The Chicago Cultural Center – Formerly Chicago's Central Public Library

The Chicago Cultural Center opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor of Chicago has welcomed Presidents and royalty, diplomats and community leaders. It is located in the Loop, across Michigan Avenue from Millennium Park. This building is a favorite cold weather location for Urban Sketchers Chicago.

The following interior sketches of the Chicago Cultural Center are by Alex Zonis

Originally the central library building, it was converted in 1977 to an arts and culture center at the instigation of Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg. The city's central library is now housed across the Loop in the spacious, post-modernist Harold Washington Library Center opened in 1991. The building was designed by Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge for the city's central library, and Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) meeting hall and memorial in 1892.   

This is the Harold Washington Library. With the conversion of Chicago's former central library into the Chicago Cultural Center in 1977, a long-term temporary central library was opened in the Mandel Building at 425 North Michigan Avenue and much of the library's collection was put into storage.

A highly publicized design competition, the winning design was awarded to the most overtly traditional approach in the midst of some very diverse proposals. The building recalls neoclassical institutions, but is not literal in all its details. Anyone who walks past this solid red brick structure is compelled to look up when a strong sense that you are being watched overcomes you. It is one of four10 foot tall owls situated at the corners of the roofline.

With the support of then Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and Chicago's wealthy Pritzker family, ground was broken at the chosen site at Congress Parkway and State Street, covering an entire block. Upon the building's completion in 1991, the new mayor, Richard M. Daley, named the building in honor of the now-deceased former mayor Harold Washington, an advocate of reading and education among Chicagoans as well as an advocate of the library's construction.

Suggestions for passing Border Control and Customs

O'Hare airport - Alex Zonis

USk Chicago welcomes all our guests to our city for the 8th International Urban Sketchers Symposium.

Given the level of stress about passing the Border Control on arrival, we collected information from official websites and suggestions from our friends in legal profession. We also included some observations from personal travel experiences.

Disclaimer: We are sketchers and not lawyers. The suggestions we share with you are our understanding. They are not legal or official recommendations. We hope that our international guests will find them helpful, but they are not a guarantee.

During an interview with a Border Control officer, please keep these in mind.

1. Emphasize your trip is a visit
2. State that the purpose of your visit is to participate in Urban Sketchers Symposium
3. State period of time you plan to stay in United States
4. Have a receipt of payment for the Symposium
5. Have proof of a return ticket
6. Have hotel reservation info or info about where and with whom you are staying  
7. Have a proof of a job back home, if it applies to you. A letterhead with company name stating your return date to work, if possible.
8. State that you have family back at home, if it applies to you
9. If traveling to additional destinations before or after the Symposium, have a copy of your itinerary
10. If asked about your health, answer that you are generally healthy
11. The Border Control officer may ask you to unlock your phone and/or give access to your laptop. Allow the officer access to your device. If you have private or sensitive data on your device, make a backup copy of your drive at home and delete this data from the device. You can restore it back at home or download from cloud/network after you passed border processing.
12. Do not carry questionable items, meats, seeds

During Border Control and Customs process, please be patient and polite, follow all of the directions asked and supply any documents to give the Border Control a clear idea that you are only visiting. Answer all questions truthfully and concisely; long explanations may create more questions. Humor does not work well with border officers, the border entry officers are generally focused on their jobs and are not chatty. Keep in mind: border agents are overworked, underpaid and sometimes stressed because directions they receive can change quickly and unpredictably.

We wish you safe and easy travels and cannot wait to welcome everyone in Chicago!

Eats and Drinks for Symposium

USk Chicago after sketching in Chinatown

Chicago is a foodie town! We have everything: from food trucks to 5 star restaurants, from hotdogs to every cuisine in the world.

We love to eat and we love to eat well. And we want our Symposium guests to eat well too. We prepared a selection of eating and drinking establishments close to the Symposium and tried to have something for every budget and every taste. 

Bon Appétit!

Eats

Budget: 

At a counter - Don Colley

Goddess and the Baker and Peaches and Greens 

33 S Wabash Ave 

all day cafes of baked goods, salads, soups, beer and wine

Freshii

111 W Jackson blvd (closet to Roosevelt, but has several locations
health conscious menu of salads, soups, burritos and more

Naf Naf Grill 

28 S Wabash. 

Modern middle eastern; quick bites, schwarma, falafel

Good Stuff Eatery

22 S Wabash 

creative burgers with vegetarian options

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

several locations, 300 S Michigan location is the same building as the American Academy of Art

Counter served soups, sandwiches and salads

Mariano’s Lake East 

333 E Benton Pl (upper Randolph)

Unique Grocery store with many prepared food stations

The Walnut Room

111 N State st. 7th floor
Macy's building is a Chicago landmark from 1907

Latinicity

108 N State St

Mexican, Latin American. A food court with many stations.

Moderate prices:

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta

864 N State St 

Pizza Restaurant

Brightwok Kitchen

21 E Adams St

Asian Fusion, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Nandos Peri Peri

22 S Wabash

South African inspired cuisine 

Ema

74 W Illinois

Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisines with a Californian influence 

RPM Italian 

52 W Illinois 

Italian small plates 

Ramen San

59 W Hubbard 

Ramen & Asian style small plates

Hub 51

51 W Hubbard

Diverse menu from sushi to burgers

The Gage 

24 S Michigan ave  

Inventive American eatery with a long list of beers

The Berghoff 

17 W Adams

117 year old Chicago icon serving traditional German and Contemporary cuisine

Cochon Volant

100 W Monroe St

French, Breakfast & Brunch, American

Mercat a la Planxa

638 S Michigan Ave, Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel

Sushi and small plates

Sofi Restaurant

616 S Dearborn St

Italian

Umai

730 S Clark St

Japanese, Sushi, drinks

McDonald's - Harold Goldfus

Expensive:

Trattoria No. 10

10 N Dearborn St

Italian

Everest Room

440 S Lasalle in the Chicago stock exchange building . 

French prix fixe menu and stunning views of the city

Terzo Piano

159 E Monroe. Tucked away in the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago 

Italian, Mediterranean

Russian Tea Time

77 E Adams St

Coffee & Tea, Russian, Vegetarian

Boleo

122 W Monroe St

Cocktail Bars, Argentine, Peruvian

Adamus

10 s Wabash

Latin contemporary with gorgeous decor

Outside the Loop

Magnificent mile : 835 N Michigan Ave

Foodlife food court - lower level Water Tower Shopping center, 15 food stations to choose from - one bill

Little Italy:

Tufanos 1073 Vernon park circa 1930
old School Italian, delicious food in large portions (budget to moderate priced)

Pilsen (artist's studio area) :

Pleasant house 2119 S Halsted

Rustic cafe with a British twist. The meat pies are the best!

Chinatown:

Ming Hin 2168 S Archer ave

Famous for their Dim Sum available 8am-4pm and 9pm - 2am late night bites!

Greektown

Greek Islands on 200 S Halsted. So many great restaurants in this area! Hard to choose!

West Loop:  

This area is a huge corridor of restaurants that attract foodies day and night so it is generally very busy

Drinks

Bars / taverns

At a bar - Adriana Gasparich

Designated tavern hangout for our Symposium is:

Exchequer Restaurant and Pub

226 S Wabash (steps from Roosevelt!).

Serving cocktails, pizza, ribs and more

Open 11-11pm and 12am on weekends
Discount with Symposium Badge!

Buddy Guy’s Legends

700 S Wabash Ave

Jazz & Blues, Music, Sandwiches. Go there for an excellent blues scene, very Chicago.

The 95th Floor

875 N Michigan Ave - Hancock center

Good drinks and best views of the city. Go there for drinks and views, but go somewhere else to eat – touristy and overpriced for what you get.

Drawing Room

12 S Michigan Ave
Coffee, cocktails, American fare

Three Dots and a Dash

435 N Clark St

Asian Fusion, Tiki Bars

Plymouth Rooftop Bar & Grill

327 S Plymouth Ct

Cavanaugh’s in Monadnock Building

53 W Jackson Blvd

Amazing chance to be in the one of the first skyscrapers ever built. It is constructed entirely from stone. Historic landmark and architects' dream.


Not to overlook:

Stan's Donuts
26 E Roosevelt Rd

Stan's Donuts - MJ Ernst