West Side Best Side? Explore North Lawndale to Garfield Park
Host Jacoby Cochran and freelance journalist Natalie Frazier stop by Comercio Popular in Lawndale to talk about Natalie’s family’s history on the West Side. From growing up in Austin, visiting granny in Garfield Park, and putting down roots in North Lawndale, Natalie shares with us the pride she feels in her community and her desire to see it thrive. She also shares her favorite things to do, see, and eat in her neighborhoods.
Spots Natalie Recommends:
Monday Coffee @ Garfield Park Conservatory
Firehouse Community Arts Center
Check out our other neighborhood guides for Rogers Park, Uptown, and Edgewater and for Beverly, Morgan Park, and Mount Greenwood.
Want to take us around YOUR neighborhood? Or have recs on where to go? Email us at chicago@citycast.fm.
Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicago
Sign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm
Call or Text Us: (773) 780-0246
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay connected to City Cast Chicago and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Will CPS Close on May Day? Plus, Silver Room Block Party Returns
CPS CEO Macquline King says schools will remain open on May 1, as members of the CTU and Chicago School Board have voiced support for can...

West Ridge YMCA For Sale, Indie Concerts Archive, and Chicago’s Worst Trades
Chicago YMCA locations have fallen on hard times in recent decades. After the West Ridge location closed in 2021, neighbors fought to sav...

South Side Birthing Center, 75th Street Welcomes Visitors, and Chicago’s ‘81 Club’
Just in time for Black Doula Day, the kick off to Black Maternal Health Week, the Chicago South Side Birthing Center broke ground this we...

Broadview Protesters Face Trial, Farmers Market Prices Rise, and Where to Karaoke in Chicago
The trial against the Broadview Four, a group of high-profile protesters arrested and charged with conspiracy back in September, is set t...

Why Can’t the Sky Keep Stars? Plus, The Hideout’s New Ownership
Earlier this week, the Chicago Sky traded All-Star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for two future first-round picks. Following...

What to Do on Route 66 in Chicago
In April 1926, Route 66 received its iconic number. The so-called Mother Road takes you all the way to California, but it begins in Chica...

Mayor Johnson vs CHA Board, Buses to O’Hare, and Hawks Miss Playoffs… Again
At the end of March, Chicago’s Housing Authority board voted 7-2 to appoint a new CEO. CHA has been without a permanent CEO since former...

'Your City Could Be Better': Denver’s Bet on a Women’s Soccer Stadium — Presented By City Cast Chicago
While both Chicago and Denver have a professional Women's Soccer team (go Stars!), Denver is only the second city in the U.S. to build a...

What Went Down At The Jeffs? Plus, Was Midway Blitz Martial Law?
Chicagoans are still asking if the feds will return to the city after Operation Midway blitz. WBEZ’s Curious City recently tackled whethe...

Accessing Immigration Courts, Regulating Prediction Markets, and Ranking Chicago Burgers
Why are immigration court watchers in Chicago struggling to observe virtual hearings? Will Illinois regulate rapidly growing prediction m...


