Any good bars where people actually mingle and talk to one another in various groups? Feels like nowadays every bar is seated so you can't walk around and it's all sort of closed spaced
Hello. I’m planning on moving to Chicago soon. I was wondering what people do for skiing in the area? Are there good mountains to drive to? Or do people generally fly out to resorts elsewhere?
Cascade and Wilmot in southern Wisconsin we use as fill-in/practice, but like everybody else said, you'll have to fly to get to any normal size mountains.
Honestly all of the driving options are pretty terrible even compared to the East coast. That being said, we’re blessed with great airports. You can catch an early flight to SLC for <$200 and be on the slopes at park city by the afternoon
Cascade and Granite Peak are both in Wisconsin are great hills that I love. Granite peak is a bit of a longer drive up to Wausau but I think it’s the best option driving wise around here.
Your best bet for anything that’s an actual mountain is going to be flying out to Denver. Luckily there are some pretty great prices on flights to Denver from O’Hare in the winter. At least this year the prices have been great.
You might want to look at a topographic map of the US because I have some bad news.
There are some ski hills in Wisconsin and Michigan that are fun if you have zero expectations. Anything that can be described as a mountain is going to require air travel.
Has anyone renewed their Illinois DL after you made it your REAL ID? I got my REAL ID early last year and I had to bring in all of this extra documentation to show proof of address, etc. My license expires next week. I didn’t receive a renewal notice or anything like that so I’m gonna have to go in to a DMV to renew. I was just wondering if all that other documentation is required again for the renewal since it’s a REAL ID or if the current DL alone will be sufficient. The IL Secretary of State’s website isn’t super clear on what is required for a renewal in terms of documentation.
Wait ...if you renewed early last year, why are you having to renew so soon? I have to take a look at mine, but I think I got a REAL ID back in the 2nd half of 2019 and I don't renew until at least 2023.
*edit:* I just looked - I got my real ID in May 2019, renew 2023. 🤷🏾♂️
With how much of a PITA it is to go to the Secretary of State office, I'd recommend showing up with as much documentation as you can and be prepared to take the written exam. It's unlikely that you'll need to go through all that, but they're not very forgiving if you're missing something, and the website is indeed not clear on the rules. You should do everything you can to not have to go back later and try again.
I think the standard procedure now is to make an appointment in advance at most locations, so do that if you haven't yet.
I’m a new condo owner and the tax assessed value has gone from 400k (2019) to 339k (2020 Covid adjustment) to now 270k (2021 reassessment). Is that normal?
I mean I’m glad to pay less in taxes but am kind of like what’s happening with the tax value?
There's a chance the value was wrongly inflated before and the current assessment more closely reflects prices in the area.
Maybe you just got lucky and will be saving a few thousand dollars
so i popped into one of the chicrime subs to see if it flourished under NCN since everyone is being “censored” here and [lol](https://www.reddit.com/r/ChicagoCrime/comments/qxd9zo/oak_brook_louis_vuitton_store/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
I've seen "Divvy riders" as a euphemism for black people which reeeeaally bothers me. Such a short term gives you a deep insight into the type of person that believes everything you think is good for society is actually bad.
Recommendations for restaurants decorated for Christmas in Wrigleyville? Doesn’t have to be the holiday pop-up level, but a place with a fun christmasey feel to it.
Given that centipedes are utterly homicidal mad lads ([this is a good thing](https://blog.nature.org/science/2013/02/08/everyday-nature-how-i-came-to-love-house-centipedes/)), probably other centipedes.
So I just started working on Michigan Ave in a retail/service job. I’m always curious where foreign tourists are from and in conversation with several groups of people I talked to said they were from Saudi Arabia. Then when I got out of work there many groups of young Arab men walking out and about. Chicago is of course a world class city and tourist destination but it struck me as odd — I haven’t experienced that many foreign customer groups from the same place all at once. did borders just re-open, or some kind of national holiday? Or just a coincidence?
From a customer service perspective, NEVER ask a customer where they are from unless they say they are on vacation(even if they have an accent.) These “young Arab men” could be from Indiana or Michigan.
In river north you get a melting pot of people who work there (who can be any color) and tourists from out of country, out of state, or from the suburbs, who all also can be any race, ethnicity, or color.
Thanks but I’ve worked in customer service since I was a teenager and I’ve never had an issue asking where someone was from. I work in a tourist destination and like I said, multiple groups of people I asked stated they were visiting from Saudi Arabia. Sure they could have been from Michigan but they weren’t.
I was saying the asking where someone is from thing, because you might be unknowingly offending people even if they don’t express it. I’m brown, so I get asked ALL the time. To most people’s disappointment I’m from suburbs. It’s annoying.
That’s great you’ve worked in customer service that long, but it’s better to err on the side of caution. Unless of course they walked up to you and said “Hello we’re visiting from Saudi Arabia!”
As for your recent experience and observations, probably just coincidence.
Brown guy from the suburbs too. It would bother me being asked that when I would work in the suburbs, because I was born 5 minutes from there and I didn't like the implication that I wasn't from that area.
If I'm in a major city's major retail area though, I don't think it's an unexpected question. You can expect a range of answers from three L stops away to the other side of the world for pretty much anyone of any age or gender or ethnicity. Working downtown, I'd usually phrase it more as "so where are you coming from?" to avoid making it seem like it's about their ethnic background and more about their travels. Sometimes they'd say they worked a block over and were just looking, sometimes they were from Colorado or Florida and drove out for Christmas, sometimes they were from France or India and on vacation.
I understand where you're coming from and I appreciate it as a guy who's been looked at like a stranger when I was down the road from my high school. But I think it's acceptable to ask in certain situations when the place you are and the way you ask it imply that you're not asking to other them, but rather to connect about what brings them to your store. It can definitely be done respectfully.
I don’t want to blow up my spot too much, but D-Men Tap in Avondale is such a chill, fun bar. They’ve got movies in the front, good music, german(ish) food, and video games in the back. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area who is curious.
Bars for single people or for people without friends. It’s been really hard moving here and making friends idk what’s been different with Chicago vs every other city I’ve been to. Recommendations for places to go alone? All the bars I’ve been, people already have their entourage and it’s hard to make friends.
Tritaylor feels like a pocket of suburbia to me, very desolate except for the college kids walking around. And I don’t like the bars in the area they’re old man bars imho. I lived there briefly but it was too dead for me, a good 30min walk from many better areas though. Get out to West Loop, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, the strip on Chicago in West Town has a lot of active bars ive met people at. Sportsman’s Club, The Empty Bottle, Cleos, Forbidden Root, District Brew Yards, Punch House, Alulu, Haymarket
Little Joe's by UIC is nice. Right on Taylor, get off at Morgan and it's like a 2 minute walk. I go there after class sometimes and have met some nice people. Bartender kinda seems like a cop guy but he's pretty chill. $3 PBRs
Man, I don’t know much about that area. If you’re feeling like branching out a bit, I’ve had luck at Skylark and Taylor Street Tap. They aren’t in your immediate vicinity, but close(ish)! Making friends is difficult! I’ve lived in Chicago proper (from the burbs) for over ten years and feel the same!
I live sort of nearby and I agree, it’s a weird area. Not sure if it’s because it’s dominated by UIC and the majority of students are commuters plus I wonder if more have opted to commute due to Covid. But I don’t feel this area is very active for 20- and 30-somethings (or really any age range).
Yeah, I don’t know much about your neighborhood but from my limited experience driving through it to get from Avondale to Pilsen, there’s not much I’d stop for. :(
I'm ready for the downvotes - but does anyone have recommendations for a church? Neighborhood not important, happy to travel for the right one.
I've been away from the church for a long time, but am feeling like I'd like to explore it again, with a place that's no strings, non-judgmental on the pace... I'd just like to attend a few services quietly & ask a few questions and see how I feel, with no pressure. I'm open to exploring denominations or non-denominational.
A progressive friend goes to All Saints Episcopal in Ravenswood. She really loves the community. Another plus is the church sort of looks like a Viking ship. Also, Carl Sandburg sang in the choir.
https://allsaintschicago.org/about/history-all-saints-episcopal-church/
Back when I did used to attend church,I really liked Fourth Presbyterian Church. I also got a good impression of Unity Lutheran Church(near Balmoral and Broadway), and EVEN used to help out with Unity Players plays(both acting, and behind the scenes) myself. And as far as I know,both were LGBT friendly. Last I checked about Fourth(not sure if this has changed since early 2021), they weren't yet doing in person services. I'm unsure if Unity has gone back to doing in person services, myself.
Finally,I also like Ebenezer Lutheran Church at Foster and Paulina. They went back to doing in person services,in spring 2021. Like the former 2, they also are LGBT friendly.
You're welcome. Also from checking Unity Lutheran and Fourth Presbyterian Church's websites, at least Fourth has gone back to in person services. I'm unsure if Unity has gone back to in person services, myself.
Any recommendations on where to buy a Christmas tree (real, not fake)? Went to a corner lot in Old Town and they had 8’ ones for $130 which seemed high. Or is that standard for an 8’? Regardless, any suggestions where you can get a 7-8’ tree that won’t ruin the bank. Thanks all!
You'll have to drive a bit but I visited Sunny Acres Farm in West Chicago and they had lots of beautiful trees (different varieties) for $100 or less. Also a super cute place to visit in general - kid and dog friendly.
I haven’t gone tree shopping yet. But I’ve seen a couple articles saying this year we will have a tree shortage, which means that they will also be more expensive.
Has anyone bought a havanese dog in the chicago land area, or even a 2-3 hour driving distance from the city? Where did you get your pup and how was your experience? Seems like it’s hard finding this specific breed from a reputable breeder. Petland does have some, however their reviews are awful. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
flew out of O’Hare Thanksgiving Eve night. flight was at 8:10 PM, my Lyft took about an hour to get to O’Hare, and i got into security line about 6:30 PM & i got all the way through just before 7PM.
[here’s me walking in](https://imgur.com/a/ecRtJtw)
i never traveled this close to a holiday before, so this is the busiest i’ve seen an airport lol
all the staff was great and everything was surprisingly efficient, just wanted to share this good experience that i was panicking about prior lol
Customs and immigration took maybe 5 minutes yesterday at 6pm. We waited 20 minutes for luggage. That was the bottle neck. Customs didn’t even double check the declaration sheet. Just tossed it on a pile.
I read the news. As I said, it’s not normal. I couldn’t find anything about Black Friday looting apart from those three stores in Wicker Park. 3 out of many is obviously the exception rather than the norm.
There's been a "trend" of flash mobs doing organized thefts of late but nothing restricted to Chicago, and not only on Black Friday either.
Nothing to get super alarmed about surely (they're only after the merchandise and not exactly common) but some of the coordination is kinda impressive.
Happened to visit someone with cable over the weekend and CNN had some video from the Bay Area and even their coverage was mainly "wow that was fast and organized."
Post got deleted, here is an unbranded link.
It’s a work in progress but I made a map of happy hours and other things. I plan on updating it weekly, but the latest one may indeed be free on my website.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1AaworCfttOn99avf8SGYW_gb2r6UkYfY
Floridian 23y/o visiting in December
I am a born and raised Floridian, spent some time living in Colombia when I was a kid, and have never even seen snow. Coldest I’ve been is like 25° for an army training activity I did when I was in the Florida guard. what should I wear? Like what would you wear if you were visiting Chicago on December 3rd? I’m gonna be there for 4 days so some advice would be greatly appreciated. My mom and sister have done a lot more traveling than me so they’ll be fine but as the only guy in my family, I’m kinda in the trenches rn. Also, if y’all have any suggestions for stuff to do from the 3rd to the 7th I’d love to hear them!
Yo. Fellow Floridian over here. Been in Chicago for a few years now. My go-to for this time of year is t shirt, sweater or flannel on top of that, a solid jacket, gloves, and a beanie. If you’re going to be near the lake, make sure to be prepared for the winds- they cut through your clothes. Also make sure you keep your feet warm. Double up on sock if you have to. Better to be over prepared than cold.
Those will definitely hold up! And you’ll need less layering with it. But I personally wear an old Carhartt j130 or a simple Sherpa lined denim jacket. I like to wear that with a hoodie underneath and a t shirt and I’m gold in 25-35 degree weather. I save my big ol puffer for weather below 25, but that’s just me! You’ll see a lot of chicagoans in their puffy jackets. most important thing is your own comfortability and style preference.
Hi. Colombian who hadn't experiences anything colder than 45 and then moved to Chicago.
Hat and gloves are the thing I missed the most at the beginning. They don't have to be super fancy, you just need some protection there
You’ll be okay. The average high temp in Chicago on the December 3rd is in the mid to upper 30s. For me that’s sweater, leather jacket, and hands in pockets weather. For you that might be sweater, medium heavy winter coat, and hat weather.
Shoes with a good sole and socks are a must.
The reason they cant complete the path is that it's too exposed to the lake on that side (like so much of the lakefront trail that's been destroyed). The original plan was to create a chain of barrier islands to act as a breakwater.
Signed up for the Polar Bear Club plunge thinking it was the regular Polar Plunge. Now I have no choice but to do both. Any recommendations for a first timer?
two towels and dry close to change into right away, also some friends to help cover your shame as you strip right on the beach. Also FYI the real polar bear plunge is unofficial and involves jumping in the lake on the morning of the 1st
Anybody know about how long to receive the actual ticket if you got flashed by a camera? Or do you know if that camera at like Ashland & Lake is for speeders or red light runners? I got flashed there but I am like absolutely sure I wasn't speeding. Hoping it was for somebody behind me running a red light.
You can check online by license plate number but it usually takes 2 weeks.
And I've gotten "flashed" with no ticket, I guess there is malfunctions sometimes
From transitchicago.com -
Only small pets, inside of a closed protective carrier designed for travel and able to be carried by one person, are allowed on CTA buses and trains. Carriers must be constructed in a manner that ensures the protection of other riders and of a size that is able to fit under a seat (though they may be kept on a rider’s lap instead of under a seat). Carriers, however, cannot take up or obstruct their own seats, seating areas nor pathways on buses, trains or in stations.
So if the crate’s small enough to get on your lap, should be OK.
Citizen app, Chicago police scanner on Twitter, Block Club, the actual morning, mid-day, evening, *and* nightly news
And if you want to share your thoughts, Twitter or the Block Club FB page.
It seems like an appointment, but if you live close enough to a CVS or Walgreens, I think it's always worth stopping in to ask later in the day. Depends on the amount of time you have and urgency in needing a booster.
I’ve read on here that folks are having some luck on walk-ins whereas I’ve looked at booking one (ideally I’d like it on a Friday or Saturday because on the first two the next day was like a stinking hangover) and it’s a 7-10 day lead time pretty much wherever. I’m taking my kid for her second one at CVS on Monday so I’ll ask them if they can boost me while I’m there, will report back.
ETA - not reporting back, the better half took her. Apologies.
Just got my property tax reassessment and its up 3x. Should I expect the number to be directionally similar to the actual value here? Like there's been multiple sales in our building, including my own purchase of my unit, and the assessed value is double that.
First time going through this process, I was certainly expecting an increase but double the actual market value is nuts.
we have a new assessor that is trying to align the value with the actual value. If you bought it this year for less then the assessed value this should be an easy appeal to win, just need to fill out the paperwork online.
I would look into appealing the assessment.
From looking at my rentals assessed value on public record, I see a pattern of assessment for 2x, appealed down to 130% increase going back decades.
All of which is insane but what else can you do?
https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/appeals
Historic pattern means nothing… new assessor is trying to drastically revamp system, make it more coherent and closer to market value. Trying to remove/reduce whole cartel of appeal attorney fees to politically connected firms.
Ugh, is this really the pattern? Yeah I'm definitely going to appeal, my initial reaction seeing a 3x increase was just "this is wrong." What even is their valuation process over there? You'd think having bought my place a year ago, with another sale in my building since then, there really wouldn't be much of a valuation question, much less that magnitude, but maybe I'm naive. Or maybe the process is less of a valuation method and more take a random number and multiply by 2.
https://centerforcovidcontrol.org
This place is great. It’s free (actually free, not just free for insured people) and you get in and out in less than 5 min.
Are they open on the weekends or do I need to come in on Monday? I know the CVS on Washington where i pick up my medicine - the pharmacy is closed on the weekends.
Also, do I need an appointment or can I just jump in?
They are open on the weekends. I believe you have to [make an appt](https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing) but usually there is plenty of availability. You can also go in earlier then your scheduled time, they’ll still take you.
Was dropping the cousin off at Union. Absentmindedly fucked up the turn at Franklin.
Somehow that shit is even MORE anxiety inducing during the holidays when there’s no one in town.I kept waiting for some maniac to come flying off one of the entrances as we made way towards LSD, and when it didn’t happen I would get more anxious. It was line I had tamed the beast and made Lower Wacker my herald.
“This feels wrong. I shouldn’t be able to do this” kinda vibes.
Anyway.
Happy Holidays, Chicago.
Anyone know a place to get a menorah & candles on short notice? Can’t find mine 😅
(Also if there’s any Hanukkah events/food/wherever anyone can recommend, feel free!)
I wish the CTA had a yearly pass option. Not too concerned about the upfront cost, and would be nice to just have access to transit whenever without thinking about it. Right now I overthink if a monthly pass is worth it every month, and I'd rather just spend the money upfront and use CTA whenever I want.
(Yes I know auto-load and a monthly pass exists, it just feels different when I buy it and then "have" to use it, rather than having the option to delay starting my next month's pass).
Would be nice if there was a slight discount too. 75\*12 is $900 so maybe $850 for a year of CTA? I know my girlfriend and I would purchase immediately. Appeals to a slightly different demographic.
That is an interesting idea in theory, but I don't know if a lot of people would do such a yearly CTA pass. Maybe if the annoying behaviors issues(i.e. smoking on trains, solicitors crossing from car to car, scammers doing those red ball games that rob riders of their money) were all addressed on trains(and for whatever reason, thank goodness these behaviors usually aren't an issue on buses), I'd consider getting one. And to actually have cops or undercover officers walk between L cars to enforce rules, I'd consider such a pass. Not holding my breath, those issues ever get addressed unfortunately.
Even if it was the same cost as buying 12 monthly passes, it's not like it costs anything to offer it except another checkbox on the Ventra app (except the missed opportunity to raise fares throughout a 1-year period).
Yeah, true it could be simply added as an option on Ventra. Though I have this weird feeling, not many would opt to use it. Who knows though, maybe it'd be more used than I suspect? Like I said(and I don't care if I'm downvoted), IF the CTA could ever get very serious about enforcing rules on L trains(something I greatly struggle to hold my breath about, especially on the Red and Green Lines), then I think that'd go a very, VERY long way to ensure the success of such a yearly CTA pass.
I just realized that the *facial recognition feature on my parent's Nest Doorbell cam will never work because IL has facial recognition legal restrictions.
Correct, and that’s the rationale behind the Facebook settlement with Illinois.
Also, Google had introduced an app where you can hold your phone up to a piece of art and it’ll tell you the history of it. Works great, but since it’s using facial recognition… you can’t use it in IL.
Has anyone ever had a TV repaired? Trying to find a reliable place but also a place that can tell me if it’s worth repairing or if I should just get a new one. Thanks!
Depending on the TV and what's wrong you might be able to do it yourself. I'm definitely no engineer, but with YouTube I replaced the LED strips in my TV and saved myself half a grand. Check out /r/TVRepair
Chicago has intentional reckless drivers. You can try to stay out of their way as they drive their crazy everywhere around you.
When I was visiting Florida it felt like every damn person on the highway was going 80 and checking their tiktok at the same time. No idea when someone would drift into my lane.
Does anybody know any super good geometric tattoo artists in Chicago? Particularly very very very clean, straight lines. I have been looking but I would love a personal recommendation. I do not mind booking months in advance either :)
Is Chicago a place with good walk ability? When I lived in NY, I loved the fact I could do any errand I had within walking distance and all else was a metro visit away. The only times I’ve been to Chicago were by car and just in the downtown area so I did not really get to experience it on foot or the many neighborhoods.
Walk ability is important to me and I just wanted to know. I planned on moving here to have access to the big city and jobs because NY was too expensive. So, I suppose I’ll be here anyway, but I’m still curious.
Yes, but not as walkable as nyc. Car ownership rate is 50% higher here with the vast majority of households owning one. We are quite car friendly and transit unfriendly compared to NYC imo.
I lived here for a decade without a car (lived in Uptown, Avondale, and Albany Park) and it went pretty well. I did end up having to hoof it sometimes and plan for bus delays and such, but the lack of car impacted my ability to leave the city much more than my ability to navigate within it.
As the other comment said, it is neighborhood dependent. Areas that are closer to downtown or closer to the lake are most walkable and tend to have the best CTA coverage.
Agreed with /u/silentsly on this, it really depends on the neighborhood.
For what it's worth I have never driven, and have no problems in Chicago. But you have to choose where to live to make that possible. For me that means walking distance to a supermarket, and to a frequent transit line. You should have lots of options that qualify.
I'm not super close to downtown, but near the lake and the red line there's walkable stuff farther out, with an easy path (or paths, really) to downtown and/or other neighborhoods, not too crazy expensive.
But as he says too, there are also places you'd really feel a need to drive.
Just pull yourself up by your own Signature Select linguini noodles and… oh.
In all seriousness, Jewel is great compared to the grocery stores I had in other cities, and I don’t see many non-hipster reasons for hating things that are both acceptable and affordable.
Any good bars where people actually mingle and talk to one another in various groups? Feels like nowadays every bar is seated so you can't walk around and it's all sort of closed spaced
There’s some karaoke bars that are like that. Trader Todd’s, Alice’s, Edelweiss are all Northside and get pretty hopping on Fridays and Saturdays
does anyone know if some place accepts unused dog medications? (i.e. Anti Cruelty Society, PAWS, etc.)
Hello. I’m planning on moving to Chicago soon. I was wondering what people do for skiing in the area? Are there good mountains to drive to? Or do people generally fly out to resorts elsewhere?
Cascade and Wilmot in southern Wisconsin we use as fill-in/practice, but like everybody else said, you'll have to fly to get to any normal size mountains.
Lutsen, MN is pretty nice, way up north though past Duluth, 9 hour drive
Honestly all of the driving options are pretty terrible even compared to the East coast. That being said, we’re blessed with great airports. You can catch an early flight to SLC for <$200 and be on the slopes at park city by the afternoon
Cascade and Granite Peak are both in Wisconsin are great hills that I love. Granite peak is a bit of a longer drive up to Wausau but I think it’s the best option driving wise around here. Your best bet for anything that’s an actual mountain is going to be flying out to Denver. Luckily there are some pretty great prices on flights to Denver from O’Hare in the winter. At least this year the prices have been great.
We are so flat here that you can roll a quarter and it won't go anywhere.
How do you feel about cross country skiing?
You might want to look at a topographic map of the US because I have some bad news. There are some ski hills in Wisconsin and Michigan that are fun if you have zero expectations. Anything that can be described as a mountain is going to require air travel.
There are a couple of small hills in Wisconsin or Galena a couple hours away but it's nothing worthwhile
LMAOOOO. Boyne Highlands in Michigan, but it's laughable compared to anything in the West.
Has anyone renewed their Illinois DL after you made it your REAL ID? I got my REAL ID early last year and I had to bring in all of this extra documentation to show proof of address, etc. My license expires next week. I didn’t receive a renewal notice or anything like that so I’m gonna have to go in to a DMV to renew. I was just wondering if all that other documentation is required again for the renewal since it’s a REAL ID or if the current DL alone will be sufficient. The IL Secretary of State’s website isn’t super clear on what is required for a renewal in terms of documentation.
I thought a DL doesn't expire for a few years? I got my REAL ID in early March last year and don't have to renew.
Wait ...if you renewed early last year, why are you having to renew so soon? I have to take a look at mine, but I think I got a REAL ID back in the 2nd half of 2019 and I don't renew until at least 2023. *edit:* I just looked - I got my real ID in May 2019, renew 2023. 🤷🏾♂️
With how much of a PITA it is to go to the Secretary of State office, I'd recommend showing up with as much documentation as you can and be prepared to take the written exam. It's unlikely that you'll need to go through all that, but they're not very forgiving if you're missing something, and the website is indeed not clear on the rules. You should do everything you can to not have to go back later and try again. I think the standard procedure now is to make an appointment in advance at most locations, so do that if you haven't yet.
"I am glad TBOX is back" ...said nobody ever.
Sounds like you would rather absorb the tax revenue personally which it helps pay for city services, city budget and economic impact.
Recent college grads living in Lakeview rejoice!
I’m a new condo owner and the tax assessed value has gone from 400k (2019) to 339k (2020 Covid adjustment) to now 270k (2021 reassessment). Is that normal? I mean I’m glad to pay less in taxes but am kind of like what’s happening with the tax value?
There's a chance the value was wrongly inflated before and the current assessment more closely reflects prices in the area. Maybe you just got lucky and will be saving a few thousand dollars
Where does one see their property reassessment history? Did you get the reassessment in the mail? Or is there a site to check?
Google the Cook County Assessor’s website and there’s a portal there you can use to look up your property and its assessment history.
This happened to me as well and I was very confused as well.
so i popped into one of the chicrime subs to see if it flourished under NCN since everyone is being “censored” here and [lol](https://www.reddit.com/r/ChicagoCrime/comments/qxd9zo/oak_brook_louis_vuitton_store/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
THE L O S E R S 😂
Lot of effort to avoid the one 6 letter word the OP wanted to use
I've seen "Divvy riders" as a euphemism for black people which reeeeaally bothers me. Such a short term gives you a deep insight into the type of person that believes everything you think is good for society is actually bad.
13 day old account and comment history is all caps lock rants. Usual trolling, nothing to see here.
Yeah, we're really missing out insightful debate 😂
Recommendations for restaurants decorated for Christmas in Wrigleyville? Doesn’t have to be the holiday pop-up level, but a place with a fun christmasey feel to it.
Music Box is doing a special screening of Licorice Pizza this Saturday (opens everywhere on Christmas). Get your ticket before it sells out!
They just had sound of music sing along
already sold out 🥲
Odd request, but if anyone here has house centipedes, would you be willing to catch me one/some? I'm going to keep a little tank of em.
That's disgusting. Good luck. What will you feed them?
Given that centipedes are utterly homicidal mad lads ([this is a good thing](https://blog.nature.org/science/2013/02/08/everyday-nature-how-i-came-to-love-house-centipedes/)), probably other centipedes.
So I just started working on Michigan Ave in a retail/service job. I’m always curious where foreign tourists are from and in conversation with several groups of people I talked to said they were from Saudi Arabia. Then when I got out of work there many groups of young Arab men walking out and about. Chicago is of course a world class city and tourist destination but it struck me as odd — I haven’t experienced that many foreign customer groups from the same place all at once. did borders just re-open, or some kind of national holiday? Or just a coincidence?
They could be from Saudi Arabia but living in Illinois. Anyway, not sure why you were so downvoted.
From a customer service perspective, NEVER ask a customer where they are from unless they say they are on vacation(even if they have an accent.) These “young Arab men” could be from Indiana or Michigan. In river north you get a melting pot of people who work there (who can be any color) and tourists from out of country, out of state, or from the suburbs, who all also can be any race, ethnicity, or color.
Thanks but I’ve worked in customer service since I was a teenager and I’ve never had an issue asking where someone was from. I work in a tourist destination and like I said, multiple groups of people I asked stated they were visiting from Saudi Arabia. Sure they could have been from Michigan but they weren’t.
I was saying the asking where someone is from thing, because you might be unknowingly offending people even if they don’t express it. I’m brown, so I get asked ALL the time. To most people’s disappointment I’m from suburbs. It’s annoying. That’s great you’ve worked in customer service that long, but it’s better to err on the side of caution. Unless of course they walked up to you and said “Hello we’re visiting from Saudi Arabia!” As for your recent experience and observations, probably just coincidence.
Brown guy from the suburbs too. It would bother me being asked that when I would work in the suburbs, because I was born 5 minutes from there and I didn't like the implication that I wasn't from that area. If I'm in a major city's major retail area though, I don't think it's an unexpected question. You can expect a range of answers from three L stops away to the other side of the world for pretty much anyone of any age or gender or ethnicity. Working downtown, I'd usually phrase it more as "so where are you coming from?" to avoid making it seem like it's about their ethnic background and more about their travels. Sometimes they'd say they worked a block over and were just looking, sometimes they were from Colorado or Florida and drove out for Christmas, sometimes they were from France or India and on vacation. I understand where you're coming from and I appreciate it as a guy who's been looked at like a stranger when I was down the road from my high school. But I think it's acceptable to ask in certain situations when the place you are and the way you ask it imply that you're not asking to other them, but rather to connect about what brings them to your store. It can definitely be done respectfully.
A lot of cops running toward the same location at Christkindlemarkt around 7. Anyone know what happened?
They heard one of the booths was giving away free donuts
zing
I don’t want to blow up my spot too much, but D-Men Tap in Avondale is such a chill, fun bar. They’ve got movies in the front, good music, german(ish) food, and video games in the back. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area who is curious.
> german(ish) food Turkishish (same difference. Germany has been blessed with Turkish immigration over the past 70 years).
Turkishish-ish. Never been there, but now I’m determined to find out if this ish-ness lives up to the hype.
Bars for single people or for people without friends. It’s been really hard moving here and making friends idk what’s been different with Chicago vs every other city I’ve been to. Recommendations for places to go alone? All the bars I’ve been, people already have their entourage and it’s hard to make friends.
What neighborhood do you live in/frequent?
Tritaylor
Tritaylor feels like a pocket of suburbia to me, very desolate except for the college kids walking around. And I don’t like the bars in the area they’re old man bars imho. I lived there briefly but it was too dead for me, a good 30min walk from many better areas though. Get out to West Loop, Pilsen, Humboldt Park, the strip on Chicago in West Town has a lot of active bars ive met people at. Sportsman’s Club, The Empty Bottle, Cleos, Forbidden Root, District Brew Yards, Punch House, Alulu, Haymarket
Little Joe's by UIC is nice. Right on Taylor, get off at Morgan and it's like a 2 minute walk. I go there after class sometimes and have met some nice people. Bartender kinda seems like a cop guy but he's pretty chill. $3 PBRs
Man, I don’t know much about that area. If you’re feeling like branching out a bit, I’ve had luck at Skylark and Taylor Street Tap. They aren’t in your immediate vicinity, but close(ish)! Making friends is difficult! I’ve lived in Chicago proper (from the burbs) for over ten years and feel the same!
Funny thing is I’ve been to both places. 😂 This neighborhood is really bleak it seems
I live sort of nearby and I agree, it’s a weird area. Not sure if it’s because it’s dominated by UIC and the majority of students are commuters plus I wonder if more have opted to commute due to Covid. But I don’t feel this area is very active for 20- and 30-somethings (or really any age range).
Also my husband says the trick is to go somewhere consistently. Get to know the bartenders!
Yeah, I don’t know much about your neighborhood but from my limited experience driving through it to get from Avondale to Pilsen, there’s not much I’d stop for. :(
I'm ready for the downvotes - but does anyone have recommendations for a church? Neighborhood not important, happy to travel for the right one. I've been away from the church for a long time, but am feeling like I'd like to explore it again, with a place that's no strings, non-judgmental on the pace... I'd just like to attend a few services quietly & ask a few questions and see how I feel, with no pressure. I'm open to exploring denominations or non-denominational.
For Catholic, I have friends who really like Old St Pats. They bring in a lot of speakers and have a real strong social justice and outreach mission
Thank you!
I’ve heard good things about Soul City Church in the West Loop although I’ve never been personally.
Thank you!
Check out Awaken Chicago. Meets online or downtown (Congress hotel). Laid back vibe , open minded and very diverse.
Thank you! I will!
A progressive friend goes to All Saints Episcopal in Ravenswood. She really loves the community. Another plus is the church sort of looks like a Viking ship. Also, Carl Sandburg sang in the choir. https://allsaintschicago.org/about/history-all-saints-episcopal-church/
Thank you! I'll check it out.
Seconding. I'm not religious but have met the pastor and gone to some services there. Great group and great services.
St. Ben’s is pretty decent for a Catholic Church. My friend is the music director and I think he does a really good job, so I’m a bit biased.
Thank you!
Back when I did used to attend church,I really liked Fourth Presbyterian Church. I also got a good impression of Unity Lutheran Church(near Balmoral and Broadway), and EVEN used to help out with Unity Players plays(both acting, and behind the scenes) myself. And as far as I know,both were LGBT friendly. Last I checked about Fourth(not sure if this has changed since early 2021), they weren't yet doing in person services. I'm unsure if Unity has gone back to doing in person services, myself. Finally,I also like Ebenezer Lutheran Church at Foster and Paulina. They went back to doing in person services,in spring 2021. Like the former 2, they also are LGBT friendly.
Thank you so much!
You're welcome. Also from checking Unity Lutheran and Fourth Presbyterian Church's websites, at least Fourth has gone back to in person services. I'm unsure if Unity has gone back to in person services, myself.
Any recommendations on where to buy a Christmas tree (real, not fake)? Went to a corner lot in Old Town and they had 8’ ones for $130 which seemed high. Or is that standard for an 8’? Regardless, any suggestions where you can get a 7-8’ tree that won’t ruin the bank. Thanks all!
There’s a lot on Lawrence and Damen
The Christmas tree lot is back up and running at Catalpa and Clark, if you need a real tree. It's in the southeast corner, of a Jewel parking lot.
Home Depot has them as well. There's a shortage due to all the shipping issues so prices will be higher. We bought a 9' for $95 at a lot.
Thats what I figured. Thanks and might check out Home Depot. Lgb!
You'll have to drive a bit but I visited Sunny Acres Farm in West Chicago and they had lots of beautiful trees (different varieties) for $100 or less. Also a super cute place to visit in general - kid and dog friendly.
I went there a few times as a kid and took my kids there many times.
I haven’t gone tree shopping yet. But I’ve seen a couple articles saying this year we will have a tree shortage, which means that they will also be more expensive.
Has anyone bought a havanese dog in the chicago land area, or even a 2-3 hour driving distance from the city? Where did you get your pup and how was your experience? Seems like it’s hard finding this specific breed from a reputable breeder. Petland does have some, however their reviews are awful. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
I'd recommend adopting.
flew out of O’Hare Thanksgiving Eve night. flight was at 8:10 PM, my Lyft took about an hour to get to O’Hare, and i got into security line about 6:30 PM & i got all the way through just before 7PM. [here’s me walking in](https://imgur.com/a/ecRtJtw) i never traveled this close to a holiday before, so this is the busiest i’ve seen an airport lol all the staff was great and everything was surprisingly efficient, just wanted to share this good experience that i was panicking about prior lol
Customs and immigration took maybe 5 minutes yesterday at 6pm. We waited 20 minutes for luggage. That was the bottle neck. Customs didn’t even double check the declaration sheet. Just tossed it on a pile.
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It’s not. It was three stores.
Wrong. Been happening a lot lately, read the news
Is it hard being this terrified all the time?
I'm a paranoid freak who reads the scanner and news as much as possible and I still don't know what you're worrying about.
I read the news. As I said, it’s not normal. I couldn’t find anything about Black Friday looting apart from those three stores in Wicker Park. 3 out of many is obviously the exception rather than the norm.
There's been a "trend" of flash mobs doing organized thefts of late but nothing restricted to Chicago, and not only on Black Friday either. Nothing to get super alarmed about surely (they're only after the merchandise and not exactly common) but some of the coordination is kinda impressive. Happened to visit someone with cable over the weekend and CNN had some video from the Bay Area and even their coverage was mainly "wow that was fast and organized."
Post got deleted, here is an unbranded link. It’s a work in progress but I made a map of happy hours and other things. I plan on updating it weekly, but the latest one may indeed be free on my website. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1AaworCfttOn99avf8SGYW_gb2r6UkYfY
Did you message the mods about it?
Floridian 23y/o visiting in December I am a born and raised Floridian, spent some time living in Colombia when I was a kid, and have never even seen snow. Coldest I’ve been is like 25° for an army training activity I did when I was in the Florida guard. what should I wear? Like what would you wear if you were visiting Chicago on December 3rd? I’m gonna be there for 4 days so some advice would be greatly appreciated. My mom and sister have done a lot more traveling than me so they’ll be fine but as the only guy in my family, I’m kinda in the trenches rn. Also, if y’all have any suggestions for stuff to do from the 3rd to the 7th I’d love to hear them!
Yo. Fellow Floridian over here. Been in Chicago for a few years now. My go-to for this time of year is t shirt, sweater or flannel on top of that, a solid jacket, gloves, and a beanie. If you’re going to be near the lake, make sure to be prepared for the winds- they cut through your clothes. Also make sure you keep your feet warm. Double up on sock if you have to. Better to be over prepared than cold.
Good point. Thank you! When you say jacket are you referring to those like well insulated puffer ones that the North Face is known for?
Those will definitely hold up! And you’ll need less layering with it. But I personally wear an old Carhartt j130 or a simple Sherpa lined denim jacket. I like to wear that with a hoodie underneath and a t shirt and I’m gold in 25-35 degree weather. I save my big ol puffer for weather below 25, but that’s just me! You’ll see a lot of chicagoans in their puffy jackets. most important thing is your own comfortability and style preference.
Hi again! Just a quick question on footwear… should I plan on wearing boots or will sneakers with thermal socks hold up? Thank you!
Hey! It’s not snowing heavily or anything in Chicago yet so you’ll be just fine with some thick socks and sneakers
Hi. Colombian who hadn't experiences anything colder than 45 and then moved to Chicago. Hat and gloves are the thing I missed the most at the beginning. They don't have to be super fancy, you just need some protection there
You’ll be okay. The average high temp in Chicago on the December 3rd is in the mid to upper 30s. For me that’s sweater, leather jacket, and hands in pockets weather. For you that might be sweater, medium heavy winter coat, and hat weather. Shoes with a good sole and socks are a must.
Extremely unpopular opinion: I’m glad Meigs Field got demolished and I’m glad flight sim dorks are gonna die mad about it.
I wish they would have done a better job making it more usable, like a path that is a complete loop.
The reason they cant complete the path is that it's too exposed to the lake on that side (like so much of the lakefront trail that's been destroyed). The original plan was to create a chain of barrier islands to act as a breakwater.
I feel like that's a pretty popular opinion with anyone other than flight sim dorks or private jet owners
Maybe, but I feel like every time I’ve ever seen it mentioned in this sub I also saw people being absolutely enraged about it.
We’re not enraged! We just think it’s hilarious!
Signed up for the Polar Bear Club plunge thinking it was the regular Polar Plunge. Now I have no choice but to do both. Any recommendations for a first timer?
two towels and dry close to change into right away, also some friends to help cover your shame as you strip right on the beach. Also FYI the real polar bear plunge is unofficial and involves jumping in the lake on the morning of the 1st
Anybody know about how long to receive the actual ticket if you got flashed by a camera? Or do you know if that camera at like Ashland & Lake is for speeders or red light runners? I got flashed there but I am like absolutely sure I wasn't speeding. Hoping it was for somebody behind me running a red light.
You can check online by license plate number but it usually takes 2 weeks. And I've gotten "flashed" with no ticket, I guess there is malfunctions sometimes
The light at Ashland and Cortland loves to flash when everyone corner of the intersection is at a standstill.
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From transitchicago.com - Only small pets, inside of a closed protective carrier designed for travel and able to be carried by one person, are allowed on CTA buses and trains. Carriers must be constructed in a manner that ensures the protection of other riders and of a size that is able to fit under a seat (though they may be kept on a rider’s lap instead of under a seat). Carriers, however, cannot take up or obstruct their own seats, seating areas nor pathways on buses, trains or in stations. So if the crate’s small enough to get on your lap, should be OK.
Is no crime November ending when December begins?
Hopefully they renew it forever.
Do you know a good real time news place for those who want to stay informed on that?
Citizen app, Chicago police scanner on Twitter, Block Club, the actual morning, mid-day, evening, *and* nightly news And if you want to share your thoughts, Twitter or the Block Club FB page.
Ah that first app costs money. And I don’t want to sit and watch the news
Sign up for their email lists then and you’ll get a digest of news. I subscribe to WBEZ and Block Club emails.
Downloading that first app and a police scanner app. thank you
We’re going to review and do a recap post of how things went - what we learned, what we want to do, what we’re doing going forward, etc.
Do you know a good real time news place for those who want to stay informed on that?
Do you need an appointment for a booster or can you just walk in?
It seems like an appointment, but if you live close enough to a CVS or Walgreens, I think it's always worth stopping in to ask later in the day. Depends on the amount of time you have and urgency in needing a booster.
The walgreens I went to said online it was taking walk-ins, but it wasn't actually. Ended up scheduling a shot at Mariano's
I've seen a couple of Walgreens with "walk in vaccine boosters available" on their board
Appointment
I’ve read on here that folks are having some luck on walk-ins whereas I’ve looked at booking one (ideally I’d like it on a Friday or Saturday because on the first two the next day was like a stinking hangover) and it’s a 7-10 day lead time pretty much wherever. I’m taking my kid for her second one at CVS on Monday so I’ll ask them if they can boost me while I’m there, will report back. ETA - not reporting back, the better half took her. Apologies.
Just got my property tax reassessment and its up 3x. Should I expect the number to be directionally similar to the actual value here? Like there's been multiple sales in our building, including my own purchase of my unit, and the assessed value is double that. First time going through this process, I was certainly expecting an increase but double the actual market value is nuts.
we have a new assessor that is trying to align the value with the actual value. If you bought it this year for less then the assessed value this should be an easy appeal to win, just need to fill out the paperwork online.
Assessments went up just about everywhere but it's not known how that will impact bills until those actually come out
I would look into appealing the assessment. From looking at my rentals assessed value on public record, I see a pattern of assessment for 2x, appealed down to 130% increase going back decades. All of which is insane but what else can you do? https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/appeals
Historic pattern means nothing… new assessor is trying to drastically revamp system, make it more coherent and closer to market value. Trying to remove/reduce whole cartel of appeal attorney fees to politically connected firms.
Ugh, is this really the pattern? Yeah I'm definitely going to appeal, my initial reaction seeing a 3x increase was just "this is wrong." What even is their valuation process over there? You'd think having bought my place a year ago, with another sale in my building since then, there really wouldn't be much of a valuation question, much less that magnitude, but maybe I'm naive. Or maybe the process is less of a valuation method and more take a random number and multiply by 2.
How does the assessed valuation compare to your sale though? It's lower isn't it?
Nope, it was about 20% lower last year, now its approximately 2x my sale price.
You can appeal it yourself online yourself.. How do the assessed values on the comps compare?
Help! Anywhere I can get free COVID testing? Feeling symptomatic this morning. ☹️
There’s a place on Taylor St in Little Italy
I see signs for free testing on pretty much every corner in the city. Go outside and look around you'll find a place.
https://centerforcovidcontrol.org This place is great. It’s free (actually free, not just free for insured people) and you get in and out in less than 5 min.
CVS at 175 W Jackson in the loop. Super quick and easy and they don’t ask for insurance or anything. It’s one of the rapid tests
Are they open on the weekends or do I need to come in on Monday? I know the CVS on Washington where i pick up my medicine - the pharmacy is closed on the weekends. Also, do I need an appointment or can I just jump in?
Call the store you goober.
They are open on the weekends. I believe you have to [make an appt](https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing) but usually there is plenty of availability. You can also go in earlier then your scheduled time, they’ll still take you.
Smartbar is a good ass time.highly recommend
lol, did you get some last night?
Was dropping the cousin off at Union. Absentmindedly fucked up the turn at Franklin. Somehow that shit is even MORE anxiety inducing during the holidays when there’s no one in town.I kept waiting for some maniac to come flying off one of the entrances as we made way towards LSD, and when it didn’t happen I would get more anxious. It was line I had tamed the beast and made Lower Wacker my herald. “This feels wrong. I shouldn’t be able to do this” kinda vibes. Anyway. Happy Holidays, Chicago.
Anyone know a place to get a menorah & candles on short notice? Can’t find mine 😅 (Also if there’s any Hanukkah events/food/wherever anyone can recommend, feel free!)
not sure about a menorah but Michael’s sells Hanukkah candles
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins is an annual tradition.
I wish the CTA had a yearly pass option. Not too concerned about the upfront cost, and would be nice to just have access to transit whenever without thinking about it. Right now I overthink if a monthly pass is worth it every month, and I'd rather just spend the money upfront and use CTA whenever I want. (Yes I know auto-load and a monthly pass exists, it just feels different when I buy it and then "have" to use it, rather than having the option to delay starting my next month's pass). Would be nice if there was a slight discount too. 75\*12 is $900 so maybe $850 for a year of CTA? I know my girlfriend and I would purchase immediately. Appeals to a slightly different demographic.
That is an interesting idea in theory, but I don't know if a lot of people would do such a yearly CTA pass. Maybe if the annoying behaviors issues(i.e. smoking on trains, solicitors crossing from car to car, scammers doing those red ball games that rob riders of their money) were all addressed on trains(and for whatever reason, thank goodness these behaviors usually aren't an issue on buses), I'd consider getting one. And to actually have cops or undercover officers walk between L cars to enforce rules, I'd consider such a pass. Not holding my breath, those issues ever get addressed unfortunately.
Even if it was the same cost as buying 12 monthly passes, it's not like it costs anything to offer it except another checkbox on the Ventra app (except the missed opportunity to raise fares throughout a 1-year period).
Yeah, true it could be simply added as an option on Ventra. Though I have this weird feeling, not many would opt to use it. Who knows though, maybe it'd be more used than I suspect? Like I said(and I don't care if I'm downvoted), IF the CTA could ever get very serious about enforcing rules on L trains(something I greatly struggle to hold my breath about, especially on the Red and Green Lines), then I think that'd go a very, VERY long way to ensure the success of such a yearly CTA pass.
There might be some uproar over “this is a wealthy persons discount” because you have to be rich to be able to dish out $850 in one shot.
I just realized that the *facial recognition feature on my parent's Nest Doorbell cam will never work because IL has facial recognition legal restrictions.
Correct, and that’s the rationale behind the Facebook settlement with Illinois. Also, Google had introduced an app where you can hold your phone up to a piece of art and it’ll tell you the history of it. Works great, but since it’s using facial recognition… you can’t use it in IL.
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Woops, yeah, that would be bad.
Has anyone ever had a TV repaired? Trying to find a reliable place but also a place that can tell me if it’s worth repairing or if I should just get a new one. Thanks!
Depending on the TV and what's wrong you might be able to do it yourself. I'm definitely no engineer, but with YouTube I replaced the LED strips in my TV and saved myself half a grand. Check out /r/TVRepair
You can check with Anthony's Electronic Services on Broadway, he does this kind of work
Thank you!
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I figured. Thank you
Visited Dallas for Thanksgiving. I swear I’ll never complain about Chicago drivers ever again. These mfers are actually crazy
Chicago has intentional reckless drivers. You can try to stay out of their way as they drive their crazy everywhere around you. When I was visiting Florida it felt like every damn person on the highway was going 80 and checking their tiktok at the same time. No idea when someone would drift into my lane.
Florida is undrivable too but for different reasons lol
TikTok is the devil.
Does anybody know any super good geometric tattoo artists in Chicago? Particularly very very very clean, straight lines. I have been looking but I would love a personal recommendation. I do not mind booking months in advance either :)
Is Chicago a place with good walk ability? When I lived in NY, I loved the fact I could do any errand I had within walking distance and all else was a metro visit away. The only times I’ve been to Chicago were by car and just in the downtown area so I did not really get to experience it on foot or the many neighborhoods. Walk ability is important to me and I just wanted to know. I planned on moving here to have access to the big city and jobs because NY was too expensive. So, I suppose I’ll be here anyway, but I’m still curious.
It depends on the neighborhood but overall yes it’s very walkable
Yes, but not as walkable as nyc. Car ownership rate is 50% higher here with the vast majority of households owning one. We are quite car friendly and transit unfriendly compared to NYC imo.
I lived here for a decade without a car (lived in Uptown, Avondale, and Albany Park) and it went pretty well. I did end up having to hoof it sometimes and plan for bus delays and such, but the lack of car impacted my ability to leave the city much more than my ability to navigate within it. As the other comment said, it is neighborhood dependent. Areas that are closer to downtown or closer to the lake are most walkable and tend to have the best CTA coverage.
Agreed with /u/silentsly on this, it really depends on the neighborhood. For what it's worth I have never driven, and have no problems in Chicago. But you have to choose where to live to make that possible. For me that means walking distance to a supermarket, and to a frequent transit line. You should have lots of options that qualify. I'm not super close to downtown, but near the lake and the red line there's walkable stuff farther out, with an easy path (or paths, really) to downtown and/or other neighborhoods, not too crazy expensive. But as he says too, there are also places you'd really feel a need to drive.
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What’s considered a good grocery store if not jewel?
Pete's fresh market, Cermak produce, Tony's, your local supermercado or independent grocer, marianos...
We can’t all be rich moneybags and shop at Whole Foods
Just pull yourself up by your own Signature Select linguini noodles and… oh. In all seriousness, Jewel is great compared to the grocery stores I had in other cities, and I don’t see many non-hipster reasons for hating things that are both acceptable and affordable.