So Long Duro Art

Duro Art (seen previously here at night) is no more. This past week 1832 Juneway went up for sale. The northwestern edge of Chicago is up for grabs. A lot of people don't realize that this is little corner is still city proper.

What will take the place of this venerable art supply factory? Would be the perfect place for something noisy like a recording studio. Big enough for a brewery, coffee grinding, or an internet start up company.

Listing price 1.35 million. The properties features include; high visibility - traffic count - 23,700 vehicles per day, 40 spaces in parking lot, CTA bus stop at Mulford street, one drive in door, 10-12 foot ceilings, and heavy power.

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Not Just Decoration

Affiliated Customer Service Inc. takes care of fire alarm maintenance for the city of Chicago and beyond. Hang around the city long enough and you will see crews going around checking up on the boxes that still work.

Most cities like Chicago have scrapped their fire alarm boxes. Boston hasn't. Honeywell who bought out Gamewell makes replacement parts. So its entirely possible to fix the nonworking boxes.

The article linked above gives a good example of why fire alarm boxes are still useful.

When a computer glitch caused New York City's 911 system to crash for two hours in March 2004, the street boxes continued to work, and someone used one to report a serious fire in Brooklyn.

An EMP or Carrington effect could take out all or some of the electrical grid. Having a redundant system may be more expensive but it saves lives.

Graffiti Blasters @ JB Albertos

Blue-Red-Yellow @ St. George's Square

Work on three houses at Austin and Sherman is almost complete (former St Francis parking lot). Whoever the architect they do possess style and taste. Prices a bit steep (for the area - St. George's Square) at 725 a piece. The real estate folk get that highfalutin name from the former high school demolished across the street in 1969.

Modern developments in the city are sometimes too suburban and cookie cutter. Variations on a theme with a unique feaure on each house is a nice change from the usual schlock. Driving up Custer north to Seward you run into a familiar row house construction found in more than a few places in Chicago  (Racine in North Lakview and also in Bowmanville) that is rather bland. With luck it develop character as it ages or it will meet its maker (another developer).

Developers have a responsibility to build homes that will endure. Making a quick buck and leaving behind an ugly structure and landuse pattern is not a legacy to be proud of. Plots used to be sold one by one to the property owners who would then commission whatever house they wanted built. A tradition not entirely dead but certainly uncommon.

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What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Plenty of things to do in Rogers Park and the city New Years Eve. (Mayne Stage, Bullhead Cantina or Peckish Pig for starters) While the city has a tendency to empty out during Christmas it fills back up in a hurry for NYE.

These dark days are made bearable with holiday merriment. These X-mas trees really dress up the otherwise nondescript lot at Howard and Ashland.

A great previously forgotten tune was aired on 88.7 a couple days ago (day of post actually Catching up on posts in the blog business means that while this was written up 12/29/14 it can be backdated and posted to 12/27/14.). "What are you doing New Year's Eve?" by Edie Adams.

Mulford House On Ridge

At this site, in the early 1840's, Major Edward Mulford erected a two-story frame house. The second home to be built in Evanston. Major Mulford was Grosse Point's (Later Evanston) first permanent settler and first justice of the peace.

In 1963, Dunbar Builders Corporation razed the original Mulford House and built the first condominium in Evanston. 

Erected by the Evanston Historical Society, March 31, 1964.

For a glimpse of the old Mulford House, his biography, and how Oakton street got its name check out this site.

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Marathon Gas On Howard - Your Local Source For Used Tires

Inner Metaphorphosis University For Sale

Everyblock does have useful data (besides staying current with the latest troll to catch fire). What if there was an external stagnation academy? Well maybe you could open one after buying 1418 w Howard Street Chicago, Illinois. It hit the real estate exchange just under 700 k this past week (December 20th).

Before the I.M.U. the building housed the vegetarian Lake Side Cafe which opened in 2005.

Apparently I.M.U. closed its doors earlier this year. The listing states that the property is vacant and was a restaurant. Flyers offering classes from 2014 sit in its plastic box outside. If there was going to be a 2015 they should've been printed and posted by now. Astronomers take note, this building is equipped with a brand new solar system.

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CTA Holiday Train & Bus In Rogers Park

South bound Purple Line
holiday train looking out on W. Morse Ave.

If you haven't yet climbed aboard the CTA holiday train you're cutting it close. Last minute shopping? Take this afternoons train downtown from RP and get it done. Santa's train is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season. Singing along to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells, getting a holiday train pin, a candy cane from one of his elves, and if you're really a big fan a CTA issued polaroid of a picture with the man himself. 

Each station you hit everyone pulls out their phones, Ipads, etc to take a pic. The excitement is contagious. Fun to watch the expression of new boarders gazing around in awe of the X-mas cheer.

The holiday train has been such a big hit a reticulated holiday bus hit the streets this year. It made its RP debut 12/19 at the Howard Terminal. It returned the next day just after sunset. It you missed it this year there is always the 2015 holiday season.

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What's New @ Sol Cafe?

Holiday donuts, hot chocolate snow balls, peppermint oreo royale, spiced egg nog bismark, sufganiyot (Hanukkah donut cranberry ginger), cranberry-orange glazed.

Artemisia - Free Concert! Saturday @ 6 PM December 20th @ 1615 w Howard Street. Chicago's premier female vocal trio would love your company for A Musical Celebration in the Rogers Park Community. Bridging the gap between classical and folk, Artemisia will offer a diverse program with music from Bulgaria, Georgia, Appalachia, Poland and more, including a Christmas carol sing-along! Join us for an exciting event celebrating music from across the centuries and the globe!

Catch The Holiday Train Before Its Too Late!

As X-mas approaches the days shorten to the maximum so winds down the CTA Holiday Train. (Pictured above the 3:14 pm south bound Red Line at Jarvis)

Purple Line tomorrow. Red line again Saturday for pictures with Santa back again Monday. Tuesday Santa heads back to the north pole via the short Skokie Swift.

Cubicles For Let

1500-2500 square feet waiting for something to happen at Howard and Ashland.

First the for lease sign was upside down and falling down, then it was properly upside down. Now its right side up. If Dilbert and their crew are looking for a place to hang their shingle.... This is the spot. Public transport, coffee shop close by, Mexican restaurant soon to open, a place to blow off steam (Freddie's Modern Kung Fu), and walking distance to the lake (in case you get up too late to take a shower).

Why cut up a vanilla box? Cubicles narrow possible renters. From DevCorp to Corp Unknown. Whoever is leasing the space lets you decide how many cubicles you need. Blue door up front is a head scratcher. Last year it had potential. Now its deadsville.

Last edited 12/18/14 10:13 am

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Crosswalk Parker

This car has taken up residence for the past couple weeks at Birchwood and Ashland. Navigating a crosswalk flanked by two cars is unusual. Hopefully you won't have that opportunity.

A dangerous precedent to try to set. Especially when garage parking is available just down the street at 7474 N Rogers. Most of Rogers Park is not blessed with this option. Better to use it and save yourself a ticket and you won't endanger Homo Sapiens bipeds.

Evanston can be seen in the background (405 w Howard).

P AND S Restaurant Sign Spotted

Mr Broken Heart Says Hi On Google Maps

Day After Fatal Stick Up On Albion

Reports of a shooting started coming in via Twitter from Chicago Scanner and Sam Unger immediately after a robbery gone wrong at Albion and the "L" last night.

In the shadow of the inaugural Polar Palooza news vans idle waiting for the signal to broadcast live. Around 8 pm last night (12/5/14) a young college student was killed during a scuffle over a gun.

Usual parley on Rogers Park Everyblock. Firsthand accounts, the alderman's official report, neighbors trying to keep dissension or varying viewpoints off unsuccessfully, talking about people in third person and muting, anecdotal accounts of robberies, and then politics.

Fighting over a gun is a life and death struggle. It could be victim versus criminal, policeman versus citizen, man/woman versus man/woman. Firearms take conflicts to their natural conclusion straightaway.

The alley @ the Albion "L" is a common cut through for students and neighbors alike going back and forth from the Loyola train station. Loyola Campus Safety released a communication.

Lavan Gets Booted

Lavan Galleries set up shop in the 1300 block of west Devon earlier this annum. Like many antique stores and purveyors of fine art browsing by appointment only. Not the sort of shop that you can check out on a whim.

Last night the city of Chicago booted the Galleries car. Its not parked in the permit area. Presumably ticketed for no city sticker?

Always cool to have a company car advertise the local biz. (For Example) If your driving down Montrose check the soon to open Breakroom Brewery with its cool thirties truck.

Mascot vehicles are a great gimmick. When yours gets booted its hilarious.

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