Glenn's, and Alea--A Winner, Times 2

There's lots of places with more Hispanics than Chicago,
But on this Cinco De Mayo AM, my thoughts to Chi-town go.
The city is big and sprawling, one of the biggest anywhere,
But it's made of neighborhoods, each with its own flair.

There's Chinatown, the Greek restaurants, the Polish street signs,
We lived for 18 months in Skokie, the home of sharp, Jewish minds.
There's Vietnamese, and Italian, of course, the Irish are everywhere,
There might even be Eskimos, I doubt more than a few pair.

But one of the trendy areas is the Near North with restaurants hot,
You'd better plan some extra time if you want a parking spot.
This is the area where the Cubbies are king--Wrigley's not far away,
These tight neighborhoods have parks where leashed dogs and children play.

The "L" rumbles through regularly; it's the elevated, day and night,
If you're in the midst of a daydream, it will jar your mind back upright.
At 4400 North, right next to the "L", wanders Montrose Avenue,
If your condo is high enough, to the East is a superb Lake Michigan view.

A few steps west of the "L" sits Glenn's Diner with cereal boxes stacked tall,
You walk in, and there's the menu, chalked up and down the wall.
Glenn really exists--he's more than a businessman fair,
He's also into acting and theatre, and not too far from there.

I know this place pretty well--been there several times,
Our youngest daughter, Alea, works there; Alea has many rhymes.
Alea is alert, will get you the food you want, and fast,
If you're lucky, Glenn will stop and chat about the future or the past.

Dave Hale  5/5/12  Ottawa, Ks.  Satisfied, experienced Glenn's customer and satisfied, proud father of Alea.