Del Prado Looking Good: The Sip Cafe, Southside Shrimp come to HP Boulevard

-posted by chicago pop

It is my prediction - and also a fond desire - that 5 years hence the corner of 53rd and Hyde Park Boulevard will be one of the most pleasant, exciting, and desirable in the neighborhood. The University of Chicago has already figured out that 53rd Street is the axis of Hyde Park's urbanity, and the buzzing activity all along that street from Lake Park to the old Harper Theater is a refreshing sign of the institution's commitment to the vitality of the neighborhood's commercial corridor.

The intersection of 53rd and HPB is the gateway to that corridor, and in terms of urban design one of the only real gateways to the neighborhood - the others being a longish viaduct (47th Street), a bucolic but unremarkable jog in the road (51st Street) a blockade (57th Street), and, uh, the Midway. 

Contrast these to 53rd between Lake Shore Drive and HPB: one of the city's oldest and grandest parks is to the north, one of its grandest old hotels, the Del Prado, is to the south, and one of the neighborhood's most stately thoroughfares, Hyde Park Boulevard, sweeps parallel to the lakefront. 

Fixing up the Del Prado is one of the most important things MAC has done in Hyde Park, and the progress made this summer - after what seemed like years of not much visible happening - is exciting. The building itself looks great, as masonry details are restored and a contemporary, modern foyer is installed on the HPB entrance.

The best surprise of the Hyde Park commercial scene this summer is the leasing of a cafe, "The Sip," for the corner space of the Del Prado, in what used to be a convenience store. This cafe will have the best table views in Hyde Park, without question. This is a real score for MAC. Thursday mornings in the summer of 2013, when shoppers at the farmer's market in Harold Washington Park are able to stop by for coffee, will make the corner a great destination. 

I only hope that the cafe will avoid what seems to be a long-term trend for neighborhood cafes and eateries off of 57th Street - what I call the "Third World Effect" - which is to slowly go to seed and eventually close out. There's the obvious example of Third World Cafe and its predecessors. Something similar came close to happening at Istria on 57th; Istria on Cornell is visibly going to pot (what's up with the tattered bar chairs and disappeared bike rack?), although the new coffee source is an improvement; and who knows what will happen to Z&H on 47th after a recent management shake-up? 

Around the corner is a little local eatery, Southside Shrimp, with a few other locations in the city that have given it name recognition and what seems to be a positive reputation. It's basically fried seafood, but they emphasize freshness of ingredients to distinguish themselves from the legions of popcorn shrimp dives. They've clearly put some money into making the place look nice, and have gone to the trouble of getting a permit for sidewalk seating, which already makes the street more interesting. 

We're still waiting for word of a restaurant in the ballroom of the Del Prado's second floor - I'd like to book my window table as soon as possible.

On 4th of July Hyde Park Man Fires Gun over the Drive, says Everyone Was Doing It

-posted by chicago pop

But seriously, no one got hurt, so what's the big deal, right? 

The anything-goes culture of Hyde Park 4th of July celebrations has turned the holiday into a summer version of New Year's Eve with the added benefit of amateurs playing with professional explosives, or drunken professionals playing with guns.

Like this man:

Wesley Jackson of 5400 Hyde Park Boulevard

[Source: Chicago Tribune]

That a trained law enforcement professional could repeatedly fire his handgun in an urban, public park and feel that his behavior was consistent with that of other people in the lakefront parks - that it was normal - suggests that a culture of of recklessness has grown up around the holiday.

The only reason that this local culture has grown up ('everyone is doing it') is because the community has let it happen. Everyone from Alderman Burns and the District 2 police down to local property owners: MAC - with its Del Prado and East Park Towers right on Harold Washington Park - and East View Park, Regents Park, The Powhattan - do the owners and boards of these and other properties want this to happen on their front lawns again next year?

It would not take much to prevent festivities from escalating to the level at which drunks and pyros comfortably indulge themselves with little worry of police intervention.

From Evanston Now:

The Chicago Tribune reported Friday that Chicago police arrested Jackson and he was charged with felony reckless discharge of a firearm after he allegedly fired several rounds across Lake Shore Shore Drive toward Lake Michigan near the University of Chicago campus.

Police who stopped him said Jackson told them he was drunk and "everybody" was firing guns in celebration.

 From the Chicago Tribune:

Chicago police officers responded to the 5400 block of South Shore Drive to assist University of Chicago police with a "man with a gun" call about 10 p.m. Wednesday and university police told them they heard three shots and saw muzzle flashes coming from behind a tree in the park, according to a police report.

They saw Jackson standing, facing Lake Michigan, with a gun in his hand and he placed his hands up and dropped the weapon when they asked him to, according to the report.

Prosecutors said that Jackson fired several rounds across the Lake Shore Drive and toward Lake Michigan.

A witness identified him and during an interview with Chicago police, Jackson said he was: "Just shooting at the lake -- it's the 4th of July and everyone is doing it,'' the report said.

He explained repeatedly that he was intoxicated after drinking five beers and was "f----- up,'' the report said.

Jackson is employed by the Northwestern University Police, and has been placed on administrative leave.

Massive Illegal Fireworks Display Endangers Hundreds in Harold Washington Park: No Police Presence

-posted by chicago pop

"For Licensed Display Operators Only": 108 Shots Diamond in the Sky

Immediately after the City of Chicago's fireworks display came to an end a little before 9:30 this evening, a local entrepreneur - or, more likely, a number of them - decided to illegally keep the show going in the open area of Harold Washington Park directly east of Regents Park apartments, near Lake Shore Drive and the pedestrian overpass at 51st Street (4th Ward - Burns). 

Some of the explosives, such as the tubes and large box pictured below, require a federal license to purchase and detonate, and the inventory of fireworks detonated probably cost $400-500 retail.

One of a half dozen fireworks installations, many professional grade 'Class B' barrages, left in the northern section of Harold Washington Park, on plywood sheets approximately 6'x4'.

 Illegal fireworks barrage with launch burns visible in the grass towards Lake Shore Drive

For approximately half an hour, the safety of hundreds of people on the lakefront and dozens of passing motorists was endangered by a barrage of powerful, professional-grade pyrotechnics shot off directly over their heads. 

The fireworks appear to have all been lit by hand, and within yards of 4th of July spectators. As of late on the evening of 4 July 2012, when these photographs were taken, the detritus was left scattered across the park grounds.

1.3 gram "Aerial Bombs" (license required for purchase), "Asian Sensation", "Never My Love," "Mammoth Strobe Mini"

Embers from the explosions in several instances fell directly onto the Drive, within feet of both observers and vehicles. 

According to the Chicago Municipal Code, any person wishing to obtain a permit for an outdoor fireworks display must, among other things, be licensed by the City, have a letter of consent from the Alderman (4th - Burns), be insured up to $1,000,000, and have the site inspected beforehand by Deputy Fire Commissioner. The ability to purchase 1.3G explosives (like the candy-cane colored "Aerial Bombs" pictured above and below) requires a federal license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

I am curious to know if tonight's pyrotechnicians had taken to trouble to meet any of these requirements.

"Z Shape Tomy Gun: 360 Shots"

During the entire period, there was no visible Chicago Police Department presence, or response to repeated 911 calls. Transporting and arranging fireworks of this size and number obviously required some time, and the effort of more than one person, none of which was detected beforehand.

55th Street Project is Under Way

-posted by richard gill

 

Work is in progress near 55th & Ellis, June 29.

 

Work is moving along on the much-anticipated safety enhancements for 55th Street between Cottage Grove and Lake Park Avenue.  The project primarily involves re-striping and new signage to improve safety and accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicle traffic.  This is one of several such projects being implemented by the Chicago Department of Transportation.  See the April 23, 2012 installment of this blog for details.

 

Initial pavement markings show arrangement of westbound traffic lane, parking lane, bike lane and bus stop.  Parking lane is adjacent to traffic lane; bike lane is next to the curb.

 

 

 

Hyde Park Murals Re-Dedicated

-posted by richard gill

On May 16, an enthusiastic crowd gathered at the 57th Street railroad viaduct to celebrate Bernard Williams's restoration of Astrid Fuller's widely acclaimed murals.  Fuller painted the murals on several viaduct retaining walls, beginning in the early 1970s.  The murals are characterized as "confrontational" due to their subject matter which illustrates socioeconomic and political aspects of Chicago history.  The University of Chicago paid for the restoration.  Other supporters include 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston, Metra, and community organizations throughout Hyde Park.

Artist Astrid Fuller (2nd from left) and an attendee discuss the murals.

Hyde Park resident Jay Mulberry (holding mic) was emcee for the ceremony.

Old Robert "Bobby" Franks Home Under Massive Renovation

-posted by chicago pop

[Source for both images: http://www.facebook.com/FosterDesignBuild ]

As many have probably noticed now, one of the most glorious residential buildings in Hyde Park-Kenwood, empty for over a decade and seriously deteriorated, is being restored to its original exterior appearance. I've spent the last decade or so waiting for the wrecking ball to visit this one. Happily, I'm delighted to see that someone is taking a risk on it. Foster Design Build is taking on 5052 S. Ellis after having done similar work on another historic landmark building, 5040 S. Greenwood, next door and immediately to the north of Obama's home.

According to the developer:

The project consists of a complete renovation of approximately 10,000 square feet, including the adjacent coach house and garage. The boarded-up mansion has been in a state of disrepair for the last decade, with challenging conditions such as a leaking roof, broken windows and water pipes.

Berg says the most significant challenge with this renovation project will be restoring all of the individual components of the home so it appears as it was 100 years ago: “As was the case with our project next door to President Obama’s, we are again working on the details of this new project with the neighborhood group in Kenwood and the City of Chicago’s Department of Landmarks and Preservation.”

In magnificence, this residence overshadows its Presidential neighbor, but what a sorrowful history this building has, a history that seemed somehow suited to its recent state of dilapidation. It is a positive for the neighborhood, however, that it will be restored to its towering position on a  piece of gateway real estate.

Perhaps a mindful restoration and modernization, making it possible for a new family to make a life here, will be a sort of tribute to the happy moments that undoubtedly filled this building before the events of 1924.

Meeting on CDOT Plan to put Bike Lanes on 55th

 -posted by chicago pop

Props to 4th Ward Alderman Will Burns. This is one of the best ideas I've heard about in a while. It's all about slowing things down. And when it comes to crazy traffic on the South Side's underutilized roadways, that's how it should be.

Substantial stretches of King Drive, 31st Street, and 55th/Garfield would be altered to incorporate protected bike lanes, and improved pedestrian safety and crosswalks. This would be done at the expense of lane space currently devoted to vehicular traffic. As a CDOT rep put it on the GRID Chicago blog:

CDOT traffic counts show that all of these roadways currently have more travel lanes and/or lane width than needed to accommodate their traffic volume, and this encourages motorists to drive dangerously. While studies show that road diets work well on streets that serve under 20,000 cars a day, actually improving traffic flow in many cases, 55th Street currently serves only 13,500 cars a day and King Drive only carries 9,000 to 11,500 cars per day. Due to the lack of congestion on these roadways, the agency found that 54% of cars on King are speeding, and 15% or motorists are driving over 40 MPH.

I'm sure lots of cyclists will agree with this traffic analysis based on their personal experience. Here again we see the pathological effects of the South Side's loss of density relative to historic levels: streets like King, Cottage, Indiana, 55th and others are far wider than their current levels of traffic would demand.

The North Side can only dream of having the kind of capacity we have down here. King Drive has 8 lanes! 55th is likewise quite broad as it passes through western Hyde Park and so encourages speeding and disregard for pedestrians.

So why not make room for bikes?

Details on the meeting:

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is presenting on the 55^th Street safety improvement project this Wednesday, April 25, from 6:30 – 8pm. This project, between Cottage Grove and Lake Park, seeks to create a safe and comfortable roadway for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit users accessing Washington Park, the University of Chicago, Hyde Park, and the Lakefront. The main features include enhanced pedestrian crosswalks and signage, protected and buffered bike lanes, and a ‘Road Diet’ between Cottage Grove and Kenwood.

The meeting is open to the public.

Date:                           Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Time:                           6:30 – 8:00 p.m. 

            Reception:                   6:30 – 7:00 p.m.

            Presentation:   7:00 – 7:30 p.m.  

            Q & A:                         7:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Location:                     Alumni House in the Klowden Library

    5555 South Woodlawn Avenue 60637

Presentation by CDOT Project Development Staff:  Deputy Commissioner Luann Hamilton and Project Manager Mike Amsden

Thanks to HPP reader PM for the update.

Shoesmith and Murray Add Reformers to LSC's

-posted by chicago pop

The results of yesterday's local school council (LSC) elections are in for the two most hotly contested races. At both Murray and Shoesmith, reformers were successful in gaining seats on both councils on the back of extraordinary voter turnout at both locations. This is a strong sign that Hyde Park and Kenwood residents are against two things: backsliding (Murray) and the status quo (Shoesmith). It is an equally strong sign that they are for maintaining and improving the public school options available to residents of Hyde Park and Kenwood - and are willing to put in the time to make it happen.

This could be the local impact of an overall spike in CPS (and Catholic school) enrollment, due in part to a continued sluggish economy that is sending more and more families into the public school system - as opposed to private schools or suburban districts. It could also be the buds of a distinctly local parent activism, akin to similar movements that have taken shape on the North Side, as a core of local parents commit to improving public education options in the neighborhood

At Murray, the reformist Parents for Murray group saw its top four "Slate for Change" parent candidates pull in the most votes, together with a community member endorsed by the group. Together this represents a significant contingent of new voices to agitate for change at HP-K's beloved magnet school:

Parents
Josephine Njoku-Sanders: 240
Thomas Hoffer: 230
Michael Ewing: 227
Julie Hammond: 198

Community Members:
Michael Scott: 81

A similar story at Shoesmith. Here is a school in the heart of the neighborhood that has just signed a new principal. She is open to new ideas and is testing the waters for ways to improve the school's performance and make it an option for more neighborhood children. Unprecedented voter turnout for an LSC election landed two community members on the council who are both education professionals: Lina Fritz and Tom McDougal.

Community Members:
Lina Fritz - 96 votes
Tom McDougal - 78 votes
Camille Hamilton-Doyle - 73 votes
Roxanne Brown - 36 votes

 Both of them not only know the data on urban education inside and out, but can collaborate with the administration and demand accountability, to make sure what's being done is what works, and that Shoesmith reaches out to the neighborhood.

Worth noting in both cases were the high numbers of community member (non-parent) voters: out of 153 eligible votes cast in the Shoesmsith LSC election, 81 were cast by community members, 72 by parents. I don't have a similar breakdown for the votes at Murray, but the word is that community turnout there was also very strong. Undoubtedly some of those community votes were parents of children attending other schools.

The message is pretty clear: wherever your students come from, you're in Hyde Park. We all have an interest in how well you do.

chicago pop Castigated by Local LSC Candidate for Not Posting More

posted by chicago pop

In this post, chicago pop engages in self-criticism. He does this with the aim of expunging all reactionary bourgeois inclinations towards laziness and indifference and not blogging about important stuff like the two local LSC elections in which he and his wife just voted.

It doesn't get more grass roots than that, baby.

Because Shoesmith and Murray are both in the throes of some major changes that could go either way. For Shoesmith, that can only be up. For Murray, unfortunately, since the new principal came on and started blowing stuff up, it could quite possibly be down. We wanted to be a part of it. You know what we think about Murray's situation -- we said it here. Some other folks said it here.

That may be too late for folks. Sorry. Life gets in the way of revolutionary blogging. I'm gonna be better, I promise. We'll start with the results of these elections as we get them. What we can say for now, is that the turnout at Murray was impressive, and notably among non-parent, community voters.

That's probably a good sign that recent antics might not sit well among neighborhood people. People who may have sent kids to Murray years ago, or who currently send their kids to Lab or Ancona but still want a high-achieving, diverse, and integrated magnet school in their backyard - not another segregated school that lowers the bar.

Meanwhile, everyone should check out this tumblr blog whatshoulduchicagocallme. It's absolutely hilariously right on about everything to do with the U of C and Hyde Park. Example:

WHEN THE TELEFUND CALLS

and...

WHEN HYDE PARK GOT A 24 HOUR DINER AFTER I GRADUATED

 

Anne Marie Miles Candidacy Announcement for 5th Ward Democratic Committeeman

posted by chicago pop

Dear Friends and Neighbors.

I am running for Democratic Committeeman for the 5^th Ward. The job of Democratic Ward Committeeman, an unpaid position, includes appointing election judges, participating in candidate slating by the Democratic Party and picking replacements for elected officials who are unable to complete their terms. Currently, the position of Alderman and Democratic Ward Committeeman are held by the same person.

I believe that we need a change. We need a new voice.  The 5^th Ward was known as the independent voice of reason, but that voice has diminished in the last twelve years. Just voting no on legislation, without publically addressing the issue before the vote, is not true independence. We have the ability to regain our independent voice in this election by electing a new Democratic Committeeman. We need elected officials who will fight for our rights, not just grandstand.

I decided to run for Democratic Committeeman at the urging of many groups from all parts of the Ward.  Representatives from community groups in South Shore, Jackson Park, Hyde Park, and Grand Crossing all called and asked me to run. My nominating petitions contained 1,998 signatures compared to Leslie Hairston’s 865 accepted signatures. The majority of my signatures were from voters in the South Shore, Jackson Park and Grand Crossing areas.

I am a wife, mother, friend, attorney, and community activist. In 2011 I ran for Alderman and received nearly a quarter of the vote. My husband, Emil Coccaro, a U of C Professor in the Medical School, and I live in Hyde Park with our three children - Piper, Michael, and Marrissa. Our children attended the Lab School, Ray School, and Mt. Carmel.

I have been involved with parent associations and local community groups focused on improving the lives of children and with citywide groups on methods of reducing violence against young people. I have been President of the U of C Comer Children’s Hospital Service Committee and I have worked for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services providing free legal services to lower income residents of the South Side.  I am working on a joint project with Cabrini Green Legal Services and the Union League Club of Chicago providing informational materials to citizens charged with a crime so they will understand the consequences of accepting certain plea bargains.  I volunteer for the State’s Appellate Defender to assist those who qualify for expungements and/or sealing of their criminal or arrest records.

I will work with the Alderman, and all our elected officials, to represent the Independent Voice of the Fifth Ward. For more information, please visit my website at annemariemiles.com, email me at MilesEsq@aol.com or call me on my cell phone at 773-726-4259. 

Very truly yours,

Anne Marie Miles

Whither Murray LA? Poor Judgement (and Poor Spelling) by Principal Mason Ding Respected Teacher

posted by chicago pop

[Source: Chicago Sun-Times]

Local 5th and 6th grade writing and social studies teacher Lincoln Brown was recently disciplined by the principal of Murray Elementary Language Academy, Gregory Mason, for using the word nigger in his classroom. Done in an educational context, this is no different from reading Mein Kampf in the presence of Jewish students, or presenting descriptions of Muslim "infidels" in the Song of Roland to students of that religion. Nothing is gained from removing these deposits of reality that run all through our culture for better or for worse. We don't condone them. We study them to understand the world that has preceded us.

As far as I have been able to determine from the press, this is a case of a neighborhood principal making a very poor judgement that affects the career reputation of a long serving CPS teacher. The fact that Mason's written statement conveyed in the Sun-Times is also misspelled and grammatically challenged - cardinal sins for an educator, as far as I am concerned - suggests that the merits of this particular disciplinary action might be in need of as much review as the grammar of his statement. 

The facts appear to be these: 

Lincoln Brown, 48, says he used the n-word in front of his majority African-American class at Murray Language Academy on Oct. 4 last year after one of his students passed a note to a girl with rap lyrics including the n-word.

Brown — who grew up in Hyde Park and has taught in black neighborhood schools for 21 years — “attempted to give his own denunciation of the use of such language” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday.

He discussed the use of the racial slur in Huckleberry Finn in an attempt to show “how upsetting such language can be,” but just as he used the n-word, the school’s principal, Gregory Mason walked into the classroom, the lawsuit alleges.

Two weeks later, Mason wrote to Brown, giving an account of the incident that disputes the precise words and context in which Brown used the n-word. Mason charged Brown with “using verbally abusive language to or in front of students” and “cruel, immoral, negligent or criminal conduct or communication to a student, that causes psychological or physical harm” in violation of the Chicago Public Schools policy.

Following a hearing in late October, the principal told the teacher that he would be suspended for five days without pay, the suit says. Brown appealed to CPS, but a CPS hearing officer ruled in December that he had “engaged in inappropriate discussions with sixth-grade students during instructional time,” ordering him to serve his suspension starting Friday.

Mason writes in his statement: “The very insistent (sic) I entered the room, I heard Mr. Brown discussing with the entire class of students on the word, ‘N*****’"  Further, "When Mason returned to the class roughly 15 minutes later, he wrote, Brown was teaching grammar, but “totally off subjected (sic), Mr. Brown asked the students, ‘have you ever thought about why blacks are killed in movies first?’”"

The idea that some words should never be uttered is not a principle of rational thought. It is a principle of superstition, a relic of magical thinking and the fear that words themselves convey actions equivalent to their meanings. In a modern worldview, free of superstition and dogma, we understand that a word carries different meanings based on the context of its utterance. It is the context that we should be aware of, not the word in isolation. Nothing in the context of this case - a context which includes Lincoln Brown's biography and career - suggests that Lincoln Brown was making racist remarks. Again, the fact that a copy of Mein Kampf sits on my bookshelf (as it does) does not mean that I support National Socialism, or that I am a Nazi. The fact that I might discuss features of Nazi ideology, or quote the speeches of Adolf Hitler, does not mean that I am anti-Semitic. Would it be inappropriate to build a class discussion around these issues if students were already discussing them?

The same applies to the word nigger. 

I don't use this word, though here I refuse to euphemize it, to blank it out with an abbreviation and a hyphen, because this is not how one should deal with the reality of past or present injustices, as people or as societies. Especially not when the word is, as we all know, commonly used by many of the people to whom it was once applied, including children. This is a contradiction that has not been sufficiently thought out in the culture at large, but that is an issue for another day.

Readers interested in showing their support for local teacher Lincoln Brown may add their names to the petition currently being circulated by the group "MLA Parents in Support of Mr. Brown."

Letter to the editor in support of Ray Lodato's First District Congressional Bid

posted by chicago pop

We have been asked to post this letter to the editor, rejected by the Hyde Park Herald and the Chicago Tribune, from Mr. Alex Gomez. Mr. Gomez is Campaign Manager for Ray Lodato's bid for the First District Congressional seat currently held by Bobby Rush.

To the Editor,

Democratic Congressional candidate Raymond Lodato has promised to "get the First District back to work." We share his concern with bringing jobs to the district, and are additionally concerned about Congressman Rush's dismal voting record, which was recently explored by The Chicago Tribune newspaper. Rush's claim to 'seniority' is absolutely hollow. He is not the ranking minority member on any committee. Five Democratic representatives who arrived in Washington the same year he did are, as are another four who arrived after him. But ranking minority members, like committee chairs, are chosen by their fellow representatives based on the respect they command. Rush commands little respect from his colleagues, so his constituents don't benefit from his many years in Congress. He has longevity, not seniority. Fortunately, we have an alternative in Raymond Lodato, who will be a forceful, independent and effective Representative for the District.

                                                                              Respectfully,

                                                                              Rebecca Janowitz
                                                                              Joan Merlin Palmer
                                                                              Linda Swift
                                                                              Duel Richardson
                                                                              Judy Jakush
                                                                              Edward "Ted" Fetters

Tribune reports on Antheus in Hyde Park

posted by chicago pop

A decent little piece in the Tribune's business section today more or less covers the range of local opinions (including ours) on the Antheus-financed MAC-vasion of Hyde Park Kenwood. George Rumsey gets in a tart little zing, someone complains that Hyde Park risks losing its 'small town' feel, and someone else worries about the neighborhood no longer being a bastion of low-income housing. I had a number of more positive things to say in addition to the comment quoted, but they didn't make it into this short piece. Which is a sort of too bad, because - probably unintentionally - the piece comes off as Antheus/MAC vs. Everybody. 

A choice excerpt: 

This month, a small group of residents gathered at the Hyde Park Art Center to see Gang's designs.

While several praised the scale and beauty of Gang's work, some residents said they were worried that the project might alter Hyde Park's quirky, small-town feel. And others were concerned about Antheus' plans to ask the city for $10 million in financial assistance — money the company initially said it wouldn't seek. Funding would come from the 53rd Street tax increment financing (TIF) district.

"You are using TIF money for huge projects that are forcing independent business owners who have been in Hyde Park for generations in some cases to close," said resident S. Beth Thomas. "You want to make Hyde Park look like a world-class neighborhood, but my concern is the people who are being displaced," she said.

And Rumsey's little splash of NIMBY hot sauce on Eli Ungar's business lunch:

"MAC has a history of making really dumb decisions when they acquire new properties and having to back down when it's a public relations disaster," said George Rumsey, an affordable housing advocate and former president of the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference.
Ungar, 44, often plays "good cop" and flies in to rescue MAC, using his affable personality to calm residents' ire. "He knows how to feel your pain," Rumsey said. "He'll say, 'Let me look at it' and calls and takes people to lunch."

Meanwhile, the Del Prado and East Park building look better and better every day, the Shoreland is kept from demolition, and the sidewalks down each side of Hyde Park Boulevard are shoveled within hours of every snow storm - not something a good number of local property managers were managing to accomplish prior to Antheus's MAC-vasion.

Clarke's Opening on Monday!

posted by chicago pop

Alas, a non-locally owned chain displacing cell phone stores and promoting foot-traffic on 53rd Street late at night. From the U of C's 53rd Street Blog:

Clarke’s 24-hour restaurant will open this Monday starting at 8 a.m. During its opening day, Clarke’s will offer a pre-Valentine’s Day special to include a 10 percent discount for each total bill until midnight.

Located at 1451 E. 53rd St., the menu choices include a variety of items such as omelets, pancakes, stir-fry dishes, sandwiches and a host of other food selections.

UChicago officials brought the all-night eatery to Hyde Park’s key commercial corridor to address the interests of students and the community for more late-night amenities.

“As we continue to work closely with the community, the City and Alderman Will Burns to strengthen our ongoing revitalization efforts, we believe adding the right mix of restaurants and retail businesses will bring added value to Hyde Park that residents have been asking for over the past several years,” said James Hennessy, director of Commercial Real Estate Operations for the University.

Established in 1986, Clarke’s has existing locations in Lincoln Park, Evanston, Lakeview and Bucktown.

“We are very proud to make Hyde Park our new home for Clarke’s as a key destination on the South Side of Chicago,” said Steve Dionysopoulos, co-owner of Clarke’s. “With the rapid growth in an important business area along 53rd Street, we believe that our 24-hour restaurant will meet the needs of both students and the community at large. We are very excited to be a part of the Hyde Park community.”

Leslie Hairston's Pay Raises; or, the High Cost of South Side Living

posted by chicago pop

There's a good chance 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston makes more than you. Unless you make more than $114,913, which is a healthy amount, but not unusual for a public servant in this financially well-endowed metropolis. What's interesting about this figure is that it results from legislatively authorized 'automatic adjustments' to council member incomes to match Chicago's 'cost of living.' 

Given the way property taxes in the HP-K zip codes have been shooting up the last year or so, I think we could all use some city council - generated automatic adjustments. Alas, pity those without the power to raise their own salaries.

Thanks to HPP reader CD for the pointer to this helpful graph in the Chicago Tribune.

[Source: 'What Chicago aldermen make,' Chicago Tribune, January 29, 2012]