINLEY PARK WALKING TOUR
Saturday, April 27th • 1:00-3:30PM Sunday, April 28th • 1:00-3:30PM Chicago for Chicagoans returns to the southwest side for a 2.5 hour walk through McKinley Park, featuring special guest collaborator Erica Ruggiero! As a passionate advocate for Chicago's industrial history, Erica brings her expertise of the Central Manufacturing District to a tour that weaves and winds through picturesque streets of vernacular architecture. Beginning at the 35th/Archer Orange Line stop, we'll discover the history, landmarks, and towering structures of a neighborhood that's long been responsible for much of the city's bricks, iron, meat, furniture, and Goodyear Tires-- while also housing an ever-changing, diverse immigrant population. From humble homes, to towering manufacturing supercenters, to churches, schools, and parks, join us to explore McKinley Park's unique stamp on Chicago's magnificent blue collar history. The afternoon will end at Huck Finn's on Archer Ave, a homestyle family-owned diner serving up Alaska-sized donuts and pretty much everything else. |
ROGERS PARK WALKING TOUR
Saturday, May 11th • 1:00-3:30PM Sunday, May 12th • 1:00-3:30PM Chicago for Chicagoans is excited welcome back one of our original neighborhood experts, Wendy Bright, for two truly amazing 2.5 hour walks through Rogers Park! Wendy is a tour guide extraordinaire, writer, blogger, and Art Deco aficionado who brings her lifelong love affair with Chicago history full circle by diving with us into the glitz, glamour, and outrageous Prohibition antics of her own home neighborhood. Beginning at the Morse Red Line stop, the tour will cover Rogers Park's rich history, architecture, and landmarks-- from its earliest beginnings as a village on the city's outskirts, to its flirtations with luxury, elegance, and grand movie palaces, to its modern reputation as one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Chicago's Far North Side-- reported to be the city's best neighborhood for quality of life! The afternoon will end with coffee & bites at Common Cup , where participants are encouraged to enjoy a snack with the group! Come learn something new about your place in space! |
*NEW*! WEST RIDGE WALKING TOUR
Saturday, May 18th • 1:00-3:30PM Sunday, May 19th • 1:00-3:30PM Chicago for Chicagoans is at it again with our newest tour: a 2.5 hour walk through the neighborhood of West Ridge, featuring special guest collaborator Anthony Alfaro! Anthony is a lifelong Chicago resident and midwest enthusiast excited to share the rich history of diversity that characterizes the neighborhood he grew up in still today. Beginning outside the Northtown Chicago Public Library, the tour will cover the history, architecture, and landmarks of this suburban-feeling enclave long known for its Jewish heritage, blue collar work ethic, and gorgeous Pratt Boulevard mansions. From the tumultuous fights amongst cabbage farmers, to the creation of hand-drawn pinup girls, to classic bungalows and fieldhouses, you'll discover there's plenty of fascinating history awaiting you even in the far reaches of the city. The afternoon will end at Candlelite Chicago, a beloved Northside bar serving up classic square-cut Chicago pizzas for nearly 70 years. |
CHINATOWN WALKING TOUR
Saturday, May 25th • 2:00-4:00PM Sunday, June 2nd • 2:00-4:00PM Chicago for Chicagoans dives into the rich cultural tapestry of the city again on our oh-so-popular 2 hour neighborhood tour of Chinatown, featuring Chicago for Chicagoans' Vitaliy Vladimirov and Patti Swanson alongside special guest collaborator Debbie Liu! Debbie is a lifelong Chinatown community member whose work with the Coalition for A Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) has focused on modernizing this unique pocket of Chicago while preserving its iconic heritage. Beginning at the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line station, the tour will cover the history, architecture, and landmarks of the second-oldest Chinatown settlement in the country. Discover the area's distinctive 20th-century buildings, bustling commercial streets, and skyline views while learning about historic and modern struggles against urban renewal, resident displacement, and gentrification. The afternoon will end at Ming Hin Cuisine, a Michelin-recognized local favorite for Dim Sum. Come learn more about your place in space! |
WEST TOWN WALKING TOUR
Saturday, June 8th • 1:00-3:30PM Sunday, June 9th • 1:00-3:30PM Chicago for Chicagoans returns for another set of 2.5 hour walks through Chicago's West Town community area, featuring special guest collaborator Maria Avila Risolute! Maria is a painter and a lover of history who puts her expertise to good use on Chicago for Chicagoan's Board of Directors. Beginning at Eckhart Park, the tour will cover the architecture, landmarks, and community history of an area known for its many, highly distinctive pocket neighborhoods... all of which we're bypassing in favor of the lesser-known landscape between Kinzie & Chicago Avenues! From its important early role as a home for Ukrainian & Polish immigrants, to the effects of Depression-era redlining, and the continuous, diverse industrial history of the Kinzie Corridor, there's lots to be learned from the story of this quiet, artsy community. Additionally, the tour will highlight the many women-owned small businesses that dot the area! We'll end the afternoon with a meal at The Rookery, a woman-owned neighborhood restaurant known for its bird-themed cocktails and tasty eats. Come learn more about your place in space! |
PILSEN WALKING TOUR
Saturday, June 15th • 1:00-3:30PM Sunday, June 16th • 1:00-3:30PM Chicago for Chicagoans is excited to welcome you back for another exploration of Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, featuring special guest collaborator Blanca Torres! Blanca is a native resident of Pilsen who has spent the last few years active in the grassroots effort to preserve St. Adalbert's. Beginning at the 18th Street Pink Line Station, the tour will cover the history, architecture, landmarks, and gentrification struggles of this iconic neighborhood. From its infancy as the Slavic, melting pot neighborhood Plzeň, to its 1960s transformation into the Latinx area it's known as today, the rich history of Pilsen is one that highlights the stories of immigrants, celebrates the colorful contributions of artists, and dives into a spectacular variety of architecture from working class cottages to opulent cathedrals. The afternoon will end at Creperia Nuevo Leon, where participants are encouraged to enjoy a meal with the group. Please note: this tour will be conducted in English, but questions can be asked & answered in Spanish. Are you a bilingual resident of Pilsen interested in helping us develop a Spanish-language version of the tour? Contact us! |
FARTHER OUT...
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Summer 2019
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August 17-18
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August 10-11
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September 7-8
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October 26-27
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Click "My Applets" then "New Applet"
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If you want to follow our Eventbrite events (for those without FB), paste this link:
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When we post a new event, IFTTT will let you know.
You can also sign up for our email newsletter on the contact page.
(but we're not super diligent about sending it)
Stay tuned... |
PLEASE NOTE:
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Help us plan a tour in your neighborhood!
We're prioritizing tours in the following areas-- contact us to get in touch:
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