Free Parking in Streeterville

Update: As of August 17, 2010, city parking authorities have not corrected the problem, 7 months after I first posted on this topic and 9 months since these free parking spaces became available. Based on continual use of these spaces--and parking spaces in Streeterville are precious indeed--the city has already missed out on $79,000 in revenue, and counting. (9 spaces x 13 hours x 2.50/hr. x 270 days) And we wonder why our city is flat broke.

That’s right. For 9 lucky parkers, the morass of out-sourced 75 year parking contracts, sky-rocketing hourly rates and finicky meters don’t exist. What could be the source of this tiny oasis in a city where downtown parking costs more than New York? Simple bureaucratic incompetence, of course. When the Streeter Place apartments recently opened, it appears the city—or is it Chicago Parking Meters, LLC?—didn’t get the memo.

So, anyone heading down around the Mag Mile/Navy Pier area should take a spin along the west side of McClurg between Grand and Ohio. If you’re parking karma is properly aligned, you just might snag one of the premier free spots in town.

X Marks the Spot.

It won’t last forever, but the free parking has been available for over 2 months now, and counting. And if you do get a space, maybe you should invest some of the money you saved on a lottery ticket or two.

Ghost Ads Part I

Restaurants come and go, but sometimes their signs remain.

Rushmore tried and failed to make a go of it beneath the L tracks off Randolph Street's restaurant row. After Rushmore, there was Addiction Sports Bar also defunct. As the site prepares for its 3rd incarnation, I snapped the following pic before the last sign (literally) of Rushmore is whitewashed from existence.

O'Leary's Public House

O'Leary's Public House in River North: Any resemblance to the famed Missus, her cow or the Great Chicago Fire are purely coincidental.

Read my full review here: http://bit.ly/PYZYo

Ghost Art Part I

The majority of public art projects are planned, executed and then left to fade away into oblivion.

This is a particularly apt example of this endangered species of art.

Located along a railroad viaduct on Kinzie and Des Plaines in Chicago's River West neighborhood, these images are perhaps even more poignanat than when they were painted 35 years ago.

Hundreds of similar projects exist throughout the city, so please send along any you find.

Paramount Room

"No crap on tap" is a bold claim, but this out of the way River West gastro-pub more than backs it up.

Rat Out the Racists

Tattletale. Rat. Stool pigeon. Snitch. Narc. Anyone who’s ever been to kindergarten or seen Goodfellas knows that these are unflattering terms, but in light of recent comments by the Cubs Milton Bradley and apparently backed-up by teammate Derrek Lee, it’s time for Real Cubs fans to take a stand. So, I’ll state it simply: if you definitively hear and see another fan hurling racial insults at any Cub, opposing player or fellow fan at Wrigley Field, grab security and have the idiot thrown out.

Cubs fans are better than this. We get plenty of criticism, some of it deserved, but on the whole we are undoubtedly the loudest, most loyal and hardest partying fans in baseball. Perhaps it was easier to accept the losing when bleacher seats were $6 in the mid 90’s. Now, pay Stub Hub $150 for the same seat and maybe a sense of entitlement comes along with the price tag. That’s no excuse, under any circumstances, to use racial slurs, be generally obnoxious or to toss an over-priced beer at Shane Victorino. This kind of behavior needs to stop—yesterday. Drop a dime, if you hear someone out of line.

Sure, Bradley is an inning-watcher, who “pray[s] the game goes nine innings so I can go out there for the least amount of time as possible and go home”, but we all know people like that at work, especially on Fridays. And sure, it would take 200 years for a hard-working fan earning 50K to match Mr. Bradley’s yearly salary, but he’s human and he has feelings too. If you want to hurt them, please keep your criticism within a constructively destructive framework.

Acceptable Milton Bradley jeers: “Uncle Milty”, “Run of the Milton”, “We miss Sosa.” (also #21) and, of course, a sing-song chorus of “Mil-ton”.

Taunting at baseball games is as American as hot dogs (Germany) and apple pie (England). It is every fan’s obligation to cheer excellence, boo mediocrity and beg for baseballs during batting practice. But, please, when you go to the game, stay classy Chicago.

If you like you’re ale upscale, check out this River North bar & Grill which was designed by Oprah’s favorite interior decorator. How upscale? Does the $19 Kobe beef burger give you an idea? Find out where and check out the review @ the Chicago Bar Project.

LaSalle Power Company

The “LaSalle Power Company” sounds like the name of a Public Utility. Find out this River North bar/rock club’s Utility to the Public at the Chicago Bar Project.

Chicago Bar Project Review: Wabash Tap

If you’re taking the “L” to Soldier Field, Charter One Pavilion or any South Loop attraction, you might consider a stop the Wabash Tap, located between the train station and Michigan Ave. Expect a laid-back neighborhood hangout in an area that wasn’t much of a neighborhood just a few short years ago. Check out the full review at the Chicago Bar Project.

Chicago International Film Festival

Film buffs and the culturally curious, take note: the 44th annual Chicago International Film Festival is coming October 16-19. The film festival is one of Chicago’s premier events and a showcase for artistic talent from around the globe.

The film festival offers a once-a-year chance to see films that would otherwise never flash on a multiplex screen. The festival, as always, offers a diverse collection of documentaries, feature films and shorts, a mix of the experimental and conventional, retrospectives and new releases. In debunking the notion that the films focus solely on the obscure or the “challenging”, this year’s festival includes Japanese anime, a South Korean western, an Italian-made modern mafia tale and a Swedish coming-of-age vampire story.

Surprisingly to some, the festival also includes a number of American made studio and independent films. Ed Norton and Jon Voight star in the pre-release screening of Pride and Glory. Darren Aronofsky presents The Wrestler, and even someone as unlikely as Jada Pinkett-Smith makes her directorial debut with the independent film The Human Contract. And this just scratches the surface.

If you enjoy movies to any degree, there is a film waiting for you to find it.

Fear no subtitles, and enjoy.

"Amazin'" Grace and "Decent" Derrek

Does anyone else have the feeling that Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee has morphed into former fan favorite Mark Grace? On the surface, that’s a complimentary comparison. Mark Grace was a solid hitter, with a career .303 average, a good fielder who earned 4 Gold Gloves and was generally well-liked by his teammates (Sammy Sosa not included.)

The problem is that Derrek Lee is not being paid $13,250,000 a year to hit like an above average first baseman with limited run producing potential. He’s being paid an 8 figure salary to carry a World Series starved team offensively. Among National League first basemen, as of Sept. 3, Derrek Lee is 6th in hitting, 9th in home runs, 9th in RBIs and 10th in slugging percentage. For perspective, Derrek Lee still trails Mark Teixeira in both home runs and RBIs, though Teixeira was traded to the American League’s Los Angeles Angels on July 30th and is unable to add to his National League stats.

If you look at Derrek Lee’s offensive production since his April 2006 wrist injury, the numbers eerily compare with Mark Grace’s from a decade ago. It’s a shame that a fluke play at first over two years ago, when Raphael Furcal barreled into Lee after an errant throw by Scott Eyre, could so alter a career.

As the Cubs make their September playoff push, Derrek Lee somehow has to find a way to put some lift under the ball. It is no small feat to hit .290-.300 for an entire season, but there is no awe in watching a 6’5”, 240lb singles hitter.

Rocking on a Wednesday

4 bands, $8, don’t encourage the “bums”. The show took place at Reggie’s Rock Club, an ambitious establishment consisting of a concert hall, restaurant and record store, located in adjacent storefronts at the confluence of the Bronzeville and South Loop neighborhoods. (The aforementioned sign, by the way, is no subtle commentary on our gentrifying city.) Reggie’s serves up a variety of BBQ in its restaurant, the record store specializes in hard to find vinyl and CDs and the music venue caters largely to unsigned bands of all genres. In this day of streaming media, instant downloads, literally thousands of entertainment options and new regulations on concert promoters after the E2 tragedy, opening a new concert venue/record store in the city is no small act of courage.

The concert hall is largely open between the bar and the raised stage, with standing room for perhaps 200. A lofted lounge area, sits to the back of the room, with seats and tables for a few dozen. If the show is crowded, be prepared to stand for the duration. The acoustics are clear enough, though the slab floors and brick walls cause a bit of reverberation. Standing to the side of the stage actually provided better sound than watching the bands head on. Beer selection is standard, the staff is friendly and prices are reasonable. Overall, Reggie’s seems like a promising spot and a welcome addition to the local music scene.

The Chicago-based sextet On We headlined the show, taking the stage at 11:00PM*. On We played a tight 45 minute set of textured, melodic and often catchy original material. On We is fronted by singer Bridget O’Callaghan, whose look evoked an early Bjork and whose voice was vaguely reminiscent of Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Backed by 2 skillful guitarists, bass, keyboards and drums, On We squeezed every ounce of energy out of their performance. Their self-proclaimed “Cold Pop” sound is clean and their songwriting is developed and nuanced. In a city teeming with local acts of all descriptions, On We seems to be a highly marketable product that is refreshingly different from the norm.

*Is 11:00PM too late to start a mid-week concert? (I once saw Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes perform at 2:00 AM in Manhattan’s Bowery neighborhood, but that was on a weekend and I was on vacation.) Not everyone who enjoys live music has the interest in, or the stamina for, the bar scene. Unless it’s an affront to their Rock & Roll sensibilities, a 10:00 start for the last act on weeknights might just increase attendance for Reggie’s and other music clubs throughout the city.

Garfield Park Conservatory

When it was opened in 1908, the Garfield Park Conservatory was considered an engineering wonder and a fine example of Prairie School architecture on a grand scale. Multitudes of Chicagoans filed through the exotic gardens admiring an assemblage of flora that was larger and more diverse than anything that had ever been collected under one roof. As the conservatory celebrates its Centennial in 2008, the structure itself still impresses, and the overflowing greenery inside still provides year-round access to spreading palms and fragrant orange blossoms.

The mammoth glass dome that covers the conservatory and its adjoining wings allows the Midwestern sun to shine down on plants from across the globe. Species are divided in various rooms and exhibits including palms, ferns, desert aroid and something called the “sweet house” (fruits and other food plants). The soaring roof provides ample space for the dense arrangements of plants and trees that occupy almost every available inch of floor space. Winding stone paths, occasionally overgrown by encroaching plants, are cut into the landscape and meander in rough circles around the arrangements. Several rooms have irregular pools incorporated into the landscaping, which adds an additional natural element to the surroundings. Among the highlights of the conservatory is the display in the Aroid room, which incorporates original works remaining from Dale Chihuly’s 2001-2002 exhibition.

With additional gardens and paths outside, the conservatory can be more than just a rainy day destination. The conservatory can be reached via the CTA’s green line at the Central Park stop, but parking in the neighboring lot is free. Admission to the Garfield Park Conservatory is also free, which makes a visit one of the better deals in town. And though you can see, smell and learn about living things from around the world, there’s none of the nagging guilt that can be associated with a trip to the zoo. Most plants looked quite content to be grown in captivity.

Though the conservatory is free to the public, the aging building is always in need of further renovations. If you go, please consider making a small donation.

Who Turned off the Lights?

Last night Chicago participated in Earth Hour 2008, a global campaign to raise awareness of climate change. For one hour, cities around the world asked citizens and businesses to turn off unnecessary lights to encourage people to start thinking about ways they can reduce their impact on the environment.

In anticipation of the event, I was in position at 7:55PM local time at Water Tower Park near the top of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, to watch the city fade to dark. Hoping for something between the strip’s usual luminance and a darkness that encourages looting, the results of Chicago’s first Earth Hour were certainly mixed.

At 8:00, the lights at the top of the John Hancock center went black, leaving the red warning lights at the top of its antennae hanging in the sky. The ancient sign announcing the Allerton Hotel’s “Tip-Top-Tap” faded out. And that was about it from my vantage point. Perhaps 25% of the businesses on the storied street joined the event. Various hotels darkened their lobbies; some handing out glow lights to their guests. Banana Republic, for example, darkened their signage and display windows. But an overwhelming number of retailers, from Sak’s Fifth Avenue to the Apple store to Nike Town were operating business as usual. So, from street level, it was pretty difficult to notice any difference if you were not looking for it in advance. I’m hopeful that in coming years Chicago’s participation, no matter how symbolic the event may be, will rise to a level that truly makes a statement.

Around 8:15, the floods illuminating the stone and mortar Water Tower finally went dark. Even an “Earth 45 Minutes” is a start.

Say “Cheese” or $#:+!

Herbert Hoover promised a chicken in every pot and apparently Chicago city government has promised a red light camera at every intersection. Currently, 69 intersections are monitored by the cameras, designed to capture pictures or video of motorists who run red lights. But the current outdoor photo studios are only the beginning. The city has just signed a $52 million, five year contract [with an out of state company] to install an additional 220 cameras by 2012. (Assuming the city can find the money that number may climb to 580.)

Now, there is really no defense for running a red light. There are only three instances when it’s acceptable to blow through an intersection: official police business, an ambulance in a medical emergency and during a chase scene in a Michael Bay film. Still, the cameras evoke an air of Big Brother, or at the very least are a further erosion of our collective privacy. (If you’re looking for more, the city has also signed a separate multi-million dollar contract to install video cameras on street sweepers. There is now no escaping the $50 fine should you fail to see the temporary paper signs, which are occasionally hung the night before an impending run.) Though the city positions the arsenal of cameras as a public safety tool and as a way to promote better driving habits, it would appear that the motive is equally related to dollar signs.

Drivers caught on film for a red light violation are mailed are mailed a ticket for $90, soon to be an even $100. The city, by its own estimates, predicts the new cameras will generate $50 million a year in revenue. So, despite the numerous cameras acting as a deterrent, the city is still expecting 500,000 infractions a year.

Wow, I feel safer already.

Who are these People and why should I vote for them?

I present to you the 7 candidates running for Dick Devine’s vacated Cook County State’s attorney seat: Tom Allen, Anita Alvarez, Tommy Brewer, Howard Brookins Jr., Robert Millan, Tony Peraica and Larry Suffredin. If you are familiar with more than two of these names, the chances are you currently work on one of these campaigns, or are one of the candidates themselves. If you can even pick the lone Republican in the group, you’re an honor student of Chicago politics. With 98.7% of media coverage focused on the presidential races, many important state and local races are getting even less coverage than usual.

The State’s Attorney job is arguably one of the most important jobs in local politics. The position oversees a $100 million dollar budget and around 900 lawyers. The State’s Attorney prosecutes the areas most high profile criminal cases, and the job often serves as a springboard to even more prominent office, as our multi-multi termed mayor is an example. Yet, only the 2 or 3 candidates that can afford commercial time even have a chance of registering more than a blip in the polls.

And if awareness is low for the State’s Attorney race, what about the dozens of other state and local races? The ballot on Tuesday will contain races for State Representatives and Senators, judgeships and even the ultra-sexy Water Reclamation Commissioners. (The little known Water Reclamation District oversees a $1 BILLION annual budget, by the way.)

When you pull the proverbial curtain behind you, who do you vote for in these races? Do you skip on voting in races where you do not know any of the candidates? Do you vote for the 1 candidate who happened to buy a billboard on your way to work? Do you vote for the candidate with the most benign name? (‘Hmm, McLovin’ for State Senator sounds like a nice Irish boy.’) Though seriously, it was innocuous sounding names that helped Lyndon LaRouche followers wins in the 1986 Democratic primary.

For most of these races, I still have no idea who, if anyone, I plan to vote for, but sometime between now and the election, I plan to find out. http://www.voterinfonet.com/

Icy, a Problem

Pop Quiz: You see the following sign. What do you do?

A. Sprint clear of the building, with your arms protectively thrown over your head. (Repeat at each of the dozens of high rise buildings posting similar signage around the city.)

B. Follow the sign’s helpful arrows upwards to see what the fuss is about.

C. Briefly contemplate what you’d do with the settlement money, should you survive any subsequent head blow from an over-sized ice cube.

D. Not a damn thing.

Signs like this have become the “wet floor” signs of Chicago winter. They have become common to the point that they scarcely register a second glance, yet that does not mean that accidents never happen. (For examples, try here or watch the video here.) What isn’t clear is if the signs are meant as a warning or as a notice of release from subsequent liability.

For 130 years the world’s greatest architects have been designing high rises in Chicago, and for just as long pedestrians have been forced to participate in a game of dodge-ice every time it freezes and thaws. And the problem is not confined to the oldest skyscrapers in the city. Plenty of buildings erected within the last 20 years suffer from the same problem. As the next generation of buildings reach for the sky (i.e. the Chicago Spire, Trump Tower, The Loop, Aqua, Waldorf-Astoria Tower), only time will really tell.

Retrofitting existing buildings is not the solution. Prohibitive costs, aesthetic concerns and community/political bickering will prevent any serious measures from ever taking place. So, what do we do about ice falling from our city’s buildings? I would be interested to hear your suggestions, but I’m afraid that the question might be rhetorical.

Iggy's 3 - The Third Time is not a Charm

When a bar’s business model works, its concept can be successfully copied and transplanted to other neighborhoods or cities. Locally, see Bar Louie and John Barleycorn. On the other hand, when a bar makes three separate attempts to make a go of it in the city, as is the case with Iggy’s 3, it may be a case of trying to force a square mug into a round hole. For a dozen years, the original Iggy’s was a fixture on Milwaukee Avenue, before closing its doors. The second incarnation lasted for 3 years in the Bucktown neighborhood, and, sadly, after an evening at their latest River North venture, one can only wonder about the half-life of the current location.

Iggy’s is clearly an establishment with an identity crisis. It is not truly a restaurant, and it’s not, by a long shot, a full-fledged bar or cocktail lounge. Black and red dominate the motif, with the requisite sock puppet photos from its past locations lining the walls. A small, crescent-shaped bar, with seating for perhaps 8, dominates the front room with several small tables flanking the bar, in a space that can at most seat 50. Iggy’s does provide a hip environment, but the overall vibe is one of style over substance.

As a bar, Iggy’s comes up short. With little space to mingle and fewer spaces to sit, Iggy’s does not lend itself to a comfortable setting for a round of drinks, particularly if the place is crowded. $11 martinis may be the going rate in the city these days, but Iggy’s does nothing to separate its offerings from the crowd. A small, though high-quality, selection of bottled beers are offered to those looking for something lighter, but Iggy’s offers no beers on draught.

As a restaurant, Iggy’s menu seems to be out of line with the atmosphere it is presenting. Appetizers run as high as $15 and entrees to $29, though meals are served by t-shirt clad wait staff who seem more properly attired to slinging buffalo wings. The ambitious menu, combined with the informal service, sends a confusing message to customers. In terms of taste and presentation, a sampled goat cheese appetizer was presented blandly and tasted about the same. Not one sandwich appears on the menu, which may be perfectly suitable for a fine-dining establishment, but it would be a stretch to put Iggy’s in that category.

Overall, Iggy’s is a cool looking spot that needs to decide what it wants to be when it grows up.

Rating: 1 mug

Editor’s note: A negative review is not something that I relish in giving, unlike a slathering Simon Cowell. But until Iggy’s rights the ship, if you’re looking for a drink in that part of River North I might recommend Clark St. Ale House. For a bite, the authentic and reasonably priced Café Iberico is a solid bet. (And by the way, the original Bar Louie is just a few blocks west of Iggy’s on Chicago Avenue.)

For Sale: City of Chicago

The city of Chicago has spent nearly $300,000 to hire a marketing services firm to investigate selling the naming rights to various city attractions. Soon, Chicagoans might have the opportunity ride the Blue by American Express® line to O’Hare, or visit The Container Store’s Shedd aquarium and Maxim magazine’s Kohl’s Children’s museum. On the heels of the privatization of the Chicago Skyway and Millennium Park garages, selling the naming rights to cherished civic institutions might seem like the final act of the commercialization of our municipality. But, this is only the beginning.

Chicago is just one of many U.S. cities seeking “creative ways” to raise funds and offset budget deficits. Selling the naming rights to city programs, buildings and events appears to be the most painless way to build public coffers and is certainly much easier than trying to make existing departments more efficient. It seems like easy money, but in the long run there’s a catch for both the city and its would-be corporate partners.

Corporate sponsorships have been around in the world of sports for generations, and with each new sponsorship or stadium name change, the marketing impact of the tie-in becomes more diluted. Wrigley field was built as part of a chewing gum empire, but over the years the name has become more associated with the baseball team than a pack of Juicy Fruit®. A more recent example is U.S. Cellular’s sponsorship of the White Sox stadium. Though the telecommunications company spent millions for the naming rights, the majority of fans refer to the park as “The Cell” or even “New Comiskey”. U.S. Cellular is still better known for their painfully unfunny television ads starring Joan Cusack. Unless White Sox fans overwhelmingly use U.S. Cellular as their wireless provider, where is the value for the corporate sponsor? Now imagine everything from the public libraries to the Taste of Chicago with a named sponsor. When will corporate sponsorships reach the point of diminishing returns?

For the city, the money will come now; the conflicts of interest will come later.
The city oversees businesses in any number regulated areas, including taxes, zoning, consumer safety and inspections. The city must act on behalf of its residents’ best interests to ensure that businesses are in compliance with all laws and regulations. Yet, once the city enters into a multi-million dollar relationship with one of these companies, its independence will be forever compromised, or at least questioned.

But the city needs the money now. And if there are problems a few years down the road, I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we privatize it.

Clean up on aisle 59th street

You won’t see piles of garbage on the street when you watch an episode of Seinfeld or a Woody Allen film, but when space is precious compromises must be made. This is by no means the fault of modern-day New Yorkers. By American standards, New York is an old city originally laid-out by planners who could never in their wildest dreams have imagined a metropolis of 8 million people. Building the city with a secondary web of service alleys never occurred to them, or was deemed impractical. As late as the mid-nineteenth century, Fredrick Law Olmstead was able to transform a 140 square-block swamp at what was then the northern end of Manhattan into the wonder that is Central Park, but by that point New York was developed too far for a retrofit.

If you’ve never been to New York, it is impossible to prepare yourself for the sight of garbage lining virtually every street in the city. Each night an armada of trucks set out to collect the refuse, but over the course of the day, truly heroic piles of seeping waste can accumulate on the curb. This takes some getting used to, particularly the first time you step around one of these temporary hills to enter that chic restaurant you read about in Zagat.

Yet, as the world “goes green”, New York might be a perfect example of what we truly face as a society. In Chicago, we have the luxury of filling our dumpsters and keeping our trash largely out of sight. In New York, every day is a visual lesson on how much we consume and discard. 5¢ refunds on glass bottles aside, recycling can only take us so far. As landfills reach capacity and new projects face opposition at every front (“not in my backyard”), how do we cut down on the amount of garbage we produce in our everyday lives?