Chicago

Welcome hydrogen as mod

2007-05-05T22:30:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, I'd like you to all welcome a familiar face around here, hydrogen as a moderator.

He's been appointed to help us out with the North American forums, focusing on the US forums but he'll also lend his services over here in working with Steely Dan on the Chicago forum as well.>

Carson Pirie Scott State St. Closing

2007-05-05T22:00:00.001-07:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...wsbreaking-hed

Quote:>

Carson Pirie Scott will close its historic flagship store on State Street in the Loop, where it has been selling goods for more than a century, a victim of industry consolidation and changing shopping habits.....

Bon-Ton Stores Inc., the department store operator that took over Carsons in March, said the giant store, which encompasses an entire downtown block and consists of nine conjoined buildings, was too expensive to operate. It doesn't make money and sales have been falling for the past two years, said Bud Bergren, president and CEO of the York, Pa.-based company....

>The greedheads will make noise about the big box ordiance but in short the revenue from the store was not enough given the land valuation. I presume they'll leave the facade inplace and gut the interior and mechanical systems.>

Chicago's party schools?

2007-05-05T21:00:00.001-07:00

All these topics of schools has me wondering. From what you have heard or experienced what do you feel is the biggest party high school, and the biggest party college in the Chicago metro?

For high school, hands down Lane Tech. When I went there, there was always a party on Friday and Saturday, if not a few for each day, and daytimes on half day Thursdays were very common. We would leave daytimes at like 4pm drunk, and these daytimes were huge too. There would be like 50 people usually. Now that I think about, where were all these kids parents?

For College, that's a tough one. Chicago colleges aren't really known for party schools. From what I have seen and heard it seems like DePaul. Too bad Chicago does not allow on campus frat and sorority houses. Then again we really don't need more drunk people out on our streets.>

Nygirl is still doing chicago.. now from the top of the Jhc

2007-05-05T20:30:00.001-07:00

Oh yea....

Went up this sucka too:

Sorry for the glare guys..

Views to the South:

Olympia Center ( Realllllly sleek) I love it..

Hotel Cass again and the sweet older building around it ( We'll get to that later, this aint the last thread..)

Waterview's boney White butt:

Looking West and Kind of west... ( Sofitel was hard to get because of the glare)

See what I mean.. this is Park Hyatt..

Looking North:

Looking East:

>

What is the ultimate Chicago movie?

2007-05-05T20:00:00.001-07:00

From the LA forum...

Quote:>

Originally Posted by Ferneynism >

...I also wanted to determine what was the ultimate Chicago movie. Maybe I should of just started a thread in the Chicago forum...>

Quote:>

Originally Posted by ORDgasm >

Yes you should do that. It would be an interesting discussion.>

>Well then, what IS the ultimate Chicago movie?

My #1 favorite is definetly The Blues Brothers, but there are no doubt countless more that could be (and should be) mentioned.>

Nygirl Does Chicago and the Cubbies +Altavista

2007-05-05T19:00:00.001-07:00

You bet: Wrigley Field and Altavista Terrace!

For sale:

Cool... I wonder how much money the guy got from Budweiser..

20

minutes or so

Before the first pitch

How its done!

Someone from ssp was at the same game and in this area in view:

I went with Celia who is a huge Yankee Fan. We both went decked out in Yankee's gear.. Me well i had the Yankee fitted, a cute yankee top,, and my giant Ny tattoo out.
The crowd at Wrigley... Didn't care. Long Live Wrigley, Screw Shea, Screw Fenway.>

Nygirl does chicago.. almost over :( ... miscellaneous.. alleys.. grit..

2007-05-05T18:30:00.001-07:00

One thing I love about chicago is the Alleyways that so frequently present themselves. A quiet break from the bustle on the street eh?
Well they are a charecteristic that might not be unique to Chicago but Chicago has definetly made unique..
The rest are just shots I couldn't really put anywhere else.....

Small but cool nevertheless..

This looked pretty sweet at night.. all my night shots sucked although I didn't have the cam on me 24/7 even though it seems like it. Just picked very oppurtune moments.. which in Chicago pop out at any time..

Chicago left an almost too good impression on me. I cannot really put it into many words other than you guys are spectacular.. I love your city.. You know how to show a girl doing you a good time.. thanks.

back to topic:

Gettin mad dogged..

Even yer damn alleys are clean!!

This sweet church...

Southside Alley-

Northside Alley-

>

Nygirl does Chicago from the top of the... Sears...

2007-05-05T18:00:00.001-07:00

Yea! From the top of this sucka:

Looking towards Midway and the South West:

Looking towards the SouthSide:

South again towards 311 south wacker...

Looking Southeast towards Soldier Field home of Da bearsss and the Field Museum:

Looking west towards Greektown and Cicero:

Looking North towards Jhc and Lake Michigan:

Looking North out on the lake:

Directly on the loop:

Looking North East to the Navy Pier:

Looking north onto the roof of AT&T:

mmmm Chicago Temple Building....

Zoomed in a bit on JHC:

East on the loop:

Another duplicate :P :

You looked amazing from up here:

Looking East onto Millenium Park:

Looking East onto Buckingham Fountain and CNA plaza ( The best looking red box in the world):

Zoomed in on the Flamingo:

There is the prison and if you look close enough you can see the prisoners playing basketball on the roof...

>

Nygirl did Chicago. Finale My crazy cab ride, my poor attempt at a skyline shot, air

2007-05-05T17:00:00.001-07:00

The cabbies here are just like in ny.. crazy. Not as crazy as a Bronx gypsy driver but it was like G-force man... not even enough time to get some great angles.

Then Ny and Chicago from the air..

Oppurtune moment from the cab:

Sorry this is an amatuer shot from the back of the cab:

Man I almost had a sure shot of Soldier Field... by the way... Freakin huge.. I'll be going there in December most likely... Pre xmas week.

My horrible attempt at the skyline ( We were flying at 80 mph and +)

He did let me smoke my pre board blunt though.. very cool afteb!

Sears is still visible.. although its smoggy as hell at midway

From the freeway:

Take off! Bye Chi Town!!!

Then theres New York City...

I did not get Manhattan directly above because we flew right over it.. the otherside got to see Manhattan. Sorry guys.

Coney Island on the otherhand? Full view.. what a dump.. but it's our dump and weeeee love it!

Yoooooo Brooklyn!

Prospect!

Downtown Brooklyn.. eh it's gettin bigger..

Willie:

Stuyvesant town

Greenpoint:

Long Island City

Rapidly getting bigger:

Roosevelt.. I almost got Manhattan.. I tryed..

Queens!

Bx Boro!

Throgsneck Bridge:

Castle Hill?

Soundview Homes? Nahhh I forget these pj's

Ahhh
what little I could get from midair...

Manhattan the Apex of modern capitalism

sorry I cheated on u baby.. it's just.. i couldn't help it Chicago looked so sexy I had to do it..

Touchdown.. end trip
Laguardia.. the greatest airport in the world..... Syke.

Thanks CHICAGO! You've definetly been done...

the end.>

Mexico's independance day

2007-05-05T15:30:00.001-07:00

The skyline will be lit up Red and Green...
I think this is cool since I'm Mexican...
Probalyl some of you will be mad though, just like the comments at the bottom of the article which got made me kind of mad...

http://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/?p=1854>

Chicago City Model Returns to CAF

2007-05-05T15:00:00.001-07:00

At long last, an updated Chicago city model has returned to the Chicago Architecture Foundation's City Space Gallery at the Santa Fe Building. Honestly, this thing had been AWOL for so long that I was beginning to think it might have been damaged or destroyed...

Fear not, though - the model looks nifty. I was surprised & gratified that TTC & Waterview are there, as well as a massing slab for Aqua (!!!), though 340 appears not to scale.

I spent some time crouching down to simulate skyline views w/the new towers from various approaches to the city - no big surprises, thanks largely to STR's excellent computer models, although Waterview Tower makes somewhat more of an impact than I'd anticipated. But hey, go down & have a look for yourselves!>

Chicago by me

2007-05-05T14:30:00.001-07:00

Have a nice trip

>

Cafe Sarkis - a chicagoland original?

2007-05-05T13:30:00.001-07:00

for those familair with the near northern suburbs of chicago, cafe sarkis, located in the far northwest corner of evanston, is a local legend. the place is known for its omlette's and a unique sandwich concoction known as "the loretta", which can be made with either ham or bacon. another sandwich which goes by the name of "the disaster" also has its legion of die-hard fans. it was also a place known for its incredibly friendly owner, Sarkis, but he sold the business to a new owner who has committed himself to running the place exactly the same way Sarkis did.

my question: given the ridiculous deliciousness of a loretta (either ham or bacon), why has this style of grilled sandwich not swept across chicagoland, and indeed the planet? i have never had a sandwich anywhere else quite like a loretta, and few that come close to tasting as good. what the hell makes them so friggin good, and why the hell has this sandwich style not blown up into another item in the line-up of venerable, authentic, chicgao-style fast foods?

if you're ever in the northern burbs and looking for a good greasy spoon kinda place with some really unique menu offerings, you gotta check out sarkis, there really ain't anything else out there like it, and that's a shame because it's amazingly delicious. growing-up, i was spoiled because i only lived ~2.5 miles east of sarkis, but now that i'm in the city, sark's is only a "once in a great while" kinda place.>

hey, how about....high schools?

2007-05-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

For all the talk we do here about colleges, we've never gotten into a discussion on Chicagoland high schools. I hope this thread will be a place where we may be able to get a sense of what the schools out there are like and how they compare.

Consider (among other things):

Â What are the public high school elite (in both academics and facilities)? Would they include the likes of Northside, Payton, New Trier, Stevenson, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Hinsdale Central, Homewood-Floosmoor??? (note: I may well be guilty of heavily stacking North suburban/North Shore here).

Â Does the aura that was New Trier still exist or are there too many great suburban high schools to make this one stand out the way it once did?

Â What has happened to the reputation of once stellar high schools like Evanston and OPRF? Have they been tarnished by issues of race (despite being much better cross sections of society than the schools with better reputaitons)?

Â How does Lane hold up to newer competition in Northside, Payton, etc.

Â How do schools like Francis Parker, Latin, U High (U of C), North Shore Country Day, etc. match up.

Â Which high school has the top facilities, the best campus?>

Chicago: Global strategy over National strategy

2007-05-05T12:30:00.001-07:00

There may be a little overlap between this thread and others that we've had on the Chicago board, but I think it is a sufficently critical issue to warrant a discussion of its own.

Chicago is an unquestionably great city when viewed through either a global or national filter...and maybe, more importantly, when viewed on its own with no other city to compare it to. Its greatness is evident.

The focus of many of the world's greatest cities is rapidly shifting from a national perspective to a global one. Borders between nations mean less and less.

When cities are compared to those in their own nation, provincial thinking dominates. These cities know each other too well. There are few enough of them that appear to many to line up in some eronious rank order. Stereotyping, oversimplication, and rivalry tend to a "put down" effect, stiffling to a city's growth.

But internationally, the landscape looks different, the differences flattened, the ranking more uncertain. There are too many cities to know well so preconceived notions are not the issue they are nationally. Meanwhile, global cities are highly networked with each other, with cooperation being as prized as competition.

Chicago ends up fighting an absurd battle domestically related to its interior location and other issues related to an American power structure that still gives an edge to the northeast corridor and California. Ironically, on a global level, there is no such disadvantage.

Thus I ask: HOW CAN CHICAGO DEVELOP A GLOBAL STRATEGY THAT CIRCUMVENTS ITS AMERICAN POSITION TO REACH A GOAL TO BE THE UTLIMATELY SUCCESSFUL GLOBAL CITY?

What could a shift of paradigm from Chicago and the US to Chicago and the globe do for those who plan and work for the type of Chicago that will be far more global and far less national during this very century? WHAT SPECIFICALLY CAN CHICAGO & CHICAGOLAND DO TO REPOSITON ITSELF FOR AN INCREASING SUCCESSFUL GLOBAL PRESENCE?>

Chicago Nightlife

2007-05-05T11:30:00.001-07:00

Someone had a post about Chicago nightlife that was locked, so I thought I would give my opinion. As one who had fun in college and mid 20s before moving to the burbs, Chicago nightlife is good. Those who say there is nothing to do are nuts. Is it unbelievable like in places like NYC, South Beach, L.A., San Fran, or Vegas, of course not, but it is by far lame.

My hangout in the late 90s was Wicker Park. It has really changed, both for the good and bad, but it is still a great place to hang out.

I went to Loyola up in Edgewater(okay you can call this neighborhood boring because, well nothing is here except condo and apartments). I dated a girl that went to Depaul and was down in Lincoln Park alot. My hang out and still hangout when in the city is Joe's on Weed. Im a big Illini fan and they have a big Illini base at Joe's. Clark and Southport have lots to do as well. Not a big fan though of Lincoln Park. Guess I was never that "cool LP guy that looks like every guy." You know the black Leather Coat, sweater, etc.

Spent many days in Wriggleville as well, between Belmont and Addison always a big crowd getting into the bars.
Still like to venture downtown on Rush and Division. I know it is tourist, but hey, I met my wife at the basement of Mothers. Also love to sit outside, eat some great Italian food at Carmines and people watch.

My favorite bar is probably not a bar much know about in the city, it is called Teasers and is on the northwest side on Higgins near Harlem. It is just a simple bar where one can relax and drink beer.

In the suburbs, Schaumburg is just too overcrowded with the 20-22 year olds. Naperville has the same problem with the Universtiy.
My wife and I like a chain near us called the Fox and Hound in Aurora. WHy? Well it is really nothing flashy(in a shopping mall), but what we love is the food, the beers, and the fact that the two of us and friends can sit in a booth and hear each other.

But if a younger and single person would have a far better time in the city.>

Big Box Ordinance Vetoed!

2007-05-05T10:30:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU MAYOR!

from cnn.com:

Chicago mayor vetoes big-box wage increase

Mayor Richard Daley says 'living wage' ordinance would drive retailers like Wal-Mart and Target out of the area, hurt jobs.
September 11 2006: 5:46 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley on Monday vetoed a "living wage" ordinance that would force big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target to increase their hourly pay and other benefits.

In July, Chicago City Council approved the ordinance by a 35 to 14 vote. It would require large chain store retailers with more than $1 billion in annual sales and at least 90,000 square feet to pay wages of at least $10 an hour plus $3 in benefits by 2010.

"I understand and share a desire to ensure that everyone who works in the City of Chicago earns a decent wage. But I do not believe that this ordinance, well intentioned as it may be, would achieve that end," Daley wrote in a statement.

"Rather, I believe it would drive jobs and businesses from our city, penalizing neighborhoods that need additional economic activity the most. In light of this, I believe it is my duty to veto this ordinance," he said.

Wal-Mart (Charts), which plans to open its first Chicago store this year, applauded Daley's decision. "[Daley's] actions encourage desperately needed business investment and development in the city, with job opportunities and savings for those who need it first," company spokesman Michael Lewis said in a statement.

But Daley's vote can still be overridden when the City Council meets on Wednesday. It would require a total of 34 votes in support of the ordinance.

If passed, the ordinance would apply to other large retailers such as Target (Charts) and Home Depot (Charts).

Now lets hope that the 34 votes to over ride the veto aren't met. I'm hoping some people will change their minds after target canceled many of their plans in the city because of this ordinance.>

Conan in Chicago tonight!!!

2007-05-05T10:00:00.001-07:00

Late Night with Coanan O'Brien will be broadcasting from the Chicago Theater Tuesday-Friday! Who knows.. maybe he'll consider a permanent move. >

The new West Roscoe Village.

2007-05-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

I live in Avondale, which pretty much borders, North Center, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Hermosa, and Irving Park. Almost no one knows where this neighborhood is. For those who don't, it is bounded by Addison, the river, diversey, and pulaski. The neighborhood is going through a huge boom. I dare you to drive through it, you will be suprised. Take addison and turn on Sacramento going south then when you hit whipple make a left, then you hit elston make a right, make a left on albany and then a right on Roscoe. You will see what I am talking about. There are about six or seven condo bulidings going up in that small area. Anyhoo the whole point of this was this article that I found very interesting and true.

http://www.keepgoing.org/issue24_sto...e_village.html>

North Side & South Side "health": effect on Cubs & Sox

2007-05-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

Please share what you think on the following:

eliminating everything from consideration but geography, what effect do you think the North Side location of the Cubs compares to the South Side location of the White Sox.

Simply put, how much is Cub success tied to its North Side location, how much is White Sox success tied to its South Side location.

And very importantly:

HOW WILL A REVIVING SOUTH SIDE, FAR MORE COMPETITIVE WITH THE NORTH SIDE, AFFECT THE WHITE SOX AND THEIR DESIRED EQUAL FOOTING WITH THE CUBS IN THE WINDY CITY?>

Olympics 2016: Chgo, LA, SF least likely?

2007-05-05T08:30:00.001-07:00

Given the state of global opinion on the United States, wouldn't you think the three least likely cities to get the nod for the 2016 Olympics from the international Olympics committeewould be Chicago, Los Angeles, or San Francisco?

There are pittifully few countries on the face of the earth that would choose at this time to give the US any honor, let alone making it the venue of the Olympics.

I love my country. Greatly. I do not want to go into what my (overwhelmingly large) concerns for it here, as this subforum is not the place.

But what is appropriate, what can be discussed is this:

In inumerable ways, the current United States blocks the current Chicago from being "all that it can be". The nation serves as a detriment to our city, as it does to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and plenty of US cities that didn't even put in an Olympic bid.

And since this thread is about Chicago, and Chicago's future, I believe we have every right and responsibility to discuss the above in its Chicago context. And that context is considerable.

I have absolutely no qualms in saying that Chicago serves America far better than America serves Chicago.>

Would a posh highrise mega-hotel make sense in Central Station?

2007-05-05T07:30:00.001-07:00

Just a thread in response to an article I think posted by wickedestcity in the Chicago economy thread. The article concenred Chicago's emergence as a number 1 market for hotel investment opportunity etc.

To read article go to Chicago economic thread.

Anyhow it got me thinking ....would a newly proposed highrise say 800 - 1000 ft or so megahotel make sense in Central Station or nearby. I mean it is close to McCormick place and the museum campusa and not too far from shopping on State St.

Is the mag mile too much a a draw that hotels only make sense in close proximity to it? Or can state even ever again compete?

I just think with its proximity to McCormick and museum campus and still not too far from Millenium Park as well as State St it is at least worth a consideration.

I for one would love to see a 1000fter in Central Station, but that's becasue I am weird and like tall building

thoughts?>

Why is Hyde Park so unique?

2007-05-05T07:00:00.001-07:00

I ask this based on some basic observations I've made:

Hyde Park looks like other Chicago neighborhoods.
It has a lot of educated professionals, tons of jobs and is racially diverse.
It is mostly pretty dense and walkable.
It is well served by Metra and CTA buses, though not by the L.
Great historic architecture, and plenty of retail space.
A lot of young people live there (U of C)
A good arts scene, plus a world-class museum.
Right on the lakefront!

However, these are what perplex me:

It has very little if any nightlife.
Not that much of a restaurant scene.
YOU CAN'T GET A CAB THERE WITHOUT RUNNING OUT TO LSD AND JUMPING AND WAVING!

Now I'm not trying to be an all-out proponent of yuppieism, or of the Lincoln Park-ification of everything. But HP is in prime condition to become exactly that. But why hasn't it? Can we attribute this all to its isolation? Are people just that unwilling to test the south side's waters, including cabbies?

And finally, does anybody have any predictions as to how long HP will remain this way? How will decades of development linking HP to downtown change this in the future?

I'd like to avoid any racial clashes here, so lets please stay on topic (Damp, ahem ).>

Chicago Campuses

2007-05-05T06:30:00.001-07:00

I just realized, Chicago has the amazing U of Chicago campus, the Mies IIT campus, and the UIC campus (which I think one day will be very beloved and significant). That's some very significant architecture for higher learning! Can other other city boast something like that? Just wondering.>

Chicago: competitor cities

2007-05-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

UP and Geoff have done a great job in introducing new threads here that celebrate Chicago. I'll try my best and join them with mine.

We love competition on the skyscraper board. Thrive on it. Put cities in rank order and see which measure up and, more delicously, which ones do not. So I'll join the fray.

There are two cities that Chicago is VERY MUCH in competition with. Two cities that dominate how we do things here. Two cities that are totally pervasive in how this city works and thinks. This is not sarcasam. This is real. And true.

The two cities? The first is the Chicago-that-was. The second is the Chicago-that-is. Chicago, as it moves to the future, measures itself by both. We celebrate and love both, but we are convinced that the Chicago-to-be will be the best of the trio.

You see, we totally enjoy our uniqueness. And what the past and present have done to create it. So, what is unique...and what makes the city work now and better in the future. No matter what some of you think, there is not another US or world city out there that we aspire to be.

Look at it as a recipe: create a flat inland plain on a vast, inland sea. throw in a river that creates a confined central space from which to grow. Sprinkle in a locale that ties the interior of the continent together. Impose a grid system to keep the whole place tied together. Toss in a rail system to connect it with the world. Stir in industry...and the rich diversity of groups from around the world who helped make it work. Make money off that industry, but invest it in culture. Burn the place down so you can start from scratch and get everything right; bring in the best architects to do the rebuilding. Clear off the lakefront and open it up to parkland for the people. Garnish with jazz, el tracks, a quirky ivied ball park, a mile that is more than magnificent and even a little of Emeril's "BAM" in the form of a racy, gangland past.

So where is Chicago today as it heads to the future? This huge, magnificent city with great big awe-inspriring towers has low rise lands adjacent to its core that allow it to develop like no such powerful city today can develop. New urbanism has found its home.Rail tracks allow for areas south of the Loop to develop on a scale unconfined by the old city grid (or look to Lake Shore East & Central Station to see that type of development taking place today).

Note the number of suburbanites moving downtown for the joy of urban living, increasing the critical mass and, in the process, the city's ammenities. Look at what civic projects like Navy Pier, Millenium Park, Museum campus have done to the urban landscape...and salivate thinking about what a developed river walk, the city/private sector combination at Block 37, the south lakefront reconstruction, the growth in the McC Pl area, the Circle Line, etc.

Look in awe at new construction close to downtown that still comes with 2, or 3, or 4 floors: imagine....a huge, powerful city and it still builds short so that it won't become a forest of soulless skyscrapings. Think of it: the city that created the skyscraper and brought it to new height wants valuable land used for low scale building....and isn't afraid to say to Donald Trump "Get the damned thing right or build it elesewher"Flat out amazing.

Meanwhile look at neighborhoods like Chinatown, Pilsen, Bronzeville, Rogers Park, and others and see our diversity is black and white and Asian and Hispanic and others.

Like no other American city, Chicago is in the process of combining power with available land to build a new American dream city. Some other places have the power but not the land to devleop. Many, many have the land,but not the power. Chicago is unique.

And, somehow, as much as I love the Chicago that was and the Chicago that is, the Chicago that will be will undoubtedly be the best of the bunch. Wishing all a Happy Chicago and a Happy Thanksgiving.>

I'm sorry, this has nothing to do with skyscrapers but...

2007-05-05T04:00:00.001-07:00

I have recently heard rumours of Coke II (New Coke)still being available in the Chicago area and I this is the only way I can get in touch with anyone from Chicago. If anyone has any information it would be greatly appreciated.>

Pictures VIII: Six weeks of Fall in Chicago

2007-05-05T02:30:00.001-07:00

State Street Parade

2007-05-05T01:30:00.001-07:00

It ain't the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but, here are a few pics I took this morning of the State Street Thanksgiving Day Parade. Enjoy!

And what is left of the snow on my roof.
>

Awesome Millenium Park Photos(64 Pics)

2007-05-05T01:00:00.001-07:00

All Pics courtesy of Kenneth Tanaka

The BP Bridge

Wrigley Square

Cloud Gate

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion

The Crown Fountain

>

Performing Arts Center??

2007-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

here's a discussion that I don't believe has ever come up here or, quite frankly, has there really been much discussion about it in the city:

WILL CHICAGO EVER HAVE A DOWNTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER? (including at least 3 major theates and an attractive complex with landscaped plaza)

I'm talking about something along the line of Lincoln Center (NY), Kennedy Center (DC), Music Center (LA)?

Now Chicago has outstanding music venues (Auditorium, Civic Opera, Symhony Center, new facilities at Mil Pk, etc.), so the question is: why is this needed? From that perspective, NY has excellent facilities like Carneige Hall that are not part of Lincoln Center. Building such a complex does not eliminate existing structures as much as enhancing them. A centralized facility does a great job in promoting the performing arts.

I would hardly expect anything to happen on this in the near future, but do you folks on the forum think it will happen? if so when? where would you place it? any other thoughts out there or any awareness if the powers-that-be might, on some level, be thinking about something like this?>

chicago snow..

2007-05-04T23:30:00.001-07:00

can anyone post any pics of chicago with snow from today or so... i heard it was snowing there today.>

chicago snow..

2007-05-04T23:00:00.001-07:00

can anyone post any pics of chicago with snow from today or so... i heard it was snowing there today.>

Chgo: outshot by NY, SF

2007-05-04T22:30:00.001-07:00

Chicago better load up, guys. We've been extremely out shot by New York and San Francisco. Two recent threads on this board have included:

a highly detailed overhead shot of San Francisco's downtown that includes areas eastward to the bay and north to Telegraph Hill and the north waterfront. one, singular picture for which I have seen no peer. zooming in on this tremdenously large stretch of sumptuous real estate, you can actually pick out the most minute of details.

a series of panoramic pix of the Manhattan skylines (midtown and downtown), also in enormous detail, although these taken at more ground level. one pic was extraordinary in its contrast: a close in view of low-scale, single-house oriented suburban NJ on the banks high above the Hudson, with both the midtown and downtown skylines across the river and a sweep that even included Jersey City's evolving skyline to the south.

I've seen fantastic pictures of Chicago here, but none that gave either of the orientations: bird's eye straight down or dramatic/detailed sweep from end to end.

Does anyone know if pix of this nature and quality have been taken of our town?>

Hey Daley, listen up!

2007-05-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

If you could make 1 statement to Mayor Daley, what would it be? It could be a question, a request, a commentary, a gestalt, a dirty joke, your pathetic life story, an angry rant, or whatever you want. What would you say?>

2007 Festival of FUGLY ARCHITECTURE

2007-05-04T21:00:00.001-07:00

Sundance inspired...feel free to nominate any "new releases" for Chicago.

>

Old Chicago

2007-05-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here's some old pics of Chicago to start out this thread. Hopefully people can dig up some classic pics!

Courtesy of the CHS:

>

Yet another college thread, but basketball this time!

2007-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

After watching the fantastic DePaul and Norte Dame game today, and knowing the rivalry they have I had to bring up this thread. We all know that the Illini is Chicago's biggest when it comes to college athletics. U of I though is not in Chicago, so let's talk about the Chicago college teams, and let's keep it to basketball since the only Chicago area team to have football is NU, and as much as I disagree it being part of the Chi metro, NIU, just cuz it is hella close. So which is your favorite Chicago College team? Remember think in terms of basketball only. Here is my assement:

NIU: Good crowd following from what I heard, but I really don't know that much about them. Kind of heard they really suck this year.

Northwestern: Either the most exciting, or second exciting of all. First it is a BIG TEN school, probably the least exciting of the Big Ten schools, but come on, it's the Big Ten. They seem to be doing horribly. I like that they have a rivalry with Illinois and DePaul. Too bad they beat DePaul this year. Thank God Illini beat them (I'm a huge Illini fan). Has to be the most exciting place in Chicago to watch a college basketball team. Always packed, filled with students, has the basketball stadium that sure as hell makes it feel that this is a college basketball game.

Loyola: Good history and decent team. Aight conference. I think this team could do a lot and has a lot of potential. They once had a strong program, as of late they do not seem to be doing that bad. Certainly an interesting team at that. Not excatly sure how the fan following is though.

DePaul: Very good history, and in present time a medicore team. As much as I think the Big East has really put DePaul's name out there, joining them has put the program down. DePaul never really dominated Conf. USA, but they sure were always by the top. Now in the Big East they struggle. I would say the second most exciting team in Chicago, probably the favorite for many, just because of the Ray Meyer era. I feel Allstate Arena is way too big for DePaul and too far. I think a 14,000 stadium would fit in nicely in the Lincoln Park area (FYI Children's Memorial is moving to downtown, and DePaul is really looking into that!). Average attendance is about 9,000 which isn't bad for a medicore team, Allstate feels empty and is empty for two reasons, its too big for the amount of fans the school has, and way too far for students to go to. DePaul would be better off using the United Center. Also love the whole Marquette-Notre Dame rivalry. Also love it that there is absolutely no rivalry with Illinois my fav team, and that both teams have no hate towards each other cuz I know Illinois doesn't like: NU, IU, Purdue, UIC. And I know DePaul has no love for: ND, Marq., Loyola, NU. Love it that both of my teams play each other like once every two hundred years.

UIC: Not much history, but the school is still new. I also find the UIC flames very interesing for some reason. Even though they are not good, I like them. The Horizon Leauge itself is rather interesing I think. You have some historically good schools in there. From my take I think UIC is probably the third or fourth most exciting school in the Chicago area for BB.

Chicago State: Don't know enough about them to really say.

UC: Ehh I dunno.

Obviously I picked DePaul beacause I go there, but the truth of the matter is, no one dominates the state of Illinois or Chicago like the Illini do, that is truly the state of Illinois' team.>

Chicago Before and After Shots (LOTS OF OLD CHICAGO PICTURES!)

2007-05-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is Chicago Wonderful Transitions in Pictures dating back from the 1940's to today. One reason chicago remains a wonderful city is because of its ages as a city and will always remain as a classic.
Enjoy

1963TODAY

1941 435North MichiganTODAY

Wacker Drive and Clark Street 1958TODAY

Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue 1941TODAY

Dearborn and Randolph Streets1963
TODAY

55 W. Randolph St.1963TODAY

Michigan Avenue and Huron Street1966TODAY

800 N. Michigan Ave.1958TODAY

Corner of State, Cedar and Rush[b]1966[b]TODAY

100 N. State St.1944TODAY

State and Washington Streets1963TODAY

Michigan Avenue from Randolph Street1963TODAY

1100 S. Michigan Ave.1958TODAY

The Skyline, from Adler Planetarium1941TODAY

Navy Pier, from Adler Planetarium1958TODAYTODAY

Canal and Taylor Streets1942TODAYTODAY

Grant Park1963TODAY>

O'Hare International Airport Expansion

2007-05-04T13:30:00.001-07:00

First of all, I believe that the airport should be expanded. Here is an article from Crain's Chicago Business.

January 13, 2005

No red flags over O'Hare expansion in FAA report
Critic says FAA 'cooking the books'

(AP) Â Diverting planes to nearby airports won't reduce delays at O'Hare, according to a government report released Thursday that Chicago officials hope will help speed their plans for expanding one of the nation's busiest airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration's draft environmental study raises no red flags over the city's proposal to add runways and reconfigure existing ones at O'Hare. It also discounts several alternative proposals for reducing delays.

Among those alternatives was a plan that called for greater use of airports in Milwaukee, Rockford and Gary, Ind.

"It doesn't meet the criteria of handling all the growth that's going to come at O'Hare in the coming years," FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said Thursday.

Molinaro stressed that the city's plan is not a shoo-in yet. The FAA has scheduled public hearings on its environmental study next month and is slated to release a final report in July that could include recommended changes.

The FAA's decision on O'Hare expansion is expected in September.

"We're very happy with where we're at in this process," said Rosemarie Andolino, executive director of the city's O'Hare Modernization Program.

Andolino said she expects the FAA will approve the city's $15 billion plan, and contractors will be ready to break ground immediately. The plan calls for opening the first new runway in 2007, with the project due to end in 2013.

The FAA report found that the number of people affected by high noise levels would slightly increase after expansion - from about 22,000 in 2002 to 24,000 in 2018. The new runway configuration would mean less noise to the northwest and south and more for suburbs east and west of O'Hare, Molinaro said.

Air pollution would also increase slightly with more planes coming into the airport, although it would still fall within levels accepted by the government, the report said.

The report compared the city's runway plan to two others devised by FAA experts and found it would reduce delays the most in the long run. The city says overall delays would plummet by 79 percent once the runways are built.

Joe Karaganis, an attorney for communities and churches opposed to expansion, said the FAA report was designed to pave the way for approval of the city's plan. He accused the agency of discarding other alternatives - including the use of regional airports - without truly studying them.

"The FAA has been cooking the books on this thing all the way along," Karaganis said.

Karaganis argues the city won't be able to get the bonds and passenger fee increases required to fund the project. He also says the city has not backed up its contention that delays would decrease, and lawsuits over moving cemeteries in the path of the new runways could stop the project altogether.>

Which one would you choose?

2007-05-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just for some kicks, I thought I'd post this poll to see which of these things you view as more important for Chicago's future.

If you could have one of these scenarios, which would you choose?

A. Chicago wins the 2016 Olympics, but the CME-CBOT merger is blocked

B. CME-CBOT merger succeeds, but Chicago doesn't get the 2016 Olympics>

Widescreen Chicago Wallpapers

2007-05-04T03:00:00.001-07:00

Does anybody know where i can find some good widescreen wallpapers of the Chicago Skyline??

I've been looking for days and cant find any good ones

And i cant use all the beautiful pics you guys post cuz they all get stretched

Im looking for 1680 x 1050 resolution>

What do Chicago Universities need to do to get better?

2007-05-04T02:30:00.001-07:00

Chicago has many great universities. I have hopes though that one day Chicago can become a great College Town having many top notch schools. Let's exclude Norwestern and U of C from this though. They are in a category in all their own. I am talking more about DePaul, UIC, and Loyola. Many cities have a great variety of universites like Boston. Sometimes I feel Chicago has too many extremes. For instance we have two schools ranked in the top 20 (NU, U of C) then IIT (again that one is in a moreso in its on category), and then it drops to the three i mentioned which are third tier schools. I feel like there is no happy medium. The happy medium I talk about is like U of I. Chicago needs a UCLA, a USC, or something like a Marquette. This is what I think should be done.

Loyola: Great, great, great school. I think it is extremely underrated though, both locally and nationally. I don't know this school all this well so I can't comment on that much. I really think the school really needs to get itself out there and have a bigger prescence. I think having Northwestern so close in a way overshadows it. DePaul kind of rules its area, UIC dominates its area. From my opinion, I don't see Loyola dominanting its area (of course I am not talking about their downtown campuses). Also, correct me if I am wrong but I heard Loyola is lowering its admission so it will be easier to get students. I hope it doesn't knock it lower on the list.

DePaul: Great school as well, and I feel gives the best college experience. I see this school with a lot of potential. It might not be a big research school but it is good enough. One thing DePaul needs to do is add more student housing and I mean a lot. I am on the waitlist until Winter for housing. This school also has released news that they are going to make it harder for admissions and the school is going to do a lot to improve academically (For all you depaul peeps it is in Campus Connection). Also I think DePaul needs its own stadium for Basketball. Then DePaul will really have a big prescence in its area. Add a stadium and add a lot of dorms and DePaul will feel like your sterotypical college. Also out state student attendence is on the rise, I think that it is at 25%. It is much higher than UIC and even U o I (at 8%), which will benefit the school in people becoming more aquainted with it other than in Chicago and Illinois. Only problem with DePaul? Its in Lincoln park and downtown, which means difficulty in expanding. (I would love for DePaul to add a football team, it is in the Big East Conference with the ranks of the big boys like Norte Dame)

UIC: Out of all three I feel this school has the most most potential. It is expanding like crazy and they have room for it. I think it has ugly architecture, but it does look like a college campus once you set foot in it. Like DePaul UIC needs to have a lot more housing options (which it is adding) and get a better sense of community. UIC is way too much commuter. UIC has an attractive price tag, but they should raise it to make more improvements. I really really see UIC like the next UCLA, or the next UCSD. UIC should also have a football team and and a stadium. They have the room and I am sure they can get the money. Big problem though? U of I, will most likely get in its way from becoming better. U of I has dominated the Illinois University system for a very long time, and UIC is a young school with a lot potential, but U of I certainly has its edge. That is one advantage that DePaul and Loyola have. They do not have to share funding with other really big schools.

Overall I see UIC with the most potential, DePaul next, and then Loyola. I'll shut up now? What do you all think?>

What do Chicago Universities need to do to get better?

2007-05-04T00:30:00.001-07:00

Should Chicago be the Capital of Illinois?

2007-05-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

I recently visited Springfield and can't say I was really impressed with it at all. I find to be a very disappointing city for being a state capital. To be honest, Chicago is so dominant in Illinois that I was always felt that Chicago would be a much more sucessful capital than Springfield. Does anyonw else agree. If you had the choice would you make Chicago the capital?>

2007 Richard J. Daley Urban Forum

2007-05-03T23:00:00.001-07:00

i went to this even last year and had an amazing time. i was in the middle of doing a research paper about urban events such as the olympics, and i was actually able to interview the mayor of toronto and the current mayor daley for my paper. i suggest you guys look into this and attend it.

http://www.uic.edu/orgs/daleyforum/index.html>

John Hancock Center Q's

2007-05-03T22:30:00.001-07:00

Just wondering if anyone may be able to help me. I have a university assignment at present on the structural system of high rise buildings. I've chosen the JHC as my case study, and have had no trouble finding info about the primary structure ie. diagonalised braced tube.

I am, however, finding it increasingly difficuly to find any info on the secondary structure of the building - structural floors, internal columns, walls, windows, cladding attachment details etc etc.

If anyone has some information that may help

Jason>

Lewis University

2007-05-03T22:00:00.001-07:00

got accepted their and since i am not from IL i would like to know how is the parties, you know night life and the chicks. i don't wanna be stuck in a boring college. so tel me anything you know about romeville and the university. is it boring or not?? anything i might want to know.

thank you very much.>

Affordable Housing Thread

2007-05-03T20:30:00.001-07:00

Just thought it might be a good idea to have a thread on this subject.

A place to put news about affordable housing or post new projects, SRO replacements and the like going up.

Below I found an article a couple weeks old and I dont remember seeing it anywhere here so I am posting it.>

Irony?:Who's more attached to Chicago: midwesterners of downstate Illinoisians?

2007-05-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Having to share a state with the beomith that is Chicago has soured a significant number of downstaters on our city for an eternity. Yet in the Middle West on the whole, Chicago's reputation is often excellent, trips to Chicago are enjoyed and the norm for plenty, and interest in Chicago can be great.

Is it possible that an ironic relationship exists: Midwesterners on the whole like and are attached to Chicago more than the very downstate Illinoisians who share the state with us?

(and, if anyone is interested, no...I certainly don't think that anyone outside of our region is obsessed with Chicago or that Chicago is the focal point of anyone's life; I'm not interested in elevating Chicago's status here or take an unreasonable view of our own self-importance. I am merely curious as to how positive feelings and connections to Chicago compare in our own backyard (downstate IL) and throughout the Midwest as a whole.)>

I Love Chicago, but...

2007-05-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

@#$% do I hate the weather here. It goes from sub-zero to days like today. There's only 4 months of decent weather a year.>

What a day for a parade......

2007-05-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

Let there be light, as if God himself is dirrecting the path of the parade.

I knew I picked a good spot outside city hall, I figured there was plenty of paper to be shredded there. I expected some red tape to come flying out the windows too.

Why yes, our mayor does know how to through a party!

Being in the action of this old-school ticker tape parade within the LaSalle Street skyscraper canyon featuring our very own 'world champion' baseball team was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. We need to do stuff like this more often. The streets were so alive and filled with sooooooo many pedestrians, it was awesome.>

that other team in town

2007-05-03T18:00:00.001-07:00

Now that the World Series has ended, is it time to ask...

Remember the Cubs, that other baseball team in Chicago?

Predictions:

What effect (if any) will the Sox' WS championship have on Cub management, fans, success on and off the field, #1 status in Chicago baseball, belief in curses, the idea that losing is cute......and any thing else that might have been affected by what happened on the South Side this season?>

The White Sox Need a New Ballpark

2007-05-03T17:30:00.001-07:00

Lets face it, after millions of dollars of renovations and a re-naming, Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field is still only a mediocre (at best) place to see a ball game.

It's not going to get better with age. It's not going to gain character. Its soul-less aura isn't going away no matter how many seats are eliminated or how many new "attractions" are added. It's really only a matter of time before it gets torn down.

What with all the truly great architectural gifts this city has been given of late (Millennium Park, Fordham Spire...), and now the impetus of the first White Sox World Series win in 88 years behind themÂnow, more than ever would be the perfect opportunity to strike, and to give Sox fans and residents of Chicago everywhere a structure they can proud of. Something they can grow old with and be proud to bring their grandchildren to decades from now.

My only specific suggestion: build it so that home plate is over the location of old Comiskey Park's. It would be a great touch. >

whats the most diverse neighborhood

2007-05-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

whats he most diverse neighborhood in chicago....
in terms of the highest african american, caucasian and east asian and immgrants...populations.>

Renaming buildings,

2007-05-03T16:30:00.001-07:00

Im sure this has been covered before but Ive been following this forum for awhile, (maybe six months) and havent seen it covered.

I just cringe when people mention the Aon center, I guess as a kid I always knew it as the standard oil building and it doesnt seem right that people call it by a different name just because its changed tenants or owners.
I suppose its a more unique name, as there are other standard oil buildings but it just seems so fake, sure its not like renaming the sears tower, which would never happen, Im just think that the aon center is pretty close to the brink of WTF, as far as renaming buildings go, personally I think its a gay name for a company. Its something that was brainstormed at some branding meeting or something, its a fake made up name and I will never point out the structure and tell someone oh yeah thats the aon center. Its like renaming the prudential builiding.

Just wondering what everyone else thought.>

Where to stay

2007-05-03T15:00:00.001-07:00

Allo Chicago-ians

Ill be in your fine city over new years, but just have a quick question.

In what part of the city is it best i stay in, to be central, close to it all etc. Im looking at hotels, claiming the "loop" and "miracle mile" but am not really sure what that means entirely for your city and its attractions.

Anyway, thanks>

focal points in downtown over the ages

2007-05-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

It seems like Chicago has some very distinct street/corridors downtown that each had there respective distinct Â"erasÂ" in which these street/sections of Chicago downtown was the focal point in town. South State Street (State and Madison in particular) had its glory days around the turn of the century. The LaSalle canyon was a predominant streetscape with the Chicago Board of trade as its centerpiece during and in the years surrounding the depression era. North Michigan Ave. began its glorious days in the 60Â's and 70Â' and continued till recent years. I dare say that the current focal point of the city is our magnificent river. With all the amazing construction and eye popping developments surrounding and lining its shores this phenomenal crossbreed between nature and man made elements is being groomed to become ChicagoÂ's greatest artery and linking point for the whole city. Building a strong bond between the north and south sides of the greater downtown area.
Do you all share my views on this matter or do you feel it is off base completely? Were do you see the city turning its attention in years to come?
I predict that Block37 will become the main focal point of the future (2015 -????)
Do you agree with that assessment?>

I hopefully that Fordham Spire will get approve

2007-05-03T13:30:00.001-07:00

That's look great with 2,000 ft.

I'm very serious that get approve so I hate to see fail again.>

Chicago's strongest midwest relationship is with...

2007-05-03T12:30:00.001-07:00

Which city in the middle west do you think Chicago has the strongest relationship? To which are we most connected?

I'm thinking in terms of...

Milwaukee: backyard neighbor, our only one, with a similiar layout of lake, parks & beaches, and river

St. Louis: 18th century rivalry for dominance in Mid-America that still lasts to today. Huge Cub-Cardinal rivalry. Besides, we live in a state that is attached to only two metro's: Chgo and StL

Detroit: closest parallel to Chicago in late 19th-mid 20th c. industrialization and ethnic mix. Even by the 1950's, these two were frighteningly enough similiar to each other

Cleveland: mainly because it comes across as a "Mini-Chicago" more so than any other midwestern city

Minneapolis: many view Chicagoland and the Twin Cities as the most thrieving metro areas in the Middle West today

Cincinnati: historical link related to Chgo/StL relationship. Cincy was the first city west of the Appalachians to be the great city of the west (prior to the LA Purchase). Chicago, obviously, holds that role today.

Indianapolis: aggressive Indy has no qualms about going up against the Chicago big boys....as in fighting over the Big Ten tourney site.

So which one of these major cities is most closely related to Chicago, has the most dominant relationship with our Windy City (and why did you choose it). If you want to throw in Kansas City and Columbus into the mix, that's fine (but, let's face it: I left them off here because their inclusion would be dubious, as best)>

Which building would you live in?

2007-05-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

Chicago has so many great resdential scrapers, but if you had the choice which one would you live in?

I would choose Marina City. I wouldn't care which tower, I think Marina is great.>

The University of Chicago?

2007-05-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

I'm currently a senior in Charlottesville, VA. After a lot of deliberation, I've finally decided to spend the next four years at the University of Chicago. I chose Chicago mainly over Penn, Brown, Duke and Northwestern because its economics program just too good to ignore. I'm also a very sociable guy and since Charlottesville is a huge college town (home of "The University") I've been to quite a few frat parties and the like. I've heard that Chicago's social life wasn't too great and I was wondering if this was really the case?

Is Hyde Park a typical college town? Does it have a lot of good bars, coffeeshops, stores, etc? How is the crime rate in and around the University of Chicago area?

How accessible is downtown Chicago from the University of Chicago? Do a lot of students go downtown on the weekends? Could you recommend any nice, upscale coffeeshops (preferably with wireless internet) in or near downtown that a college student could frequent in the afternoons?

And one last question: how do native Chicagoans view the University of Chicago? Most of my friends, when they found out I chose Chicago over Brown and Duke, thought I was crazy. Only my teachers and counselors knew how great the school really is. Is this the case in Chicago as well? Or is the University of Chicago well-respected there?

How do you guys view it compared to Northwestern? (My counselor, who's from the Northeast-- Boston and NYC, I think-- told me that UChicago was "on par" with Harvard/Yale/MIT/Stanford while Northwestern was "on par" with Duke/Johns Hopkins. Is this accurate?)

Thanks for your help. Can't wait to see Chicago this September.>

Chicago Boat Tours

2007-05-03T09:30:00.001-07:00

I've been hearing a lot about all the boat tours in Chicago. Could you guys help me pick one out, there seems to be a few operators. I found the following websites:

http://www.chicagoline.com/
http://www.chicagotours.us/tours/tou...l.cfm/tid/1355
http://www.cruisechicago.com/

I also notice that there are River vs Lake tours, Historical vs. Architectural tours, etc.

Any tips would be appreciated, thanks!>

Do "these groups" still matter?

2007-05-03T08:00:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if this great nation and great city of ours are "melting pots" or "stews"...or neither. I am curious as to what happens to any group that stays in nation (and a city) so diverse and with the ability to mix over a period of time. Can the qualities of such a group be retainedd...or are they inevitably lost?

I'd like to examine some of the main stream groups that were the bedrock of Chicago's massive European migration that extended throughout the last part of the 19th century and into the 20th.

To me, some fo the leading groups of European immigrants that so affected Chicago that I would like to examine here are:

Â Irish

Â Italians

Â Poles (excluding the present wave of Polish immigration)

Â Jews (culturally, not religously; excluding the present wave of Russian Jewish immigration)

Â Germans

With the passage of time, when we look at these groups: Do they retain any significatn part(s) of their heritage or, for all intents and purposes, have they faded into that general category of being Americans far removed from their ethnic roots, something akin to the British roots that preceeded the revolution.

Are these European ethnics totally mixed into a society that is now in the process of making accomodations and a comfortable fit with an immigration wave that is largely Hispanic and Asian, not European?

So where do these five significant groups of Chicagoans (Irish, Italians, Jews, Poles, Germans) fit in in modern Chicago and modern Chicagoland?

Is what they brought with them from Europe still significant or has it been virtaully all "main streamed"?

In an attempt to clarify what distinctions I made above, let include the following:

Jews are viewed in an ethnic sense here due to their inability to feel a part of so many European nations in which their ancesters lived.

Both Poles and Jews were affected greatly by nearly a century of communism in eastern Europe. Thus today's groups of Russian Jews and Polish immigrants are vastly different from those who came to our shores a hundred years ago. Communism changed culture.

Jews among the five groups listed have the added component of religion and ethnicity being the same group. While this may have slowed Jewish assimilation and intermarriage down compared to other groups, Jews have totally "caught up" in this discriptor....thus while Italian, Irish and Polish Catholics were intermarrying earlier in their immigrant experience, Jews were not....but that trend has been vastly altered since WWII.

So what does it mean to be Irish, Italian, Jewish, Polish, or German in Chicagoland today? Does it extend beyond ethnic restaurants, a river dyed green, festive Italian weddings, Jewish country clubs, German delis and bakeries in Lincoln Square, cheering for European soccer teams, loving a Polish pope, supporting Israel?

So the basics here...how long does it take for ethnic minorities (as the five used as examples here in Chicagoland) before they totally "blend in" and intermarry to a point where their roots become a minor part of their American persona? (And whatever the answer, it would probably give us insight into what will happen with today's Hispanic and Asian immigration waves in the next few generations)>

What do you want to see most in Chicago's skyline evolution?

2007-05-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

As Chicago's skyline continues to change, what would you like to see the most? What should be the main focus? Beautiful, diverse architecture? Expansion? Building height? In my mind, I want Chicago to be a Midwestern Hong Kong, except replace the boring bland buildings with good ones, but I know that will never happen. Countless lowrises and midrises would have to be torn down, and the whole structure of the city would change, and not necassarily for the better. Also, to have and ridiculously big skyline, we would have to sacrifice good archricture and be left with countles bland, awful buildings. For Chicago's skyline some more supertallls wouldn't hurt. What else would you like to see?>

Cubs vs. Sox on t.v.: bipartisan coverage

2007-05-03T05:00:00.001-07:00

I realize that it is far easier and "neater" for WGN (or FSN or anyone else who broadcasts) to contractually make Cubs vs. Sox broadcasts the property right of one team or the other, but wouldn't we all be better served if these ball games were broadcast in a bipartisan way, a joint Cub/Sox airing with broadcasters from both teams? Instead of giving three games to the Cubs and three to the Sox, why not make these three joint games as far as the broadcasters go? For advertsising purposes, the games still could be divided between the two as would the camera crew. But in the booth, it would be a joint broadcast. The current broadcasts are a turn off for half the fans and the fun of a joint broadcast would truly make these games special.>

Chicago Hotels

2007-05-03T04:30:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

I'm planning on going to Chicago for a couple days and was hoping for hotel suggestions. Looking for either one downtown that is reasonably priced at least one that is easily accessible to downtown by subway/train.

Since we're only there for 3 days, we're going to have to squeeze as much as possible without a car. Any recommendations of places to go, both the touristy stuff & also off the trail places. Also, any good bar/club districts.

Thanks for the help.

Partybits from Toronto>

Crosstown Classic

2007-05-03T04:00:00.001-07:00

Crosstown Classic, Windy City Series, Red Line Rivalry... whatever you call it, it's been one hell of a series, hasn't it? Filled with flare and controversey, just the way I like it. This is a rivalry at its best, even if it was a cheap shot (and some might say a dirty play).>

Chicago skyline through the years

2007-05-03T03:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, I am asking a lot, but does anyone have photos of Chicago from say 1965- the present. It does not have to be every year, but every 5 years. It would be so cool to see how the skyline has progressed. What I am looking for is pics of the entire skyline as followed:
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1992
1994
1996
2000
2003
2006

In the 90s there was a huge boom, that is why there is more. So lets see if all the Chicago forumers or any forumers have pics from those or around those years. Thanks>

What if Comiskey II....

2007-05-03T02:00:00.001-07:00

a little revisionist history, if you please. Try chewing on the following questions:

1. What if Comiskey Park II hadn't been built in 1990? What if a less anxious Jerry Reinsdorf hadn't minded waiting a little and Camden Yards in Baltimore had openned before Comiskey. What effect would the Baltimore park had on Chicago? Would we have followed the route of retro-park (ball park as attraction) in the downtown area? Would a retro park been built on the current site of Comiskey II (a few cities, very few, like Philly and Milw, chose outskirt ball parks rather than downtown). Where would the park been built and what would it have been like? Would it have been closely related to Balt, Clev, SF, Pgh, Hou, etc?

2. Did things actually work out better than we thought on the South Side? A good percentage of the retro parks are a bit over the top with their assymetrical fields, their quirks for the sake of quirks, their too cute ways of trying to emulate old fashioned ball parks. Is it just possible that conventional wisdom is wrong and the Cell's straight forward lines (plus correcting errors, particularly the super steep upper deck) is almost refreshingly clean cut and down to earth? Is it also possible that a neighborhood ball park in Bridgeport is better than a downtown ball park...especially in light of what is arguably baseball's best environment is tucked away on Chicago's North Side at Clark and Addison? Could we actually have gotten this one right...or is that too much to hope for?

3. And a third totally off-the-wall question (just for fun): what if one of those older leagues (like the Federal) had survived and Chicago had a franchise in it What would baseball have been like in Chicago with three major league teams, not two...with the Cubs on the North Side, the Sox on the South, and the immaginary team in the new league on the west? Any thought what such a (admittedly unlikely) set up might have meant in our city.>

Historic Chicago Articles

2007-05-03T01:00:00.001-07:00

A thread for old, but still interesting articles. For those interested and having large amounts of free time.

Quote:>

Copyright Dow Jones & Company Inc Jul 7, 1989

CHICAGO -- Inside many a developer who dons a hard hat and looks skyward lurks the urge to blot out the sun. Their universal dream: to build the world's tallest structure.

Even Sears, Roebuck & Co., already owner of the highest skyscraper, is inspired anew.

In May, two Chicago developers, J. Paul Beitler and Lee Miglin, unveiled a design for a competing world's tallest -- a 125-floor office complex that would be built just a stone's throw from the Sears edifice. Not to be outdone, Sears quietly began drawing up contingency plans to add at least 16 floors to its tower -- topping the proposed upstart by at least one floor.

"Having the second-tallest building is like climbing the No. 2 peak in the Himalayas," says Cesar Pelli, architect of Sears's new rival. "Mount Everest is the only one that counts."

Some psychologists call this architectural overreaching the Tower of Babel complex, after Noah's offspring who tried to glorify themselves by building a tower to the heavens. There are already more than half a dozen towers on the drawing board -- from Atlanta to Long Beach, from Newark to Phoenix -- that would top the Sears building. While limited available land sometimes makes tall buildings a necessity, the German historian Oswald Spengler warned in 1926 that this "irresistible tendency toward the infinite" would ultimately enslave builders. Today, plenty of tenants would say he was right.

The Sears Tower, for example, is plagued by periodic spells of high winds that rip windows out of their frames, overcrowded elevators that can cause nausea, and top floors sometimes so stuffy that workers leave in the middle of the day. Tenants recall all-too-well how, last year, windstorms shattered nearly 200 windows. Donald G. Mulack, a lawyer on the 82nd floor, barely escaped the gales that claimed his goldspike paperweight, digital clock and coffee mug. (Sears says that it has reinforced its windows, and that the other problems occur rarely.)

And, hey, how about that view? Well, not always. "On a cloudy day, you could see nothing," says Joan Bianco, who used to have an office on the 100th floor. "It scared the hell out of me."

Looking for cash, Sears put the dark glass-and-steel corporate monument on the block last fall and, though it expected to get $1.2 billion for it, the company is likely to have to settle for less, real-estate sources familiar with current bids say. It dismisses any suggestion it has an edifice complex, insisting its draft plan to add 16 floors is merely meant to placate buyers who fear coming up short on prestige. Sears says the buyer would have to do any new construction. Meanwhile, Sears's property manager, Philip Chinn, calls those who would build a taller building "egomaniacs."

Sometimes it seems that a primal urge drives modern architects to try to dominate the skyline, and look down on the merely huge below. "If one enters the sky, one penetrates a sacred domain," muses Mr. Pelli. In New York, Donald Trump (who dismisses Mr. Pelli's design as a mere "matchstick") has hired Helmut Jahn to devise a structure that would soar 150 floors over the city. In Newark, N.J., developer Harry Grant has proposed a 122-floor building, and emblazons blueprints with his photograph -- in a hard hat. "It shows the uniqueness of Harry Grant the Developer," he says. "We're doing something a normal developer wouldn't do."

"There's something essentially male about wanting to reach the heavens, to surpass all others," concludes Marvin Zuckerman, a University of Delaware psychologist. It's unshackled machoism, others say. Thus, it figures that some developers recall with a touch of wistfulness the image of Hollywood's King Kong beating his chest atop the Empire State Building to impress Fay Wray. She hated it.

Susan Maxman, a director of the American Institute of Architects, claims erecting the world's tallest building "is just something I can't imagine a woman wanting to do. Men make zowie power statements. Women are more environmentally sensitive."

Being the biggest isn't just a matter of ego. For many tenants, there's a certain cachet to being in a well-known building, and they're willing to pay for it. Sears Tower commands up to $38 a square foot in rent a year, compared with the $25 most downtown Chicago office buildings get. The tower is also almost completely leased, unlike some of those nearby.

Still, there are few big cities in the U.S. that aren't facing a glut of office space, and the race to build ever-taller buildings is aggravating the problem. In Chicago, for example, some building owners already offer free rent for two years to lure tenants. Sears is also planning to vacate 44 floors and move 6,000 employees to the suburbs, which will add to the glut.

Never mind, say the new aspirants. "The world's tallest building is our dream, nothing more," Mr. Beitler explains. "It will be the highest medal of honor in our business. Whether we make money or not is something else."

Something else indeed, for the taller the building the more dizzying the costs. For example, footings often have to be placed deeper in the earth. Spending soars for extra steel and concrete to withstand high-altitude winds. Thicker pipes for the plumbing maze are a must. And obviously it takes longer to build a very tall building, increasing the burden of interest-heavy construction loans.

In some respects, "it's an economic disaster," admits Mr. Trump. Though many tall buildings such as the Sears Tower are profitable, Mr. Trump says his proposed tower makes sense only because it would draw attention to other buildings he plans nearby. "It will bring prestige and positive forces," he insists.

Not from Harry Weese, founder of a Chicago architectural firm. "These plans are only for madmen," he contends. Mr. Weese once mocked Frank Lloyd Wright's 30-year-old design for a 528-floor building by drawing a cable car running from the skyscraper's top to distant suburbs.

But later, the bug bit Mr. Weese too. In 1981 a Chicago developer persuaded him to design a 210-floor building. "He got me salivating by saying over and over, 'I have financing.'" The capital didn't materialize and the developer dropped out of sight. Today, says Mr. Weese, "I do penance by restoring old buildings."

The appeal of tallest-buildings is considerable for cities needing an economic and ego boost. Business leaders in Long Beach, Calif., were agog at prospects for their skyline in 1978, when a now-deceased French developer blew in with plans for a 150-floor, rocket-shaped tower of stainless steel. Designed to top a harbor landfill, the futuristic building was to be a tourist attraction to complement the nearby Spruce Goose-Howard Hughes's plywood jumbo seaplane that flew only once.

But those big plans fell through, and so have many others. Consider the 500-floor building proposed for Houston in 1983. "It was a time in Houston's history when anything seemed possible," says Robert Sobel, the architect for the project. His dream collapsed with the oil industry. In a sign of shifting world economic fortunes, Mr. Sobel says a company in South Korea has phoned about designing a building for Seoul that would top the Sears Tower by three floors.

Theoretically, buildings can rise to virtually any height if, among other things, footings can be planted deep enough. Mr. Sobel says his research showed his 500-floor building was "totally feasible. I remember wondering at the start why the World Trade Center {110 floors} isn't 200 floors? If you want to make a statement, make it!"

Bragging rights are at stake in all this, as they have been for centuries. Tall structures have been built by doomed civilizations celebrating their fleeting grandeur, by conquerors proclaiming their dominance, by religions reaching toward the heavens. Then, at the turn of the century, came steel-reinforced concrete, and things really got off the ground -- to previously unthinkable heights.

Now, Toronto tourism officials boast that their 1,815-foot Canadian National Tower is really the king of the hill. The fact that the structure is mostly just a broadcast tower doesn't stop them from occasionally sending Sears travel brochures, declaring who's actually No. 1.

It's just a matter of time, though, before some developer builds a new No. 1. "It gains them notoriety. A developer wants to be the tallest," says Lee Beedle, director of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an association of the tall-obsessed. Mr. Beedle adds: "What's more exciting than walking down the street and seeing tall structures that men have built?"

Credit: Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

>Here's a bit of interesting fact: The Sears Tower did not need a zoning variance when proposed.

F###ing copyrights.

A funktastic review of the skyline from the bicentenial.

The creators of the Sears Tower and JHC talk of New Urbanism long before the phrase was invented.

Anyone else miss the Cold War?
>

North Shore boundaries

2007-05-02T23:30:00.001-07:00

Where do you place the almost elusive like boundaries of the North Shore? Sure we can all agree it north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. But where specifically?

Some real estate folks call their sites "North Shore" even though they are well inland...to cash in on the panache of the name. North Shore magazine meanwhile covers not only the North Shore, but the whole North and NW suburban area.

Traditonalists will tell you the North Shore suburbs must be along the lake from Evanston to Lake Bluff. These folks often see Evanston as a transition between North Shore and city. Highwood is viewed as being on the North Shore but not of the North Shore.

Others are comfortable including suburbs one town in from the lake: Glenview, Northfield, Northbook, Deerfield. Except for the lack of lakefront, these towns are very much like lakefront communities and are integregally tied to it.

Skokie, though one town in from the lake, doesn't seem to get North Shore status, although Old Orchard has long been viewed as the North Shore's shopping center.

As North Shore applies to life style and income more than geography, it would be rare to see anyone give North Chicago or Waukegan the status of a North Shore location, terribly snobby though that may be.

SO, WHERE DO YOU PLACE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE NORTH SHORE?>

Updates on the following?

2007-05-02T22:30:00.001-07:00

No news on any of these for ages. Just curious if they're just on permanent hold until there is more funding, or what?

1) Metra Market

2) The recently designed pedestrian bridges over LSD (winners already selected by a world-wide competition), as well as the pedestrian bridge flanking LSD across the Chicago River

3) West side movie production studios

4) Stand-up comedy channel (in 2004 there was a Tribune article about 2 people who wanted to start a stand-up comedy channel based in Chicago--no news ever since)

Does anybody know anything new about any of these, or are we to assume they're all in limbo at this point>

Devon Street

2007-05-02T22:00:00.001-07:00

I am amazed by the number of non-Asian Chicagoans I have met, who live in or around Chicago, and have NEVER been to (or have just stopped by briefly) the Devon St. district.

No offense, but I honestly don't think you guys realize how rich, successful, and vibrant an ethnic district it is. 26th street may have the record for sales, but Devon St has become a national icon among Indo-Pak ethnic districts. People on the coasts and down in Florida know about it.

It is a highly competitive environment, thus a person can get VERY cheap Indian food, jewelry (24K gold masterpieces), clothing, imported goods, etc and it draws people from everywhere.

Devon Street is probably at its peak (or approaching its peak) as an ethnic district. Although I hate to think of such things, it perhaps (but maybe not!!!) may eventually go into decline as many ethnic districts before it have.

But for those of you who are too young (like me) to have ever seen a vibrant urban ethnic district (ie Italian, Greek, Jewish, German, etc etc), this is one hell of an opportunity. I know most of you are not Indian/Pakistani--but that's not the point. It is an opportunity to experience a truly rich ethnic district that is thriving right here, right now.

Anyway, I hope more of you guys check it out. Lincoln Park/Lakeview/Uptown/Bucktown/Wicker Park, etc etc are truly awesome urban hoods, but Devon St. is a whole different experience.>

Chicago as an adjective

2007-05-02T21:00:00.001-07:00

How many different ways is Chicago used as an adjective and not a noun? I'm talking about terms recongnized nationally that honor Chicago's unique style.

I'm talking about, for example...

Chicago style hot dogs
Chicago deep dish pizza
Chicago row houses
Chicago school of architecture
Chicago blues

are there others?>

Chicago, unconfined

2007-05-02T20:30:00.001-07:00

I just started a thread on the US subforum where are asked what NYC would have been like without its Manhattan island location. I'd like to ask a similiar, albeit less dramatic, question about Chicago.

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CHICAGO IF THE CHICAGO RIVER HAD NOT WORKED WITH LAKE MICHIGAN TO CREATE A PHYSICALLY DEFINED CITY CORE?

In other words, what would Chicago been like without the peninsula-like Loop? No, I'm not suggesting the Chicago River would have gone away; I'm only saying it would not have set off the downtown area the way it does.

Without a "set apart" Loop, would Chicago have needed to reach for the sky the way it did, developing the first skyscraper...and many more afterwards? Would our Loop streets be the canyons they are today? Would streets from Wacker to Congress and from Michigan to Wacker have the importance they do today if the downtown region was allowed to spread out?

How much did georgraphy and topography contribute to Chicago's incredible centralization?>

It's 18 degrees hotter here.....

2007-05-02T20:00:00.001-07:00

....than in L.A.! >

Transit Trip Planning

2007-05-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

I came across a really neat site: http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/

Anyone know how accurate the travel times are?>

Field's death greatly exagerated?

2007-05-02T18:00:00.001-07:00

Crains next week (according to abc7) is serioiusly weighing keeping the Marshall Field's name in some capacity in Chicago. WIth 3% gain in sales over the holidays (compared to 2% at other Field's stores), the State Street store has become a magnet for those into Field's nostalga. Meanwhile, federated has listened to and been influenced by Chicago's attachment to the Field's name.

One possibility, Channel 7 reports, would be the Feild's name remaining on the State Street. There are other ways (through products) that Federated may utilize to keep the name Marshall Field's alive.

GREAT NEWS IF THIS HAPPENED>

Unhappy news in Chicago

2007-05-02T17:30:00.001-07:00

We have a finanacial areana looking strong thread that showcases some of the positive economic developments in our fair city.

This thread is meant as the mirror image....you know turned 180 degrees.....focusing on not so good news in our city.

Most of us here love Chicago, but all is not perfect and I just thought we should present the good w/ the bad.>

Printers' Row Book Fair!

2007-05-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

So - did anyone go this year?

Books about Chicago history and architecture are apparently in vogue now, so there was a wide selection. Last year, I got a 310-page guide to the Columbian Exposition, printed 1892, for $20. (Its binding was damaged - easily fixed for another 25$)

This year, I picked up a large volume from Rizzoli (who makes expensive coffeetable books) called "The Sky's The Limit". It was printed c. 1990 and has 2-3 pages each on 115 Loop buildings with full color photographs and lengthy descriptions. They aren't the common photos available on the Net, either. This was $48, in good condition.

All in all, a fun trip for me. Revolution Bookstore was selling some Chinese Revolution posters, so I was tempted to buy a 5-foot-wide Chairman Mao, but it was packed up before I got back to the booth.

On a side note: I took a few minutes to climb the tower of Dearborn Station. You can only get to the third floor, where there is a landing. Beyond that is either a "locked at all times" gated 3rd floor, or a ladder/trapdoor to ascend higher in the tower. The whole thing gave me a cool/creepy vibe. Anyone know any more about this?>

Out-migration cools talk of inner-city resurgences

2007-05-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Out-migration cools talk of inner-city resurgences

A few years ago, Chicago was widely touted as the brightest star in the turnaround of many of the USA's big cities. The 2000 Census found that Chicago had gained population during the 1990s, the first decade that had happened in 50 years.

Population estimates released Thursday by the Census Bureau show three Illinois cities among the top 50 in percentage growth since 2000, but Chicago is not among them. The city's population declined 1.2% between 2000 and 2004 while the suburbs of Joliet, Aurora and Naperville grew by 21.4%, 16.4% and 8.9%, respectively. (Related story: Big cities not booming)

The Chicago story exemplifies trends playing out across the nation. The growth that fueled hopes for a long-term urban resurgence has cooled somewhat. (Full lists: Slowest-to-fastest growing | Alphabetical)

"The '90s was the best decade for older big cities since the 1940s," says Robert Lang, director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech. "Now, during this decade, it's not going so well. The fastest-growing cities in the country are essentially obscure suburbs. To the rest of the country, these are not national cities."

Among them is Port St. Lucie, Fla., whose 12% population increase from July 2003-July 2004 was the highest of the 251 U.S. cities that have more than 100,000 residents.

"They are basically kind of suburban places that never have big-city status," says demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution. "But they're the kind of places that people are moving to because they're more affordable."

High housing costs in many big cities are driving some people away. Other factors:

Â "Safety moves" after 9/11. "There was some tendency for people to stay away from the big, dense cities, especially the ones that got named as potential (targets), and even some like those," Frey says.

Â The economy. The dot-com decline blasted cities such as San Francisco and Boston. Other cities have experienced job losses, and municipal red tape often hinders start-up entrepreneurs, says Joel Kotkin, senior fellow at the New American Foundation, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

"The notion of the resurgence of the inner city was being overstated," he says. "In Philadelphia, for example, Center City is better than it's ever been. But the rest of the city is losing jobs and population."

Among other highlights in the new Census estimates:

Â The Sun Belt continues to be the USA's growth engine. The 10 fastest-growing cities from July 2003 to July 2004 that have more than 100,000 people are in California (4), Florida (3), Arizona (2) and Nevada (1). Nineteen of the top 25 such cities are in those four states, 10 of them in California.

Â There was only one change among the USA's 10 most populous cities, with San Jose replacing Detroit at No. 10.

Chicago remains the third most populous U.S. city, with 2.86 million residents, but its net out-migration rate has accelerated since the 2000 Census, says Kenneth Johnson, a demographer and professor of sociology at Loyola University Chicago.

During the 1990s, 171,000 more people moved out of Chicago than moved in, Johnson says. The overall population increased because there were more births than deaths. From 2000 to 2004, he estimates that 140,000 more people moved out of the city than moved in, and the birthrate has not compensated for it.

While black and white residents left the Windy City in the 1990s, that was partly offset by Hispanics moving in, Johnson says. "Whites and blacks are still leaving," he says. "But Hispanics are now leaving more than during the 1990s."

It's not just the city, either. Cook County, which includes Chicago, had a net loss of almost 49,000 people between 2000-2004, a pattern being repeated in places such as Detroit and Cleveland, he says.

"That's new," Johnson says. "It used to be common for the central city to lose people but the surrounding county would be gaining. Now, for some of these places, it's not just the central city that's losing population but the county that contains the central city."

Chicago's population had declined every decade since the 1950s, from a peak of about 3.6 million. It now appears that the gains of the 1990s were a short-term deviation from the long-term trend, Johnson says. Still, he says, "This city still is a viable, lively place. It's just not as dominant as it once was in this metropolitan region.">

Out-migration cools talk of inner-city resurgences

2007-05-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Out-migration cools talk of inner-city resurgences

2007-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Michigan Avenue

2007-05-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

>

Jetski rentals?

2007-05-02T14:00:00.001-07:00

Milwaukee has Jetski rentals along the lakefront, and it appears very popular. I have been asked this by a random tourist and I've been wondering this myself... where are the jetski rental outfits in Chicago?>

Future skyline comparison: Chgo & NYC

2007-05-02T13:30:00.001-07:00

a weird question here:

New York and Chicago are the skyscraper capitals of the US and have the nation's two favorite skylines. Tall buildings in Chicago are more defined on the skyline in Chicago than in New York, which tends to be dominated by the sheer mass of buildings that has no Chicago counterpart.

Both cities are undergoing a high rise construction boom. In Manhattan, that boom appears to contribute more to the skyline's sense of bulk than it does to height (other than Freedom Tower which will completely realter lower Manhattan).

In Chicago, we are used to three buildings (Hancock, Aon, Sears) punctuating our skyline. We are entering an era where they will be getting company: Trump, Waterview, the 2 or 3 super tall's planned for Wabash, the building with the Mardaran Hotel near MilPk, etc.

These buildings will give a new sense of height to the Chicago skyline, without seriously altering the mass of much of the skyline.

Sight unseen (since you haven't seen it....right?) which city's new skyline will be more aestethically appealing to you:

Chicago's super talls, constrasted against a lower scaled skyline

-or-

Manhattan's increased mass and the height offered at Freedom Tower

?????????????

I'm not only asking which will be more attractive, but which will be more improved due to the new construction.>

Chicago subway Picture

2007-05-02T13:00:00.001-07:00

I'm wondering that some subway station in Chicago has been renovation. Please post picture of Subway in Chicago, or can post CTA metro bus.

Thanks. >

where's our bank of america?

2007-05-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

The last thing I heard was Bank of America's Chicago operation was in the Sears Tower.

This is the first time I'm going to favor a high vacancy rate for the Sears, but nearly every major American city has an iconic BoA tower, for most cities it's their tallest, and now New York gets Bryant Park. We need our next 1000 foot office tower to be a BoA, preferably somewhere south of CNA plaza so we can get the skyline going south with another supertall.

Whatsup with BoA defining the skylines of American cities and being OK with having nothing in Chicago?>

Any thoughts on Jesse Jackson, Jr. vs. Mayor Daley?

2007-05-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

The heat is building up, and Jesse Jackson, Jr. is really dishing it out. Does anybody have any predictions for the future, or thoughts about Jackson?

I don't know what to make of this guy. All he does is criticise Daley, but I would like to get an idea how he would like to run the city. All I know, so far, is that he is against Daley's recent slew of scandals and he supports 15% affordable housing throughout the city.

But really, there are only about 3 things I can say about this guy, from what I know:

1) He wants to advance his career
2) He wants to help African Americans
3) He wants to build Peotone.

#1: whatever
#2: certainly an important and noble cause, but I think that is just one of MANY, MANY aspects of a Mayor's job. A Mayor must run a whole city--including attracting both national and international business, campaigning with Federal officials for funding, improving city services, schools, fighting crime, etc. Not to mention the key things that matter to the modern city (which Daley has a good handling of), ie making the city fun, attractive, entertaining, and a cultural hub. Where does Jesse Jackson, Jr. stand on these issues? Luckily Jackson's family, like Daley's, has a lot of clout. But how would Jackson use it?

#3: ptooey! YUCK! Okay, I'm not against Peotone, but I'll be damned if the Mayor of Chicago puts the interests of his buddies in the south suburbs over the interests of his own city. Does this mean he would put the brakes on he O'Hare expansion? Definitely concerning....

The other question is, if the guy runs, is he likely to beat Daley?

With what I know now (this is not to say my opinion wouldn't change if I learned more about where Jackson stands), I overwhelmingly would support Daley--I like his style, and I think he cares about the city very deeply. I also think that a certain amount of politican "favoritism" is inevitable, but the guy gets things done, and that's more than you can say about 99% of politicians on this earth.>

Skyscraper Sway

2007-05-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

I was wondering whether anyone had data regarding skyscraper sway in Chicago. As in, how much does the Sears Tower, the Hancock, or my humble Marina City abode dance around in a stiff wind?

Having only lived at MC a month, you can definitely tell the building moves, if not feel it. Little pinging noises just every now and then come from the window casing or balcony door jamb, just regularly and loudly enough to know it isn't the wind. If you put your back to the interior of the central core at the top floor (61/the roofdeck), you can feel a definite, though slight, jerky movement. A fellow I ran into on the roof tonight remarked on it, which got me wondering about how far it's supposed to move. I'm guessing at most only 4 inches or so. Anyone know?

I WILL say that if only four inches, a little goes a long way. The day last week when the weather finally broke it was a very windy morning. Waiting for my laundry I killed some time on the roofdeck and felt almost seasick.>

Which new building will afford the best views, all things considered

2007-05-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

The building could be quite ugly itself... which might be a plus in terms of views, since you wouldn't actually have to look at it..>

not so flat?

2007-05-02T08:00:00.001-07:00

Forgive what may be a silly question and one that is strictly opinion and perception:

but, if you live and Chicago and spend a lot of time downtown, does our continuously rising skyline and all that height spread out in the central part of the city actually make you feel, at times, that you are not in a flat city? Admittedly you can't drive up it, nor can you walk outside on it and see flowers and trees, but on some level does that skyline give you that sense of height that may just take the place of for the lack of hills?

As in....driving inbound on the Kennedy from O'Hare, does that view in front of you suggest a flat city or one with its own man made hills (dare I say mountains)??????????????>

New to the forum.....

2007-05-02T07:30:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to say a quick hello. I spent a few years living in Chicago before family commitments brought me to Florida. I have spent the last five years missing that fantastic city, and may finally be in a position to move back!! The great pictures on this site are a big motivation to make this move happen, so thank you all for the insperation.

-Mike>

Favorite Chicago restaurant?

2007-05-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

This is pretty straightforward: what is your favorite Chicago restaurant?

I'm looking for places to eat when I head back >

Holiday Light displays around Chicago

2007-05-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

So guys, where can one go to see some killer christmas light displays? Every year I love driving through Sauganash. And then theres this guy in Albany park , or mabye it was Hollywod park (i cant remember) where this one guy goes all out and puts up a pretty crazy amount of lights. I used to love when my father drove us past it when I was a kid. Then theres the mag miles light display of course.
So wheres your favorite display in or around the city both public or private?
Also i want to encourage you to post pics if at all pos.>

Break the mold: how to get Chicagoans to wake up and get out of their cars

2007-05-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

On a massive level, what can be done?

The transit system is pretty decent, but it seems like more of a 'get to work' kind of thing. For everything else it's like "where's the parking? No parking? Oh my GOD!!!"

How do we tackle this STUBBORN, STUBBORN problem in the city?

I point you all to Exhibit A ('Concerns for Parking Scoffed At'):

http://www.hpherald.com/pg4.html

How do we reeducate people with this seriously flawed attitude?>

Merry Christmas Chi Town

2007-05-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY HANNUKAH

To all of you in chi from all of us in NY

Have a healthy, happy, safe one guys...

Lots of Love- Gia>

Daley mayoral bid challenged

2007-05-02T03:30:00.001-07:00

Daley mayoral bid challenged
On last day to file disputes, opponent questions petitions

By Mickey Ciokajlo
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 27, 2006

Supporters of mayoral challenger William "Dock" Walls filed objections Tuesday to the nominating petitions of Mayor Richard Daley, the first time since Daley became mayor that his petitions have been called into question.

Daley's campaign said it is confident in the validity of its petitions. But Walls said his supporters found a number of problems with the mayor's petitions, including the names of people not registered to vote and evidence of forgery.

"In most instances, you find that most of these people who are purported to be signers on these petitions were not even registered voters in the city of Chicago," Walls said.
In a statement, Daley's campaign manager, Terry Peterson, said, "We are confident that our signatures will withstand any challenge."

Tuesday was the deadline for filing challenges against the petitions for candidates running in the Feb. 27 election for mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and alderman.

A team of 18 hearing officers--private attorneys retained by the elections board--will review the challenges and make recommendations to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Where the validity of signatures is called into question, voter rolls may be reviewed and handwriting experts asked to testify. The board's decisions can be appealed to Cook County Circuit Court.

Mayoral candidates must file a minimum of 12,500 signatures of registered voters. Daley's campaign said it filed more than 24,000, which was far fewer than in past elections.

Walls said his supporters also filed challenges against candidates Syron Smith and Ziff Anthony Sistrunk for not providing enough signatures. But Walls said he did not challenge Dorothy Brown, the other major candidate in the race against Daley, because he and Brown agreed to leave each other's petitions alone. Walls' petitions were not challenged.

Paul Davis, Brown's campaign manager, said they decided not to file objections although their reviewers found problems with each candidate's petitions.

"We thought that it was in the better interest of our campaign that we focus on the issues ahead," Davis said. "We felt that in the long run that the distraction of a long, protracted fight ... could take away from the focus of our campaign."

Daley's petitions were challenged when he ran for mayor in 1989, but he survived and won the election. No one has challenged his petitions since.

In the other two citywide races, challenges were filed against four of the seven candidates for city clerk and a challenge was filed against Elida Cruz, the sole opponent running against newly installed City Treasurer Stephanie Neely.

In some instances, two or more challenges were filed against a candidate. In the aldermanic races, 192 objections were filed against 141 candidates.

Two hundred and forty-five candidates have filed for the 50 seats on the City Council, a job that will pay $100,971 when the new term begins in May.

Some incumbent aldermen also had their petitions challenged, including Richard Mell (33rd), Carrie Austin (34th) and Daniel Solis (25th).

this is BS right? Please? Right? I would be so furious if Daley got axed from the ballot because of some measure like this. Yes I know it's the rule, and rules are rules - but please. Obviously he has enough support. The only other decent canidates left the race, and now you're left with a few people running who honestly don't excite me much at all.

This guy is really pissing me off by pulling crap like this, as if he was going to win anyway.>

Extreme Segregation Is Preventing Chicago From Reaching It's Full Potential

2007-05-02T02:30:00.001-07:00

Let me first start by saying, I am a transplant from the southern United States. I am also an African American male who has earned a masters degree in urban planning. I currently work in my profession for the City of Chicago which has given me an opportunity to contribute to the rebirth of this great city.

After traveling to many great urban centers of the U.S., Canada and Europe (Barcelona, Paris, London, Amsterdam, etc.) my experiences have helped me to realize that Chicago is one of the great cities of the world. Still, Chicago needs to try harder to break the massive segregation that exist on the south and west sides. It is preventing the city from reaching its full potential. Although the city is busy, diverse and racially cosmopolitan, it does not feel as cosmopolitan as some cities of lesser importance. Part of the problem is, certain politians do not really understand what it takes for a city to continue to stay vibrant and healthy. Some elected officials have denied the sale of land to certain groups. They create negative vibes by not meeting or welcoming newcomers or people who do not look like them. Their rationale for doing this is that they want the indigenous population or people with historical roots in the community to have the land. They also say they're holding the land for the next wave of individuals who will move back into the city from the suburbs. This is an expensive gamble. Cities need new blood to survive and prosper (immigrants).

I am not saying this is the only reason why the south and west sides of the city are segregated but if immigrants are not made to feel welcome they will go where they are comfortable. Chicago's racial segregation problem was created by many factors which includes history, economics, labor and politics. It has had a devastating impact on the African American community. We have an opportunity break up some of the segregation. Hispanics and Asians are the fastest growing groups in the city they could help breathe new life into those areas of the city that need it. A more diverse south and west side would greatly improve the quality of life for the city and entire region.>

What are your favorite websites dedicated to historic architects?

2007-05-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

I'm looking to assemble a collection of websites dedicated to the most prolific architects in Chicago history. Anybody have any favorites?>