The "Uptown Theatre" is now clear of all traces of the ugly graffiti that has covered its eastern face for quite some time now. Could this be the beginning of the planned rehab or just a routine clean-up by the caretakers?
Seen today on the northside of the Wilson El station. How the CTA and our elected officials let this station decay to this point is beyond us.
Here are September's noteworthy arrests in the 23rd District.
We walked past the "Vis Vitae" site today and noticed work has resumed. The underground parking garage has been covered and the large crane at the site was in full swing with workers bustling about. With decent retail, this development could be very good for that stretch of Clark. We look forward to another "Starbucks" in the neighborhood as well.
Uptown residents may be unaware that there is a "diamond in the rough" near the intersection of Broadway and Wilson. "Thai Uptown" has been serving up traditional thai rice and noodle dishes for some time now at 4621 N. Broadway. We stopped in recently during lunch and were surprised at the welcoming decor and very reasonably priced lunch specials starting at $5.95.
After exiting the train at Wilson, residents and visitors to Uptown are first greeted with a ceiling collapse that has YET to even be repaired yet (what's up with that?) and then when exiting on Broadway they get to pass by a urine and god-knows-what-else soaked entryway to a long vacant CTA storefront. Although its hard to tell in the pic, that gray panel separating the window from the sidewalk is so crusted over with year's old urine that its literally rotting away. We guess that our decrepit ol' Wilson stop is a low priority on the CTA totem pole. Ron Huberman (CTA president and Uptown resident) must plug his nose when he walks by and then covers his head to protect it from falling debris when entering this station. He might even close his eyes so he can pretend it isn't that bad. If you are tired of the constant deterioration of this station, give the CTA a call at 1-888-968-7282.
What's going on at Borders lately? We spotted two broken windows on the building and now the Broadway side of the property is covered in trash. We need "CleanSlate" over there pronto!
These wires lay where a CTA bus stop was removed in front of the long vacant Azusa Building at Broadway and Montrose (the building that was supposed to have its decorative terracotta removed in July). How long before someone is hurt? The wires are simply wrapped in black electrical tape. Yikes.
Seen today at Broadway and Wilson. The gent on the ground was spotted there for several hours munching potato chips and watching the buses pass by.
Dear Readers:
As local elected officials, we have an obligation to our constituents to provide them with a voice in Springfield. This year, we spoke with many local groups and organizations about their needs and concerns to help deliver improved services.When crafted a new state budget, we worked to pass a responsible spending plan that serves those most in need, including persons with disabilities, immigrant and refugee families, the homeless and individuals suffering from AIDS. Further, we worked to provide needed funding for local schools, park districts, fire stations, municipalities, economic development and to assist our senior citizens.This funding was secured in order to provide our most needy residents with the services they rely on. However, Gov. Rod Blagojevich disagreed. He not only cut these crucial local projects from the budget, but in doing so he insulted the integrity of many worthy community groups by labeling the funding as 'pork'. Now the ability of these organizations to provide needed programs to the families they serve has been severely damaged.
We are hosting a community forum at 7pm on Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Mundelein Center Auditorium of Loyola University, 1020 W. Sheridan Road to hear from area community organizations and local governments about how the governor's harmful budget cuts may affect their operations and ability to provide services.We encourage anyone who is concerned about the loss of these needed projects to attend this hearing. It is important that we build the necessary support for an override of the governor's vetoes, and your attendance at this forum can help build the necessary momentum. We look forward to seeing you there.
We apologize for the grainy picture, but you can easily make out the fact that someone was hanging clothes, possibly to sell, on the wall in the Truman College Mall area at Wilson and Racine. We thought the "Sheridan Park Yard Sale" was a few weeks ago?
We spotted this lady napping on the sidewalk outside of Starbucks on the corner of Sheridan and Broadway today. We did call 911 for a wellness check on the woman and she appears to be ok.
If you get a chance, check out the Wilson Yard site. Looks like the homeless folks who call the site home have been partying it up quite a bit. We spotted a liquor bottle in one of the overflowing trash cans and beer cans all over the site. Uptown residents must be celebrating the fact that this project has been moving along so quickly...or not.
Wow folks, we hit 50,000 visits today since our meager start back in May. This tells us that our neighborhood is starved for information on local happenings. We also challenge other residents to start up blogs on our neighborhood. Thanks for checking out "Uptown Update" and we look forward to keeping you updated on Uptown in the future.
Seen at Broadway and Clifton (across from Ace-Hardware).
Ghosts and ghouls beware! Experience the history of old Chicago as you venture through one of the country’s most famous cemeteries. Celebrate Halloween as Al Walavich takes you on a fascinating tour through the graves of Graceland Cemetery, including famous Chicagoans Marshall Field, Louis Sullivan, Potter and Bertha Palmer, and George Pullman.
Location:All tours begin at the Graceland Cemetery entrance at the corner of Irving Park Road and Clark Street.
Cost:$15; $10 members.
Uptown Update note: According to CBS2 Chicago, the logo will be unveiled in today in Uptown at the Walt Disney Magnet School at 4140 N. Marine Drive. We also added the "Chicago 2016" applicant video with the new logo from Youtube featuring students from Walt Disney Magnet.
By Kathy Bergen and Gary Washburn
Chicago Tribune
Chicago will take a second stab at hoisting a logo to accompany its bid for the 2016 Olympics, unveiling the fresh image at a sports-star-studded press conference Wednesday.Details were not disclosed Tuesday, but the new logo could make use of a six-point star, evocative of the four stars on the City of Chicago flag. This was one of the ideas considered during the redesign, according to sources close to the bid team.Ald. Edward Burke (14th) has proposed adding a fifth star to the city flag if Chicago wins the right to host the Summer Games. The existing four stars represent Ft. Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933. The International Olympic Committee will select a host city in 2009.
Chicago must replace its first logo, a torch-based emblem, which ran afoul of IOC rules restricting the use of its Olympic marks. The torch can be used only by host cities.Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago 2016 leader Patrick Ryan are expected to be surrounded by a number of Olympic champions when they unveil the design Wednesday. Track great Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a native of East St. Louis, is expected to be there, as is Paralympian Linda Mastandrea, who is vice president of sport for the Chicago bid team.The torch logo, designed pro bono by VSA Partners, won praise for its elegance. The handle of the torch is green and blue, representative of the city's parks and Lake Michigan. The orange-and-gold flame, tapering to a stylized skyline image, represents the city's reputation for first-rate architecture and its rebirth after the 1871 blaze.The IOC and the U.S. Olympic Committee agreed that the logo could be phased out gradually. As of late Tuesday, it still graced the Chicago 2016 Web site.
By Mark Brown
If you get a chance, take a walk down Beacon street from Lawrence to Leland and check out the rehab and new construction condos popping up. We feature 3 of the condos above, "Beacon Hill," "Beacon Pointe," and "Beacon Terrace." We discovered recently that the long empty lot in the 4600 block of Beacon where the beautiful victorian home once stood is now set to be replaced with an 8 unit condo building. We, along with many other residents were upset when this historic home was demolished but hope that the new development will blend in with the beautiful condos directly to the south of it.
How many of you have walked under the El tracks on Broadway near the Wilson stop at night? How many of you have wondered why this seedy location is not well-lit at night? We have wondered for quite some time now. How much would a few well-placed lights under these tracks cost? Why is this not a priority in our ward? To give you an idea of how this area looks at night, check out the day and night comparison above. If you think this area needs more lighting to detract crime and other activities, contact the Alderman's office and let them know how important this is.
Walking past Aldi today we noticed that the "display boxes" now feature the Uptown banners and not the Arai students artwork as was planned. Only five of the boxes contain the banners since there were only 5 banner designs, so a few boxes on Broadway remain empty and the 3 boxes on the northside of the building remain empty. We can only come to 2 conclusions on this development: One, the artwork is not coming and our elected officials scrambled to fill them with something, or two, like everything with the Wilson Yard project, the artwork is delayed and they needed something to fill them. We personally think the banners don't look half bad, although windows and an entrance in place of these "boxes" would have looked even better. Oh wait, then Aldi would not be able to sell liquor because the entrance would be too close to Grame Stewart school. How soon we forget.
Update: We did pass by Aldi last night and the lighted display boxes look ridiculous with the banners since all you see is a black outline. Thanks for pointing that stroke of genius out, IrishPirate.
The new "Pegasus Players" sign on Wilson looks nice. We think this will make the theatre a lot more visible to people traveling down Wilson. The sign is not visible when you are heading up Wilson eastbound because of tree growth. We assume this will be trimmed soon.
September 16, 2007
FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS
An unidentified body was found Sunday morning near Montrose Beach.
The body was found about 7:40 a.m. in the 4800 block of North Simonds Drive, according to police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the fatality, but said the person has not been identified.
Taylor said police are conducting a death investigation pending autopsy results.
The once-beautiful art deco building known as the Lawrence House in the 1000 block of West Lawrence is being put up for sale by its current owners. The current owners indicate that the building is in need of significant renovation.
Read about it in Crain's Chicago Business.
Workers were seen today putting in windows on the Broadway side of the Riv building today. The Lawrence side is more or less complete. We will be curious to see if the rehab includes adding the decorative ornamentation on the very top of the building. As close as they have been following the old design, we wouldn't be shocked. Its looking great.
We have noticed renovation work being done inside this building on Broadway, just north of the "Family Dollar" store. We stopped and chatted with the workers there who were gutting the interior and found out that an architect is opening an office there. This will be a welcome addition on this blighted stretch of Broadway. Maybe, just maybe, our "Vacant Storefront Showcase" is helping.
How safe and sanitary is this folks? This dumpster on Clifton Avenue, aka "Blood Alley," belongs to the Cornerstone Shelter. It sits right on the sidewalk across from where the Uptown resident was shot last week and is an electric compact dumpster. Children are often seen playing on top of it which is an accident waiting to happen. There is a one inch thick layer of slime all around it and its overflowing daily. Why is this dumpster allowed to be on the sidewalk and why is it not being supervised by Cornerstone? If you'd like to contact Cornerstone Shelter to inquire about this, they can be reached at 773-271-8163.
We are also receiving word of some more interesting activities taking place on this bizarre stretch of street. More to come.
By Mark Lawton
Pioneer Press News-Star
Where else can you get views like this of the lake and skyline? Taken on "Montrose Point."
We spotted this fellow sleeping near the "Golden House Restaurant" on Racine at Broadway this afternoon.
From The Chicago Tribune:
Q. "Have you ever heard of `Blood Alley'? It's runs parallel to Broadway between Leland and Wilson. It's home to a homeless shelter and a soup kitchen."-- Fred C. Van Buren, Chicago
A. That one-block-long "alley" in Uptown is actually the 4600 block of North Clifton Avenue. It has had the nickname since at least the 1970s, and it's one of the places where the Chicago Recovery Alliance, one of the largest needle-exchange programs in the U.S., operates each week.
Our thanks to "Anita Mandalay" for coming across this interesting tidbit of Uptown history. Seems all the more ironic with the latest shootings.
WGN-TV Coverage here:
(Scroll to "Uptown Shootings" on the right)
Continue Reading at the Chicago Tribune here:
Uptown Update,
My name is Annette and I work at the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA), located at 1016 w. Argyle. I’m sure many uptown residents have walked by and wondered what happens in our building. I just came across this blog and thought I’d both share information about us and beg for volunteers at the same time. First, the information …
We are a community based organization that was founded in 1981 in order to help promote the interests and well being of immigrants and refugees in Chicago and to foster their participation in American society. We offer a lot of different programs meant to provide the language skills and job training needed by a non-English speaker to become an active and productive member of this community and eventually, an American citizen
CMAA offers a variety of services such as job placement and job training, citizenship, family and individual literacy programs, homework help and youth programs that serve the Uptown area and its residents. Our literacy, citizenship and Certified Nurse Assistant classes are all free of charge and serve immigrants and refugees from all over the world including Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union.
We offer 4 different computer classes for everyone based on availability and are all free except one. The A+ Certification computer repair class costs $70 for 8 weeks, with $20 returned to you after class completion. The Computer Literacy class, Office Application and 2 different Web Design classes are all free and meet for 8 weeks at a time.
Now comes the begging part….
Due to the fact that we a nonprofit agency we are always looking for ways to recruit new volunteers to the ESL and literacy program. It only takes about two hours a week to tutor English as a Second Language (ESL) and we’ll show you how. Helping a person learn how to speak English is a lot of fun (No, really, it is!) and a lot easier than you think. If you have any free time and are the slightest bit interested or even curious, please contact me.
Not to mention we are in your community so you might be able to walk (Yup, don’t want to lose that parking space!) .We currently have a need for tutors to teach students in a one-on-one or small group setting. I match students and tutors based on a variety of factors. One of the most obvious is the availability of time. People typically meet once a week for about one and a half to two hours at a time. Saturday morning and weekday evening tutors are always in demand as a majority of our students work full time however, any availability is valuable.
We have a variety of training avenues for people who have never tutored before. There is a sister organization that runs training programs and we also utilize a hands on approach that includes observation, and one on one lesson planning with an experienced tutor. I am personally available via phone and e-mail, if not in person for any thing you may need.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience with any questions or interest you may have (and I’m hoping there shall be lots), so we can set up a time to meet.
Sincerely,
Annette Joyce
Volunteer Coordinator
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
AnnetteJ@chinesemutualaid.org
(773)784-2900 Ext 140
Apparently, while learning about the homeless deaths in Uptown last week, another 46th ward resident lost their life after jumping or being pushed out the the Hotel Chateau.
View the story from WBBM 780
Seen on Broadway across the street from the 46th Ward Service Office.
This is sad and infuriating at the same time. No one deserves to live in a neighborhood where drive-by shootings are becoming a daily occurrence.
Continue Reading from NBC5 here:
Check out this awesome blog showcasing great photos (such as the postcard above showing Broadway and Wilson) and Uptown history here:
An "Uptown Update" reader writes in to tell us that there is a 3 foot deep open sewage hole near her home on Winthrop just west of Kenmore. It has been open for months and many kids walk down Winthrop on their way to school. This is not helping our rat situation either. City of Chicago, please get this fixed ASAP.
Windows were added to the second floor of the Riv on the north side of the building. This project is buzzing right along and its looking great.
Reports are coming in of yet another shooting in Uptown, this time at Cornerstone Shelter at 4628 N. Clifton. Witnesses reported seeing a man lying in the street in front of the shelter. If anyone has more info, please add it in the comments. Here is some background info on Cornerstone Shelter.
Update from the Chicago Tribune:
The slaying happened outside the victim's home in the 4600 block of North Clifton Avenue near Truman College about 1:30 a.m., Chicago police said.James Lane, 29, was walking on the street when he was approached by a shooter who fired four or five shots, striking him in the head, authorities said. He was dead on the scene, according to Town Hall District Lt. Ken Barnas.
Witnesses told police the shooter fled the scene on foot with a handgun, Barnas said. Police could not provide a detailed description of the male suspect, but said he was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall.
From WBBM 780-
A Cook County judge on Thursday found a homeless woman unfit to stand trial for allegedly starting a fire inside a Wrigleyville apartment building that killed four people in March.Cook County Criminal Judge Charles P. Burns remanded Mary Smith to a mental facility ward in an attempt to restore her mental health so she may one day be able to stand trial, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin.Earlier this year, Smith pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of murder and nine counts of arson.Smith is accused of setting a fire in an interior stairwell at 3553 N. Fremont just before 7 a.m. on March 10. According to prosecutors, Smith said she lost her shoes that night and her feet were cold. A witness who described seeing Smith in the building vestibule prior to the blaze had given the 44-year-old woman a dollar bill. Smith lit the fire with a dollar bill, according to prosecutors, but it was not clear if it was the same bill. She fled the building as the fire moved rapidly up the stairs.The blaze killed single mother Jennifer Carlson, 24; her roommate Jason Bowers, 23; and two friends, Jerod Pilgreen, 21, of Poplar Grove; and Joseph Schultz of Belvidere. Carlson and Bowers rented a third-floor apartment in the building. A fifth person jumped from a third-floor window. Burns set a status hearing for Oct. 9, Conklin said. The Illinois Department of Human Services will determine where Smith will be placed.
If you weren't able to check out the open-house/party at "Dover Court" on Dover Street at Wilson, you missed quite a shin-dig.
"Alma Pita" on Wilson at Magnolia has been a staple for quite some time now. Alma specializes in Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine so if that is something you enjoy or think you would enjoy, you should definitely check this restaurant out. Our favorite is the "Veggie Combo" (see pic below) which features homemade hummus and baba ganouj (ground eggplant), dolma, falaffel, and a salad. Portions are generous and Alma features great sandwiches and soups as well. "Alma Pita" hours are 11am-9pm Monday through Friday and 11am till 8pm on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. You can order ahead or for takeout at 773-506-ALMA.
We've been hearing of Uptown residents seeing more rats than usual in the neighborhood. After looking at this pic sent in by an "Uptown Update" reader we now know why. This overflowing dumpster is a common sight in most of Uptown. What can be done? More dumpsters? Any ideas?
An anonymous birdie wrote in to "Uptown Update" with the following juicy tidbit:
"A very reliable resource told me that Target is definitely not coming to Uptown, despite all the contrary comments coming out of Shiller's office.
One prominent northside alderman, not from the 46th ward, stated off-the-record, that Target has pulled out of Wilson Yard. This information was also confirmed by another prominent alderman's business development employee. NO Target for Wilson Yard. But, hey, those of us who live here already knew that..."
Give the 46th Ward office a call at 773-878-4646 and see what sort of spin you can get. All we know is that we are starting to get very dizzy.
We can't make this stuff up. Tom Sharpe is uniting "Democats" in the 46th Ward. We couldn't resist adding the new version courtesy of the folks over at "Dear Helen:"
By Annie Sweeney
Chicago Sun-Times
Well, the development at the corner of Dover and Wilson that is being documented by HGTV now has a name, "Dover Court." We were amazed to see the work that has been done on the courtyard. Fountains and tons of brickwork and landscaping has been added. A "Grand Opening Party" is scheduled for Thursday, September 6 from 4-10pm. We wonder if HGTV will be there to tape the event?
Anyone else who lives in "Uptownsonville" (border between Andersonville and Uptown) notice the slightly obnoxious LED sign that lights up the night sky? Check it out near Clark and Argyle. It truly must be experienced at night for the full effect. It might make you long for the days when we just had plain old billboards to worry about.
Ok folks, we here at "Uptown Update" would like to encourage a little more participation in our postings so the previous "no anonymous posting" rule will now be lifted. HOWEVER, we ask that you at least make up a name by selecting "other" before you press enter to keep all of us from responding to 5 different anonymouses. Its that simple. Enjoy.
Golly our local "graff artists" have been busy lately. Today we spotted some new tagging on the "Jewel-Osco" sign at Broadway and Montrose. Maybe the taggers are voicing their distaste over Jewel's recent decision to remove "Starbucks" from most of their locations...or maybe they don't like the new tan facade and preferred the turquoise. We guess the world may never know.
Walking past our shiny new Aldi today on Broadway we noticed that the flower garden had sprouted some interesting shiny cans, the beer kind. We have seen folks sitting on the fence around this garden in the past cracking open cold ones and have called 911, but looks like Aldi is still the preferred spot for public drinking at the moment. Further down Broadway in front of the Azusa building that is currently NOT being dismantled as Peter Holsten claimed it would be back in June, we spotted a wine bottle that had been tossed near one of the neglected trees that make up our Broadway "streetscape." Maybe since our ward is on a recycling kick we could place recycling bins up and down Broadway and Wilson for our residents to deposit their wine and beer cans after they finish their public drinking. Just a thought.
Looks like our loitering friends are taking a break from the Labor Day sun under the awning of "Dearborn Wholesale Grocers" on Montrose. We had previously thought the loiterers had been pushed elsewhere but after seeing this today, we now know that , "they're baaaaack."
From CBS 2 News Chicago:
Authorities have ruled that a 62-year-old man's drowning in Lake Michigan off Montrose Beach Saturday was a homicide. Du Doan, of the 6100 block of North Kimball Avenue, was pronounced dead Saturday morning. Water rescue crews from the Fire Department were called to Montrose Beach for a report of a man in the lake, and found his body within two minutes of arriving just before 6 a.m., fire officials said. The man was found in about 20 feet of "dark, murky water," Fire Media Affairs Chief Kevin MacGregor said. Doan was pronounced dead at nearby Weiss Memorial Hospital. In an autopsy Sunday, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office ruled that he died in a drowning, and the manner of death was a homicide.
Seen today near the future site of "Graeme Stewart School" park. Note the sign on the left that is continually not enforced. Although today we noted there was far less loitering than usual we are sure that will change if the park is ever completed.
Today we noticed that the "Harris Bank" sign near the site of the future "Graeme Stewart School" park is now functioning and displaying BOTH time and temperature after months of not working. The sign at the corner of Broadway and Wilson is still NOT working. Standing on the Wilson El platform we noticed that now the "Truman College" time and temp marquee is no longer working. Let's hope that Truman is working on getting this operational soon and that Harris Bank will restore their sign as well. We think Harris is trying to be a good neighbor as we have not noticed any homeless sleeping their drive-thru as of late. We will keep the pressure on them to continue to do so.
Seen today in front of the perpetually delayed Wilson Yard site on Broadway.
An "Uptown Update" reader sent in a pic today of the new "Walgreens" signs up on its new home at Lakeside Place and Clarendon. Does this mean that the double-wide trailer "Walgreens" is going bye-bye soon? Oh, how we will miss it.
The "Clarendon Park Neighborhood Association" is hosting a block party on the 800 block of Agatite on September 8 from 2-10pm. There will be a pot-luck dinner at 5pm and a DJ spinning tunes all day. Check out the flyer above. Be there, or be square.
