Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
Wednesday, September 17
Tonight after the 7:30pm production of Disconnect at Victory Gardens, there will be a panel discussion about issues of race and representation in Chicago's theater community. Tickets are $15 if you enter the code "PlayingRace" when you buy.
The Salsa Truck is the first food truck to clear the grueling process to become the first food truck licensed to cook on board. Find the truck via Twitter and celebrate.
Twitter has made watching movies at home more fun -- you can live tweet and watch with friends remotely. That's the idea behind the F This Movie film festival. This Saturday, Feb. 2, follow @fthismovie and start watching The Last Boy Scout at noon, then onward through the lineup.
City Provisions may be gone, but Cleetus Friedman's beer collaborations live on. One will be tapped tonight at Haymarket Brewery; stop by from 6 to 7pm to sample Rosemary's Red Devil and grab one of the limited edition mini-growlers.
Jake Austen put together a fantastic oral history of "The Super Bowl Shuffle" for Grantland.
What do Portillo's, Longman & Eagle, Hub 51 and Millennium Park have in common? They're all top spots on the "Best of Foursquare Chicago" list of places locals check into the most. [via]
Mac n' Cheese Productions' The Life of Yes Retreat was featured in a Forbes roundup of professional retreats to book this summer.
An $11,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person shot Hadiya Pendleton, whose death Tuesday, a week after she performed at the Presidential Inauguration, brought focus in DC and beyond on Chicago's soaring murder rate.
Pendleton took part in an anti-gang video in 2008.
Marktown, the landmark northwest Indiana community surrounded by industry, may be threatened by BP's expansion of its Whiting refinery. See an aerial view of the neighborhood after the jump.
Ready to apply? Do it here. DNAinfo lists some of the folks you'll be up against.
Pipeworks Brewing Company was named new brewery of the year in the 2013 RateBeer Best Awards. Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout won "top beer" in Illinois and placed eighth overall; three Three Floyds beers also made the top 50.
For the last several years, Rep. Mike Quigley has done "Undercover Congressman" days at businesses within his district. This Tuesday, he stopped by Dinkel's to help assemble some pastries.
The latest issue of Vanity Fair will include an excerpt from bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel's book about growing up with his more famous brothers, Rahm and Ari. (Thanks, Dee!) UPDATE: The excerpt is now online.
Architecture for Humanity Chicago is looking for entries for Activate 2013, a public space design competition. You've got till March 15 to come up with something awesome that can be built for $1,000.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is at the Harold Washington Library tonight at 6pm, talking about her memoir, My Beloved World. Space is limited; if you're not in line yet, you probably should be soon. UPDATE: According to the CPL, doors will open at 4:30pm; if you arrive earlier, line up in the first floor rotunda.
The Chicago Police Department has recovered 50,000 guns in the past 12 years, and they've tracked down their origins.
The Paris Review reviews the new Seminary Co-Op. (Read about the move here and here.)
A Pritzker scion plans to build an ultra-modern parking garage on Sheridan Road in Rogers Park, on land currently occupied by the Shambhala Meditation Center (which is moving to the West Loop). Residents are split in their support.
Former governor George Ryan will serve out the remainder of his prison sentence from his home in Kankakee instead of the West Side halfway house that has housed a few of his former colleagues after they were sprung from the joint.
The Onion's satirically upbeat story aside, Chicago has already had more homicides in January than last year, tying 2002's record with two more days to go.
This unusually mild winter will have far-reaching effects on the lake and the city's infrastructure.
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was a rookie quarterback in 1987 when he let Cheryl Raye-Stout into the locker room, helping change the culture at Halas Hall.
Chicago-based loyalty card Belly has introduced Belly Bites, a "try it before you buy it" sample that businesses can offer potential customers.
The Great Clips at Webster and Sheffield in Lincoln Park was robbed at gunpoint around 9:40 this morning. Police are investigating whether the robbery is connected to others that have occurred in the past month at hair salons in the area.
Depending on how quickly you go through notebooks, Out of Pages' subscription service could be very attractive.
O'Hare will offer 29 "Minute Suites," small rooms equipped with a daybed sofa, television and desk, for $30 an hour or $120 a night. The suites have proved popular at the three other locations, and are a fine alternative to sawing through metal armrests to make your own bed.
The Reader put together an oral history of Humboldt Park recording studio Phantom Manor, which closed recently.
Loyola is getting a very fancy Starbucks indeed. Meanwhile, the second Bowtruss will open at 406 N. Wells St. later this week, according to co-owner Phil Tadros.
A new ordinance introduced in City Council would make it a $1000-a-day fine if a landlord fails to bring in exterminators for a bedbug infestation.
Warren Ballentine, the self-styled "People's Attorney" on radio, was indicted for mortgage fraud on Monday. Ballentine grew up on the South Side.
After recent scandals over poorly labeled sponsored articles, Time Out's Frank Sennett has proposed guidelines for online sponsored content.
The Grand Calumet River has been washing lead and other toxins from factories along the waterway. WBEZ describes efforts to clean it up.
At the Heat/Pistons games Friday, a Chicago-area man had the chance to win $75,000 by making one shot from half court. I won't ruin the ending, but Lebron James does tackle him in joy.
A Reddit user has made a nifty GIF of how the city's race demographics have changed over a 90-year span.
Despite the continuing economic recovery, Chicago's community banks are struggling.
Four protestors were arrested following a sit-in at University of Chicago Medical Center this weekend intended to draw attention to the lack of trauma centers on the South Side. A Change.org petition has been created in response to the rather physical arrests by campus police, and the protest group involved has released a statement.
A "patent troll" is suing Adam Carolla's podcasting company for infringement of a patent on a "system for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence." The patent is coauthored by a Chicago patent attorney.
Personal Audio, LLC has successfully sued Apple several times for infringing on its patent. Interestingly, Chicago's divine InterVentures is a footnote in another recent patent troll case -- one that was less successful for the troll.
Here's the podcast patent:
Shirley Chambers has lost her youngest son to gun violence this weekend when someone shot up the van Ronnie Chambers was riding in. His siblings were killed in 1995 and 2000.
Commission on Chicago Landmarks has taken the unusual step of adding the old Prentice Women's Hospital to its February 7 agenda [pdf]. As scheduled, it will receive a revised report regarding economic issues and then consider the decision to reject its preliminary landmark recommendation. The Trib has some background.
Ever want to create your own CTA info display, like you've seen in some businesses around town? Now you can. [via]
The NYTimes media blog wrote up Chicago Public Media's "saucy" new advertising campaign.
Being a new parent can be hard. Here are two stories about getting through the difficult days, from Claire Zulkey and Erin Shea.
Owners of rooftop clubs across from Wrigley Field offered to let the Cubs put digital billboards on their buildings, rather than see billboards erected as part of the proposed stadium renovations. They also noted that such plans would violate the landmark status of portions of Wrigley and also the 20-year revenue-sharing agreement between the rooftop clubs and the team.
Audition to show it off to the world on "America's Got Talent," this weekend at McCormick Place.
The city wants 2,000 more cab drivers, so Olive-Harvey College is hosting a free taxi driver recruitment day Feb. 7. Interview with cab companies and learn what's entailed to get licensed.
Fanny Go makes egg rolls. She's done it for decades, and in fact is part of the reason they're in every Chinese restaurant you've ever been to. Monica Eng tells her story, and shares Go's recipe with you. [via]
The Admiral strip club is looking for a DJ. "No rap or hip hop allowed."
With Hoops High, Free Spirit Media is teaching Chicago high school students sports journalism and broadcasting skills.
If Bill Daley and Lisa Madigan go head to head in a race for governor, it'll pit the city and state's biggest political families against each other.
Google Street Scene, which reframes scenes from movies using the mobile street cameras of Google, captured a moment from the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.
Just for yucks, here's that same intersection according to the real Google Street View:
And that someone is whoever at Chicago Public Schools mistyped an URL in an email to parents about standardized test scores, instead directing them to a private website about women's sexuality.
The cast of Second City's current mainstage production, "Who Do We Think We Are?," has raised $32,000 from unwitting audience members, all of which is being donated to Planned Parenthood.
The CTA has put up a page explaining what happens and what to do "when things go wrong" on a train or bus. [via]
Is it ever appropriate to say the n-word in a classroom? When a white teacher used it in a conversation about bullying and hurtful language in his all-black 6th grade classroom, it resulted in a suspension, even though the kids didn't take offense.
Chicagoist's "Ramova Room" soup kitchen event is tonight at 6pm at Benton House. Get down there to sample soups from some of Bridgeport's best chefs. With more than 200 RSVPs on Facebook, it's going to be quite a party.
Time Out tracks its favorite L train-accessible restaurants, from Pulaski to Morgan to Noyes.
NewCity's annual list of the 50 most important people in Chicago's performing arts scene is out, with DCASE's Michelle Boone, Broadway in Chicago's Lou Raizin and the Goodman's Robert Falls topping the list..
Ward redistricting doesn't go into effect until 2015, but Ald. Danny Solis announced yesterday that he's going to start following the new 25th Ward boundaries right now. Other aldermen are doing their best to represent their old constituents as well as the new.
Marie's Riptide Lounge, a favorite old-school dive, may close this week due to legal wranglings after longtime owner 's death. Stop by today for a "Save the Bar" fundraiser. Meanwhile, Cocktail in Boystown has been seized by its landlord, alleging $85,000 in back rent.
GB Managing Editor David Schalliol went down to the site of last night's warehouse fire to check out the aftermath. What he found was an ice-coated beauty amid the wreckage.
See even more photos on Buzzfeed.
Chicago Recycling Dropoff is a good resource for finding places to recycle stuff if you're not in a neighborhood with "blue cart" recycling yet.
Roger Ebert and photographer Eric Hubalow take you to some of the city's beautiful but mostly abandoned old movie theaters in Chicago magazine.
Tuesday's frigid temperatures are shockingly clear in this satellite photo of the Great Lakes, shared by WGN's Tom Skilling on Facebook. [via]
Climate Central offers a detailed explanation of the current cold snap, which apparently has a tropical connection.
Pearl Jam will play a concert at Wrigley Field on July 19, with tickets going on-sale Feb. 9. The Cubs and Eddie Vedder had been teasing the show on Twitter all week.
Alpana Singh is leaving "Check Please!" to focus on her new restaurant, The Boarding House. The show will begin searching for a new host soon.
A member of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications was paid more than $91,000 in overtime -- more than doubling her pay in 2012. RedEye has a top 10 of overtime earners.
One indication you might be a superfan: You have the signature of your favorite player, his number and the team's logo tattooed on the back of your head.
The Reader's Ben Joravsky examines how the Emanuel administration is determining which schools to close.
Nearly 200 firefighters are on the scene of a burning Bridgeport/McKinley Park warehouse, a fire that is the biggest "in many years." View CFD photographs after the jump. The Trib and the Sun-Times also have visuals. UPDATE: The CFD says the fire is now "under control."
Streetware boutique Jugrnaut teamed up with Million Dollar Mano to produce the limited edition "Treated" satin ballcap, which has proven popular with celebrities including Kanye West, Jay-Z -- and Justin Bieber.
The rapper reportedly became a father in 2011 and owes unpaid child support, according to a lawsuit filed today by the child's mother, who is underage (though not in middle school as TMZ reported).
Those new parking meter rates that would make Chicago the most expensive US city to park in? They haven't gone into effect yet.
Paul Hornschemeier imagines what mischief might the Picasso get into if it were to come to life.
John Greenfield and Steve Vance, the co-founders of Grid Chicago, are moving over to the new StreetsBlog Chicago starting today.
Pullman Rail Journeys will launch luxury rail service from Chicago to New Orleans in restored Pullman railcars attached to Amtrak's City of New Orleans beginning March 29. Prices range from $500 to $2,850 per passenger, each way. [via]
The Cook County Board voted unanimously to create a land bank (previously), which would take possession of vacant, foreclosed and tax-delinquent properties, clearing the way for redevelopment.
Panelist Bridget Gainer, Commissioner - 10th District explains land banks at "Housing on the Rebound" Policy Forum from ULI Chicago on Vimeo.
The Cubs released proposed plans for renovating Wrigley Field yesterday, along with a whole lot of conceptual illustrations.
Frequent Rearview photographer Noah Vaughn spotted auto-obscured faces of Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama and others depicted in a mural at 407 S. Kedzie Ave. in Garfield Park.
The Chicago Center for Literature & Photography has begun a weekly PDF feature, the first being Dead Malls, a photo essay by FoGB Katherine Hodges.
Today's Rearview photo by Curtis Locke is from his series of photographs of dime bags found on the streets of Hyde Park.
BlockAvenue aggregates and shares data about communities block by block, but from a different angle from EveryBlock.
Insight Studios does monthly tattoo and piercing fundraisers for local animal shelters.
Amtrak put together a "Gangnam Style" video touring through Chicago. Better late to the meme than never. [via]
Suddenly movie theaters are the thing again. On the heels of the reopening of the Harper Theater, California chain ArcLight Cinemas announced plans to open a theater in the oft-delayed New City development near North and Clybourn in 2014.
Newt Gingrich suggested on CNN's "State of the Union" that hearings on gun control legislation should be held in Chicago.
Artist Jeremy Tubbs created Presidial, a time-lapse video of more than 2,500 photos of President Obama over the past five years. Tubbs is also selling lenticular images on Etsy.
"Presidial is not political art," says Tubbs. "It is an artwork about the incessant media coverage of politics."
Chicago's own Lupe Fiasco was escorted off the stage at a private pre-Inauguration concert last night after veering into a seemingly unplanned 30 minute solo of repeating the same (NSFW) lyric from his song "Words I Never Said" that criticizes President Obama's role in the conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
This is not the first time Fiasco has been critical of Obama.
Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout made it on First We Feast's list of the 20 most influential beers of all time. [via]
This year's Chicago Jazz Festival will take place in Millennium Park instead of Grant Park, with shows staged in the Pritzker Pavilion and on the Chase Promenade and Harris Theater rooftop.
Mt. Greenwood-born author and playwright John R. Powers, most famous for Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, passed away yesterday at age 67.
Not exactly, but S-T parent Wrapports is reportedly interested in purchasing some of Tribune Co.'s assets.
Bennison's Bakery in Evanston is holding a paczki eating contest on Feb. 9. They've just added space for two more teams of two -- if competitive Polish donut eating is your thing, sign up now!
Here's video from the 2010 competition.
Some Lady Gaga fans have been threatening Rebecca Francescatti, the musician who accused the pop star of ripping off her song. Francescatti recorded a song addressing the bullying.
CBS2 Chicago reports that Ald. Willie Cochran has suggested using GPS devices on all guns. "Just like if your car gets stolen, OnStar can tell you where your car is. If your gun gets stolen, and you report it, we should be able to find that gun."
The Tribune looked back this week on its Sam Zell era, which ushered in Randy Michaels, bankruptcy and layoffs. The Reader's Michael Miner reflects on how well the Tribune covers itself.
Logan Square is the eighth hottest neighborhood in the country, according to Redfin's analysis of real estate prices. [via]
Ald. Ed Burke has proposed banning the sale of energy drinks such as Red Bull and 5 Hour Energy, within city limits. Don't worry, coffee's not on Burke's hit list... yet.
Harry Heftman, who ran Harry's Hot Dogs in the Loop for 55 years, passed away this week at 103. He worked right up to the end, most recently as a greeter at East of Edens.
The Heartland Alliance's Illinois Poverty Report estimates that about one in three Illinoisans is in poverty or close to it, and Cook County is one of the worst hit.
Fashion designer Kate Pankoke will be representing Chicago as a competitor on the next season of "Project Runway," which premieres on Jan. 24.
It doesn't look like there will be officially recognized camping in Chicago for the foreseeable future, but the Forest Preserve plans to make camping viable in the county by 2014. Read the full plan here [PDF].
DNAinfo has obtained surveillance video from a 2010 incident in which a man was strangled after stealing toothpaste from a CVS.
When the restored the Harper Theater, opens tomorrow night at 53rd and Harper in Hyde Park, it will be one of only two first-run mainstream movie theaters in Chicago south of Roosevelt Road -- the other being the Ford City 14.
If you're still on a post-holiday budget, this week's Time Out Chicago is for you.
Following last night's highly anticipated Simeon-Morgan Park basketball game at Chicago State, a 17-year-old was shot and killed outside the gymnasium. It's unclear if the shooting had anything to do with a post-game fracas that was broken up by Chicago Public Schools security.
In an effort to help return vacant and abandoned properties to productive use, the Cook County Board unanimously approved an ordinance to create the Cook County Land Bank Authority today.
Commissioner Bridget Gainer gives us the details
Ryan Duggan makes posters, including a great one about Chicago-style hot dogs. [via]
WBEZ's education team put together an interactive map showing all the CPS school closings and "turn-arounds" since the 2001-2002 school year. Interesting to compare and contrast it with the Sun-Times's map of shootings and homicides.
From the early coin-op games invented in Chicago to the new "barcade" concept, The Verge tells the story of the rise and fall of the arcade. While you're at it, don't miss the photo essay of Stern Pinball's factory.
The 24th annual Rhinoceros Theatre Festival kicks off on Friday, Jan. 18, and features so many shows between now and Feb. 17 that it'd be crazy to try and list them. Take a look at the calendar and go watch some fringe theater.
Take a video tour of 1970s abandoned buildings in Uptown and Edgewater and then stick around for the political discussion of redlining from Media Burn's archive.
She's Crafty, Chicago's all female Beastie Boy Tribute Band, is starring in their very first solo concert at Underground Lounge on Friday, Jan. 18. Come check out the band one person once said, "She's Crafty, not a novelty act."
It's not too cold (especially this year) to ride your bike to work. Celebrate that fact this Friday with Winter Bike to Work Day. Get free Eli's cheesecake and Caribou coffee, tea and hot chocolate in Daley Plaza from 6:30 to 9am if you're on your bike.
Congratulations to Chicagoans Laurie Jo Reynolds and Srikanth Reddy for receiving grants in the 2013 Creative Capital funding awards.
Mucca Pazza commanded the front page of the NYTimes' Arts section and landed a rave review.
The Pitchfork video interview in which Chief Keef went to a gun range finally came back around to haunt him, as a judge decided it violated the terms of his probation for aiming a gun at police. Keith Cozart will be sentenced back to prison on Thursday.
While we won't celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day until Monday, today is his birthday. The Neighborhood Writing Alliance posted in his honor the remembrances of K.C. Hagans from the fifth anniversary of King's death.
A community center in Englewood, an "dirty architecture" zine, a documentary about the word "nigga" and a You Are Beautiful book are among the projects now funding on Gapers Block's Kickstarter page.
Want to buy a full-size, wooden replica of the Batmobile? It's in North Riverside, and has "air cannon Nerf dart capability."
Several staffers at the Greater Chicago Food Depository took the SNAP Challenge to eat on a $35 budget for a week to mirror the average weekly benefit for those receiving food assistance.
Daniel Edelman, founder of the eponymous communications firm and a public relations pioneer, has passed away. He was 92.
Right There Waiting is a new blog collecting "mostly fictitious stories about people meeting Richard Marx," inspired by Ted McClelland's story last week. Wait till he hears about this.
The Fountainhead and the Old Town Pour House are among the new additions to Draft magazine's 100 Best Beer Bars in America, joining a nice list of Chicago honorees (among them Sheffield's and Local Option).
Customs officials at O'Hare held up 18 human heads destined for an area medical research facility. Apparently the heads are all fine and properly documented, but the facility is under investigation on unrelated matters. UPDATE: Apparently the heads weren't headed to a research facility at all -- they were going to a crematorium.
The City will pay $22.5 million to Christina Eilman, who was picked up by the police during a bi-polar breakdown at Midway, held overnight and then dropped off in a high-crime neighborhood, where she was kidnapped, raped and fell from the seventh story of a public housing high-rise. The settlement is the largest to a single plaintiff in Chicago history.
Chicago magazine puts a hundred bars on the map for your drinking pleasure, and supplies a handy checklist to see how many you've already made it to. (A shocking 51 for me.)
Shatterglass Studios just released online a glowing short film about Ebertfest, Roger Ebert's annual film festival.
The neon sign at Madame ZuZu's, Billy Corgan's tea house in Highland Park, was in the news recently when the Tribune reported the sign is about 5 times the size allowed by local zoning ordinance. Billy wrote a letter to the city asking for permission to keep the sign, and the city council approved the sign in last night's meeting.
Fourteen-year-old Aaron Swartz was interviewed on WBEZ's "Eight Forty-Eight" in 2001, talking about web standards and the future of the web. Swartz's memorial service will be held Tuesday in Highland Park.
Piebox sells state-of-the-art wooden receptacles for your pie. (Thanks, Ian!)
If you're a Vivian Meier fan, you may want to watch the half-hour special about her by WTTW's Jay's Chicago.
So although CTA rates on multi-day passes went up today, there are a number of retailers still selling passes at the old prices to clear out their stock. RedEye is building a list of where to go.
The newest installment of our documentary film series The Grid features Rev. Henry Isaac, journeyman window washer and preacher to two Chicago congregations.
The Discovery Channel has a show called "Prehistoric," which explores cities at the time of the dinosaurs and later. Chicago's episode is pretty interesting.
Steve Delahoyde produced a short video for Alternative Apparel about Flesh for Food, a pop-up dinner team that also makes bacon on the side.
Flesh for Food from Alternative Apparel on Vimeo.
DNAinfo has created a timeline of 2012's murders that tells you a little bit about each victim's life, going beyond the statistic.
Beginning at noon today, Sailor Jerry Rum is giving away 102 anchor tattoos at Chicago Tattooing Co. in honor of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins' birthday. First-come first-served, 21-and-over and only the anchor tattoo is free. Anyone who gets a tattoo also gets a token for a free rum drink at Trader Todd's.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart received approval to search for bodies in the Northwest Side apartment complex in which John Wayne Gacy's mother lived, at which the serial killer worked as a maintenance man for a number of years. Dart announced intentions to dig on the property last March.
The PBS show "Market Warriors" recently filmed an episode at Chicago's own Randolph Street Market. The show debuts tonight at 9:00 pm on WTTW.
A car crashed into the North & Clybourn Apple Store Sunday night. A bystander shared photos with Chicagoist.
The service won't be getting any better, but most CTA fees are higher today; the last price increase was in 2009.
Northeastern's WZRD-FM is back on the air with its student staff, who had been locked out by the administration last summer. Stream it here.
If you're still holding onto the flame of the White Sox's 2005 World Championship, you might be interested in this ring. [via]
Aaron Swartz, one of Chicago's old-school bloggers (in his early teens) who coauthored RSS 1.0 standards, helped create Reddit and founded Demand Progress, committed suicide yesterday. He was 26. Cory Doctorow wrote a touching remembrance. UPDATE: A site collecting memories of Aaron has been set up, and is of course open-source.
"I am where I live and where I Iive is who I'll always be." Our own Britt Julious writes about how one's home neighborhood informs one's identity on WBEZ
Nordic Thunder, aka the World Air Guitar Champion, aka superhero Justin Howard, will be teaching a dabble class on Jan. 30. If you ever have the urge to just rock out and be awesomely weird, this class is for you. Sign up here.
Lathrop Community Partners, the organization coordinating community input for the redevelopment of Lathrop Homes, just released its summary of public input [PDF]. Among expressed opinions were a concern about the mixed-income character of the development, as well as preferences for reusing a "critical mass" of the existing buildings, maintaining a low-rise site and establishing high public transportation connectivity.
Facing criticisms that she has been neglecting the duties of her alderman position (as well as the stress of her husband's recent woes), Sandi Jackson resigned today, effective Jan. 15. Jackson was elected alderman of the city's 7th Ward in 2007.
The Sun-Times is partnering with DC's Homicide Watch to bring the site's in-depth coverage to Chicago.
As RedEye's map (previously) demonstrated, Chicago's 513 murders last year were not evenly distributed throughout the city. Fifteen neighborhoods had no murders in 2012 -- and Mount Greenwood has been murder-free since 2007.
A judge dismissed a complaint by Landmarks Illinois and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, clearing another hurdle in the path to demolition of Prentice Women's Hospital by Northwestern University. Judge Neil Cohen did, however, put a 30-day halt on demolition to give preservationists time to appeal.
Northwestern's senor vice president for business and finance, Eugene S. Sunshine, issued a statement following the ruling.
Northwestern University is pleased that a Cook County Circuit Court judge today dismissed a complaint that the action by the Chicago Commission on Landmarks in November not to give final landmark status to the former Prentice Women's Hospital was not legal. We appreciate the thoughtful consideration given by Judge Cohen to this issue.
The new building on the Prentice site will be connected on a floor-by-floor basis with the existing University research building just to the west of the site. Doing so will bring researchers together and thereby enhance the chances of finding breakthroughs in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders, among others. The site is the linchpin for what will be a major new medical research hub.
Northwestern plans to conduct a design competition for the new biomedical research facility. The University will invite many of the world's best architectural firms, including Chicago firms, with substantial accomplishments in designing biomedical research or similar buildings to submit expressions of interest and statements of qualifications.
The University also will maintain its partnerships with the city and the Streeterville community on ways that Northwestern can continue to benefit both the neighborhood and the University's students, faculty and staff on our Chicago campus.
###
The Save Prentice Coalition issued the following statement in response to the ruling.
We welcome the outcome of today's hearing, which keeps in place a stay preventing harm to historic Prentice Women's Hospital and provides an opportunity to amend our pleadings within 30 days. We appreciate the care with which Judge Cohen is considering this case.
The City does not dispute that Prentice is architecturally worthy of landmark status. Indeed, the Landmarks Commission made a unanimous finding to that effect before rescinding the designation in a pre-orchestrated hearing. In court today, Judge Cohen called that process into question and noted that the public notice and swiftness of the proceedings were 'arbitrary' and 'nontransparent.' We agree.
Despite Northwestern's refusal to consider other options, a series of recent proposals shows that reusing Prentice would advance Chicago's economy and its leadership in biomedical research. On January 3, a group of former City officials, experts and architects unveiled a series of reuse alternatives for Prentice. Reusing Prentice as a support facility for adjacent medical research would deliver significantly greater economic benefits than Northwestern's current proposal -- including an additional 600 temporary jobs, 980 permanent jobs and $1.1 million in annual tax revenues. These reuse alternatives and economic figures can be viewed and considered at www.saveprentice2013.wordpress.com.
###
NewCity profiles Lanialoha Lee, the beloved 'ukulele teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Tattoo artist Kevin Leary or Family Tattoo has created a "The Wire" flash sheet.
A collaboration between a dozen local institutions is creating the Chicago Architects Project, an "online genealogy of Chicago architects from the 19th through the 21st centuries." View the current document as a PDF.
Former Cub Sammy Sosa has joined Pinterest, as well as flickr and Twitter. Follow if you're really into photos of Sammy Sosa. [via]
The social media push is apparently part of a marketing push for Sosa's new company, Injex 21, which is developing needleless injection technology. 
Former US Senator (among other things) Roland Burris taught a class in politics this week, and John Kass had a Tribune colleague attend.
The culture wars are over, Time Out exclaims in this week's issue. (The staff also looks back at its regrets from 2012.)
The RedEye's Tracy Swartz breaks down 2012's 513 murders in a map and infographic. We're up to 16 so far in 2013.
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy has a bit more incentive to make same sex marriage a reality in the new congressional session: she just got engaged.
The Music Box has released the schedule and opened ticket sales for their 70mm festival running Feb 15-28. Films include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Playtime, Vertigo, Hamlet and several others.
Romance language, that is. The ItalCultura is offering free trial Italian lessons tonight and next Thursday, Jan. 17.
Need lunch plans? The Gene Siskel Film Center hosts a free a panel discussion of the 85th annual Academy Awards nominations today at noon. The panel will feature ABC-7's Janet Davies, WBEZ's Alison Cuddy, the Trib's Michael Phillips, Time Out's Ben Kenisberg and GB's own Steve Prokopy. Betsy Steinber of the managing director at the Illinois Film Office moderates.
Andersonville is praised for its support for independent businesses in a new economic study.
Before Perkins+Will could begin converting Fulton Market Cold Storage into luxury lofts, they had to defrost the building -- resulting in some gorgeous photographs and video. (Thanks, Mitchell!)
Remember the Villa Taj, the gargantuan Burr Ridge mansion on the market for $25 million? Well, it finally sold for $3.1 million.
Vice talks with the filmmakers behind Scrappers -- who also produce GB's The Grid documentary series. Meanwhile, The Illustrated Press, who've also worked with GB, get attention from The Rumpus.
Chicago Beer Geeks have released an iPhone app to help you keep tabs on upcoming events -- this month alone includes a tour of Chicago's Argus Brewery and a special tasting with California favorites Stone Brewing Co.
The Greater Chicago chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America needs volunteers for a live reading of Pride and Prejudice in honor of the book's 200th anniversary. The live reading will be held at Block 37 from 7am to 7pm on Jan. 28.
FoGB Ted McClelland tells the story of offending Richard Marx with an offhand remark in a blog post, which led to the '80s rock star showing up at a Rogers Park bar.
Marx has a penchant for going after people who take the piss out of him on the Internet. Back in 2006, he went after Chicagoist editor Scott Smith after taking offense to a post about what he'd been up to lately, and this past December he went toe-to-toe with WBEZ producer Justin Kauffman after Kauffman and "Afternoon Shift" host Rick Kogan gave him grief on air when Marx bailed on a live taping at the Christkindlmarket because of bronchitis-- but made it to a WGN taping. He's not just local: he went after a Nashville critic recently, too.
Here's a dramatic reading of Marx and Smith's email exchange, performed at Schadenfreude way back when.
Suzanne Velasquez-Sheehy, the principal of LaSalle II Magnet School, is resigning to head a new charter school venture backed by the Gates Foundation.
Hobby Lobby donated the former Soft Sheen beauty products factory site in West Chatham to the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church on New Year's Eve. The 14.5-acre property will be redeveloped into a mixed use complex, including a megachurch as well as retail and restaurant spaces. Here's a recap of how the transaction occurred.
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church produced this video detailing the plan.
Two U of I researchers conducted an aerial photography assessment of food gardens in Chicago and determined there may be as many as 4,500 of them. While those familiar with food gardening in Chicago can probably already see that the methodology is overly conservative, it's an interesting view of urban agriculture.
Undocumented immigrants will soon be able to obtain temporary drivers licenses, once Gov. Quinn signs the bill that passed the House yesterday. The law makes Illinois the third state to provide undocumented immigrants licenses.
The new Illinois Virtual Tollway site allows you to sneak a peek at current traffic conditions by viewing live snapshots of the road from 15 cameras. Unfortunately, it's only for toll roads, so 290, the Edens, Ike, Kennedy and Dan Ryan aren't covered.
If all goes according to forecast, we're set to break another weather record tomorrow. This time, it's the longest period without having an inch of snowfall in a day: 319 days, set in 1940.
The GIS Lounge's review of 2012's best maps includes some interesting views of Chicago in national context, but also points to Slate's review of the Essential Geography of the United State of America highlights Chicago as a fine example of cartographic representation (half way down).
Somewhere in the cut-threatened research halls of the Field Museum is the head of Jim, aka Thalattoarchon saurophagis, the earliest known "apex predator" of the seas 252 million years ago.
With 447.26 GreenPoints, Chicago's Uncommon Ground has been awarded the title of World's Greenest Restaurant, somehow topping their 2011 award for Greenest Resturaunt in America. [via]
There's been a lot in the news about the city's murder rate, but most of the pieces aren't nine minute conversations with actual researchers and Alex Kotlowitz.
Not your lunch, the book. Hot Doug's: The Book doesn't come out until July 16, but you can pre-order it on Amazon now.
Reservations for Chicago Restaurant Week Feb. 1-10 are now on sale, and tickets for Chicago Theatre Week, Feb. 12-17, go on sale tomorrow, Jan. 9. Too bad they didn't coordinate so we could all enjoy some cheap dates.
The Chicago Uptown Lakefront Carnival & Entertainment Festival will debut this summer, June 20-July 7. I'm going to set a precedent and just start calling it the Uptown Lakefront Carnival.
Lesley Nicol, who plays Mrs. Patmore on "Downton Abbey," is performing in a one-night-only show at the end of this month. The show, called "Admission: One Shilling," pays tribute to Dame Myra Hess, famous in Britain for her piano concerts during World War II. The show is free, but you need to mail your request for tickets in starting today. Full details at the International Music Foundation's website.
"Downton Abbey" insulted Chicago (of the 1920s) in the season premiere -- but got it wrong.
NPR's "Morning Edition" reported yesterday on Chicago's rising murder rate. They follow that up today with a piece prompted by listener questions about Chicago's "gun ban."
While many Chicago neighborhoods faltered during the recession, Chatham has rebounded well. The NYTimes reports on reasons why.
R.S. Owens & Co., the company that makes the Oscars, Emmys and other trophies, was bought be a larger competitor last year. The company's former owner blames China for its downfall.
Urooj Khan won the lottery, and died the next day. Except cyanide was found in his body, so it's not just faux-ironic, it's a homicide investigation.
The Tribune's Nina Metz and Chris Borrelli write in defense of heckling. Comedian Steve Heisler keeps them honest. [via]
The Sun-Times is revisiting The Mirage, the bar the newspaper opened in 1977 with the Better Government Association to document governmental graft.
Zorayda "Z" Ortiz, founder of Zoils Oils, is creating a line of scents inspired by her neighborhood of Pilsen -- aromas such as tamales and Day of the Dead bread.
Months after FM News 101.1 went off the air, Patti Blagojevich has decided to sue station owner Merlin Media for using Rod's image on billboards last year.
Zero Dark Thirty won five of the The Chicago Film Critics' annual awards, including Best Picture. Full list of winners here.
According to Accuweather, Chicago's cumulative winter snow total finally exceeded an inch on Saturday. Quite uncharacteristically, we trail Little Rock, El Paso, and Oklahoma City in snow totals this winter.
Some kind Lincoln Park folks foiled a robbery Saturday night, tackling and restraining a purse-snatching, screwdriver-wielding parolee until police arrived.
The city recently launched a new website, Chicago Digital, to promote its digital initiatives. Some highlighted resources are Open Data applications, a developer forum and a list of city social media accounts.
Several news outlets reported that Ald. Dick Mell would soon retire and hand his seat to his daughter, Deb Mell. However, the city's longest-serving alderman denied the rumor, saying he was no closer to retiring than he was five years ago.
TEDx Windy City tickets went on sale today. The Feb. 23 conference features everything from a dance troupe to a comedy team who make fun of TED conferences.
The Chicago Reporter celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, with a special issue and a party on Jan. 17.
Starting tomorrow and running through the 18th, you can recycle your Christmas tree at any of 23 locations around the city. If you live on the North Side, you could go the lazy route and call recycling nonprofit Do the Right Thing for a pickup.
R. Kelly wrote a song for the students of Sandy Hook Elementary.
Proceeds from iTunes sales will be donated to the victims' families.
A priest in Springfield has been placed on leave following a November incident in which he called 911 to demand help with getting out of a pair of handcuffs he was "playing" with.
Below the Boat makes amazing wooden bathymetric maps of bodies of water, including Lake Michigan.
Reuse Alternatives for Prentice offers exactly what it sounds like -- proposals for ways to preserve Prentice Women's Hospital amidst Northwestern's plans for a new research center.
Chris Ware talks about his latest New Yorker cover in the wake of the Newtown massacre.
Astronaut Chris Hadfield photographed Chicago from the International Space Station. [via]
If your new year's resolution involved learning to dance, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project has a deal for you. It's offering a week of free dance classes next week, Jan. 7-13 at its new American Rhythm Center in the Fine Arts Building.
Michael Jordan (twice), Dick Butkus, Dennis Rodman and Julius Peppers (not as a Bear) feature in Sport Illustrated's 100 greatest sports photos.
"Chicago is the split knuckle, the calloused palm," writes Wyl Villacres in Thought Catalog. "Chicago is a broken tooth. This is what makes Chicago great."
The NY Times takes a look at Chicago's 2012 murders and breaks down the demographic differences between those near and far from homicides.
"Hardcore Pawn: Chicago" was TruTV's highest rated series premiere, drawing 2.1 million viewers on Tuesday night. (Thanks, Dee!)
Trulia analyzed Association of Religion Data Archives data and found that Chicago is the fifth most religiously diverse metropolitan area and is tied with Detroit for the highest percentage of Muslims.
A photograph of "The Walking Dude" posted to Facebook in June is still getting theories about who he is. At time of writing, there are 423 comments.
The UX Blog maps the percentage of the last ten years of fatal traffic accidents where alcohol was a factor, and Chicago doesn't look so great.
Popular North side coffee shop Dollop is opening a second location downtown at 345 E. Ohio, being the first to sell Metropolis coffee in the area, and bringing with it Hoosier Mama pies, Fritz Pastry donuts and Southport Grocery cupcakes. [via]
Sen. Mark Kirk will return to the Senate today, for the first time since his stroke last January. "I have missed my colleagues in the Senate in the worst way," he told Greg Hinz.
Saint James Catholic Church, one of the buildings in To be Demolished, has been granted a 90 day reprieve thanks to Alderman Robert Fioretti (previously).
The Reader's annual fiction issue is out, curated by Zach Dodson of Featherproof Books.
The Vic Theatre turns 100 this year.
One highlight from The Vic's storied past: comedian Bill Hicks recorded his HBO special "One Night Stand" there in 1991.
Movie Mimic revisits locations from films, including a couple here in Chicago and north suburban Shermer. [via]
If you're a fan of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," you owe it to yourself to be at Mayne Stage on Jan. 12, where Joel Hodgson will be performing a one-man show, "Riffing on Myself." VIP tickets to the early show include a preshow screening of "MST3K" and meet'n'greet with Hodgson.
If you've got an hour to kill, here's one of my favorite "MST3K" episodes, Mitchell, in its entirety.
From skin taxes to skee ball prizes, 2013 brings over 150 new laws for Illinois, all of which went into effect yesterday.
In its look back on 2012, The Onion reports on the die-hard Cubs fans who protested outside Wrigley Field, advocating that the rest of Chicago be torn down and rebuilt.
Progress isn't always progress: not a single food truck has been granted a license for preparing food to order since the practice became legal in July.
One of Mayor Emanuel's first acts in office was to assign 1,000 more police officers to patrol the streets, but the Sun-Times found that there are actually fewer cops on the beat now than a year ago. Commentary on Second City Cop is enlightening.
Chief Keef apparently moved to Northbrook recently, but forgot to tell his parole officer, putting his probation on gun charges at jeopardy.
If you're a renter and your building has poor heat, the law is on your side to make sure your landlord is kept in check.
The murder count for 2012 stopped at 506 (although some claim it was higher), and 2013 got off to a quick start, with at least 15 shot and three dead on Jan. 1.
To be Demolished concludes its documentation of 100 threatened buildings with the planned demolition of former President Ronald Reagan's Hyde Park home and the historic Saint Boniface Church.
