Help Streetsblog Chicago Celebrate Our One-Year Anniversary This Thursday

Steven Vance and I are looking forward to celebrating our landmark-filled first year of writing Streetsblog Chicago this Thursday with a reader meet-up from 6 to 9 p.m. at Simone’s Bar, 960 West 18th in Pilsen — we hope to see many of you folks there! If you’ve never been to one of these events, they’re a great place to share ideas about sustainable transportation and livable streets, as well as just hang out and have fun.

Simone’s is one of the city’s most bicycle-friendly taverns. They installed their own custom-made bike racks on the sidewalk years ago, and last summer the bar got an on-street parking corral and a Divvy station. The futuristic décor is made from repurposed laboratory equipment and they have tasty food and a great craft beer selection. Cash bar, complimentary snacks while they last, plus free Streetsblog schwag, including our new “I [heart] Bus Rapid Transit” buttons.

As an added incentive to show up, Simone’s will be donating 20 percent of bar receipts to Streetsblog Chicago, so with every one of their fine libations you enjoy, you’ll be helping to make the website a sustainable enterprise. 

By transit, ride the Pink Line to the 18th Street stop, and then catch a #18 bus or walk a mile east to the bar. Or, if snow biking is your idea of a good time, meet me at the Picasso sculpture at Daley Plaza, 50 West Washington, at 5:15 p.m., departing promptly at 5:30 for a three-mile pedal to the party. Of course, if you take a Divvy bike on the ride (there’s a large station at the north side of the Daley Center), you’ll get rock star parking, right in front of the bar. See you at Simone’s!