Downtown Overland Park, KS - Farmer's Market

Hey! This is always good for a couple of hours of fun. Toe-tapping music at the Clock Tower, children dancing, grandma smiling with that oh-I-remember-dancing-to-that-one look in her eyes. Then, a walk through the crowd for some of the best veggies of the season.

Located in the heart of historic downtown Overland Park which began as a bustling center on the Santa Fe Trail, this has been a thriving center of commerce and entertainment for over a hundred years. Many of the original buildings from the early 1900s are still in use and have kept their turn-of-the-century architecture and flair. http://www.downtownop.org/
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M2193

The Ambassador East Hotel - Chicago, IL

The Grande Dame of Chicago
Well, that's how it's billed on their website. In reality, it's more like ol' Delta Dawn's flower... a faded rose from days gone by. But, there's no denying the history, and it was like staying on an old movie set complete with doormen, crystal chandeliers, and the PumpRoom. I dined in the PumpRoom twice and never saw more than three occupied tables. However, you could spend an hour or two just looking at the photos of famous people from the 1940s 50s and 60s sitting in the famous Booth One. A big white 1930s vintage telephone sits on the Booth One table waiting for Frank Sinatra or Ava Gardner to take a call.

But.. I wasn't staying in the 1,400 sq ft Celebrity Suite!
http://www.theambassadoreasthotel.com/index.php?/pumproom

Old Town, Chicago, IL - July 22, 2009

An after dinner stroll turned into a nearly two-hour walking adventure that started in Old Town a few blocks from the hotel.
Old Town was founded in the mid-1850s by German immigrants, was hit hard by the Chicago Fire in the early 1900's, was a major mid-west mecca for the 1960s counter culture, and now is in that mix of rejuvinated buildings, trendy shops, bordered by impoverished and crumbling neighborhoods.

West Town, Chicago, IL - July 23, 2009

According to Wikipedia, West Town, located northwest of the Loop, is one of 77 official designated Chicago Community areas. These photos were taken on West Chicago Avenue about 12 or 13 blocks west of Ukranian Village. I was on a quick lunch break and snapped photos as I headed to the pizza & salad shop on Ogden.
The Chicago Acadamy for the Arts
http://www.chicagoacademyforthearts.org/
This from their website:

... the only independent art school in the state of Illinois and only 1 of 5 independent schools in the country that provides professional arts training and a comprehensive academic education. ... was named a National School of Distinction by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.



Building Art