My favorite kind of day is the unplanned day where somehow lovely things just unfold and that's how this one ended up.
I wandered upon a gem of a small town somewhere in the middle of O'Hare, suburbia and downtown. Park Ridge is complete with an art deco theater, a barber shop, a train station, many quaint little churches, and Kiko's Flower Shop.
Having been to many Whole Foods across America, this one had all of the amenities plus more of the Scottsdale one I used to frequent (sans the slightly Stepford Lululemon/Louis Vuitton Wives). A juice bar, a wine and cheese tasting bar, classes, book readings, a coffee cafe and over 11 beers on tap! I tried and loved the Great Lakes Brewing Company's Irish Ale (https://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/home). Malty beers seem to be hard to find and this one is a new favorite!
According to it's website (www.parkridge.us) the Pottawatomie Indians once lived on the land and the town started as a convenient portage for French explorers in the early 1830's. The Pickwick was built during a period of growth in the 20's, and has a classic film series hosted by film historian Matthew C. Hoffman (http://parkridgeclassicfilm.com) where films are reexamined through discussion and documentary. Topics cover art deco design, film noir, to silent film comedy. Literally right up my nerdy classic movies alley.
