friday

hey, thanks for all yer feedback.

volume three of the zine is done and out. its awesome. with 15 entries musing on various cities (yeah 15), its huge this time around, my weird little rag. 22 double sided full sized pages. craziness. it will be available at heavenly Quimby's on North Ave. on the edge of Wicker Park in Chicago (which also sells my sis Meg's really beautiful and highly functional duct tape wallets), and Bluestockings on NY's Lower East Side in the next few weeks too.

i've been struggling with some familiar demons closing up shop on v3. been wanting to take my little thing that i think is so cool and useful, and share it with everyone. its such a strange impulse i get. where the hell does it come from? i can't figure it out. well, whatever it is, im trying to stave it down, (1 2 3). i've totally spent more than my share of time making copies and thinking distro and hitting the streets to get stuff out with other similar projects in the past. and while i so so love that kind of "on it!" work, its never ever enough. which always leaves you a little edgy. i know (i KNOW) im craving that edginess. but, on the eve of my first partial weekend home in a long, long time, im thinking that may be not what i need now. i think i'm liking this small scale. it's enough.

xo

Local Poll II #13 - DECATUR, ILLINOIS!

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here: Grrr

Where do you live/what city are you e'splainin?: Decatur, Ill.

People love to trash talk Decatur, and nobody does it more than the people who live there. The whole town has a massive inferiority complex, and the neighboring towns treat it like it's a trailer park princess walking barefoot into the country club. But it's not that bad, and if you live in Champaign, it's not a bad day trip.

What neighborhoods or areas around here do you recommend exploring? The west side, which is the more fashionable side (according to those who live there), has some really cool stuff; a small handful of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses, Governor Oglesby's mansion, Millikin
University. There are a lot of trees. I'm a lot more familiar with the east side;
if you want to explore around here, start with the lake and work your way around it.

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through?
Decatur has the best parks. Seriously. There's none of this "plant a flowerbox and stick a park district sign in it" sort of business going on; Decatur has HUGE parks, mostly ringing Lake Decatur. A brief tour:

NELSON PARK is located off of Rte 36 on the east side. It features a golf course (with hills, no less), a rock garden, a public pool, the marina, miniature golf, batting cages, fishing piers, an outdoor bandshell,lakeside jogging/biking paths, multiple playgrounds, and two restaurants (a
fancy bar and grill, and a not-at-all fancy chili parlor). This is home base for
the city's fourth of July celebration and for SummerStart, a music-and-arts festival Memorial Day weekend. There's an observation deck, soccer field, and, if you know where to look, some really cool tornado damage. If you go far enough, it turns into Chandler Park, which is home to the sailboat club. Really good wading to be had over there.

SCOVILL PARK is across the lake, also on the east side; access it from Country Club Road. Scovill has the zoo, the state's children's museum, an enormous wooden playground, and a flower garden gazebo that is extremely popular for weddings. There's also a sculpture trail, I think, though
Maybe I'm mixing that up with the Oriental gardens at Nelson Park.

FAIRIES PARK is on the northeast, near ADM. It's very popular with fishers, also edges the lake, and also has a public golf course. It's also in view of the largest poured-concrete structure in the Western hemisphere, a train trestle. It's smaller than the previous two parks and has fewer grills and facilities, but is also less popular and less crowded.

FAIRVIEW PARK on the west side is really awesome. It's got a public pool, the skate park, a fishpond called Dreamland Lake, loads of trails, several pavilions, and lots of nooks and crannies for teenagers to get up to all sorts of things. Back in the 20s the real Dreamland Lake--an amusement park with roller coasters, ballrooms, the whole boardwalk thing--was located here; Richard Peck wrote a children's book set here; lots of 5k road races go through here. It's really pretty--very green and loads of flowers. It's very close to Millikin University. The main car path goes all around and over and through, under some creepy old railroad bridges, and there are Lots of offshoot trails for biking and walking. And if the miles of trails here aren't enough for you, a paved pedestrian/bike path runs a few mile north to...

ROCK SPRING CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOVERY. I love Rock Springs. It's huge--acres and acres--and has trails through deciduous forests, restored prairie, along the Sangamon River. It's got a pine forest. It's got an old time prairie village where they do educational programs about pioneer
life. It's got frog ponds with a LOT of frogs. It's got the aforementioned bike trail, plus some short and easy discovery trails, plus some longer, tougher hiking trails. And they actually keep trail maps out for hikers, a concept I wish would catch on. Yeah, Lake of the Woods, I'm looking at you. Give a girl a break. Anyway, Rock Springs. It's not a bring-the-lawnchairs-and-have-a-cookout park like the others, but it's nice to have easy access to a lot of different types of trails, which are out of sight of the highway. Plus, the park's old-timey baseball team, The
Ground Squirrels, plays old-timey baseball against visiting teams.

Then there are the neighborhood parks, and the sports parks, and this doesn't even count the state parks right outside the city. Did I mention that the park district also owns the city airport?

Other local features or beautiful natural spots to take in: Central Park in the middle of downtown has Decatur's iconic Transfer House, a funny squat little building where people used to transfer streetcars and, later, buses. It's been moved a couple of times and is fairly beloved. As beloved as Decatur allows, anyway.

Any good festivals? When? Oh, my lord, yes. If there's one thing Decatur gets swept up in, it's festivals. What else would you do with all those parks? The bigger ones include:
* SummerStart, Memorial Day weekend: until this year, SummerStart was a boozefest surrounding the eastern national speedboat races. Those were cool--colossal high power speed boats getting lifted into the water by cranes, then zooming around at insane speeds (and at insane volumes; I heard them from miles away playing in my backyard as a kid, and though we were being attacked by bees). The boat races lost too much money, though, so this year they made it a music and arts festival. It might be called the "Lakeside Music and Arts Festival" now.
* Yesteryear Fair, Labor Day weekend. Old people in old clothes talk about blacksmithing, rope braiding, and quilting. That's all well and good. But what's more important is that they make fantastic homemade donuts, cheap. Mmmmm. This fair is held by Macon Country Historical Society on their museum grounds; right down the street is the museum-owned White Book House, which
is an old house packed full of books, donated by everybody and available to you for a dime or a quarter. I spend three bucks and bring home a grocery sack full of books.
* Fourth of July. The main 4th celebration is centered at the Nelson Park Marina, where a day long celebration of food, beer tents, and picnicking are supplemented by performances by the much-loved Municipal Band and the Decatur Park Singers. (It is unbelievable how much people love the Park
Singers. They're kind of Up With People-like--pop standards, God Bless America, maybe a highly show-choir stylized Madonna medley. People LOOOVE the Park Singers. The Municipal Band is the oldest non-military band in the country; this is their 148th year.) There's a parade in the morning and fireworks at night. The fireworks are shot off a barge in the lake, and people sit on this big hill (known to locals as "the hill") to watch. You can also see the fireworks from all the other parks and towns and individuals ringing the lake, so you get little shows surrounding your big show. It's very small-town America nice.
* Decatur Celebration, first weekend of August. Insane. Twenty-two blocks of downtown Decatur are blocked off for three days of heat, food, crafts, rides, food, performers, and food. There are 10+ stages at various points in the grid, plus little pockets of small-time entertainment--magicians
and cloggers and baton twirlers and the like--and it's all free admittance. Past performers have included Rick Springfield, Air Supply, Three Dog Night, The Presidents of the United States, Los Straightjackets, Moxy Fruvous, Don McClean...I can't even remember. This year? Oh, yeah, baby--Boyz II Men and the Village People. THE VILLAGE PEOPLE. Plus a carnival, plus the
food—my god, the food! In addition to your typical corn dogs and elephant ears, they try to get a really exotic and diverse type of fair food--crepes, jambalaya, alligator, roasted corn, tempura, and, oh! weird yummy fried stuff, like fried twinkies, which are infinitely better than you'd think. There are a fair number of drunks, particularly around the main stages, and it's always really freaking' hot.

Best non-stupid on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info: The city has the hookup for festivals and educational-type stuff: http://www.decaturcvb.com/

Or try Decatur Magazine for more complete listings: http://www.decaturmagazine.com/

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females): Outside of the festivals, Decatur has blues in the park in the summer. Bands tend to play bars and churches, but the only place I know that regularly books touring bands is Wake the Dead--a rather intimidating all-ages venue on Eldorado.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw: Most places are non-pretentious; lawyers and truck drivers and doctors and factory workers are all hanging out in some of the same places. I'd go to Schaffers, a really old, really tiny bowling alley downtown, or to the Lincoln Lounge, also downtown. But then I might run into people from high school.

Best place(s) to stop in just to stop in while visiting:
The main post office downtown (Franklin St.) I am in love with this building. It's big, granite and marble art deco fabulous. The walls are covered with WPA murals--the nation's largest collection of true frescoes, actually--depicting the history of Illinois and great Illinoisans. It's massive and heavy and full of early-twentieth century grandeur, at least on the surface; you can see just past the nice dividers to the drab underfunded reality of modern municipal work behind the gold lettering. Love it. It's open 24 hours most of the time.

Best secret deals:
I don't know so much about the free, but Decatur is the place to buy anything used. Need books? CDs? Dishes? Orthopedic limbs? Babies? You can probably get it used and cheap. Thrift shops open and close a lot these last few years, but they are plentiful. Check out Olga's House of Stuff on
Water, The Lutheran School Association Thrift Shop on Eldorado, and the St. Mary's Hospital shop on Wood.

Where can you find Galaga in your town? Or Space Invaders. Or Elvis pinball. Or batting cages? Any other favorite play spots to share?:
Paul's Putting Place in Nelson Park has batting cages, mini golf, and snacks. There's a big new citywide sports center over by Millikin that apparently has everything ever--batting cages, climbing walls, tracks, you name it--but I haven't seen it myself.

Best public place to nap and/or picnic:
For sun, head down to the lake and sit on a hill, or a pier, or the overlook. For shade, the pine forest at Rock Springs. Oh--and if you're not napping alone, there are little overlooks all around the lake that provide plenty of scenic parking for sparking.

Best inexpensive way in from the airport for travelers who have no one to pick em up, or who wanna spare their hosts the hassle (public transport options preferred!): You can take the bus during its limited hours, and to its limited range. It's a car-based town, and the airports on the far
East edge. Or call my parents--they'll give you a ride.

Best bets for lodging: Loads of hotels and motels. It sounds very middle-class to say, but we have a very nice Holiday Inn (the Chicago Bears stayed there during their brief, whiny, self-indulgent stay). We also have lots of very Route-66 looking seedy motels.

Is public transport available? Do you recommend it? If so, how much is it? If not, how should a visitor get around? Not very much. There is a bus system, but its limited in range and hours. It's about a dollar to ride.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s)/co-ops/otha shops to check out:
BOOKS: Although I'm loath to send tax dollars to the Interstate big-box mall town of Forsyth, there's a great used bookstore on the north side of this 'burb, The Book Barn. You can't get them as cheap as you used to, but you can still get classics and first run paperbacks for a couple of bucks; prices are generally about 1/4 of the cover price. They also have added an assortment of housewares for cheap. CDs: G&B's CDs on Eldorado is an awesome place to find used and new
CDs. It's grimy and disorganized, but they've got a crazy assortment of music. I've bought everything from the Go-Gos to bootleg Uncle Tupelo to out of print Hum there. The guys who run it are very cool and will help you dig through the sometimes apparently random bins of music. Also has vinyl.


Locally-run cheap restaurant(s) you dig (yay to veg-friendly and regional flair ones!):
Krekel's Custard and Hamburgers shops are the best. I regularly consider going back to beef to eat one of their hamburgers, but I'll settle for a cheese toastie and a lemon cone. The prices are ridiculous--grilled cheese is a buck, fries are a buck, a cheeseburger sets you back.... Their ice
cream makes Custard Cup taste like plastic. Some Krekelses are walk-up stands, but Eldorado, Mound Rd., and Mt. Zion do provide some seating. Krekel's is also home to the rather famous chicken cars--giant old Cadillacs, red and white striped, with an enormous fiberglass chicken sprouting from the top. Alas, Mr. Krekel died a few years ago and the cars have been tied up in probate.

If you're looking to sit, try Paul's on North Water. Once upon a time it was a confectionary, now it's a greasy spoon with great chili and a damn fine green river. Excellent shakes, too. A good old fashioned malt shop, good and cheap.

Thai: We don't hold with that sort of thing round here.

Mexican: El Matador at Pershing and Martin Luther King. Good, cheap, excellent service.

Breakfast: Jan's East End Grill on Brush College Rd has served my dad, my uncle, my grandfather, and a whole bunch of other cranky old coots every Satrday for a million years. Nothing fancy, but decent and cheap. For a more elegant Sunday brunch, the Main Hangar restaurant at the airport is good, and you sit right beside the tarmac and watch the planes come in and take off.

Diner: There are a bunch, and every old guy in town has his favorite. I like Jan's East End and Norma's.

Comfort food: French fries from Mr. G's

Vegan food?: Ha. Nice try.

Coffee shop with character: You'd be hard-pressed to find a $5.00 latte around here. People get their coffee with their eggs, or else they stop by the gas station.

Regional fare: Krekel's hamburgers are kind of Decatur's pride

Yer fav fancier place: Main Hangar at the airport

Others to recommend: Lock, Stock, and Barrel has a very nice lunch menu (and is one of the more popular bars in the evening). It's over by Millikin. And if you're downtown, go to Merchant Street and stop by Del's Popcorn Shop, even if it's just to inhale. Fresh popped popcorn, caramel apples, fudge, pralines...mmmm. Yum.

Cool local activism to look out for: UNION YES! Many active unions; not many successful ones, at this point. And community-based music; while there aren't a lot of bar bands, several of the local choirs and community and school bands are very well-known, and the choruses and bands are used a lot for community building.

One road trip outta town you like: Lake Shelbyville is nearby, and has great camping, boating, and swimming options.

Best/worst time of year to come. Why: The Celebration is fun, but you can't get a hotel room (and there are 300,000 other people there). Summers are really hot. Winters are really cold. Come in the fall.

Shoes you recommend bringing for a good visit: Any. No shoes, no service.

Quirks of yer town we should know about:
Okay. If you've heard of Decatur at all, you've probably heard about one of three things: (1) Decatur? You'll get killed if you go there! (2) Decatur's where they make exploding Explorer tires. (3) Decatur smells.

First, Decatur has a lower crime rate than most comparable cities in
the area, including C-U and Springfield; you just hear a lot more about crime in Decatur, where you don't have a giant university or state government to hush it all up. I have never been shot in Decatur, nor have I ever known anyone who was shot in Decatur.
Second, well...not anymore, because Firestone blamed the Decatur plant for the whole thing and shut it down, instead of admitting that they locked out the skilled workers and hired scabs and used the untrained non-union office workers on the plant.
Third, Decatur does smell. Two of the world's largest agribusiness conglomerates are based here, and there's a whole lot of grain processing going on. It smells different depending on what it is they're making; usually, it's kind of an odd pasta-y smell, or soy saucey. But you know what? Unless you're growing all your own food and not using anything plastic or driving a car--if you drink a can of Coke or a bottle of beer, if you eat grain-fed beef or fill your tank with low octane gas, you're reaping the benefit of those grain processing plants. You can't get soymilk without that smell. And depending on what part of town you're in, which way the wind is blowing, and what they're doing that at the plants that day, it might not be noticeable.

A bit about who you are:
I grew up in Decatur, my family still lives there, and I go over there a LOT. I can recommend eight good routes from Champaign to Decatur that don't involve the Interstate.

friday

ok.

12 it is.

send me yer addy if you contributed and want a copy of what comes next.

thanks for sharing.

happy weekend, all.

xo
aimee

Local Poll II #12 - CHICAGO, CHICAGO! that toddlin' town. (deh da deh da daaaah)

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here:
Rickman Gal
               
Where do you live/what city are you e'splainin?:
Chic-caa-go

What neighborhoods or areas around here do you recommend exploring?
North Side, Roscoe Village (Damen between Belmont and Roscoe, east to Ashland at Belmont), Lakeview (Irving Park and Lincoln all the way to the lake), Lincoln Square (Lincoln Ave and Lawrence), Andersonville (Clark at Lawrence), Wicker Park (Damen at Milwaukee), Bucktown (Damen at Division). Damen is a great long street filled with lots of great neighborhoods, but is a walk to the lake. 2000 W., aka 20 blocks to watery relief.

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through, there, sissy?  
If you have a dog, go to Montrose Harbor dog beach, it is the best for playin with your dog OFF-Leash in the city. Lots of dogs, so make sure your dog is well behaved. Wilson off LSD (editor's note: "LSD" - Lake Shore Drive)go east and follow the dogs.

Other local features or beautiful natural spots to take in:  
the lakefront bike path stretches 20-some odd miles and is great for running and walking, or swimming or throwing Frisbee, I recommend swimming up around the planetarium. It is really a great place to view the city skyline, and bring some quarters, a whole roll, if you can, cause there are meters all over the city, and they only take quarters. Out by the planetarium, there are 24 hour meters.

Any good festivals? When?
Blues Fest, June 10
Lots of free music. In and around Michigan avenue and Buckingham fountain. Live outdoor music dancing too on Michigan Ave all summer.

Best non-stupid on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info:
Not so silly to get all yer info on Chicago happenings once you are here from the Chicago Reader, a free newspaper found all over the city. Plus, if you like, online restaurant info is best found at metromix.com, it is great for reviews of local places. Plus if you look into checkplease.com, it is a great PBS tv show website for local restaurant reviews. Price ranges are available at both these websites., and Chicagoreader.com also has all its music posted in such a lovely way so you could go check it out for yourself.

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females):
Of course the best is Heartland Cafe. Its up near Loyola. And you can find the address online. Empty Bottle, Schubas, Gunther Murphys, Griffins. Martyrs, Beat Kitchen. Bottle Lounge, Hideout.

Best place(s) to stop in to dance:
Rockit is a neat bar in the loop, it can get crazy busy on the weekends, but the weekdays, it's a huge dance palace just waiting for your fancy feet. I'm not down with dancing, so I am not a good person to ask for a place to dance. (editor's note: lies, lies! she boogies with the best of em. she can shake her money makah.) ;)

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw:
Rainbow on Damen and Division, photo booth to immortalize your drunken state, while you are outta state.
Horseshoe, good place for rockabilly music on Lincoln and Irving Park.
Gold Star on Division, in lovely Bucktown. Great Jukebox.
Dannys -- a must-go-to Bar. On Dickens and a Damen. Wonderful atmosphere, good quality beer, and djs that play lounge groove music.
Smoking is everywhere, so FYI, none of these bars have a non-smoking or dining section, except for Horseshoe, with BBQ and big ass sodas.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a drink (ideally also without pretention or hoo-haw): 
A drink --- ahh, a margarita, so many cantinas all over this city. Really the ones at Playtido, near Wrigley field are the best. On Clark and School. Martini style. Mmm.
 
Best place(s) to stop in just to stop in while visiting:
Giordanos pizza. Lalos Mexican in the loop.
Free art institute days.

Best secret deals:
Free museums are on Tuesdays in Chicago. Free afternoon music at the Chicago Cultural Center..on Washington and Michigan Ave.  Lincoln Park zoo is free all the time (Fullerton and LSD -- park somewhere west of LSD. entry at the river or 1 block west of Clark). Wednesday is half price wine nite at lots of restaurants in the city. Check metromix.com, for all weekday specials all over the city.

Best jukeboxes:
Gold Star, Lincoln Square Lanes: a great old style bowling alley, without all the highprice glitz or distracting light shows. Cheap lanes and shoes, stiffy drinks. Low brow beer.cash only.

Where can you find Galaga in your town? Or Space Invaders. Or Elvis pinball. Or batting cages? Any other favorite play spots to share?:
Bowling. Lincoln Square Lanes (Lincoln avenue near Lawrence Ave. West side of Western Ave.)
Rainbow has pinball.
Gold Star has Pool.

Best public place to nap and/or picnic:
Napping in any Chicago park is ok by most folks. But I recommend napping in the flower gardens next to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Also, in the botanical gardens when it is cold is a nice place for a warm place with lovely smelling flowers to alert your senses and Wake you up! What are you doing napping in Chicago anyways? Nap in your car.

Best inexpensive way in from the airport for travelers who have no one to pick em up, or who wanna spare their hosts the hassle (public transport options
preferred!):
Take the blue line to the loop.it's super easy for anyone to find their way to Addison or Western Ave if they live here, or south of the loop, get off at Harrison. Both are out of the loop mess and the highways. Get off around Washington, if you want to end up in the loop. Off at Damen if you prefer the Wicker Park shopping and live music scene. Both are easy to find again and return back to the airport..$1.75 one way. No transfer needed. But a 7 day pass might suit you if you are here for more than 3 days. Lots of ways to get around north, to lakeview..off at Belmont. Or north north to Andersonville via the #22 clark bus, or  north west to Lincoln Square via the Blue line, off at Western Ave. Or to Roscoe Village via the Damen Bus. Ahh, the Damen Bus. So many wonderful places to get to. Wanna get off the train and go right to the lake? Take the Blue line from the airport, get off at Belmont and take the Belmont bus all the way to the lake. Jump in.

Best bets for lodging:
Find a place to stay with a friend or look on craigs list for a space to sleep.
Cheap hotels, well, I guess you could go on hotels.com, or one of those cheepiehotels.com sites. But I would try the Days INN on Diversey Parkway, it is the best location out of the loop. Near the beach and restaurants and good for walking around. No real hotels in Wicker Park or Bucktown that I can think of.
 
Is public transport available? Do you recommend it? If so, how much is it? If not, how should a visitor get around?
Buy a pass for more than one trip. Even if you put in 10 dollars, thay give you 11 dollars to go towards fares. $20=$22. 30=$33 -- dadadada. Don't just put in $1.75 for one ride. You will get on the train to get around. Cabs cost $2.50 just to get in and 2.25 per mile.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s)/co-ops/otha shops to check out (any feminist bookstores left out there?):
Quimbys on Milwaukee, in Wicker Park. Good for Alt. Magazines and Zines.
Powells, on Lincoln and around Diversey. Great prices on books and lots of them

Locally-run cheap restaurant(s) you dig (yay to veg-friendly and regional flair ones!):
Soul Veg: South Side. 75th and State. It is really good.

Thai: Satay. On Diversey, get the Coconut soup with shrimp.

Mexican: Lalos Big margaritas and nice food. Also -- Taco Burrito Palace #2 on Halsted and Fullerton..open Late NITE and Has the BEST Guacamole and Burritos. It is worth the trip.

Fish/seafood: Most fish, well I guess go get sushi and Kaze on Roscoe or Sushi Murai on Southport and Addison

Breakfast: Orange, on Clark and Belmont, with fruit sushi and doughnut pancakes or Victory Banner in Roscoe Village -- Organic eggs at the latter and veggie sausage!

Diner: Leos Lunch room on Division and about Ashland.

Comfort food: French Fries at the Weiners Circle (Clark and just south of Diversey)..Just swear and yell your way up to the front of the line -- the fries are so greasy and good!

Good salad / salad bar: Riverview -- their salads are good. Roscoe and Damen.

Vegan food?:  Alice and Friends on Broadway -- really good fake meat creations and desserts are vegan & BYOB. Also, avoid Chicago Diner -- over priced and awful. Try chicagovegetarian.com for a good list. A list is on the web for good Vegetarian and Vegan -- just look.

Takeout: go get a pizza to go at Giordanos by the millennium park and eat it in the nicest place you can find.

Pizza: go get a pizza. Most deep dish pizzas take an hour so order before you go. Or order it, and take a walk, pick it up and eat it outside.

Coffee shop with character: Cafe Kopi in Andersonville, with lovely Swedish Bakery across the street

Regional fare: Go get a Viennese hot dog at Gold Coast Dogs, or an Italian beef at Als on Taylor street. You won't regret it.

Yer fav fancier place: go to Rick Bayless' Frontera grill and Topolobampo. They serve lunch, so you can get a taste of the food while the meal won't take a bite out of your wallet.

Those to avoid cause they treat their workers poorly: Aria in the Fairmont hotel.

Others to recommend: Get some custard from any place you walk by. Avoid the cold stone creameries and their corporate 5 dollar scoop of ice cream, and look around for a local business selling some wonderful cheaper priced ice cream.

Cool local activism to look out for: Local end of the month Critical bike mass bike ride. Starts at Daley Plaza. Random protesters like to take their beef right to Buckingham fountain and LSD. And because there is a cross walk traffic is forced to stop and listen to whatever the protesters have to say. Usually hundreds of cars stop at the intersection everyday. So if you like to come to down and start a protest this is the place. 

One road trip outta town you like: Go to Champaign Urbana for local music. It is about 2hours south, and there is 80’s music all over the radio to rock on your way down.

Best/worst time of year to come. Why:
Worst: January -- cold, boring. It gets cold early.
Best: June -- before it gets Really humid. Even May is ok.

Shoes you recommend bringing for a good visit: Sneakers and fancy sandals for nice outings. Do not wear flip fops to the bars -- your feet will stick to the floor.

Quirks of yer town we should know about:
People really like to drive too too fast when they are impatient. So beware of wackos at any time. People are nice. They are not shy about being outgoing and drunk here.

A bit about who you are: I'm Aimee's youngest sister. And I have travelled east and west, and Chicago is all that and a bag of chips. She can fill in the rest.

Local Poll #11 - CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, ILLINOIS!!!!!

sigh. at long last.

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here: Grrr

Where do you live/what city are you e'splainin?: Champaign-Urbana, IL

What neighborhoods or areas around here do you recommend exploring?
Downtown Champaign's good walking around, if you like looking at buildings and thinking about the evolution of several generation's worth of downtown commerce. Campus is really pretty (or at least, some parts of campus are really pretty).

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through?
Meadowbrook Park in south Urbana is the best for wandering around; I particularly like the west side area, off Race, where the community gardens and the stream and the firepit are. There are several entrances to the prairie paths on that side, and those are the best paths for loners; the grass and the flowers and the weeds grow up so tall nobody can see you, so you can walk around scowling or go jogging without feeling like a big sweaty red-faced dork. The prairie paths are a lot less populated than the concrete path, so you're more likely to see deer and crazy birds and things, too. If you're into that sort of thing.

Also, the Busey Woods up the Anita Purvis Nature Center are kind of a hoot. The creek runs through it, which is nice, but you're never out of sight of the road or the fairgrounds, so it's not like you ever get really centered by nature. The area up near the nature center and parking lot are popular with families, and that part has a handicap-accessible boardwalk trail. Further back it turns into kind of a marshy trashy reclaimed dump--which it is--but it's also the best chance for "wilderness" you'll get in town. I've seen deer and a fox back there, but also teenagers and, for lack of a better word, "drifters." (Never too scary, though, as the road is always RIGHT THERE.) Across the road is a big old tiered cemetery, which my friend Katy declared would be a good cemetery to have sex in, and the Urbana Country Club, which would probably not be.

Other local features or beautiful natural spots to take in:
The Urbana Farmer's Market, if you can stand the crowds, is a cool mishmash of farmers and musicians and kettle corn poppers and jewelry makers and townsfolk. (One tip: Go early for the good produce, go late if you want to hear music.) The Arboretum really is quite nice. If you've got a car, though, your best bet is just getting on a road and driving until it's all open space and gravel roads and endless sky. You can take First Street all the way to Tuscola. You can take Springfield or University over to Indiana. It's all a grid, so even though roads kind of end abruptly, you never get too lost--if it's daytime, know that you'll eventually run into one of the state highways and be fine; if it's nighttime, just head for the glow. That'll get you back to town.

Any good festivals? When?
Hmmm. GOOD festivals? There used to be this awesome one called GrrrlFest, but good things can't last forever. Now, go to the Sweetcorn Festival in Urbana or to the OldTimer's birthday celebration in Champaign. OOH--the Labor Day parade and the celebration that follows it. Good, wholesome, American-style fun. The Parade features all the local unions, and Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and local politicians, and service trucks of all sorts--city bus, fire truck, electric company cherry picker. Loads of candy. LOADS, they throw. And it all ends up somewhere--last year it was by the county building/softball diamonds/jail--and there's free food and little games and rides for the kids in the cherry picker. It's just so Little House on the Industrial Belt.

Best non-stupid on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info: Haven't found it yet.

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females): Until they stop doing it, Café Paradiso is home base of the Women's Booking Collective, and they do all-ages shows. The Independent Media Center is going to get started up again soon in the old Urbana post office; we'll see how that plays out. (Plays out. Get it?) The best spot right now for some really good, really cheap, really friendly local and touring bands is Mike and Molly's in downtown Champaign. I've seen some
fabulous shows there for less than five bucks.

Best place(s) to stop in to dance: Mike and Molly's, if you dare (and depending on the DJ). C-Street SideBar.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw:
The Brass Rail! Karen'll hook you up with cheep PBR and some advice about your life. Or Mike and Molly's. The RoseBowl is great when you don't really want to talk to anybody, or when you want to hear some good old country.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a drink (ideally also without pretention or hoo-haw):
Like a mixed drink? I'd go to the Esquire, probably, and pick my bartender carefully. Crane Alley, maybe, depending on the feel of the crowd.

Best place(s) to stop in just to stop in while visiting:
Jane Addams Book Shop, which has three stories' worth of books; even if you don’t buy anything, it's easy to spend an afternoon looking at weird etiquette books from 1937 and pulp fiction covers from the fifties. Or the batting cages, which are waaaaaay the hell out in southeast urbana, and sometimes you have to bring your own bat.

Best secret deals:
* The Esquire has free peanuts, and they let you--nay, insist that you--throw the shells right onto the floor. (Unless you're sitting outside in the beer garden, in which case, they contrarily ask that you deposit your goober waste in a refuse bowl. Like a peanut shell spittoon.) Plus, French fries for a buck.

* Free music in the parks all summer long, in different neighborhood parks and different styles. Usually Wednesdays. The Park District should be able to tell you who's playing where:
http://www.cparkdistrict.com/cgi-bin/calendar/calendar.cgi. Also lots of the coffee shops have free music. The RoseBowl has music every night, and it's usually free.

* The Urbana Farmers Market has free coffee and water, and lots of stands give out samples.

* Loads of bars have $1 pint/$1 can nights, usually Monday-Wednesday. Mike and Molly's and Cowboy Monkey for sure. If you're young and wild, or any age and very tolerant, campustown bars often have anything you want insanely cheap. (But be warned: first off, if you don't like drinking with 16-year-olds, stay away. Second, if you pay $1.50 for a Long Island Ice tea, you can be fairly confident they're not using the good stuff.)

* El Torro II has good Mexican food and 99-cent Old Style everyday.

* The Virginia Theatre has "Real Deals" once a month, where they show recent movies for $2-$3 bucks. It's a cool old big-screen, single-theatre theatre, too. http://www.thevirginia.org/reeldealseries.htm

Best jukeboxes: The Brass Rail! Yesterday's top country hits and today's local punk favorites. The only place in town to hear the likes of Conway Twitty and Dolly Parton right alongside the Blackouts and Terminus Victor (not to mention the formerly fantastic Violents and Dead Weight and the Lost Cause.) Mike and Molly's has a surprisingly good jukebox, but most evenings there's a DJ. Jupiter's has an extensive selection of stuff they play on the radio; somebody who hangs out there a lot LOVES Weezer. LOOOOOOVEEEES weezer. Seriously.

Where can you find Galaga in your town? Or Space Invaders. Or Elvis pinball. Or batting cages? Any other favorite play spots to share?:
Hmmm. Galaga: La Bamba on campus. (Also has Ms. Pacman.) Maybe Jupiters? editor's note: "nope."
ELVIS PINBALL at the Esquire. Not as tight as it was when they first got it, but yeeeehaaaw, that's good pinball. (The B-Rail just got a new pinball machine. Haven't tried it yet.)

As previously mentioned, the batting cages at the establishment formerly known as TK Wendl's. Bring a bat if you've got one. There's an indoor driving range on North Market (it's called "Fun Fore All" or something equally pithy.) There's also a driving range and a good par-3 course at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet. The full-size courses around here are all expensive and very flat.

Best public place to nap and/or picnic: Nap? In PUBLIC? That's not even physically possible.
There's a park over on the west side of Springfield, a little past El Torro I. I don't know what it's called, but it's got a little lake where they teach canoeing. (That's got to be kind of funny, because the "lake" is about two canoe-lengths wide.) There's a long, creepy, dusty, gravelly garbage trail that leads to another park up by Parkland, which also has a lake. And a lot of goose poop. They're good parks, though, because there are never a lot of people there, and these parks are sandwiched weirdly between new modern subdivision minimansions and slightly older public-assisted housing apartments. And they're on old farmland. It's all slightly off-kilter and crappy and yet really right when you just want to be left alone.

If you're not antisocial, though, I'd say West Side Park, or the Arboretum.

Best inexpensive way in from the airport for travelers who have no one to pick em up, or who wanna spare their hosts the hassle (public transport options
preferred!):
The bus does go to the airport, but I'm not sure how often or how late it runs out there. If the hours are limited, you could always hike or cab it a mile up the road to SuperWalMart!, and catch the bus there.

Best bets for lodging: Friends and friends of friends. The populace is young and mobile and used to crashing on people's floors.

Is public transport available? Do you recommend it? If so, how much is it? If not, how should a visitor get around?
We've got buses, which actually run pretty frequently and pretty easily--as long as you want to go to campus or downtown. Anyplace else is a little tougher. If you've got a U of IL student, faculty, or staff ID, hop on, my educated friend! You ride for free! If you're just a schmoe riding the bus to your job at Taco Bell, it'll cost you a buck a ride. It takes some time, but you can walk pretty much from one end of town to the other.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s)/co-ops/otha shops to check out (any feminist bookstores left out there?):
Jane Addams Book Shop! Loads of feminist stuff, but loads of everything else, too. Sometimes they even have cookies. Right downtown. Muey bueno--go buy something from them right now. Also downtown Champaign is Old Main Book Shop*, which is the place to go for collectible postcards and sci-fi magazines from the 40s and 50s (but is the place to avoid if you're allergic to cats. And cat pee.) Over in Urbana, Priceless Books on Main St. has the best collection of used trade titles, and might be the only place in town to get used mass-markets. Plus loads of cooking books, classical music CDs, and an extensive women's studies section. For new books, drive or bus on down to Savoy to go to Pages for All Ages, the last of the not-great, but-certainly-serviceable independents. (If you're looking for a particular book, I'd call first.) Also sells coffee and CDs.

Locally-run cheap restaurant(s) you dig (yay to veg-friendly and regional flair ones!):

Thai: Basil Thai on Green St (campus); Siam Terrace on Main St. (U)

Mexican: El Torro & El Torro II for real Mexican (C); Fiesta Café for black beans (C)

Fish/seafood: Yuck.

Breakfast: Sam's café downtown (C)

Diner: See breakfast

Comfort food: Bombay Café, for warm, mushy, spinachy goodness (campus)

Vegan food?: Strawberry Fields forever. (U)

Takeout: Chinese, it's Rainbo Garden on S. Neil. (C) Mmmm. Triple Delights.

Coffee shop with character: Paradiso (betw. Campus and downtown U), which also has good sammies, soups, pasta salads, and regular salads

Regional fare: Like what? Fried twinkies? Fried baloney sandwiches? Fried fries? The Midwest needs to better define itself through food.

Those to avoid cause they treat their workers poorly: I don't know about workers, but I can say that Original Pancake House (C) and the Courier (U) treat single diners like crap. (sorry. another editor's note. Timpone's likes to make their wait staff cry. They are bad.)

Cool local activism to look out for: It's a really media-literate town, I think, which leads not only to a highly active Independent Media
Center, but also to some really cool stuff like MediaGeek (zine, WEFT radio show, and website) and Media Matters (NPR program). Women's Booking Collective is out there to make sure women are involved on all sides of the local music scene. And, although it's not "activism" much at all anymore, we do have a cool music scene.

One road trip outta town you like: You can go anywhere from here. Chicago, Indy, St. Louis, Bloomington Ind. = less than three hours; Iowa City, Cincinatti, Memphis, Nashville, Madison Wis., Milwaukee = five or six hours. Closer in, Springfield's got Lincoln out the wazoo, Terre Haute has Eugene Debs's home and a nice little art museum, Peoria's got minor league baseball and riverboat gambling. You can get to any of them in an hour and a half.

Best/worst time of year to come. Why: Summer's good because the students have largely cleared out, so you've got less traffic, businesses really want you, and you can actually park. Plus, awesome awesome thunderstorms. That's some great free entertainment: East central Illinois and west central Indiana have the highest flash rate in the country (flash meaning lightning flashes). (And don't argue me--Florida has more lightning per year because they have more storms. Our storms are flashier when we do get them.) Be forewarned, though, that summer is horribly hot and humid and winters are shockingly cold, dry, and windy (It generally gets up to 100 and down to 0 over the course of the year, though summer averages are more like 85-90 for highs and winter lows are more like 10-20.)

Shoes you recommend bringing for a good visit: Any kind, you should be fine.

Quirks of yer town we should know about: For a town this small, we've got some big city problems (lack of parking, disproportionately expensive housing, high campus crime rates); for a city this big, we've got some small town problems (lack of things to do, particularly for under-agers; lots of stuff closes up early; can be difficult to get around without a car).

A bit about who you are: Early 30s, work in publishing, semi-attached. I see a fair bit of live music, read a whole lot of anything, and spend probably too much time in bars.

Local Poll II #10 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA!

Minneapolis...MSF (Mad Science Fair -- Dave's band) just played St Paul last Friday...it felt good to be there again.....

I miss the two for one's and free chicken wings, pickled herring and cheese slab at Liquor Lyle's. I miss Sabastian Joe's ice Cream and walks around the lakes. I miss breakfast at The Uptown Bar and used cd shopping at Cheapo's. I miss the view of the Minneapolis skyline as you drive over the Mississippi River. I miss the co-op's, my friends, the bands...

but I don't miss the winters....

Best....
Dave

Local Poll II #9 -- DENVER, COLORADO!

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here: beth y jesse

Where do you live?: denvah

What neighborhoods or areas around where you live you do you recommend exploring?
Uptown as opposed to LoDo. South Denver around Broadway and 1st. There are a lot of fun indi-stores popping up on Santa Fe around 6th avenue. 13th street around Pennsylvania and down to Lincoln is where the little hipsters shop, and has the only american veg restaurant in town.

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through?
Lots of city parks in Denver, including Washington Park for people watching, City Park for hanging out, and many smaller ones. Hang out in all of em.

Any good festivals? When? Ladyfest out West is in June. Otherwise, go into the mountains for the bluegrass fests.

Best on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info: Start with Denverevolution. Go mainstream with the Westword or the Onion. And Happy hours are displayed on two online sites , www.denverdrinks.com or www.milehighnights.com. Though milehigh is usually somewhat outdated.

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local rock music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females): Larimer Lounge, HighDive, Benders Tavern, Herman’s Hideaway

Best place(s) to stop in to dance: HighDive, Mercury (swing), La Rumba, Snake Pit (if you can stand the smoke)

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw: Larimer Lounge, Williams Tavern, the Lion’s Lair

Best place(s) to stop in to get a drink: Sputnik, Speakeasy, Mezcal

Best place(s) to stop in just to stop in while visiting: The Family Discount Center thrift stores in NW Denver (Kipling/38th and Wadsworth/66th)

Best secret deals : Family Discount Centers or DAV thrift stores. $1 Goodwill on Federal and 67th-ish (don't tell too many people!). $3 martini happy hour until 9pm weekdays at Mynt (Larimer/14th) - avoid the pretention and grab a seat on the patio. Late night happy hours weekdays at Whiskey Bar.

Best bets for lodging: West Colfax. We like the Big Bunny. Kitschy motels a-plenty, and a historic western (but busy) street.

Is public transport available? Do you recommend it? If so, how much is it? If not, how should a visitor get around?The light rail and 16th street shuttle are free downtown, and the buses are among the best in the country, though any type of weather slows them down. Bus and light rail are $1.25/ride. Ask for a transfer.
Taxis are cheap, if you're out late at night. Can get a ride to the outskirts of downtown for about $10.
We like bikes. There's tons of bike trails.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s) to check out (any feminist bookstores left out there?):Twist & Shout on Alameda/Logan-ish is the best music store in town. Still indie, one of the last. There's WaxTrax on 13th & Pennsylvania-ish.
The Tattered Cover (2 locations) is a local giant. Breakdown has some leftist, feminist stuff. There's a few used bookstores on South Broadway, and in Boulder. Friends have found coveted novels at our beloved thrift stores.

Locally-run cheap restaurant(s) you dig (yay to veg friendly and regional flair ones!):
Thai: Spicy Basil delivers, and is cheap. For the best, go out to the NW burbs for Thai House. The best Red and Massaman curry around. They also do sushi, strange enough.

Mexican: Mezcal for bar-like scenester with good food, veggie options; Tamayo for the best, but expensive, South American EVER. Plenty of really good mexi dives around, if you eat meat. Pork in everything.

Fish/seafood: $1/piece sushi at Fontana Sushi on Alameda, close to Pearl. Pearl St. also has the best Sushi in town at Sushi Den (1487 S Pearl).

Breakfast: Drive way, way out to the burbs for the Original House of Pancakes. We go to indian buffet.

Diner: We've heard it's the Breakfast King at Santa Fe and I-25. Never been.

Comfort food: Bang on 32nd (NW Denver) or country Japanese at Domo, one of the best Japanese places in the country. Indian buffet at India House (N Indian, mild) or Little India (S Indian, spicy), downtown.

Good salad / salad bar: Sunflower in Boulder. That's about it.

Vegan food?: Sunflower in Boulder is the best. A spinach-included salad bar is available, even during brunch. Otherwise, Watercourse Foods on 13th has vegan stuff. Try the Donna Lee.

Takeout: Min Min chinese on S Broadway (sesame anything), or Thai House in Arvada.

Pizza: Come over to our house. Pudge Bros. is second choice. Pizza like butta, with grease. Third choice is Carl's on 38th/Perry.

Coffee shop with character: Kaladi Bros near DU is independent and excellent, Paris on the Platte is chock0 angst, the Mercury Café is tres funky (tho beware the menu) . We just learned about Monkey Bean on Broadway on the outskirts of downtown, near the baseball stadium. Supposed to be very good, serving bubble tea and all, and open very late.

Regional fare: Chubby’s for local greasy Mexican: cheap!

Yer fav fancier place: Tamayo on Larimer/14th (fancy Latin)

Those to avoid cause they treat their workers poorly: DonkeyDen

Others to recommend: Gateaux bakery on 12th or 13th and Speer. Pastries, pastries, pastries! The Buntport is a great venue for different things. Check their schedule: http://www.buntport.com/

One road trip outta town you like: Mountains are great! Go feel the hot springs! Brainard Lake has many hiking and camping options(avoid on weekend), the Deckers area also is fun.

Best/worst time of year to come. Why: Rush hour - no. Winter isn't bad, stays in the 40-60 range, and not a lot of rain or snow. Feb-April are the best times to meet a snowstorm. Summer is hot hot hot, and the dry heat makes the sun that much more heavy. Good for desert-lovers.

Shoes you recommend bringing for a good visit: You'll fit in with the casual ones(sandals), and can do some hiking with hiking boots. People wear those things everywhere.

Quirks of yer town we should know about: People don't dress up much, unless it's hooch. The artistic community is quite disparate. Scene is young, college, for the most part. Watch out for soccer moms in huge SUVs.

A bit about who you are :
Beth. Age 29. Likes to avoid work. Also enjoys cooking, making music and dance, drinking fancy cocktails, travel, dressing up in inappropriate outfits, and organizing.

Jesse. 33 Being outside, seeing original music, hearing great food

Local Poll II #8 --(boom chacka) LA, CA!

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here: Andy G

Where do you live?: Los Angeles, CA – Silverlake

What neighborhoods or areas around where you live you do you recommend exploring?
Silver Lake, and Echo Park, Los Feliz – Similar to Wicker park/ Ukranian Village / Logan Square in Chicago – full of your hipsters and hipster wannabes. Venice Beach is worth checking out.

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through?
Griffith Park – 4218 Acres – hiking trails are great – great views of the city – the ocean when it’s clear out, the Hollywood sign, you can even see the “bat cave” if ya take the right trail – enter on Vermont or Hillhurst and Park near the Greek Theater (the Greek is a great place to see a show if anyone good is playing while you are in town – saw the pixies there). There’s also outdoor tennis courts surrounded by mountains.

Any good festivals? When?
Sunset Junction street fair is at the end of the summer – usually they book some great bands – I saw sonic youth, GBV, X and many cool local bands. There’s a big gay crowd that mixes with local families, hipster’s, drunks etc…. it gets crowded at night.

Best on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info:
LA weekly has the lowdown on music, art, etc… Like the Reader in Chicago.

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local rock music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females):
Spaceland, The Echo, Silver Lake lounge during the week, Mr. T’s Bowl in Highland Park (free).

Best place(s) to stop in to dance:
The Echo has DJ’s – check the listings.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw:
The Short Stop – on sunset in Echo Park – similar to the Rainbo in Chicago.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a drink:
The Short Stop, 4100 club.

Best secret deals:
Sea Level Records has in store shows – usually on the weekends – good place to buy records – Ameoba has everything under the sun but it’s toooo big and trendy for me…support the local little guy and check out sea level – Todd’s a nice guy. Check listings for Museum free days.

Best bets for lodging:
not sure... downtown has some fancy places and is close to everything – there’s plenty of places in Hollywood – some seedy some legit.

Is public transport available? Do you recommend it? If so, how much is it? If not, how should a visitor get around?
You can get around by bus – there are day passes but rides are 1.50. I try to bike it in the hood. It is LA and everyone seems to drive here, you can rent bikes in Venice if ya go to the beach – there are busses that go all the way to the beach from silverlake. Having a rental car is the best bet, especially if ya wanna take a day trip somewhere.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s) to check out:
Sea Level Records on Sunset in Echo Park(see above), skylight books on Vermont http://www.skylightbooks.com.

Locally-run cheap restaurant(s) you dig:>
Thai: Sanamluang Café – open late mix of Hollywood asian crowd, club kids, drag queens – very grungy – but cheap and delicious.

Mexican: Alegria on Sunset (3510 W Sunset)– cash only – the fish tacos rock! Family Run / small and cozy.

Fish/seafood: Take a afternoon drive up Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Seafood…not fancy/very casual outdoor – pick your order up at a window type place - but inexpensive, and on the ocean. I’ve seen a few celebs there.

Breakfast: Millies or Eat Well on sunset.

Diner: Caffe Capri – Great Family owned Italian. Mom does the cooking but Dad makes the tiramisu. Recently a friends came to visit and told Rosario (dad) that the tiramisu was better than sex…he started smiling and asked for a repeat what she said…..just then the daughter chimes in “oh no there goes his ego..why did ya tell him that …now we gotta hear him brag all night….” Dad cuts her off with a “I still got it!”….great place --- try the tiramisu…

Comfort food: Canters – a LA classic – Historic Jewish/Deli coffee shop.

Vegan food?: Paru’s Vegetarian Resturant – 5140 West Sunset. Completely veggie and mostly vegan. Family run – you need to be buzzed in from the street – once you are in there the place is covered with tapestries and cool photos everywhere….looks sketchy from the outside but it’s safe and and very yummy.

Pizza: I hear that Masa on sunset in Echo Park has a great deep dish Chicago style pizza – have not tried it yet, Hard Times on hyperion has great slices, Nicky D’s has a real wood burning oven – good stuff, but Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock – on Colorodo is really good – an old style place with red and white checkered table clothes- prepare for a long wait on weekends.

Sushi: Noshi Sushi – 4430 Beverly – Incredible sushi at even better prices. Local Korea Town & Japanese regulars…. With your silverlake/echopark hipsters and thrifty Hollywood types. Cash only. Great sashimi and green tea. Gets crowded at night.

Coffee shop with character: The downbeat cafe in echo park, chango in echo park, Café Tropical – Cuban bakery – unpretentious great coffee, Kings Road (Beverly and Kings Road – west side) has really strong coffee that they roast on site – very good stuff – a trendy but great place for brunch.

One road trip outta town you like:
Joshua Tree National Park is a couple hours away – go there! Also a trip up HW 2 into the Angeles Crest national forrest is less than 1/2 hour from LA. Newcombs Ranch is a good place to eat – about 45 minutes once you are in the mountains. Big Bear is close – you can literally ski in the AM and be back in LA to surf in the afternoon.

Best/worst time of year to come. Why:
It rained a lot this winter – but usually the weather is great year round.

Shoes you recommend bringing for a good visit:
Bring hiking shoes!

Quirks of yer town we should know about:
Could use better public transportation, no smoking in bars.

A bit about who you are:
Mid 30’s, Like indie/punk rock, jazz (old school bop to experimental), I read a lot of philosophy and related stuff, I teach, like outdoor activities: surf, ski, hike, tennis.

Local Poll II #7 -- SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA!

What's yer name/nickname yer going with here: Jenny

Where do you live?: San Diego, CA

What neighborhoods or areas around where you live you do you recommend exploring?
Hillcrest--gay-friendly neighborhood with good restaurants/shops Little Italy—close to downtown, has great Italian food Southpark / Golden Hill: interesting neighborhoods with good restaurants

Any good parks round you for sitting in or wandering through?
Balboa Park is situated between downtown San Diego and Hillcrest—this is where the San Diego Zoo is located, as well as about 6-7 awesome museums, an organ pavillion, a space theater and science center, rose gardens, and ethnic Houses of Hospitality. There is a walking bridge that connects Balboa Park to Hillcrest too.

Other local features or beautiful natural spots to take in?
The beaches. Driving from North to South on Interstate 5, you’ll hit the following beaches: Del Mar, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, and Imperial Beach. Del Mar and Torrey Pines are the cleanest and the most beautiful, but I like Ocean Beach because it has a long pier you can walk along and there are tons of antique shops and food right down the street from the beach. Ocean Beach is pretty dirty though, just to warn you. Torrey Pines has a natural reserve up the hill from the beach where you can go hiking for $6 a day. There are trails that lead down to the beach—pretty breathtaking.

Best on-line/print source(s) for local entertainment info:
The San Diego Reader: www.sdreader.com

Best place(s) to stop in to see inexpensive local music (particularly those that regularly book bands with females):
The Casbah in Little Italy on 2501 Kettner Blvd: www.casbahmusic.com
The Che Café on UCSD Campus, take Gilman street exit off of Interstate 5: www.checafe.ucsd.edu

Some good San Diego Bands:
The Album Leaf, Pinback, Bunky, Kill Me Tomorrow, The Black Heart Procession, Aspects of Physics, and Goodbye Blue Monday. Oh yeah, and Rocket from the Crypt / Hot Snakes.

Best place(s) to stop in to get a beer without pretention or hoo-haw:
Live Wire: 2103 El Cajon Blvd close to Hillcrest

Best place(s) to stop in to get a drink (ideally also without pretention or hoo-haw):
The Whistle Stop Bar in Southpark: www.whistlestopbar.com

Best secret deals:
Every Tuesday some of the museums at Balboa Park are free—which ones vary by the week, and you can pick up a schedule of free museums anywhere in Balboa Park. The beaches are always free, of course.

Is public transport available?
There are buses, and I believe that one ride now costs over $2—I do not recommend the bus system—it doesn’t go to many locations and it can take up to an hour to get somewhere that would normally take 15 minutes by car. The San Diego Trolley is nice if you’d like to go see a Padres / Chargers game, hang out in downtown, or go to Tijuana. It is sad to say it, but when you are visiting San Diego, it is best to rent a car because everything is so spread out. If you plan to mainly hang out in downtown San Diego and surrounding areas, you could definitely cruise around town on a bike.

Local book store(s)/music shop(s)/co-ops/other shops to check out:
Groundwork Books Collective on the UCSD campus
Che Café coop that has vegan dinners and shows at UCSD
Bluestocking Books in Hillcrest
Food Coop on the UCSD campus
Lou’s Records in Encinitas
Off the Record close to Southpark

Locally-run cheap restaurants:
Thai: Thai Time in Southpark, Taste of Thai in Hillcrest

Mexican: Pokez in downtown

Breakfast: Mamas in Hillcrest, Mission Café close to the corner of Utah Street and University Ave.

Vegan food: Pokez, Mandarin Dynasty on University Ave. in Hillcrest (lots of fake meat, and it’s Chinese food), Kung Food on 5th avenue in Hillcrest

Pizza: Bronx Pizza on Washington Ave. in Hillcrest

Coffee shop with character: Krakatoa in Golden Hill

Of note: You can get REALLY CHEAP FOOD at Trader Joes AND Henry’s Market, both in Hillcrest

Best/worst time of year to come. Why:
San Diego is a fine place to visit year-round due to the almost constant 70 degree weather. It rains a little bit in April and May, but other than that, it’s pretty sunny.

Quirks of yer town we should know about:
Get ready to see tan bleached blonde people everywhere you go.

A bit about who you are:
I’m 30, and I like to go to shows, play music, and buy records. I like the independent / punk rock music scene, and there are plenty of good bands to check out. I also like to cook food, preferably vegan food too. I currently live in Champaign IL but San Diego is really still my home.