A reader sends us some unfortunate news and warns pedestrians to use caution:

There was a fire tonight at approximately 4:30 PM on the top floor (3rd story) of a condo building on the southwest corner of Kenmore and Leland. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and the damage was contained to one unit. They didn't even have to water down the surrounding units (thankfully - that'd cause serious damage to the hardwood!). All the windows were blown out in the unit. There are glass shards around that area - be careful with your dogs, children, bare feet, etc...

A commenter alerted us to WBBM 780's coverage of yesterday's meeting:

Uptown Residents In An Uproar Over Recent Violence

CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Some 300 Uptown residents packed the Truman College cafeteria to talk to Chicago Police about what they say is big increase in crime in their neighborhood. Resident after resident took the microphone to tell police about shootings, drug dealing and auto theft in and around Uptown.

Chicago Police Commander Kathy Bowmer says there has been an uptick in violence, particularly auto thefts, in the area but she says they are doing their best to crack down on what she says is three specific gangs. There have been 8 shootings and one homicide in Uptown this year.

Neighbors say they want an increase in patrols and security cameras., but police say residents can't be afraid to report crime and then follow through and testify in court against suspects if needed. Police are pledging to increase bike patrols and even bring in the Tactical Response Unit when needed.

A 22-year old Freshman at Truman College was shot and killed near campus in May. Police say he was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire of a gang shootout.

"Uptown Residents Pack Meeting to Address Crime"
BY AMY CRIDER, July 31, 2008 12:45 PM

An excerpt:

"But gunfire and gang activity weren't the only issues. As Uptown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Christie Hahn put it, businesses can no longer put up with the "everyday harassment" of their patrons that included public drinking, pot smoking, urination, and panhandling.

Molly Phelan, the Buena Park CAPS liaison, drew loud applause when she demanded that someone "take a leadership role" in addressing the problems.

The loudest applause of the night came when a man turned to Alderman Helen Shiller, (D-46) who was seated in the audience, and asked why she was seated there rather than on the dais with the panel.Thunderous response drowned out the rest of his remarks, exposing an undercurrent of frustration with the alderman's office. One speaker was booed when she attempted to defend Shiller.

Shiller did not respond to the complaints during the meeting."


Read the entire article here.

The neighborhood is a flurry of meetings and activity and that is a good thing. Be sure to head on over to the Buena Point condominium at 4350 N. Broadway on the 2nd floor at 7pm tonight for a Wilson Yard Litigation Meeting. Uptown Neighborhood Council is hosting the meeting to "Fix Wilson Yard." Tax deductible donations can be made out to "Graceland Wilson Neighbors Association" and mailed to:

From the always informative News-Star:

Next Tuesday, Aug. 5, neighborhoods across the city will be observing the 25th annual National Night Out. The designated theme of this year's citywide National Night Out is "Imagine a World without Violence."

The first National Night Out began in 1984 to heighten crime and drug awareness, generate support for anti-crime programs and strengthen community and police partnerships in fighting crime. The annual event is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. In 2007, over 35 million people participated in National Night Out in communities both large and small.

News-Star encourages all of its readers to get out and meet your neighbors and take back the street corners from drug dealers and gangbangers, instead of carping about it on the neighborhood blogs. For those of us fortunate enough to have running cars, jobs that pay a decent wage, flat-screen televisions and quiet buildings to live in, we also encourage you to walk a mile in our less fortunate neighbors' shoes, for they are the most greatly impacted by street crime and violence.

Uptown (20th and 23rd District)

St. Augustine's College, 1345 W. Argyle - National Night Out kicks off at 4 p.m. with a block club convention hosted by 20th District CAPS, with green tips, refreshments, children's games, prizes, face-painting, jumping jack, community tables and K-9 and mounted police demonstrations taking place from 6 to 9 p.m. Free trolley rides through the beautiful 20th District will also be available on a first-come basis starting at 6:10 p.m. For more information, call (312) 742-8770.

Aster Playlot, 4639 N. Kenmore - CAPS 2312, along with Chase Park, will sponsor an outdoor barbecue for neighbors from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Face painting, art projects and other activities for children are also planned. Residents of all ages are encouraged to attend. For more information, call (312) 744-4247.

Sunnyside Mall, on Sunnyside, between Malden and Magnolia - "Taking the beat to the street," CAPS 2311 will hold its regular monthly meeting outside. Neighbors will be grilling hot dogs and hosting activities for kids starting at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (312) 744-4247.

Ald. Shiller's staff is mighty quick to tell residents and taxpayers to move if they don't like the crime here.

But they want to bleed the homeowners dry at the same time.

Sneaked into the end of a Sun-Times article today:

"Daley proposed using $10 million in TIF funds to help develop a 75,000-sq.ft. student center and parking facility at Truman College."

Why don't Truman students pay for their own parking and student center in the form of increased registration fees? Why put the burden on residents who live near Truman? The same people who are mocked by Denise Davis at a public meeting and told "leave and don't come back!" by George Atkins.

First pigeons, then plastic baggies, then felons and massage parlors. Check out her latest endeavor at the Sun-Times here.

Details of the town hall meeting that just took place this evening are still trickling in, but the word from those who attended is that the turnout was phenomenal. We are told that Alderman Shiller sat in the front row with her back to the audience and did not say ONE word to those in attendance, not even commenting on what she is doing to help combat crime in Uptown. Representatives from the 47th and 48th Wards were there and spoke and were even on the panel of speakers, but not one peep from our own alderman. Were you there? Let us know what you saw and heard in the comments. Oh, and Christie Hahn from Uptown Business Partners...you rock.
Update: Fox Chicago was at the meeting. Their coverage can be seen here. The coverage is great until the end when the anchor mentions that Ald. Shiller was not on the panel but her chief-of-staff was. Another example of people confusing "Shiller" and "Schulter." Dan Luna from Gene Schulter's office was on the panel but Alderman Shiller's own Denise Davis was sitting in the front row. The 46th Ward was NOT represented on the panel.

As if you had not heard, there will be a Town Hall Meeting on Public Safety tonight at 6:30pm at Truman College in the cafeteria. We have heard that Ald. Shiller will be in attendance as well as someone from her staff. We suggest residents bring both cameras and video cameras to document the meeting as it is sure to be an interesting one! Be sure to bring your questions and comments as well. We are pretty sure you might have a few things on your mind and if you do, we suggest you email a concerned resident named Molly Phelan who is taking suggestions for fighting/reducing crime in Uptown and will give those suggestions to our elected officials. They can be reached at helpuptown@gmail.com

Seen this morning at the Alderman's "Community Service Office."

We noticed the ATM that was just to the east of Nick's on Wilson (Wilson and Clifton) has been removed and covered with plywood. Is this going to be turned into an entrance into this building? Does it have something to do with the upcoming 7-Eleven? We will have to wait and see.

A reader observes about the Clarendon Park playlot, next to the fieldhouse:

As a daily dog walker - early morning and later at night, I was noticed a huge waste of water on display coming from the large children's sprinkler in the playground. The water from this sprinkler seems to runs non-stop 24 hours a day at what has to be a rate of gallons of water per minute - I have never seen it turned off.

Can't they install a shutoff or set it up for automatic turn on - it was pointed out by friends in from the suburbs where they are on restricted water use and lawn watering schedule.

Ald. Shiller has really been parroting promoting the Mayor's "green" and "recycling" shtick lately. We have to wonder: Is water running 24 hours a day, rain or shine, an ecological and green-planet "best practice"?

A reader writes: "Just received this via email after sending a link from UU about the crazy behavior at Shiller’s office:

Hello. Thank you for your recent request regarding tomorrow's Political Forum program.. Alderman Shiller's appearance is being rescheduled for a date TBD in the future."

Another reader who was passing by the Wilson L station today sent us this photo of a man who has taken up residency in front of the station. We had seen him in the same spot yesterday. He never flinched when trains screeched by overhead or fire trucks with sirens blaring passed by. The reader said they contacted 911 for a wellness check.

Dear Alderman Shiller,

I stopped into your office today to make an appointment with you, which I was told wouldn't happen. I told your staff what my concerns were, that I wanted to talk about the violence, and the drugs, and the trash and broken glass, the condition of the park and state of our neighborhood. Your staff told me that this was a safe clean neighborhood, and where did I think I was moving into, that there was no trash, and there were no drugs. I was told that all I want is to kick people out of the neighborhood who don't look like me. At this point I was crying, asking them why don't they care, why don't they come walk down my street and pick up a bag of trash with me and see the kids doing drugs out in the streets. They laughed and said if I don't like it I should just move, "this isn't your college campus sweetie." I told them that is not the answer, that poor people deserve better, poor people do not deserve to live with violence, it should not be a way of life for anyone, that everyone deserves to live in a safe, clean neighborhood. I repeatedly asked them why don't they care, why don't they come out and look for themselves. What I experienced in your office was governmental negligence, and it was disgusting. I can't believe your offices' total lack of disregard for this community, for concerned citizens, for the safety of everyone in this neighborhood. We have to get you out of office. I'll run, I may not win, but I will fight for this neighborhood. I am just so sad about the negligence and your ability to turn a blind eye, to assume that anyone who wants to make a difference, to make this neighborhood better for everyone is racist, that just sickens me. Your office is totally incompetent, there is no concern about the safety and cleanliness of this community, your answer to voters complaints is to call them racist and tell them to move. You clearly do not care, but I do, and I am going to make it my mission to let the people in my neighborhood know that they deserve better, that government can care about them, that the cyclical nature of racism and poverty does not need to continue, that they deserve to live free of violence, free of trash filled streets, free of constant crime and drug abuse, that maybe their government does not care, but I do, and there is a better way. I will keep fighting for this neighborhood, and I will come by your office every day until you meet with me about the violence and drugs in this community.

Sincerely,
Stephanie McNeely

Update 7/30: From Crain's- Uptown Theatre Buyer Calls City Requirements 'Onerous'
Update #2: Check out "Clout City's" take on the sale of the Uptown Theatre
Update#3: Uptown Theatre Makes The News In The UK

From Chicago Real Estate Daily (Crain’s) — Without any drama, a venture led by concert promoter Jam Productions Ltd. bought the historic Uptown Theatre Tuesday for $3.2 million in a court-ordered foreclosure sale.

Jam principal Jerry Mickelson was the only bidder for the long-vacant theater at 4816 N. Broadway. The sale price was essentially a “credit bid” that covers repayment of about $1.8 million owed on a first mortgage and $1.4 million owed on a second mortgage that’s held by Mr. Mickelson’s group.

Mr. Mickelson, who has said he plans to restore the Uptown, declined comment at the sale.

The property’s ownership has been in dispute, and Mr. Mickelson — in a venture with Block 37 developer Joseph Freed & Associates LLC — began pushing for a foreclosure sale early last year when the venture acquired a defaulted $500,000 second mortgage on the theater.

A court must still approve the sale of the 4,500-seat theater. Mr. Mickelson’s attorney, Todd Rowden of Thompson Coburn Fagel Haber, says he expects there won’t be any objections and that the court will soon approve the sale.

“It went pretty smooth,” Mr. Rowden said after Tuesday’s sale. “Given the publicity, we were expecting some other bids.”

Jam competitors Live Nation Inc. and Madison Square Garden Entertainment both looked into buying the 1925 building, which was originally constructed as a movie palace. Jam in 2006 bought the Riviera Theatre down the street and also owns the Park West in Lincoln Park and the Vic Theatre in Lakeview, all music venues.

In addition to receiving court approval, Mr. Mickelson must also resolve some $1.8 million in liens that the city has against the Uptown related to maintenance work the city performed. That puts the total cost of the theater at roughly $5 million, a fraction of the $40 million that’s estimated to be required to renovate the building that’s lain fallow since closing in 1981.

Mr. Mickelson told the Chicago Tribune in a story published Tuesday that the restoration will require assistance from the city.

Workers are installing the ground floor retail windows of the Uptown Broadway Building this afternoon. They have also replaced a large section of brick on the north side of the building.
Also, we remember hearing that a West Coast-based burger joint was interested in a retail spot in this building. Could it be "The Counter" custom built burgers? They are planning to open their first Chicago location in Lincoln Park, but could they soon be calling Uptown home as well? If this a business you would like to see in our neighborhood, click "contact" at the bottom of their website and send them an email mentioning this location.

We had to laugh when we read this email:

So I was using my Google reader to check out the Uptown Update and thought I should share with you to share with your readers some news about a show at the Annoyance on Thursday's called Tommy's Place (go see it, it is ridiculously hilarious).

Lo and behold, the Uptown Update has been banned from my approved websites! It is banned due to Malicious Content. I work for the city and cannot gain access to your site anymore! This is sad and annoying, it's because of all the degenerate activities that have been happening in our neighborhood the past few weeks.

If I can't see it, I bet when Shiller comes into her office she can't either, not that she would anyway because that would mean she was involved in her community....

We were driving down Broadway and saw this car parked on Cuyler, with the arrow pointing east on the block where the infamous "Cuyler Boys" gang is. So who -- or what -- does the tag point the way to?

UPDATE: Read the Tribune's take on it. "The fortunes of the long-imperiled, down-at-heel Uptown look brighter now than at any point in the last two decades." Uptown Theatre Goes On The Block

We received this email from the Uptown Adviser, which is monitoring the situation regarding the auction of the Uptown Theatre:

Eight Forty-Eight (WBEZ) reporters have been working since last Friday on covering the scheduled judicial auction of the UPTOWN THEATRE property, 4816 N. Broadway, in Chicago, which is set for tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29.

The best of our collective understanding is...) This sale was rescheduled from previously cancelled dates. It is based on a judge's decision to force two parties to sell their interests to one party.

What's for sale? The property and all of its debt, including debt from previous owners borrowing against it and from liens for services provided, such as scaffolding and stabilization. Observers anticipate that two known prospects - JAM Productions and Live Nation, who each own portions of the debt - will be first in line at the sale. However, no specific plans or intentions have been made public.

Purchasing the building and its debt could be a first step toward renovation and reuse. However, one has to keep in mind that tens of millions of dollars will be needed after satisfying the purchase cost and debt in order to actually renovate the theatre for some entertainment use.

The news radio show Eight Forty-Eight airs at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on WBEZ, 91.5 FM, in Chicago and streams online via: http://www.wbez.org/Program_848.aspx

Both Crain's Chicago Business and rock critic Jim DeRogatis have covered this topic well in recent stories: Uptown Theatre draws crowd of suitors and The fight for control of the Uptown

Success! Well, at least partial. You may remember the numerous lights that were burned out all around our beloved Wilson L station. We are happy to report that the 4 lights at the auxiliary entrance on Wilson have been replaced (who knows how long they have been burned out). The 4 lights under the tracks on Broadway have yet to be replaced but the station was a flurry of activity this afternoon as police caution tape was blocking part of the sidewalk for work. We can only hope the workers are there to replace the remaining lights and maybe even give the station a good ol' scrub down.

Il Fiasco is no more. The Italian restaurant closed for business yesterday, July 27th, after less than two years in existence. Within a month, the space will be transformed to Tapas Las Ramblas, a tapas restaurant.

An Uptown Update reader has created an online community for Chicago bikers called thechainlink.org. It's a place where bikers can find group rides and routes, share information and connect with other bikers.

"I created it because even though there are tons of bikers in Chicago, it's a pretty fragmented community. My hope is that this site will allow bikers in Chicago and surrounding areas to connect with each other, explore the area through interesting rides and routes, and most of all, bring a sense of community to Chicago biking."

Although this has nothing to do with the new chainlink site, it's a good time to slip in a plug for a successful local business that's known citywide, Uptown Bikes.

We received this report from a reader about another gunfire incident over the weekend, right on our residential streets. Folks, we can't stress enough how important it is that there's a huge turnout at the Town Hall meeting this Wednesday.

For years, Uptowners have been ignored or belittled by our elected officials when we've complained about crime and violence. Now there are two politicians who've been listening and are holding a meeting to hear our concerns. Let's hope that incidents like the one described below happen less and less as we do everything we can to create safer streets and a healthy community.

I was awoken last night by about 7 gunshots on the corner of Sunnyside and Hazel - the corner which I live on. They were so loud last night, that I leaped out of my bed and down onto the floor, fearing getting hit by a stray bullet. After the gunshots, my boyfriend and I heard someone shrieking outside, literally screaming bloody murder. I called 911 but it was busy.

The whole corner was lit up like a carnival - at least 4 cop cars, an ambulance, and if I recall correctly, a fire truck as well. We caught a glimpse of a man going insane, being arrested on the hood of a cop car. He was the one screaming and I heard a cop yelling at him to "stop being a fucking idiot".

This is definitely not the first time I have ever heard gunshots out on this corner since I've lived here {a year now}. Since March, gunfire has been at least a monthly occurrence. This was the biggest one that I was around for. I wish I knew more details, but of COURSE the newspapers never report ANYTHING.

Massive Ego Productions is filming scenes in our neighborhood for their upcoming film "The Landlord." An exterior scene at 1060 W Buena will be filmed Sunday evening.

Parking has been banned for all of Buena west of Sheridan from 7 p.m. Sunday till 3 a.m. Monday.

Anyone with special needs or concerns is invited to call Dan Kiggins, location manager for Massive Ego, at 847-373-8952.

We're sensing a a theme here: Remember Riley, the Wheaten Terrier who disappeared at Montrose Beach around the time of Independence Day? Well, some good news about Riley this morning.

My Wheaten Terrier, Riley, has been found. A woman and her fiancé picked him up at the park, knowing he was lost and took him home. She wasn't sure how to contact me, even though he had all of his tags. She saw one of my flyers at the beach yesterday and thankfully decided to return him to me. He's in very good condition and is really happy to be home. Thanks so much for posting our story!

Update: According to The Broken Heart of Rogers Park, the boys were found and are safely home.

Lorraine Swanson of the News-Star alerted us to this breaking story. We hope the two boys are found and are okay.

Two Rogers Park boys missing
Police Searching Their Route Home from Camp in Uptown

Police are looking for two 9-year-old Rogers Park boys who did not get home yesterday afternoon from a summer camp in Uptown. Both boys live in Rogers Park, on the 1300 block of West Touhy.

Officer Brady of the 24th Police District confirmed that police and Area 3 detectives are out on the streets and in the parks of the Far North lakefront looking for the boys. Brady said he did not know how long the boys have been missing, but that unconfirmed reports from residents questioned by police put the time at Friday afternoon.

The parents of the boys were at the 24th District police station at 6:45 a.m. Saturday to report them missing, Brady said.

The boys' names have not been released, but neighbors in Rogers Park say the first names of the missing 9-year-olds are Khalid and Ali. Both boys are from Nigeria; they were last seen leaving the Sunlight African Community Center at 4554 N. Broadway.

The boys are a little taller than 5 feet. One was wearing a red Phat Farm T-shirt; the other was in a shirt with vertical stripes. Residents said they were told by police that both boys knew their way home to Rogers Park from Uptown.

Police have not issued an Amber Alert, but Brady said that a police radio flash message has been issued, and that officers from the 23rd and 24th police districts in Uptown and Rogers Park are out searching for the boys.

CHICAGO (WBBM) - Chicago aldermen have given preliminary approval to a measure that might allow some convicted felons to operate massage parlors.

WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.

The ordinance approved by the City Council licensing committee would still bar anyone convicted of sex crimes from running a massage business. But, those with old convictions for unrelated crimes could prove they are rehabilitated and get an okay.

Ald. Helen Shiller knows of someone with a shoplifting record who was denied a license.

Lt. Eve Gushes, head of Police Vice Control, still has some misgivings. She says the intimate nature of the massage act itself, and the prevalence of criminal activity in the industry, make it important to protect the public and the women who are often exploited.

But Gushes acknowledges the safeguards and says police will enforce whatever laws the aldermen pass.

The News-Star has a "web extra" story about the circumstances leading up to next week's Town Hall meeting and a report on last night's FORUM meeting.

State Representatives to Hold Emergency Town Hall in Response to Uptown Shootings

The News-Star also encourages Uptown Update readers to sign up to receive Web Extras via email.

A note from Ald. Schulter with news that might affect your commute:

For the next three months, Montrose Avenue will be unavailable to through traffic between Damen and Ashland. Local traffic will remain open along with all sidewalk access. All of the businesses on Montrose Avenue will remain open. I encourage 47th Ward residents to shop locally and to continue to support the businesses on Montrose.

Repeated partial collapses during cleaning and inspection operation have persuaded the Department of Water Management that a full sewer replacement between Damen and Hermitage is necessary.

The Montrose CTA Bus (#78) will be rerouted eastbound at Damen to Wilson. The bus will continue east on Wilson to Ashland and then back to Montrose. The west bound route will continue through the construction area on Montrose. The Montrose El Station will remain open at all times during this work and access to the station will be ensured from all directions.

From the Cinema Treasures website:

Uptown Theater to be auctioned

posted by balabanandkatz on July 25, 2008 am31 8:05am

CHICAGO, IL — It has come to the attention of the Balaban and Katz Historical Foundation that the Uptown Theater building at 4816 North Broadway in Chicago will be auctioned publicly on July 29th at 10:30 am at the offices of the Judicial Sales Corporation. The address is 1 South Wacker Drive (24th floor) in Chicago.

The Judicial Sales Corporation has a website. The law firm involved in the case is Noonan and Lieberman Ltd. located at 105 West Adams Street Chicago.

Here are some observations a reader sent in from last night's grassroots FORUM (Friends Organizing to Repair Uptown's Mismanagement) meeting.

A special thanks to the couple who organized it at such short notice, as one of them will take the bar exam next week. And to Kahawa Coffee House for hosting it and being a good neighbor to the community. We appreciate all of our Uptown businesses, and a brand new store allowing residents to hold a meeting at their place makes us appreciate Kahawa even more.

• The meeting was very informal, and it was made clear at the start that it should not, and did not intend to replace traditional CAPS meetings or other meetings with represented officials.


• It became clear that we needed a sense of unity as far as both meetings and information outlets is concerned. People simply don't know how to make a difference, and how and when to attend meetings. The more bodies at these meetings (especially CAPS meetings), the sooner we can make a difference.


• People need to call 911 often. If in doubt as to whether you should call 311 or 911, call 911. Give your name and phone number, get a case number, and follow-up later that day or the next. Everyone must call 911 at least once this week. Brush your teeth, make coffee, dial 911... Post Cappleman's "How to make an effective 911 call" -- available on uptownneighbors.org


• We have people working on a new sign/window placard campaign that says something to the effect of "NOT ON OUR BLOCK. UPTOWN RESIDENTS AGAINST CRIME, DRUGS, AND GANGS"


• Spread the word about Uptown Update. The more people who read the depressing stories, the more informed our community gets, and the more active they want to become. Make signs with Uptown Update on them, write Uptown Update with sidewalk chalk, tell everyone you know...


• Take back our community by acknowledging everyone when you walk by them. Including drug dealers. Saying hi to the gangbangers will catch them off guard, and let them know that we are watching them.


• Court advocacy flyers handed out -- When an Uptown resident who is arrested is brought to court, we need to have Uptown residents attend the court hearing. If a judge sees residents from that area, they are more likely to impose a stiffer sentence.


• There is only one blue-light police camera in our district (Sheridan and Wilson) even though every district has funds allotted for two. Bombard Shiller's office with e-mails demanding why. Make signs saying "Uptown has one police camera when every other district has two. Demand answers from Helen Shiller"


• Possibility of starting a 911 phone tree so that instead of 1 person calling about a particular incident, 3 or 4 or 5 can. The more 911 calls, the more police presence.


• Fill out 1/2 sheets at CAPS meeting to let them know of constant problem areas. First and foremost, attend the CAPS meetings.


• A petition will be made demanding answers from the Police Superintendant, and will also be sent to other interested parties in our community (the Alderman, public housing landlords, police chief, mayor).


• Join your block club. Go out into the community. Know your neighbors. Take back Uptown. Don't be afraid of Sunnyside Mall or any other hot spot.


• FORUM meeting was beneficial -- it will be done again, although there is a need to combine forces with all other similar community meetings.

Since Uptown's mobster past is so well-known, it's fitting that reputed Outfit killer Frank 'The German' Schweihs died yesterday in this very neighborhood, at Thorek Hospital.

If you ever saw Casino (corrected) and shuddered at the fictionalized cornfield hit on the Spillotro Brothers, well, you've got Frankie Schweihs to thank for your nightmares.

Um, allegedly.

We stumbled across a blog post that celebrates Profiles Theatre's upcoming 20th Season in Buena Park. If you've never been there, give it a try. We've seen some fine shows there, up close and personal, at about a third of the cost of a show in the Loop.

A few commenters have floated the idea of raising money to buy display ads in the newspapers to showcase Uptown.

Should this idea come to fruition, a reader was kind enough to send us the rate cards for both major Chicago dailies.

Click here for the Sun-Times's rates, and here for the Tribune's.

Don't forget about our local papers, the News-Star and Inside.

We have a community paper that covers Uptown and areas north, and does it very well, the News-Star. Lorraine Swanson, the editor of the paper, would like it to be known that she welcomes the input and story ideas of Uptown's residents.

If you would like to speak with her -- particularly about the shootings we've experienced in the past ten days -- call her anytime at 708-613-3314. Leave a voicemail and she'll call back.

If you want to support the News-Star (and we do, whole-heartedly, because it's the only media source that covers Uptown in depth), please consider subscribing.

There's been so much turmoil in the neighborhood lately that we wanted to post something dignified and graceful. Earn the respect and admiration of your peers by identifying the location of the mystery picture above. Bonus points if you can tell what the "S" stands for.

The Bench, in Rogers Park, has gotten some good photos of what's been going on behind the double fences at the Wilson Yard construction site. Take a peek here at photos taken earlier today.

Too bad we have to learn what's going on from glimpses of the site taken from the el passing by. But, hey, if you want to take in a movie at Cricket Hill, or learn about recycling, check out Alderman Shiller's web site.

State Sen. Heather Steans and State Rep. Greg Harris have announced a community Town Hall Meeting to address the issues of public safety. It's in response to the community's concerns and anger over the recent violence and gun battles in our streets.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, July 30th, at the Truman College Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.

23rd District Commander Kathleen Boehmer will be present. Ald. Helen Shiller has been invited, but it's not certain whether she can attend. (Note: The meeting conflicts with Ald. Shiller's scheduled appearance on CAN-TV.)

Cmdr. Boehmer confirms that there have been eight warrants issued and six arrests made at the problem building at Magnolia and Wilson already. There are two outstanding warrants.

We urge everyone who read and comments on this blog to attend the meeting. Posting here helps build a sense of community and helps make people aware of the problems and joys of life in Uptown, but it's no substitute for action, and activism.

Let's have a huge turnout at this meeting to see what we, as citizens who are fed up with living with fear and crime, can do to create a community that's safe and healthy.

UPDATE: Here's a flyer for the event. We strongly suggest you print it and distribute it to your neighbors who may not be aware of the meeting. The more of us who are aware and active, the stronger a statement we make.

A little thing called the U.S. Constitution

Last week an Uptown man found himself caught between a hail of bullets near the corner of Wilson and Malden around 3:30 in the afternoon. Thankfully, the man was able to escape being injured or killed by flooring his car through what appeared to be a gang fight.

The man did the right thing by calling 911. In fact, 23rd District police officers interviewed by News-Star, including the police commander, stated that other witnesses who observed the midday gun fight also called 911. Police confirmed that the incident had indeed taken place.

After meeting police officers at a nearby Walgreens, the man was taken back to the scene of the crime where several male suspects had already been rounded up by police.

From the back of a Chicago police squad car, the man was able to point out the shooters. Since no one was killed or injured, and there was no property damage, police told the man that the shooters could only be charged with a misdemeanor for discharging a firearm within city limits.

Weighing his options, the man decided not to file a complaint. He could not be anonymous and would have to show up to court, where his name and face would then become known to the alleged shooters. He said he would have been glad to file a complaint if he had not feared for his safety.

Before everyone jumps on the man for not "getting involved," there is a little thing called the United States Constitution that presumes innocence for all persons charged with a crime. It also guarantees the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and the right to a fair trial. The Constitution also grants the accused the right to face their accusers in a court of law.

Eighth-grade civics teaches us that the Constitution was written to protect innocent persons from being unjustly arrested or imprisoned for crimes which they did not commit.

Still, it seems unfair that a citizen trying to do right thing by reporting a crime to police would have to fear for his own safety, especially when he was the victim. Millions of guilty persons have escaped punishment by law when their guilt could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt.

The U.S. Constitution is certainly not a perfect document. Then again, it isn't a perfect world.

Midday gun battle shocks Uptown residents

We were alerted to some interesting news hidden in the comments section of another website, written by someone with a really good Uptown Theatre pedigree (the theatre was built by Balaban & Katz in 1925; David Balaban is the grandson of one of the founders):

There is a rumor going around that the final ownership of the theatre will be decided by the end of September. I took a walking tour with my friend Rene Rabiela Jr., a few days ago. (His dad, Rene Rabiela, operated the theatre during its time as a rock and roll palace.) The inside of the theater is in pretty rough shape but it is overwhelmingly beautiful.

[...] Email me with any questions..

David Balaban
Dated July 21, 2008

A reader sent in this photo of the site of Tuesday's shooting, as it looked Wednesday: "The crime scene on Leland. Nomad. Is he the shooter or shootee? They are at least telling us this is the "'official site.'"

There are two community events within a couple blocks of each other tonight, Thursday, July 24. We hope you can make one or the other, or both.

Clarendon Park Neighborhood Association has its Dog Park Fundraiser from 6-9pm at the Driftwood, 1021 W. Montrose. THE SPOT stepped up in big way and gave us fifty $10 gift certificates for their place. We will be giving these away to the first 50 people at the Dog Park Fundraiser tomorrow. We also have free goodies bags for the first 75 people who come, compliments of SOGGY PAWS. THE DRIFTWOOD will be donating a free hour of drinking for you and 19 friends. We will have two of those available. THANK YOU DRIFTWOOD. YOU ARE AWESOME!

Beyond that we have raffle prizes from the good folks at THE HOUNDRY, DANNY'S DOG WALKERS, UPTOWN BIKES, OUT-U-GO, SOGGY PAWS, and KATHERINE DUNCAN CHOCOLATIERS. All this for a suggested donation of $15 to help us build a neighborhood Dog Park. Your time and generosity is always greatly appreciated.

And just a couple blocks east:

FORUM (Friends Organizing to Repair Uptown's Mismanagement) will have its inauguaral meeting at Kahawa Coffee House (838 West Montrose) at 7pm. Meet our newest community group at one of our newest locally owned establishments, a Kenyan coffeehouse. The owner will provide free coffee to meeting attendees. Great way to get in on a grassroots opportunity to help change our neighborhood for the better.

http://www.aldermanshiller.com/ has been updated to address the Wilson Yard situation. The only problem is, they don't have anything much new to say in The Facts About Wilson Yard.

They say: 1. Target is coming and link to the months-old Crain's article that says "talks have opened" with Target and they would "give additional details/updates towards the end of June."

No mention of the fact that for the past TWO YEARS they've claimed to have a letter of intent from Target. How are negotiations just now starting if they've had this never-produced-in-public letter of intent all along?

They say: 2. There are two residential buildings that are part of the Wilson Yard development. Both are rental and will be affordable to households earning up to 60% of the Area Median Income.

But, as usual, no mention of all of the minimum household income -- just the ceiling amount. No mention of the fact that the Illinois Housing Development Authority has classified 100% of the Wilson Yard rental units as low-income, very low-income and extremely low-income.

Read it for yourself and make up your mind. But don't just read what the Alderman's office is saying (and it seems to be quite a defensive position). Look between the lines and see what's NOT being said.

Remember, "there are lies, damned lies, and statistics."

UPDATE: A reader points out in the comments:

From the aldermanshiller.com website Terms and Conditions: "Citizens for Shiller does not warrant or make any representations as to the quality, content, accuracy, or completeness of the information, text graphics, links and other items contained on this server or any other server."

Could it be that all the Uptown streets that are currently ripped up might have to do with work on the sewer system, rather than a resurfacing project? The same ageing sewer system that was the ostensible reason for funding the Wilson Yard TIF?

We're curious to know how much money -- if any -- from the let's-go-back-to-the-well-for-more Wilson Yard TIF is being used for this sewer upgrade. Anyone know? And does anyone know if this will in any way solve the problems caused by the corroding, century-old pipes under our streets?

From the comments:

It is official --> It's official --

Tomorrow (Thursday) at 7 p.m. Emergency meeting of FORUM (Friends Organizing to Repair Uptown's Mismanagement) at Kahawa Coffee House (838 West Montrose).

Owner will provide free coffee (they also have lattes, smoothies, pastries that, while not free, are nonetheless delicious!).

On the agenda are four main areas that need improvement:

1. Development of local business and economy
2. Proper response from and relations with public officials
3. Halting gang and other crime/violence, and
4. Visibility or media coverage of corruption when it cannot be averted.

The Sun-Times has an interactive map of all the red-light cameras in Chicago. Here's a close-up of those closest to Uptown:

• Peterson & Western


• Foster & Western


• Irving Park & Western


• Foster & Broadway


• Foster & Sheridan


• Hollywood & Sheridan

The Area Three Special Victims Unit asked us to post this flyer that they're distributing around the neighborhood to find the parents of Baby Wilson. Please print out a couple and give them to your neighbors or distribute them at your next community gathering.

Someone -- a grandmother, a neighbor, a school friend -- knows who this little guy's parents are.

Good News!
A little birdie told us that you can almost certainly expect a wine boutique called "Wine Not" to open in the long vacant Magnolia Gardens condo building at the corner of Wilson and Magnolia. That same birdie mentioned that a pet boutique is almost a certainty in the building's other vacant space.

Mark your calendars, folks. If you happen to be off from work on Thursday, August 14, head on down to the Daley Center, Room 1111 at 9:30am. This will be the second court date for the hotel and owner Jay Bomberg is expected to be there to detail what he has done to fix the countless (44) code violations and what he plans to do to make this place a better neighbor.

Our CAPS office would like to notify the community of these upcoming events.

(We at Uptown Update held off on uploading these for a few days in order to post them near the dates of the events. The timing is unfortunately close to the shooting on Leland. This is not a case of the police having bad priorities, simply that of Uptown Update -- or the Leland shooters -- having very bad timing.)

• The Center on Halsted is having a Health Fair Saturday & Sunday, July 26-27.
  
• The City is having a Gun Turn-in on Saturday, July 26. Our local drop-off location is Uptown Baptist Church, at Wilson and Sheridan. The hours are 10am - 4pm, and each gun turned in will be exchanged for a $100 prepaid Mastercard.
  
• Block Club University Resource Fair will be held at Truman College on Saturday, August 2, 10:30 am-noon. All are welcome!
  
• National Night Out Against Crime is Tuesday, August 5. Each beat in the 23rd District will create its own observance. Beat 2311 will hold its CAPS meeting on the Sunnyside Mall with a BBQ and community rally (details to follow).

... Damn it!

This one was at Malden and Leland (corrected) shortly before 5 p.m. tonight.

One person was hit and taken to the hospital in critical condition; two shooters fled. One was taken into in custody at 1255 Wilson and one is being searched for.

Check Uptown Crime Blotter for updates; they're blogging as fast as they can to keep up.

The picture above is the crime scene (which is Leland, extending between Malden and Magnolia) at 5:30, sent in by a reader.

Another photo from a reader at the scene. We're getting some conflicting information about the suspect who was apprehended; it's possible the photo directly above shows where he was caught, on Leland rather than on Wilson.

We're sure details will become clearer as time goes on. Right after and during a crime, it gets a little fuzzy in the heat of the moment.

UPDATE: A reader on the scene tells us that a woman with two small children, one so young it's in a baby carrier around her neck, had driven through the crime scene very shortly before shots rang out. Her van was shot (we think when it was parked, not while she was in it). Everyone's safe. Her husband is currently stationed in Afghanistan; why the heck is it that his wife and kids in the States are closer to gunfire? Our reader closes with "I hope people understand how serious this is."

UPDATE #2: This is the Tribune's story on it:

"A man was in serious condition after being shot on the North Side in the Sheridan Park neighborhood shortly before 5 p.m., authorities said. The man was shot in the 1200 block of West Leland Avenue at about 4:45 p.m., said Officer JoAnn Taylor, a police spokeswoman. He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious to critical condition, said Joseph Roccasalva, a Fire Department spokesman. Belmont Area detectives are investigating."

From 1908-1910, Chicago changed the way it numbered its buildings to the now-familiar and very handy system of eight blocks to a mile, major cross-streets every 400 numbers, and a starting axis of Madison and State.

You can still see some remnants of the old numbering system around Chicago. Irish Pirate was kind enough to snap some photos of the "old ways" on Uptown's Kenmore Avenue. The pre-1908 building that used to be 1529 is now 4016-18; the "McDougall" (and how cool is it when buildings have names?) that was 1537 and 1539 is now 4026-4028.

For more information on the numbering change, check out Chicagology and the Encyclopedia of Chicago; for more photos of the "old numbers," go to the excellent Forgotten Chicago website.

Uptown Update received a message from a detective assigned to the Baby Wilson case. Please, if you have any information or can help identify Baby Wilson's parents, your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

If you have information that might help the investigation to locate this little survivor's mother or father, but want to remain anonymous, Uptown Update will forward it to the detective.

Write to uptownupdate@hotmail.com and be sure to say you want to be anonymous. We will forward your information, but not your contact information.

Please contact Detective Jennifer Ryle #20579, who works out of the Area Three Special Victims Unit located at Belmont and Western. She's assigned the case of the abandoned newborn boy who was found on 08 July 2008 at 4600 N Beacon.

Her contact information is:

Jennifer Ryle #20579
Detective, Special Victims Unit
Area Three Detective Division
312-744-8200 - Office
312-744-5130 - Fax

Seen today outside the Bird Sanctuary at Montrose Harbor.

We would like to consider getting light under the L tracks last year a success, but alas, there are still lights out around our Wilson L stop long overdue of changing. Click the photo above to count the 4 lights (in red circles) that were never replaced last year. Now let's check out the Wilson L entrance on Wilson shall we? How many lights do you think are burnt over there? We count 4 as well. As if our station isn't seedy enough, dark entrances do not encourage people to use this station. You would think these lights would have been replaced when the station was shutdown on the weekend for major repairs. You would think a lot of things. Call 311 and the CTA at 888-YOUR-CTA and let them know this safety hazard needs fixed pronto!

We had been wondering what was going on with this building at Broadway and Irving. Would it be torn down? Well, judging by the new brick being added to the facade, we say no. If you live near this intersection and think there is a business that would thrive here, email the company and give them the realtor's number: 847-337-7277

We have no clue when the last time our crumbling Wilson L station received a good ol' fashioned scrub down, but judging from the rust and grime covering the exterior, it's safe to say it's been a while. A little soap and power-scrubbing would go a long way.

And while you're at it, CTA, you need to disinfect the "home" of the gentleman who camps out in one of the vacant storefront doorways. Hopefully this will be no longer necessary once the CTA makes it top priority to rent out its storefronts and finds tenants who care about the appearance of the station and their storefronts.

If you haven't had a chance to check out Agami at 4712 N. Broadway, you are missing out. They have some of the best sushi on the northside and great atmosphere inside. Check out the reviews on Yelp here.
And after loading up on sushi and sake, you should check out Body Fit Athletic Club right on the corner of Leland and Broadway in the same complex. If you are looking for another option to World Gym, check them out. Give them a ring at 773-878-8822 or check out their Yelp review here.
And while we are on the subject of giving great local businesses your business, this storefront at 4716 N. Broadway has been vacant for a long time now. It's in a prime location, especially with the Uptown Broadway Building rehab taking place across the street. There is a T-Mobile retail store next door that sees quite a bit of business. Perhaps a Sprint retail store would do great here as well. Interested parties can call 847-215-5400.

A reader spotted this gentleman at Lawrence and Broadway this afternoon. He was putting his life in danger as well as the drivers' who were swerving to avoid him, all for some spare change. He was seen stumbling (from intoxication?) into oncoming traffic as drivers wailed on their horns. The reader called 911.

An under-15 squad from Nigeria's 36 Lion Soccer Academy will face elite club teams from Germany, Mexico and the United States at the World Sport Chicago International Cup. Before that, though, they'll play with local kids in Uptown (Montrose and Wilson park) from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23.

Presented by World Sport Chicago as part of the city's 2016 Olympic bid, this international tournament features premier teams from three continents including three-time Chicago International Cup champion Hamburg SV, two under-15 U.S. National teams, a Chicago Fire youth academy team, Chicago Fire star Cuauhtémoc Blanco's Mexican youth academy team and a regional Olympic development team.

The tournament kicks off with opening ceremonies at 3:30 p.m. on July 24 at UIC and runs through Sunday, July 27.

Not much in this 1915 photo of Uptown is around these days. We can spot only the current day Uptown Baptist Church in the distance on the right. This view is looking east on Wilson at Kenmore. The "Kenrose Cafeteria" and everything on the left is long gone and is now a parking lot. The Sheridan Plaza Hotel had not even been constructed at this time. Compare it to the current-day intersection.
(photo: Bank of Chicago and Google Maps)

There's a new Mexican grocery store/fruteria right next to the S&L Pantry, at 4757 Sheridan. We imagine it will serve the same clientele as the now-closed Mi Rancho just a block south. Best of luck to Anadeisy!

We were having lunch the other day at the wonderful Thai Uptown restaurant and came outside to see someone setting up camp in this doorway. This particular doorway is of one of the several long-vacant CTA Wilson L station properties right across the street on Broadway. Hard to believe this is the same Broadway that just a couple blocks away has Borders, the Riv, Marigold, Annoyance Theatre, Crew, Green Mill, etc., etc., etc.

Too bad there are no shelters or social service agencies near Broadway and Wilson to help people escape the harsh life on the street and gain a roof over their heads.

Oh.

Never mind.

We have posted a few views of Broadway and Wilson from this time period, but this is a different perspective from 1918. The "United Cigar" store on the right is where the infamous currency exchange now stands and on the left is where City Sports now stands. Enjoy.
(photo: Chicago Historical Society)

There's a letter to the editor in the Tribune from the receiver for the CHA family public housing development program. In it, he gives reasons why the CHA now provides low-rise, mixed-income housing rather than segregating the poor in high-rises, which are being torn down all over the city.

Look at the housing plan for Wilson Yard. Does it even vaguely resemble the CHA's vision of successful housing, based on the mistakes of the past?

Stated simply, our goal is to create housing that provides CHA residents the opportunity to live in healthy, mixed-income communities. ...

The large tracts of vacant land where demolished CHA high-rises once stood, together with the abundant vacant land that surrounded them, created the opportunity to rebuild walkable, low-density communities, where new CHA homes blend indistinguishably with affordable and market-rate housing. This new investment has led to the development of new shopping centers, restaurants, banks, parks, schools and other amenities that are common in all strong and vibrant communities. ...

[W]e are helping to break the cycle of poverty for thousands of CHA residents, many of whom have lived for generations in unsafe and isolated low-income communities, deprived of essential resources that lead families to self-sufficiency, and that we are creating healthy, sustainable communities, where people of all incomes may live and work peacefully together.

If you've got a spare $1.7 million to spend on housing, take a look at this gorgeous restored 15-room mansion on the 4600 block of Beacon.

For that kind of money, you don't live in "Uptown" anymore: the house is marketed as being in "East Ravenswood." Or, we suppose, South Andersonville. Or West Lakefront? North Lincoln Park?

Update: Heavens to Betsy! We were joking in the paragraph above, but actually saw a listing for a rental on the 4700 block of Beacon described as being in "North Lakeview." Apparently Beacon Street wears many hats in the real estate biz.

We hear that a resident of the Wilson Club Hotel has recently applied for and received a business license as a street performer.

While the name doesn't ring a bell, we can't help but wonder if he's one and the same as this gentleman, who's been regaling Uptowners with his shaking change can and a capella versions of "Oh Susanna" and "Jimmy Crack Corn" at the Wilson Red Line station for years now.

The Wilson Yard TIF's "small business incubator" at work?

Update: Check out Chicago Public Radio's coverage of this "street performer" named Dwayne Story here.

By Andrew Schroedter
(Crain’s) — A North Side real estate firm has paid about $5 million for an Andersonville retail building, with plans to find new tenants for an ornate structure that’s the home of jazz choreographer Joel Hall’s dance studio, which is looking to move.
Realty & Mortgage Co. acquired the 23,220-square-foot structure at 5254 N. Clark St. from a land trust controlled by Avant Shakian, who operates Community Auto Parts Inc., which is on the first-floor of the two-story building and is also looking to move.
Continue Reading

Might we suggest one of Uptown's many vacant storefronts for Mr. Hall's dance studio.

A reader tells us that 15 new routes, including 147, 146, and 148 will be added to CTA's Bus Tracker on Monday, July 21st.

Still no 151, 36, or 22. But it's progress, now that Uptown's East/West routes are online.

To see all the routes that are now available, click here.

If you're going to the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park on Friday, and hate for the night to end, come to the Kinetic Playground for the After-Party. Show a ticket stub for Pitchfork and get in free; $9 otherwise. It all starts at 9:00 p.m. and Kinetic is open 'til the wee hours.

There are plenty of opportunities for fun, and to get out and get to know your neighbors, in the next couple months. If you have any further details, please post them in the comments.

Saturday, July 19
North Uptown Neighbors Association's (NUNA) 4th Annual Block Party
On the 4900 block of Magnolia, 2-7pm. There will be food, drinks, music, arts and crafts, games, and kids' activities, including the Jumping Jack and a fire truck visit. Many local businesses, including Uptown chamber members, have donated great raffle prizes.

Sunday, July 20
House of Prayer Picnic
House of Prayer invites everyone, especially their neighbors from Truman Square and Clarendon Park block clubs, to participate in their picnic they at Foster Beach. Details are available from Pastor Bradley at (773) 275-0245. House of Prayer is located at 4631 Broadway.

Thursday, July 24th
Clarendon Park's Dog Park Fundraiser
@ the Driftwood on Montrose, 6-9pm. Suggested Donation is $15. There'll be drink specials, prizes, food and fun!

Thursday, August 7
Concert in Buena Circle Park
Kenmore/Buena, 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The Thomas Pace Band will perform, and Dr. Looney the Clown will make balloon animals for the children. The concert is free, but neighbors are asked to bring a non-perishable food item(s) as part of a food drive to benefit St. Mary of the Lake's food pantry.

Saturday, August 9th
Clarendon Park Block Party
Noon - 10pm. Suggested donation is $5, kids under 12 free. There'll be four bands, volleyball, horseshoes, bocce ball, bags, burgers, hot dogs, beer and soda, and lots of activities for the kids.

Saturday, August 16 (rain date Sunday, August 17 - some will participate both days)
Sheridan Park Yard Sale
9am-3pm, Montrose to Lawrence, Broadway to Clark. It's that time again! Clean out your clutter and make some cash! Anyone in Sheridan Park can sell - but you have to be registered. We'll keep a Master List which we'll file with Streets and Sanitation 3 days before the sale. So just email, or fax your info (your name, email, phone, and address where you'll be selling) to: kiffer71@yahoo.com or fax: 312-861-4797

Saturday, August 16th and Sunday August 17th
The Raven Festival @ Chase Park
Saturday, Noon - 10pm / Sunday, Noon - 8pm. Proceeds will go towards funding the new playground. Come on by and enjoy two full days and nights of live entertainment (two stages!), food from local restaurants and merchandise from Chicagoland vendors. There'll also be lots of activities for the kids.

Saturday, September 6th
Magnolia Malden Block Party
Details forthcoming
Thanks to Magnolia Malden Block Club, Truman Square Neighbors, and Business Partners for providing the information.

The Uptown Advisor, a service of Friends of the Uptown, is alerting its readers of this event with recent, and not-so-recent, Uptown connections:

For Immediate Release:
On Saturday, July 19, 2008, the congregation of Uptown Baptist Church (UBC) hopes to provide residents on Chicago’s northside with much-needed relief from high gas prices. The church plans to buy-down every gallon of gas sold during a four-hour period of time at two local gas stations. This Saturday only drivers can take advantage of the 25-cent discount at the National Gas station (4900 N. Broadway) from 10:30am-12:30pm and at the BP Amoco station (755 W. Lawrence Ave.) from 3:30pm-5:30pm.

UBC sets a 20-gallon limit per vehicle and buys-down each gallon of gas at a 25-cent discount. For instance, if the average price is $4.25 per gallon, then it will be listed on the sign as $4.00 during the pre-designated time periods. The signs will be adjusted for each grade of gas.

“These are difficult times for a lot of Uptown residents,” said Michael Allen, UBC’s senior pastor, “and we’re excited to do this gas buy-down in conjunction with our local gas stations to show our community that we care about what they’re going through.” UBC members will also be on hand at both gas stations to direct traffic, pump gas, and clean windshields for visitors throughout the day.

There's a new website that rates the walkability (and non-necessity of owning a car) in 40 American cities, tying into "rising fuel prices and the recent studies showing real estate in urban neighborhoods holding its value compared to the decline of suburbs and exurbs.

"The national walkability list is the first list that looks at over 2,500 neighborhoods nationally using an objective algorithm that identifies the closest grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops and other amenities near a given address. The complete list, along with an interactive walkability map of each city, will be available at walkscore.com."

A score of 90–100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.

And guess where Uptown ranks: 5th most walkable neighborhood in Chicago, with a WalkScore of 92. (The Loop is the most walkable neighborhood (98), with Pullman (44) and Riverdale (40) pulling in last, at #76 and #77.)

For a more detailed article on how a WalkScore is compiled, the Wall Street Journal has a good article on it, to which one of our faithful readers alerted us. Thanks!

"The Promotion" might not be in theaters anymore, but we stumbled across the link from a story at the Tribune entitled, "Chicago Scene Stealers." Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly play two Chicago supermarket employees who are in competition for a sweet position at a new store location. Check out the trailer here. Does that L platform view look familiar to anyone?

The News-Star has an interview this week with Brandon Shephard, and it brought a lump to our throats. No one else reported that "Baby Wilson" was wrapped in three plastic bags, knotted at the top like takeout from a local restaurant, with no air holes poked in them. No one else mentioned that the baby was breathing and crying through his nose because his mouth hadn't been cleaned of birth fluid. Read the article here. It made us realize how sad a state Baby Wilson was in when Brandon found him.

It's an Uptown miracle.

The sinkhole that was at 4615 Winthrop (forever and ever and ever and ever) has not only been filled in, but is now indistinguishable from the rest of the parkway.

And no one broke their leg during its reign of terror.

Truman Square rejoices!

Sometimes the letters we get make us laugh out loud:

Just wanted to let you in on a funny little thing that happened this morning at the Buttercup Playlot (Sheridan & Margate Terrace). I was walking the dog there this morning, and happened to glance over and saw a guy pooping in the bushes. Delightful thing to see when the playground is used by kids daily and the grass by all the rest of us.

So being a good citizen, I called 311 to get someone in to clean it up. They immediately transfered me to the emergency dispatchers, who took the report and promised to send police over to find the guy (an impossible task, given the fact that I only saw his, ahem, business end).

The conversation continued more or less like this:

Round 3 looked more or less the same.

I gave up.

It was with a feeling of inevitability and disappointment that we spotted an ancient ripped community banner and weedy Christmas decorations attached to a light pole at the northwest corner of Lawrence and Clark. Yes, Christmas wreaths in July, and a banner so tattered that it wraps in a knot around the pole.

But when we got a closer look, we realized that the banner started with "Ra..." Not "Up..." Ravenswood! Not Uptown!

It's so rare that we get to feel like we have superior streetscaping to any of our North Side neighbors. So allow us a brief moment of Schadenfreude. They don't happen often.

Does anyone know why so many of Uptown's side streets -- which didn't seem to be in bad condition at all -- have suddenly been stripped of their top layers, presumably for resurfacing? Was anyone notified about this in advance? We've seen rough pavement all the way from Beacon to Kenmore.

Just our opinion, but with the rotting sewer pipes underneath the streets being in such bad condition that they were one of the excuses reasons for the Wilson Yard TIF being funded, wouldn't it make a lot more sense to work on what's underneath the streets rather than resurfacing them?

A long-time resident of the 46th Ward wrote a letter to the alderman's office, which he shared with Uptown Update:

I have to say, I am so concerned about the state of Uptown today.

Walking from a friend's Edgewater apartment to my condo on Malden, WHY must I be confronted by a myriad of homeless, mentally ill, abusive, drunk, drug fueled, and generally wandering hordes of 'thugs'? ... The 'strip' between Montrose and Wilson, on Broadway, is such a disgrace.

All the news concerning the 'Wilson Yard' is grim. 'Uptown Slum' in the making. This development seems to be a make-or-break situation for our community, and it looks like the slippery slope just got worse. What about those re-election postcards sent out, with the stylized artist's conception of the finished Wilson Yard?

Does the Alderman realize most real estate brokers suggest selling in winter, thus avoiding potential buyers from seeing the vagrant messes on the street? Does the Alderman realize that most of this goes beyond extra police presence, in that the horrible stage has been firmly set?

Where is the common sense.....and where is the commitment to the future?

And the alderman's answer to her long-time constituent? Nothing. Nada. Silence. As usual, "Alderman Shiller was unavailable for comment."

Which makes Uptown Update wonder... who is representing the interests of the residents of the 46th Ward? Certainly not Helen Shiller. She won't even acknowledge them.

The Chicago Transit Board today approved an intergovernmental agreement with City Colleges of Chicago for the sale of a surplus parcel of land adjacent to the Wilson Red Line station. City Colleges’ Truman campus will build a facility which will include a parking garage with approximately 1,100 parking spaces – 200 of which will be licensed to the CTA for use as Park & Ride spaces.

On an average weekday, over 5,000 customers board at the Wilson station. "This is not only great news for Truman College, which is in need of additional space for its students, but also for CTA customers who use the Red Line who now will benefit from the convenience of additional Park & Ride spaces,” said CTA President Ron Huberman.

Park & Ride services are currently available for approximately 6,200 cars at facilities adjacent to 18 CTA rail stations throughout the system. The Howard station is currently the only other Red Line location with Park & Ride facilities.

“Truman College is pleased to partner with CTA to provide additional parking for the uptown community residents and citizens of Chicago,” said Truman College Interim President Lynn Walker. “For our students, staff and faculty this building will allow them access to a state-of-the-art facility and will consolidate student services into one central location on the first floor of the parking garage. This is service excellence at its best.”

The property, located between West Montrose Avenue and West Wilson Avenue, will be sold to City Colleges for $1.1 million. As part of the purchase price, City Colleges will grant CTA a 15-year license for up to 200 Park & Ride spaces. City Colleges will build and operate the facility

An Uptown bakery was shut down Tuesday after city crews found live roaches and signs of mice infestation and blasted the housekeeping at the business as "nonexistent."

Mayor Richard Daley’s Dumpster Task Force closed Luck Foods, 1109 W. Argyle St., after multiple violations were found at the business, according to a Department of Streets and Sanitation release.

Several people called the city to complain about the sanitary conditions at Luck Foods, and when inspectors arrived the bakery was "filthy," the release said.

Read the rest of the story at NBC5.

Truman Square Neighbors sent along this note about last weekend's block party:

We had an excellent turnout to our 1st Annual Truman Square Neighbors Block Party! We couldn’t have pulled it off without our generous sponsors, and awesome volunteers who showed up and donated their time and energy! We had a great time with great entertainment for kids and adults, food, and drinks.

But most importantly, we got to spend time with our great neighbors! Please visit us the next couple days as pictures are uploaded to the website. http://trumansquareneighbors.org/

Block Party Committee (Julie Sondgerath, Phillip Jacob, Suzanne Elder, Anthony Fleming, Tonia Lorenz, Scott Matucha, Pat Fraser)

A reader sends us photos of the messy and overflowing (to put it mildly) dumpsters in the alley behind 4730 Winthrop. Dumpsters like this send out the message: "Hey, rats! Good eatin' here! Good hiding places, too!" It doesn't matter how many times the City baits the alley if overflowing dumpsters like this exist.

"The irony here is that on the dumpsters, it says they belong to 'Chicago Health Outreach'! The garbage has been there for two days and the block shouldn't have to put up with such a disgusting mess. Other residents have experienced $200 fines from Streets and San for just having their dumpster propped open a little (cited as 'over-flowing'). I'd like someone to follow up to see if 4730 Winthrop actually gets a fine and if so, if they actually have to PAY it."

We at Uptown Update suggest that neighbors use the 311 City Service Request (linked on the right) to report this problem. Because we agree, no block should have to put up with a health hazard like that.

Update on 7/16/08: The Chicago woman who was struck and killed Tuesday by a CTA Red Line train on the North Side accidentally fell onto the tracks, authorities said. Friehiwet Tahir, 35, of the 5000 block of North Ridgeway Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood, died of multiple injuries after falling off the Argyle Street station platform, authorities said. An autopsy ruled her death accidental, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office spokesman. A rider on the train that struck Tahir reported seeing a woman's purse on the platform and a single black flat-style shoe on the track. (Chicago Tribune)

From the Chicago Tribune:

UPDATE: Power was restored to the system about 5:52 p.m., although as of 6:45 p.m. trains were still bypassing the Argyle station. A woman was killed, according to the medical examiner's office. Details to come.

CTA Red Line trains are stopped in both directions between the Wilson and Thorndale Avenues after a person was apparently struck by a northbound train at about 4:50 p.m.Tuesday, a CTA spokeswoman said. Preliminary reports indicate that a northbound train made contact with the person at the Argyle Street station on the Red Line, said CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski.

Power was shut down in both directions, she said. Bus shuttle service is operating between the Addison and Granville stations, stopping at all Red Line stations in all directions, Hosinski said. Trains are operating from Howard to Granville, and from 95th to Addison, she said.

UPDATE #2: Sadly, the death was ruled an accident.

Our neighborhood gangbangers decided to have a shootout across the intersection of Wilson and Malden at around 3:30 [time corrected] this afternoon, while traffic and pedestrians were present.

The Uptown Crime Blotter was, inadvertently and unfortunately, in a prime position to cover the story, as one of the bloggers happened to be driving past and was nearly hit by gunfire.

Anyone else ready for these gang thugs to get the hell out of Dodge?

Crain's has an article on "new fundraising" -- existing non-profits creating businesses to support their causes. Our own Cafe Too is mentioned as a good example.

In the past three years, the Chicago Mayor's Office of Workforce Development has provided $1.2 million in grants to seven non-profits with businesses that train ex-convicts for jobs. The grants come with the backing of the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business, whose students help the organizations improve their business plans.

They include Café Too, a busy Uptown restaurant and coffee bar known for its eggs benedict at Sunday brunch. Inspiration Corp., a Chicago-based non-profit focused on ending poverty and homelessness, opened the restaurant in 2000. Inspiration uses the restaurant to hone its clients' job skills. The trainees, mostly middle-aged ex-convicts or recovering addicts, work in the restaurant for nine weeks. About 75% of them land stable jobs after leaving the program, says Margaret Haywood, director of training and social enterprise.

The restaurant itself does not turn a profit, mainly because the training program adds costs, such as feeding the students. But with an expected $190,000 in revenue this year, it's close to breaking even.

The goal isn't profits, "but to build more ways to train more people," Ms. Haywood says. To that end, Inspiration may add a bakery, a second location or a catering business.

The Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University has released a study of Chicago's Most Diverse Neighborhoods. They are:

1. Uptown (click on the link for the overview) 2. Rogers Park 3. Hyde Park 4. Bridgeport 5. Albany Park 6. Edgewater 7. New City 8. West Ridge 9. Near West Side 10. West Town

However, a reader finds the study to be slightly biased, citing comments like: "Uptown’s ranking testifies to the powerful forces that have reshaped it over the past decade. In this neighborhood, institutions struggle to meet the needs of its heterogeneous population, and residents have been pushing hard for policies to protect the supply of affordable housing, which is diminishing as a result of investments catering to upper-income groups."

He goes on:

"Overall, this is interesting, and there is some credence in what is being presented; however, without the specific index scoring results, the report is somewhat incomplete (ie - what is the Herfindahl index result for Uptown? This number will reveal the concentration of the different income levels).

The report mentions that the neighborhoods ranged in the Herfindahl scoring between .35 and .55 without publishing the neighbor-specific results. I'm willing to wager that Uptown swings in at the .55, which would indicate a higher concentration of low-income people.

It's a nit, but based on the stated positives of income diversity (via early stages of gentrification), if Uptown is at the top of the low-income mix, and more low income is added into the ward (ahem - Wilson Yard), the ranking will trend downward; taking with it the prize of "diversity" as well as the local economy (which is far from robust, at present [ for the last 20+ years).

The report mentions positives related to "early stages" of gentrification; but, fails to address how the "late stages" of gentrification add to, or detract from, the overall goal of "diversity".

Then there's this line which casts the whole thing into a weird light and could lead the heavily suspicious into seeing this report as little more than a PR tool:

Page 3: "Today, diversity is widely seen as one the city’s most enduring features. In April 2008, Mayor Richard M. Daley cited it as being instrumental to the city’s Olympic bid, declaring 'We welcome immigrants from other lands as we have for generations. Out of our diversity comes our city’s greatest strength.'"

Note to Daley: You could have easily replaced "immigrants" with "people"."

The Tribune has an editorial today that pays homage to our Uptown neighbor who saved the life of the abandoned newborn on Beacon and Wilson:

"Here's what we have to do: We have to encourage more Brandon Shephards to step forward. We have to make brief presentations to the organizations to which we belong—any organization, any mission. We have to reach out to the schools our children attend or, if we're teachers, to the schools where we work. We have to ask our churches to post brief notices in their weekly bulletins."

Be careful out there, folks!

Armed robbery reported in Uptown

Two men, one of them armed, robbed a couple walking on Clark Street in their Uptown neighborhood on the North Side late Sunday.

A 43-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were walking when about 11:15 p.m. they were robbed at the 4700 block of North Clark Street near the intersection of West Leland Avenue and North Clark Street, according to Town Hall District police Lt. Bob Kohnen.

The man and woman were walking only blocks from their apartment when two black males, both described as being about 20-years-old wearing black shorts and shoes and dark colored hoodies, asked the man for a light, apparently for a cigarette, according to Kohnen.

Read the rest of the story here.

This photo from 1915 (click to enlarge) shows the view from Sheridan and Wilson, looking north on Sheridan. The building on the left is long gone and now home to McDonald's. The buildings on the right were demolished to make way for the Sheridan Plaza Hotel, now under renovation.
(photo credit: Bank of Chicago)

"Because of his heroic actions, a baby is alive"

Chicago Sun-Times, July 12, 2008

An Uptown man who saved an abandoned baby this week said Friday that he feels a special connection to the child.

"I'm like his pseudo-father now," Brandon Shephard, 25, said after being honored by the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation and the Chicago Fire Department for his actions.

Early Tuesday, Shephard found the crying newborn boy wrapped in a plastic grocery bag in bushes outside his apartment complex after he returned home from a night out.

He didn't have a cell phone and didn't want to waste time getting up to his third-floor apartment, so he picked up the baby and ran to a fire station three blocks away, in the 1500 block of West Wilson.

Shephard kicked in the door and woke up firefighters, who rushed the boy to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

"You know, I wanted to follow them after I gave them the baby. My paternal instincts were kicking in," said Shephard, who is single and doesn't have children.

The boy, called 'Baby Wilson' after the street where he was turned in, suffered from hypothermia and a cut lip when Shephard found him.

He was is in serious condition, an Illinois Masonic spokesman said.

If Shephard had not brought him in, the baby probably would have died, Fire Capt. Bob Martin said.

"Because of Brandon's heroic actions, a baby is alive today," Martin said.

Shephard, who was adopted when he was 9 months old, said he hopes Baby Wilson will "find a great family that understands him, and he can go to them no matter what."

Read the Tribune's story in the comments here.

This was the scene yesterday afternoon as some ornery Uptown youngsters were questioned by the police at where else, but Leland and Malden.

The photographer commented:
"They were all let go after a while and then I proceeded to watch out my window, as they loitered there for the next hour or so. I saw one very complicated hand-off of something about 30 minutes after the police were there...the one person (youngest) gave something to someone (a new person arriving) in exchange for money and then that person walked down and gave the money to the one with the purple rag on his head, all while the tall one watched up and down the street. That's pretty much the scene every day at that corner with mostly the same people..."

Truman Square Neighbors would like us to remind everyone that their first annual Block Party is today from 3-8pm. Suggested admission is $5; kids 12 and under are free. The Brother John Trio, from Buddy Guy's Legends, will play 5-7 p.m. There'll be a bounce house and other activities for the kids, and lots of food and drink from local restaurants.

They're having 15 great raffle prizes (International Cleaners gift certificates, Magnolia Cafe "2 for Brunch" gift certificate, Soggy Paws free dog wash and gift bag, Marigold Restaurant gift certificate, Unique So Chique "High Tea for 2," Dib Restaurant gift certificates, and 2 tickets to Saturday Night's Chicago Fight Night at the Aragon). Tickets are $1 each and 6 for $5. The drawing is at 7, and you need not be present to win.

Please stop by the 4700 block of Kenmore and join the festivities.

We welcome a new blog to Uptown's roster, Uptown Reconciliation, by "The Soul of Murray Humphries." TSoMH expects to post four to five times a week on a regular basis.

Today's post is a doozie -- Now Departing Uptown: Dirt, Lead and Arsenic, about the 18 dump trucks seen taking contaminated earth from Wilson Yard early this morning. Check it out!

The 1991 murder of a 94-year-old Uptown jeweler has been solved by the police, thanks to DNA evidence. Harry Levinson, of 4230 Marine Drive, and his 84-year-old wife were awakened by a burglar in June 1991, who demanded money and car keys. When the 94-year-old man didn't respond quickly enough, the burglar stabbed him with a knife from the home.

Today the police announced that DNA linked the murder to Michael Gonzalez, now 38, who was already serving a 22-year prison sentence for a 2006 armed robbery. Read about it in the Trib and Sun-Times.

Your neighborhood block club, Buena Park Neighbors (BPN), is pleased to announce the second of two free concerts in the Buena Circle Park. Buena Park neighbors and their families will come together under the stars to listen to blues performed by the Thomas Pace Band.

The free concert takes place on Thursday, August 7th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Buena Circle Park is located at the intersection of North Kenmore Ave. and West Buena Ave. (1000 block West and 4200 block North). The Thomas Pace Band concert is co-sponsored by Karen Ayers, State Farm and Mark Zipperer, Re/Max Edge.

The Buena Circle Park concert series is organized by BPN in conjunction with the Chicago Park District. All neighbors and families are welcome.

A reader writes in:

"FYI - I was watching Fox News this morning and a reporter mentioned that Aldermen from around the city are getting together with Police Supt. Jody Weis to discuss the recent up tick in violent crime."

Do you think Alderman Shiller will attend?

From a rare 46th Ward email blast:

"Tonight's movie at Cricket Hill Cinema is canceled due to rain. Ferris Bueller's Day Off will be rescheduled for Thursday, August 28th.

Join us next Thursday, July 17th at sundown for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Cricket Hill Cinema occurs each Thursday evening at dusk through August 28th on the east slope of the toboggan hill, north of Montrose Harbor."

The faded beauty of the Sheridan Plaza Hotel, at Wilson and Sheridan, may be the next in line to be brought back to its original condition. A recent building permit calls for "EXTERIOR REPAIRS WHICH INCLUDE TERRA COTTA REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT, BRICK REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT, SEALANT REPAIRS, PARAPET REBUILDING, AND TUCKPOINTING AS PER PLANS." All to the tune of a whopping $700,000.

With the restoration of the Borders building, the Riviera/Bank of America Building, and the Uptown Broadway Building, we have high hopes that the Sheridan Plaza will once again shine.

In its heyday, it was home to visiting baseball teams playing at Wrigley Field, as well as the Cubs' residential home headquarters. When it opened in 1925, it was the costliest building in Chicago outside of the Loop. Its staff came from the finest hotels in America and Europe.

It began to decline in the 1950s, and by the late 1970s, it seemed sure to be demolished. But new owners stepped in and obtained national landmark status for the building, and then did a $12 million renovation. Let's hope this latest renovation helps keep the old dowager afloat.

(click to enlarge, photo credit: CTA)

From the CTA:

Who needs extra security cameras to curb crime? We guess it all depends on how you define "curb crime."
Mayor Daley is proposing putting cameras on street cleaners. Read all about it at the Chicago Tribune here.

An Uptown man whose last known address was a shelter in the 900 block of West Lawrence has been charged with rape. Read all about it at the Chicago Tribune here.

We're glad to hear that the newborn boy found at Wilson and Beacon earlier this week is improving physically and DCFS is receiving a lot of adoption interest on his behalf.

We're particularly proud of our Uptown neighbor Brandon Shephard for noting the baby's cries, investigating the situation and rushing the baby to the paramedics at the firehouse. Doctors say that if Baby Wilson had remained outside another couple hours, hypothermia would have gotten the better of him.

Well done, Brandon! And best wishes to Baby Wilson, with hopes he has a happy life with a good family.

UPDATE: The police have released a photo of Baby Wilson in hopes someone can identify him.

One for the good guys!

A little bird at the courthouse tells us that yesterday was the hearing date for the tagger who painted Wilson Avenue red in June.

The tagger (an Uptown resident with no known gang affiliation) did his thing on several properties along the 1100 block of Wilson, including Nick's Uptown, the ATM next to it and adjoining properties.

Exhausted by his efforts, he put down his red spray paint can and went into Nick's for an after-work drink. The staff at Nick's noticed his BRIGHT RED PAINTED HANDS and called the police. The spray paint can was taken as evidence.

Yesterday in court, a representative from Jay Bomberg properties showed up as the "injured party." Without her presence, the case would have been thrown out and the tagger would have been released free and clear. There were also a police officer and several court advocates there for the case.

The Bomberg rep showed up with photos of the damage and a DVD showing footage of the tagger in action, taken from various security cameras. Due to her presence and the overwhelming evidence, the tagger copped a plea rather than risk going to trial.

The Public Defender suggested six months probation and 40 hours community service. The Bomberg representative nixed that, saying that it took at least 40 hours to clean up the damage. She required a plea of "guilty," and requested 100 hours of community service, preferably doing graffiti removal.

The final sentence was a guilty plea (handy if he's caught tagging again), 6 months supervision, and 80 hours of community service in a work service program, doing whatever labor and tasks the program is assigned, which can't be specified by the court.

All in all, a good day in court.

If you get a chance, check out one of our favorite Chicago websites, "Forgotten Chicago." There is a special section there featuring "ghost ads" of Chicago, which are long faded and mostly forgotten painted advertisements on the sides of buildings. We have noticed one on Clark just north of Lawrence that is even more visible now that the building on the corner has been demolished. We can vaguely make out "gas" but maybe an Uptown old-timer can fill us in on what this once advertised.

For those of you who are looking for a rental in Uptown in the near future that is brand-spankin' new, look no further than the "Beaconshire" at Beacon and Leland. Workers are gutting the building at the moment, but you can expect studios, one, and two bedroom units. The building is being marketed by "Apartment Source."

We are getting tired of seeing "For Rent" signs up and down Wilson, especially in great locations like this large space at Wilson and Magnolia, that is now offering a "free rent program." How about a Fed-Ex Kinkos or a Hair Cuttery? Just a thought.

Next time you are on the L, notice how all of the stations on the north side have shiny new platform signage for each station. For example, here is how the Lawrence L sign looks:
Now check out our long neglected Wilson L station signage:
Notice a difference? Out-of-towners are often confused as why the sign is "blue" if it is the "red line." Wouldn't it be nice if our station were given the same attention as other stations on the north side?

Update: The Red Line will BYPASS Wilson for the next two weekends for repairs. Read all about it at the Chicago Tribune here.

Just to the west of Kahawa Coffee House Lounge, near Montrose and Hazel, we spotted another space up for sale, this time a church. Interested parties can contact Pastor Geraldine Boddie at 847-682-0919.

"Kahawa House Coffee Lounge" is now open at 838 W. Montrose (where Urban Tea Lounge was formerly located). They feature great coffee, tea and pastries, and best of all, free Wi-Fi. The back section of the lounge has a large seating area and a book exchange. You know the drill folks, if you want retail to flourish, you have to keep your money in your neighborhood as much as possible. Check out Kahawa for a great cup of coffee and check "Uptown Update" on your laptop while you're in there. Call 773-275-3700 for hours and info.

Next time you are going southbound on Lake Shore Drive and exit on Wilson, take a gander off on the right where the "Wilson Avenue" sign should be, and you will see one lone stump. An astute reader tells us that this sign was knocked down in NOVEMBER and still has not been fixed. We are told that when the northbound Foster sign on LSD was knocked down it was replaced in weeks. Why the delay?

A well-informed reader tells us that you can meet 48th Ward Ald. Mary Ann Smith this Tuesday, July 15 from 5:30pm-7pm at "Puptown" in Margate Park. Bring your pup and your questions for the alderman. There will also be a representative from DAWG, a dog advocacy group.

Seen today at Dearborn Wholesale Grocers near Montrose and Sheridan.

A reader writes in:
A quick question...in my 40 years on the North side, I've never seen a building that has been allowed to have its downspouts discharge directly onto the sidewalk, thus creating a swamp in summer and an ice rink in winter for pedestrians to navigate. But the Assyrian Christian Church at 4447 N. Hazel does just that. There is no signage or markings of any kind on the building for contact purposes, but it is a functioning congregation...probably keeping a low profile amongst Islamic neighbors. Just something we have to live with?

Chicago Public Radio station WBEZ recently aired an interview with a current and former member of Jesus People USA, the Christian intentional community located in the 900 block of West Wilson in Uptown.

The "Soul of Murray Humphries" alerted us to these 2 articles discussing the recent development change of a property in the 46th Ward section of Lakeview. A 28 story high-rise had been planned but now, in cooperation with Ald. Shiller, the project will be scaled back to 4 townhomes ranging in price from $3.2 to $3.6 Million. Yikes.

From the Sun-Times-

CUT DOWN TO SIZE: You know the housing market is bad when it comes to this: A developer who had approval to build a 28-story building on North Side property near the lake is opting instead to go smaller. James Letchinger, president of JDL Development Corp., will build just four townhomes on an empty lot at 541 W. Cornelia.
Letchinger said he made the switch in cooperation with Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) because the market has been sour and the site poses construction challenges for a high-rise. "The upside for us is far less, but it's still a profitable deal, and it reduces the risk," he said.
The four homes will be marketed at about $3.2 million to $3.6 million. Letchinger said the property cost him $4 million a couple years ago.

Read the Chicago Tribune's spin on this latest development.

OMG! We got an e-mail announcement from the 46th Ward's alder-office! Click on the graphic for a larger version.

Read it and weep. (And make sure you're registered to vote.)

Ald. Gene Shulter (47th) has a nifty little interactive tour of Lincoln Square on the Crain's Chicago Business site. Imagine, an alderman promoting the business, history and residents of his ward!

In an article in the Reader, Ald. Bob Fioretti takes on the Second Ward’s problems one streetlight, one mailbox, and one pile of dog poop at a time. Wow, Uptown Update would (gladly) relinquish this task to the alderman. Imagine!

Well, at least when it comes to building permits.

Park District staff couldn’t have picked a better day than Monday to teach a new generation of anglers the joy of hooking perch at Montrose Harbor.

These kids had fish on their lines within minutes of dropping baited hooks. And, bemused boaters and adult fishermen enjoyed watching their excitement too.

Ever watch the fishermen at Montrose Harbor toss small fish on the ground to die or toward the sea gulls to eat? Did you think they were being cruel to the fish or kind to a hungry bird? Hardly. They were following a fishing law that forbids them to toss invasive round gobies back into Lake Michigan.

What’s a round goby? A goby is a small fish that hitchhiked into the Great Lakes from the Baltic, Black or Caspian Seas in the ballasts of oceangoing ships. They don’t harm people, but now that they are here, they are destroying native fish populations. Montrose Harbor has one of the first and most intensive invasions in Lake Michigan, which is monitored by various state and federal agencies.

The good news? The gobies have been eating invading zebra mussels. Meanwhile our perch, small-mouths, brown trout, and salmon, have been feasting upon the gobies.

A reader forwarded us a note about "Riley," who was lost at Montrose Beach over the weekend. His frantic owner is calling shelters and can't locate him.

If you see this 32-lb. white Wheaten Terrier with a red collar, please call 708/xxx-xxxx OR 708/xxx-xxxx OR 708/xxx-xxxx.

Riley is microchipped and there's a reward for his return.

The original Craigslist notice is here.

From The Chicago Tribune today:

A newborn boy was reported in good condition Tuesday morning after a resident who found him abandoned outside a North Side home brought him to a nearby Chicago firehouse.

The child was left on a doorstep outside a residence in the 4600 block of North Beacon Street sometime between 2 and 2:30 a.m., authorities said.

"A gentlemen was laying in bed, heard a baby crying and after awhile went out to see what was going on and found a baby outside in a grocery bag," Chicago Fire Department spokesman Joe Roccasalva said.

The man scooped up the child and took him to the firehouse in the 1200 block of West Wilson Avenue. Paramedics checked out the baby and took him to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Police had not identified the child's parents early Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: More information from the Sun-Times.

A man found a newborn boy wrapped in a plastic bag in the bushes next to the front door of his Uptown neighborhood apartment building and ran him to a nearby firehouse on the North Side early Tuesday.

About 2:45 a.m., a man found the newborn baby with his umbilical cord still attached wrapped in a plastic Jewel shopping bag in the front of his apartment building at the 4600 block of North Beacon Street, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Joe Roccasalva said.

Brandon Shephard was returning home from a date when he heard a baby crying, according to Town Hall District police Capt. William Wallace. Several windows of the large, multi-unit apartment complex were open and he thought the child was inside, so he went in but continued to hear the crying for about 20 or 30 minutes.

Shephard then walked outside and found the baby in the bushes next to the front doorway of the building, Wallace said.

"He comes back out and looks and sees the little tyke in a plastic bag," according to the captain, who said the umbilical cord was cut but not tied off.

The man ran about two blocks with the baby to a firehouse at the 1200 block of West Wilson Avenue where he banged on the door and woke the firefighters.

"Why would you do this -- what if a cat or dog had come by? It’s [the baby] defenseless. There are so many places babies can be turned in without questions asked,"the captain said.

The baby is in serious condition with hypothermia at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to Wallace, who said he is expected to recover. Initially, the baby was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition, Roccasalva said.

We met in April

Sunken asphalt, deep and new
Now, still there with weeds

--To my favorite sinkhole, in the 1000 block of West Lawrence.

The Uptown Soccer Club, a private club, closed in the past few days. Located in the 1100 block of Lawrence next to the Kinetic Playground, it is hard to qualify as retail, but it did fill an empty storefront. If you are looking to rent a storefront on Lawrence, give the number on the "For Rent" sign a call. Oh, and as an extra bonus, the gang tag is included.

Have you ever noticed the lack of trees along one of Uptown's main thoroughfares - Lawrence Avenue?

A reader wrote in and said "there are no sidewalk trees on Lawrence from Sheridan to basically Clark if you include the cemetery side. I have also noted a lot of previously planted trees, i.e. in front of 4735 North Sheridan, etc., have died or been cut down. When I called the city, they said it was an alderman's office duty to request them. Can you ask the readers if they have any other ideas how to get them or go around Shiller because.. well..., you know.."

Update readers - let's ask Alderman Shiller why there aren't any trees along Lawrence.

If the economy's causing you to take "stay-cations" instead of vacations this summer, you might consider a sampler tour of Uptown, Andersonville & Lincoln Square on Tuesday, July 22, 10am - 1pm.

Uncover the multicultural legacies and intriguing histories of these Far North Side neighborhoods. Time is allotted to explore Clark Street in Andersonville and the shops along Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square.

It's presented by the Chicago Board of Tourism and costs $20. Click on the link for information on how to book it, and other Chicago samplers.

"The Bench" of Rogers Park took photos Friday of Wilson Yard dirt being pushed around the site. Construction workers working on Independence Day? No wonder the low-income housing units are costing so much to build. Union workers on federal holidays don't come cheap.

We're getting reports from readers that the police are giving both the Sunnyside Mall and Magnolia Street a lot of extra attention recently. In the photo above, the cops are taking weapons "and other fun stuff" away from some Mall occupants. Keep the 911 calls coming, folks! More calls equal more manpower.

A reader writes in: "I read the post [Thursday] about all the vendors at the Edgewater Green Market, so I went over to Truman College to buy some fresh veggies at the Uptown Farmer's Market. When I got there, our 'market' (I use the term loosely) consisted of one -- one! -- booth. And that was selling baked goods!

"I have to admit, they were outstanding baked goods (I scored some great sourdough bread and scones), and I'm grateful that someone was there -- but ONE booth? I felt sorry for the guy, because he had a crowd, about half of whom were asking him where the farmer's market was. The other half were buying his baked goods. So the demand and the potential customers are here.

"After three years of farmer's markets, the best Uptown can do is ONE booth and no produce at all?"

We agree wholeheartedly. We go to Daley Center and other North Side markets and see great products and actual food that's grown in the earth. But this is as good as Uptown gets?

We encourage everyone who'd like to see a real farmers market to contact the Mayor's Office of Special Events, which schedules local markets, and let them know we'd like something more in line with the rest of the city. The email address is farmersmarkets@cityofchicago.org. The phone number is 312-744-3315. Or you can fax 312-744-8523.

The weather is absolutely gorgeous this afternoon so we hope everyone enjoys this Independence Day. Today is a great day to take advantage of Uptown's great lakefront. Throw a burger on the grill for us.

And don't forget to register for the corn-dog-eating competition at Crew on Saturday!

If you're like us (coughprocrastinatorscough) and haven't made plans for viewing fireworks tonight, the News-Star (in the reporting style that makes it our "News of Choice" for Uptown) gives a few local suggestions.

The Saddle and Cycle Club at 900 W. Foster offers one of the state's most lavish fireworks displays within walking distance or just a quick el ride away from the Foster Beach. Or, crash a party at one of the Edgewater high rises. Better yet, commandeer a boat and see the 'works from the lake. The fireworks are free to all community residents as a courtesy of the Saddle and Cycle Club. The fun starts [Friday] between 8 and 8:30 p.m., or as soon as it gets dark.

Evanston is another popular place for fireworks at the Clark Street Beach at 400-499 Clark Street, with a concert starting at 7:30, and the opening blast at 9:15 p.m.

Of course, there's always the illegal fireworks display at Rogers Park's Loyola Park, if you like getting hit by burning embers or getting a hole burned in the roof of your garage. That gathering lasts until all the beer or crack presumably run out.

From Inside Online:

Knife Fight at Men’s Hotel
Two residents of the single-room occupancy Wilson Men’s Hotel, 1124 W. Wilson, were in a knife fight June 23 at 8:04 p.m. The victim, 43, walked out of his room in the hotel and was approached by another resident, 40, June 23 at 8:04 p.m who asked him if he’d like to go smoke drugs. The man replied that he did not do drugs. After receiving this response, the man then allegedly started punching the other in the face several times. The 40-year-old stuck up his arms to block the attack.
According to the police report, the puncher “then retrieved a steak knife with a black wooden handle and proceeded to cut the victim on the left forearm, the left cheek of the facial area. Said offender also cut the victim on the victim’s nose and finger.”
The attacker was arrested and has a July 29 court date. The victim was treated and released for cuts at Weiss Hospital.

Disabled man reports rape
A 48-year-old man suffering from paranoid-schizophrenia reported he had been raped June 26 at 4 p.m. The man, who lives in a nursing home on the 800 block of W. Lawrence, was interviewed by police at Weiss Hospital. A doctor stated he examined the man and did not believe he had been sexually assaulted as there were no signs of trauma to the rectum. However, a rape kit was completed per hospital protocol. The man told a police officer that an unknown offender “tied their penis into a knot and put it into my butt.”
The officer asked who did this and the disabled man replied he did not know. He repeatedly said “they’re trying to get me.”
When asked who is trying to get him, the man did not respond. A rape victim advocate was on the scene and the man was slated to be sent back to the nursing home.

Man hit in head after ATM withdrawal
A 38-year-old unemployed man withdrew cash June 22 at 1050 W. Wilson. At that point, he was hit in the head from behind. The attacker grabbed $80 and ran east on Wilson. The victim told police he has known the attacker, in his 30s, for 12 years and he is a known drug user. In addition, the victim stated he had beaten up the attacker the day before.

On July 7 Alderman Shiller will propose lifting the ban on selling packaged liquor west of the Wilson L stop. (46.4) deals with Wilson Avenue, from Broadway to the first alley west of Magnolia Avenue. While we are sure that this is in regards to 7-Eleven opening at Wilson and Clifton, what will stop other liquor stores from popping up on Wilson now?

Currently the city of Chicago is planning an expansive new initiative to make biking in the city safer and more attractive. The “Bike 2015” Plan offers to “establish a bikeway network that serves all Chicago residents and neighborhoods” and to “make all of Chicago’s streets safe and convenient for bicycling.”
There is currently no proposed or recommended bike lane for Broadway Ave. from Diversey to Loyola, on the map or on the Bike 2015 website. Broadway Ave. is one of the largest thoroughfares on the North Side of Chicago and goes through two of the city’s most populated neighborhoods. There is no viable alternative for fast commuting in that area without going West on Clark St.
Broadway is not pedestrian friendly and even less friendly to bicyclists. Even a shared bike lane would be extremely helpful for people who commute through Uptown and Edgewater and make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians in general.
Join the campaign here.

Z&P Approves Parking Lot
The 48th Ward Zoning and Planning Committee voted to support a "special use" request from North Side Federal Savings for a parking lot at 1475 W. Foster. North Side, located in Andersonville for 75 years, plans to demolish a building it owns at that location (adjacent to the alley east of Clark) to provide parking for customers. The Z&P Committee's vote was 13 in favor (including The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, the WFCW block club and the Uptown Chicago Commission), one opposed (East Andersonville Residents Council) and eight abstentions. The lot will be available after banking hours only for patrons of Clark Street shops and restaurants.

Nookies Update
Visible signs of construction on the "Nookies" building east of the Red Line on the north side of Bryn Mawr are encouraging to those who are anticipating breakfast or lunch at the new Edgewater location of this popular restaurant. The owners are targeting a late fall opening.

Chicago Apartment Finders has leased the two-story building just east of the elevated tracks on Bryn Mawr. They will open an office on the first floor and have corporate office upstairs.

Green Market Up and Running
The Edgewater Green Market, at the corner of Broadway and Norwood (6034 North), is off to a great start with new and returning vendors including Ellis Farms (fruit), Schringa (vegetables), B&LGardens (organic vegetables), Earth First Farms (apples and cider), Red Hen Bakery, Country Cottage (eggs and chicken) and Edgewater Soaps. The market runs every Saturday through October 18. Hours are 7:00 a.m. to noon. But our vendors do sell out, so try to get there early. Special thanks to Sheli Lulkin of the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and Paula Campanio of True Nature Foods for making the market happen.

By Lorraine Swanson, News-Star Editor

The five young men, all between the ages of 13 and 17, press their backs up against the fence inside a play lot somewhere in Uptown. Spotted, their chins sink to their chests, avoiding eye contact with the adult approaching them. They try to disappear inside their oversized T-shirts, their shoes kicking dirt and bark. Busted, they wait to be kicked out of one of the few places where they say they feel safe, where you must be 12 and under to stay.

"There have been allowances for kids over 12," explains a block club member who wants her name withheld because she's taken much criticism for going to extreme measures to keep the play lot safe for children. "But it's not the policy."

Too young for summer jobs, or unable to find summer employment, with their toddler years not far behind them, there are few places for these younger teens to go once they graduate from the play lot. They're good kids who want to stay out of trouble, but are boxed in an area bounded by Broadway, Wilson, Sheridan and Lawrence, afraid to leave its parameters for fear of getting beaten up by gang members or pressured to join their alliances.
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Folks were lined up down Broadway this afternoon to get their city stickers renewed. A reader sent in this photo from their cell phone. No Helen in the office today we are told.

A reader informs us that there's a lot of police out on Wilson Avenue this morning, including at the Wilson L stop. We're not sure if this is in response to the concerns raised at the CAPS meeting last night and/or the involvement of Greg Harris and Heather Steans, but it's good to see so soon after the community had its say last night.

Get your questions ready! 46th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller will appear on CAN-TV's Political Forum show on Wednesday, July 30th, at 7pm (Channel 21). The show is described as giving "Chicago residents the opportunity to ask questions about city services and activities in their neighborhoods."

We think her constituents might have a question or two for the alderman.

From the Chicago Tribune regarding last night's stabbing:
About two hours later, Chicago police officers responded to a call of a person stabbed at the Lawrence CTA station in Uptown, authorities said.

Red Line trains bypassed the station, and a bus shuttle was put in place between the Argyle and Wilson stations, Taylor said.

Police said it was unclear if the man, described as in his 30s, was stabbed inside the station or somewhere else. Officer John Henry said the man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, but his condition was not immediately known.

From Alderman Mary Ann Smith's website:
"Block Clubs are the heart of the 48th Ward. They give strength to the residents and, through their representatives, advise Alderman Smith on a wide range of issues including zoning, planning and transportation."

For those of you who live in the 46th Ward, you probably have noticed your Alderman feels otherwise. If you are new to Uptown and are wanting to find out which block club you should belong to, check out this handy link from the Uptown Chicago Commission here.

We heard that a hot topic at tonight's Beat 2311 CAPS Meeting at Truman College were police cameras, and why the camera at Wilson and Magnolia was removed and installed at Wilson and Sheridan. Many residents on Magnolia voiced concern over the gang-bangers that congregate at the Food Mart in the Wilson-Magnolia Mall and noted a direct spike in criminal activity now that the camera moved. We applaud the fact that both State Senator Heather Steans and State Representative Greg Harris were at the meeting. We think a great start would be to email both Steans and Harris (click their name for direct email link) to let them know that you think a camera is needed in this area. The cables are still hanging on the light pole so half the work of re-installing the camera is already done! Any other folks that need to be specifically contacted in the Chicago Police Department? Add their contact info in the comments and we will update this post. Wilson and Magnolia, as well as the Sunnyside Mall are definite hot-beds for crime and a camera is badly needed here. Let your voice be heard!

Update: Someone in the know informed us that Uptown has only ONE of the TWO police cameras that could be installed in our neighborhood. We need to flood both Kathleen Boehmer and the 23rd district with emails and phone calls letting them know we need another police camera at either Wilson and Magnolia OR Lawrence and Sheridan.

A reader alerted us to this Boston Globe story by Binyamin Appelbaum discussing how subsidized public housing has failed miserably in Chicago. Thousands of low-income apartments in Chicago have deteriorated so badly they are no longer habitable. Still there are those hell-bent on building more. A particular "yard" comes to mind. Read all about it and check out the accompanying video here.

Believe it or not, someone from CBS News was checking out Uptown Update and emailed us wanting to alert our readers of this upcoming story, on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric at 5:30pm Wednesday on CBS2:

The "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" is keeping an eye on the American economy and how it affects all Americans. In this week's installment of the ongoing series "Other America" we are looking at Chicago's "One Stop" supermarket, which sees little business the last week of each month but is jam packed on the first of the month.

So crowded that you can barely get through the aisles when they open their doors at midnight. By one A.M., the checkout lines are thirty people deep - and a good lot of the people with overflowing shopping carts are here in the middle of the night because the state of Illinois automatically adds their monthly food-stamp benefit at midnight-oh-one on the first......and those accounts have been empty for days or weeks by now.

CBS News Correspondent Seth Doane discovers that because of rising prices, people's food stamps are running out MUCH more quickly than they used to - and these monthly midnight sprees allow them to stock up just as their larders have dwindled.

This Wednesday at 6:30 PM EST on the "CBS Evening News" we will meet some midnight shoppers who tell us how the rising prices are affecting them, why they come out for food when they should be home sleeping, and why it's especially important with the July 4th holiday just around the corner.

The 23rd District Court Advocates monthly meeting is tonight (July 1st, first Tuesday of the month) from 6-6:30 pm. If you're interested in becoming, or learning more about being, a court advocate, please plan to attend. It's in the Community Policing office, on Halsted just north of Addison.

Court advocates attend a variety of cases, sometimes at the request of individual police commanders. Your silent presence is there to represent community interest in the case. The judge is aware when court advocates are present.

Court is during the day: morning and afternoon cases. If you have a non-traditional work schedule or can spare a day or two a month, you might want to look into becoming a court advocate. For more information, call 312-744-0064 (23rd District Community Policing).