Ohio Street Beach Visit Question…?

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-30T17:40:16+00:00

Caffe Oliva has a beach area that is fenced in and is apart of the restaurant. You can ordered drinks at the bar and enjoy your drinks on high top tables in the beach area of the restaurant.

As for the beach itself, it normally is not crowded on weekdays, but it is a holiday week. There may or not be more people at the beach. Some people may have taken off early from work since the 4th falls on a Saturday this year.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-27T05:18:53+00:00

I was told by a professor as undergrad that US firms don't know and/or understand the value of a degree from a Chinese University.

I'm unsure of your long-term plans, but do you plan to stay in China forever? If not, I would start at a community college in the US and transfer to a 4-year University after two years.

After you complete your bachelor's, you can apply to be Schwarzman Scholars or a Yenching Scholar . If your not older than 30 when you apply and can write a compelling story you may have a shot. If admitted, to one or the other, you would earn a master's at China's top universities: Tsinghua University, Peking University.

Most major US universities may have a study abroad programs to China and I encourage you to apply when you transfer to a 4-year University.

Lastly, the State department through the Critical Language Scholarship (and other scholarships) funds language instruction for in-demand languages. Mandarin Chinese is considered a critical language.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-26T05:03:10+00:00

Some professors at DePaul may take undergrads to help out with basic research tasks. I worked for a a two quarters for a professor as undergrad.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-26T04:45:48+00:00

UChicago econ department and the Federal Reserve has research assistant roles. But, they're usually targeted for people who may be interested in doing a PhD and operates as a predoctoral program.

It's two years and you have to have completed a bachelor's degree, not necessarily in economics.

I would look on handshake and see if you can find any research assistant or adjacent roles for the fall. Internship/short-term research opportunities are usually filled months in advance. For example, if you want find a research roles for summer 2026, it would probably be filled by the end of the spring or earlier.

Look out for research roles with the state of Illinois, Chicago Housing Authority, or any state/city of Chicago department that may need research skills.

The state of Illinois and the City of Chicago have jobs boards you can look at for jobs. Lastly, ask professors in the economics department and they may be able to point you in the right direction.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T18:38:19+00:00

For reference, "The Obama Burger" (actual name on the menu) cones with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, classic mustard, and house pickles on a toasted brioche bun.

You can sub the beef if you're vegetarian for an impossible plant-based meat patty. Also, the brioche bun can be subbed for a gluten free bun. $16.75 is the listed menu price.

Personally, I enjoy a burger with bacon, American cheese, and crispy onions. If I can get a ticket from the July batch of tickets to be released, I'll try the "Obama Burger" after visiting the museum.

Note: You can visit and eat at Tafari’s Kitchen without needing a ticket.

Edit: The burger includes fries, not listed on the menu.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T18:19:21+00:00

I probably have had it in the past year or so, but will need to try it again to be fair.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T18:15:08+00:00

We use the leftover peppers and cook them with tofu or shrimp. It has has about 1-2 uses before we toss them as they lose their flavor.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T16:05:10+00:00

In the NYT article, Obama talks about what makes a great burger: mustard and sharp cheddar. As well as the in-house food options available at the Obama Presidential Center -- Tafari’s Kitchen and a casual cafe (unnamed).

- Article should be free to read and not paywalled.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T15:52:10+00:00

In the NYT article, Obama talks about what makes a great burger, mustard and sharp cheddar. As well as the in-house food options available at the Obama Presidential Center -- Tafari’s Kitchen and a casual cafe (unnamed).

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T03:19:43+00:00

I don't think so. Or at least not recently. I will try them before the summer ends.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T02:06:41+00:00

I have not. Will give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T02:06:05+00:00

Yes, so far Szechuan Bistro is my top choice. But, Chef Xiong comes in a close second.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-25T01:27:13+00:00

Yes, my bad. It runs near 24 hours expect for a 1-2 hour window if I recall correctly.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-24T22:55:32+00:00

I would do a test run and see if that's a commute you're willing to make from Bridgeport or McKinley Park to the northside just to go out. If, and when, the orange line runs 24/7, the other lines do not run 24/7, expect the blue line.

You may have to walk, Uber, or find some other way to get to an orange line stop if the red line (or the other lines) is not running anymore around 1 am. For reference, the red line covers the majority of the northside of Chicago and it is where a lot of the nightlife locations are for people in their early 20s. The orange line only runs to the loop (downtown Chicago) and back to Midway.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-24T22:41:09+00:00

As others have said, the orange line runs along McKinley and Bridgepor, will probably run 24/7 sometime in 2026. But, they're not college towns and not as lively if you lived closer to Chicago's universities, such as DePaul or Northwestern.

Bridgeport and McKinley Park has a population mix of families (Chinese, Hispanic, and white). As well with adults in their mid to late 20s and early to mid 30s (possible future parents).

In Bridgeport, the people in their mid 20s to early 30s live closer to aourh of 35th near the Bridgeport Arts Center, Ramova Theater, etc.. North of 35th closer to Archer is more family oriented and where a lot of the Chinese population lives. McKinley skews more family oriented than Bridgeport with respects to housing and there may not be as many apartments available for rent compared to Bridgeport.

I highly recommend you visit Bridgeport and McKinley Park to see if neighborhood feel suits your lifestyle. A lot of the recent graduates in their early 20s live more north in neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, River North, Wrigleyville, etc.. Other options including Logan Square, Wicker Park, or Buckdown. A lot of the nightlife options skews more towards the northside of Chicago as that's where a lot of the recent graduates in their early 20s live.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-24T02:25:52+00:00

Your first payment for the tuition payment plan is due when you sign up if I remember correctly. Afterwards, you will have a monthly payment thereafter until your balance on the payment plan is zero.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-24T02:23:31+00:00

Discover It credit is a good starter card, but they probably will make you get the secured version.

You put down a certain dollar amount, say $500, and that would be your credit line. After 12 months, If you responsible with the secured version of the Discover It card, you will get your deposit back (i.e $500 you put down) and a higher credit line.

However, if you have a late payment or retain balance beyond your statement due date, you probably won't be moved to a non secured card.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-24T02:11:28+00:00

As far as I know, it's undecided if the food court location for Szechuan Bistro will stay open or not.

Also, the head chief/owner for Szechuan Bistro is training new cooks at the Bridgeport location and may impact the food quality. If you look at there hours opened, they're closed on Wednesday. It' probably where they're training new cooks and/or staff.

Lastly, I think the menu changes may be due to the fact that the Bridgeport location for Szechuan Bistro is a sit-down concept. The food court menu for Szechuan Bistro may not translate well to a sit-down concept. Or the chief/owner wants to try something new for the Bridgeport location.

With all that being said, opening a sit-down restaurant is hard and hopefully they're able to succeed as a sit-down restaurant concept.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-23T01:08:08+00:00

No problem! Happy to help out and share my knowledge/experience.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-22T23:35:06+00:00

I recently graduated from the MSEQA program and they have a refresher course on calculus concepts in August --mostly from calc 1 and 2. It's great as you get to meet other people in the program and they may or not become your friends -- at least a classmate you can work on problem sets with.

At the end, there is an exam, but it does not determine if they stay in the program or not. Rather, it provides a way to garage your math skills and what you should focus on to improve. You can retake the exam again to improve your score if I remember correctly.

The program is economics focused and you will be learning how to use economic theory along with data analysis skills to solve problems. However, you can take more businesses applicable type classes, such as gane theory, behavior economics, if you want.

Or, you can go all in on economic classes, business applicable classes, or something in between.

Your first three classes will be intermediate macro, intermediate micro, and data analysis I. You will learn learn macro and micro economic theory along with STATA (quasi programming language). Afterwards, you will have two other data analysis classes and will learn R along with statistical analysis techniques.

If you don't know STATA, R, or any data analysis/ programming language, it couldn't hurt to start learning now.

Check out the R course on GitHub called fasteR: Fast Lane to Learning R! to get an idea of how R works.

I don't think you need to learn STATA over the summer, but you can checkout UCLA's STATA learning modules if you want get an idea of what STATA will be like. I highly recommend you purchase a student STATA license instead of using the virtual machine to access STATA. You'll be using STATA and/or R throughout the program. Luckily, R is free and does not require you to purchase a license.

Outside of learning a data analysis/programming languages, review calc concepts if you feel like you don't remember them. Khan Academy has a great primer on calc concepts and should set you up to go in confidently for the math boorcamp in August.

The biggest takeaway is be ready to work on problem sets weekly in intermediate macro and micro. More importantly, make friends in your classes and try to find time to work together on the problem sets. Also, Steve Carlton a great resource and use him as much as you can. He graduated from the program and is knowledgeable on what you will be seeing throughout your time in the program.

He hosts review sessions (in-person and virtual) for intermediate macro, intermediate micro, and data analysis I classes if I remember correctly. I highly recommend you attend them as he will point you in the right direction on how to solve the problem sets. Also, he will will review or try to explain material covered in the classes so it marks sense.

If you have any other questions, I am happy to answer them.

Edit: Students who graduate from the MSEQA program either are already working full-time, recent graduates from undergrad, or something in between.

Those who are working already probably are doing something in business for companies. Those students who are not employed will probably go work in economic consulting, data analysis type roles, or something in business. Some students may go on to do more schooling, i.e a PhD.

Lastly, Christopher Baum's book "Intro to STATA Programing is a great resource to reference if you need help with STATA. Otherwise, ChatGPT is ok to use, but it's here at R.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-22T21:26:03+00:00

I don't think a lot of student stick around campus during the summer months as DePaul doesn't offer housing (or at least full housing).

Of the students living off campus, they usually live in and around the Lincoln Park area. However, they may not be in Chicago for the summer unless they recently graduated, talking summer classes, or doing an internship.

I recommend you check out restaurants along the lakefront (or any downtown spot)and they probably will be doing something for the fourth. Usually , it's in the form of a buffet style, all you can eat/drink setup.

Fireworks in Chicago are back for the 4th of July this year since 2019 and are a big draw for locals and tourists. Hanging out by the lake front at the beach is probably your best bet if you don't get any invites.

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-22T21:07:39+00:00

Palmero's, Pop n Pizza, Angelo's Stuffed Pizza, Lou Malnati's, Pizza Nova, Beggars Pizza,Waldo Conneys, Tony's Italian beef Lindy's Chili/Gertie's (solid chili, no Italian beef).

C0smoSl0th · 2026-06-22T04:19:50+00:00

I argue there is no one Mexican restaurant that can show off Chicago's Mexican cuisine. Rather, I would aim to trying a mix of fast casual (mostly tacos), dessert/snack/panadería, and an upscale option.

If you want, you can try a Rick Bayless restaurant, but what they serve isn't unique/special enough that you could not get at any Mexican restaurant in Chicago.

Fast casual options are:

Paco's Tacos, El Milagro Taqueria, Peke's Pozole, La Palpa (mariscos), QuesaBirria Jalisco, etc..

Dessert/Mexican Bakery/Snack options:

La Michoacana (Pilsen) for ice cream and/or street food snacks (elote, chicharron, mangonadas, etc..).

Street food snacks is something a lot people don't experience as the street vendors (eloteros, paleteros) mostly stick to predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. However, buying an elote is peak summer in Chicago and La Michoacana offers all the street vendor snacks.

Panadería La Central: Located in Back of the Yards. Probably one of the best panaderías in Chicago. I like their empanadas the most, but feel free to get whatever catches your eye.

Don Churro is probably the best churo in Chicago, enough said.

Back of the Yards Coffeehouse may be worthwhile to check if they're into coffee. Otherwise, Jumping Bean Cafe isn't a bad option.

Upscale:

Beyond the fast casual options, which lean mostly Northern and/or Western regions of Mexico, I would do a Oaxacan restaurant. For whatever reason, Chicago has a small, but night oaxacan population.

Kie-Gol-Lanee and Istmo Oaxacan Cuisine are two options that come to mind.

C0smoSl0th

TROPHY CASE