I decided to place my first cache in my neighborhood, Roscoe Village. Roscoe Village is a quaint neighborhood on the near, northwest side of Chicago. In the early 1900's, the area was better known as Riverview for the Riverview Amusement Park which opened in 1903 and was located just west of Western Avenue. In 1920's, Riverview experienced a surge in population. Most of those people were second-generation German-Americans who were primarily craftsman and tradesman. The Great Depression hit and with a 40% unemployment rate, the neighborhood went into despair. Riverview closed in 1963. It became the place where no one wanted to live.
In the mid-1970's things started to change. People started to purchase brick 2-flats and fix them up and by the mid-1990's developers were interested in the area again. Today, Roscoe Village is home to many families wanting to live and raise their kids in the city. Roscoe Street, which is the "hub" of Roscoe Village is lined with shops and restaurants. Roscoe Village is also a convenient bus ride to watch my favorite baseball team - the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field!
BYOP - Bring your own pen
DO NOT PARK IN THE VILLIAGE DISCOUNT OUTLET PARKING LOT! YOU WILL BE BOOTED