A reader just sent in the following pic from the second floor of one of the JPUSA owned facilities at 935-939 W. Wilson. The windows had been displaying numerous Shiller election posters for years, which is a big no-no for a not-for-profit. Numerous readers had contacted the IRS informing them of this apparent violation. It's good to see these signs removed.

The front of the menu shows a website for "Viet Bowl" that is not yet up, so in the meantime, use this handy menu to plan your dine-in or carry-out meal.

Just a reminder that many of the streets around Lawrence and Broadway will be unavailable for parking Sunday evening and Monday. It's a tow zone, so don't be caught!

If you park on the street, you might want to locate a legal spot now, because you won't be able to street park from 7 p.m. on Sunday until 11 p.m. on Monday. (Click the link for a complete list of the streets affected.)

We spotted these temporary-looking doors covering the revolving doorway normally in use at Bridgeview Bank at Lawrence and Broadway. We can only assume they are in place for the Johnny Depp, "Public Enemy" filming taking place in the bank.

The six story condominium plus retail space development planned for the corner of Clark and Lawrence is all but a dream now...at least from the old developer. The lot is now for sale again. Interested parties can contact Doug Van Vleet at the number below.

We spotted these leasing agent signs on the Uptown Broadway Building. If you need 10,000 square feet of office space with parking, call the number above.

A reader sent in the following pic from Beacon and Wilson showing sewer work taking place there. In the background you can also see the future home of the Italian restaurant in the high rise on the corner. Workers there have since moved the entrance from Wilson to inside the enclosed fence area. The reader peeked inside and noted that the inside has been totally gutted, recessed lighting and exposed duct work have been added. They also noticed a fountain being installed outside and electrical cables for outdoor lighting being added. If you are out this weekend, we suggest you stop by Express Chicken & Ribs in this same building. Mention "Uptown Update" and save 10% off your order.

If you haven't been by El Pollo Loco at Wilson and Sheridan lately, we suggest you take a stroll over that way. We will wager that this is the best the landscaping in this spot has looked in years. If you go and partake in some flame grilled chicken, make sure you tell the management how nice their landscaping looks. They are a good neighbor.

A nice view of Uptown from Clarendon, yesterday.

Unique So Chique, at Wilson and Magnolia, is announcing new hours and a "high tea" served from 5pm till 9pm and also at 8pm. The high tea includes 4 traditional english style entrees.

This “Wilson Yard” comment appeared on the Chicago Tribune’s Commentary page in the Thursday May 15, 2008 edition. It was selected for print by the editors as one of nine notable comments related to the Children’s Museum’s Battle for Grant Park space.

Commentary: The Battle for Grant Park

Analyze this

"I've got a perfect location for the Children's Museum: Wilson Yard in Uptown. It's right on the Red Line and on the bus lines. The 46th Ward alderman seems to think that enormous concrete high-rises for low- and extremely low-income families would be best for Wilson Yard. Those of us who live in the neighborhood (a group that, interestingly, does not include our alderman) feel otherwise."

--Ellen DePodesta

Chicago

Since Uptown's about to be the home to gangsters again this weekend (the kind in spats, that is), we thought it was time to revisit our mob history.

Thanks to Richard Lindberg's Return to the Scene of the Crime, and its sequel, Return Again to the Scene of the Crime, for telling the stories about infamous places all over Chicago, and allowing us to find out who walked these streets and inhabited these buildings before we did.

Machine Guns on Agatite: Verne Miller was a former lawman turned killer who freelanced, working occasionally for the Capone bootleggers and "Machine Gun" Kelly.

In June 1933, he went on the run after four FBI agents were killed when he attempted to spring a bank robber from custody in Kansas City. (He also managed to kill the bank robber he was attempting to free.)

Miller (now at the top of the FBI's Most Wanted List) and his girlfriend holed up in Apartment 211 at the prestigious and luxurious Sherone Apartment Hotel at 4423 North Sheridan (at Agatite) when an informant tipped the Feds off that he was in town.

So they set up a sting ... seven agents were waiting in the lobby and around the building. The informant would drop his keys as a signal.

November 1, 1933, 9:00 p.m.: Miller appeared in the lobby. Keys clattered to the floor. Miller was expecting the trap and ran for it. He went out the side door onto Galt (now Agatite) while the FBI shot at him. "When an FBI agent let loose with his machine gun, it marked the first time that a representative from law enforcement used the deadly weapon in the streets of Chicago."

Miller's girlfriend was waiting outside for him in an idling car. The shootout continued as they sped east on Agatite, then hopscotched around on Clarendon, Montrose, Vista Terrace (now Dayton), and finally back to Montrose, where their car blew a tire. They escaped by the time the FBI caught up with them.

(Didn't do ol' Verne much good. He was killed by mobsters just four weeks later. He was only 37.)

Places near Uptown that we learned surprising stuff about:

• The (infamous) Hotel Chateau, 3838 N Broadway, was home to sisters Pat Cherrington and Opal Long, "molls" to mobsters Red Hamilton and Dillinger gang member Russell Clark. Dillinger and his gang often hung out there, and when Red Hamilton was killed, Dillinger sent Ms. Cherrington an envelope full of cash there.
• The Wigwam, the triangular building at 3751 N. Broadway, used to be the Marigold Hotel, which housed (briefly) the headquarters of the O'Bannion-Moran-Drucci gang. Street level (probably where the flower shop is now) held the Club Southern nightclub, a frequent hangout for the Dillinger gang and their girlfriends.

The overhead canopy on the platform of the Wilson L is being replaced. If you are caught up there during a rainstorm, the northern section has the old roofing still. We have to admit, our decrepit L station has received more TLC this year than arguably in the last 20 years. We doubt that will still keep folks from voting it the most disgusting L station in the Sun-Times. It has a lot of potential and residents look forward to the day when the CTA cares enough to actually RENT OUT THE VACANT STOREFRONTS (doesn't the CTA need money?) and repair the crumbling facade.

Judging from what has been accomplished at the upcoming Graeme Stewart Park, it may be finished fairly soon. It looks like a cul-de-sac and a sidewalk in front of the school has been added thus far. Hopefully, this park will be a nice addition to the neighborhood and not used for other purposes.

Name the location of this colorful ornamentation in Uptown.

And to think it all began with this post. Today marks the one year anniversary of Uptown Update. Time does fly when you're having fun. We are thankful to live in such a vibrant and interesting neighborhood that never ceases to amaze us. We know that this past year was pivotal in Uptown history and are glad we were able to document it a bit for you. 2008 promises to be just as monumental. Thanks for making us one of the premier sources of information in Uptown.

A reader alerted us that the famous Potholes Of Filth And Destruction have finally gotten some fixin'.

We went past Windsor and Sunnyside to see for ourselves, and -- while they're far from perfect -- at least pets, small children and MiniCoopers no longer need fear their wrath.

We were sad to hear of the death of our former State Rep. Larry McKeon today. From the Tribune:

Former state Rep. Larry McKeon, the first openly gay member of the Illinois General Assembly, died Tuesday, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie announced Wednesday on the state House floor. McKeon, 63, a Chicago Democrat, did not seek re-election in 2006 because of health struggles that included cancer and an AIDS-related digestive illness.

Update: Mary Schmich of the Tribune did a column on how McKeon opened the door to allow openly gay cops on the CPD.

Good news if you are a resident of the Graceland Wilson Neighbors Association (GWNA). The boundaries for this block club are Montrose to Wilson and Broadway to Beacon. A block club meeting, one that is long overdue, is planned for 7pm, Tuesday, May 20 at the Bridgeview Bank conference room at Lawrence and Broadway. For more info as it becomes available, check out the GWNA website.

This is one of our favorite views of Uptown, as seen today from the large window on the second floor of Borders. If you enlarge the pic you can see that Crew is now blue, and the Riv building has a full window advertisements for Bank of America around the entire first floor. Oh, and the police "caution" tape is still hanging from the light pole in the center island after being reported countless times.

We spotted this sign today in the window of Express Corner at 1111 W. Wilson, right under the L tracks. We suspect that the "remodeling" has something to do with the fact that they failed inspection on May 1. Hopefully the remodel will correct all the violations found by the city.

Wow, folks. We just got back from lunch at the newly opened "Viet Bowl" at 1122 W. Wilson and are utterly amazed. The food was delicious. The interior was immaculately redone in granite and marble, very modern lighting throughout and even features several waterfalls built into the walls. The service was friendly and attentive and we were told that for the first month, non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary with any order. They also specialize in smoothies and we saw quite a few folks sampling them. These entrepreneurs spent some serious cash on this establishment and we encourage our readers to check it out! They also have installed quite a few security cameras throughout the restaurant so this will hopefully cut down on the excessive loitering due to their neighbor to the west. Call 773-271-2272 or carryout orders.

From Business Partners, The Chamber for Uptown, we have learned that Universal Pictures will be filming in Uptown this weekend and parking will be affected.

No Parking signs will be posted on the following streets, Sunday, May 18, 7pm to Monday, May 19, 11pm:

• Both sides of Broadway from Lawrence to Leland


• Both sides of Racine from Broadway to Leland


• North side of Lawrence from Clifton to Winthrop


• South side of Lawrence from Broadway to Kenmore


• West side of Winthrop from Lawrence to ½ block north


• Both sides of Winthrop from Lawrence to Leland

By Jim DeRogatis, Pop Music Critic

In a poorly designed attempt to rein in underground party promoters in response to the E2 tragedy in 2003, the City Council is rushing to pass legislation that will make it more difficult and sometimes impossible for responsible concert organizers to present music at many legitimate licensed venues in Chicago.

In comments that have been echoed in hundreds of posts throughout the blogosphere and dozens of angry phone calls to aldermen since the so-called "promoter's ordinance" was approved last week by the Committee on License and Consumer Protection, activists from the Chicago Music Commission lashed out at the law and said they plan to protest it before the City Council vote on Wednesday.
Continue Reading:

Ever since we read this description on Metromix, we've been curious about one of Uptown's oddest landmarks:

The "notable arrests" newsletter is out for April, and the uptick in crime is reflected in the four pages (39 arrests) for the 23rd District.

It's of interest to us that the 23rd District runs from Fullerton to Lawrence and has one of the lowest overall crime rates in the city. However, of the 39 "most notable" arrests, all but two of them are connected to Uptown. (The other two are in Wrigleyville.)

Next time you're told by a politician how low the crime rate is for the 23rd District, filter that out and ask about the crime rate in Uptown. It's a whole 'nother story.

As always, the newsletter "is designed to inform interested members of the community with timely information regarding individuals who have been arrested and charged with the commission of a crime that occurred within our area. We emphasize that unless otherwise noted, these individuals have already been taken into custody, formally charged, are awaiting trial and are NOT WANTED at this time. Should you observe any of these individuals committing criminal acts, please contact the police via 9-1-1 immediately and take no further action."

UPDATE: Per request, the 20th District "notable arrests" have been added to the linked document. Also, a link to the 20th District's home page has been added to the links at the right side of the page.

A reader commented:

A reader clued us in to a post on Rogers Park Bench, which highlighted WLS radio host Jerry Agar's attempt ... to get the Chicago Aldermen to state their position on whether or not the Children's Museum should be allowed to relocate to Grant Park ... The results of our calls - we called each office more than once - are below. Call the aldermen yourself, especially those who didn't call us back and give your opinion.

WON’T CALL US BACK OR ANSWER QUESTION

Ward 46 Alderman Helen Shiller 773-878-4646

Dr. Ron Ruffo of the Chicago Police Department will present a Street Safety Seminar at the Bezazian Library (on Ainslie one block west of Broadway) at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22nd. This is the same seminar he gave to Clarendon Park Neighborhood Ass'n a few weeks ago, and we hear it was both entertaining and informative.

If you missed it the first time around, catch it at the Library. It's a freebie!

Please join your neighbors and friends as we kick off our fundraising effort for a Dog Park at Clarendon Park. Clarendon Park Neighborhood Association hopes to bring a Dog Park to Clarendon Park because the current Dog Parks are reaching capacity. We also believe this Dog Park will give area neighbors a place to get to know each other better, and improve the safety of Clarendon Park by creating a healthy community presence.

The fundraiser is to be held at The Driftwood, 1021 W. Montrose from 6-9pm on Friday, May 30th. CPNA is asking for a donation of $15 to benefit the Dog Park. There will be drink specials like $2.50 bottles of domestic beer (and others yet to be determined).

If you believe Dog Parks are a good idea for the building of community and increasing the safety of our neighborhood, please consider attending or sending a donation.

We were poking around the City of Chicago's website today and found out that Uptown will have a farmers' market again this year. We'd really like to see this succeed, i.e., attract more fresh produce and vendors than last year's. Fingers crossed for a greater selection, since this is something that can benefit everyone if it ever gets ... good.

Uptown Farmers Market
1145 W. Wilson (4600 N - 1145 W)
Truman College
Thursdays, June 19-October 23, 2008 - 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Other markets in the area include:

Lincoln Square Farmers Market
Lincoln/Leland/Western (4700 N - 2400 W)
City Parking Lot adjacent to Brown Line Station
Tuesdays, June 10-October 28, 2008 - 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

North Center Farmers Market
North Center Town Square
Belle Plaine/Damen/Lincoln (4100 N - 2000 W)
Saturdays, June 14-October 18, 2008 - 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Edgewater Green Market
6034 N. Broadway
Saturdays, June 28-October 18, 2008 - 7 a.m.-Noon

Southport Green Market
Blaine School - 1420 W. Grace
Saturdays, June 14-October 11, 2008 - 8:00am-Noon

From "Jazz Age Chicago"
Rainbo Gardens
4812-4836 North Clark Street
Opened ca. 1920

Host to a variety of amusements and some of the early twentieth century's best-known celebrities, Fred Mann's Rainbo Gardens was one of Chicago's premier entertainment venues. Located at 4812-36 North Clark Street, Rainbo Gardens lured patrons from across the city with its eclectic mix of traditional vaudeville acts, trendy jazz bands, extreme sports events, and easy-going dance and liquor policies.
(photo credit: Chicago Daily News Archive)

A reader writes in:
"Set Designers are hard at work preparing the Rotunda of the Bridgeview Bank for a scene in the upcoming film "Public Enemy" starring Johnny Depp. Shooting is slated for May 12-16th. If you look at the photos I've sent you'll notice they have taken down the HUGE chandelier that hung from the ceiling. What a job that must have been! They are also assembling lots of other things that I am not privy to...see the other photos I shot this afternoon...just for your blog! Should be a fun week at Broadway & Lawrence!"

A reader sent in the following photo showing a retail space for lease sign at the Wilson Yard site. Is it just us, or does anyone else wonder why the "sign of the beast" is in the phone number on the sign? Naw, couldn't be anything. We look forward to seeing a "Target Coming Soon" sign just like this.

Clarendon Park Neighbors (CPNA) wants to spread the word:

Hi Neighbors,

Next Wednesday's CAPS meeting will also function as our next Neighborhood Watch training.

This training will give everyone a chance to ask questions. The Police will give us tips on how to conduct an effective and safe neigborhood watch.

We ask everyone to bring a list of dates you can be available for the neighborhood watch. For instance, if you let us know that Wednesday afternoons are usually good for you, or that you can cover Monday evenings this week, and Thursday evening the next week, that would be great.

We will try to fashion a schedule from there and get that information out to everyone. Also, please be ready to share your home, cell, pager, or work number, plus your email address, as we will need these to communicate amongst groups who are watching together. We are trying for groups of 5 or more for each date. It will be up to each group to contact each other in advance to discuss any specifics for that day.

The CAPS meeting is Next Wednesday, May 14th, at 7pm at the Clarendon Park fieldhouse (Sunnyside and Clarendon). Please be there at 7pm.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.

Some major progress has been made lately at Broadway and Lawrence. Several readers contacted us to let us know the Riv building was getting its ground level windows installed today, and as you can see, they are large and welcoming.

Update: This is what the building looked like a couple years ago. Some difference, huh? It must have been easier to slap some metal panels on it when it started deteriorating than pay for the extensive and expensive rehab. A tip of the hat to GB Properties (corrected!) (and its deep pockets) for seeing it through. (photo courtesy of karbon69 on Flickr.)

A bit further north on Broadway, Crew was given a fresh coat of gray paint and the flower boxes for the outdoor seating area were being repainted also.

There's an article and a short video on the Green Mill on Open Mic Travel, a video magazine.

• The Green Mill used to take up the entire building, from the corner of Lawrence to north of where the Uptown Theatre is now.
• It started as a roadhouse for people who were traveling to the "country" to attend burials at St. Boniface Cemetery.
• The video is a couple years old, but it points out that someone had just shot a bullet through the front window of the Green Mill on Christmas Day, when it was (thankfully) closed and empty.

From "Arthur Gerber: Insull's Transit Architect" by Tom Burke and Graham Garfield

"Gerber's Wilson station was grand and impressive enough in design and execution that the "Terra Cotta Service Bureau" elected to use it on an advertisement promoting the use of terra cotta in buildings ("Build with TERRA COTTA for Beauty"). The richly detailed parapet served as a landmark in Uptown for decades. (photo from the JJ Sedelmaier Productions Collection)

Uptown Residents Sue Zoning Board
Complaint Alleges Error In Labor Ready Decision
By Lorraine Swanson

Read All About It Here

An astute reader sent us this link, showing the 44th Ward's "master plan." Notice how the block clubs are highlighted in the 44th Ward plans. It got us wondering...what is the 46th Ward's "master plan?" And be nice.

For those of you living near 845 W. Montrose, you may have noticed this rehab taking place. According to the sign out front, it is called "Harbor Way" and features 3 and 4 bedroom units. Looks like the developers have done a great job restoring the building.

Name the location of this amazing terra cotta detail. Win the admiration of your neighbors.

Seen today in the 4400 block of Broadway. There are two other storefronts to the south of this that look just as horrible.

Our loitering friends whose favorite hangout has been the guard rail in the parking lot of Dearborn Grocers near Broadway and Montrose have since moved a few feet to the west and are now hanging out in this doorway. When 911 was notified of their new hangout, the dispatcher said, "Oh there are always people loitering there, we will send the police over." Nice.

Seen today at Clark and Wilson. This Currency Exchange has shut down and the space is now for rent.