One of the reasons I love living in Chicago is the availability of mass public transit. Even though it may be slow at times and the CTA is threatening yet another fare increase, I know that no matter the time of day, I can usually get where Im going (or at least close to it).

But I have to admit, even though I can ride the bus or train at all hours, that doesnt mean Id necessarily want to. Rowdy Cubs or Sox fans on the Red Line might be annoying, but shady characters on the L overnight can make some commuters feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, therere people looking out for their fellow passengers. Theyre the Guardian Angels.

The Guardian Angels is a non-profit volunteer organization of unarmed citizens. The group was founded in 1979 in New York City and now has chapters in over 100 cities around the world. The Chicago branch (with about 50 members) patrols buses and trains, keeping an eye out for trouble. Every member is trained for three months to become physically fit and to learn how to make a citizens arrest when necessary.

The organization is not a vigilante group. Vigilantes ignore due process of law and enact their own form of perceived justice. Rather, the Guardian Angels detain offenders until the police arrive and properly handle the situation. According to the Sun-Times, the group has actually helped prevent crime in the city, catching a cell phone thief and a purse snatcher and breaking up fights. And while these may seem like petty crimes, who knows what else these bad guys could have been up to:

On July 29, after passengers reported that a gang of three teens had attacked a fourth teen on the train, the Angels were able to chase down one of the suspects and hold him until police arrived, [Michael] Fuentes [leader of the Chicago branch of the Guardian Angels] said. The Angels learned from police this gang had been robbing people on the L all day, Fuentes said.

The CTA and the police appreciate the Angels efforts and view them as another set of eyes and ears. They do, however, warn the group to be careful, since many of the situations they are involved in are dangerous.

I personally have never actually seen the Guardian Angels, but I always am glad to hear stories of citizens being street smart and looking out for one another. If their mere presence discourages pickpockets and confrontational drunks from acting up, then I offer my sincerest thanks.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) pantagrapher

http://www.guardianangels.org/

Can you name the seven key ingredients for a Chicago-style hot dog? Here are ten great places to conduct your research (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).

10. The Wieners Circle. Love it or hate it, this greasy spoon has got a charm all its own.

9. Gold Coast Dogs. All ten locations follow the Chicago-style recipe to the T.

8. Superdawg Drive-In. The winking hot dogs on the roof will be a sight you wont soon forget.

7. Hueys Hot Dogs. While serving up great dogs and burgers, this eatery is also well-known for its vegetarian-friendly dishes.

6. Portillos Hot Dogs. Both the nostalgia and the hot dogs are served up Chicago-style here.

5. Wiener & Still Champion. A good dog should be paired with good fries, and the freshly-cut ones here are among the best.

4. Fat Johnnies Famous Red Hots. The shacks outward appearance doesnt stop hungry customers from lining up year round.

3. Genes & Judes. Chicago-style means no ketchup. In fact, this restaurant doesnt even carry any at all.

2. fRedhots and Fries. Fred serves up rabbit, buffalo, and alligator. But dont worry; he has plenty of good old-fashioned hot dogs, too.

1. Hot Dougs. Folks line up around the block for the classic dogs and the duck fat fries.

When it comes to Chicago-style deep dish pizza, there are a handful of famous names that are tried and true. Many of them (including Uno, Ginos, and Malnatis) are well-known far beyond the city limits. Another powerhouse in the Chicago pizza scene is Giordanos.

There are 13 locations in the city and twice as many in the suburbs. Each of them look a little bit different from the rest, but you can usually expect to find red-and-white checkered tablecloths, wood-backed chairs, silver-topped red-pepper and parmesan shakers, and exposed brick. The Rush Street location (just off Michigan Avenue) has two floors and is a popular tourist destination. Admittedly though, its been quite a while since Ive actually been to a Giordanos restaurant, because I usually just order in.

A surprising rarity among pizzerias, both the thin-crust and deep-dish are excellent here. The thin crusts are cut into squares (none of that New-York triangle business) and come with plenty of cheese. The deep dishes are the heavyweight champs and take a little over a half-hour to bake. And remember, these pies are thick and heavy, so its not likely you will get through more than one or two slices. Be sure to bring plenty of friends, or youll be taking home plenty of leftovers. Not that thats a bad thing.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) beautifulcataya

Giordanos ($): 730 N Rush St; 312-951-0747
Sun Thurs: 11:00 a.m. 11:00 p.m.
Fri Sat: 11:00 a.m. 12 midnight
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 3, X4, 10, 26, 66, 125, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 or Red Line train (Chicago)
http://www.giordanos.com/

If you were a child in Chicago anytime between 1961 and 1994, you will recognize the following names: Cooky, Wizzo, Cuddly Dudley, Garfield Goose… These characters and more were all regulars on Bozos Circus and then on the even more popular The Bozo Show, both of which were produced locally and aired on WGN.¹

You might drive by the WGN television studios and not even know it. While most of the other TV stations in Chicago broadcast from beautiful skyscrapers downtown (including the NBC Tower), the WGN structure looks like a boring office building. Thats because it was constructed in 1963, in the shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the threat of attack was a serious concern. In light of this, many TV and radio stations were built strong and without drawing too much attention to themselves. If there was an attack, it would be up to stations like WGN to broadcast important information to the country.²

The building is home to WGN Television and WGN America, and housed WGN Radio (720 AM) before it moved to the Tribune Tower. While best known for its coverage of the Chicago Cubs, WGN-TV has televised games from almost all of the citys major professional sports franchisesthe White Sox, the Bulls, the Blackhawks (but not the Bears)and even football and basketball games from some of Chicagos college teams.

Unfortunately, now that the L.A. Dodgers have swept the Cubs, no one will be watching any more Cubs games on the station this season.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) Scott Robbin, gingerbydesign, Aaron Brown: Photography

WGN Television: 2501 W Bradley Pl; 773-528-2311
Public trans: Bus # 49, X49, 152

¹ The Bozo Show. (2008). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bozo_Show
² WGN Television. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Chicago Architecture Info Web site: http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/1334/WGN_Television.php

Completed in 1891 and standing 197 feet tall (60 m), the Monadnock Building is an impressive and important figure in architectural history.

Traditional skyscrapers these days are supported by steel skeletons and/or reinforced concrete. But thats what makes the Monadnock all that much more impressive. The northern half of this 17-story building (near the MCC) was designed by legendary architect John Wellborn Root and is completely supported by its brick walls. There are no internal columns and no steel reinforcements. All of the structures weight is sustained by the wallswhich are six feet thick (1.8 m) at the buildings baseand an underground foundation that extends 11 feet (3.4 m) beyond the Monadnocks visible boundaries.