Jeff W.

Jeff, 25, lives in Hyde Park with his lady friend.  He is a bookseller at Seminary Co-op Bookstore in the neighborhood.
  

What do you like best about living in your neighborhood?
Hyde Park is, to me, what a neighborhood should be: it has a fairly strict geography and a clannishness about it, a deep political scene, a national reputation, and all of this is fed by a distinctive, inclusive culture.

What do you consider to be your neighborhood’s best hidden or undiscovered gem?
Chicago is blessed with a lake shore as diverse as the city itself and you can find almost anything you might want at some point along the shore. Alongside Hyde Park there are bicycling and running trails, beaches, and Promontory Point--with its ragged stone stone steps The Point is just perfect for curling up with a book to read and watch nothing happen on the lake.

What is the best way to explore your neighborhood?

Hyde Park is very bike friendly, but watch out for potholes. Definitely walkable and the variable and wonderful old architecture, parks, and trees makes wandering endlessly appealing.

Are there any big festivals or popular public events that take place in your neighborhood?

The 57th Street Art Fair, The 57th Street Children's Book Fair, and The Hyde Park Jazz Festival are all excellent and definitely family-friendly.

Are there any noteworthy or unique retailers to be found only in your neighborhood?
This is a great neighborhood for book-lovers. Within just a few blocks, there are four great bookstores and, on the tree-lined streets between them, a variety of restaurants, a few coffee shops, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.

Where is the best place to grab a cup of coffee in your neighborhood?
Zaleski & Horvath on 47th Street (and now on 57th Street, too!) has, without a doubt, the best cup of coffee on the South Side, an espresso bar, and a full deli.

What is a popular gathering place in the neighborhood?
57th Street Books, Z&H, The Experimental Station, The Op-Shop, Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap, and our parks.

What are some popular spots to bring children in the neighborhood?
The whole neighborhood is a very family-friendly place; I can't think of anywhere children aren't welcome, common, and happy--except our friendly neighborhood dives, Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap, The Falcon, and The Cove. 

Where do you like to go for fun?
You can't beat the Chopin Theatre for interesting programming. DOC Films. Printer's Row Lit Fest. Chicago's free music festivals (Blues Fest, Jazz Fest, Gospel, Folk & Roots), and jazz at The Green Mill is always a great bet.

What is your favorite restaurant in the city?
Crofton on Wells always keeps me coming back. I love the mix of American comfort foods and game meats with fine dining and I've never had anything there that was less than perfect.

What is your favorite pizza place?
I was raised on stuffed spinach pizza from Edwardo's and I still eat it two or three times a week; my family ships Lou Malnati's to my brother in California a couple of times a year, but I cared enough about my pizza to stay in town.

What is your favorite season, and seasonal Chicago activity and/or event?
When summer rolls around and I can pop back and forth between Printer's Row Book Fair and Blues Fest, I'm basically in heaven. Two of the summer's best free festivals.

Cubs or Sox fan?
Ambivalent by nature, I've made several concessions to my ladyfriend over the years: our house is a Sox house.

What’s the best place to view the city skyline?
Heading south on Lake Shore Drive with the windows down, on the way home after a long night out.

Where do you like to bring visiting friends or out-of-town guests?
Honestly, our guests can't get enough of Calypso Cafe, a sort-of Caribbean-styled restaurant in the neighborhood. I'm there so often, the majority of the staff knows me by sight, if not name.

What is your favorite hidden Chicago treasure, a spot or activity that few else know about?
I don't know who knows about it, or what constitutes hidden, but let me tell you, tourists, and the makers of tourist maps that the city doesn't mysteriously end with the South Loop area, or even in Hyde Park. The city's South Side has Three J's Jerk Chicken, The Beverly Arts Center, The Original Rainbow Cone, soul vegetarian restaurants, and the Pullman Houses.

And that's just for starters.