Glazed & Infused Doughnuts Now Available Every Weekend @ Sol Cafe On Howard Street

                Not fortunate enough to live in swanky Lincoln Park or Wicker Park and craving the cities best doughnuts? Have no fear, Rogers Park has a weekend place to score Glazed and Infused donuts on Howard Street of all places. The few Saturdays that Sol Cafe has hosted Dazed and Confused or rather Glazed and Infused was a feeding frenzy (their signature doughnut is the maple bacon). Who says there isn't a breakfast place on Howard? The good news was announced last night on Sol Cafe's Facebook page at 6 pm EST. Sol Cafe is close enough for fellow Evanstonians to walk down the street and get their coffee. Note the 415 Howard highrise partially obscured by the tree on the north side of the street is in Evanston. Judging from the newly installed lamp posts their should be some new banners installed on Howard soon.

Increased Police Presence On Morse

View From Morse Gyros (Where Gangs Aren't Welcome)

          The gangs have returned with the nice warm weather we have been having lately. If gang loitering is tolerated, shooting inevitably follows (see Common Cup). Gangs like to shoot at gangs, so if you see a gang hanging on a corner you have to call 911 and report loitering. Morse is a gang hotspot where loitering of this sort just isn't tolerated. There will always be drug deals going down as long as there are drug addicts living in the neighborhood  (see Threshold Grais on Wayne ave), but that doesn't mean we should tolerate gang loitering or the drug dealing.

Please continue reading for update (6/5/13 - police whisk away gangs from Morse & Wayne), more pics & words

Prodigal Monk A Bust?

              The word on the street is that the burger bar on Jarvis is a no go. Benjamin Woodard wrote this article regarding Prodigal Monk @ 1547 w Jarvis Avenue (across the street from V-tone) this past November. Renovation work was completed on the interior of the commercial space February and March 2013, but all activity has since come to a screeching halt. The burger bar was supposed to open this past April, but now it looks like it will be added to the long list of names and places that this storefront was supposed to be but never was. The one thing that is new is that V-Tone (the family who owns 1547 w Jarvis also owns the V-Tone building) is now selling and fixing bicycles. For Chevanston's article on Prodigal Monk please click here.

For more pictures please continue reading

From Urban Relic To Stucco Bore

         Update on 7300 N Damen, the facade now resembles what was done to the top of the Magic Video strip mall at Morse and Wayne and the top of the one story building that houses Morse Gyros and the Golden Mini Market. Apparently this is a common shortcut to shoring up buildings that need tuckpointing. Has a southwestern look with the light desert color. This has happened to a lot of buildings in Chicago, a once interesting old building (which could've been restored) is converted to a clean, bland, dull monolithic structure, which for this corner is a step in the right direction.

Please continue reading to see what 7300 N Damen used to look like

Sticker Sign Vandalism In Pilsen Revisited

       

           






            These photos were taken June 2012. This is the Halsted Metra underpass by 16th street looking north. Stickers had effectively obliterated this important street sign. A little bit of elbow grease and WD-40 and the sign was back to its original state. This was posted to the now defunct Everyblock with the monicker "modern archaelogy" in the Pilsen subforum.  Thought it would be interesting to check up on the North To UIC bicycle sign a year later.


Please continue reading to see the sign one year later

7600 N Greenview & Bosworth A Day After Latest Shooting

           So many people got shot this past Saturday June 1st in Chicago that all the shootings and the one homicide was just squished into one news story by DNAinfo.com and the Chicago Tribune. The first quote in red is from DNAinfo.com, they list 7600 N Greenview as the site of the shooting. The second quote in yellow is from the Chicago Tribune, they note that the shooting took place ten minutes earlier and a street to the west at Bosworth. The Tribune was also unsure of the age, so the person shot was listed as man or boy.

 "Just before 6 a.m. Saturday, a 23-year-old man was shot in his hand in the 7600 block of North Greenview Avenue in Rogers Park, said Officer Jose Estrada, a police spokesman. The man, who cops said is a documented gang member, drove himself to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston."

"In the latest shooting, a man or boy was shot throught the hand about 5:49 a.m. in the 7600 block of North Bosworth Avenue in Rogers Park, Mirabelli said. The man was dropped off by someone at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where his condition was stabilized, Mirabelli said."


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Scion IQ, Plenty Room To Spare @ Brick Paved Wayne Avenue

A solution to your parking problems in Rogers No Park

            Toyota Scion recently came up with its own teeny tiny car (not as small as the Fortwo but close), the IQ in 2012. The Car and Driver article says that four people could wedge themselves into this conveyance, another article says it is technically a three seater.. (There is a rear window air bag in case you are wondering) It weighs just over a ton, has a 1.3 liter engine with 94 horsepower, billed as a "premium micro subcompact". Best quote from the Car and Driver article "Scion says the iQ will run from 0 to 60 mph in 11.8 seconds, but a better estimate might be a week." List price is just under 16 thousand dollars. Side note - the UK three wheeler Peel P50 is the world's smallest car is in production again and is street legal (it fits in elevators, you could drive it to your desk),

What Is The Function Of This Locked Box?

         Many people walk past this nondescript box everyday without even noticing it. Do you guys know why this old lock box is here? If not then continue reading to find out. 

Rogers Park Neighborhood News

         The largest splinter of the post Everyblock society set up a Facebook group page for Rogers Park entitled Rogers Park Neighborhood News. Not easily discovered via web search as it is a Facebook subgroup named Rogers Park, it is found lurking through Rogers Parks' most prolific Facebook posters on DNAinfo.com (like Al Iverson). Tiffany Steele wasted no time at all and created this group the day that Everyblock shut down, February 7th. Currently there are 123 members.

            Every neighborhood will have multiple avenues (as it should) to discuss local issues, some on the visible 'net and some not. Facebook exists in between the visible and invisible 'net; you can see some of it without an account but to get whole scoop you need to log on.  Joe Moore is a fellow member, making his online duties as alderman quite busy if you include his Facebook account and his participation with Next Door. They use the part of mural which states that "Howard Street was once considered Chicago's Gold Coast from the 1920's to the 1960's" as their header. Today on the site it was announced that there is a yard sale at 1546 w Pratt (Pratt and Ashland) 9 am - 3 pm June 1st and June 2nd.

Update 6/2/13 Noon - There is also the East Rogers Park & NOH Facebook group which has 75 members.

Reminder - Community Meeting With New Police Commander

         Alderman Joe Moore invites you to community meeting. Meet our new 24th Police District Commander Tom Waldera Monday June 3rd @ 7:00 pm at the Loyola Park Field House 2nd Floor 1230 w Greenleaf. Questions? Contact the 49th Ward Service Office ward49@cityofchicago.org 773-338-5796

The Patchwork City

           

          The dumpster to the left is just after the city did their thing covering up graffiti. The dumpster will continue to get tagged as it is now a patchwork mess. To fix this, this writer just used Goof Off to remove the ghosted DD and navy blue spray paint to restore the dumpster to its original color. Most dumpsters are either navy blue, dark hunter green or grey, so it wouldn't be hard for the city stock up on the most common colors and do this the right way, that and judicious use of Goof Off when appropriate makes for an alley that is easier on the eye and less likely to get tagged.

Rebranding Gale Math & Science Academy?

            The following pdf was written by Jason Lemberg a youth specialist for HOW (Housing Opportunities for Women) as a proposal to change the culture of Gale Elementary School through community involvement and technology. One of the ideas he puts forth is embracing the moniker for North of Howard "The Jungle". If memory serves this writer correctly "The Jungle" referred to the large amount of house plants  locals kept in their apartments. The author wants GMSA to be a source of pride for the community, a lofty worthwhile goal. Judging by the number of flags planted at Joe Moore's doorstep Gale  is represented by many parents who already value this important community school. But any novel helpful ideas to help improve the education our local youth receives is worth a discussion.


To read Jason's pdf please continue reading

Not Po Po

Please continue reading for more pictures

(pictures cropped so as to maintain privacy, best license plate seen in awhile)

Almost as cool as the Sexcalade (Joe Runge's has been looking much better of late too).

Loitering @ Greenview & Morse

          The above photo was taken at 7:20 pm tonight, Common Cup is still open at that time. Highly ironic to see loitering right out side the nice new building at Greenview and Morse and the Rogers Park Business Alliance. Loitering is associated with shootings and for some reason the Common Cup (this is an assumption, perhaps they did call the police, but doubt it) hasn't learned its lesson yet. Are these young men in gangs? Perhaps, perhaps not, but rival bangers will shoot at what looks like rival bangers; they aren't that choosy. This is a recipe for disaster. There is a reason why there are shootings at Greenview and Morse, and the picture above shows the root cause. Why is this being tolerated?

       Update 5/29/13 5 am - Click this link to read about the recent drive by shooting right by the Common Cup. Where there is smoke there is fire. The smoke being the loitering. This writer has already talked to the Common Cup about the loitering a year ago to deaf ears, and this writer is not welcome there. Ruth had said "they aren't doing anything wrong". This writer was told to stop harassing them and threatened that they would call the police if talked to about this loitering again. So the ball is in their court, the neighbors at this corner have to care, perhaps positive loitering should return. Serving coffee with youth loitering kitty corner to your coffee shop is dangerous and foolhardy. 

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Big Shoulders PR Event @ Towbar Rescheduled

          This morning  Big Shoulders Coffee was to hold a public relations event (to promote their coffee and give away free swag) at the recently opened Towbar at Jarvis and Greenview. It was rescheduled due to the inclement weather. Was always curious about this coffee which is for sale at Taste whose proprietors recently took over the former Charmers space. Big Shoulders Coffee is located at 1055 w Chicago avenue, and here are some photos which the Sun-Times took. The coffee shop earned four and a half stars on the Yelp site. Will post any update as to when Big Shoulders will be there as info becomes available.

Update 5/30/13 11:30 am - Big Shoulders was outside this morning giving away free samples of coffee, their medium roast (which as explained by Anthony Burud is a much better roast overall because dark roast burns the beans). Don't know a lot about coffee but from his explanation you can tell they know what they are doing. The Heartland Cafe has been brewing their coffee since this past July. Big Shoulders is relatively new to the scene of Chicago coffee and a welcome addition, there was a time when this writer was wondering when the monopoly of Metropolis and Intelligentsia was going to be broken. Always good to have different coffee to try and this is above average coffee. Anthony was in front of Towbar giving out free coffee as late as 9:30 am this morning.

Brick Building @ 7300 N Damen Post Mummification

            Not sure how this is an improvement. But to each his own. The natural brick facade is now covered by a white synthetic material. The building now has a face only its mother could love. The correct way to fix this building would be to have it tuckpointed, this is reminiscent of the bad old days when instead of fixing your ceiling you simply installed a drop ceiling.

Please continue reading for more words & pictures

1530 w Estes Construction Update

Above photo from 5/25/13

Please continue reading for more pictures from today & yesterday

Traction Power Substation Construction Noise @ Farwell & Glenwood From 6/12/13 - 2/28/14

DETAILS :   A construction project for the Chicago Transit Authority is underway in your neighborhood. A new Traction Power Substation will be constructed at 1401 w Farwell and the following work has been scheduled

• Construction of the concrete and masonry substation building
• Site sewer, water and electrical services
• Installation of the electrical equipment

          

          This work will take place during the hours of 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. This will generate constant construction related noise for the entire duration of this work. 

          N. Glenwood will continue to be closed from Pratt to Farwell on the east side of the CTA tracks during this work. For any questions or concerns please contact Jeff Wilson (CTA) at 312-217-0346

Please continue reading for more pictures

Buddha @ Clyde Street Courtesy Of 8th Ward Quick Topic

             This photo was posted to the 8th ward public quick topic forum of Evanston May 1st by neighbor Jeannie. Chevanston took a screen shot, boosted it and HDR'ed it. Too bad this type of quick topic forum hasn't taken off in Rogers Park. Ann Rainey the 8th Ward alderman hosts this forum and people on the board are required to use their real name. There is one set up by Bernard Garbo for Beat 2424 in Rogers Park across the street from the 8th ward. Apparently our Rogers Park neighbors for the most part prefer to hold conversations off the visible net.

"Somebody Doesn't Like Our Stickers..."

Screenshot of Facebook post

               @GNAR, its not that someone doesn't like your stickers, it is just that someone doesn't like sticker vandalism (which is illegal). The stickers themselves are cool. In the end what are stickers like these used for? In the old days stickers were collected in sticker books, put on folders at school (like scratch and sniff stickers), put on skateboards, bedroom or garage doors etc. Nowadays stickers main use seems to be to stick all over society. Too bad no discussion, would've been interesting. Perhaps some topics are just too controversial. The next logical step would be for GNAR to post another Facebook post of this post (entitled somebody really doesn't like our stickers) and then Chevanston would post on that, onto infinity.

Towbar (Tonyletsgotothebar) Is Open!

            Towbar opened last night in case you didn't know, (which in the internet and smart phone age is almost impossible). They are serving up Big Shoulders coffee which is self serve with scones, fruit, granola bars, cupcakes, etc for breakfast. This is an even better place to grab a cup of coffee with the updated look which respects the history of the building and carries on the tradition instead of starting with a clean slate.

              There was quite a crowd there last night having drinks having a jolly time (as it is BYOB) according to management. The official liquor license for Towbar is in the works and is expected to come through sometime in the fall. Towbar is located at 1500 W Jarvis Ave just steps from the Jarvis "L" stop. (Here is a link showing how the building looked while it was closed) Hours of operation for Towbar are from 7 am - 10 pm M-F and 9 am - 10 pm on Saturday and Sunday. They do serve lunch and dinner.

Bloggers note #1 - Goods For Less has recently vacated their space at the Jarvis Greenview minimall.

Bloggers note #2 - Towbar also mentioned that they are working on having a Bastille Day event at Jarvis square. The details are pretty sketchy at this time, it will be interesting to see how this turns out

Please continue reading for more pictures

Art & Sol Flea Market Coming This Summer To Howard

              The meeting for Sol Talks was very stimulating; we live in a neighborhood with people from all walks of life with very different views.  A lot of newcomers came to the cafe to see what was up and introduce themselves. The old guard was there consisting of Michael Luckenbach, Helen, and a few others. Michael Land from the alderman's office took notes, Chris Patterson represented Rogers Park Peace Angels, Indira Johnson of 10,000 Ripples fame shared her views ( update, in each neighborhood 5 Buddha heads will stay and 5 will be auctioned off),. Another woman (sorry didn't catch her name) was there from Gale School, the proprietor from the Recyclery, a barista from Sol Cafe served as the host and emcee for the event (who did a smashing job btw). Also Nancy J. Sell executive director for Here Comes The Sun which "celebrates cancer survivorship while creating cancer awareness" was in attendance. Mango and banana slices were passed around for everyone to munch on. 

             The biggest news to come from the meeting came from the marketing director from Sol Cafe, Britni. June 22nd will kick off the first Art & Soul Fair on Howard Street. It will take place on the sidewalks from Ashland to Greenview and on any vacant land that they can get permission to occupy. The tents will consist of vendors selling art, clothing and various sundries, hopefully attracting vendors selling food. The hours will be from 10 am until 4 pm and will run every fourth Saturday of the month throughout the summer. 

Please continue reading for more words and pictures

SOLIVE Friday May 24th - Mojek & Peoples Temple Of America

             This Friday (tomorrow) @ Sol Cafe, doors open at 10 pm, five dollar cover before 11 pm. House music will be spun by Mojek and indie rock music will be performed by Peoples Temple of America. Click here for more information. Patrons must be 21 or over. Sol Cafe is located at 1615 w Howard in the historic Howard Theatre building, at the intersection of Marshfield and Howard Street. Check it out, its the most happening coffee shop on the far north side. (PTA's most played song on their Facebook page is "Hit The Wall", reminiscent of early Weezer.)

Rendering Highlights Dangers Of Bicycling On Sheridan

"Is that man suicidal?" thinks Replica Shamly on her way to take her Simcar out for a spin.

             Commenter Joseph A. Ficek  of Chicago, Illinois correctly points out that this virtual bicyclist is taking his virtual life into his hands by riding against the flow of traffic, "Why is that cyclist riding against the traffic?" The Chicago rules of the road advises bicycle riders to ride with the flow of traffic as opposed to against it. Bicyclinglife.com's library contains a study from the 1980-1992 in Palo Alto, CA showing hard data that riding against the flow of traffic is more dangerous.

              The most logical reason being that bicyclists "enter the conflict" from an unexpected direction; drivers and pedestrians aren't looking at where the bicyclist is coming from. The same goes for bicycle riding on sidewalks, the data shows that this is the most common place for car versus bicycle accidents. Here is a link to Bicyclesafe.com a primer on how not to get killed riding a bike. (As an aside the main thrust of the article from DNAinfo.com from whence this rendering and quote originated was to point out that the parking garage's (at Sherwin and Sheridan) height will be three stories instead of four and other safety features have been added to placate the nearby Senior Jewish home.)

New Ford Interceptor Cop Car Made Here In Chicago

In the background the former U Lucky Dawg soon to be Mosque

                 These nifty new cop cars are manufactured at the South Side Ford Plant on Torrence Avenue within the city limits of Chicago. According to this article from The Ward Room the first shipment arrived this past December 2012, the second batch just arrived this past March. Which jives, because this writer just started noticing them a few months ago. The article goes on to say that the 15 million dollar new fleet of cop cars ordered by the city helped create 230 jobs. A win-win, the creation of these cars in our own city helps law enforcement outmaneuver the bad guys and the local economy.

Update #1 5/22/13 10:30 am - In a related story ORP (Occupy Rogers Park) was pulled from the Chevanston Twitter Feed this morning for retweeting a tweet from Occupy Chicago containing an obscenity.

"Occupy Chicago ‏@OccupyChicago 12h
Friends don't let friends talk to undercovers. All Cops Are B@st@rds | #NATO5 pic.twitter.com/bVMhFdX1qu
 Retweeted by Occupy RP Chicago"

Update #2 5/22/13 2:15 pm - establishing shots uploaded that include gas prices and to show off where else the flashing blue lights are located


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Tree Plantings On Howard Street - Streetscape Continues

               Lots of activity on Howard Street this morning. Crosswalks last week, this week trees being planted, dirt being dumped onto Howard Street and dirt being removed from the site near where the clock tower will be deposited at Greenview and Howard. The construction lady had a hard time of it at Greenview and Howard, a cab blew by her as she was signaling him to stop. If you live in the area and suddenly feel that is easier to breathe or that the air is slightly cleaner, it might just be because of the new tree plantings on Howard. 

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(bonus photos of corsets from Lost Eras)

Next Door - Another Corporate Run Site For Rogers Park

       

              Looks like net neighbors haven't learned their lesson. They have decided to go from one corporate owned site to another to discuss neighborhood issues. Postcard, phone number or credit card number are required for membership; a huge hassle to sign up for this service or website which the general public can't view (maybe that's the point). The last site that was corporate run (Everyblock) had its plug pulled with zero notice this past Febuary. This writer promises to never take this site down, so any work done (words and pictures) here won't be lost. There are cliques on the internet already, and this forum which you can't even view unless you sign up for with personal info creates an even more exclusive site for neighbors to voice their concerns in quasi secrecy which could be shut down at any moment.

Please continue reading for more pictures and words

New Facade In The Works For 7300 N Damen

           The intel is pretty skimpy on this story. A few days ago the old facade from the former pharmacy that once stood at Damen and Rogers was removed. After speaking to the shopkeeper it was learned that a new facade was going up in its place. It will be "great" and the time frame for construction is "soon". The exposed surface in the worst shape is the bottom part of the building on Rogers Ave where windows used to be. There is weathered old wood instead of brick.

         Previous links to 7300 N Damen, this one is regarding possible shooting nearby, this link is about Roger's Pantry, but has a picture of the previous facade. This link shows the previous for sale sign on the property.

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Tyveked Emil Bach House

       

           

               A lot of activity at our local Frank Llloyd Wright house of late. One would assume that the exterior brick work in the areas covered in housewrap (olefin, high-density polyethylene fibers) was in such poor shape that they had to be completely redone.  The concrete front path is about to be repoured, it is staked off with wooden planks. Work is being done to the ground wall by the path as well. These pictures are from this past Saturday. Not a peep from the Emil Bach blog, last entry was from April 23rd.

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Loyola Dunes Erosion Control Project In Effect

          Two new sizeable swaths of Loyola Park Beach near Greenleaf and Lunt avenues have been staked off in efforts to reduce erosion and restore the beach back to its native state (the best current example of Illinois' natural dunes is Illinois Beach State Park in Zion). There is a path that allows the public to walk in between these two protected areas to observe the nascent natural dunes. On May 4th the following was posted to Loyola Dunes Restoration Facebook page, "Loyola Dunes Restoration Vigorous growth of thousands of hand-planted clumps of Marram Grass in the late Fall of 2012 are showing rewards in the Spring of 2013. Thank you to every person who labored to make this happen. A new dune is being born."

         Marram grass, also known as American Beachgras,s has an extensive root systems that anchors the plants in the shifting sands. They (Ammophila) are located on the East Coast from South Carolina up past Maine, the entire West Coast on up into Canada and throughout the Great Lakes. Other species of Marram grass are found in Europe, Africa and have been introduced into many other areas of the world to help with erosion. The sign adorned with the Mercedes Benz medallion reads," Loyola Park erosion control project in effect. Due to blowing winds and drifting sand onto adjacent park land we are implementing this erosion control project. Please stay out of the roped off areas until the planting has established itself. Thank you for your cooperation"

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