Fun in Chicago, But What About SW Side?

Summer is my favorite time of year in Chicago. There are plenty of things to do in the city, where you can enjoy being outside enjoying the weather, places and people that make this the best city in the world. There are tons of festivals, concerts and other events that everyone can go to and enjoy during the next few months (including games played by two first-place baseball teams).

The problem is that all of the events worth going to are either downtown or on the North Side. The Southwest Side and even the entire South Side are missing exciting festivals or events. The First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park and Toyota Park in Bridgeview do hold concerts during the summer and get some great bands/acts/line-ups. But all of the fun fests or fun exciting events are a bit of a drive away from all of us. We do have church carnivals or family fests, but let’s be honest: Those are dull and boring. And you will see the same people you see every other weekend.

When there is entertainment, usually the acts are not that good. I am not saying that every event downtown or on the North Side is good, just that most are better than what we have here on the South/Southwest Side. I should just note that I hate the Taste of Chicago. I think it’s because I usually go on a Saturday and I walk out of the Taste hating the human race. I know there are also a bunch of festivals in the surrounding suburbs. While most of them are a little bit better than any city festival around here, they are not much better.

Usually, the ’burbs charge you an outrageous fee to get in, and the musical acts —while better — are 10 to 15 years past their 15 minutes of fame. Plus, when going to the suburb fests, there is never a place to park. And you can’t “have a few” because you have to drive, and most of these fests close pretty early.

Chicago Improv Festival, Blues Fest, Ribfest, Chicago Summer Fest, Pizza Fest, Outdoor Film Fest, Wing Fest, Windy City Wine Fest, Wicker Park Fest, Celtic Fest and May Fest (going on this weekend) are all either downtown or on the North Side. What does the Southwest Side get: St. Church’s family fest with two restaurants that will have pizza and elephant ears. The closest city fest that I would check out is the Taste of Taylor Street.

I would love to go to these festivals downtown and on the North Side, but with gasoline near $5 a gallon and the CTA Orange Line that stops running around 1 a.m., it will be hard to get to the events I would like to go to.Speaking of gasoline costing almost $5 a gallon, does anyone else find it funny that gas really started to get bad in the city after the sales tax was raised and citizens said they would start to drive outside of “Crook County” to buy items? I’m not saying anything, but I’m just saying.
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I know this is a cell phone obsessed world and even fetuses have the new Sprint plan. But is it me, or do people just go overboard with their cell-phone use?Recently at a concert I attended, there was a group of people standing right in front of me taking pictures of the stage. Now, we were about 50 yards from the stage, and the lead singer looked to be about two feet tall.

Through most of the concert, they were trying to capture that special moment with their cell phone camera. Now, I don’t know what kind of phone they are packing or how great the lens is on their phone, but on my phone the lead singer would be too small to make out. Do they really think they are going to get a good picture with their phone?

They must have because each must have tried to take 15 pictures. Another thing I noticed while at the concert is the people who have to call their friends when a song is being played and let their friends listen from home. Someone did this to me once. I hung up on them because it sounds awful.And to the people who have to sing a song the band has not yet played during that one-minute break in between songs, shut-up!

(Chuck Salvatore is a reporter for the Southwest News-Herald. He may be reached at chucksalvatore@hotmail.com or (773) 476-4800, ext. 241. Or you may reach him on the Web at www.chucksalvatore.blogspot.com. Also, don’t forget to listen to his “White Sox and Sports Report” every Friday on “The Out ‘N’ About” talk show with Ron and Joe from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on WJJG AM 1530.)