We Were Promised a Food Hall, Now We've Got One!

Many years ago we were anticipating a food hall immediately south of Uptown at the Eagles Building. The project never got off the ground and now is home to the newly opened Good Times Brewery.

Now, confirming something we heard about way back in the fall of 2022, PlantX, parent company of XMarket, has announced that they are going to open a 6,500 square foot vegan food hall in the base of the 811 Uptown development at Montrose and Clarendon.

We received many messages and inquiries from readers over the last two years since suburban import Peter Rubi sold its first Chicago location in January 2022 to PlantX. Rubi opened with some fanfare in September 2021, but PlantX decided to add to their portfolio of stores across the U.S. and Canada by buying the location and turning it into an XMarket.

Loyal customers were confused by some inconsistent hours and branding from the rebranded XMarket, and the grocery closed its doors to the public late last year in anticipation of this new venture. XMarket has continued online delivery operations from the store, using the upper level as a distribution facility.

Expect a host of vegan options, including a central bar with vegan wine and spirits, vegan bar food, and vegan wine pairings including cheese from Good Planet. There will be six separate stations offering to go vegan fare, including a coffee roastery.

The anticipated soft opening will be August 23, with a grand opening on Labor Day weekend.

We look forward to the new food hall and are thrilled that Uptown's vegan community, still upset over the loss of Sephardic Sisters and Ka'lish, will get some exciting new options.

Pride Parade Primer

Hey, Sunday is Parade Day! Uptown will again provide the staging areas and the first part of the route for the 52nd annual Chicago Pride Parade, which will step off at noon at Broadway and Montrose.

It's a ton of fun, but it means tens of thousands of visitors to our part of town, and that can mean some necessary adjustments for residents.

Like to sleep in? Good luck! The parade (all 199 entries) begins at noon, but the floats and participants start lining up early. If you live near the staging areas (see below), expect to hear a lot of music and excitement starting as early as 7am.

There will be street closures (again, see below), but more important to street parkers, there will be towing and ticketing along the staging areas and the parade route beginning promptly at 5am on Sunday. The streets are scheduled to remain unavailable for parking until 8pm Sunday.

If you are parked on the street in one of the areas that will be closed on Sunday, we recommend you move your vehicle to a spot away from the staging areas NOW and leave it there until Sunday evening (if possible). The entire area will be gridlocked and there will be very little chance of finding any legal street parking on Sunday.

The purple lines are where parking is restricted Sunday between 5am and 8pm. Click to enlarge the map.

Here's a complete list of the parking-restricted areas, both in and south of Uptown (Uptown-specific areas on in blue):

• Montrose Ave. - Greenview Ave. to Hazel St.
• Broadway - Leland Ave. to Grace St.
• Sunnyside Ave. - Broadway to North Sheridan Rd.
• Halsted St.* - Grace St. to to Belmont Ave.
• Belmont Ave. - Racine Ave. to Broadway St.
• Broadway - Melrose Ave. to Diversey Pkwy.
• Diversey Pkwy. - Broadway to Cannon Dr. (Sheridan)
• Cannon Dr. - Diversey Pkwy. to Fullerton Pkwy.
• Addison St. - 736 W. Addison St. to Sheffield Ave.
• Waveland Ave. - Halsted St. to Broadway St.
• Grace St. - Halsted St. to Fremont St.
• Clifton - Montrose Ave. to Sunnyside Ave.
• N. Sheridan Rd. - Sunnyside Ave. to Buena Ave.
• Buena Ave. - Sheridan Rd. to Broadway
• Wellington Ave. - Clark St. to Sheffield Ave.
• N. Sheridan Rd. - Montrose Ave. to Wilson.

Please note that parking on Halsted and Belmont will be restricted until 4am on Monday, June 26th.

The good news is, Uptown gets dibs on cleaning of the parade route and staging areas. It's rather remarkable - as soon as the last entry crosses the starting line, a bevy of street cleaners come behind them and do their thing.

Another good thing is that the crowds at the beginning and end of the parade route are less intense than they are in the the Lakeview viewing area, so avoid the throngs and watch from close to home. 

The parade will be televised on ABC7 between noon and 2pm. The cameras and commentators will be in the Jewel parking lot at Montrose and Broadway.

Extra security will be set up this year in light of  heightened threats against the LGBTQ+ community over the past year, so we welcome the safety precautions.

There will be no Grand Marshal this year, but Mayor Brandon Johnson will lead the parade. Other marchers of  Uptown area interest are:

• Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles (Lakeside Pride Marching Band) (Entry #14)
• Howard Brown Health (Entry #46)
• Center on Halsted (Entry #63)
• Baton Show Lounge (Entry #72)
• Uptown Chamber of Commerce (Entry #92)
• My Buddy's (#199 -- last but never least!)

A complete list of all the parade entries is here.

CTA will reroute several bus lines to accommodate the parade. Please check the CTA's Pride Page to see details about the rerouting of these buses:

• 8 Halsted
• 22 Clark
• 36 Broadway
• 76 Diversey
• 77 Belmont
• 78 Montrose
• 80 Irving Park
• 151 Sheridan
• 152 Addison

Parade organizers are warning that there will be fines of up to $1000 to people seen drinking from open containers of alcohol along the parade route. Be forewarned.

There's a lot more, covering cooling buses, first aid stations, the best places for folks who are elderly or physically challenged to watch the parade, etc., on these two pages:

• GoPride.com
• ChicagoPrideCalendar.com

HAVE FUN! TAKE PICTURES! ENJOY THE GOOD VIBES! We love Pride Day, and hope you have a great time.

Come See The Saddle & Cycle Club's Fireworks Show On Independence Day

We're so lucky to have a professional fireworks display right in our neighborhood.

The Saddle & Cycle Club, at Foster and Marine, has confirmed to UU that it will be holding its annual fireworks show at dusk (start time has been anytime between 9pm and 9:30pm in past years) on Tuesday, July 4th.

While only members of the club and their guests may view the show from inside the club grounds, the fireworks can easily be seen from the surrounding areas. 

You can see them from Kathy Osterman Beach, Foster Avenue Beach, Margate Park, and from friends' homes along Foster Avenue and Marine Drive (there's still time to wangle an invitation!).

To our south, Navy Pier will be holding its Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, July 1st, and Wednesday, July 5th, at 9pm.

UU Note: Want to know more about our very low-key 129-year-old neighbor? Uptown Update did a "Flashback Friday" feature about the Saddle & Cycle Club a few years ago.

Photo credit: Perri Smith. 2021 Saddle & Cycle show.

Meetings This Week! Register Now to Learn About the Final Major Stage of Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization

From the CTA:

It’s time for the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization project’s final major stage!

We’ve come a long way.

After demolishing 100-year-old structures and stations, it is now time to enter the final major stage of Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization work by rebuilding the western half of the tracks and the new, permanent Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations. 

Red Line service will continue throughout this final major stage of construction, with Red Line access available at new Argyle and Bryn Mawr temporary stations that will open at the start of Stage B this summer. 

Join us at upcoming community meetings to learn more and ask us your questions about how the RPM Stage B work will impact you. 

• Lawrence and Argyle stations
  June 21, 2023
  St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church
  5649 N. Sheridan Rd
  6pm-7:30pm
• Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations
  June 22, 2023
  St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church
  5649 N. Sheridan Rd
  6pm-7:30pm

RSVP for your station’s meeting now!

Signs Are Up For Stan's Donuts at Broadway & Wilson

 

Signage is up in the corner retail space at Broadway & Wilson

We get asked every few days about the upcoming Stan's Donuts in the Platform 4611 building at Broadway and Wilson. They've made it more official with signs in the windows showing all of the delectable goodies awaiting us. We checked with Stan's and they're aiming for late August, early September opening date. Alas, this is Chicago so take that with a grain of salt. In the meantime, check out Downstate Donuts at Wilson and Clifton. 

Uptown Property Values Continue to Rise

4861 N. Hermitage (Google Street View)

From Uptown's Northwest corner comes news of a new development pending at 4861 N. Hermitage. 

Currently home to a lovely but relatively nondescript frame home, developer Longford Construction is planning to demolish the house on site and replace it with a 8 unit, 4 story building with parking. Longford, as readers may recall, has been very active in Uptown recently with new buildings at 4537 N. Clark and 4447 N. Hazel.

Most notable to us was the sales price, with this home selling for land value at $925,000. An empty lot at 4726 N. Hermitage previously sold for $1,050,000 in November 2022. Those of us who have been in the neighborhood for three decades can't believe the land value for lots in the area is at or close to seven figures. 

Lawrence Lofts Welcomes Its First Retail Tenant

The retail space under construction at 1039 W. Lawrence (Instagram)

The Lawrence Lofts, currently under historic renovation at 1039 W. Lawrence will soon welcome its first retail tenant, "Studio W.I.P."

According to its Instagram, Studio W.I.P. is the original "spray paint and sip" offering classes where artists can explore their artistic side while indulging in BYOB. Classes are offered for couples, singles and anyone interested. Studio W.I.P. was featured prominently in Uptown Art Week which just ran from June 1-4. 

Follow them on Instagram

Follow them on Facebook

Or visit their website for more details on classes.

New Deli Coming Soon Across From Aragon

 

1101 W. Lawrence 

A space that has seen no retail since the Kinetic Playground shut its doors in 2011 will soon welcome "All Food & Deli."

We've received quite a few inquiries after the building permit notices went up in the space at 1101 W. Lawrence, directly across from the Aragon. Construction is ongoing in the storefront, but once we receive word on an official opening date, we will pass it along. Great to see a long vacant space finally filled!

Uptown Hotel Named Top 25 in the U.S.

The Guesthouse Hotel at 4872 N. Clark (Google)

Trip Advisor's Best of the Best Awards are out for 2023, and guess what hotel was #20 on the list of best small hotels in the United States?

If your guess was Uptown's The Guesthouse Hotel, you'd be right!

The Guesthouse is the only Chicago hotel on the list, and one of three urban hotels to make the cut.

For newer residents, The Guesthouse rose from the ashes of a failed condo development on Clark and expanded to its current size in 2013.

We have only been in the lobby but everyone we talk to raves about the rooms and the staff. 

Congrats on the well deserved award!

Mac-A-Ron!

Macaron Bar - 5152 N. Clark

If you've been missing a spot for macarons since T'Oui closed in 2020, you are in luck! 

Macaron Bar, originally from Cincinnati, is opening a new location at the Uptown/Andersonville border this summer. The space, at 5152 N. Clark, replaces Frio Gelato.

This will be the 8th location of Macaron Bar, headed by founding chef Nathan Sivitz. Per the website, all macarons are gluten free. Core flavors include:

Madagascar Vanilla

 Toasted Coconut

 Fruity Cereal

 Cookies & Cream

 Espresso Cardamom

 Dark Chocolate

 Salted Caramel

 Lemon Lavender

 Black Raspberry Chocolate

 Strawberry Milkshake

 Birthday Cake

 Earl Grey Tea

 Pistachio

If this location follows the lead of prior locations in Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville and Pittsburgh, expect other surprises, including seasonal collaborations with other local specialty retailers and baking classes.

Reviews of the mini-chain's other Midwest locations are great, and photos of the macarons make them look delicious. 

Excited!