Big thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate our first anniversary of writing Streetsblog Chicago last night at Simone’s in Pilsen. Steven Vance and I were impressed that dozens of loyal readers braved the cold on a night when the mercury dropped to -1 F. A couple of hardy souls even Divvied with me from Daley Plaza to the bar, which has a docking station right out front, as well an on-street-bike parking corral and custom-made bike racks on the sidewalk.

We had great conversations on topics ranging from the region’s woefully under-funded transit system, to the reconstruction of North Lake Shore Drive, to tips on how to dress for cold-weather cycling, which certainly came in handy that night. Several lucky attendees won Streetsblog t-shirts and bike bells, and there were free “I [heart] Bus Rapid Transit” buttons for everybody. Special thanks to Simone’s for generously donating 20 percent of bar receipts to Streetsblog Chicago, a $118 donation.

If you weren’t able to make it last night, we hope to see you at our next reader meet-up this spring — stay tuned for details.