Don't forget to join us on Saturday for our next Freebies for Families event! We will be at UI Health, 5525 S Pulaski, from 12-2pm for the event. If you have gently used clothing or gear to donate, we will accept it from 10:30 to 11:30 that morning.

We have a great example of transit-oriented development right here on the southwest side. The Western Orange Line station once bordered a long empty industrial site, but now borders the Chicago Park District Headquarters. More of this, please!

Our next Circulo session in English is coming up. Please register and join us on Zoom for this discussion. A reminder: Circulo is totally free of charge; but registration is required. Participants are not visible to each other.

At "Thrift Lab," the Museum of Science and Industry explores sustainable fashion — and invites you to shop. blockclubchi.co/4tp8OB5

This Friday, we will host another Circulo, discussing ways to keep your family safe online, and how to set healthy boundaries with social media. Join us!

Five years ago, the city stood by while Amazon purchased the old Central Steel & Wire factory. Today, that decision—made under a previous mayor and a previous 14th ward alderman—is coming back to bite us. Read our new op-ed about transit-oriented development: www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/17/o...

We had a great time at the Brighton Park bike safety workshop yesterday! More than 100 of our neighbors came out on a sunny spring Saturday 💚 We also had a chance to ride the new Archer bike lanes in small groups. It’s supposed to be nice out this week—be sure to try out the lanes for yourself!

No olviden acompañarnos mañana en nuestra sesión de abril de Círculo. Hablaremos sobre cómo navegar en los espacios digitales —como las redes sociales— y cómo mantener a su familia segura. Estas sesiones son totalmente gratuitas y virtuales, pero es necesario registrarse.

Check out this bike safety workshop on Saturday at Palace Hall Banquets, 4604 S. Archer in Brighton Park. Stop by any time from 10-2. We’ll also be riding the new Archer protected bike lanes in small groups. Hope to see you there!

Students should have a say in the future of Archer Avenue! Yesterday, we organized a walk with more than 60 students from Kelly and Curie high schools, covering the 2-mile stretch of Archer between the schools. These students will share their observations to help shape Moving Archer Forward.

As a family mourns a teen killed in a hit-and-run, Southwest Siders are sounding the alarm over reckless driving. blockclubchi.co/3Q1zvgi

Se aproxima nuestra próxima sesión de Círculo en español. Por favor, regístrese y acompáñenos en Zoom para participar en esta conversación. Un recordatorio: Círculo es totalmente gratuito, pero es necesario registrarse. Los participantes no son visibles entre sí.

Hi folks - a few updates have been made to our April events calendar. We had the wrong date set for our Spanish language Circulo session, which will actually occur on Friday, April 17. We also wanted to encourage you to join us at the Brighton Park Bike Workshop on April 18.

18-year-old Damian Gomez’s mom says he was a happy young man who loved his family and was trying to help her out by delivering food at the time of the crash. Gomez’s family said he graduated high school less than a year ago and had ambitions and things he couldn’t wait to accomplish.

What To Know About ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ https://theonion.com/what-to-know-about-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie/

On second thought, maybe we don’t need bike lanes, pedestrian islands, and curb extensions on Archer. Maybe what we really need is more driving lanes—enough to make a second highway cutting through the southwest side 🙌 #aprilfoolsday #archer #safestreets

Remember when Archer & Pulaski was the hangout spot? 🎳 Miami Bowl also had a NEO GEO arcade machine in the ‘90s—sadly, all our quarters only delayed the inevitable. Color 📸: Roberto41144 on Flickr B&W 📸: @ymdphoto on IG

Hey!! Have you heard about Imagination Library yet? Guadalupe is sharing details about this free book program for kids age 5 and under. Sign up here: imaginationlibrary.com

Hello from Springfield!

It's almost time for our monthly Freebies for Families event. This month, we'll be hosted by UI Health, and we'll have resource tables from Teatro Tariakuri and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Come drop off old stuff, pick up new things, learn about great classes and free books for your kids.

We are BEGGING y’all, please slow down. These accidents are becoming way too frequent and it’s not normal. 🔗: abc7.ws/47hob5y

Brighton Park & West Lawn residents: please take caution and know your rights. We have seen a few instances of immigration enforcement activity, near Davis Elementary & the area around 61st-62nd /Kolin. TRP conducts weekly virtual trainings, and our newspaper boxes hold whistle kits. Stay safe.

Save the date so you can join us for our next Freebies for Families events. This month, UI Health will host us at 5525 S Pulaski, on the Lower Level.

This is who you’re asking about diapers & bike lanes, y’all, so keep it classy. Some of us wear bolo ties as a subtle slay. #90sfashion

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, southwest side style 🇲🇽🤝🇮🇪

Last night, we joined Second City’s @funnyyoushouldcare crew for a night of transit-oriented comedy & conversation! Dixon participated along with @the12thward alder Julia Ramirez, @40thward alder Andre Vazquez and @cyclingxsolidarity founder Rick Rosales. What did we talk about? Well…

A free day downtown for your teen??? YES, thanks to this cool program from the mayor's office. Reserve your free tickets now and give your kids a fun day at Navy Pier for exactly zero dollars. Did we mention that it's FREE? www.eventbrite.com/e/teen-bash-...

Like many immigrant communities, Brighton Park businesses have been facing the ongoing fallout from Operation Midway Blitz. Through the Our Shops, Our Chicago initiative, The Southwest Collective distributed $45K in direct financial relief to 9 Archer Ave businesses.

The Chicago Park District wants to hear from residents about what improvements they’d like to see at their local parks. Let’s make sure the southwest side is well represented! Submit your park improvement idea: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/citywide-par...

Our neighbor Stef was inspired to hand paint two signs in support of safe streets on the southwest side. She’s hopeful that the Archer/Kedzie project will make her community of Brighton Park safer and more welcoming for everybody: people walking, biking, taking public transportation, and driving.

—Español abajo— We are expecting a heavy storm tonight and the Water Rec folks have issued an Overflow Alert. This means, while it is raining, you can do a small part to help curb overflow in the community: 🚿 Delay showers & baths 🚽 Flush less frequently 🧺 Wait to run dishwasher or washing machine

Our neighbor Danny talked to his neighbors about what they want to see in Garfield Ridge. High on the list was a more vibrant commercial corridor along Archer Avenue—with a true “main street” character. Garfield Ridge 2050 plan: drive.google.com/file/d/1g1lZ...

I did this! It took a couple months for my request to work its way through the process but one morning I woke up and there were some very nice people planting a 6 ft tall little tree outside my house! It had a tag on it telling me what kind of was and everything!

Did you know you can request a tree for the parkway in front of your home? (That’s the public area between the sidewalk and the street.) Just call 311 or make a request online: 311.chicago.gov/s/new-servic...

On a new episode of Healthy Chicago Podcast Grace Adams (CDPH) and Jaime Groth Searle (The Southwest Collective) discuss Open Air Chicago and how it can be utilized by community members across the city.

Finally, high visibility signs have been posted along Pulaski where bump outs and bus boarding stations went in last fall. These signs ✨should✨ give drivers a heads up so they don’t hit the bump outs or swerve left at the last second.

For us, every day is Pulaski Day—and a great day to talk traffic safety on Pulaski 🇵🇱

Saturday’s Moving Archer Forward open house was a big success, with more than 100 neighbors sharing their thoughts with city officials. If you didn’t get a chance to swing by McKinley Park this past weekend, you can still get involved. Sign up here: cloud.citynews.chicago.gov/archer

Our neighbor Michelle remembers what Archer used to look like: “There was once a time when Archer had so many businesses that it was mostly pedestrians walking up and down the street to hit multiple businesses—not driving, parking, going into one, and going back into their car and going home.”

If you have been looking for a no-cost option for therapy, or just a way to connect with others, our monthly Circulo could be a good fit for you! Each month, we conduct a virtual session - one in Spanish and one in English - to help folks stay connected in these trying times.

ICYMI, this is a good recap of Amazon’s plans for the former Central Steel & Wire plant—a staggering 16 square city blocks right next to the Kedzie Orange Line station. What a wasted opportunity to build something community-oriented for Gage Park, Brighton Park, and the entire southwest side.

Next Saturday—stop by the Moving Archer Forward open house at McKinley Park to share what you love about the southwest side, and what the city can do better. 🌳 Moving Archer Forward Open House 📆 Saturday, Feb. 28 🕐 1-3pm (drop in anytime) 📍 McKinley Park Fieldhouse (2210 W. Pershing)

Save the date so you can join us for our next Freebies for Families events. This month, Edwards Elementary will host us once again, 4815 S Karlov, Door 2. Thanks, Eagles!

Before the Kedzie safe streets infrastructure went in, we would have ✨never✨ felt safe biking underneath I-55 and over the Sanitary & Ship Canal. But earlier this week, we took the new lanes for a spin up to 26th St. and saw first hand what connected communities look like 💛🚴🏽‍♀️💚

What do YOU want to see on Archer? The city is doing a corridor study and they want input from everybody who lives, works, plays, and travels in the area. 🌳 Moving Archer Forward Open House 📆 Saturday, Feb. 28 🕐 1-3pm (drop in anytime) 📍 McKinley Park Fieldhouse (2210 W. Pershing)

Is that 41st & Pulaski or…

In case you missed tonight’s community meeting, Amazon presented their plans to develop the Central Steel & Wire site into a delivery station, which would serve as a hub for package delivery in the area. Here are the deets, according to the company:

Jesse Jackson’s impact was felt all over the country, including on the southwest side. Here he is at age 24, helping to lead the 1966 Chicago Freedom Movement march in Marquette Park—a brave and righteous collective action that still reverberates 60 years later ✊

Today, make sure you stop into a local bakery for your paczki! There are many great options along Archer Avenue, such as Shop& Save Market, Pticek & Son Bakery, Racine Bakery and Weber's Bakery.

Check out our letter in today’s @chicagotribune.com. Supporters of the Archer/Kedzie redesign are hopeful that this project will make it safer to get around the neighborhoods we call home: Brighton Park and the surrounding communities of Gage Park, McKinley Park, Archer Heights, and Little Village.