Summer in the City

Ravenswood Used Books is two blocks south of Lincoln Square's core, a small pedestrian friendly shopping area with a central courtyard and fountain. In the summer months this court hosts live music throughout the week, some of it commercial groups sponsored by the chamber of commerce, and some just impromptu performances by just about anyone willing to stand before an audience, or even create one from scratch. This photo illustrates a typical performance for Sunday brunchers, especially those sitting in a left bank cafe listening to Parisian songs in tango rhythms, my own personal favorite, but I have to stay here and sell you books, no offense intended, of course. ¶ Thursday evening's a good time to catch a scheduled group unless that program has fallen to budget cuts. It's all free and intimate with kids, bikes, and lawn chairs spread casually through the courtyard. There's a new book store across the street and our own much less expensive and far more interesting store to the south a few yards or more, and along the way you pass a Chase bank, in case you need some cash to shop with in our plastic-free environment. J.M.