Two totally different worlds exist just blocks from each other in New Orleans.

The French Quarter is the oldest, most famous neighborhood in New Orleans, a national historic landmark known for its old Spanish architectural style.

Colorful walls and shutters decorate the narrow streets, and many of the buildings have fancy iron balconies.

The French Quarter is known for its nightlife. The streets are lined with bars, clubs, restaurants, galleries and tourist shops.

The Iberville public housing development is located directly west of the French Quarter and just north of the Central Business District.

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I recently received a letter letting me know that my daughter was accepted to a well-known magnet school here in Chicago. To put it simply, a magnet school is a public school that has a more advanced curriculum and somewhat better materials than other public schools.

A child can only be accepted into a magnet school if they are selected by a lottery. I was very excited because like any other parent, I want the best education possible for my child and a private school is not an option for my family.
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I was recently invited to speak at a panel discussion to talk about a scary incident I had with asthma last summer. I almost died because I didnt take care of myself the way I should have.

I spoke at an asthma summit sponsored by the Grand Boulevard Federation on August 22nd and 23rd at Lindblom High School. Other presenters at the event spoke about their concerns about what was triggering asthma attacks in their communities and the reports of increased cases of asthma throughout the city. After hearing the others speak and thinking about my own near-fatal account with asthma, I felt the need to share my story further with the public. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking care of yourself if you are asthmatic.
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Dear Crystal:With spring time knocking on my door, I’m starting to be more mindful of what I eat. For me, overeating is a problem and as a single mother I just can’t find the time to exercise. I really do want to slim down and stay healthy. Do you have any tips to help me?

-Junk in the trunk

Dear Trunk:

Well, with the weather getting warmer, a lot of us are wondering how we are going to shed those winter pounds. First of all, remember that in order to stay healthy, we have to see losing weight as a lifestyle change and not as a temporary diet.
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Dear Crystal,
My upstairs neighbors are seriously getting on my nerves! I live in an apartment that I have rented with the help of a housing choice voucher. The other tenants in the building do not have this assistance. At first, my neighbors were great. Then the loud music started at really late hours of the night. Their children are constantly running and bouncing balls over our head. I find garbage on the landing of my back porch, that I believe they have left there. I finally complained to the lease holder one night, after I had enough of the music, and she apologized. A couple days later, the problem persisted except this time, it was the loud music, her kids running and jumping all at 11:30 pm on a Tuesday! I went and complained once again. She apologized again, turned down the music, but her kids kept being a nuisance. Read more »

Geraldine “Penny” Walton
Geraldine Walton, or “Penny” as most people like to call her, is one of the sweetest people that you will ever meet and her genuine demeanor is quite refreshing.

She was a resident of Washington Park for four years. She explained how the building that she lived in, at 220 East 63rd street, was one of the last to go up and one of the first to come down.

“It was so nice there,” Penny said of the time she spent in the development. “Everything was clean. Back then, the gangs were just getting started so they weren’t so bad. When those street lights came on, everyone was in the house. Obviously, the situation has changed from the time that the buildings first started going up, with so much hope and well wishes, and now that they are pretty much deteriorating.

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Carlos Estes

Former Ida B. Wells resident Carlos Estes. Photo by Crystal Medina

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Hey everyone, happy summer time! Even though Mother’s Day has passed, I still thought I’d write about motherhood. Now that I am older and have a family of my own, motherhood has a different meaning for me, especially since my own mother has passed. When I was younger, it was all about showing mom how much she meant to me, how much I loved and appreciated her. I always wanted to let her know that she was the most important person in my life. That’s where the flowers, cards and gifts came in. What am I supposed to do now? She still is so very special to me, but she isn’t here.

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On April 26, the Latino community and several legislators came out to Humboldt Park to hold a press conference in front of Shakespeare Apartments, 2141 N. Humboldt Blvd., a building where 36 families lost their homes three years ago. Many residents were forced to move with only three months notice because the Section 8 building was turned into condominiums. Residents were forced to leave despite the fact that they had lived in the building for years, some for decades. This type of scenario is happening more and more often, as the loss of affordable housing causes Latino families to become homeless.

Local Latino tenants joined state Sen. Iris Martinez (D-20), Ald. Rey Colon (35th), Ald. Manny Flores (1st), the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Humboldt Park Social Services and other groups to talk about two bills in Springfield currently under consideration.
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