Jenna

Greeter since 2010, lives in Lakeview. 

What is your current profession or your previous profession?
I work for Radiate Media (Formerly NAVTEQ Media Solutions) as an Account Executive selling radio and TV advertising. I have worked at WJMK-FM, WTMX-FM and WMAQ-AM. I’ve had a great career in Chicago’s advertising business since 1992.

What neighborhood do you live in?
Lakeview (I moved in September to North Center after living in Lincoln Park for 19 years.)

What is your favorite thing about Chicago?
In general, it is a tie between the friendliness of Chicagoans and the way Chicago always broadens my mind and enriches my life with all it has to offer.

What is your favorite neighborhood and why?
I love Lincoln Park because it’s city life in a park. It’s not the downtown and it’s not the country but you can get the best of both worlds in Lincoln Park and everything in between. You can sit on a blanket, under a tree at Oz Park and count the clouds or you can get dressed to the nines and dine at one of the top ten restaurants in the world at Alinea. Among Lincoln Park’s tree lined streets and its beautiful, public lake front beaches, parks and trails you will find some of the world’s best restaurants, shops, museums and theaters. You can’t miss the Lincoln Park Zoo and admission is free! Although Chicago is famous for pizza and hot dogs you can find one of the best raw vegan restaurants in the country in Lincoln Park. Down the street from the Wieners’s Circle, you can get delicious, gourmet, raw vegan dishes at Karyn’s. Try the apple pie! In season, the country comes to Lincoln Park at the Farmer’s Markets. Strolling with a cup of tea and perusing the freshest summer goods from the farm while taking in the market scene is one of my favorite things to do. You would never guess Lincoln Park started out as a remote place from Chicago (where small pox patients were once sent away) because it now showcases some of the most beautiful homes that enjoy some of the highest real estate values in the country. For a slice of Lincoln Park life in the summer, street festivals and art fairs can’t be missed. I love sharing Lincoln Park and seeing it through the eyes of a visitor…it makes me appreciate it that much more!

Favorite summertime activity?
Competitive sailboat racing. Chicago has a big sailing community with offshore buoy races almost every weekend and the pinnacle racing of the season and farthest freshwater race in the country, The Chicago to Mackinac race. I’ve done several “Mac” races. It is 333 nautical miles with about 400 competitors and takes between two and four days to complete…depending on the winds! One thing you can count on is Lake Michigan throwing out some challenging conditions!

Where can you find the best view of the Chicago skyline?
From the East: About a mile off shore.
From the Top: The John Hancock with a 360 view.
From the South: The Museum Campus near the Shedd Aquarium.

What are your favorite places to show visitors?
The Cultural Center. It’s so rich with history and showcases gorgeous architectural detail. Everyone gasps at the Tiffany dome in the Preston Bradley Hall. I love the irony of the library side of the building and the GAR side. I also like to take people on the EL. As a Greeter, I realized, I tend to take the El for granted. People who come from cities without public transportation love the El. And of course, I like walking through Lincoln Park where visitors feel less like a tourist and more like a local.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Sapori on Halsted. Wonderful neighborhood Italian, not too expensive. Super friendly staff, great food and service.

Favorite pizza place?
Giordano’s

Deep Dish or Thin Crust?
Thin

Favorite Chicago tradition?
Street Fests. It’s so much fun to take people to a street fest that have never been to one. People love to check out the crowd, environment, music, food and people watching!

Favorite place in Chicago?
I love to sit at the lakefront by the Theatre on the Lake at Fullerton on the grass. I can take in a great view of the city skyline and the magnitude of Lake Michigan. Simple, but I love it. As far as favorite establishment: Zanie’s Comedy Club …Tuesday nights.

Favorite hidden spot?
Guess you’ll have to take my tour…or it won’t stay hidden.

Where do you like to go for fun?
Because sailing competitively is a big part of my life, I spend most of my free time with my sailing friends at or around yacht clubs or sailing events. In the winter I love to go to Zanie’s stand-up comedy. It’s an awesome place that has launched some famous comedians.

Why did you become a Chicago Greeter?
I believe in volunteering. It’s good to give back. The Greeter program allows me to meet people from all walks of life from near and far while giving back to the city I love. It challenges me to learn more about the city I live in. I love to be a tourist in my own town! (So many times I’ve said I will go to a place but never do because it’s always there.) I couldn’t be the person I am without all the wonderful things this city has to offer and the people who make it great so the Greeter Program is the perfect way for me to give back a bit. I get to meet diverse people from all walks of life from all cultures without a plane ticket, hotel room or vacation time off work. The Greeter program has introduced me to the Fine Arts Building and other great Chicago treasures I might not have discovered on my own. This program works for me because I can chose the dates and times I volunteer too. And as a bonus for being a Greeter, I get great exercise walking all over!

What was your most memorable Chicago Greeter experience?
As with all volunteer work, it takes time and effort but I get a lot back too. One day on the EL from downtown to Lincoln Park on the Brown line, one of my guests from Denmark said, “Wow, Chicagoans can live so close to the city where they work and have such a great quality of life!” Inherently, I know that, but to hear it like that (with envy in his tone) really made me realize how lucky I am. I also remember taking a group of girls through Lincoln Park up to Wrigley Field. We got off at the Armitage Brown line stop and made our way to north Halsted…and the North Halsted Days Street Festival was in full swing! Their eyes were big as saucers and they loved it. They had never even been to a street festival and they sure had not experienced anything like that before! It was cool to watch them take it all in. One girl from China really wanted to go to the Edge at the Skydeck. I can look out of my office window and see it anytime, but I had never been. We stepped out on the Edge together and took some great pictures! She and I talked a lot about what it is like to be a single, professional woman in Hong Kong versus Chicago. (That was a very interesting conversation.) I look forward to showing off the city I love and connecting with more people from all over the world!

All the people I have met have through the Greeter Program have connected with me through social media or email. Perhaps, one day, if I make it where they are from, I will have a friend to look up!