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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2004 : 08:34:56
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| I'm going there for a few days. What's the best stuff to do besides the obvious museums, shopping? |
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ramona
"FB Quote Mistress"
USA
3988 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 08:53:19
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http://chicago.metblogs.com/
_____________________________________________________________________
Each time the world turns 'round
It doesn't make a fucking sound
It doesn't mean that we don't feel it
It means nothing without your love
Means nothing without your love
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 09:34:11
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I would check out the Chicago Reader online http://www.chireader.com/
-a wonderful resource. The music scene is superb, depending on your tastes, there are great blues and jazz clubs, punk, industrial, true "indie", rock, whatever. I miss the music. The old industrial clubs haven't been the same in many years, not sure what's there now.
The Reader should give you a good heads up on the music and club scene front, and restaurants too. If you like Thai, our fave was delivery from Roong Petch, but the restaurant looks nice (Wicker Park) and gets rave reviews. For Romanian/Eastern European country cuisine, our friends (awesome people) at Little Bucharest are amazing. It's on the North side (3661 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, (773) 929-8640), run by a family. If you go, and Branko seems in a good mood, ask for a taste of the "Holy Water", and be sure you take the free limo! 
For flavor and local interest, hopefully Ear Wax is still around. You can grab a bite of some well-prepared vegetarian fare, and head on up to an awesome selection of rental movies. Everything from "Un Chien Andalou" to "2,000 Maniacs". The avant-garde/documentary/art/anime and categorized directors selections are great.
If you want specifics, just drop me an email. I'm horrible at keeping up with correspondence (still writing my response to your last email -oops!), but I'll be sure to make a more concerted effort in this case.
edit: I have just been devastated -I was looking for info on Little Bucharest, only to find they have CLOSED!! I am seriously depressed. They had a stained glass window of Vlad the Impaler too. Man, I loved those people.....
http://www.gapersblock.com/news/archives/2003_10_30.php
"Another one bites the dust"
Little Bucharest, the Romanian restaurant that would pick you up in a Limo for free, is closing. One Chowhound reports: "When we asked why, [owner] Branko replied: 'Yuppies. They don't buy goulash.'"
God-damned fucking gentrification! It already ruined Wicker Park! Shit!!!!! We still have a gift certificate for $50 which was a wedding gift from some friends -we never got to use it since we had to relocate, and we were going to be there soon too.
 oopsie! |
Edited by - apl4eris on 07/06/2004 09:42:46 |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 10:00:17
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On a lighter note, it's a fun game to look for as many of these as possible, like an urban version of the rural road trip game of "Cows".
"Richard M. Daley, Mayor"
or any tangent on the theme:
"Welcome to Chicago: Richard M. Daley, Mayor"
"This Port-o-Potty, courtesy of Richard M. Daley, Mayor"
"Richard M. Daley, Mayor, and don't you fuggin' forgeddit!"
oopsie! |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 10:14:35
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Thank you, Ramona and Apl! I found a site, gothicchicago.com that had links to a lot of cool places. It seems like the N Clark/Belmont area have some interesting clothing stores.
I am looking at the links you both gave me. Thanks, this should be a fun trip!
get your freon bingo here |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 11:22:04
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make sure you try the deep dish pizza when you're there. Chicago has the (2nd best, to NY) pizza in the world. also a good place to check out some blues or jazz. and, of course, lots of drinking.
i've got some good friends living there now. have an awesome every time i go (might go again in 2 weeks) |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 12:21:27
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cool, I forgot about the pizza
get your freon bingo here |
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The Calistanian
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1342 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 12:28:45
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Head to the top of the Sears Tower. There is where you can see Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Texas, or something, all at the same time.
1. I am a fsh with no i's.
2. You must be wearing Zubaz, 'cause you're daring to be different.
3. I am a man with 3 fingers...but that doesn't count my index finger nor my thumb. |
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SpudBoy
= Cult of Ray =
Equatorial Guinea
649 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 13:06:04
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As for the pizza, don't fuck around. Go to Edwardo's and get the deep dish spinach pizza. best in the city, of that class. Also a favorite, different animal: Pizza Bubamara - never been inside (hell, never even seen the place) but the delivery menu has cherries, octopus, feta cheese, just about anything you want. They're nice enough that they would probably go to the store for ingredients off the menu. Best Thai food: Roong Petch. Still get cravings for the Phad Thai and it's been over 2 years since we moved away.
Clark and Belmont is ok, but have been seriously fad-commercialized by the Alley and related stores. Good prices, crappy stuff. As apl said, wicker park used to be a juggernaut of culture, some might still exist. Go to North and Milwaukee to find out (Damen blue line stop by train). Earwax is just south of that intersection on Milwaukee. Reckless Records should be a few doors further south.
The clubs on gothicchicago.com vary widely in style and enjoyability, depending on two things: what you're into and what night it is. Neo, Exit and Smart Bar can be fun, but it depends on the night. Exit is probably the most reliable for punk/industrial, as an example. Ask around or call ahead.
Have fun, don't give money to bums, keep an eye on your belongings, and watch your back.
*festoon* |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 13:45:17
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Oh yeah -that Clark and Belmont area -there is a cigar shop (maybe still there) attached to the conglomeration of stores annexed by the Alley. It was called Blue Havana, and was very nice.
Some stuff coming back to me. I am getting really nostalgic now.
Duke of Perth (nice Irish pub, and very good food) on Clark 2 or 3 blocks south of Belmont
Smart Bar -under Metro (Clark 2 blocks north of Wrigley) if you check the schedule, sometimes they have good DJ nights (Scary Lady Sarah and such)
And coffee shops/diners:
Golden Pancake House (at Broadway and Racine - next to the Riviera, where Devo will be playing this fall!)
Salt and Pepper diner (2 of them: one is on Lincoln, more accessible one is two blocks south of Wrigley on Clark)
Golden Apple at Lincoln and Sheffield
Pick me up Cafe at Clark, 2 blocks north of Belmont (just north of the el tracks)
If you like plants -the Lincoln Park Conservatory is amazing! The fern room is worth the trip alone!
RIP Little Bucharest: Yuppies. They don't eat goulash. |
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frank_black_francis
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
895 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 13:50:19
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| Might I suggest renting "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".... |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 13:54:17
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OH! and La Creperie
2845 N. Clark St.
http://centerstage.net/restaurants/la-creperie.html - I have been missing the hell out of that place.
If it's nice weather, try a brunch outside in the back. It's wonderful, and the crepes are perfect and delicious. I recommend the seafood crepe.
RIP Little Bucharest: Yuppies. They don't eat goulash. |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 16:03:42
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i can't remember the name of the Pizza place we went to (i'll find out) but my friends in Chicago say it's the best. i'll try and find out. and i'd be curious to see what apl and spudboy think.
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 16:11:10
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Sweet! Sweet! Thank you all so much!
Apl, I didnt' know you were from there.
get your freon bingo here |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 20:05:51
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Yeah, lived there for a little over 5 years.
floop - is it Gino's East http://www.ginoseast.com/ you're thinking of? Or Giordano's http://www.giordanos.com/ ? Gino's was an awesome place to go -the grafitti (mostly in white) all over the place, and holes in the walls -true grit. Oh, and very decent pizza, but seemed more about the experience than the pizza. Giordano's wasn't my fave - they used to rock, but then they changed their crust recipe, and it was too oily and heavy/hard, and their sauce lost all of its complexity. blech!
Pizza Bubamara http://centerstagechicago.com/restaurants/pizza-bubamara.html
Eduardo's is very good for deep dish spinach pizza, as SpudBoy said. Gino's East is good too, but I don't know why it gets top billing most of the time.
RIP Little Bucharest: Yuppies. They don't eat goulash. |
Edited by - apl4eris on 07/07/2004 10:38:44 |
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SpudBoy
= Cult of Ray =
Equatorial Guinea
649 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 20:09:53
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Gino's East moved locations and reports from the field suggest a dramatic slacking in quality (and graffiti). You have been warned.
EDIT: Oh yeah and if you're a meateater and happen to be down by the Chicago Board of Trade/Sears Tower go to Luke's sandwich shop (On Jackson 1/2 block west of Wells) and order the Italian Beef, dipped, with hot on the side. Cheese is optional. Total Chicago sandwich. Freaking awesome. Man I want one now. Shit.
*festoon* |
Edited by - SpudBoy on 07/06/2004 20:12:30 |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 21:09:34
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| apl- Giordano's! that's it. went there twice. yum. |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 21:21:01
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This should be a good trip...leaving tomorrow morning.
get your freon bingo here |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 21:55:50
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have fun.
last call in Chicago bars is 4am. now that's a city i can respect. |
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Minky303
- FB Fan -
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 00:28:13
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| god bless las vegas |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 01:17:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Minky303
god bless las vegas
indeed. |
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TarTar
* Dog in the Sand *
1965 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 12:06:00
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This is what there is to do in Chi town. Get on I-94, head East for about 2 and a half hours. When you see the exit for 131, get on that and go North towards Grand Rapids for a few minutes. When you get the exit that says Kalamazoo, get off onto Stadium Drive and hell, you're practically in my backyard at that point.
"There is a new craze in the nation/ it is lamination/ we like to laminate/ we laminate our driver's license/ so cannot be changed" |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 07:45:38
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I just got back last night. It was a fun trip and we didn't do any lame touristy stuff, thanks to everyone's great ideas.
I took so many pictures, I'll have to make a Chicago tribute photo page on my website. We walked 7-8 hours every day and saw some really different stuff. I picked up The Reader, too, but we did not go to any clubs.
I'll just give the highlights:
Wed night: stayed in an apartment-sized hotel room (great deal on Expedia) at the Belden-Stratford across from Lincoln Park. That evening, we explored the Belmont/N Clark area. There was a cool comic book store (Chicago Comics) on N Clark. Belmont Army Surplus was very Urban Outfitters with a skate shop. They had cute t-shirts. "The Alley" was creepy and too leathery and Taboo Taboo was lame. There were a LOT of shoe boutiques. We had dinner at an awesome Thai restaurant on Belmont, then drove downtown and I took night photos of the Commerce area.
Thurs: Lincoln Park Zoo (hey, it was free), then walked all over the area for two hours. There were more shoe boutiques in the N Division area and lots of artsy places. Walked and took photos all around there, then had lunch at a good Mexican-Guatemalan restaurant (Rudy's Place). Dude got a "jibarito"--a steak sandwich that has roasted, flattened plantains as the bread. It was really yummy.
We hit some foo-foo stores on Oak, then moved to the Burnham Hotel on Washington and State, which is also really nice. We finally ate pizza at Giordano's after walking three miles because *someone* did not trust my sense of direction.
Friday: I dragged Dude to Luke's on Jackson (which was next to Giordano's). I had the Italian Beef. He had a meatball sub WITH HOT. (I'm a weenie and avoid peppers.) Took the subway and got off at Chicago to shop, but walked all the way to OLD TOWN because *someone* did not believe my innate Bloomies radar. Old Town is a cool area, very much like German Village in Columbus. We walked back to the Miracle Mile and went into every store. Everything was either affordable and boring, or $6000 and ridiculous. (I think I'm becoming a Buddhist right now.) We hit Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks, plus every skate shop along the way. We ate dinner at the Park Grill in Millenium Park.
Saturday: We went to a cool skate shop on Milwaukee that had the Nike Barcelona Futbol Club shoes Dude wanted. Then the rest of the day was "The Frank Lloyd Wright Day". We walked around and saw all of his houses in the Oak Park area. I realized that I really prefer Victorian architecture, but it was awesome to see 100 year old homes that still look very "contemporary".
We never found the Thai place apl and Spud mentioned, but there were a ton of great places to eat. I'm so glad I wallked my a$$ off to make up for the calories I consumed!
I had fun. Mapquest lies. I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow.
get your freon bingo here |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 18:08:24
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did you take those pictures pfeffa? nice. (what's that house in the bottom right?)
i might be going there in a few weeks to visit friends. still haven't decided.
die quesadillas von LBF lecken skrotum! hahahahahahahhahahaa! |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 18:11:38
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Floop,
Yes, I took those pics. I took about 200 more, too, but these were my favorites. The houses are all in the Oak Park district around the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio. Let me know if you want any details or directions.
get your freon bingo here |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 18:42:33
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Pfeffa,
I like the shot of the dog. I would never guess that's a shot from the US, except maybe for the collar. |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 18:55:06
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Thanks, darwin. That was outside of a skate shop. I didn't notice how bad the paint was.
get your freon bingo here |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 19:08:10
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| It's not just the paint (but I bet there is a lot of lead in there). It's also the craggy steps and the dog has the look of dogs that wander many streets throughout the world (except he looks well fed and has the collar). Nice pictures |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2004 : 19:11:34
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| Thanks, I'm trying to get back to creating art again. It's been awhile. |
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KimStanleyRobinson
* Dog in the Sand *
1972 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2004 : 08:08:36
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Glad you got to go pfeff. One of my favorite things down near the end of Dearborn:
Good old fashioned war protest - downtown Chicago - day before Easter this year.
For apl: 
Oh, and a as far as pizza is concerned:
http://www.chicagos-pizza.com/
and of course,
http://www.loumalnatis.com/
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I'm a grit. |
Edited by - KimStanleyRobinson on 07/12/2004 09:25:32 |
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apl4eris
~ Abstract Brain ~
USA
4800 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2004 : 08:32:20
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I can't come to this thread anymore. It's making me damned homesick!
Agreed, some very nice pictures, pfeffa. Glad you guys had a good time. It's a lovely city if you don't live there. Well, if you don't live in the area we lived in. I hope you got a chance to drive/ride up and down Lake Shore Drive a few times. The view is impossibly beautiful -it made my heart ache -and Lake Michigan never looked the same from one day to the next, in the 5+ years I lived and worked there.
RIP Little Bucharest: Yuppies. They don't eat goulash. |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2004 : 14:59:13
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Ack, KimStanleyRobinson!
Can't agree with your anti-Israel demonstration pic! Well, I agree each group needs their own space and deserves it, but without bloodshed. First side who shoots loses. Otherwise, I support the democracy there.
Save the whales, eat a shark. |
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KimStanleyRobinson
* Dog in the Sand *
1972 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2004 : 15:02:37
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Oh, hell - we were just schlepping around hungover...happened to stumble across them.
Was incapable of agreeing or disagreeing that day. So many issues, so much bad shite going on I'm just tired - like this guy:
http://www.onion.com/news/index.php?issue=4027&n=3
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May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman. |
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pfeffa
= Cult of Ray =
Aruba
367 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2004 : 15:11:26
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Err, Kim, I can't open that link at work. I guess I should go home since it's 6pm here. Errr!!! No want go home. Errr. Errr. But must go home...no evil proxy server..errr...errr.
Anyway, don't say "schlepping" if you don't support the cause. (I'm really easy-going and tolerant, but lack sleep.) I usually don't say "errr" out loud or discuss politics either.
Your pal,
Bagel Girl
Save the whales, eat a shark. |
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Topic |
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What is there to do in Chicago?
