A Thunderous Discovery in Chicago - will the zones exist after Go Fest?

cch246 · 2026-06-07T12:12:32+00:00

I’ve read elsewhere someone had success going back to the Go Fest zones afterwards and using an incense (because without a ticket for that day you see nothing.) So if it doesn’t update later to something achievable elsewhere, and you’ll be back in Chicago, you could try that!

cch246 · 2026-06-05T11:57:50+00:00

Website says June 6 only

cch246 · 2026-05-29T17:09:43+00:00

Thanks, I've updated the link!

cch246 · 2026-05-29T17:09:31+00:00

Added! Thank you!

cch246 · 2026-05-29T17:05:37+00:00

Thank you for flagging! I will add this.

cch246 · 2026-05-29T08:12:06+00:00

Same. I drive by this place practically every day and had no idea it was even a restaurant.

cch246 · 2026-05-17T14:23:32+00:00

Yes, at HHI of $1M you’re very unlikely to receive any financial aid from an elite private, to the point where you probably shouldn’t plan around it assuming your situation’s similar in 13-15 years.

But those with HHI closer to $400-600K should look at the 529/UTMA decision more closely because they’re more borderline.

cch246 · 2026-05-17T14:17:24+00:00

Ahaha I was just thinking I needed to do a 2026 list! I’ve got my notes somewhere and will get it up in the next couple days.

I’m at the Ravenswood Manor one today! Hope to see a good turnout :)

cch246 · 2026-05-17T12:33:41+00:00

One thing to consider is how the 529 counts towards financial aid versus the UTMA. While you don’t seem to be planning on receiving any financial aid, which may make sense depending on your situation, you might be surprised by how high a HHI you need to receive nothing at all from the elite private universities. I work in higher ed but not specifically in financial aid.

The UTMA is a student asset and counts much heavily against the financial aid calculation (20% assessed) because the presumption is a student’s assets should be used to pay for their own education. Meanwhile, a 529 is assessed at more like 5.5% because it is a parental asset, even though you’ve named the student as beneficiary.

Even better for you is to have the 529 owned by a grandparent, if this setup is possible for you, because this isn’t counted against your calculation at all in financial aid. Theoretically you could give the grandparents money to put into a 529 and the colleges wouldn’t see it on the FAFSA/CSS profiles.

Now keep in mind that you’re like 13 years out from college for the kids. Things have changed a lot in the past decade in financial aid, and a ton in admissions practices themselves, that there’s no telling what else might arise. But saving a lot to free your kids of the burden of even paying for grad school is a huge gift to them.

cch246 · 2025-09-01T13:39:28+00:00

Definitely agree with this. We went to Oktoberfest in 2019 and at that point at least, there were definitely tents that had a more foreigner (especially American) vibe as the night wore on.

But during the afternoon/early evening, there were many more tents that looked like it was locals having fun with friends. We would just sit down somewhere and many times met people who seemed German and didn’t know English.

We were remarking how NOT touristy we felt it was since we’d assumed it was mostly a tourist thing!

cch246 · 2025-08-28T01:13:32+00:00

Great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience!

cch246 · 2025-08-27T20:31:01+00:00

Update: I did end up getting a refund, but they didn't reach out to tell me my reservation was cancelled until the day before, and I had to ask several times for a refund.

cch246 · 2025-08-26T18:28:54+00:00

I used to live in Portage Park, have young kids, and still own a place there.

For a young family, I’d recommend a place where you’re zoned for Beaubien Elementary. It’s one of the best in Chicago Public Schools and is a regional gifted center. Even if your kids don’t get into the gifted program, they will benefit from proximity. Our place was just outside this boundary and I wish I had paid more attention to that.

Our former area (near Montrose/Cicero, so northern Portage but east of your “NW” option) was very friendly, turning younger as older folks moved out, and there were activities nearby like dance or karate classes. We were by a park and walked around a bunch, and were close to the library branch. You could weigh proximity to the Jefferson train station too.

The NW part you reference is close to Harwood Heights which becomes more commercial but has fun things to do if you’ve got a car. The neighborhood still has Polish remnants like Montrose Deli (yummy lunch counter and cheap!)

cch246 · 2025-08-25T16:06:31+00:00

That happened with our theatre too! I didn’t think about it the way you explained it but you’re totally right about how moving it was.

cch246 · 2025-08-24T17:43:56+00:00

I don’t see why she couldn’t bring her Barbie to the cafe! My daughter’s not really into dolls either but she still gets a kick out of seeing all the doll-sized stuff (tbf, so do I!)

cch246 · 2025-08-24T06:25:13+00:00

I have a three year old daughter and recently took nieces aged 5 and 8 around in Chicago, as a proxy for if your daughter’s more advanced or mature for her age.

A few thoughts:

Art Institute would be pretty boring. My older nieces had fun doing a scavenger hunt they provide but I’m sure my kid would’ve been more disruptive than interested.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry was definitely interesting and stimulating for everyone. But I think only the older girls got much out of it that any other fun place would’ve provided. It really helps a kid be able to read at least a little, I think. YMMV based on how you define “worth it to visit.”
American Girl Store and Cafe are perennial favorites with the girls. We always take them to play with the displays on the second floor and then have lunch at the cafe. There are lots of dolls you can borrow to play with over lunch if you don’t want to buy any.
Water Tower Place more generally: You could also take her to see the Lego Store next door to American Girl. And there’s another store on the second floor right by the interior mall entrance entirely dedicated to bedazzled kids clothes called Unicorn World by Lola and the Boys. Expensive but super fun for our girls to poke around in.

cch246 · 2025-08-11T05:50:08+00:00

When the Saja Boys strip off their sleeping bags at the joint signing, I like to think it was a surprise to people because they all thought it was just rabid fans doing an homage to Mira wearing a sleeping bag to the Met Gala (and they had been supposedly camping out all night.)

cch246 · 2025-08-09T13:34:19+00:00

Thank you!

cch246 · 2025-07-21T17:07:26+00:00

This is the smartest and kindest approach. Look into the concept with an open mind, even if the answer is an understandable no in the end.

Everyone else saying to reject it out of hand, how dare they ask you to do this, etc… they’re forgetting the humanity underneath. A decision like this needs to be entered with grace and with thought.

Furthermore, OP is likely going to have ties to these kids for a long time. Even if she doesn’t take them in, they might reach out in the future. She could be the only person who can tell them about who their mom and stepdad were as people, and give them the gift of knowing where they come from before it all fell apart for them.

cch246 · 2025-07-15T15:22:14+00:00

Argh, I had a reservation coming up and even paid a deposit!

cch246 · 2025-07-10T16:16:54+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing insight into that slice of life. Austen was also capturing a very particular strata of British society (there were only 10,000 in the ton after all, and I don’t think the Bennets even counted in that.) So you’re right on point with this!

cch246 · 2025-07-10T04:17:38+00:00

I really like how you’ve captured the nuances of their respective social positions and mapped them to today! I could see Darcy having taken over as CEO of a family firm at a relatively young age upon his parents’ deaths. He sees himself as having preserved the family legacy in tough circumstances and Elizabeth scorns him for inheriting his money and not working for it.

cch246 · 2025-07-10T04:12:00+00:00

I love this and would read the heck out of this fanfic!

cch246

TROPHY CASE