It's the end of the tours as we know them and I feel...

kind of ill actually. 

 

I have been trying to figure out a way around this decision and a way to not really end the neighborhood tours I have grown so found of doing over the past two and a half years, but the fiscal realities of my life and a recent bummer decision by various other businesses affecting my business has kind of forced my hand.  As Mr. White says, I have to go get a job-type job. 

 

I plan to still keep my role in Big Shoulders and my license as a loan originator and real estate broker, but that all depends on various events that transpire in the coming months, and what i find to do that pays the bills, as real estate, regardless of my optimism, is not doing it.

 

That forces me to retire the tours as they occupy 50 to 80 hours of my life each month, and that isn't something I can contribute in addition to the various other duties I have in life. 

 

As they say, there is more to the story, but it is over a beer type of discussion, not over the net.

 

I hope many of you can come out, and I hope I can actually speak tomorrow.  I am tight just thinking about this bs. I will do tomorrow's tour of Humboldt Park, next month's tour of Garfield Park, and then I have to call it quits. 

 

I will miss it very much and doing it for all of you. Thanks for all who have come, supported the rides, and helped in every fashion.  You are all the best. 

 

Cheers - Lee

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on May 26, 2010 at 3:25am
Some pictures:

Serge's
My Humboldt Park Photo Album

Cheers.
Permalink Reply by pjc jr on May 26, 2010 at 6:23am
Lee - don't feel ill! Your efforts and rides where outstanding! I learned more about this city than any other source of Chicago history. There are few, if any, books or other forms of media that encapsulated all you provided on these rides. I always road home feeling like I just participated in a college course, with no exams and no tuition! You gathered a wealth of info and put together terrific, organized, fun rides! Pat yourself on the back and realize how tremendous of human being you are! Thanks a ton!

I don't think we have seen the last of Lee Diamonds Arch Tours...
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on June 12, 2010 at 4:08am
1 week from today marks what will be the last of these tours and it is a beaut. East and West Garfield Park have dense groupings of stellar Graystones, Victorians, apartment buildings, industrial, commercial and civic architectural masterpieces. Frank Lloyd Wright, William Carbys Zimmerman, Jens Jensen, William Le Baron Jenney, Hugh M.G. Garden, Dwight Perkins, John Christensen and countless other architectural geniuses did some of their best work in this area, and trying to pick from all of the wonderful examples has proven difficult.

Tomorrow I will do the third research ride at 11:00 and try to whittle down some of the potential stops to create a more reasonable distance for the whole route. Thursday I should have a final route for the pre-ride and then next Saturday and that's that.

As an aside, I have gotten hundreds (!!) of emails since the announcement ranging from broad-based general support to pro-active ideas of how to keep things going. It has been a very inspiring and uplifting response to this over-all bummer situation. As it happens, some of the ideas that have been coming in have been pretty good, and I am seriously thinking about them, with hopes of being able to do something similar to what has gone on.

I do know that my current plan is unsustainable. Sadly, I have found that spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours making these free tours is not that great of a way to make a living. On the other hand, I love doing them, and if there is a way to do something similar, and ACTUALLY MAKE A LIVING or approach making a living, I would be very happy.

That said, I can only focus on the now, and at the very least, any future work I do, will be in a markedly different form. It is the last tour of its kind at the minimum, and perhaps just the last one.

I hope to arrange some type of post-ride gathering and post the details on the event page and here as well.

Best regards and cheers as always and hope to see you next weekend, or on one of the research rides, or just on our bikes at the same time.

Cheers - Lee
Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on June 14, 2010 at 11:01pm
Hey Chainlink friends,

First off, we at Active Trans would like to send our heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Lee Diamond and Big Shoulders Realty for the amazing bike tours and involvement in the biking community. Sincere thanks for all the great energy and activism, Lee!

Second, we are seeking two people who are attending the final tour to volunteer on behalf of Active Trans and show up early (12:15) to help Lee with signing in participants.

Please email ethan@activetrans.org if you are interested and available to help out.

Again, our best thoughts to Lee moving forward...we wish you safe, happy and successful riding. Hope to see you on the streets with the rubber side down soon!

Ethan and all of us with Active Trans
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on June 16, 2010 at 7:10am
Post ride gathering will be at Janik's Cafe. A great little place at 2011 W Division, about three and a half miles from the end of the tour at 100 N Central Park. They were incredibly nice to us at the end of West Town and it is priced right too! Hope to see some of you at the ride, but feel free to join us at Janik's for drinks if you are Tweeding or doing whatever before hand. Cheers!

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