Another new Uptown blog has popped up. This one is entitled ,"Great Expectations - Working Together To Improve Uptown."
If you live in the area bordering Wilson to Lawrence, Sheridan to Broadway you should check out the "Truman Square Neighbors" website. The website is full of great info and pics of Uptown residents who are making a difference. Info on joining is also on the website. Check it out here.
A reader writes in:
We have noticed that the Salvation Army at Broadway and Sunnyside has been covered in a black netting for a long time now. If you happen to walk by, you can see that some residents have tossed shoes and other belongings out of the window and are trapped in the netting below. What is the netting for? Any ideas?
Progress has been made at the Wilson El station, if you count more temporary walls and lighting being installed as progress. We peeked inside one of the walled-off sections and nothing appears to have been fixed. We think this is how it will remain for a while and are not surprised.
If you wanted to get one last glimpse of the Azusa building at Broadway and Montrose, you should do it quick. Today we noticed that a large portion of the building is gone. It also appears that Holsten is selling/salvaging more of the bricks to "Colonial Antiques" in Chicago. There were close to 10 pallets of bricks bundled up for removal.
Margaret Lyons over at the "Chicagoist" has a compiled list of the 28 alderman who signed a petition to attempt to force the city to disclose the names of police officers accused of brutality. Our own Alderman was on the list. The request has been denied in the meantime. Read all about it here:
Workers have been moving along quickly on the new architect's office at Broadway and Wilson next door to "Family Dollar." Let's hope this starts a trend. We kinda dig the industrial lighting added to the storefront.
Seen on the front of Aldi near the "display cases," where windows should have been, that are not displaying artwork.
The homeless living around the old Aldi building will have to find another vacant, poorly monitored building to call home. This afternoon there was virtually nothing left of the building, leaving an even more vacant view behind. We expect to see a sign announcing "TARGET COMING SOON". To hell with them anyway, right Mr. Holsten?
By Josh Noel - Tribune Staff Reporter
October 24, 2007
Luis Munoz, an avid bird watcher of 12 years, has seen a remarkable range of rare winged creatures this fall migration season, including the Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow and the red knot.He also has come face to face with one species he hopes never to encounter again but knows he will: the Chicago cruiser.As sure as Munoz and his fellow birders can find an array of lovely birds in the area's most densely wooded spots, they also routinely find men trolling for casual sex.
Workers were still seen tearing apart the old Aldi building today as well as the large red brick building on Montrose and the back side of the Azusa. We spotted more green fencing in front of the Azusa building AND in front of Graeme Stewart School. Could the belated park be coming closer to reality?
WAMA (Wilson Area Merchants Association) is hosting a Halloween event this Saturday, October 27, from 12pm till 4pm. The event will be held on Wilson Avenue at Magnolia, in front of Starbucks till Agnes Cleaners. Starbucks will also be hosting a Halloween event this Saturday from 12pm till 2pm. There will be pumpkin painting, apple bobbing and more. Local businesses and artists will be participating too. It's a great way to support local businesses and spend time with your children.
A reader writes in:
"Of all the sleazy looking restaurants on Wilson, would you believe the two with the health code violations are the ones I most frequent? That would be McDonalds and Uptown BBQ, although they both passed inspection with conditions. This might reassure those who want to try those unknown local eating joints in our community."
From CBS 2 : A man who was lying on the CTA's elevated tracks was seriously injured when he was hit by the front end of an inbound Red Line train at an Uptown neighborhood stop early Friday.
The man was on the tracks at the Argyle station, 1118 W. Argyle St., when he was struck about 1:25 a.m., police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.
"At 1:20 a.m. the front end of a train made contact with an unauthorized individual who was lying on the southbound track as the train was pulling into the Red Line Argyle station," CTA spokeswoman Kim Myles said.
The person did not make contact with the third rail and "they were conscious and alert at the scene'' before being transported to a hospital, Myles said.
It is not known why the person was on the tracks. The train involved was southbound on its way downtown.
The man was taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, Greer said.
Power was shut off for about an hour and a bus shuttle was implemented to transport customers between the Granville and Belmont stations, Myles said.
Nearly six months after the new Aldi store on Broadway opened, the old one bites the dust.
Who's counting down the days until Target opens?
From ChicagoRealEstateDaily.com
The Construction Pipeline, Public Records Data, listings for the week of Wednesday, October 17
Chicago — The New York — Phase II, 3638-3658 N. Lake Shore Dr., 228-unit residential complex, May 2009, $40 million.
Public Safety Update
You're Invited to Walk the Beat!
Walk the Beat!
with UCC's Public Safety Committee
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 and Wednesday, October 24, 2007
In response to concerns by neighbors in recent weeks, officers of the Chicago Police Department and the Uptown Chicago Commission's Public Safety Committee invite you to "Walk the Beat" along with them the next two Wednesdays.
Residents and officers will meet at 7:00 pm at the corner of Wilson and Sheridan on the following 2 dates:
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 and Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, bring your dog! Just come out and walk!
"Safe Neighborhoods are Everybody's Business"
Sincerely,
Uptown Chicago Commission
email: uptownchicago@sbcglobal.net
phone: 773-989-6923
web: www.uptownchicagocommission.org
Another "Uptown Update" reader writes in:
"Have fun with this one...oh how Wilson Yard's lovely landscaped Aldi's socked it to the taxpayers..."
The attached picture shows the landscaping for Wilson Yard Phase I (moving and rebuilding an Aldi grocery store). The cost of the landscape architect was $19,190. Couldn't a fifth grader have done an equal or better job? I did some price checking on what this landscaping would cost:
A reader of "Uptown Update" asked, "Why isn't this enforced?"
Join your neighbors as UCC (Uptown Chicago Commission) hosts an old-fashioned pub crawl!
November 8, Luncheon with Alderman Helen Shiller, 46th Ward at The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway, 11:30-1:00pm, $20 per person. RSVP to rsvp@uptownbusinesspartners.com
Seen today at Sheridan and Cuyler.
Let's hope a guard is posted when the rest of the concrete is poured or else the "neighborhood taggers" will have a field day. It appeared to us that another layover of concrete or maybe bricks will be added over this since it is not flush with the curb yet.
We pass by this building often at Sheridan and Irving and wonder what is going on with it. There is a "Chase Bank" and some restaurants below but the second floor has been covered in paper for a while now and the building is in need of some TLC. Anyone have info on this?
Seen today at the famous "Hotel Chateau" at Broadway and Sheridan. The gentleman with his head out of the window was seen yelling at pedestrians passing by below. Notice the technicolor "decorations" on the awning below. We wonder what it could possibly be?
Does anyone know why Kenmore is closed between Wilson and Broadway in front of Graeme Stewart school if nothing is being done construction-wise on the planned park. This street has been closed off since the beginning of summer and nothing has been done. Golly, progress is sure slow in this section of Uptown.
You never know what treasures you will come across when you peer into the Wilson Yard site, especially around the still yet to be demolished Aldi. Today we spotted a roll of toilet paper. If we looked a little closer we may have spotted something else.
Seen today in front of Aldi. The display cases are still filled with our new Uptown banners that show up as black blobs at night, or nothing.
We know we should be grateful just to HAVE banners in Uptown, but what is the reason for the old support "rods" being left on the poles all over the neighborhood?
The 46th Ward office window has been repaired after the recent act of vandalism.
We spotted our friend today who peddles hats and other treasures from his shopping cart in front of the poorly run Currency Exchange at Broadway and Wilson. Today we spotted the peddler and his buddy pushing their carts up Wilson near Beacon. One peddler stood guard over the shopping carts while the other proceeded to the alley behind the SRO on the corner and relieved himself by the dumpster. The pic above shows them after the fact with his buddy in front of him obscured by the tree.
The terracotta is finally being removed from the Azusa building at Broadway and Montrose. October....July....same thing, right?
While our poor old Wilson El station has trouble just getting a collapsed roof repaired, vandalism removed, weeds pulled from the roof, and vacant storefronts filled, the CTA announced that is spending $67.2 Million to refurbish the Grand station downtown.
Seen in the display window of "Da Spot" clothing store in the 4600 block of Broadway. Our thriving retail corridor on Broadway is amazing.
Join the discussion at "YoChicago." Where have we heard the term "critical mass" before?
Our thanks to "IrishPirate's" internet sleuthing. He came across some info on a new business coming soon to our blighted stretch of Broadway in the 46th Ward. Brendan Shiller, the Alderman's son, is opening up a real estate office at 4554 N. Broadway. We found a pic of the location on Google maps (our new favorite thing) and its more or less next door to the 46th Ward office. Welcome to the neighborhood!
This made us chuckle. Our thanks to "Wordtrey" over at BPN for pointing this out. Looks like our loitering friends over at "Public Storage" on Broadway are forever immortalized in "Google Street View" maps. If we ever need proof of the loitering taking place, all we need to do is point the proper authorities in this direction. Also, if you come across any other "interesting" photo captures of Uptown on "Google Maps," be sure to let us know.
Update: Check out the screen capture below showing "Dearborn Wholesale Grocers" in the 900 block of West Montrose. Looks like it captured someone who has taken up residence with their shopping cart in the entrance.
Passing by the Wilson Yard site today, we noticed the yellow Caterpillar backhoe has been removed. Could this be because "big construction" is about to begin or because of yet another delay in this belated project. We wonder how much in rental fees were being paid for that machine to sit on this site for months. We also wonder why this site is pitch black at night...with no lighting in sight. Makes it easier for the people who have taken up residence here to "party" without anyone seeing.
We have added a link to "Pete's Weather Station." Pete's weather equipment is located near Lawrence and Kenmore and features up-to-date conditions in our neighborhood. Check it out here.
Sent in by an "Uptown Update" reader. This falcon was spotted on Sheridan just south of the "Buena Pointe" condos. Could this be one of the falcons living in the Uptown Theatre? The falcon was standing on it's prey, a pigeon, who may have eventually gotten away.
Alderman Shiller's 46th Ward Community Service Center was vandalized, presumably overnight. Police were seen in front of the office and the area was surrounded in police tape.
While out in the neighborhood today, we noticed a definite increase in the amount of graffiti and tagging. The Wilson El station is covered in new tags on the northern side of the building and on each side of the entrance to Popeye's. Ace Hardware has new graffiti covering its Broadway side. Border's has graffiti on the plywood covering one of the broken windows. The Uptown Broadway rehab has graffiti on its green fencing out front. The Riv rehab was also recently tagged on the plywood covered lower-level as well as the dumpster out front for construction debris. All of this in the course of a week.
Seen today near Broadway and West Sheridan. The previous mural has been replaced with a dog-themed mural for the dog grooming business it covers. Thoughts?
The History Channel will be airing a feature on Al Capone, including his life in Uptown. There could be some very interesting parts of Uptown's history featured.
Watch it tonight at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.
Check out the website here:
Did anyone catch the huge crane set up near Broadway and Lawrence today? The top of the crane was even higher than the neighboring Bridgeview Bank building. We assume this was being used to lift air-conditioning units onto the Riv building but if anyone has more info, feel free to comment.
Update: According to Uptown Update reader "Ken," the crane is being used to lift something on top of the Bridgeview Bank building, not the Riv.
This is a community group whose goal is to rid the area in the 4000 block of N. Broadway of loitering and public intoxication. We will hold our meeting in the same area that loitering takes place all day long, October 16 at 7pm outside "Public Storage" 4050 Broadway. We want to take back this area of our community. We will continue to discuss the following at the meeting:
*Recent arrests in the 4000 block of North Broadway
*Police follow-up to the ongoing problems of public drinking
*U-haul’s progress on security cameras on their property
*Alderman’s Office follow up on contacting U-haul corporate about fences all the way around the property
*Problem solve how we can get better follow up on our concerns in the area
If you have a dog, please continue to walk past the area and call 911 if you see something illegal. We need all the community members we can get who want to help solve this very difficult problem. Just coming to the meetings and standing in that area for 45 minutes has had a very big impact. The guys who stand there are very upset that we continue to do this. If you have been to the last few meetings you have seen this demonstrated first hand. When I walk by that area they often get upset when I check if anyone is drinking. Our time and effort has not been wasted but we will need to continue to work at it. Please try to attend the meeting and pass the date on to your friends and neighbors who live in the area. Anyone is welcome to come, even your dog!
Courtesy of "Uptown Vegetarian" from BPN.
