CTA To Hold Community Meeting On Wilson Station Public Art

Portrait by Michael Mella

On Tuesday, May 12th, the CTA will host a community meeting about the public art installations it has commissioned for the new Wilson Station.  The meeting will be held 6pm-7pm at the Brightview Healthcare Centre, 4538 North Beacon.

Local residents and businesses are encouraged to attend and provide feedback on original artwork that will be created by world-famous artist and engineer Cecil Balmond, whose art installations can be seen at the link. Mr. Balmond will be in attendance and the opportunity will be afforded to dialogue with him about the community and how his art will reflect Uptown's character.

The art installation will take place after the station is completed in late 2017.  Public plans and renderings will be shared with the public as they are developed.  You can read a profile of Mr. Balmond and his prestigious career here.

The Dock Opens For The Season On Friday

Just in time for a warm, sunny weekend, The Dock at Montrose Beach is opening for the season on Friday.  Hours will be 11am until 10pm daily. Can't think of a better place to watch the Kids & Kites Festival from on a lovely warm afternoon.

The Dock is located at 200 Montrose Harbor Drive, near the Magic Hedge.  Turn right at the bait shop on Montrose, find parking where you can by the boat slips, and head toward the beach.  A map is here, and The Dock's website is here.

Violent Day - Two Incidents Top Off A Violent Week

A reader's photo of the window he was
sitting near in McDonald's when shots were fired

Today at around 1:10pm, shots were fired at Wilson and Sheridan, resulting in bullets going through the window of the McDonald's there.  As far as we know, no one was hit, but we're sure there were quite a few diners and passers-by shaken up.  The police were in pursuit of the shooter, who ran south down the alley between Sheridan and Kenmore.  He was wearing a grey hoodie over a red hoodie, according to reports.

Earlier this morning, at around 1:45am, a man was shot in the Margate Park area, around Ainslie and northbound Lake Shore Drive.  He walked drove himself to Weiss Hospital with wounds to the chest and neck.

Update:  The man who was shot on Lake Shore Drive, Boshaun Jackson, age 24, passed away this morning.

Given Monday's shooting on Wilson, and Tuesday's reports of shots fired in the Argyle area, it all seems like back-and-forth gang retaliation. These guys don't care about anything except paying back the other guys for alleged slights.

What's crazy is that the cops say that Uptown is no longer a wildly profitable drug center. Yes, there's a drug trade, but it's not making the money it did fifteen or twenty years ago.  To make big money, the gangs go to other parts of the city that are more lucrative for them. This gang war seems to be over winter taunting on YouTube and other social media.  Gang members go into other gangs' turf, film themselves, and put it online. The other gang responds. And we all bear witness to this idiocy. It's taking place in Wards 46 and 48, in both the 19th and 20th police districts.

If you hear shots fired, if you see something you think is about to be trouble -- call 911. Don't worry that you're bothering the cops.  They can figure out what's important and what's not.  If you hear shots and don't know where they came from, call 911 and give them your cross-streets. They can figure it out from the various calls they receive.  This skirmish will end. They always do. It's just really depressing and scary while a few idiots work out their issues with guns.

We'll Remember Forget Me Knodt

Today's the last day in business for Forget Me Knodt at 1313 West Wilson. We'll miss Janessa and how she always made that part of Uptown a little brighter. She's having a balls-to-the-walls sale on remaining items in her shop, with low prices on the vases she used for displays, and half off most of her remaining stock. We got some great bargains and a chance to say good-bye.  Stop by today if you'd like to do the same.

Two Property Tax Appeals Workshops on Thursday

The deadline to appeal your property tax assessment is May 8th.  If you live in Lakeview Township (and that's all of Uptown), you can take advantage of this free workshop Thursday night at Chase Park.

Additionally, they will be at the 47th Ward Aldermanic Office 9am-1pm on Thursday (4243 North Lincoln) to assist.

If you attend either of these events, be sure to bring your assessment notice and your second installment property tax bill with you.

Kids & Kites Festival At Montrose Beach on Saturday

Image from the City's website

One of our favorite events is coming up on Saturday, May 2nd, the Kids & Kites Festival at Montrose Beach. It runs from 10am to 4pm at Cricket Hill, just northeast of the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and Montrose.  There's face painting, balloon animals, The Big Kite Candy Drop, and free kites while supplies last.  You can read more about it here on the City's website.

Kids & Kites is nearly always paired with the Anti-Cruelty Society's "Bark in the Park" - featuring dogs of all descriptions.  Unfortunately, the ACS has had to cancel the event this year, citing the high infection rate of canine influenza running rampant in Chicago.  Instead, they are holding a virtual fundraiser, iBark in the Park, which you can read about here.  If you would like to support the work of Anti-Cruelty, please donate if you can.

Free Walking Tour Of Dover Street Historical District

From John Holden:

"Please join me this Saturday at 1 p.m. for a free 90-minute walking tour of the Dover Street City Landmark District which will focus on the area's unusual topography, unique street design, and eclectic architecture that all make for one of Chicago's most unique landmark districts.

We will meet at the intersection of Beacon and Lawrence and then head south on Dover from there. If you can figure out this link, please register in advance. If you are having a hard time, just show up. It should be a lovely day."

Weekend Flea Market Welcomes Vendors, Buyers

Who doesn't love a bargain?  The American Indian Center, at Wilson and Paulina, will be holding a flea market on Saturday and Sunday.  If you'd like to set up a vendor table, please contact Jeanne at the number above.  (Table prices are $15/one day, $25/both days.)   If you want to shop, please stop by beginning at 8am on Saturday and Sunday.  Good luck on the hunt for treasures!

Dine Out, Do Good, On Thursday

From the owners of Crew, those irascible do-gooders:

"Thursday, April 30 from open to close: Crew is proud to be one of four PREMIER SPONSORS for EdgeAlliance's Dining Out for Life. This charity event could not be easier. You eat and drink at Crew Bar + Grill and we'll donate money. We'll also have some great raffle prizes too. Dr. Tom Klarquist and Mr. Steve Somora will be your hosts for the evening. We open at 11:30 for lunch so if you can't make it for dinner, come for lunch. Or both.

Dining Out for Life is the largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser in North America and it happens in 60 cities throughout the country. Over the years, EdgeAlliance has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to continue its mission of providing housing with life services to men, women & children living with HIV/AIDS.You can help make a difference in the lives of those in need by dining out on Thursday, April 30th."

Crew is located at 4802 North Broadway.  The Facebook event listing is here, and more about Dining Out For Life is here.  Other participating restaurants in Uptown are Magnolia Cafe (1224 West Wilson) and Anna Maria Pasteria (4400 North Clark), as well as many other restaurants in Lakeview and Edgewater.  Easiest and best way to make a difference!

Man Shot Monday Morning On Wilson

A man was shot early Monday morning on the 900 block of Wilson, near Uplift High School and Friendly Towers.  Readers reported hearing three loud pops, but thinking they were part of the Wilson L demolition. Unfortunately, a man walking on the street shortly before 4am was hit twice, and was taken to Weiss Hospital in critical condition.  Various media reports list his age as either 24 or 40.

We've been given no further information from readers/tipsters other than what the mainstream media has already reported.  It's unusual, but the lack of witnesses is understandable given the time of the shooting.

There are also several reports from readers over the past few days about hearing shots fired at various locations around Uptown, in both the 48th and 46th Wards, although no victims have been reported.

Seems like the gangs are making up for a cold winter full of grudges. Please use caution, please call 911 if you see anything suspicious, and definitely call if you hear or see any violence.

What A Difference A Weekend Makes

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The CTA demolition workers kicked ass this weekend.  For the first time in nearly a century, sunlight is shining on what used to be shadowy parts of the intersection of Leland and Broadway.  The heavy westernmost concrete bridge barrier is gone, from the Uptown Broadway Building all the way to the first support pillar south of Leland on Broadway.  To see what this intersection looked like for decades, click here.

A reminder that the train overpass on Wilson Avenue west of Broadway will be getting the same treatment beginning Monday morning, with Wilson closed to vehicular traffic between Broadway and Clifton.

Broadway is Open!

CTA finished the demolition of the concrete overpass nearly a full day early, despite less than perfect weather conditions, and Broadway and Leland are once again open to vehicular traffic.  Here are some photos a reader took over the weekend and shared:

check out the posts with nothing left to support

Enjoy A "Best Picture" Nominee Saturday At The Bezazian

CTA Reroute Information For Wilson Next Week

The next seven days are going to see the demolition of unused train overpasses at both ends of the Wilson station.

• Starting tonight, Broadway will be closed between Wilson and Leland as CTA workers go round-the-clock until Monday morning taking down the trestle at Broadway and Leland.
• Starting Monday morning, Wilson will be closed between Broadway and Clifton as the overpass across Wilson starts coming down.

Click on the links above for the CTA's notices about each project. We have just received info about the rerouting of the buses next week:

Buses are running normally, but the re-routes will be: 

#36 Broadway. Effective: Monday April 24, 2015 until Friday April 27, 2015, 2100 hours until 0400 hour: 

• Southbound.  Will operate regular route to Broadway / Lawrence, (turn left) East on Lawrence to Sheridan (turn right) South on Sheridan to Wilson, (turn right) West on Wilson to Broadway (turn left) over regular route. 
• Northbound.  Reverse of the Southbound Reroute. 

#78 Montrose. Effective: Monday April 27, 2015 - 0900 hours until Friday May 01, 2015 - 1600 hours: 

• Eastbound.  Operate regular route to Clark/Wilson, (cont.) North on Clark to Lawrence, (turn right) East on Lawrence to Broadway, (turn right) South on Broadway to Wilson, (turn left) East on Wilson over the regular route. ​

• Westbound.  Operate regular route to Broadway/Wilson, continue North on Broadway to Lawrence (turn left), West on Lawrence to Clark (turn left), South on Clark to Wilson over to regular route. 

Clean Up Green Up Date Change

Due to predicted wild weather, the Clean Up Green Up has been postponed a week.  See you on May 2nd!

Uptown Pantry Calls It A Day

S-L Pantry, aka U-T Pantry, aka Uptown Pantry, at Lawrence & Sheridan, is going out of business. The shelves are close to depleted, but everything that's left is half-price.  The entire building is now under the supervision of a court-appointed receiver, who told the owners of the convenience store that their lease would not be renewed.  And so they're closing up shop.

The entire intersection is undergoing a transformation, with the long-empty corner space in the ICA Building soon to be the new home of Lawrence House Pharmacy, and the drug dealers gone from the Weiss Plaza parking lot.

We'll be curious to see what happens to the entire building on the southeast corner as it continues to be in receivership.  It's a still-handsome vintage building that could be a great spot for the right business. We remember when it was the original home of Pasteur Restaurant in the 1980s and 1990s, before a fire closed it while the family who owned it was preparing for Taste of Chicago.

We wish the owners of the Pantry good luck in their next endeavor, and wait eagerly to see what happens next to that storefront.

Farewell Party For "Forget Me Knodt" On Thursday

Many readers already know that Janessa will be closing her wonderful flower shop, Forget Me Knodt, on April 30th.  Not because it wasn't successful, but because it was.  She discovered that her bliss lies with working with flowers, not being an administrator and owner.  You can read her blog entry about it here.

If you'd like to say good-bye and good luck to her, there's a farewell party on Thursday, April 23rd. This is what her neighbor, David, has to say:

"I'm David from Practice Daily, a design project I started. I live in Uptown, right down the street from Forget me Knodt floral shop. I'd like to invite you the shop's closing party on Thursday, April 23rd. Janessa Ambrosio started Forget me Knodt about 3 years ago. If you're in Uptown much, you know what a refreshing addition she and her staff have been to the area.

We're also treating the night as a Practice Daily "Hey, Neighbor!" event. Businesses like Forget Me Knodt collaborate with me, choosing a word that best describes a feeling or value of theirs. I design a piece around that word and once it's screen printed (by Screwball Press), we sell a limited amount of them at the event hosted at the brick and mortar with some food and drinks.

I love Uptown and its businesses, partly because of their neighborly relationships with each other. So, please feel free to join Janessa and myself on April 23rd at her shop on 1313 Wilson Ave. from 5-9pm. I know she'd love to see you if you can make it to wish her well on her next endeavor (helping out at Fleur in Logan Square.) That goes for me, too. Also, it's free!

All are welcome. Cheers!"

Final Vote Count In For Runoff Election

The final numbers are in from the aldermanic runoff, with provisional and absentee votes counted. 118 additional votes were counted in the 46th Ward, but the percentages remain the same:

• JAMES CAPPLEMAN - 7,035 votes - 53.70%
• AMY CRAWFORD - 6,065 votes - 46.30%
• Total votes counted: 13,100

The candidates' quarterly accountings of campaign expenditures and donations (D-2s) as of March 31, 2015 are now online for your perusal. There will be more revealed about the final run-off numbers (April 7, 2015) when the next set of D-2s is filed on July 15th.

• James Cappleman (46th Ward)
• Amy Crawford (46th)
• Denice Davis (46th)
• Ameya Pawar (47th)
• Rory Fiedler (47th) - none found
• Harry Osterman (48th)

Cedar Street Purchases 5050 N. Broadway For $16.1M, Plans $150M Project

Cedar Street, the parent company of FLATS, has purchased the former Combined Insurance Building at 5050 N. Broadway for $16.1 million and plans to construct a new mid-rise tower with a gym and retail, incorporating the new project with the existing structures. Cedar Street plans to spend about a year working with neighborhood groups and the city to gain approval.

Continue reading at Crain's Chicago Business (log-in might be required):

Broadway Closed This Weekend Between Wilson & Leland As Track Demolition Kicks Into High Gear

The CTA will be working on the demolition of the Leland/Broadway concrete train overpass this weekend - all weekend - so the 4600 block of Broadway will be closed to vehicular traffic, as will Leland between Winthrop and Broadway. Sidewalks will be open.

Can't wait to see what it looks like on Monday. Remember: The businesses on Broadway will be open and will need your patronage more than ever! Please support our local shops during this construction phase.

Infamous 60640 Post Office Still Not Doing Its Job Very Well

There's some discontent brewing over on UU's Facebook page.

A reader named Kate wrote in to detail the serious delivery problems she's been having and the serious attitude problems she experienced when she went to the 60640 post office to tell the manager about it.

"I have not received mail from the Uptown P.O. since April 9th. Items that I haven't received so far have been a check, 7 Netflix DVDs (I had asked for replacements after not receiving them), a magazine sub, dental health insurance cards, and other pieces of mail. I went to the P.O. on Saturday, waited for 25 minutes and then told to wait in another line to talk to the Supervisor who treated me like I was an idiot and, said our carrier for the route I'm on just stopped coming in two weeks ago, and even though they have substitutes, 'there is nothing they can do once they give these carriers the mail.' He says once the mail gone from the post office. it's in their hands. 

I asked if I could fill out a complaint form and he gave me something generic and then blew me off, saying other people were waiting. Today I called the Inspector General's office while at work and they told me to call the Consumer Affairs division which I will now do during my lunchtime tomorrow. I believe my belongings have been stolen and I am filing a theft report AGAINST this local post office for stealing my mail. I'm so upset I'm ready to scream. Is anyone else having this problem? My whole building is going through this, not just me."

Unsurprisingly, many readers chimed in with their own tales of woe about the post office, including stories of mail and packages found dumped in the snowbanks; standing outside their home and seeing the package notification change from "undelivered" to "delivered" even though they never received anything; receiving greeting cards that had been opened, presumably to see if any money had been enclosed; multiple stories of packages that were never received; and postal carriers who just stopped delivering the mail, for a myriad of reasons/excuses.

Other readers gave advice, the most common being to contact Rep. Jan Schakowsky's office, since the U.S. House of Representatives has authority over the USPS.  Then investigative reporter Pam Zekman's producer asked the complainants to contact him to see if CBS can do a story about it.

Will things at the notorious post office change?  It was a long-time item on the agenda of former alderman Mary Ann Smith to see the longstanding "culture of incompetence" (check out this article dating from 1992!) at 60640 get remedied. Stay tuned, we'll stay on top of this and hope for some better results.

Welcome Spring With Your WFCW Neighbors (Update: Please Note Date Change)

Note: Date has been changed due to predicted bad weather.

Our annual Clean-Up Green-Up is Saturday, May 2nd April 25th, 9am - 2pm, and we have a lot of great things planned for the community. Get ready to get outside and beautify your yard. Learn the ins and outs of living green in Chicago!

This FREE event is open to the public and all are welcome... so bring a friend! The day will be chock full of exhibits and demonstrations which include installing rain barrels, using essential oils for better health, vermicomposting, free bike tune-ups, planting with EarthBoxes, fun kids’ activities, homemade Kombucha demonstrations, Eco-Andersonville, and much more.

Come out to meet your neighbors and discover how you can help nurture the environment. WFCW is dedicated to greening the neighborhood. Come learn how you can help! There will be trash bags and gloves for cleaning up the litter, too. So, join us to help make our neighborhood shine!

Bring a coffee mug! Coffee is being donated by our local business neighbors at La Colombe!

Track Demolition To Close Wilson For A Week

Looks like the CTA is doubling down on demo.  Wilson between Broadway and Clifton will be closed to vehicular traffic all next week while they take down the same unused track that's being demo'd at Leland.

Pensacola Place Sells For $66 Million

Crain's Chicago Business is reporting what a tipster told UU back in February: the huge Pensacola Place complex on Montrose, which includes 264 units of rental housing and the Jewel-Osco, has been sold.

At the time, our reader said, "Local firm Waterton Residential has the property under contract. They see a lot of potential in Uptown and believe now is the right time to buy in the neighborhood. They've done some nice work upgrading Presidential Towers, River North Park Apartments, One East Delaware, and The Seneca Hotel."

The price tag?  Crain's reports it was a whopping $65.8 million.

According to the article, Waterton sees Uptown as a great investment because people are moving north to escape higher rents in Lincoln Park and Lakeview.

The building has a massive fourth-floor outdoor deck that the firm plans to fix up, removing an existing tennis court and adding cabanas, fire pits and other features alongside its outdoor swimming pool, he said.

The deck also includes plenty of room along its perimeter for dozens more apartments. Waterton has discussed expansion plans with Ald. James Cappleman (46th), whose ward includes the property, but hasn't decided what it will build.

“There's the potential to do it,” Stern said. “We're just not sure how many or what yet.”

Help Make Buttercup Park Even Better By Making It Shine

Cleaning and Greening the Buttercup

Saturday, April 25, 2015 - 10am- Noon

Join the Buttercup Park Advisory Council and the McCutcheon School as we get the park and our minds ready for the upcoming season!

We will clean, mulch, rake and do whatever it takes to spruce & shine the Buttercup.

We will have a limited supply of gloves and tools.  Feel free to bring your own.

Light refreshments and water provided. Dress accordingly for the weather!

A rain or shine event…

There are many events planned this summer…

* movies * picnics * gardening/planting *

* dancing * music and more …to get you outside...

Moving and creating community!

Your time & energy will help to pay forward all the good times to come!

See you at the Buttercup on Saturday, April 25th @ 10am...

Buttercup Park is located at 4901 North Sheridan Road.

The Walls Come Tumbling Down

The work continues on the huge reconstruction of the Wilson L station.  There's some "addition by subtraction" going on at Leland and Broadway, as workers take down the concrete bridge that supported the tracks on which the long-defunct North Shore Line trains once ran.  (The Purple Line trains used them until recently; they now share the adjacent Red Line tracks.)  We can't wait for the support pillars to come down and make Broadway easier to negotiate, as well as much brighter.  You can see in the vintage photo, at top, how dark that corner has been forever, thanks to the double set of tracks and many support pillars in and at the intersection.

The Rubloff Building, which many of us knew as "The Majestic Store" ("Live Poultry" in the vintage photo), was built in 1922, and was designed specifically to fit under those tracks. So they're taking down some very old infrastructure, indeed.  They looked good in the day, but had deteriorated badly, and we look forward to seeing what 21st century technology will look like there.

The Rubloff Building was taken down and each exterior part was numbered. The terra cotta is being restored and will be put back when the new elevated tracks are completed.  The footprint of the Rubloff Building will hold the pillars supporting the new overhead tracks.

Here are some more photos of the demolition of the overpass, taken last week:

New Police Commanders In Both Uptown Districts

According to Second City Cop, there were quite a few command changes and promotions in the CPD brass announced yesterday.  Both Uptown districts and their commanders were affected:

• In the 19th District (south of Lawrence), Commander Eli Voulgaris was transferred to Commander of the Bureau of Patrol.  Captain Robert Cesario from the Central Investigations Division was promoted to Acting Commander (the "Acting" until he is confirmed by the City Council).
• In the 20th District (north of Lawrence), Commander Kevin Duffin was transferred to Commander of Area North.  Captain Cornelia Lott from the 18th District was promoted to Acting Commander.

Home Robberies In Buena Park

Hey, guys, this isn't Mayberry. Even Mayberry isn't Mayberry any more. Lock your doors and windows!

Ba Le Starts Construction On "Desserts & Drinks"

Construction work is now going on at 5018 North Broadway, empty for years

The old location of Ba Le Sandwich at 5018 N. Broadway, slated to be "Ba Le Desserts & Drinks" (via Google)

About this time last year, Ba Le took out a building permit at its original location, 5018 North Broadway, one storefront north of the current sandwich shop.  It stated that a shop called "Ba Le Desserts & Drinks" would open there.

Thanks to reader MH, we know that the groovy window stencils have come down and construction began at the site this week.  It's our understanding that the new place will serve desserts and bubble tea, and be a place to sit down and talk and relax, unlike the austere tables and stand-up counter at the sandwich shop.

We look forward to enjoying Ba Le's tasty macarons in a new comfortable setting.

Celebrate Spring's Arrival With CircEsteem! This Weekend and Next

Peel off the winter layers and come out of hibernation as 120 kids ages 3-18 dazzle you with their feats of strength and daring!  You won't want to miss this show.

SPECIAL: (Only for advanced ticket sales) Buy 2 adult tickets get 1 child ticket free.  Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets.

Spring Party & Barbecue Saturday

Missio Dei is having a Spring Party at Buttercup Park...a party for everyone! Family Fun and Free BBQ as well!  For more about Missio Dei, visit their Facebook page.

Citywide Clean and Green

Help Clean & Green The Sunnyside Mall On Saturday

Please join  your neighbors and Sunnyside Mall Committee to spruce up the Sunnyside Mall located on Sunnyside between Magnolia and Beacon, on Saturday, April 18th, 10 AM to 1 PM.   Clean garden beds and mall, maybe even planting.

If you can’t join us on Saturday and want to help with gardening, email sunnysidemall@yahoo.com.

Thank you for taking pride in your neighborhood and lending a helping hand.

Join Truman Square Neighbors For Clean & Green on Saturday

Murder On Wednesday Morning

As many readers are already aware, there was a shooting that resulted in a death in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday.  It happened at 1:50am in the 4500 block of Broadway.  A 24-year-old woman who was a passenger in a car was shot in the head.  The driver of the car took her to Illinois Masonic, where she was pronounced dead.  Readers tell us that Broadway was fully blocked off by the police doing investigations by 2:30am.

We've been waiting for more information to pass along, but there's nothing more to report. We heard a rumor that the couple was from central Illinois, not from Uptown.  Other than that, there's no further information to be had.

Was it road rage?  Was it a domestic situation?  Was it gang-related?  Was she a target or an innocent bystander?  We don't know any of those answers.

What we do know is that a family is burying a young woman and grieving her senseless death.  It's so very sad, and our hearts go out to those who loved this young woman.

Update from Ald. Cappleman's 4/17/2015 newsletter:  "At approximately 1:50AM Wednesday morning, a 24 year old woman was fatally shot in the head on the 4500 block of N. Broadway. Chicago Police Department detectives are gathering information including video footage. CPD has stated that they do not believe this was gang-related. If you have any additional information or questions, please call the 19th District CAPS office at 312-744-0064."

Update:  The victim has been identified as 24-year-old Jennifer Ponton, of Bradley, Illinois, in Kankakee County.  May she rest in peace, and our deepest condolences to those who loved her.

Celebrate Record Store Day At Shake, Rattle & Read

A Tragic Death At Truman College Today

We've had several inquiries about an incident at Truman College this afternoon.

We are told that a Truman College instructor jumped or fell from one of the buildings in the back of the campus, in the area near Clifton and the back of the parking structure.

Our heartfelt sympathies to those who knew and loved him, and to the entire Truman College community.

Update:  The instructor's name was Thomas Worms and he taught Nursing.  You can read more about his life in DNAinfo.