Welcome to My Chicago Hood, Blogtrotters!

Welcome, Blogtrotters! I'm MEP and honored to be one of the first Blogtrotting tour guides. CaraBee said to keep this post under 500 words so I'm directing you to the tabs above (Who's MEP?, Worth the Trip, and Favorite Things) to learn about me and my blog and to link to some of my best posts.

I'd prefer to spend my words telling you all about my Chicago neighborhood. If you have visited Chicago, you know that there's so much to see and do downtown. Shop the Magnificient Mile, go to Millenium Park, have tea at the Drake, enjoy a drink and view at the top of the Hancock Building, eat some Chicago-style pizza, and definitely take an architecture boat cruise . . . just to name a few.

Downtown Chicago is a wonderful, friendly, easily navigable place, but I think the heart of Chicago is the fact that the city has so many unique neighborhoods.

The general neighborhood that I call home is Lakeview, but within this general area are more specific zones. If I walk a couple of blocks east, I'm heading into Wrigleyville, home of the historic Wrigley Field, party-ready twentysomethings, and bars as far as the eye can see. If I walk a couple of blocks west, I hit the main drag of the Southport Corridor, home of restaurants ranging from sandwich shops to sports bars to higher end ethnic spots, more nail salons than seem necessary (yet all stay in business), coffee shops, more bars, and hundreds of strollers.

I grew up outside of Cincinnati and never really imagined myself as a "big city" dweller. Some unique aspects of city life for me include: being a one-car household (hubby takes El to work), being told that my 15 x 15 backyard is "huge," having to street park regularly when doing errands, and depending upon public parks and playgrounds more than I thought possible. Chicago has three seasons and during summer and fall, I love to walk my boys everywhere -- to the store, the school, the park, playdates, etc. I'm a little less walk-ready in winter, but it is nice knowing that I can always get somewhere interesting without having to get in the car.

This past Friday, a good friend and I bundled up our kids to walk Southport and document the neighborhood for this post. Check it out . . . And we're off . . . cruising a typical neighborhood street in a typical Southport stroller. No idea why Bub brought the broom along.

Dairy Queen is mighty popular in my neighborhood, to the point that when explaining to other Chicagoans where we live, we often start with, "Do you know the Southport Dairy Queen . . . "

There are tons of great bars in Chicago neighborhoods where you can grab a drink and a good meal. This one is kid-friendly and has great taste in football teams.

Our neighborhood hardware store, where the staff is friendly, eager to help, and knowledgeable (and they don't wear orange shirts or hide from customers).

Iconic Music Box Theatre where they screen artsy-independent type movies and host special events like White Christmas and Sound of Music Sing-A-Longs.

Not unique to my neighborhood, but boy do I love CVS. I'm there at least three times a week.

The Wrigley Field experience is one worth having, whether the Cubs are winning or losing. I will warn you that they serve Pepsi products inside (but unless the new owners have changed the rules, you can bring in a Diet Coke from outside). I will also warn you that the majority of the fans there are not there to drink soda pop.

I feel the need to point out that my home McDonalds is right across the street from Wrigley. Some days I go through the drive-thru and think, "Wow, I just bought a breakfast burrito right across from Wrigley Field." NTB.

Chicago is laid out on a convenient grid that it took me years longer to figure out than it should have. What I recommend to you is that you visit Chicago (in the summer or fall when everyone here is so, so happy), get yourself to 3600 North/1400 West by train, bus, or taxi and then explore what's North and South of you. Today's tour didn't cover South of Addison, but the fun and excitement on Southport only continues. One highlight includes the world's best cheese fries (truly glorious) at Southport Lanes.

My Little Bit, one of the four cutest kids cruising Southport last Friday.

Special shout out to Sara, ace photographer and friend and to her kids and mine, absolute troopers during this winter walking tour.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of my Chicago neighborhood. I am so looking forward to all the Blogtrotting to come! Bloggers, please visit Blogtrotting and sign up to show off your little corner of the world. Readers of blogs, please keep visiting Blogtrotting and Not to brag . . .

I'll see you this summer on Southport!

Please leave a comment and share any of your own Chicago memories or questions . . .

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