The Geek’s Weekend Traffic & Parking Hot Spot Guide 6/27-6/28
It’s another busy weekend of street festivals, which of course means street closures, traffic backups and parking headaches.
The Parking Ticket Geek has the lowdown on weekend events, street closures and parking advice.
In some regards, it’s a pretty easy weekend in regards to events, street closures and weekend traffic.
It’s a bit of a respite before next weekend’s hellish Fourth of July weekend traffic.
So, there are only two events worth mentioning.
Unfortunately, they’re both doozies.
EVENT: Taste of Chicago
WHERE: Grant Park
CLOSURES: Columbus Drive, from Balbo on the south to Randolph on the north, and Congress from Michigan to Lake Shore Drive.
It’s 16 days of Windy City gluttony right on the lakefront of beautiful Chicago. It’s a wonderful event for tourists who are more apt to have a higher threshold for pain. If you like paying a lot for small portions of food, the claustaphobic joy of rubbing up against an infinite number of sweaty, overweight suburbanites and skyline gawking rubes from outside the metropolitan area, you’ll love Taste of Chicago.
The food may be great, but is it really worth having to take public transportation or pay for astronomically high parking? I guess that is up to you. I say avoid driving downtown around that area until the Taste is over.
EVENT: Gay Pride Fest and Gay Pride Parade (Sunday only)
WHERE: Boystown.
CLOSURES: Halsted from Addison to Roscoe on Friday and Saturday.
For the parade on Sunday, Halsted and Broadway between Diversey & Addison; severe delays along Belmont from Lake Shore Dr. to Ashland.
Look, unless you’re a homosexual or a gay groupie, do yourself a favor and avoid Boystown and Lakeview this weekend and especially on Sunday. Traffic along Belmont and Addison Sunday, will be screwed up as the parade crosses these main thoroughfares twice at both Halsted and Broadway.
For extra detailed street closure and parade info, go to the official Chicago Gay Pride Parade website.
Yeah, it’s interesting to go to the Gay Pride Parade and party with your gay friends. Sure, everyone gets a kick out of the Dykes on Bikes, the extreme drag queens, the pounding, loud gay disco, and the gay drill core. Others, like myself, are made a bit uncomfortable by the muscled Speedo clad boys or topless lesbians whom, honestly are better viewed with clothing.
But, it is 2009, do we really even need a Gay Pride Parade anymore? Does anyone really give a crap if someone is a homosexual these days? Personally, I say scrap the parade, head over to Sidetrack for a martini and some show tunes, and not screwup traffic.
Of course, parking is already a nightmare over there. Take public transportation, or park west of the action on side streets (but watch for residential parking restrictions) and walk over to the parade. Drive over early if you can.
Drive safe everyone.
Photo courtesy and copyright Macsurak’s Flickr page. He shoots some very nice stuff.
But, it is 2009, do we really even need a Gay Pride Parade anymore?
Yes, for two reasons:
1. Sunday will be the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that started the whole thing
2. I still can’t get married in Illinois.
I live on the parade route and I don’t know if I’m going, but it’s still important.
Hmm…. PTG… how to put this… I’m guessing that since you’re not a minority and probably don’t have any gay family members (I honestly don’t know, but I’m just guessing), let me spell it out for you.
I watched my brother get picked on, beat on, ostracized and struggle through many situations I’m guessing that you sailed through in your life from gradeschool on up. My bro rarely wanted help while going through all this and unless you watch it first hand day in day out, I don’t think you’d realize what ONE DAY a year can do to boost a person knowing he or she is not alone. Not everyone that comes to the parade is from a major metropolitan area, or has grown up in such understanding circumstances. There is still a world outside the city (and I don’t mean the Schaum-burbs)…
The folks that view/participate in the parade tend to keep it contained to the area, they don’t go driving through your streets at 2 am blaring horns and music; a bit of party with some civic sense should be fine. I don’t remember your tone being like this for St. Patty’s day…
I know you tend to be a bit acerbic sometimes, but deep down you’re a good guy doing a good thing… if you don’t understand it, stick with that; it leaves you wiggle room on a public forum.
Hey Pinwiz & Howdy-
Just to be clear, none of my relatives are gay (although one brother worked for Gay Chicago Magazine for several years), and I have plenty of gay friends and colleagues. Personally, I could give a rat’s behind about someone’s sexuality. In my humble estimation, the vast majority of people these days, especially in a city like Chicago, don’t care either.
Dumbasses whom still have a problem with someone being gay, are too ignorant to ever change their mind.
I guess I feel, mission accomplished. So, I see the parade as more of an excuse for politicians to make an appearance in front of the “gay community,” however you define it, and to have a one big party. So I really don’t see the point of the parade 40 years after Stonewall because so much has changed and these days, and being gay normally elicits a big yawn from people.
However, not being gay, perhaps I am being naive, and am giving hetero society too much credit. Perhaps, while I don’t see it, there are still enough barriers and discrimination out there that Gay Pride Parades are still necessary.
Thanks for the input either way.
Wow can’t wait to have a “Pissed-Off Well-Armed White Guy’s Day” and Parade…