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Chicago, United States
Photo: Peter Fitzgerald, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Southwest Side of Chicago is far off the beaten path. Plenty of visitors know Midway Airport, but never see anything beyond. Truth be told, there isn't a lot to see. But the Southwest Side does hold some interest as the former home to the infamous Union Stock Yards, and a pretty long list of hidden culinary gems well worth the trek.
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The Balzekas Museum has a fine collection of Lithuanian antiques, folk art, armor, coins, rare historical maps, amber jewelry, and other items exhibited chronologically. The center also includes a state-of-the-art audio-visual center and an impressive research facility for Lithuanian history and genealogy. And the gift shop is a great shopping spot for Lithuanian items.
The Indian Building
Forget the store, this place is famous for the giant stereotypical-looking Indian statue of Wayne's World fame on the roof. In the movie, his hand is raised in greeting, but he has an arrow through his back. The Midwest Eye Clinic has usurped the cigar sellers, and adopted the Indian as a billboard — the arrow is gone, he now wears large glasses, and bears an odd sign reading "Eye can see now."
The largest mural in the city (500 ft), painted by Hector Duarte and Mariah de Forest, on the south wall of the Swap-O-Rama building. You can't really see it from the street — you'll need to wander deep into the parking lot for a good look.
The enormous Midwest branch of the National Archives is hidden away in the middle of nowhere, but its collection of records is enormous. The public has free and instant access to the census records, for those interested in their family genealogy, while historic federal documents are searchable only by researchers who have applied for a pass in advance.
Dom Podhalan
This is the seat of Chicago's Polish Highlanders, or Góral community which dominates the Southwest Side's Polish population. The building, which also hosts a restaurant, is styled as a Carpathian chalet in the traditional Zakopane style of architecture, and is undergoing renovation under the eye of famed artist Jerzy Kenar.
This large and influential church is a long-time pillar of Chicago's South Side, and the former home to one very famous congregant, Barack Obama, who here found his religion and was baptized. Trinity United, to the dismay of its congregants, rocketed to international infamy in the space of seconds during then Senator Obama's presidential campaign, when news outlets got their hands on a fiery sermon by the then pastor Jeremiah Wright. In the now famous clip, replayed endlessly for weeks across the cable news networks, Rev. Wright cried out, "God damn America!" The ensuing characterization of the church was hardly fair, with the short clip shown out of context, and the context itself being one very much alien to most Americans, who had not had any experience of the often radical social justice traditions of the African-American Church. In part because he was unhappy to see his former congregation harassed by reporters, and in part because his increasingly flamboyant pastor was continuing to embarrass and hurt his campaign, Obama left the church, allowing things to calm down over time, and for the congregation to get back to its purposes of worship and charity.
This limestone structure marks the entrance to the now defunct Union Stock Yards that dominated this section of Chicago (and the meatpacking industry of the country) in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. The current stone gate replaced an original wooden gate, designed by the legendary architect John Root, of Burnham and Root (who you'll know well if you read Devil in the White City). Look on the front of the gate for Sherman, a prize winning bull — the Second City's second most famous bovine, right on the heels of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow.
The stock yards produced an awful lot of grease, with a good amount of chemicals added to the mix. Unsurprisingly, the place caught on fire now and then. In 1910, a particularly ferocious blaze took the lives of 21 firefighters on this spot, just behind the gate. The memorial is dedicated to all Chicago firefighters who have lost their lives to fires, 530 at the time of the dedication in 2004; their names are inscribed on the base.
Marquette Park is huge and is a good place to get away from the urban commotion of the city. Ice skating (on the lagoon) and cross-country skiing are both possibilities during the winter. During the summer, it's likely the South Side's favorite place for a picnic or a pick-up game of soccer (or more accurately in these parts, futból). The park is also home to the Ashburn Prairie, a fine specimen of the native plant species of the area.
The hidden gem that is Marquette's public golf course is considered one of Chicago's most beautiful. You will feel miles away from the city. Nine holes, 3,187 yards.
Although lesser known than Marquette Park, this 60-acre (24 hectares) park is historically and aesthetically its equal. Designed by architects Daniel Burnham & Co and landscape artists the Olmsted Brothers and on a rather unsafe stretch of historic Garfield Boulevard, this park provides open green space and a beautiful lagoon, classically designed architecture, and a glimpse into the past and the future of the Back of the Yards area.
This little South Side birriería has found itself featured in just about every major Chicago magazine and newspaper, and while this is surprising, it is not unwarranted. The birria tatemada on order is shredded goat, first steamed for hours and then oven roasted, coated with a mild mole sauce, served in tacos, or "en plato" in a tomato consommé. The owner is an artist first, business owner second, who has studied his narrow trade on a level unique in the city.
The great South Side fried chicken chain is cheap, usually a little dirty, and always delicious. Crowded at meal times.
Come to La Cecina for la cecina — a Guerrero-style salt-dried steak that is rehydrated with a marinade and then grilled. But if you are less in the mood for culinary refinement, and more in the mood for bull testicles, well, you are in the right place.
Nicky's is another one of those legendary South Side fast food institutions rich with local tradition and absent quality controls — for the real deal, you'll want to come to this one, the original. You'll never be starved for Chicago fast food options in this part of the city, but it's worth seeking out a Nicky's for a reliably great gyros or the legendary Big Baby. Whether Chicago came up with this double decker hamburger as a challenge for the invading Big Mac, or for its predecessor the Big Boy is uncertain. Either way the toasted buns, condiments on the bottom, and most crucially, Maxwell Street-style greasy grilled onions all add up to a tasty treat. (Alas, Nicky's hot dogs suffer from rumored estrangement from Vienna Beef.)
A small Croatian bakery with a good range of unfamiliar treats (and some rather familiar, gooey chocolate chip cookies).
A nice big crowded Lithuanian bakery, with all sorts of pastries, meat/potato pies, jams, mushrooms, juices, and anything else you are missing from Silesia.
A mostly take-out taquería with a reasonably large seating section that cooks the real deal.
An affordable American diner, but since it's in the neighborhood it's in, the best options are in that little Polish section. Full bar.
The place in the area to get your Chicago-style fast food: hot dogs and Italian beef.
Deceptively appearing to be a small nondescript Brighton Park taquería, this place is actually a culinary find of the first order. Breakfast is good, so is the menudo, but the delicious specialty is the Jaliscan-style carne en su jugo (roughly: steak soup). The steak is roasted separate from the broth, the boiled meat of which is discarded, and then joins a cornucopia of limes, bacon, beans, cilantro, onions, habanero peppers, and radishes. Unless you are planning to feed a family, get the smallest available portion, and make it clear that you want to eat here, not takeout.
At the southeastern corner of Midway Airport, if you have a layover and want to try real Chicago pizza, take any bus south along Cicero Ave, or you could take a good walk, to the best Chicago chain around for stuffed Chicago pizza.
This is one of the city's favorite outposts of Leon's, a local BBQ chain that has fed hungry ribs-lovers since Leon Finney opened the first up in 1940. The links are incredible.
It's a quiet, family-style eatery with a few older patrons chit-chatting at the bar. Widely regarded as serving the best thin crust pizza in the city; it bears the slogan "the best pizza... anywhere," and that may well be true — to be clear, this may be the best pizza in the world. The South Side accents are thick, the decor with its shag carpeted walls and Christmas lights is South Side chic in its purest form — this is an experience to be had. The sausage and giardinera is the classic order, it's cash only, and it sometimes closes early if things are slow.
A divey neighborhood sports bar that rises above the crowd for its thin-crust and stuffed Chicago style pizzas. Otherwise, cheap drinks and free pool are the draws.
Tattered but cheap. Just a couple blocks south of the Pulaski Orange Line station.
Slightly more expensive than the other budget motels, but the extra cost may be worth it — it is a step up.
A short walk (1.5 blocks) from the Pulaski L stop. Free airport shuttle, free parking, free internet, and free breakfast. Clean, comfortable rooms.
A fine business hotel, albeit a small step down from the usual Marriott standards.
Renovated, but not quite as nice as the Marriott.
This location is notably nicer than most Fairfield Inns, probably closer to a three-star than a two-star. Free wireless.
Renovated, bland three-star hotel.
Three star hotel with free high speed wireless.
Probably the best option of the seven (although the differences between them are pretty slight), and has a curious New Orleans theme.
The most price competitive option in the hotel center has a few less frills, and like the others is a bit overpriced, but perfectly sufficient. And the continental breakfast is actually good (waffles!).
A McKinley Park video rentals shop with an eccentric collection of DVDs. If you are staying anywhere nearby, they will actually deliver the rentals to you.
Chicago Ridge Mall offers great shopping near Chicago at over 130 stores. In the mall and nearby Commons Shopping Center are restaurants and an AMC movie theater. Find Kohl's department store, Bed Bath & Beyond and other stores in the mall, just east of I-294 at 95th St.
Come here to make your own wine and beer, under the store's guidance. It also sells all the equipment you'd need to brew at home (or your hotel), if you prefer to get even deeper into Chicago history with a Prohibition-style experience.
By train
The CTA Orange Line runs through the district on its way from the Loop, providing quick and easy access to Midway Airport, as well as some northern areas of the Southwest Side from the Loop, but keep…
By bus
CTA bus route #62, which travels along Archer Ave from McCormick Center in the Near South to Midway, is probably the most convenient route into the Southwest Side from downtown Chicago.
By car
The Dan Ryan Expressway runs down the eastern edge of the district, and heading west on the 55th/Garfield exit will take you directly to the airport.
By car
A car is a handy travel companion in the Southwest Side indeed.
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