Best OverPond Media Podcasts (2024)

1
Completion - 56th and Woodlawn 8:42

6y ago8:42

8:42

My destination matches the stately brick mansions on this stretch of Woodlawn Avenue. Tan brick archways, adorned with Christmas lights and wreaths, form open hallways on either side of the hall. The walls rise to meet a series of large wooden beams, which run from left to right, and form the base of the hall’s A-frame ceiling. A traditional Christ…

1
Holidays - 49th and King Drive 9:43

6y ago9:43

9:43

47th Street has to be the most industrial side street in this city. To drive down this street is to pass through a living monument to the part of the city that manufactured and shipped food, equipment, and materials for the entire country. My destination matches the architectural mood of the confident buildings on this boulevard. The front entrance…

1
Obey - Armitage and Orchard 8:30

6+ y ago8:30

8:30

This morning, as I drive by the sleek glass windows of international schools, boutique clothing stores, upscale movie theaters, bike lanes, and restaurants I can’t help but flashback to a time when these blocks were anything but sunny, open, brightly-colored, and inviting. I thought about the people and families who lived near this stretch of Halst…

1
Tears - 79th and Coles 7:46

6+ y ago7:46

7:46

There was very light traffic as I passed McCormick Place onto South Lake Shore Drive. On the right side of the road, I noticed a newly-erected, simple square stone sculpture with the words "You Are Beautiful" engraved large enough for all passersby to read, even at 45-50 miles per hour. As the lake gleamed in the sunlight to my left, I passed the M…

1
Rejoice - Cermak Rd and Canalport 8:25

6+ y ago8:25

8:25

A lot is happening on the streets surrounding my destination. A beautiful mural brightens up the exterior wall of a small warehouse as two men tend to a community garden. Next to the street, trolley train tracks end abruptly at the building I am about to enter. A train car has been permanently parked in the parking lot. It looks like it could be a …

1
Thanks - 62nd St and Throop 6:43

6+ y ago6:43

6:43

I drive down Garfield Blvd. into a part of the city which has come to acquire a reputation for being dark and dangerous. On this morning the streets are peaceful, and bright with sunlight. A viaduct stands over the street a few blocks in the distance, underneath a few CTA ‘L’ trains parked on the tracks above. This is a space that looks like it hol…

1
Change - Chicago Avenue and Green St 7:59

6+ y ago7:59

7:59

Although different industries run the city now, and different groups of people live in this neighborhood; as I approach my destination – which is across the street from a concrete mixing facility and the Chicago Tribune newspaper printing warehouse – I am reminded that old Chicago is still here…at least for now. The first sign that I was in for a q…

1
Gateway - Kedzie Ave and Montrose 9:40

6+ y ago9:40

9:40

This must be one of the most diverse blocks in the city. To my left, a renovated three-story brick apartment building housing a hair salon in its storefront. Next to it, a vacant lot is fenced off. Across the street, a small mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant sits next to a car repair shop, which sits next to a Walgreens. My destination was on the othe…

1
Personal - Washington Blvd and Kildare 9:05

6+ y ago9:05

9:05

The rain begins to fall as I make my way north through the middle of the west side. Traveling through this section of the city can only be described as passing by block after block of what used to be. As I turn on Madison Street, I passed a boarded-up, trash-filled, abandoned building; where campaign posters for a local politician hang ironically f…

1
Family - 79th and Wabash 8:27

6+ y ago8:27

8:27

Crossing the Dan Ryan Expressway on 79th Street, I entered a section of the south side with wide side streets, brick bungalows and two-story homes with larger-than-average front lawns. When I arrived at my destination, two well-dressed older gentlemen were standing by the building entrance, next to another elderly man who was in a wheelchair. The f…

1
Words - Hollywood Ave and Glenwood Ave 8:26

6+ y ago8:26

8:26

A podcast about Chicago would be incomplete without a ride on Lake Shore Drive, the beautiful highway that traces the lakefront, taking you from the city’s northernmost neighborhoods to those at its southern edge. Lake Shore Drive is best experienced when there is lighter traffic, either at night with the city lights on one side and the dark abyss …

1
Death - Jackson Blvd and Laramie 9:14

6+ y ago9:14

9:14

I see two men standing and talking by the side of the off ramp as I exit off the expressway onto Central Avenue, They are not holding any signs. They are not even facing the cars stopped at the red light. Yet, it looks like if they had a cool indoor place to go, they would rather be there. Across the street, in the median, another man paces slowly …

1
Lost - Racine Ave and Adams 7:38

6+ y ago7:38

7:38

The west loop is marked by quiet and clean streets, new and renovated 3-5 story condominiums, lofts and offices - most of them converted from the warehouses and fresh food markets that once dominated this part of the city. People walking with their kids, or with their dogs. The scene looks like the architectural renderings you see for new real esta…

1
Restart - Wabash Ave and 24th St 9:10

6+ y ago9:10

9:10

I exit Lake Shore Drive and pass by the gleaming new Marriott hotel, the stately Hyatt hotel, and the massive McCormick Place convention center. I pull up to a quiet, semi-industrial stretch of Wabash Avenue. An ‘L’ train passes by on the elevated tracks a block away. At this intersection, there’s a brick warehouse with brick-filled windows. Altern…

1
Running - Cicero Ave and Belmont 7:34

6+ y ago7:34

7:34

Quiet side streets of neatly-kept bungalows and two-story brick flats surround this stretch of Cicero Avenue; one of Chicago’s busiest, most industrial , and – on this morning – pothole ridden thoroughfares. The front entrance of my destination was bustling with activity as I approached on this warm summer morning. Two mini-buses were parked by the…

1
Ambassador - Washington Blvd and Albany 9:14

6+ y ago9:14

9:14

The streets are quiet as I turn onto a one-way residential stretch of Washington Blvd. My destination sits at the corner, facing a mix of old and new three-story brick townhomes and greystones along Washington Boulevard and a vacant lot along Albany Avenue. I get out of my car and walk to the curb. A single, empty glass bottle lays on the grass. Ca…

1
Care - North Avenue and Rutherford 8:42

6+ y ago8:42

8:42

Only a few sections of Chicago’s borders transition as seamlessly between the city and one of its neighboring suburbs. If you cross North Avenue on any of the side streets in this neighborhood, you would not notice any difference between the well-maintained lawns, tree-lined streets, and brick single family homes of the city's Galewood neighborhood…

1
Ancestry - Clark St and LaSalle 8:10

6+ y ago8:10

8:10

It is a hot and humid mid-July morning as I walk east through the neighborhood of Lincoln Park. The main streets are home to clothing boutiques and specialty pastry shops. The quiet, tree-lined side streets are populated with brick townhomes. The neighborhood ends at the entrance of Lincoln Park, the 1,200-acre expanse along the northern section of…

1
Levels - 38th and Indiana 6:59

6+ y ago6:59

6:59

One mile away from Oakwood Beach and the shores of Lake Michigan, in the heart of the historic south side neighborhood of Bronzeville, sits a quiet set of streets directly four and a half miles south of the city’s Magnificient Mile. On this hot summer morning, I walk through a series of peaceful blocks populated by a scattered collection of stately…

1
Fire - Wabash and Erie 8:46

7y ago8:46

8:46

It’s a warm and sunny summer morning as I board the train headed into the city. The canyoned streets of the Loop are quiet as I walk by the closed office towers, banks, coffee shops, and upscale clothing boutiques. I pass by the occasional family or small group of tourists, who are taking photos of the surrounding architecture and making their way …

1
Awake - Garfield Blvd and Paulina 7:00

7y ago7:00

7:00

Driving down 55th street from the west, I pass through blocks that alternate between the urban bustle of small business districts, and the residential quiet of stretches of single-story brick bungalows. This scene eventually gives way to Garfield Blvd. - one of Chicago’s Grand Boulevards - with its grassy, tree-lined median and blocks of brick two-…

1
Temptation - 23rd St and Michigan 9:18

7y ago9:18

9:18

This section of the city borders neighborhoods with histories and legacies that reflect the parallel universes which exist in this city. To the west are the Dearborn Homes housing projects. To the north are the restaurants, condos, and offices of the rapidly expanding South Loop. To the south, the historic cultural mecca of Black Chicago life - Bro…

1
Everywhere - Roosevelt Rd and Tripp 8:10

7y ago8:10

8:10

Taking the Independence Blvd. exit off the Eisenhower Expressway leads me me south down a well-paved, tree-lined stretch of road that connects two of the largest parks on the city’s west side - Douglas Park and Garfield Park. One right turn changes the scenery to the alternating vacant lots and strip malls along this stretch of Roosevelt Road. I pu…

1
Clarity - 78th Place and Racine 8:53

7y ago8:53

8:53

The streets were quiet when I arrived on the south side on this sunny, Spring morning: A few not-yet-opened soul food restaurants, a few gas stations, a few posters for a upcoming rap concert hanging from a few traffic light poles. As I walked up the block towards this massive cathedral, the sound of bells rang out over the neighborhood from the to…

1
Recovery - Grand Avenue and Hamlin 7:55

7y ago7:55

7:55

Nestled between several car repair shops, two-story brick flats, and some industrial-looking buildings; this is a low-key and relatively quiet set of blocks in the middle of the west side. So as I approached my destination and walked up the ramp that led to the front door, I wasn’t expecting what I saw next. I stood inside the open and sun-lit lobb…

1
Timeless - 37th St and Wentworth 7:44

7y ago7:44

7:44

I first noticed this building while by on the Dan Ryan Expressway a month earlier. Surrounded by the White Sox baseball stadium, a high school, housing projects, and an eight-lane super highway; it feels like this building is a monument to a south side that existed decades ago. So when I walked into the building, having arrived early for the event,…

1
Love - Kedzie Blvd and Albany 7:29

7y ago7:29

7:29

On this morning in Logan Square, the main boulevard is busy with joggers, parents pushing strollers, and double-parked cars in front of two large Catholic churches. An upbeat gospel song plays softly over the loudspeakers as people enter the auditorium in groups of 2-4. Everyone seems like they have known each other for a while. They are comfortabl…

1
Longsuffering - 114th and Corliss 8:25

7y ago8:25

8:25

After taking the 111th street exit off the southbound side of the Bishop Ford expressway, I notice the large Area 2 Chicago Police Department building - which takes up multiple blocks - on my left. On my right, there’s an industrial-sized vacant lot with a sign in front. The sign features an architect’s rendering of a new Whole Foods grocery store …

1
Nourished - Washington Blvd and Parkside 8:31

7y ago8:31

8:31

This stretch of Washington Blvd. is lined with 3-story brick flats and large apartment buildings. As I crossed the street, I came upon a swooping, concave building with a wall of tinted glass windows. There are arrows chalked on to the sidewalk directing visitors to the double-door entrance. As I walked through the hallways and to the auditorium, a…

1
Beautiful - 95th St and Eggleston 7:35

7y ago7:35

7:35

An uptempo jazz/afrobeat instrumental plays through the auditorium speakers as I enter. There’s a ship steering wheel with a face that appears etched on it in the middle of the stage. As the event was about to get underway, a woman walked up to a podium at the side of the front stage: “In keeping with our African tradition, may we have permission t…

1
Practical - Austin Blvd and Lake St 7:21

7+ y ago7:21

7:21

You can understand a lot about the history of Chicago over the past 50 years just by taking a ride down Lake Street from the gas stations and fast food restaurants in Maywood, through the tree canopied streets of River Forest, through the urbanized suburban bustle of Oak Park, and into the two-flats, corner stores, and 19th century mansions of the …

1
Presence - 51st and Keeler 7:37

7+ y ago7:37

7:37

I did not have any preconceived ideas about what to expect as I pulled into the parking lot behind an elementary school and in the shadow of the Orange Line elevated tracks. Yet, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little surprised when I walked into the well-lit, open lobby and saw an information kiosk in the center, a merchandise booth in the c…

1
Conversation 58 (Camille) 35:11

7+ y ago35:11

35:11

Camille is from Brooklyn, New York. At the time of our interview, she was a college student living in Brooklyn at the time of her interview, and was spending her days “either working, going to school, or sleeping.” Camille’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely To Not Give Up" We talked about the difference between students’ mood they first get to colle…

1
Anticipation - 45th and Princeton 8:35

7+ y ago8:35

8:35

As I drive up Princeton Street, I couldn’t help but think about the cruel irony of the street’s name. A name it shares with one of America’s oldest institutions of privilege, power, and wealth. This street runs as a kind of middle track between the Dan Ryan Expressway and the Norfolk Southern freight train tracks. If you were doing one of those ESP…

1
Caring - Ogden and Avers 7:32

7+ y ago7:32

7:32

I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s like being on a mini-campus where all the buildings on the block leading up to the main building are owned and affiliated with this institution. There’s a building called Hope House. One called Perkins Center. There’s a learning center, a health center, an agape chapel, a fitness center. Even the indie…

1
Excellence - 63rd and Dorchester 8:51

7+ y ago8:51

8:51

I began my journey here because this was one of two places that shaped my understanding of God during my teens and early 20s. This has always been a place where I could get my head right. So when my life’s road brought me back to the Chicago area a few months ago, it only made sense to start my search for God in this place. This place is a cathedra…

1
Conversation 57 (Tobi) 1:00:26

7+ y ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Tobi is from Lagos, Nigeria. At the time of her interview, she was living outside of London, England, and had recently launched The Book Banque, a social enterprise using literature to develop young people in Nigeria. When we met for her interview, she was spending her days, “…that’s a very complicated question. There’s no day that is the same for …

1
Conversation 56 (Patrick) 39:20

7+ y ago39:20

39:20

Patrick was born in Jamaica and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He was living in Alaska and serving as a member of the United States Air Force at the time of his interview. He spent his days “[waking] up at 5 o’clock in the morning, going to work at two jobs, coming home…this winter, I want to get into doing some ice-fishing and trying snowboarding.…

1
Conversation 55 (Shanai) 29:31

7+ y ago29:31

29:31

Shanai is from Brooklyn, New York, where she was living at the time of her interview. Her days were spent “working as a manager at a medical practice.” Shanai’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely to Inspire" She explained why inspiring people is important to her, and how different friends can provide different forms of inspiration. Shanai reflected on…

1
Conversation 54 (Salihah) 28:45

7+ y ago28:45

28:45

Salihah is from New York City, and was a graduate school student living in the Bronx at the time of her interview. Her days were spent, “[at] school and work…that’s pretty much how I’ve been spending my time as of late.” Salihah’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely to Take Risks" We talked about the perceived hierarchy of New York City’s boroughs, and…

1
Conversation 53 (Mimi) 45:20

7+ y ago45:20

45:20

Quaneesha – better known to friends and fans as Mimi – is an NYC-based actor who is a member of the quartet of young Black women at the center of the new movie trilogy, She EVIL. We sat down with Mimi a little while back, at the beginning of her acting journey. At the time, she was spending her days “just working…I work every day. And if I’m not wo…

1
Conversation 52 (Silver) 47:12

7+ y ago47:12

47:12

Silver is from Brooklyn, New York. He had recently graduated from college at the time of his interview, and was living in Brooklyn as an animator and illustrator. His days were spent, “at this point…I spend most of the time just trying to find work, like I think most recent grads are.” Silver’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely To Work in Television"…

1
Conversation 51 (Bernadette) 57:12

8y ago57:12

57:12

Bernadette is from Chicago, Illinois, and was living in the city’s western suburbs at the time of her interview. Her days were spent “advising college students, to build motivation in them, and to try to push them towards something greater in their lives.” Bernadette’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely To Be On a Mission to Save Money" We began talki…

1
Conversation 50 (Raven) 57:42

8y ago57:42

57:42

Raven is from Brooklyn, New York. She had recently completed her third year of college in Massachusetts at the time of her interview, and was spending her days “currently…getting adjusted to this 9-to-5 life. I’m interning in [New York City]. I pretty much just go to work, take naps, and try to eat.” Raven’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely to Press…

1
Conversation 49 (Alberto) 51:47

8y ago51:47

51:47

Alberto was born in New York City, raised in Providence, Rhode Island, and spent most of his teenage years in the Dominican Republic. He was beginning his first year as a transfer student at an Ivy League university in Rhode Island at the time of his interview. Alberto’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely to Work Hard Towards Becoming Successful Witho…

1
Conversation 48 (Ebonee) 40:35

8y ago40:35

40:35

Ebonee is from Brooklyn, New York. She was living there at the time of her interview and spending her days, “being a mother…being a friend. I recently got my license to be a childcare provider, so that’s kinda cool. I watch kids all day. I love the kids.” Ebonee’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely To Succeed" Ebonee began by sharing some of her memor…

1
Conversation 47 (Jasmine) 45:05

8y ago45:05

45:05

Jasmine is from Brooklyn, New York, and was living as a first-year graduate school student near Baltimore, Maryland at the time of her interview. Her days were spent “on a very strict routine, during the school year. I go to work, come home, do my work, and go to class. I try and squeeze a gym day in here and there, but it’s mostly studying and goi…

1
Conversation 46 (Erin) 49:27

8y ago49:27

49:27

Erin is from Brooklyn, New York, and was still living there at the time of her interview. She spends her days, “right now…cooking, cleaning, getting ready to go back to work, living life, loving life, and spending time with family.” Erin’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely to Stop Procrastinating, Take Responsibility for My Actions, Live Life, and Ma…

1
Conversation 45 (Kevin) 51:28

8y ago51:28

51:28

Kevin is from Chicago, Illinois. At the time of his interview, he was living in Chicago and spending his days “working…and when I’m not working, just with the kids, being a family man, trying to do as much as I can possibly do on my weekends.” Kevin’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely to Help Someone That Needs Help" Kevin talked about what having ch…

1
Conversation 44 (Felice) 49:03

8y ago49:03

49:03

Felice is from Brooklyn, New York and was living in Atlanta, Georgia at the time of her interview. She was spending a lot of her days “trying to make this money.” Felice’s Most Likely To Is: "Most Likely To Succeed" She explained what the biggest transition was for her in moving to Atlanta, and we talked about the hot-or-cold reception some New Yor…

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