Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Rendering of Future Harper Theater and Herald Building Renovation

posted by chicago pop


On a gray winter stretch of December, this rendering of what we can expect at 53rd and Harper is a pleasant reminder of what Chicago streetlife can be like in the summer, and hopefully will be again soon at this location. Hat tip to HPP reader SS for the link at The Architect's Newspaper.

11 comments:

Tony Walters said...

Looks like a nice suburban shopping corner. Ugh.

chicago pop said...

Most suburban shopping corners are not composed of nearly 100-year old buildings, street-facing storefronts, and an absence of free parking.

jw said...

Looks ok to me--as long as no one opens another chain eatery in this neighborhood. Ever. Our three Subways are already too much and I'd kill for a good, locally-owned Indian restaurant or a great, locally-owned Ethiopian restaurant.

Chason said...

So happy the theater will again be a theater, a triumph of renovation and adaptive reuse over potential demolition.

While I, too, would prefer local eateries over chains (and jw, your statement confuses me a little... Ragin Cajun is right there :) ), Hyde Park has proven in a number of ways that chains and mom-and-pops can coexist. Three Subways, Jimmy Johns, and Potbelly have done nothing to hurt Z & H's business (though they do attract different people and the price points are different). Five Guys doesn't seem to be hurting, say, the Med. Of course, Orly's is on its 8th or 9th life and three Thai restaurants exist on the same block, so I don't think market forces really work in Hyde Park...

chicago pop said...

Personally, I would picket foreign-owned Ethiopian restaurants. Or I would picket local Ethiopian restaurants with foreign staff. Or I would picket local Ethiopian restaurants with local staff that served foreign food. Whatever.

The Medici is a chain eatery, btw.

chicago pop said...

So happy the theater will again be a theater, a triumph of renovation and adaptive reuse over potential demolition.

Well put, Chason. This will be a unique location, distinctive to Hyde Park.

Chason said...

Ah, yes, I always forget about the Med location in... what is it, Bloomington? Hans Morsbach was such a voice in HP I guess I forget.

Mona said...

In jw's defense, s/he did specify "good" Indian restaurant and that eliminates Rajun Cajun. If you consider it to be an Indian restaurant to begin with. I too would love to have a real Indian restaurant and also a real Chinese restaurant and, if I dare, a Vietnamese place that serves really great pho on a cold winter night... in the meantime, I'll have to keep trekking up to Devon, Chinatown, Argyle etc. I guess.

Chason said...

I will fully admit that Ragin' Cajun is not the world's best Indian food, and that the southern comfort/Indian hybrid is pretty hilarious. However, I am greeted warmly whenever I go in, the staff know me by order, if not by name, and I know that my butter chicken dinner and saag paneer will be consistent. And ya know what, I really do enjoy it. And you receive a lot of food for $9.99.

I only hold true neighborhood pride and loyalty toward a few establishments in Hyde Park, and Ragin' Cajun is right at the top of that very short list

chicago pop said...

I'm glad someone else find the southern comfort/Indian hybrid as amusing as I do. Said by a loyal customer.

susan said...

Rajun Cajun is real Indian, but not a real restaurant because the plates are styrofoam and the washrooms are non-existent