05Feb
Welcome back! To kick off your new year, try exploring the fine arts of Chicago.
The National Museum of Mexican Art is opening a new exhibit on February 12. The exhibit is called Translating Revolution: U.S. Artists Interpret Mexican Muralists. The exhibit will display beautiful Mexican murals and explain how the murals have influenced U.S. artists and culture.
The museum is free and the exhibit will only be at the museum until August 1 of this year, so don’t miss out!
USE YOUR U-PASS: The museum is only a couple of bus rides away. Check out Google Maps for directions.
http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/
17Dec
Like all students, U-PASSPORT is taking a break for the holidays. Look for all new content in the Spring.
Information on U-PASS pickup for the spring can be found here.
10Nov
While U-PASSPORT encourages everyone to visit Pilsen and Greektown and Chinatown, most students have probably already experienced those cuisines before college. For a truly unique experience, everyone should have Ethiopian food at least once.
Ethiopian food is served ‘family-style’ and generally eaten without silverware. The platters (some are even vegetarian) are eaten with injera, a sort of bread/pancake/naan edible-utensil. Most of the entrees are of the stew variety.
U-PASSPORT has only been to one of the very few Ethiopian restaurants in the city, Ethiopian Diamond. Interestingly, all of the options in Chicago appear to be on the far north side…Rogers Park, Edgewater, even Evanston. Metromix has a listing of all of your options. Ethiopian Diamond was great, and we hear good things about Addis Abeba.
USE YOUR U-PASS: Pick your spot and use Google Maps. The Red Line is probably going to be your best friend on this trip.
29Oct
Everyone knows that Chicago wasa hotbed for Jazz and, especially, Blues back in the day. Those of you who spend any time on South Campus see some of the landmarks and statues all the time. Now, through December 15, the DuSable Museum of Afican American History is giving museum-goers a chance to experience some of the clubs that thrived on the south side in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
The clubs at 47th Street no longer exist, but DuSable has some of the artifacts in their display.
The museum isn’t free, but it’s generally really inexpensive. Check the website for details depending on time and day.
USE YOUR U-PASS: There’s a few ways to get here, including the Halsted Bus and the Green Line. Listen to Google Maps.
DuSable Museum
16Oct
Miss the old haunted houses you used to go with your high school friends? Chicago doesn’t offer a lot of haunted houses, but one of the most frightening (and seemingly most expensive) does exist just a train ride away from campus.
The folks behind Hades (one of Chicago’s best haunted houses) in Palatine have opened ‘Chronicles of the Cursed: Hades Emerges.’ on Grand Ave. The website is scary enough…good luck in the actual house. Admission is $20 and runs through Halloween. Make sure to check the website as it’s not open every day.
If you’re the scared type and just looking for a pumpkin, you’re probably out of luck trying to take the ‘L’ to pumpkin patch. Your best bet is a local grocery store.
USE YOUR U-PASS: Red Line-Grand & State, exit and walk 8 blocks West
Blue Line-Grand & Halsted, exit and walk 3 blocks East
Green Line-Clinton & Lake, exit and walk North on Clinton 2 blocks, go left on Kinzie for 1 block, go right at Jefferson and walk 1 block to Jefferson and Grand Ave. Or follow what Google says.
Chronicles of the Cursed
25Sep
Have a bike and enjoy riding in huge packs? The Chicago Critical Mass may be for you. The mass meets every last Friday of the month (TODAY), and takes a bike ride around the city with a large number of strangers. Read all about the purpose of the mass here.
Apparently, this can be a pretty exhilarating experience and a great way to see the city, but U-PASSPORT has never partaken. Maybe in October.
The ride always starts at Daley Plaza downtown. For those of you nearby, you might just ride over there, but for everyone else, a CTA bus is a great way to transport your bike. You can also bring your bike on trains, but not during rush hours, so 5:30 isn’t a great time to try and use a train with your bike.
USE YOUR U-PASS: It’s often a 10-15 mile bike ride, so you might want to take the bus to get there. Make sure you use directions that have a bus, not a train.
25Sep
Where do you go with your U-PASS? Let us know in the comments, and some of the best ideas could win prizes.
17Sep
This sign is your key to hot dog heaven.
Most would say that there’s little special about a hot dog. They eat hot dogs in Arizona and in Connecticut. They eat hot dogs in Europe. Despite the commonality of the hot dog, there’s nowhere that does it like Chicago does.
In Chicago, the hot dog is a delicacy untarnished by ketchup and created meticulously.
For a true Chicago experience, you want your hot dog to look exactly like the one pictured on the left. Generally, any establishment with that Vienna Beef sign will do the trick.
To experience some of the more famous (and more unique) Chicago hot dog spots, check out this article on the Passionate Eater, and use Google Maps for some U-PASS directions.
17Sep
Today is the first in our new series, ‘Name that Building.’ U-PASSPORT will post a picture of a recognizable Chicago building, but only a portion of the building. The first person in the comments to correctly name the building wins $15 Dragon Dollar$ for use on campus.
Make sure to use your real e-mail address in your comment submission to we can contact you for your prize.
Today’s picture:
What is this mystery building?
09Sep
There’s two reasons why it’s sad that Farmer’s Market season is almost over in Chicago. The first is obvious: you only have a little bit left before there’s no more fresh fruits and vegetables. The second is a it sadder: before you know it, it’ll be 5 degrees outside.
Before it all ends, though, Whole Foods South Loop is putting on two great events revolving around the Farmer’s Market. On September 18th, you can meet the director of the 61st St Farmer’s Market, who’ll provide info on properly shopping your local market.
Then, on Sunday the 20th, visit the corner of Roosevelt and Canal for a South Loop Farmers Market.
USE YOUR U-PASS: This is an easy one for students living on South Campus, who should just take the Roosevelt bus. For everyone else, there’s Google Maps.
Whole Foods Calendar of Events
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