1313 w Morse - Mayne Stage Conclave

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We're Looking For Artists

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Cool Parking Spot

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1313 W. Morse - Birds Eye View

Joe Moore finally made the big annoucement. The plans for Rogers Plaza at Morse and Wayne were divulged earlier this afternoon. The new building would require an upzone from B3-3 to B3-5. From this angle we see that the building is in scale with the rest of the neighborhood.

The bicycle/public transportation contingent isn't happy with extra parking and zero retail. Currently there is plenty of vacant storefronts on Morse. Former Morseland, the old Chase bank, Pritzker's own storefront at Mayne Annex, most of Morse and Ashland all empty.

The mini mall this building replaces was struggling. Magic Video closed many moons ago and sat empty ever since. If you want more information (or a public venue to protest) you can attend the community meeting next Wednesday July 1st 7 pm at Mayne Stage.

Update 6/26/15 10:19 am - the DNAinfo.com article re 1313 w Morse.

Coffee shop on Howard Street falls through

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Rogers Park Art Gallery

Tough to see with the glare. There is a new art gallery in town. B1e Gallery is no more. Most of the former gallerys work is still on the sidewalk and the yard next door.

RPAG will be open every Sunday 10 am - 2 pm and other hours to be posted on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rogersparkartgallery.

Hand panted cards available for twenty dollars. Contact eileenburns1034@yahoo.com to purchase or order custom cards.

Will the floor be composed of penny mosaic tiles?

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Evanston camera truck pays a visit to Chicago

Camped outside Farafinnah Hair Braiding (specializing in African Braids) the armored truck silently records motorized and pedestrian activity. This way it gets a better looks at Evanston westbound vehicles.

Sometimes it parks the wrong way. This isn't one of those old fashioned nondescript vans with a bunch of FBI agents inside listening to a wire tap. Just a steady stream of surveillance collected and tranmitted offsite. The large ex-Brinks truck is meant to be in your face. Instead of a squad car sitting there day in and day out a giant unmanned behemoth keeps watch.

At first you may miss it. This truck has five video cameras on its roof and one in the cab. According to Evanston Now they are planning to put solar panels up top.

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Neighbor Market @ Morse and Wayne

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A Stone Heritage Property

In case you didn't know this is the Emil Bach house. Chicago's only Frank Lloyd Wright vacation and private event rental. Call 773.654.3959 to make a reservation. Redundant to display a picture of the very thing you're walking past. One sign with the window design suffices; three is overkill.

Orange, red and yellow marigolds have replaced spring's tulips on the front lawn. At its 100th year birthday (earlier this month) bash a commemorative coin for Emil Bach debuted and Bach music was played.

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Welcome to Hello! Howard

No dogs.

Please lock chain and chain even when gate is open so it doesn't get stolen again.

Free peppers.

Take a strawberry too many for me.

Someone stole our garden decorations please be kind.

Senior - What? Senior citizens and highschool aged youth learning how to garden (and cook!) together When? Wednesdays 6:30 - 7:30 pm and Saturdays 11-12 noon Come check it out. Tell your friends. Meet at grow to give at north end of the garden.

Another Look At Rogers Park's Sistine Alley

This has definitely been photographed before. An unknown artist or tagger put this up (alley east of tracks inbetween Chase and Sherwin) sometime in the past year or so. The iconic fingers touching (from the Creation of Adam) painted by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel are unmistakable.

Adams hand is to the left and God's right. Its power to move people hasn't waned over the years. For a small time Twitter handle the tweet got seven retweets and eight favorites. A personal record for Chevanston.

The photo above is washed out. With luck sometime this summer a bluer sky with better lighting will result in a better composition.

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Outdoor Cat Winter Shelter

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE!!!!

These shelters were placed here by Tree House Humane Society. Tree House sponsers this cat colony in accordance with the Cook County "Managed Care of Feral Cats Ordinance" 07-0-72. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Tree House at 773-784-5488 ext. 234 or .....

Thank you for your cooperation.

For most RogersParkers the Chase Avenue terminus is the most obscure. The presence of stairs is evidence that there was once was a beach or easier access to the lake. Now its a place for cats inbetween homes to take shelter when its bitter cold.

The graffiti here harkens back to an earlier era. These shots look like something out of the early eighties.

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New playground at Willye B. White almost complete

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Lost Eras Vestibule

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Trees remain dead & Yellow Line still on the fritz

But if you want to cool off at the Howard "L" there is an electric fan at the phone bank. Public outlets are scarce. Keep the Howard stop in mind if you need to make a call and charge your dead phone.

Corpse trees continue to haunt the city of Chicago. Between the ash borer and droughts it's been rough. These saplings on Paulina haven't leafed out in years. It's about time we gave them a proper burial and planted some babies.

The Yellow Line has been out of service almost a month after a portion of track collapsed. Still no word on when it will be back up and running.




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Free Beer, Cheap Tacos, and Live Music On Howard Street

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Ashland Alley Short Cut

Make way for the Google Maps car! Last year the Google Maps car got bored of driving on the same surface streets and decided to take the path less travelled. Consequently we can see the new fence at the corner of Willye B White in action.

Drug dealing per neighbors on Everyblock is rampant at Jonquil and Ashland. Recess was cancelled and then reinstated at Gale Elementary because of a deadly daytime shooting (building straight behind the cut through).

Making the fence whole would go a long way in making the area safer. Either that or make this an official path. A dirt path through an incomplete fence into an alley is not a safe way for children to make their way to and from school. It is a minor improvement; its not a hole in a chainlink fence.

The replacement fence was an item up for bid on the last particpatory budget in 2014. It didn't win funds but got built anyways.

Its cool that people want to hangout in the alley. Whats not cool is that people are dealing drugs in the alley by Gale Elementary and at the nearby corner of Jonquil and Ashland. Lets close off this dangerous cut through. Children will get extra exercise walking around the block the old fashioned way and its one less place for drug dealers and gangbangers to hide and escape.

If you haven't taken a virtual trip down the 7600 N block of Ashland (alley) click here and give it a whirl.

Hotspot Grill - Coming Soon To Marshfield & Howard

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Haunted House On Jarvis

Every neighborhood has one. Walking home from school or work you half notice a dark negative energy telling you to not look up.

Cobwebs have overtaken the fence of this empty brick and stone structure. A giant mailbox waits for no letters. The last resident had no use for a garage.

Paint chips slowly flake off the rotten back porch. The sidegate is permanently shut with chain link.

Years ago wood (presumably for the fireplace) was neatly piled outback. Mysterious caretakers make sure the front lawn is not overgrown.

Local folklore has it that a family dispute sent this old brick cottage to probate hell.

Last edited 6/7/15 9:41 pm

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New Playground @ Pott Park

Smack Dab Joins Glenwood Farmers Market

This coming Sunday marks the return of the Glenwood Farmers Market. June til October on Glenwood from Lunt to Morse local fruits, vegtables, baked goods, cheese, and other foods can be purchased at reasonable prices.

For many this Sunday will be their first visit to the newest coffee shop in Rogers Park. Right now its a counter top shop with room to expand into a proper cafe. They will stay open an extra couple of hours (weekdays 7:30-11:30 am) closing at 2pm.

Smack Dab hands down has the fastest quality coffee and pastries for those without time to waste. If you haven't stopped by yet.... What are you waiting for? Plenty of parking on Morse in the morning to run over and satisfy your morning caffeine habit.

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Crumbling Fargo Viaduct Reinforced And Stabilized

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