This story was published in the Chicago Tribune and can be found here.


A block north of the Western Brown Line stop, you’ll find a family-friendly collision of worlds.

Time and continents get confused at the crossroads where Lincoln Avenue runs into the intersection of Lawrence and Western avenues. Staring down the street bearing his name, a statue of Abraham Lincoln — perched on a podium and holding his stovepipe hat — watches over the juncture. Honest Abe seems a fitting guardian of the spot that is at once multicultural and wholly American.

Once you pass under the arching entryway onto Lincoln Square, restaurants with Argentine, Greek, German, Mexican, Dutch and New Orleans fare are all within a stone’s throw. Some take you back in time and some feel like home.

Locals say the corridor is family-forward with a European touch. It’s not hard to see. On a recent Friday evening, families congregated in the plaza. Children straight off Gap runways devoured frozen yogurt and painted patios in chalk while fluffy dogs sniffed out pigeons. Old globe streetlights with cherub-looking statuettes seem both elegant and homey, and the Giddings Plaza fountain proved a crowd-pleaser.

It’s like crossing a border, but you can leave your passport behind.

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Posted by Griffin Paul Jackson

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