Ellen is a wonderful host! She travels a lot but happened to be in town during our stay, so we really enjoyed getting to know her. She seemed to know everyone we saw in the neighborhood and made us feel right at home in her beautiful old row house, which is full of mementos from her long career as a union organizer and her trips around the world. If you're interested in Chicago's history or politics or activist tradition, Ellen is a great person to talk to.

There are a bunch of new businesses coming to Pullman, but it's still something of a well-kept secret--I used to live on the South Side but had never visited, and was really surprised by how easy it was to get around. Ellen's house is 3 blocks away from a Metra station and about 6 blocks from a bus that will take you to the El (a walk that cuts through beautiful Pullman Park). Expect to spend 20-45 minutes getting downtown on public transit, but the extra time is worth it for the views of the city. If you have a car, street parking is super easy to find and the house is close to the interstate.

Long story short: if you want to unwind in a quiet neighborhood after a long day sightseeing in Chicago with an awesome & informative host, stay with Ellen!