BEN: Welcome to our very first blog entry!
Our journey begins with the Budlong Woods branch on the North side, selected by random via spinner wheel (special thanks to Daniel).
But first…lunch.
SAM: Our day kicked off to a later start than we had planned. While we were on our drive to the Budlong Woods neighborhood, our stomachs started to growl. Once we arrived at the neighborhood, we looked for a restaurant on Google and came across Pride Sushi and Thai. It is a small restaurant that has been around for 11 years or so. The staff at the restaurant were very welcoming and friendly. We ordered two salmon avocado rolls for Daniel and Nathan, a Tom Yum shrimp soup and a green curry chicken for Ben and Sam to share.
To the library!
BEN:
Location: 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue, placing it technically in the West Ridge community area, but right on the border with Lincoln Square to the south. Ironically, this also technically places it in the Arcadia Terrace neighborhood, being on the north side of the Bryn Mawr dividing line from Budlong Woods to the south.
Named After: Farmers and pickle-producers Lyman and Joseph Budlong, who were dispatched from their large family farming operation in Rhode Island in the 1850s to establish a branch in Chicago. This resulted in a 700-acre farm at California and Foster (at the southern edge of the modern Budlong Woods neighborhood) that supplied one of the largest pickle factories in the world at nearby Lincoln Ave and Berwyn Ave, and featured a special “pickle train” to assist employees with their commute.
The Library: Built in 2003, this is a great example of a small but efficiently-utilized neighborhood branch, split roughly into ⅓ adult stacks, ⅓ study tables and computers, and ⅓ dedicated to a children’s section with a large open play area. A sizeable room for programming was set up for an afternoon jewelry-making class when we visited.
Reference Librarian Jill highlighted the neighborhood’s diversity as demonstrated by branch collections in Korean, Arabic, and Spanish, well as the gorgeous Hector Duarte mural outside entitled, Learning to Fly/Aprendiendo a Volar.
It’s hot…time for ice cream.
SAM: After visiting the library, we wanted to get ice cream at a local ice cream place. Unfortunately, we missed Rita’s Italian Ice because the shop was closed until later in the evening. Turns out the owners are Jewish and observe the Sabbath on Saturdays. Hope we will be able to come back another time to try!
As a preview of a future destination, we visited Market Square, an ice cream/yogurt shop along the quaint street of Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square. We also visited a bookstore called The Book Cellar (BEN: it took me far too long to recognize the pun…) before we headed home.
What about transit?
DANIEL: The neighborhood of Budlong Woods may be a place of delicious food, artwork, and many different cultures, but when trying to get to the library on public transit, you might as well just drive. The only bus serving the library directly is the CTA Route 11. Also, don’t even TRY getting there on Metra Commuter Rail, because you’re walking 1.8 miles from Peterson/Ridge Station, and I wish you good luck getting from Peterson/Ridge Station to the library on the CTA! The transfers to get there are just SO insane. For example, from Bridgeport, you could rap with the amount of buses and trains! If you have a car, I would recommend driving. If you don’t, use the CTA Route 11 bus. But even me, who wants to take transit on every opportunity, would not use transit on this excursion. Budlong Woods needs better public transit, but for now…
“35, Red Line, Brown line, 11!
8, Blue line, 82, 93!
35, Red line, Brown line, 49B!”
Stuff We Learned
BEN: Budlong Woods/Arcadia Terrace seems like a great spot! Diverse restaurant options, lots of well-kept bungalows, and a library branch that’s clearly popular with the community. I also have a new fun historical facts to share about pickles.
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