On a Frigid Sunday…
SAM: …the Opps packed ourselves into our loaner car (BEN: our poor Prius is still awaiting parts from Japan) and headed northward. Craving variety, we arrived at our first destination: Super H-Mart in Niles.
Our trip today includes a new lens – the remote possibility of moving to another part of the city. We’ve been thinking this weekend about where our kids will go to high school, a reality which seems far away, but really isn’t – those 3 years will pass in the blink of an eye. Our excursions provide an opportunity for us to evaluate affordability and imagine ourselves as residents.
But first, sushi!
NATHAN: The sushi at H-Mart is incredibly cheap and delicious. If you want incredibly good, cheap sushi, then go to H-Mart in Niles! It costs $6.99 for 12 pieces of tasty sushi! And $6.99 for beef bulgogi!
SAM: The adults also enjoyed Korean walnut and red bean mini-muffins from one of the food stalls.
DANIEL: We didn’t take any pictures…because we at it all too fast…
BEN: …but we did get a photo with some celebrities!
Cloth and Scissors
BEN: Thanks to Block Club’s reliably excellent weekly “stuff to do in Chicago” article, I stumbled upon a “blanket tying” volunteer event in Rogers Park. What’s blanket-tying, you ask? I didn’t know, either, but after a 90-second YouTube video, I was pretty sure we could handle this easy craft as a family.
This event was hosted by Live Like Roo, a local organization that supports families whose dogs have cancer by sending care packages (including the doggie blankets we were making), offering grief support, and even with financial assistance for vet care. Ten-year volunteer Ricky was an amazing host, telling us all about the organization, and welcomed us as part of the volunteer crew for the afternoon.
The host site was equally noteworthy – Wild Onion Market, a co-op grocery store focused on local produce and fair-trade goods. Everything looked super fresh, and the coffee was great too!
SAM: While we were tying knots, we got chatting with the other volunteers, and one of them shared that she used to be a teacher. She has experience teaching both general and special education, and trained many special education teachers before she retired. I couldn’t believe my ears, because throughout this week, I’ve been seeking to connect with someone who can help me navigate the challenges of my work as a special education teacher. She was kind enough to offer her number before I even asked. I learned today that the universe works in funny ways!
BEN: It was a joy to meet these generous, kind folks who are working to better our city, and who graciously invited us into their circle. In a season of constant discouraging news, we were encouraged by spending an hour in this pocket of hope and compassion.
To the library!
BEN: According to CPL’s website, a Rogers Park branch has been in existence since 1894, founded by the Rogers Park Women’s Club. This predates the first “official” branch, Blackstone, which opened in 1904 – I assume this branch began as a private library and was later subsumed by CPL. We’ll have to do more research to be sure!
This branch was busy, with an impressively quiet upstairs reading room. I enjoyed the creative displays (Bookflix!) and a series of art pieces introducing visitors to the artist’s neighbors.
The librarian we spoke with highlighted the neighborhood’s diversity: “If the community were a painting, it would be full of color.”
What about transit?
DANIEL: Alright! Let’s see if I can do this right after so long.
This neighborhood, as well as having diversity in its population, also has a variety of different modes of transit to get to it. Starting with the CTA: Routes 22, 96, and 155 all stop near the library. The Morse station on the Red Line is 0.5 miles away, and the bigger Howard Terminal, 1 mile away, also serves the Yellow and Purple lines. Speaking of Howard, you can also access CTA Routes 22, 97, 147, 201, 206, and Pace Routes 213, 215, and 290 at the gigantic and transfer-ful (is that even a word?) bus terminal.
Oh, almost forgot you, Metra! Maybe ‘cause you, like, betrayed me with your schedule today…
The bare-bones Rogers Park station is 0.2 miles away. Yeah. I know. Never thought I could access a Metra station closer than a CTA station in the city!
CTA Bus: ✅
CTA Train: ✅
Metra: ✅
Pace: ✅
Parking: ✅
5/5! Outstanding!
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