it snowed tonight! so not completely, since it wasn't really sticking to the ground, but it was all over the cars and allison + jeff both concluded it was something like riding in a snow globe. indeed. still totally weirds me out. i honestly think these next five months are going to be incredibly bizarre, honestly behind some comprehension for me.
in other good news, we just got back from playing our first official indoor soccer league game. emily and jeff organized a team of cyclists for a long time co-ed league. 6 v 6 and 45 minute games, all real fast moving. we unfortunately lost, but for once my competitive nature didn't ruin that i had a total blast. i'm excited for an indoor exercise with the imminent frigidness and its really awesome just to play soccer again.
in other other news: our freezer isn't working, so we can't buy tater tots or keep ice cream solid. i keep breaking things on my bikes: who knew a campy cone could cost $16. i sure didn't, but WHO really cracks them in the first place? freehubs don't usually seize after rain. *sigh* i also got stuck in an elevator for an hour on thursday. for realz. the company i was delivering to, felt so bad one guy offered to buy me lunch. i insisted i had to leave since i had to "orientate" the new girl. he instead slipped $20 into my hand and told me to buy myself a nice lunch. ha, or cheap pizza and a couple beers that night. augie wanted to know which building this was so he could get himself stuck in the same elevator. i don't know if it would work the same for round two though.
does anyone actually read this thing? as soon as it really snows, i'll get some pictures up.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
a note to chicago runners...
don't do it. i'm serious. alright, well if you're on the lakefront path, or something equally sanctioned for running, fine. if you're downtown, you are asking to be hit. i'm even more serious on this point. there is a flow to traffic. even if you're a fast walker at 8:30am or 4:30pm (when everyone turns into a total speedster), you can mesh. it's always the fucking runners that think they can slip across four lanes, four giant lanes on madison and wacker while only looking the opposite direction. yeah, traffic is traveling east buddy, so when i yell at you, don't give me that ugly look. and besides if you were walking, i could've slipped behind you, but when you halt dead mid-run, it's a tiny bit more difficult to predict your antelope reflexes.
thursday was the first day i messengered downtown when it began raining. it was sunny in the morning, so i think most people simply weren't prepared. when it began raining around 3pm, 25% more pedestrians began running. 25% times a 3x slower stopping ability on freshly wet, oily pavement=uh, bad. luckily there was no actual contact, but i can just see it coming. speaking of stopping power, i really need to build a winter bike as soon as i have any disposable income which might be feasible sans NICA. ugh, i have to figure that one out, and soon. still messengering has been a lot of fun and figuring out the downtown (i know, its an insanely straight forward grid, but it has its quirks) is super awesome. for a city with such inclement weather, there sure is A LOT of metal in the streets. plate, grates, pothole covers, you name it. i will be a pro sidewalk rider by the end of winter, mark my words.
in other news, the sadie hawkins race was last night. a bunch of out of towners showed up, making for 60 or so teams. although there was a lot more warm/rain gear rather than fancy costumes, it was great to see the people who took the spirit of the style race too. while it was quite cold (35 or so, with especially gnarly wind while coming south on the last bit on ogden) it never rained/snowed as predicted, which was a really welcome surprise. the routing was pretty straight forward (its also geared to be a great first race, which is awesome) so there wasn't too much planning involved. coyote and i rocked it (well coyote more than me, but i hung onto his wheel the best i could). we were super close to the first place team for the first 5 checkpoints, but misrouted to goose island and lost some time. we still ended up second (!) to an awesome loft space in little village. allison and ben had a flat mishap toward the end and had to *patiently* wait for a tube delivery, but still arrived at the part in style. there were iro sprints, dance party, lots of happily tired kids, prizes and cheep beer, OH!&walking proximity to burritos. genius. kids that lived there also dumpstered a gallon of odwalla oj for me, winning night, really.
alright, well i am off to try and play some soccer in this 30 weather. whew. and maybe some more thrifting for wool, need more wool...
thursday was the first day i messengered downtown when it began raining. it was sunny in the morning, so i think most people simply weren't prepared. when it began raining around 3pm, 25% more pedestrians began running. 25% times a 3x slower stopping ability on freshly wet, oily pavement=uh, bad. luckily there was no actual contact, but i can just see it coming. speaking of stopping power, i really need to build a winter bike as soon as i have any disposable income which might be feasible sans NICA. ugh, i have to figure that one out, and soon. still messengering has been a lot of fun and figuring out the downtown (i know, its an insanely straight forward grid, but it has its quirks) is super awesome. for a city with such inclement weather, there sure is A LOT of metal in the streets. plate, grates, pothole covers, you name it. i will be a pro sidewalk rider by the end of winter, mark my words.
in other news, the sadie hawkins race was last night. a bunch of out of towners showed up, making for 60 or so teams. although there was a lot more warm/rain gear rather than fancy costumes, it was great to see the people who took the spirit of the style race too. while it was quite cold (35 or so, with especially gnarly wind while coming south on the last bit on ogden) it never rained/snowed as predicted, which was a really welcome surprise. the routing was pretty straight forward (its also geared to be a great first race, which is awesome) so there wasn't too much planning involved. coyote and i rocked it (well coyote more than me, but i hung onto his wheel the best i could). we were super close to the first place team for the first 5 checkpoints, but misrouted to goose island and lost some time. we still ended up second (!) to an awesome loft space in little village. allison and ben had a flat mishap toward the end and had to *patiently* wait for a tube delivery, but still arrived at the part in style. there were iro sprints, dance party, lots of happily tired kids, prizes and cheep beer, OH!&walking proximity to burritos. genius. kids that lived there also dumpstered a gallon of odwalla oj for me, winning night, really.
alright, well i am off to try and play some soccer in this 30 weather. whew. and maybe some more thrifting for wool, need more wool...
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
election day!
it's the big day. the day the chicago police department has been intensively preparing for and the whole town has been discussing with fevor and excitment. lines of voters extending for blocks from schools, libraries and churches began early this morning and will continue on until 7pm tonight. there's an excitement in the air and i know we'll definitely be downtown tonight for the rally, crossing our finger none of the riots get too crazy... right? haha.
election day aside, the last week has been very pleasant, both in weather and activites. the wesley willis documentary last saturday ruled, as did the impromtu 'batman tour' we did with ben and coyote afterwards. we rode around lower wacker, checking out the underground mini-marts and parking garages, taking a short field trip to the swings and to the pier where it looked like 'family matters.' we did some bar hopping that night, met some new faces and went out for a bit in logan square.
the second to last 'classics' race with the namesake of 'fakenger' took place the following day with crazy winds, fedex boxes and lots of tofu. we followed up the race with a large brunch at pick me up and it was then decided our malort virginity must be broken, with haste! the 3:00 tasting quickly turned into an all day endeavor at adam and megan's place. andrew somehow got dressed up like santa and coyote was wearing a belly jersey. yeah.
weeks have been interesting with christina working during the day (she'll have to fill in that update for you) i've been entertaining myself with lots of al burian, computer time and a few cooking experiments. we went to see 'the shining' play at the clipper on tuesday, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite bars in chicago, and visited myopic on wednesday so christina could read more of the ender series :)
halloween dawned, sunny and 70 degrees outside, with crunchy leaves on the ground and a dry breeze in the air. sometimes i still feel as if i'm in a movie, experiencing seasons i've only ever viewed from afar. i never found a real costume and chose to simply settle on a ridiculous halloween sweater i discovered at the village discount outlet, giving christina the tiny teenage mutant ninja turtles costume. the final race of the series began at adam and megan's house again, consisting of check points such as the rosehill cemetery, searching through "the forest" to find the girls with sippy cups of malort or vodka (surprise!) and riding through the insanity of the halsted street fair to get to 666 w roscoe. the "suprise" ended up being forced to do goldsprints once reaching the finish. at least i didn't feel like vomiting after. the party that ensued has some interesting results: coyote with a second nose piercing courtesy of rudy, chris bought even more bottles of knob creek at jewel with me in my bare feet (man, i got so much shit for that, all aimed at me being from california) and andrew got a broken arms from the dog pile started at kessler's instigation. phew.
saturday i had to work while christina and coyote watched a movie about st. bernards. we ended up going to a party out on california with the most insane decorations i've ever seen, a dj in his underwear that played the smiths and rocked out really hard and lots of silly conversations. we were the only ones not in costume and felt like super lame party poopers, especially in comparison to the oompa loompas and christmas fairies.
the next morning i dragged myself to whole foods by 9 while christina got to go out to the cross race with ben, jeff and adrian. i totally missed out on getting lost in the 'burbs and donuts in the gravel! adam and megan had us over for dinner: vegan stirfry and pumpkin pie! yum! then we threw glowsticks and seal pelts at the fan. easily amused? check yes. (we were sober, too!) haha.
yeah. so i hope some people are still reading this? maybe that'll bring you up to speed. sadie's is coming up this weekend which should be awesome (even though the weather says rain/snow... ugh) and you know what else is awesome? real mail!! do it!!
election day aside, the last week has been very pleasant, both in weather and activites. the wesley willis documentary last saturday ruled, as did the impromtu 'batman tour' we did with ben and coyote afterwards. we rode around lower wacker, checking out the underground mini-marts and parking garages, taking a short field trip to the swings and to the pier where it looked like 'family matters.' we did some bar hopping that night, met some new faces and went out for a bit in logan square.
the second to last 'classics' race with the namesake of 'fakenger' took place the following day with crazy winds, fedex boxes and lots of tofu. we followed up the race with a large brunch at pick me up and it was then decided our malort virginity must be broken, with haste! the 3:00 tasting quickly turned into an all day endeavor at adam and megan's place. andrew somehow got dressed up like santa and coyote was wearing a belly jersey. yeah.
weeks have been interesting with christina working during the day (she'll have to fill in that update for you) i've been entertaining myself with lots of al burian, computer time and a few cooking experiments. we went to see 'the shining' play at the clipper on tuesday, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite bars in chicago, and visited myopic on wednesday so christina could read more of the ender series :)
halloween dawned, sunny and 70 degrees outside, with crunchy leaves on the ground and a dry breeze in the air. sometimes i still feel as if i'm in a movie, experiencing seasons i've only ever viewed from afar. i never found a real costume and chose to simply settle on a ridiculous halloween sweater i discovered at the village discount outlet, giving christina the tiny teenage mutant ninja turtles costume. the final race of the series began at adam and megan's house again, consisting of check points such as the rosehill cemetery, searching through "the forest" to find the girls with sippy cups of malort or vodka (surprise!) and riding through the insanity of the halsted street fair to get to 666 w roscoe. the "suprise" ended up being forced to do goldsprints once reaching the finish. at least i didn't feel like vomiting after. the party that ensued has some interesting results: coyote with a second nose piercing courtesy of rudy, chris bought even more bottles of knob creek at jewel with me in my bare feet (man, i got so much shit for that, all aimed at me being from california) and andrew got a broken arms from the dog pile started at kessler's instigation. phew.
saturday i had to work while christina and coyote watched a movie about st. bernards. we ended up going to a party out on california with the most insane decorations i've ever seen, a dj in his underwear that played the smiths and rocked out really hard and lots of silly conversations. we were the only ones not in costume and felt like super lame party poopers, especially in comparison to the oompa loompas and christmas fairies.
the next morning i dragged myself to whole foods by 9 while christina got to go out to the cross race with ben, jeff and adrian. i totally missed out on getting lost in the 'burbs and donuts in the gravel! adam and megan had us over for dinner: vegan stirfry and pumpkin pie! yum! then we threw glowsticks and seal pelts at the fan. easily amused? check yes. (we were sober, too!) haha.
yeah. so i hope some people are still reading this? maybe that'll bring you up to speed. sadie's is coming up this weekend which should be awesome (even though the weather says rain/snow... ugh) and you know what else is awesome? real mail!! do it!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
wordplay, gotta love it.
about a month ago when we were still in san francisco, riding into the sunset to arezmendi to eat mint chocolate cookies and coffee, we happened to pass a businesses with one of those names; you know, one of those really painful ones like 'the crepevine' someone thought to be real cute when they created it. which sparked a discussion about how these people probably start businesses purely on the basis of the 'ingenious' name they thought up, a name so amazing it would just reel the customers in as soon as they saw the hilarity of the word play.
totally ridiculous but i feel as if i've been noticing them more and more since the onset of this conversation and have begun document the good ones i've seen in chicago (which so far is largely dominated by the pet industry... what that says about dog owners i'm not sure yet) i'm hoping to build on this collection so if anyone has any other good ones (i know there's gotta be some amazingly awful food ones) let me know!
here are some i have so far:
BARK avenue
anything is PAWsible
SPOTland yard
WOW & ZEN
i wasn't sure if this was actually a word play on "just great" but thought i'd include it anyhow
okay, this one's just funny.
other than that, chicago's been good. last night we went to the hideout, this weird little house-like venue in a semi-industrial area, braving the elements the whole way (which means it was kind of raining. and it took about 15 miunutes. baby steps, right?) to see tim kinsella dj. kind of. it ended up being more of an arty jam session ordeal, but was still nice to go out and see new places. i need to actually start taking pictures of the stuff we're doing instead of stupid businesses.... working on it. tonight is caitlin's birthday get together and we're going to see the wesley willis documentary on saturday! oh, happy weekend.
in other news, christina's off working while i'm at home, eating some kettle corn and paying the bills, trying to work on some crafty projects. some people may be getting mail soon. who knows? whole foods should start on thursday for me, which means 20% off and free samples! i love living off samples...
that's it for know. hopefully everyone's getting their halloween costumes ready! it's coming up quick.
totally ridiculous but i feel as if i've been noticing them more and more since the onset of this conversation and have begun document the good ones i've seen in chicago (which so far is largely dominated by the pet industry... what that says about dog owners i'm not sure yet) i'm hoping to build on this collection so if anyone has any other good ones (i know there's gotta be some amazingly awful food ones) let me know!
here are some i have so far:
BARK avenue
anything is PAWsible
SPOTland yard
WOW & ZEN
i wasn't sure if this was actually a word play on "just great" but thought i'd include it anyhow
okay, this one's just funny.
other than that, chicago's been good. last night we went to the hideout, this weird little house-like venue in a semi-industrial area, braving the elements the whole way (which means it was kind of raining. and it took about 15 miunutes. baby steps, right?) to see tim kinsella dj. kind of. it ended up being more of an arty jam session ordeal, but was still nice to go out and see new places. i need to actually start taking pictures of the stuff we're doing instead of stupid businesses.... working on it. tonight is caitlin's birthday get together and we're going to see the wesley willis documentary on saturday! oh, happy weekend.
in other news, christina's off working while i'm at home, eating some kettle corn and paying the bills, trying to work on some crafty projects. some people may be getting mail soon. who knows? whole foods should start on thursday for me, which means 20% off and free samples! i love living off samples...
that's it for know. hopefully everyone's getting their halloween costumes ready! it's coming up quick.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
chicago is for haters, apparently.
so i keep feeling as if i should more habitually update this as to not have some unfortunate melange of events/ideas when i finally do. with so much free time (read: unemployment) you would imagine this to be quite feasible...yeah.
on sunday we explored the south side for the third of the teem beer'd series. an interesting concept (calculating math problems to get the next address) although i'm not a fan of predetermined checkpoint orders. sort of altogether frustrating, although i think this is more predicated on not being able to take alley cats seriously lately (or probably as much, being a wiener about waking up before 9am and still not being altogether familiar with the area), but still a lot of fun and a great way to spend a morning. grabbed breakfast down there before heading back north.
last night we went to see mount eerie at the av aerie. the space is awesome despite being overly lit, but there was an amazing parachute covering the whole ceiling which created this crazy cave effect. julie dorian accompanied him and i arguably enjoyed their trio (them plus one other man touring with julie) set better than his solo performance. the new cd is just so darn good, and he's such a character-real quick with onstage banter. definitely worth the 10 block trip from our house.
the chicago film festival started this week. students with id (even non-valid ids, apparently) can gain free entrance to films beginning before 5pm, perfect for my current budget. we saw a series of shorts this afternoon that were really good. tonight, there was also a free screening of the mark of cain, a documentary on russian prisioners and more specifically, the once symbolic tattooing done while serving sentences. really interesting, especially to hear the filmmaker discuss actually being in the prisons, etc. afterwards. we went out to grab a drink with a few chifg kids after before heading home.
the weather's still been great-a couple days of rain, but nothing really inhibiting. the temperature has been in the 50s, so i've invested in gloves, wool base layers, and arm warmers, but until i actually begin work, i really don't have any investment capital, so to speak. allison and i both have job leads though, (finally!) cross your fingers for us. i keep hearing/reading of the perils of winter-i'm sort of excited. i think i have to write that down now and i remember a couple months down the line that it's suppose to at least be fun in novelty.
in less exciting other news, been listing to a lot of jawbreaker, rites of spring, piebald, mountain goats, and weakerthans. basically, everything i've always listened to. give me new suggestions! or send me mix tapes/cds, etc.
(it looks like this just in case you needed a visual reminder...)
really. i've also finally had time to read. i read the second book in the ender trilogy in two days. so much love for myopic in being able to find all those books for $3. i'm trying to finish crying lot of 49 after beginning it on three separate occasions, pynchon, i got you this time.
that's it for now. i'll try for the frequency thing.
on sunday we explored the south side for the third of the teem beer'd series. an interesting concept (calculating math problems to get the next address) although i'm not a fan of predetermined checkpoint orders. sort of altogether frustrating, although i think this is more predicated on not being able to take alley cats seriously lately (or probably as much, being a wiener about waking up before 9am and still not being altogether familiar with the area), but still a lot of fun and a great way to spend a morning. grabbed breakfast down there before heading back north.
last night we went to see mount eerie at the av aerie. the space is awesome despite being overly lit, but there was an amazing parachute covering the whole ceiling which created this crazy cave effect. julie dorian accompanied him and i arguably enjoyed their trio (them plus one other man touring with julie) set better than his solo performance. the new cd is just so darn good, and he's such a character-real quick with onstage banter. definitely worth the 10 block trip from our house.
the chicago film festival started this week. students with id (even non-valid ids, apparently) can gain free entrance to films beginning before 5pm, perfect for my current budget. we saw a series of shorts this afternoon that were really good. tonight, there was also a free screening of the mark of cain, a documentary on russian prisioners and more specifically, the once symbolic tattooing done while serving sentences. really interesting, especially to hear the filmmaker discuss actually being in the prisons, etc. afterwards. we went out to grab a drink with a few chifg kids after before heading home.
the weather's still been great-a couple days of rain, but nothing really inhibiting. the temperature has been in the 50s, so i've invested in gloves, wool base layers, and arm warmers, but until i actually begin work, i really don't have any investment capital, so to speak. allison and i both have job leads though, (finally!) cross your fingers for us. i keep hearing/reading of the perils of winter-i'm sort of excited. i think i have to write that down now and i remember a couple months down the line that it's suppose to at least be fun in novelty.
in less exciting other news, been listing to a lot of jawbreaker, rites of spring, piebald, mountain goats, and weakerthans. basically, everything i've always listened to. give me new suggestions! or send me mix tapes/cds, etc.
(it looks like this just in case you needed a visual reminder...)
really. i've also finally had time to read. i read the second book in the ender trilogy in two days. so much love for myopic in being able to find all those books for $3. i'm trying to finish crying lot of 49 after beginning it on three separate occasions, pynchon, i got you this time.
that's it for now. i'll try for the frequency thing.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
chicago, for realz.
alright, alright, i haven't been taking any pictures so i've been hesitant to do any updates. yet, here i am, a week in, looking outside into rain and feeling it's as good a time as any.
this is the first day of rain, the whole first week has been awesome "halloween type" weather, where its still all dry and warm out. even now, it's raining, but not too chilly. it seems that the first thing anyone brings up when talking about chicago is the weather, so it seemed only right that i do the same.
our flight left at 8am, october 1st. we took as much as possible, per the size requirement. nevertheless, the xray lady was shocked to see me carrying the main console to my stereo in my frieght backpack. mneh, i knew i would want music most of all when moving in.
after our flight, we were faced with transporting all our known belongings-each with two "carry-on-size" bags, a large suitcase AND our bike boxes-to our new apt. moving all of this through the airport, onto the actual el train proved strenuous, to say the least. once in downtown, we caved and flagged down a taxi van, which was only $10 &totally worth it. phew. yet, moving in up three flights of stairs has proved somewhat difficult, especially due to the nature of them (extremely wind-y) but particularly since the last two days they've been painting them. yesterday, every TWO were taped off and you were supposed to step over those. yet, with bikes (and ahem, a couch) its hard to abide by this. so after we mucked up the new paint and then had to call mark (the property owner) to come and fix our leaky faucet, i don't know if we're on his favorites list. but our apt still rules (despite the noisy overhead neighbor)-and there is even a nice big basement to store our bike(s!)
yes, multiple bikes. we went to pick up our road bikes from union station yesterday and proceeded to piece them back together on the sidewalk so we could ride home rather than take the L again with large boxes. yet, i am slowly coming to the realization that everything i have been doing and will continue to do until i am actually settled here, has been warranting copious stares and multiple unencouraged comments about the nature of our actions. yes, i know rolling a table with a tv, baking pan, bowls and vcr for a mile isn't the smartest idea, but i don't have a car, so bear with me. (&stop staring?) anyhow, our bikes are almost complete, and i realize i didn't include my road bike pedals in this box. so allison nicely loans me one of her pedals and we proceed to ride the mile and a half back home, each sans one pedal. yep, more stares, amid much laughter (is this really happening?).
our apt is finally beginning to look a little more whole. we found a matress and couch in nearby alleys and found a lot of kitchen stuff, etc at saturday garage sales and thrift stores. not having a car makes taking advantage of free craigslist a little more difficult, but its been helpful as well.
we met some cool kids off the chifg board by going to their version of goldsprints on saturday night and hanging out. despite it being a small party, and me being quite afraid it was going to be incredibly awkward walking into some random's house, everyone was super friendly. we did an alleycat with the same kids the following morning at 9am, not many kids showed up (about 15) but it was a lot of fun and nice to meet more bike kids. allison and i went to a free show at the empty bottle last night (chinese stars +local bands) and ran into some of the same kids there again, randomly. some really sweet people though, we ended up grabbing a drink after with one guy at this weird bar called club foot with lots of dolls in cases and memorabilia on the walls. there are quite a few mellow, small bars within some blocks from our house, we lucked out on location i think. its funny that even though chicago is so much bigger than sf, most people still hang out in a smaller conglomeration of neighborhoods and it still manages to have the a small-ish community feel. i was sitting outside trader joes today waiting for allison to finish applying and augie randomly rode by and stopped to chat. man, that guy rules. but exactly, its definitely feeling smaller (in the good and managable way though), i really like it so far.
speaking of applying-we've both been on the job search and for some reason, i imagined it would be so easy here. i know the state of the economy is no boon, but its been more of a search than i imagined. i'm only 4 applications in, but i was really hoping to score something before the real bad weather hit. we'll see.
anyhow, this is feeling long enough. as always, i'll work on taking more (and better) pictures soon. and hopefully this rain lets up a bit tomorrow so the job search can continue with vigilance.
this is the first day of rain, the whole first week has been awesome "halloween type" weather, where its still all dry and warm out. even now, it's raining, but not too chilly. it seems that the first thing anyone brings up when talking about chicago is the weather, so it seemed only right that i do the same.
our flight left at 8am, october 1st. we took as much as possible, per the size requirement. nevertheless, the xray lady was shocked to see me carrying the main console to my stereo in my frieght backpack. mneh, i knew i would want music most of all when moving in.
after our flight, we were faced with transporting all our known belongings-each with two "carry-on-size" bags, a large suitcase AND our bike boxes-to our new apt. moving all of this through the airport, onto the actual el train proved strenuous, to say the least. once in downtown, we caved and flagged down a taxi van, which was only $10 &totally worth it. phew. yet, moving in up three flights of stairs has proved somewhat difficult, especially due to the nature of them (extremely wind-y) but particularly since the last two days they've been painting them. yesterday, every TWO were taped off and you were supposed to step over those. yet, with bikes (and ahem, a couch) its hard to abide by this. so after we mucked up the new paint and then had to call mark (the property owner) to come and fix our leaky faucet, i don't know if we're on his favorites list. but our apt still rules (despite the noisy overhead neighbor)-and there is even a nice big basement to store our bike(s!)
yes, multiple bikes. we went to pick up our road bikes from union station yesterday and proceeded to piece them back together on the sidewalk so we could ride home rather than take the L again with large boxes. yet, i am slowly coming to the realization that everything i have been doing and will continue to do until i am actually settled here, has been warranting copious stares and multiple unencouraged comments about the nature of our actions. yes, i know rolling a table with a tv, baking pan, bowls and vcr for a mile isn't the smartest idea, but i don't have a car, so bear with me. (&stop staring?) anyhow, our bikes are almost complete, and i realize i didn't include my road bike pedals in this box. so allison nicely loans me one of her pedals and we proceed to ride the mile and a half back home, each sans one pedal. yep, more stares, amid much laughter (is this really happening?).
our apt is finally beginning to look a little more whole. we found a matress and couch in nearby alleys and found a lot of kitchen stuff, etc at saturday garage sales and thrift stores. not having a car makes taking advantage of free craigslist a little more difficult, but its been helpful as well.
we met some cool kids off the chifg board by going to their version of goldsprints on saturday night and hanging out. despite it being a small party, and me being quite afraid it was going to be incredibly awkward walking into some random's house, everyone was super friendly. we did an alleycat with the same kids the following morning at 9am, not many kids showed up (about 15) but it was a lot of fun and nice to meet more bike kids. allison and i went to a free show at the empty bottle last night (chinese stars +local bands) and ran into some of the same kids there again, randomly. some really sweet people though, we ended up grabbing a drink after with one guy at this weird bar called club foot with lots of dolls in cases and memorabilia on the walls. there are quite a few mellow, small bars within some blocks from our house, we lucked out on location i think. its funny that even though chicago is so much bigger than sf, most people still hang out in a smaller conglomeration of neighborhoods and it still manages to have the a small-ish community feel. i was sitting outside trader joes today waiting for allison to finish applying and augie randomly rode by and stopped to chat. man, that guy rules. but exactly, its definitely feeling smaller (in the good and managable way though), i really like it so far.
speaking of applying-we've both been on the job search and for some reason, i imagined it would be so easy here. i know the state of the economy is no boon, but its been more of a search than i imagined. i'm only 4 applications in, but i was really hoping to score something before the real bad weather hit. we'll see.
anyhow, this is feeling long enough. as always, i'll work on taking more (and better) pictures soon. and hopefully this rain lets up a bit tomorrow so the job search can continue with vigilance.
travel guide
So this is a little late, but I’ve been attempting to compile a list of the interesting/neat fun things we saw/did in different towns. And hopefully, it could be used by anyone else traveling to similar places. Peck Travel Guide, or something like that.
TUSCON
Eats/Bars
Shot in the Dark Cafe
121 E Broadway
Cute coffee shop, lots of seating, snacks too.
The Grill
100 E Congress St
Sort of expensive for diner food but with a bar attached and it has a photo booth!
Bikes
BICAS
44 W 6th St
Awesome, huge space. Everyone was super friendly and they had a lot of used everything. Akin to many other bike co-ops, but really awesome all the same.
Other
Public Pools
Quincie Douglas Pool
1563 E. 36th
It was insanely hot when we were there, so the public pools were a saving grace. I think this one was one $1 and there were plenty more to choose from.
Mount Lemmon
We heard this was beautiful but a totally killer ride. Apparently you can also drive up there and there is a pie shop at the top! All this in 107 degree heat sounded marginally less appealing though.
Dry River Collective
740 N Main Ave (& University)
We saw a movie screening and show the first night we came in. Cool, multi-use space that hosts a variety of functions.
AUSTIN
Bikes
Mellow Johnny's
400 Nueces (@ 4th)
bike shop started by lance armstrong. somewhat bougie but really nice dudes and the best iced coffee I had on the entire trip.
Clown Dog Bikes
2821 San Jancinto Blvd
really small. nice dudes. bought a lock here. that's all i got on this one.
COFFEE/BARS
Bouldin Creek
1501 1st street
kind of far south. we went to this place after our car broke down and this was the closest place, but actually has really good vegan food (beans, rice, pastries, etc.) and really mellow patio, hippy vibe.
Spider House
2908 Fruth St.
We didn't go here but heard good things. Cheap lonestar pitchers and a patio? check it out if you're up in the UT area.
Tiny Cities
Congress between 9th and 10th
small coffee shop, bike messenger hangout downtown.
The Long Branch
1133 E 11th
Really mellow bar, jukebox. nothing terribly special but comfortable. i think they do some DJing here later on in the night? We didn't stick around for that though...
Epoch Cafe
221 W North Loop Blvd
just down the street from monkey wrench. really good coffee, comfortable chairs, big porch, free wi-fi.
The Peacock
Perdanales @ E 6th Street
Went on a tuesday night for metal night? everyone was dressed up and seemed to know each other, nice neighborhood bar. drinks were pretty cheap, good vibe.
Emo's.
603 Red River St
venue. we didn't get a chance to go here but there's always good shows here. i've heard about it since high school and i'm kind of bummed we never went. austin mainstay.
Sidebar
602 E 7th St
this is just one bar on this block--it gets pretty crazy during the weekend (aka kind of overwhelming/gross) but seemed mellow enough during the week. back patio and pool tables. beauty bar is right across the street if you want some hipster dancing and the creekside is next store for a slight change... haha.
FOOD
Homeslice Pizza
1415 S Congress Ave
decent pizza place. kind of crowded but nice back porch and a friend of a friend named sarah works here who's super awesome and hooked us up nice. chill place to go for pizza and beer.
Wheatsville Co-op
3101 Guadalupe St (UT area)
your standard co-op, outdoor eating area. i heard you can dumpster this place? nice enough, deli inside.
Hut's Hamburgers
807 W 6th St
Small little resturant, 2 for 1 veggie burgers on tuesday night. we fucked up and went too early but seemed nice, diner feel.
OTHER:
Barton Springs
Super packed when we went there. really nice sectioned off area of the town lake, costs about $3 to go in. can go in on the other side of the wall which is a little dirtier and has a lot of dogs, but totally free! worth it if it's hot out.
Monkey Wrench Books
110 E North Loop Blvd
This is an anarcho bookstore/coffee shop located in a col-de-sac area that also has a bar, bike shop and some venue that bands played during south by south west. really nice, pretty decent zine selection, has free movie/documentary screenings sometimes.
Congress Ave Bridge
supposedly has tons of bats fly out from under it at dusk. we didn't check it out but i heard it's pretty cool. kind of touristy but lots of nice grass near the river/town lake.
Austin Museum of Art
823 Congress Ave # 100
It was small but totally free and pretty cool. worth checking out and using the air conditioning.
Alamo Draft House
320 E 6th Street (although there are multiple locations)
Movie theatre showing old, awesome movies that is also super cheap and sells beer. Totally awesome.
Henry Ransom Center
Guadalupe @ 21st
On the campus. Only had one exhibit, but it was free and nice to wander around.
Waterloo
600 N Lamar Blvd
record store. nothing special but had some free in-stores with beer? right around the corner from whole foods (on 6th) and across the street from a really huge bookstore (but the name's totally escaping me now, but it was pretty nice)
Also: just walking/riding along the townlake (that looks like a river!) there is also a cool hot sauce store on 6th, a bar called Lovejoy’s we never went to on 6th and Neches that we kept hearing about.
NEW ORLEANS
Eats/Bars
Column Hotel Bar
3811 St. Charles Ave
Super fancy, in a real upscale area. We felt out of place (aka sweaty and gross when everyone else was dressy) but they were still real nice and served us drinks on the huge, beautiful patio and listened to some silly band. Good for one drink to enjoy the sights.
Café Du Monde
800 Decatur St
24-hour coffee shop with beinets, lots of them. Most families order way too many and you can clean up after them. Right in the brunt of the tourist French Quarter, but really cool. And you can take your coffee down to the water front and see all the big ships.
Snowballs
1300 Burdette St
We kept hearing about snowballs. I think its just like a snocone. It wasn’t terribly hot, so we never got them, but apparently, you should.
Blue Plate
1330 Prytania St
A nice breakfast place. Pretty fancy and a little expensive, but tasty and really friendly staff.
Royal Café
700 Royal St.
In the French Quarter and one of the few places that had free wifi and decent seating and didn’t care if you sat there for a long time without buying much of anything. Decent coffee although it all took a while cause there was only one girl working the whole shebang.
13
519 Frenchman
Bar and really tasty vegetarian/vegan food. A little pricey, but really good. Interesting locale too.
OTHER
Cemetaries
Seriously, there are so many rad, old cemeteries here. St. Louis #1 was recommended to us, so we visited that and #2. Real interesting. They supposedly close by 5pm I think, but we definitely just moved the chain and walked in later than that.
ASHEVILLE
Eats/Bars
Firestorm Café
48 Commerce St.
Little anarcho-café with tons of books and zines to read and games (read: scrabble) to play. Really tasty coffee and all vegan treats and sandwiches. We hung out here a fair amount.
French Broad Food Co-op
Biltmore/Broadway
Food co-op, awesome bulk bin section. Typical health food store with nice outside seating.
Rosetta’s
111 Broadway @ Merimon
Big airy restaurant, all vegan food with nice patio outside. Big portions, a little expensive, but totally worth it. Also, you can go after hours and help to clean up in exchange for left overs.
Bikes
The Recyclrey
Under the French Broad Food Co-op
We never went because people in town seemed to have not heard about it and it had weird hours. I think they’re mostly open later in the day. But I was told this is the most awesome of bike co-ops.
Asheville Mellowdrome
In Carrier Park on Amboy Rd.
We rode out here one night, its not too far from downtown. Its not banked at all, but its still a lot of fun to ride around and they have a bunch of other stuff-parks, bball courts, etc-in the infield.
Other
SWIM SPOTS!
Pisgah National Park
Is amazing. It’s west of Asheville, maybe off the 1114? Anyhow, once you get there, you must must must visit: Looking Glass Falls which is beautiful and you can swim in, but definitely Sliding Rock. You can, as it sounds, slide down this huge amazing rock and then meander down the cold, mountain river and slide down more, smaller and less crowded rocks. Even though you slip a lot, its still so much fun.
Amazing Saving Dumpster
121 Sweeten Creek Rd
No, we never went inside, but found lots of good stuff in their dumpster, as apparently, there often is.
RICHMOND
Eats/Bars
Panda Veg
948 W Grace St at Harrison
All you can eat vegan Chinese food. They even had vegan donuts, honest.
Ipanema Café
917 W. Grace St.
Super good food and always have a vegan option. ½ off drafts on Monday and $2 wine on Wednesdays I think? Probably the most expensive place we ate on the trip, but easily the best. Really good vegan deserts. Also a below ground establishment, but real good atmosphere.
821 Bakery Café
821 W Cary St
Less of a café, more a sit down and eat good food. They had really good vegan chili and a decent beer selection. Open breakfast through dinner, punkish atmosphere, decent prices.
Harrison St Coffee Shop
402 N Harrison
Awesome little coffee shop. Two stories, all wood paneling. Also a good book selection and some good vegan morning treats.
Wonderland
1727 E Main St
Didn’t go here, but heard it was an awesome little dive bar.
Empire
N. Laurel @ W. Broad
We didn’t really go out while we were here, but heard this one was a good one too.
Bikes
Bunny Hop Bikes
918 W Grace St
Shop is under another establishment, but super nice guys that work there.
Richmond Recycles
2611 W. Cary
Small, in an old Victorian. Not a bike co-op, as we had assumed but let us use their tools anyhow, and let us know about upcoming rides. Offer used parts although not too big of a selection and hook up local youth with free bikes.
Others
Diversity Thrift
1407 Sherwood Ave
Huge, really cool thrift store.
Best Friends Day
If you happen to be in DC in August, check and see if Best Friends Day is going on. A bizarre weekend of shows (both organized and house shows), water parks, and tons of other fun.
The James River
Belle Isle Section. You cross this awesome, long bridge over the tracks and can explore for miles. Trails and awesome greenery. We spent a while here in the river and exploring the woods.
Hollywood Cemetary
412 S Cherry St. Oregon Hill Area
Huge, old cemetery with lots of big gravestones. A little hilly and I’m not sure if we were suppose to be riding our bikes in there, but probably the easiest way to actually see most of it. Definitely worth an hour or so.
DC
Eats/Bars
Ben’s Chili Bowl
1213 U Street
So they couldn’t believe when we both wanted veggie chili over fries, but they did it anyhow. Cheap and pretty tasty (although it also sort of wrecks stomaches), but more of a visit due to the atmosphere and all the articles on the walls.
Brickskellar
1523 22nd St NW
Underground beer paradise, apparently.
Asylum
2471 18th St NW
We heard a lot about this place, but its apparently a biker in the motorcycle sense bar. We were told we went on a bad night (bands setting up, crazy busy and too loud) so maybe give it a shot anyhow since it seemed to get so many other rave reviews. I’d probably stay as far away from Adam’s Morgan on a weekend anyhow.
The Pharmacy Bar
2337 18th St NW
This was one of the few mellower bars in Adams-Morgan. Phew, although I am still not into this, “Sit down and we will serve you” thing in bars, this one was nice enough until they dimmed the lights and turned up the music around 10pm. I can only imagine what it turns into.
The Black Cat
1811 14th St. N
Cool venue and bar. Its awesome because the bar and show space are separate so you can be at one or the other or mix them, but you don’t have to pay a cover and be deafened if you just want to sit have a drink. Plus, it’s a comfy bar with big booths.
Bikes
Bike Polo!
Monday and Thursday nights in SW
Others
Melody Record Shop
1623 Connecticut
Building Museum
401 F St NW
The architecture worth just walking in the building and then seeing it from the 2nd floor. The exhibits were neat too, but the actual building was probably the best part.
Smithsonian Museums
All free, in the same area. We only went to a couple because they were so damn busy and hard to navigate. Make sure you have nothing in your pockets that could be remotely threatening (even a tiny adjustable wrench). Try and go whenever it might be that hectic though.
Spitehouse
1230 30th St
Narrowest house, built in spite. Sort of funny.
NEW YORK
Eats/Bars
Atlas Café
73 2nd Ave (@ E 4th)
Really fucking good vegan food. New York prices, but not bad at that. Outside patio area for good people watching.
Kate’s Joint
248 Berry St.
Tried to find it one night but it was already closed. Heard it was had yummy vegetarian food though, although I think moderately expensive.
Foodswings
295 Grand St
More expensive than I would have imagined, vegan fast food. Pretty good, but you will feel really heavy from all the greasy fried-ness to it.
Babycakes
248 Broome St @ Ludlow
All vegan bakery in SoHo. Sort of expensive but good for a quick visit and a small treat.
Sparky’s
333 Lafayette @ Bleeker
Family owned, fast, “healthy” food.
East River Bar
97 S. 6th St
Bar with outdoor seating almost under the Williamsburg Bridge. Big with pool table, but we sat outside because of the DJ. Best though: free PBR on Wednesday nights from 6-7pm. Random, but awesome.
The Levee
212 Berry St.
Apparently this place is “so last year” but I still liked it-big back room with a couple pool tables and good food.
Red Bamboo
140 W 4th St #1 @ Broadway
Vegan Chinese food. I didn’t go, but Allison can’t more highly recommend it.
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
113 N. 3rd
Awesome outdoor, but covered seating, large beer selection and lots of good food.
Happy Endings
302 Broome St
Creepy bar in Chinatown. Awesome if you’re into weird, dance clubs. Otherwise, I would not recommend it.
Bikes
Bike Polo
Norfolk and E. Houston St.
Peel Sessions
Thursday night trick time, Meeker and Jackson under bridge.
Others
Film Forum
209 W. Houston (How-stun)
Sort of expensive, but show a lot of awesome indie movies. Cool spot outside of Washington Square Park too.
Strand Books
12th @ Broadway
Outside, super cheap book sales and inside, its awesome organized with 3 or 4 floors. I spent so long in here looking at all sorts of books.
Prospect Park
In Park Slope area
Huge, great to bike through with closed streets and bike lanes. Plus, lots of grass to take naps in.
Blue Stockings
172 Allen St.
Definitely would recommend stopping by the anarcho book café. Clean and nice inside with an adjoined seating area. Lots of zines and really good literature at good prices.
PHILADELPHIA
Eats/Bars
Satellite Café
50th @ Baltimore
Under Firehouse. Awesome café with good prices and lots of vegan treats.
Standard Tap
901 N 2nd St
Good jukebox, lots on tap. Upstairs, outdoor seating. Real mellow and more of a sit down restaurant, but just sitting outside with a beer was real nice.
Green Line
4239 Baltimore
On edge of Clark Park. They were suppose to have vegan baked good which they were disappointingly lacking, but a nice spot to get some coffee and be able to go sit at the park with.
Govinda’s
1408 South St.
Vegan cheesesteaks. And all sorts of other vegan sandwiches and wraps. Insanely good, I would be eating here all the time if I lived there.
Gianna’s Grille
507 S. 6th St
Also vegan cheesesteaks and vegan pizza although someone said there had been some drama that it wasn’t “really vegan” (i think casein, etc), but greasy and tasty? Yes. Apparently they were supposed to also have a case of vegan baked goods, but there was a sign that the company they got them from wouldn’t have them around for a while. Lots of funny band posters on the wall too.
Harmony’s
135 N 9th St (in Chinatown)
Did not get a chance to go here either, but apparently this is THE vegetarian place in Philly. Nicer and sit down (read: more expensive) but is supposed to be real good.
Last Drop Coffee Shop
1300 Pine St
Good coffee with lots of indoor seating and big windows and a small selection of vegan treats.
Pretzel Factory
816 Washington Ave
There is a ride that goes from the art museum to here on Thursday nights. We just ended up there around midnight instead and ate lots of fresh, warm pretzels. They’re super cheap (4 for $1!) but make sure and get lots of mustard.
Reading Terminal Farmer’s Market
12th and Arch
Indoor farmers market with tons of good food and produce.
Bikes
Firehouse Bikes
50th @ Baltimore
Under Satellite Café. Lots of old parts and nice bikes. They fix up a lot of older bikes for resale, but still have new stuff. Really friendly and helpful.
Reload Bags
608 N 2nd @ Fairmount
Small shop, weird hours.
Ride North along the Schuykill River. There is a few miles of bike path that are really nice and fun to just roll around.
Philly Bike Church
End of Locust St on Locust Walk-Under Church on Penn St Campus
Walk around the back, you sort of have to search it out.
Weird hours and policies. They didn’t have enough mechanics the day we were able to stop by so we had to sneak in to take a look because they didn’t want to let everyone in through the front desk of the building they’re housed in. Nice and big with a set up that uses the space really well.
Other
Mutter Museum
19 S. 22nd St.
I’ll save you the trouble, its pronounced Mute-er. Not mutter. People think its really funny when you pronounce it wrong. Despite that, its worth the $9 (with student ID) or $12. It’s a museum dedicated to medical oddities and while its real small, there is a ton of weird stuff packed in there.
Rittenhouse Square
Walnut and S. 19th St
Small park in the middle of downtown with lots of benches, etc.
The Trocadero
1003 Arch St
Monday night $3 movies at 8pm, which gets you a $3 credit towards the bar/snacks, happy hour starts at 7pm.
Philly AIDs Thrift
514 Bainbridge (@ Passyunk)
Small-ish, but don’t miss the second floor. We bought so many awesome tapes from here and I found some sweet clothes here. Super friendly staff too.
A-Space
4722 Baltimore
Didn’t go here, but rode by a couple times and check out the free box outside. They supposedly have lunches on Thursdays from 12-3 with a $4-5 recommended donation.
Clark Park
Baltimore @ 43rd
Good hang out spot, lots of dogs and grass.
SALT LAKE CITY
Vertical Diner
We didn’t do much of anything in SLC, but I am glad this was one of them. Cheaper than its sister, nicer version in downtown, but one of the best vegan breakfasts I had on the whole trip.
SEATTLE
Food/Bars
Eliot Bay
Main St @ 2nd
Café from Fraiser. They have tons of vegan sandwiches and while they’re quite overpriced, they’re pretty good. Mighty-O Donuts and some other vegan baked goods. The best part is being able to take your coffee into the extensive bookstore upstairs.
Wayward Café
901 NE 55th St.
Really good, vegan sandwiches in the U District.
Quickies
324 15th Ave E
4106 Brooklyn Ave.
Jamacian spot. Vegan sandwiches, much bigger than you would expect with filling sides, quinoa, etc. Also one in Tacoma that’s better, but how often are you in Tacoma?
Mighty-O
2110 N. 55th St.
Vegan donuts, best I’ve ever had.
Others
Volunteer Park
1247 15th Ave E
Fun park to hang out at during the day, has huge chess boards, but only if you brings your own huge chess pieces.
PORTLAND
Eats/Bars
Taqueria Los Gorditos
SE 50th Ave @ SE Division
Random taco truck but with lots of vegan options of tacos and burritos at cheap prices. And good too.
Junior’s
1742 SE 12th Ave
Breakfast, good coffee and tons of vegan options.
Coffee Plant
724 SW Washington St
Cute, downtown café that serves stumptown without the overwhelming, sterile feeling of stumptown proper.
Bye and Bye
1011 NE Alberta
Airy bar with really, really good vegan food. I’m not talking just bar food, but kale and brown rice, good vegan food. They have some crazy mixed drink concoction in a mason jar too, get that.
Voodoo Donuts
22 SW 3rd Ave. (24/7!)
1501 NE Davis (New location, only closed from 3am-6am)
Quirky, awesome donut shop. Sell vegan donuts too, and day old donuts by the dozen for super cheap.
Food Fight
1209 SE Stark
All vegan grocery store. Pretty expensive, but worth the visit.
Sweet Pea Baking Co.
1205 SE Stark
All vegan bakery. Really yummy muffins.
Food Carts!
SW 5th Ave between Oak and Stark
So many awesome food carts, all with lunches for around $5 and probably more than you can eat in one sitting.
The Alibi
4024 N. Interstate Ave.
Awesome tiki bar, karoyke with an rad DJ, generally ridiculous and awesome.
The Tube
NW 2nd St.
Really bad, overly hip bar that is some how entertaining.
Bella Faccia
2934 NE Alberta
Vegan pizza and lots of other good pizza and salads and beer on tap.
Bikes
Community Cycles
1700 NE Alberta
Recyclery
1417 SE 9th and Madison
Bike Central
220 SW 1st Ave
Small shop, but very track oriented and friendly. Always lots of awesome bike porn.
Alpenrose
6149 SW Shattuck
Portland’s velodrome. Crazy banked walls, but you can ride on it at will during the day.
Bike Polo
Sunday afternoon: Killingsworth and 22nd at Alberta Park
Other
Mt. Taber
Hawthorne past 50th
Cool park, pretty mellow climb, with great views.
The Cliffs
Overlook Park: N Overlook Blvd and N Beech St.
See trains join and watch the sunset.
Powell’s Books
1005 W Burnside
Endless selections of books, amazing.
I am going to hold off on Chicago. It seems weird now that we are living here, instead, just give us a call if you’re ever here, and then you’ll know exactly what to do.
And I suppose I could do one for San Francisco, but that seems even weirder.
TUSCON
Eats/Bars
Shot in the Dark Cafe
121 E Broadway
Cute coffee shop, lots of seating, snacks too.
The Grill
100 E Congress St
Sort of expensive for diner food but with a bar attached and it has a photo booth!
Bikes
BICAS
44 W 6th St
Awesome, huge space. Everyone was super friendly and they had a lot of used everything. Akin to many other bike co-ops, but really awesome all the same.
Other
Public Pools
Quincie Douglas Pool
1563 E. 36th
It was insanely hot when we were there, so the public pools were a saving grace. I think this one was one $1 and there were plenty more to choose from.
Mount Lemmon
We heard this was beautiful but a totally killer ride. Apparently you can also drive up there and there is a pie shop at the top! All this in 107 degree heat sounded marginally less appealing though.
Dry River Collective
740 N Main Ave (& University)
We saw a movie screening and show the first night we came in. Cool, multi-use space that hosts a variety of functions.
AUSTIN
Bikes
Mellow Johnny's
400 Nueces (@ 4th)
bike shop started by lance armstrong. somewhat bougie but really nice dudes and the best iced coffee I had on the entire trip.
Clown Dog Bikes
2821 San Jancinto Blvd
really small. nice dudes. bought a lock here. that's all i got on this one.
COFFEE/BARS
Bouldin Creek
1501 1st street
kind of far south. we went to this place after our car broke down and this was the closest place, but actually has really good vegan food (beans, rice, pastries, etc.) and really mellow patio, hippy vibe.
Spider House
2908 Fruth St.
We didn't go here but heard good things. Cheap lonestar pitchers and a patio? check it out if you're up in the UT area.
Tiny Cities
Congress between 9th and 10th
small coffee shop, bike messenger hangout downtown.
The Long Branch
1133 E 11th
Really mellow bar, jukebox. nothing terribly special but comfortable. i think they do some DJing here later on in the night? We didn't stick around for that though...
Epoch Cafe
221 W North Loop Blvd
just down the street from monkey wrench. really good coffee, comfortable chairs, big porch, free wi-fi.
The Peacock
Perdanales @ E 6th Street
Went on a tuesday night for metal night? everyone was dressed up and seemed to know each other, nice neighborhood bar. drinks were pretty cheap, good vibe.
Emo's.
603 Red River St
venue. we didn't get a chance to go here but there's always good shows here. i've heard about it since high school and i'm kind of bummed we never went. austin mainstay.
Sidebar
602 E 7th St
this is just one bar on this block--it gets pretty crazy during the weekend (aka kind of overwhelming/gross) but seemed mellow enough during the week. back patio and pool tables. beauty bar is right across the street if you want some hipster dancing and the creekside is next store for a slight change... haha.
FOOD
Homeslice Pizza
1415 S Congress Ave
decent pizza place. kind of crowded but nice back porch and a friend of a friend named sarah works here who's super awesome and hooked us up nice. chill place to go for pizza and beer.
Wheatsville Co-op
3101 Guadalupe St (UT area)
your standard co-op, outdoor eating area. i heard you can dumpster this place? nice enough, deli inside.
Hut's Hamburgers
807 W 6th St
Small little resturant, 2 for 1 veggie burgers on tuesday night. we fucked up and went too early but seemed nice, diner feel.
OTHER:
Barton Springs
Super packed when we went there. really nice sectioned off area of the town lake, costs about $3 to go in. can go in on the other side of the wall which is a little dirtier and has a lot of dogs, but totally free! worth it if it's hot out.
Monkey Wrench Books
110 E North Loop Blvd
This is an anarcho bookstore/coffee shop located in a col-de-sac area that also has a bar, bike shop and some venue that bands played during south by south west. really nice, pretty decent zine selection, has free movie/documentary screenings sometimes.
Congress Ave Bridge
supposedly has tons of bats fly out from under it at dusk. we didn't check it out but i heard it's pretty cool. kind of touristy but lots of nice grass near the river/town lake.
Austin Museum of Art
823 Congress Ave # 100
It was small but totally free and pretty cool. worth checking out and using the air conditioning.
Alamo Draft House
320 E 6th Street (although there are multiple locations)
Movie theatre showing old, awesome movies that is also super cheap and sells beer. Totally awesome.
Henry Ransom Center
Guadalupe @ 21st
On the campus. Only had one exhibit, but it was free and nice to wander around.
Waterloo
600 N Lamar Blvd
record store. nothing special but had some free in-stores with beer? right around the corner from whole foods (on 6th) and across the street from a really huge bookstore (but the name's totally escaping me now, but it was pretty nice)
Also: just walking/riding along the townlake (that looks like a river!) there is also a cool hot sauce store on 6th, a bar called Lovejoy’s we never went to on 6th and Neches that we kept hearing about.
NEW ORLEANS
Eats/Bars
Column Hotel Bar
3811 St. Charles Ave
Super fancy, in a real upscale area. We felt out of place (aka sweaty and gross when everyone else was dressy) but they were still real nice and served us drinks on the huge, beautiful patio and listened to some silly band. Good for one drink to enjoy the sights.
Café Du Monde
800 Decatur St
24-hour coffee shop with beinets, lots of them. Most families order way too many and you can clean up after them. Right in the brunt of the tourist French Quarter, but really cool. And you can take your coffee down to the water front and see all the big ships.
Snowballs
1300 Burdette St
We kept hearing about snowballs. I think its just like a snocone. It wasn’t terribly hot, so we never got them, but apparently, you should.
Blue Plate
1330 Prytania St
A nice breakfast place. Pretty fancy and a little expensive, but tasty and really friendly staff.
Royal Café
700 Royal St.
In the French Quarter and one of the few places that had free wifi and decent seating and didn’t care if you sat there for a long time without buying much of anything. Decent coffee although it all took a while cause there was only one girl working the whole shebang.
13
519 Frenchman
Bar and really tasty vegetarian/vegan food. A little pricey, but really good. Interesting locale too.
OTHER
Cemetaries
Seriously, there are so many rad, old cemeteries here. St. Louis #1 was recommended to us, so we visited that and #2. Real interesting. They supposedly close by 5pm I think, but we definitely just moved the chain and walked in later than that.
ASHEVILLE
Eats/Bars
Firestorm Café
48 Commerce St.
Little anarcho-café with tons of books and zines to read and games (read: scrabble) to play. Really tasty coffee and all vegan treats and sandwiches. We hung out here a fair amount.
French Broad Food Co-op
Biltmore/Broadway
Food co-op, awesome bulk bin section. Typical health food store with nice outside seating.
Rosetta’s
111 Broadway @ Merimon
Big airy restaurant, all vegan food with nice patio outside. Big portions, a little expensive, but totally worth it. Also, you can go after hours and help to clean up in exchange for left overs.
Bikes
The Recyclrey
Under the French Broad Food Co-op
We never went because people in town seemed to have not heard about it and it had weird hours. I think they’re mostly open later in the day. But I was told this is the most awesome of bike co-ops.
Asheville Mellowdrome
In Carrier Park on Amboy Rd.
We rode out here one night, its not too far from downtown. Its not banked at all, but its still a lot of fun to ride around and they have a bunch of other stuff-parks, bball courts, etc-in the infield.
Other
SWIM SPOTS!
Pisgah National Park
Is amazing. It’s west of Asheville, maybe off the 1114? Anyhow, once you get there, you must must must visit: Looking Glass Falls which is beautiful and you can swim in, but definitely Sliding Rock. You can, as it sounds, slide down this huge amazing rock and then meander down the cold, mountain river and slide down more, smaller and less crowded rocks. Even though you slip a lot, its still so much fun.
Amazing Saving Dumpster
121 Sweeten Creek Rd
No, we never went inside, but found lots of good stuff in their dumpster, as apparently, there often is.
RICHMOND
Eats/Bars
Panda Veg
948 W Grace St at Harrison
All you can eat vegan Chinese food. They even had vegan donuts, honest.
Ipanema Café
917 W. Grace St.
Super good food and always have a vegan option. ½ off drafts on Monday and $2 wine on Wednesdays I think? Probably the most expensive place we ate on the trip, but easily the best. Really good vegan deserts. Also a below ground establishment, but real good atmosphere.
821 Bakery Café
821 W Cary St
Less of a café, more a sit down and eat good food. They had really good vegan chili and a decent beer selection. Open breakfast through dinner, punkish atmosphere, decent prices.
Harrison St Coffee Shop
402 N Harrison
Awesome little coffee shop. Two stories, all wood paneling. Also a good book selection and some good vegan morning treats.
Wonderland
1727 E Main St
Didn’t go here, but heard it was an awesome little dive bar.
Empire
N. Laurel @ W. Broad
We didn’t really go out while we were here, but heard this one was a good one too.
Bikes
Bunny Hop Bikes
918 W Grace St
Shop is under another establishment, but super nice guys that work there.
Richmond Recycles
2611 W. Cary
Small, in an old Victorian. Not a bike co-op, as we had assumed but let us use their tools anyhow, and let us know about upcoming rides. Offer used parts although not too big of a selection and hook up local youth with free bikes.
Others
Diversity Thrift
1407 Sherwood Ave
Huge, really cool thrift store.
Best Friends Day
If you happen to be in DC in August, check and see if Best Friends Day is going on. A bizarre weekend of shows (both organized and house shows), water parks, and tons of other fun.
The James River
Belle Isle Section. You cross this awesome, long bridge over the tracks and can explore for miles. Trails and awesome greenery. We spent a while here in the river and exploring the woods.
Hollywood Cemetary
412 S Cherry St. Oregon Hill Area
Huge, old cemetery with lots of big gravestones. A little hilly and I’m not sure if we were suppose to be riding our bikes in there, but probably the easiest way to actually see most of it. Definitely worth an hour or so.
DC
Eats/Bars
Ben’s Chili Bowl
1213 U Street
So they couldn’t believe when we both wanted veggie chili over fries, but they did it anyhow. Cheap and pretty tasty (although it also sort of wrecks stomaches), but more of a visit due to the atmosphere and all the articles on the walls.
Brickskellar
1523 22nd St NW
Underground beer paradise, apparently.
Asylum
2471 18th St NW
We heard a lot about this place, but its apparently a biker in the motorcycle sense bar. We were told we went on a bad night (bands setting up, crazy busy and too loud) so maybe give it a shot anyhow since it seemed to get so many other rave reviews. I’d probably stay as far away from Adam’s Morgan on a weekend anyhow.
The Pharmacy Bar
2337 18th St NW
This was one of the few mellower bars in Adams-Morgan. Phew, although I am still not into this, “Sit down and we will serve you” thing in bars, this one was nice enough until they dimmed the lights and turned up the music around 10pm. I can only imagine what it turns into.
The Black Cat
1811 14th St. N
Cool venue and bar. Its awesome because the bar and show space are separate so you can be at one or the other or mix them, but you don’t have to pay a cover and be deafened if you just want to sit have a drink. Plus, it’s a comfy bar with big booths.
Bikes
Bike Polo!
Monday and Thursday nights in SW
Others
Melody Record Shop
1623 Connecticut
Building Museum
401 F St NW
The architecture worth just walking in the building and then seeing it from the 2nd floor. The exhibits were neat too, but the actual building was probably the best part.
Smithsonian Museums
All free, in the same area. We only went to a couple because they were so damn busy and hard to navigate. Make sure you have nothing in your pockets that could be remotely threatening (even a tiny adjustable wrench). Try and go whenever it might be that hectic though.
Spitehouse
1230 30th St
Narrowest house, built in spite. Sort of funny.
NEW YORK
Eats/Bars
Atlas Café
73 2nd Ave (@ E 4th)
Really fucking good vegan food. New York prices, but not bad at that. Outside patio area for good people watching.
Kate’s Joint
248 Berry St.
Tried to find it one night but it was already closed. Heard it was had yummy vegetarian food though, although I think moderately expensive.
Foodswings
295 Grand St
More expensive than I would have imagined, vegan fast food. Pretty good, but you will feel really heavy from all the greasy fried-ness to it.
Babycakes
248 Broome St @ Ludlow
All vegan bakery in SoHo. Sort of expensive but good for a quick visit and a small treat.
Sparky’s
333 Lafayette @ Bleeker
Family owned, fast, “healthy” food.
East River Bar
97 S. 6th St
Bar with outdoor seating almost under the Williamsburg Bridge. Big with pool table, but we sat outside because of the DJ. Best though: free PBR on Wednesday nights from 6-7pm. Random, but awesome.
The Levee
212 Berry St.
Apparently this place is “so last year” but I still liked it-big back room with a couple pool tables and good food.
Red Bamboo
140 W 4th St #1 @ Broadway
Vegan Chinese food. I didn’t go, but Allison can’t more highly recommend it.
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
113 N. 3rd
Awesome outdoor, but covered seating, large beer selection and lots of good food.
Happy Endings
302 Broome St
Creepy bar in Chinatown. Awesome if you’re into weird, dance clubs. Otherwise, I would not recommend it.
Bikes
Bike Polo
Norfolk and E. Houston St.
Peel Sessions
Thursday night trick time, Meeker and Jackson under bridge.
Others
Film Forum
209 W. Houston (How-stun)
Sort of expensive, but show a lot of awesome indie movies. Cool spot outside of Washington Square Park too.
Strand Books
12th @ Broadway
Outside, super cheap book sales and inside, its awesome organized with 3 or 4 floors. I spent so long in here looking at all sorts of books.
Prospect Park
In Park Slope area
Huge, great to bike through with closed streets and bike lanes. Plus, lots of grass to take naps in.
Blue Stockings
172 Allen St.
Definitely would recommend stopping by the anarcho book café. Clean and nice inside with an adjoined seating area. Lots of zines and really good literature at good prices.
PHILADELPHIA
Eats/Bars
Satellite Café
50th @ Baltimore
Under Firehouse. Awesome café with good prices and lots of vegan treats.
Standard Tap
901 N 2nd St
Good jukebox, lots on tap. Upstairs, outdoor seating. Real mellow and more of a sit down restaurant, but just sitting outside with a beer was real nice.
Green Line
4239 Baltimore
On edge of Clark Park. They were suppose to have vegan baked good which they were disappointingly lacking, but a nice spot to get some coffee and be able to go sit at the park with.
Govinda’s
1408 South St.
Vegan cheesesteaks. And all sorts of other vegan sandwiches and wraps. Insanely good, I would be eating here all the time if I lived there.
Gianna’s Grille
507 S. 6th St
Also vegan cheesesteaks and vegan pizza although someone said there had been some drama that it wasn’t “really vegan” (i think casein, etc), but greasy and tasty? Yes. Apparently they were supposed to also have a case of vegan baked goods, but there was a sign that the company they got them from wouldn’t have them around for a while. Lots of funny band posters on the wall too.
Harmony’s
135 N 9th St (in Chinatown)
Did not get a chance to go here either, but apparently this is THE vegetarian place in Philly. Nicer and sit down (read: more expensive) but is supposed to be real good.
Last Drop Coffee Shop
1300 Pine St
Good coffee with lots of indoor seating and big windows and a small selection of vegan treats.
Pretzel Factory
816 Washington Ave
There is a ride that goes from the art museum to here on Thursday nights. We just ended up there around midnight instead and ate lots of fresh, warm pretzels. They’re super cheap (4 for $1!) but make sure and get lots of mustard.
Reading Terminal Farmer’s Market
12th and Arch
Indoor farmers market with tons of good food and produce.
Bikes
Firehouse Bikes
50th @ Baltimore
Under Satellite Café. Lots of old parts and nice bikes. They fix up a lot of older bikes for resale, but still have new stuff. Really friendly and helpful.
Reload Bags
608 N 2nd @ Fairmount
Small shop, weird hours.
Ride North along the Schuykill River. There is a few miles of bike path that are really nice and fun to just roll around.
Philly Bike Church
End of Locust St on Locust Walk-Under Church on Penn St Campus
Walk around the back, you sort of have to search it out.
Weird hours and policies. They didn’t have enough mechanics the day we were able to stop by so we had to sneak in to take a look because they didn’t want to let everyone in through the front desk of the building they’re housed in. Nice and big with a set up that uses the space really well.
Other
Mutter Museum
19 S. 22nd St.
I’ll save you the trouble, its pronounced Mute-er. Not mutter. People think its really funny when you pronounce it wrong. Despite that, its worth the $9 (with student ID) or $12. It’s a museum dedicated to medical oddities and while its real small, there is a ton of weird stuff packed in there.
Rittenhouse Square
Walnut and S. 19th St
Small park in the middle of downtown with lots of benches, etc.
The Trocadero
1003 Arch St
Monday night $3 movies at 8pm, which gets you a $3 credit towards the bar/snacks, happy hour starts at 7pm.
Philly AIDs Thrift
514 Bainbridge (@ Passyunk)
Small-ish, but don’t miss the second floor. We bought so many awesome tapes from here and I found some sweet clothes here. Super friendly staff too.
A-Space
4722 Baltimore
Didn’t go here, but rode by a couple times and check out the free box outside. They supposedly have lunches on Thursdays from 12-3 with a $4-5 recommended donation.
Clark Park
Baltimore @ 43rd
Good hang out spot, lots of dogs and grass.
SALT LAKE CITY
Vertical Diner
We didn’t do much of anything in SLC, but I am glad this was one of them. Cheaper than its sister, nicer version in downtown, but one of the best vegan breakfasts I had on the whole trip.
SEATTLE
Food/Bars
Eliot Bay
Main St @ 2nd
Café from Fraiser. They have tons of vegan sandwiches and while they’re quite overpriced, they’re pretty good. Mighty-O Donuts and some other vegan baked goods. The best part is being able to take your coffee into the extensive bookstore upstairs.
Wayward Café
901 NE 55th St.
Really good, vegan sandwiches in the U District.
Quickies
324 15th Ave E
4106 Brooklyn Ave.
Jamacian spot. Vegan sandwiches, much bigger than you would expect with filling sides, quinoa, etc. Also one in Tacoma that’s better, but how often are you in Tacoma?
Mighty-O
2110 N. 55th St.
Vegan donuts, best I’ve ever had.
Others
Volunteer Park
1247 15th Ave E
Fun park to hang out at during the day, has huge chess boards, but only if you brings your own huge chess pieces.
PORTLAND
Eats/Bars
Taqueria Los Gorditos
SE 50th Ave @ SE Division
Random taco truck but with lots of vegan options of tacos and burritos at cheap prices. And good too.
Junior’s
1742 SE 12th Ave
Breakfast, good coffee and tons of vegan options.
Coffee Plant
724 SW Washington St
Cute, downtown café that serves stumptown without the overwhelming, sterile feeling of stumptown proper.
Bye and Bye
1011 NE Alberta
Airy bar with really, really good vegan food. I’m not talking just bar food, but kale and brown rice, good vegan food. They have some crazy mixed drink concoction in a mason jar too, get that.
Voodoo Donuts
22 SW 3rd Ave. (24/7!)
1501 NE Davis (New location, only closed from 3am-6am)
Quirky, awesome donut shop. Sell vegan donuts too, and day old donuts by the dozen for super cheap.
Food Fight
1209 SE Stark
All vegan grocery store. Pretty expensive, but worth the visit.
Sweet Pea Baking Co.
1205 SE Stark
All vegan bakery. Really yummy muffins.
Food Carts!
SW 5th Ave between Oak and Stark
So many awesome food carts, all with lunches for around $5 and probably more than you can eat in one sitting.
The Alibi
4024 N. Interstate Ave.
Awesome tiki bar, karoyke with an rad DJ, generally ridiculous and awesome.
The Tube
NW 2nd St.
Really bad, overly hip bar that is some how entertaining.
Bella Faccia
2934 NE Alberta
Vegan pizza and lots of other good pizza and salads and beer on tap.
Bikes
Community Cycles
1700 NE Alberta
Recyclery
1417 SE 9th and Madison
Bike Central
220 SW 1st Ave
Small shop, but very track oriented and friendly. Always lots of awesome bike porn.
Alpenrose
6149 SW Shattuck
Portland’s velodrome. Crazy banked walls, but you can ride on it at will during the day.
Bike Polo
Sunday afternoon: Killingsworth and 22nd at Alberta Park
Other
Mt. Taber
Hawthorne past 50th
Cool park, pretty mellow climb, with great views.
The Cliffs
Overlook Park: N Overlook Blvd and N Beech St.
See trains join and watch the sunset.
Powell’s Books
1005 W Burnside
Endless selections of books, amazing.
I am going to hold off on Chicago. It seems weird now that we are living here, instead, just give us a call if you’re ever here, and then you’ll know exactly what to do.
And I suppose I could do one for San Francisco, but that seems even weirder.
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