HOUSING
Contrary to rumors, none of us have ever been to Chicago. None-the-less, we have some friends who have visited the area. In Chicago, everyone 17 or under must be off the streets by 10:30 PM and by 11:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Don’t sleep in Lincoln Park during political conventions, but other nights it’s O.K. Wasn’t it Hillel who asked, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” And wasn’t it Mayor Richard J. Daley who responded, “Cause I say get your ass out of the park!”
The Chicago Seed (929-0133) will give you the best advice on crashing and the local heat scene. Grace Lutheran Church, 555 W. Beldon St., and the Looking Glass at 1725 W. Wilson also have crashing places or know where you can find free room and board.
You won’t get hassled if you sack out in the Union Station on Adams Street just over the bridge. There are loads of folks crashing in abandoned buildings along LaSalle and other streets. Also the rooftops are cool. Stay off the streets though, unless you’ve got good identification.
FOOD
SCLC (Operation Breadbasket) has a free breakfast program every morning Monday through Friday from 7-10 AM at St. Anna Church, 55th St. and LaSalle St., and also at Christ the King Lutheran Church located at 3700 Lake Park.
You can get free samples of cheese, meat, and coffee everyday at the Stop and Shop food store located on Washington between Dearborn and State Streets. At the Treasure Island grocery store located on Broadway, two blocks north of Belmont, free coffee and cookies are offered for the people. Halloway House at 27 W. Randolph gives coupons good for coffee. Also at the Guild Bookstore at 25 W. Jackson Blvd., and from the machines at the 4th through 14th floors of the Playboy Building.
There are real cheap restaurants. One is a truck-stop in Skokie called Karl’s Cafe. It’s just north of Oakton on Skokie Highway. It’s open until 6:00. You get a whole lot of food for $1.00. Also, under the viaduct at Milwaukee and Damen is a small restaurant with Polish food. You can get a great meal for $1.35. It’s worth a visit. It closes early in the evening. Another cheap restaurant is Paul and Ernie’s on North Lincoln, just south of Wrightwood. You can have a beef dinner for about 70 cents.
A good place to pick up free vegetables and fruits is at the wholesale market on Randolph St. or S. Water St. on Friday afternoons. Many of the food factories such as Kraft Dairy Products give away free samples and cases for “charity.” Check them out.
It is possible to steal food from the 2nd floor Federal Building Cafeteria at Adams and Dearborn and the National Cafeteria at Clark and Van Buren. These cafeterias usually have long lines and you can eat while standing and just pay for the coffee.
If you have a place to cook and store food, there are a few places that have pretty cheap food. The east gate of International Harvester, located at 1015 W. 120th St. is unbelievable. Dig these bargains! 10 pounds of T-bone steaks (boxed) for $5.25 at midnight. at 4 PM, the produce man brings a different combination of goods. A typical bill of fare might include tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, etc. at $1.00 for 10 pounds of any item. The produce might vary from day to day, but the prices stay the same. On Thursdays at noon and 4 PM, the Lennell cookie man comes around. It’s $1.25 per box. At 7 PM, the sausage man arrives and the standard price is $2.00. The standard size is 3 to 5 pounds. He has salami, liver sausage, polish sausage, and usually odd lunchmeat such as bologna or summer sausage. All the food is sold out of trucks, and the prices might not be exact, but they’re pretty close.
Eggs are about 3 dozen for $2.00 on Randolph west of Halsted. Orange juice is pretty cheap at the Del Farm on Broadway. Wonder Bread thrift store on Diversey; Butternut, 87th St. and Ridgeland and 1471 W. Wilson, and Silvercup, 55th and Federal, offer bread and rolls at big discounts. The Cicero Bottling Company at 31st St. and 48 Court sell a case of 12 quart bottles for $2.00. Mamas Cookies, 7400 S. Kastner give 5 pounds for $1.50. At Burhops, State and Grand, you can get cheap 5-pound boxes of steak. The Railroad Salvage around Madison and Halsted has dented cans (with stuff inside) for big discounts. It is also a good place for paper products. Campbell Soup, 2250 W. 55th St., open Tuesday and Thursday, will give you cases free or at discounts if you tell them it’s for charity or look straight. Two good spots for all around shopping are the Hi-Lo on Lincoln, north of Irving. There’s lots of stuff for 10 cents. Marathon Products at Randolph and Halsted is another good place.
If you can survive on just one meal a day, you’re set. The city has just opened 14 free lunch centers throughout the town. They are located at:
* Antgeld Urban Progress Center-967 E. 132nd St.
* Area II Multi-Service Center of DHR-1500 N. North Park
* Division Street Urban Progress Center-1940 W. Division
* DHR Woodlawn District Office-6317 S. Maryland
* Englewood District Office of DHR-6003 S. Halsted
* Garfeld Neighborhood Service Program-9 S. Kedzie
* Halsted Urban Progress Center-1935 S. Halsted
* Lawndale Urban Progress Center-3818 W. Roosevelt
* Madden Park Fieldhouse-500 E. 37th St.
* Martin Luther King Urban Progress Center-4741 S. King Drive
* Montrose Urban Progress Center-901 W. Montrose
* North Kenwood CCUO Office-4155 S. Lake Park
* South Chicago Urban Progress Center-9231 S. Houston
* Southern District DHR Office-2108 E. 71st St.
The free hot meals consist of meat, potatoes, a vegetable, dessert, fruit, and coffee or milk. You have to give them a name and an address.
MEDICAL CARE
All three major universities have excellent clinics that do most kinds of medical work for free. The University of Chicago maintains a clinic at 950 E. 59th St. The University of Illinois has one located at 840 S. Wood. In addition to good medical care, Northwestern University Clinic offers very cheap dental treatment. The clinic is at 303 E. Chicago. Call the main switchboard of the schools and ask for the clinics to check out services and hours.
A V.D. clinic is open every weekday and late on Wednesdays at 27 E. 26th St. and N. North Park. Chronic diseases are treated at 2974 N. Clybourn. Free chest X-rays are available at City Hall downtown, everyday. For mental health problems, try the clinic at 1900 N. Sedgwick (642-3531).
Drug education is offered by Earth Mother on Wednesdays at the Grace Church, 555 W. Belden. Information and help with bad trips can be obtained through Just Us, 61 N. Parkside (378-7618) or LSD Rescue Service, 7717 N. Sheridan (338-6750). Chicago has a number of good clinics maintained by movement and community groups spread throughout the city for the people that live in the area. The Black Panther Party runs the Spurgeon “Jake” Winters Free People’s Clinic at 3850 W. 16th St. (522-3220).
The Young Patriots Uptown Health Service located at 4408 N. Sheridan (334-8957) serves the people in that community. The Young Lords maintain the Dr. E. Betances Free People’s Health Center at Peoples Church, 834 W. Armitage (549-8505). The Latin American Defense Organization has a clinic on 2353 W. North Avenue, (276-0900). The growing Student Health Organization administers a number of small clinics in various communities. Call them at 493-2741 or drop into their office at 1613 E. 53rd St. At the Holy Covenant Church, on Wilton and Diversey, you can get medical assistance at the Free People’s Clinic as well as help with legal, housing, family planning and nutrition problems. Call 348-6842. All these clinics provide a variety of services and operate on different schedules. Call them first to be sure they are open.
LEGAL AID
Chicago has a number of good law schools and you can often get some assistance or referral by calling them and speaking to the editor of the law school paper. You can go to the bathroom for free in the Julius J. Hoffman Room at Northwestern University Law School.
The Law Student Commune, 357 E. Chicago, 649-8462, is a group of young radical lawyers and law students trying to bring legal assistance into the streets. The People’s Law Office 2156 N. Halsted, 929-1880 operates the same way. For community problems, call the Lincoln Park Rights Center, 525-9775, or the Community Legal Counsel, 726-0157. The ACLU maintains a large chapter in Chicago at 6 S. Clark, 236-5564, and handles cases where civil liberties are affected.
DRAFT COUNSELING
* American Friends Service Committee – 407 S. Dearborn St. 427-2533
* Austin Draft Counseling Center – 5903 Fulton 626-9385
* Chicago Area Draft Resisters (Cadre) – 519 W. North Ave. 664-6895
* Chicago Circle Draft Information Organization University of Illinois, 317 Chicago Circle Center 663-2557
* Hyde Park Draft Information Center – Quaker House, 5615 S. Woodlawn Ave. 363-1248
* Kennedy King Draft Counseling Center – 7047 S. Stewart – 488-0900, ext. 36
* Lawndale Draft Counseling – 4049 W. 28th St. 277-3140
* Loyola Draft Counseling Center 6525 N. Sheridan, 274-3000 ext. 378
* Mandel Legal Aid Clinic – 6020 S. University Ave. 324-5181
* Ravenswood Draft Counseling – Barry Memorial Methodist Church, 4754 N. Leavitt 784-3272
* Roosevelt Selective Service Counseling Organization – Roosevelt University Student Senate Office, Rm. 204, 430 S. Michigan Ave. 922-3580 ext. 334
* South Side Draft Information (Mt. Carmel Book Dist.) 2355 W. 63rd St. 925-3686
* Uptown Hull House Draft Information Service – 4520 N. Beacon St. 561-8033
* Wellington Avenue Congregational Church Draft Counseling Center – 615 W. Wellington Ave. 935-0642.
PLAY
Parks
Lincoln Park stretches along Lake Michigan in the Northern section of the city. It has a Conservatory and Zoo, opened 9 AM to 5 PM. Just south of the zoo is the gathering place for free rock concerts, be-ins, and the like. There is also a zoo in the Brookfield section at 8400 W. 31st St. The Morton Arboretium located on Route 53 in Lisle is open every day till sunset. The Shedd Aquarium is located at 1200 South Lake Shore Drive at Roosevelt.
Music
The Auditorium and Opera House sometimes offers free concerts on Sunday and weeknights. Hang around the lobby and claim there are tickets in your name at the box office. Even if it’s a pay concert you can generally bluff your way inside. The Center for New Music, 2263 N. Lincoln, usually has free concerts on Sunday and Monday at 8 PM. WGLD is the local underground station. The Universal Life Church Coffee House, 1049 W. Polk has free rock and folk music on the weekends. Free City Music sponsors free rock concerts during the spring and summer in Lincoln Park.
MUSEUMS
* The Art Institute – Adams and Michigan. Opens daily at 10 AM. Great art museum.
* Chicago Academy of Science-Lincoln Park at 2001 N. Clark. (LI 9-0606) Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM.
* Field Museum of Natural History-Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive. Time of opening varies from day to day; call 922-9410. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday admission is free.
* Museum of Contemporary Art-237 E. Ontario (943-7755) Open daily.
* Museum of Science and Industry-57th St. in the Hyde Park area. (MU 4-1414) Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Our all-time favorite museum.
* The Oriental Institute-University of Chicago campus, 1155 E. 58th St. (643-0800) Open daily, except Monday, from 10AM to 5 PM.
Poetry
The Other Door Coffee House, 3124 N. Broadway, features nightly poetry readings and music. Call 348-8552. Cafe Pergolesi, 3404 N. Halsted, features poetry readings, baroque music and an art gallery. There is no cover or minimum. Open 6 to 12 PM, and till 1:00 AM on Saturday.
Theater
The Playhouse North, 315 W. North Ave. features free theater. For $1.00, you can see various groups perform at the Harper Theater Coffee House at 5238 S. Harper. Second City, l616 N. Wells, has free improvisations after their evening performances every evening except Fridays. Free children’s theater can be seen at La Dolores, 1980 North Orchard, Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 PM. Call 664-2352.
Movies
* The Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. shows double bills for $1.25 and has a penny candy counter. John Dillinger got ambushed when he left the place. Free Newsreel films can be seen Wednesdays at 8 PM at the Neighborhood Commons, Wisconsin and Freemart. Newsreel, 2744 N. Lincoln (248-2018) provides movement films for free or law cost to groups.
* Alice’s Revisited, 950 N. Wrightwood, is a restaurant that shows free movies. On Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM they have free folk-rock-blues music. Saturdays they also have free children’s theater. Tuesdays they have psychodrama, also for free. Call 528-4250 for more info.
INFORMATION
* The Switchboard number is 281-7197.
Underground Papers
* Rising Up Angry – 2261 N. Lincoln 472-1791
* Second City – 2120 N. Halsted 549-8760
* The Chicago Seed – 950 W. Wrightwood 929-0133
The Seed features a column called “Making It,” which deals with survival in the Windy City. It is probably the best of its type in the country.
The Black Panther Party office is located at 2350 W. Madison (243-8276).
COMMUNITY PRINTING
* Agitprop – no office; phone 929-0133
* Chicago Print Co-op. – 6710 N. Clark
* J. S. Jordan Memorial Printing Co-op. – 6710 N. Clark
* Omega Posters – 711 S. Dearborn
* Red Star Press – 180 N. Wacher
SCHOOLS
The People’s School, 4409 N. Sheridan (561-6737), offers free courses in many areas of survival and radical politics. The White Panther Party, 787-1962, offers courses in street fighting, history of American radicalism, and dialectic sexism.
FREEBIES
Clothes
The Concerned Citizens Survival Front, 2512 N. Lincoln Ave. has clothes. Try the dry cleaners on Armitage east of Halsted along the south side of the street. They give away unclaimed stuff. Also Brazil Cleaners at 3943 Indiana. The Eugene Blue Jean Store at 7017 Paulina has jeans, old army shirts and other items for less than a dollar.
Furniture
The Lake Shore Drive area on collection days has furniture. Call the bureau of Streets and Sanitation for a collection schedule.
Free Store
At 727 S. Laflin, you’ll find a genuine free store that gives away everything you can imagine. It has a tendency to be a floating free store though.
Money
Pick up some underground papers at any of the offices listed and hawk them on the streets. You can pull in $6-$10 an hour if you work at it.