First Annual 'Uptown Art Weekend' July 31- August 2

Join us Friday, July 31 - Sunday, August 2 for the Uptown Art Weekend!  This FREE event features over 100 pieces of public art including new works going up on walls around the neighborhood, art exhibits being hosted by local businesses, live paintings, and interactive art experiences for all ages.  You can use the event map to do a self-guided tour around Uptown featuring over 100 works of art:  https://exploreuptown.org/uptown-art-weekend/

We encourage all participants to wear a mask and remain socially distant while enjoying all of the public art Uptown has to offer!  Click here for a reminder on the steps you should take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.   This event has been designed to spread participants out over various parts of the neighborhood during each of the three days so that our neighbors and visitors can safely enjoy the artwork without gathering in crowds.

RSVP at the Facebook event here.

"Crema" Coming Soon To Wilson & Dover

1401 W. Wilson (Google)

If you were looking for a local shop in Sheridan Park to buy things like lotion, soaps, body scrubs, bath bombs you are in luck. If you would love some of those items to be infused with coffee, you're really in luck!

We'd like to officially welcome "Crema" who will be taking over the quaint retail space at 1401 W. Wilson, right on the SW corner of Wilson & Dover.

Crema's owner Fran Matos was born and raised in Puerto Rico and wanted to combine her love of soaps, scrubs, and great coffee and initially started her business online but has now decided to make Sheridan Park Crema's home. Three locally roasted coffee blends, including an "Uptown" blend will also be available with complimentary grinding.

Follow Crema on Facebook for an official opening date at 1401 W. Wilson or check out their website for a preview of items that will be available in their store.

Carlton Apartments Awarded Federal Tax Credits To Create Homeless/Special Needs Housing

Today the State of Illinois revealed the names of 21 developments that will receive federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to fund affordable housing throughout Illinois.

One of them is in Uptown. The Carlton Apartments, at 4626 North Magnolia, is a 1920s building that has been owned and operated by Mercy Housing since 1993.

According to the announcement, the vintage building "will be rehabilitated from 70 single room occupancy units into 68 studio apartments for individuals struggling with homelessness and/or residents with special needs. ... The credits will be used to modernize the units in the building, especially kitchens, bathrooms and common areas."

Each year, many organizations apply for the federal tax credits. This year there were only four developments in the city of Chicago that received them (and only 21 statewide). All units created by the program must remain affordable for a minimum of 30 years.

The tax credits awarded this year will create or preserve 1,188 units of  housing for low- to moderate-income families, seniors, veterans and persons with special needs.  In the past five years, the program has financed more than 18,600 units of affordable housing in the state and generated $1.7 billion in private capital.

You can read more about today's announcement here.

Still Many Questions, No Answers, On What's Happening With Uptown Fitness

There are still a whole lot of questions, and no real answers, about the future of Uptown Fitness.

What we do know is that the "business for sale" real estate listing has been removed.

WGN did some investigating and posted a story entitled "Uptown gym remains radio silent to members during pandemic."

It concludes: "WGN was finally able to get a hold of the owner. He’s been in the fitness industry for decades and didn’t give up any information on what’s going on.

He did ask us if we wanted to buy the gym. 

As the gym remains closed, some members are filing complaints with the attorney general."

Kahn Job! Meet The New Maynard

A reader sent in these photos and says, "What a difference a bit of TLC makes. The former Kahn building is now The Maynard at 5101 N. Sheridan Apts."

While there's not a whole lot that can be done to change the looks of a 4+1, this is a very nice job of updating the exterior.

You can read more about this renovated property at its website. It is owned by CLK Properties and is in the 48th Ward.

Dispensary 33 Gets OK For Zoning Change That Would Enable Expansion

from Ald. Martin's latest newsletter:

"5001-09 N. CLARK - APPROVED.  Alderman Martin is approving the rezoning of the property from C1-2 to C2-2 to allow Dispensary 33 to expand into the next storefront to the north.

The zoning change is necessary pursuant to the city’s Cannabis Ordinance, which requires C2 zoning for recreational dispensaries, whereas Dispensary 33 opened as a medical dispensary and was grandfathered in as a recreational dispensary with the existing zoning at the start of the year.

This zoning change will not lead to any change in the footprint of the building itself.

Indoors, the business will increase their square footage from 2,100 sf to 3,400 sf, allowing them to expand their in-coming waiting room and add an outgoing waiting room as well.

This proposal received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community, as well as support from the local block clubs and chamber of commerce.

Alderman Martin’s office continues to explore solutions to traffic safety concerns at this intersection, in partnership with local groups and the Department of Transportation."

The Sunnyside Mall Makes "Fetch" Happen

If you have a "very good boy" or "very good girl" who enjoys the Sunnyside Mall, it just got even better!

Pick up or donate a good throwin' stick at this new box located west of the intersection of Malden and Sunnyside.

Update: Our good neighbor Wayne Johnson is responsible for this! Check out his video.

Missing 32-Year-Old Woman Last Seen in Uptown (Update: LOCATED)

Update: CPD released a statement on Sunday, July 19th, that Ms. Bravo has been located.

Original Post: Emily Bravo, age 32, was reported missing on Thursday, July 16th. She was last seen around 2pm in the area of Argyle and Broadway.

She is 5'8" and weighs 200 lbs. She was last seen wearing a yellow t-shirt; brown pants with pink, yellow, and grey stripes; and pink gym shoes. Her hair was in braided pigtails.

She has brown eyes and black hair.

If you can help the detectives locate her, please call 911 or the Special Victims Unit at (312) 746-8255.

Building Demolition on Argyle For Next Two Weeks

Starting Tuesday, July 14th, and running through Friday, July 24th, CTA will be demolishing the building at 1124 West Argyle, as part of the Red/Purple Line renovations.

Work will run 7am to 5pm daily, and will impact Argyle and the alley behind 5001-5069 Broadway.

According to CTA, local impact will be felt in these ways:

• The alley behind 5001-5069 N. Broadway will be closed (24/7) for the duration of the work activity.
• The sidewalk on the north side of W. Argyle Street will be closed within the work zone and a walkway will be established for pedestrian access. 
• The parking lane on the north side of W. Argyle Street will be closed within the work zone.
• The contractor will maintain garbage pickup.
• The contractor will implement the necessary dust mitigation procedures.
• There will be noise while work is being performed, including:

• General demolition noise

• Running air compressors, excavators, and generators

• Use of pneumatic and gas/impact tools

• Truck traffic

• Beeping from backup alarms on maintenance equipment and vehicles

• Materials disposal

Learn About The Prep Work For The Three-Year Red/Purple Line Rebuild Plan Tuesday Night

CTA will holding a virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, July 14th, 6pm-7pm, to inform residents about the prep work for the massive three-year rebuild of the tracks and stations between Leland and Bryn Mawr, beginning in early 2021.

The prep work involves the areas around Montrose and Thorndale.

"Join us for updates on pre-stage Red and Purple Line track work happening in 2020 near Thorndale and Montrose.

Learn what we are doing, how it will affect CTA service and the local community, and ways we have planned work to be efficient and ease some of the impacts on you.

• Project updates
• New condensed schedule for pre-stage work
• Impacts to Red, Purple Line service and the community

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM CDT

Click Here to Register"

Monty and Rose Now Have Offspring: Hazel, Esperanza, and Nish

"Hazel." -- Photo is from the Chicago Piping Plovers website,
which tells you all you want to know about Monty and Rose and their adventures.

Monty and Rose, the rare and famous piping plovers for whom Montrose Beach was partially vacated last year so their babies could hatch, are once again new parents. They returned to the beach in 2020, and four new plover-ettes hatched on June 18th, three of whom have survived.

The Chicago Audubon Society, the Illinois Ornithological Society, and the Chicago Ornithological Society sponsored a contest to name the newbies, and the winning entries were announced this weekend:

• HAZEL, in honor of Hazel M. Johnson, an environmental activist who lived in Altgeld Gardens. Along with a young activist named Barack Obama, she fought and succeeded in having asbestos removed from Altgeld Gardens. She is known as the Mother of the environmental justice movement.
• ESPERANZA, meaning "hope," is a reminder that even in troubled times like 2020, there is still perseverance in the face of long odds, like those faced by the piping plovers. Monty and Rose have added five new plovers to their species' dwindling numbers, which is a pretty hopeful sign for a group that was down to only 70 or so mating pairs last year.
• NISH, "to honor the Potowatomi heritage of our region. Nish was selected to highlight the direct relationship and contributions of The Council of the Three Fires (Potawatomi, Ojibwa, and Odawa) to what is now modern-day Chicago.  Nish is a colloquial expression for Nishnabe’k (Potawatomi) and Anishinaabe (Ojibwa and Odawa)." 

All the chicks have been banded so they can be tracked through their migration.

You can read the press release by the CAS here.

The summer is still young, and who knows? Monty and Rose may just add to their winning streak and have another nest full. It's not like anyone is there to interrupt the love birds.

The Sheridan Park Community Yard Sale Has Been Cancelled For 2020

Another popular Uptown tradition has been cancelled due to COVID concerns: The Sheridan Park Community Yard Sale, which has been held the first Saturday in August for over 25 years, won't be happening this year.

The decision was announced this week, with regrets. The organizers felt that it's just too hard to assure social distancing during such a popular, crowded event.

Of course, if you want to hold your own yard sale, that's up to you. Permits can be obtained through the office of your alderman.

Saturday, August 7th, 2021, is the tentative date of the next Sheridan Park Community Yard Sale.

Uptown Woman, Age 71, Is Missing And Considered High-Risk

Verstene McMahon, age 71, has been reported missing and is considered to be at high risk.

She was last seen on Monday, July 6th, on the 4500 block of North Hazel.

Ms. McMahon is 5 feet tall and weighs 90 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black and white hoodie, black pants, and red Puma gym shoes.

If you have any information that would help locate her and get her home, please call 9-1-1 or the detectives at the Area North Special Victims Unit at 312-744-8266.

The Heat Is On

It's just ridiculously hot out, and looks to stay in the high 80s and low 90s for the foreseeable future.

It's especially unfortunate that many ways that Chicagoans traditionally use to cool off are unavailable due to the pandemic restrictions.

It's a bad time for people who are living without air conditioning (or who may not want to use it for financial reasons), and people living outside. The city strongly urges you to call 3-1-1 for well-being checks for those who may be ill-equipped to handle the heat.

The city has issued a list of cooling centers. A map is here, and we are listing the ones in Uptown and in the surrounding areas below:

• Uptown Branch Library, 929 West Buena. Open Monday and Wednesday, 10am-6pm, Tuesday and Thursday, noon-8pm, Saturday 9am-5pm.
• Bezazian Branch Library, 1226 West Ainslie. Open Monday and Wednesday, noon-8pm, Tuesday and Thursday, 10am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm.
• Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 North Lincoln. Open Monday through Thursday, 9am-9pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 1pm-5pm.
• North Area Center, 845 West Wilson. Open July 7-10: 9am-5pm
• District 19 Police Station, 850 West Addison. Open Saturday and Sunday.
• Levy Regional Senior Center, 2019 West Lawrence. Open July 7-10: 8:30am-4:30pm.

The Park District has turned on the water features at several area playlots through July 10th. Park District employees will monitor the splash pads to ensure families are safely social distancing while finding relief from the extreme heat. A map is here, and the ones around Uptown are listed below:

• Broncho Billy Playlot, 4437 N Magnolia.
• Aster Playlot, 4639 N Kenmore.
• Buttercup Playlot, 4901 N Sheridan.
• Cedar Playlot, 5539 North Winthrop.
• Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside.
• Juniper Playlot, 3652 N. Greenview

Stay cool, and be aware of your neighbors and check on them.

CBS Chicago Investigates What's Going On Behind The Scenes At Uptown Fitness

We've been getting a lot of inquiries about the situation at Uptown Fitness, which has been closed since March and is non-responsive to communications from its members.

Uptown Fitness is also alleged to have continued charging monthly payments to its members' credit cards while being unavailable to them. Many disgruntled members have posted on Uptown Update's Facebook page with their own stories.

"Any chance you have any info on Uptown Fitness' reopening plan? Their Facebook and Instagram are not active and there's no phone number or website info."

Adding to the confusion, the business is listed for sale for $500,000 and has been since mid-February, prior to pandemic closures.

We haven't been able to find out any information, but Channel 2's "Morning Insiders" investigative team did a report Tuesday. They found more aggrieved members, but were able to obtain very little additional information from the gym's management. Their report and video is here.

One of their most perplexing finds: "We tracked down a cell number for a manager, who said the gym is not being sold and they are planning to reopen, but there is no set date."

The real estate listing linked above tells a different story.

Whatever the real story is with Uptown Fitness, it's being held very close to the vest. A lot of our readers would like to know.

Rocking At 1050 West Wilson

Finished on Friday

In progress on Thursday (photo courtesy of Bill Biederman)

Thank you to Bill Biederman for making us aware of this brand new mural at 1050 West Wilson.

We haven't heard anything more details about the Double Door going in since there was a zoning change request for a "place of entertainment" at this address last year, but we hope this is an encouraging hint. (We all know that COVID has slowed down many timelines as businesses strive to live with the bumps and grinds of 2020.)

The talented artist is Shannon Kay (@shanlandia).

Hair Cuttery Locks Its Doors and Splits Chicago

Some sad news if you're a Hair Cuttery client looking to tidy up your crazy COVID hair:

It seems every Hair Cuttery salon in the city has closed permanently, including the Wilson Yard location in Uptown.

It's all tied to a bankruptcy filing by the parent company. (As of right now, suburban locations are still open.)

We've managed to track down a few leads if you're looking to find your favorite Hair Cuttery stylist:

• Kendra from the Wilson Yard Hair Cuttery has created her own studio, located inside Salons by JC in Lakeview. Information on KENDRA HAIR DESIGNS is here. 
• [NEW]  "This is Corey from Wilson Yard location . You can all DM me Corey Albom on Facebook."
• The Hair Cuttery salon in Andersonville (5539 N Clark) has been acquired by its former manager, Alonso, and has just reopened as "The Cuttery on Clark Street." Many of the previous staff are still there. Its website is here and its Facebook page is here.
• There's a Facebook page where clients can look for their former stylists, called "Client Stylist Reconnection League." Instructions on how to use it are here. The Facebook page is here.

If you are a stylist with a new gig and want to reach out to your former clients, please post in the comments.

We wish all of our readers good hair days!

Medical Offices To Open at The Draper Next Week

The Draper building, on Broadway, has filled one of its large retail spaces with a clinic staffed by physicians from the Swedish Medical Group/Northshore. The clinic opens on Monday, July 6th.

The former Combined Insurance / Aon Building opened late last year as a mixed-use residential rental building with retail and office space on the ground floor.

In a statement, Swedish Medical Group says:

"We are excited to announce that on July 6, 2020 Dr. Tommy Dang and his care team will be relocating to the first floor of a new office building at 5060 N. Broadway. This brand new office is very spacious and offers garage parking for our patients.

The new address is: 5060 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640. The phone number will also change to 773-293-8890.

Free parking in the underground garage is available and accessible from Carmen Ave. Parking is exclusively for patient use during their appointment. 

We also welcome Dr. Sean Le (Internal Medicine), Dr. Ryan Levenhagen (Internal Medicine) and Dr. Erika Hutz (Geriatrician) to this new location.

We will continue to offer virtual visits as well as in-person visits at our new location. Swedish Medical Group is operating with robust screening processes and infection prevention protocols in place to make sure our patients receive quality and safe care. To help you prepare for your visit and learn about measures we have taken to help everyone stay safe while receiving needed care visit our website: SwedishCovenant.org/safe.

Clinic Hours are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 8:30am-2pm. We look forward to this move being a smooth transition as we continue to meet your healthcare needs in our new location. All new in-person appointments on or after July 6, 2020 will take place in our new office."

Pick Me Up Cafe Is Open!

Pandemic, Schmandemic! After surprising us with an announcement last March that it was picking up and moving to our part of town, the Pick Me Up Cafe has arrived!

On Facebook on July 1st, the announcement was made:

"HI EVERYONE!! Pick Me Up Café is OPEN!!! Please come say hello again - or for the first time. 4882 N. Clark St.

Words cannot express how excited, humbled and hopeful we are in our new space! Excited because we’re so proud of the space we’ve made and to see your beautiful faces (even if they are face masked!)

Humbled because of the welcoming response we’ve received from our new local community and those who have expressed a willingness to follow us up to our new spot. 

And hopeful that you will once again keep PMU weird!!!

We are open and beyond excited to see you all!"

Right now there is pick-up and dine-in service (according to City social distancing guidelines), with outdoor dining being planned.

Hours are: Monday-Thurday, 10am-10pm; Friday, 10am-11pm; Saturday, 8am-11pm; and Sunday, 8am-10pm.

The food has plenty of choices for carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. There are shakes, regular and boozy. And breakfast is served as long as Pick Me Up is open. Check out the menu here.

Welcome, Pick Me Up Cafe!