Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Moving on up?
The Albany Park Blog has officially moved over to the Windy Citizen. I will not be updating this blog any more. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Albany Park blog has a new home!
(First off, I apologize for the lapse in posts, I have been away on vacation roaming through Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. )
Monday, October 5, 2009
North River Commission meeting is tomorrow night
The NRC is having its bi-monthly meeting tomorrow night at the Harmony Healthcare and Rehab Center (3919 W Foster), starting at 7pm. The purpose of this meeting is to:
1)
Share your neighborhood’s top successes from the summer and hear updates on NRC’s 2009 Priorities and activities
2)
Come and help us identify and discuss trends and issues that are affecting our neighborhood as we begin setting priorities for 2010. What is your community’s biggest issue right now? We need your help to set strategic goals as we look toward next year!
3)
Welcome Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer as she gives us an update on programs at the County level. Ms. Gainer replaced Mike Quigley when he was elected Congressman of the 5th District. We will also hear State and Federal level updates from Leah Pouw, Chief of Staff for 40th District Representative Deborah Mell, and Kimberly Walz, District Director for 5th District Congressman Mike Quigley.
4)
Harmony Healthcare, our host for this meeting, offers a range of services for all ages and abilities. Learn more about this resource in our community. Tours of the facility are available before the meeting at 6:30pm.
Iron Cycles has moved!
Their new location is 3136 Montrose, off Kedzie and across the street from Basa Roja.
According to the owners, they moved because their prior location (2860 Montrose) was broken into 3 times. Matt (pictured right) says their new store has "a safer layout". The new store also has a lot more room, which they needed.
And here are the Yelp reviews (all stellar!) for Iron Cycles.
According to the owners, they moved because their prior location (2860 Montrose) was broken into 3 times. Matt (pictured right) says their new store has "a safer layout". The new store also has a lot more room, which they needed.
And here are the Yelp reviews (all stellar!) for Iron Cycles.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
NBC Chicago is lazy...
NBC Chicago included Albany Park in their "Food for Olympic Thought" article, and they say Albany Park has the best Korean food. Korean? That's old news. That is Albany Park 5 + years ago. How many great middle-eastern restaurants are there in this neighborhood? What about Dawali's falafel?
The Kimball Station Condo Building and more on gentrification
I am sure you noticed this 5 floor condo building go up a couple months ago, located right across the street from the Kimball brown line station. The space used to be a warehouse, and still has that "warehouse-y" look with its stainless steel accents. An estimated 14 million went into that building, and it has 59 units (full) of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments and includes an elevator (really needed?) and a heated parking garage (again, really needed? It's freaking across the street from the train station). The building is still looking for a commercial tenant on the ground floor. Before you start booing, read this: the building is not all condos any more. Liz Griffiths, of the Albany Park Chamber of Commerce, informed me of the growing "luxury rental trend" where condo buildings now rent out their units. Such is the case with the Kimball Station building.
(random fact: the H&R Block guys off Kedzie are the realtors for the Kimball Station building)
According to Griffiths, the majority of new residents moving to Albany Park are people displaced by the high cost of living in Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Andersonville. Albany Park is a cheaper alternative. The APCC works with over 60 landlords and owners to keep rent affordable, but unfortunately, some buildings can't maintain their low rental prices in this economy. Griffiths related this story about the building on Spaulding and Lawrence: the owner tried to do everything in her power to prevent the apartment from being flipped to condos. This included laying off her cleaning lady and cleaning the apartment building herself. This went on for a while until the owner eventually and reluctantly (?) sold the apartment units to her residents for a "deal" before flipping the property. She sold 8 units to her former tenants.
My super explained to me the other day that my building is completely full, something that hasn't happened in years. "It's a little sad to see", as all the new people that moved in are victims of foreclosures or the economy. "Great time to be in the rental business", he adds.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Weekend Events
Art in my Backyard has a new exhibition opening today, in a newly renovated storefront at 4201 N Elston Ave. The opening reception is tonight from 6 - 9pm. The exhibition is titled "Buy Land" and
explores the American landscape through painting, drawing and video, and features ten artists who live and work on the northwest side of Chicago. The show title "Buy Land" draws attention to the current real estate crisis and borrows from a Mark Twain quote: "Buy land. They're not making it anymore."
Artists include Lorna Fillippini, Pamela Gibson, Liz Gresey, Fletcher Hayes, Jennifer Hines, Michael Kolasinski, Chris Novak, Garrett Reese, Neil Shapiro, and Cyd Smillie."
via 39th Ward newsletter
Chicago Calling at Brown Rice.
The Chicago Phonography collective, which participated in the MCA's “Here/Not There” performance series this summer, plays recordings from the Ragdale artists' retreat in Lake Forest as part of the Chicago Calling Arts Festival. For more information, visit chicagocalling.org.
from TimeOut Chicago
Visit the Brown Rice website to find out who the second set will be (includes video projections from 3 artists) .
When: 10- 11:30pm
Where: 4432 Kedzie
Free (suggested $5 donation)
Saturday
North Park University's annual Homecoming Block Party. Look for music, games, BBQ food, and booths by local organizations.
Where: Off Kedzie and Carmen (if it rains, HBP will take place in Hamming Hall)
When: 10:30am- 1:30pm
Free
Gomp-tober Fest Party in the Park! Featuring food, drink, live music, with an entrance fee of $5. Only for 21+
Where: Gomper's Park
When: 7:30pm- 10:30pm.
The Swimming Pool Project Space new exhibition "Badgerland" opens. The exhibition features various media produced by students visiting Prague.
Only for 21+ (free Grolsch beer)
Where: 2858 W Montrose
When: 6pm- 9pm
Free
Sunday
(more info about the mural, including interviews, to come soon)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
food and parks
Tammy Green wrote another piece for ChicagoBites.com, this one's about Tre Kronor.
There is such a thing as BaconFest now. Albany Park resident Seth Zurer is partially responisble. Dawn Reiss has the scoop here.
Eugene Field Park is now tied for 1st place with Fosco Park, in Staples Dream Park challenge. This doesn't look good, folks. Go to Staples and pick up those little power vote cards (worth 10 votes, free). Please? There's a Staples at Lawrence and Pulaski!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Eugene Field Park needs your vote!
The Staples Dream Park contest will be running for another month, but you (yes you!) need to vote today. And tomorrow. And the day after. And every day until the contest is over.
Eugene Field Park is no longer winning with a 64% lead.... that lead has lessened to 36%. Don't you want to fix up Eugene Field's playground? And party with Matt Forte?
a minor annoyance-
CNNMoney.com wrote a short article on whether or not now is the time to buy some real estate. Pretty mundane stuff, except for the first paragraph:
The month Jennifer Galdes moved into her condo in the Albany Park section of Chicago, the local paper suggested that the area was up and coming. Six years later, she's still waiting for a Whole Foods.There is no need for a Whole Foods in this neighborhood. Absolutely none. Albany Park has Andy's Fruit Ranch, Aldi, HarvesTime (best grocery store in the city, hands down), Lindo, a Jewel-Osco, and more than 20 small little independent groceries of Middle-Eastern, Korean, Mexican, and European descent. I am proud we don't have the over-priced yuppie "organic" trash that is Whole Foods, because then I couldn't afford to live here. John Mackey and his right-wing BS can stay the hell out of my neighborhood.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Montrose Water Main Construction Begins Tomorrow
The George Kennedy Construction Company has informed us that they will initiate pipe work on Montrose between Pulaski and Central starting at the end of this week (9/25/09). The installation of the pipes will start on Monday (9/28/09).
Weather permitting, the scheduled completion date is for November 30, 2009.
Please try alternate routes until construction is completed.
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