$400K Stolen Violin Returned to South Loop Family

Well it sounds like the South Loop stolen violin has a relatively happy ending (via Chicago Tribune):  

After a monthlong disappearance, police have returned a stolen violin made in 1760 to a South Loop family of musicians whose home was burglarized and robbed of the 262-year-old violin, as well as two other valuable instruments in May.

 
MingHuan Xu, a professional violinist and director of the string program at Roosevelt University, was preparing to perform at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in Washington on Tuesday when the Chicago Police Department called and asked her to come into the station to identify three instruments.

Xu immediately dropped out of her performance that night, booked a red-eye, and arrived in Chicago at 4 a.m. Wednesday. She identified the three instruments “right away” as the three that were taken from her home a month earlier. The instruments were all undamaged and in good condition.

With no suspects in custody and the investigation still “open,”it remains unclear who was behind the burglary or how police acquired the instruments, though surveillance cameras from a neighbor’s garage did capture images of the suspect entering Xu’s home around 3:45 a.m. the morning of May 11.

It still seems like a strange sequence of events - especially how the Police just "acquired" the instruments - but hopefully we will learn more in the future.

Anyway - glad that this was returned.

Lake Michigan Fluctuating Water Levels Wreaking Havoc on Beaches

 One of Chicago's (and the Sloop's) most precious resources - Lake Michigan - continues to be in a precarious give and take as it relates to water levels and erosion.

The Tribune has a good read on the current dynamics and how water levels are causing erosion.  They also talk about our local Sloop beach:

In the heart of the city, just steps from the Doane Observatory at Adler Planetarium, hundreds gathered at 12th Street Beach as they enjoyed the three-day weekend and the kickoff of beach season. But 12th Street has also suffered from erosion and, according to the Park District, is in need of repairs to its lake wall — repairs that are set to begin in early June and be completed by October. The beach will remain open during the renovation. 

“Anywhere that we can keep the water area and the beach open, we absolutely will because we know how precious beach season is in Chicago,” Gleason said.

We haven't been recently, but last year it definitely looked like only 1/3 of the beach was still there.  Sounds like it's only gotten worse.  

Here is an old picture of how the beach looked.  Today it's not nearly as big (we hope to get there soon to check it out):

 

Ambulance Stollen in Chinatown - Doesn't End Well for Thief

Interesting vehicle to take in Chinatown/South Loop.  Obviously this didn't end well (via Sun-Times):

A man has been charged with stealing a Chicago Fire Department ambulance Monday in Chinatown and leading police on an 80-mile chase downstate.

Benjamin K. Herrington, 46, entered the ambulance as it sat empty, parked on the street outside a fire station in the 200 block of West Cermak Road around 4:40 p.m., police said.

The Twitter video was interesting

Man apprehended after stealing CFD ambulance, driving for miles down I-55 https://t.co/adFlwiHQgM

— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) April 26, 2022

Donation Requested for PAWS Chicago from South Loop Montessori Student

From a young Sloopin reader and contributor at South Loop Montessori:  

Elementary Pet Supply Drive 

The elementary class at South Loop Montessori is holding a pet supply drive in the month of April. A donation box will be set up in front of the classroom from April 4th to April 29th. 

All items will be donated to PAWS Chicago, a no-kill animal shelter. 

More information about this organization can be found here: https://www.pawschicago.org/ 

PAWs accepts the following supplies: 

● New and unopened: dog and cat food and treats, brushes 

● New or gently used: dog and cat toys, leashes, collars, metal crates, stainless steel food bowls, litter boxes, clean sheets and blankets, clean towels, gallon ziplock bags, paper towels, newspapers, cat litter, dog poop bags, garbage bags

You can email us at sloopin@gmail.com and we can cooridnate with the young student who is trying to get donations.  

Student Athlete Controversy at Jone College Prep Sparks Title IX Investigation

Controversy erupts at Jone College Prep over sports, fundraising and power at the school (via Blockclub):

Chicago Public Schools is investigating Jones College Prep for potential violations of federal sex discrimination laws connected to its sports teams, part of a broader conflict at the prestigious school where students have complained of mistreatment and leaders are pushing to fire the longtime principal.

CPS officials confirmed this week the district’s Office of Student Protections and Title IX is investigating the athletic department at Jones, 700 S. State St. The department is probing alleged violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs. A spokesman did not offer specifics, citing an ongoing process.

District leaders would not say when they launched a Title IX investigation, but they said the inquiry was ongoing before local school council members contacted the district in February.

Members of Jones’ local school council reported Principal Joseph Powers to the district in February, alleging, among other things, that he allowed conditions to persist where unequal resources were dedicated to boys and girls sports. Council members also contacted CPS officials in December, highlighting what they said was poor oversight for fundraising that made it difficult to ensure money was being distributed fairly for clubs and athletic teams.

The story is pretty in-depth and surely is important for all those involved, but seems to have morphed into something bigger than the original issue.  The mother of the athlete simply said ‘My Daughter Just Wanted To Run’ - and it does seem like she is being used as a pawn here.

Grocery Store - Alfa Foods - Moving Into Long Vacant Retail Spot on South Wabash

Looks like a new shop is coming to a long vacated store front on Wabash:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex / MrSouthLoop (@mrsouthloop)

For those interested, this location was a Subway for a long time but closed their doors back in 2018.

Lollapalooza 2021: The Science Experiment

After a year off due to the pandemic, Lollapalooza 2021 has officially ended!  

From a pure event standpoint, it seemed like this years incarnation went off without a major hitch.  The weather was pretty much perfect.  Grant Park likely won't have any major structural damage like years past and in a week we likely can enjoy all of its glory.  

But like most things in the world today, the big story at Lolla was the Delta variant and its continued surge throughout the world, country and our area.

When the city announced that Lollapalooza was moving forward with the fest in the spring I was surprised.  It seemed like the perfect petri dish perfect for cultivating Covid.

Let me just preface this next part with the fact that I've gone to every single Lolla in Grant Park since I moved to Chicago in 2006.  So you can tell me I'm getting old, but you can't tell me that I'm not a huge Lolla booster.  Hell, I bought a ticket (and went) on Saturday and had friends who did the same.

I'm not going to lie - it was fun to gear up for the day and approach the event.  I was legitimately excited - its been awhile.  

Unfortunately the whole thing was idiotic.  I can paint this a lot of ways and draw out some positives, but at the end of the day - Lollapalooza shouldn't have happened this year.  

You know that policy that you had to prove you were vaccinated or had a negative Covid test?  Yeah, that was pretty much a joke as far as we could tell.  Maybe simply stating that deterred some or caused people to get vaccinated (really?)....worse yet, it gave some of us who were vaccinated but may have had underlying conditions or children who couldn't get vaccinated a false sense of security.  So for that - screw you Mayor Lightfoot and Lollapalooza.

Beyond the "Covid entry policy" - it didn't seem like any other precautions were made other than a sign removing Lollapalooza's liability (thanks Lolla!):

I was hopeful that they at least could have upped the game for the porta potty situation.  More hand soap?  More space?  Something?  It all looked exactly the same as the past and if you've ever seen it in the past, you can attest it's not the shining example of germ prevention.

Regardless of the potty situation and as a resident old guy at Lolla, there was no chance I was cramming my way up into the throngs of people, but this doesn't scream social distancing: 

The crowds jammed packed like the was to be expected.  Music is a powerful drug....

So it's over.  Now we get to see what the ramifications are.  There 100% is going to be stories of Covid spread via Lolla attendees - it's simply impossible not to happen - the question is just how much and how bad.

On one hand maybe the risk of outdoor transmission is truly low.  If that's the case...than maybe Lolla won't be the super spreader event many (including me) fear.  

On the other hand, we don't know much about Delta and it seems like we're going to have some data coming out of Lolla for the epidemiologists to hypothesize about.  

Hopefully this science experiment doesn't go wrong... 

Sweet Bean Opens at Roosevelt and Wabash

A mentioned a couple weeks back a new bakery has opened at 1162 S. Wabash (via Facebook Hello South Loop! Group and Savanna Moore Gardner):

I saw someone post about a new spot and I had to check it out! 

Stopped by  Sweet Bean ( Roosevelt & Wabash) today and it’s super cute with coffee, gelato & a bakery! As of right now, the bakery is Chinese themed and they are waiting for another Sous chef and then they’ll be 

Chinese, Japanese and European themed! Items on healthy seemsed a little healthier too 😍they also have a seating area.

Using Tik Tok to Tell Chicago & The Sloop's History

We're fascinated by new technologies and the creativity it unleashes.  Don't believe us, this here blog was birthed from a similar sentiment.

Along those lines, today we stumbled upon a video on WGN about a local man who uses Tik Tok to tell Chicago's history:

A Chicago TikToker is sharing facts and history about the city in videos that have now gone viral.

Shermann Thomas’s 8-year-old daughter was posting dance routines on the app when he suggested she post facts about Chicago instead. She wasn’t interested in the idea so he started posting his own. His first viral hit was a minute-long history on Lower Wacker Drive and from there, his account continued to grow.

The life-long resident is telling the city’s stories and reaching a younger audience by posting short videos that he heavily researches.

“History matters and it’s not this boring stiff thing that we are used to,” he said.

Sure enough many of his videos touch on South Loop topics such as this one about Clark House:

@6figga_dilla

Chicago’s oldest house. ##Clarkehouse ##Chicago ##chicagohistory ##fyp ##historytok ##chitown

♬ Spongebob - Dante9k

Sure, the content isn't ready for 60 minutes quite yet, but we still find it interesting. Further more, maybe some of you haven't checked out Tik Tok. As a person who is paid professionally to understand the media ecosystem, we've been blown away by Tik Tok's platform.  Maybe this gives you a chance to play around with it?  

Family of High-Profile Illinois Men's Basketball Guard Calls the Sloop Home

If you're like us, cold winter nights provide opportunities to watch TV and sports.  We love college basketball and noticed a story about one of the best players on the Illinois Men's Basketball team and his connection to the Sloop (via WCIA.com):

The familiar sound of the ‘L’ fills the cold Chicago air on a calm Tuesday night in the South Loop. But the cheers from the Dosunmu family ring for all to hear.

“We cheer, we jump, we scream, we do it all,” Quam Dosunmu said.

This is is the new normal for the family of Illinois’ best player. Ayo’s biggest fans have watched every game together this season from the comfort of their couch. They’d rather be cheering from State Farm Center or any opposing arena on the Illini’s schedule across the country, but COVID-19 has kept them in the Windy City. It’s a big change for Ayo’s parents Quam and Jamarra, who never missed a game, traveling everywhere from Hawaii to Italy to see their son play.

I’m hanging with the Dosunmu family tonight in Chicago, telling their unique story, as they watch from home this season due to the pandemic. They’re bringing the energy early!

See the story tomorrow night on @WCIA3sports at 6/10 @prettybrngurl @qldos67 pic.twitter.com/TzWfYRdHcP

— Bret Beherns (@WCIA3Bret) February 17, 2021

This isn't the only high-profile college basketball player with connections to the Sloop.  As you may remember, Anthony Davis - who was arguably one of the best players in the country as a college student and is now a top 10 player in the NBA - played ball for Perspectives Charter School.

Anyway - if you don't have a team in the upcoming NCAA tourney maybe you can get behind a neighbor! 

More Details Emerge About Murder Last Week at Studio Nineteen Barbershop

We posted about the brazen daytime murder last week at a Studio Nineteen barbershop (1931 S. State).  More details have come out this week and it's a startling account (via Tribune):

Chicago police fear the “high likelihood” of retaliation because of the shooting of a man killed in a South Loop barbershop who a police alert identifies as a “very close associate” of well-known rapper G Herbo.

The man killed was a member of the Terror Town faction of the Black P-Stone street gang, and G Herbo, whose real name is Herbert Wright III, is a documented member of the Terror Town and No Limit factions of the Black P-Stones, according to a Chicago police officer safety alert. The Tribune is not naming the man killed because the Cook County medical examiner’s office has not released his identity, pending family notification.

He died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head, according to the medical examiner’s office, which performed an autopsy Friday. His death was ruled a homicide.

The shooting occurred about 12:20 p.m. Thursday at the Studio Nineteen barber shop, 1931 S. State St. in the South Loop, according to a police report. A 24-year-old man was sitting in a barber chair waiting for a haircut when a 20- to 30-year-old man wearing all dark clothing including a hooded jacket and a face mask came in and asked employees for directions to the restroom.

The man then walked to the back of the store and into the restroom, police said. When he came out, he pulled out a handgun and walked directly toward the 24-year-old man and fired several shots to his head.

The man left the shop and ran south on State Street before entering a gold SUV, which sped off west on Cullerton Street, the report said. Three .40-caliber shell casings were found at the scene.

Wow - stay safe out there.

Museums Get Green Light to Reopen As Part of Tier 2 Covid-19 Mitigations

While the pandemic is still raging, it appears that the holiday spike has passed and as a result Governor Pritzker has changed some of the restrictions.  As part of that, it looks like Museums will be opening soon (via NBC5):

After Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Chicago could move to Tier 2 coronavirus mitigations, some area museums released reopening dates this week.

In Tier 2 restrictions, museums are able to open to the public with limited capacity, social distancing and mask requirements, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

You can read more about it at the link but it appears that two of the Sloop's most well known establishments are opening soon - Shedd is reopening to the general public on Jan 30th & the Field Museum is reopening to the general public on Jan 23rd.

Four Reconstructed Ramps Open This Week at Jane Bryne Interchange

This is some good news for getting in and out of the neighborhood (via janebyrneinterchange.org):

Multiple Ramps Reopen at Jane Byrne Interchange

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that four reconstructed ramps will open at the Jane Byrne Interchange on, weather permitting, Tuesday, Dec. 15. The completion of the ramps marks a major milestone as all 11 ramps have been completely reconstructed or are currently under construction:

By 5 a.m. Tuesday the following ramps will reopen:

• Canal Street entrance ramp to outbound Ida B. Wells Drive
• Inbound Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94) ramp to Taylor Street
• The exit ramp was relocated to just north of Adams Street and reconfigured to reduce conflict from inbound lanes.
• Inbound Kennedy ramp to inbound Ida B. Wells
• The exit ramp was reconfigured to reduce conflict from inbound lanes.
• Outbound Ida B. Wells ramp to outbound Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstate 90/94)
• The entrance ramp was reconfigured, and access was moved to the right lane. While ramp construction is completed, a temporary detour will bypass ongoing construction along the outbound Ryan. A signed detour will direct Wells to Ryan ramp traffic to continue to Union Street, through two traffic signals at Taylor Street and Roosevelt Road, to connect to the outbound Ryan via the Roosevelt Road ramp. Motorists should be aware of the change and anticipate some delays the first few days of the configuration.

If you're unsure what all this means, they have a nice handy video to show you some of the most recent openings:

No Excuses: VOTE

 

Taking Stock of the Retail Situation in the Sloop During Covid-19

So we're deep into the pandemic and where it goes from here is far from known.  We're not going to speculate any further, but one thing that gives a sense of the economic toll close to home is our business counter. 

This isn't a perfect barometer (obviously), but still interesting to see what this has done to the Sloop.  

Interestingly, by our current count the Sloop has added 3 net new businesses to the neighborhood in 2020.  We probably have missed some, so please let us know if our list is off in anyway:

Opened in 2020

1. The Grail Cafe (715 S. Dearborn)
2. Momentum Coffee & Coworking (2119 S. State)
3. MingHin Cuisine (1234 S. Michigan)
4. Harbor (1312 S. Wabash)
5. RSTR (1325 S. Michigan)
6. My Place (1307 S. Wabash)
7. Dearborn Denim & Apparel (728 S. Dearborn)
8. Teriyaki Madness (829 S. Wabash)
9. Caribbean Jerk Palace (733 S. Dearborn)
10. Allstar Seafood & Sports (730 S. Clark)
11. Honey Berry Pancake & Cafe (901 S. State)
12. Fruve Express Juicery (1131 S. State)
13. Hoots (1238 S. Canal Street)
14. Roots Handmade Pizza (744 S. Dearborn)
15. Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care (1135 S. Delano Ct)
16. Mau's House of Grooming (901 S. Plymouth Ct)
17. Taketei Sushi (800 S. Michigan)
18. Bureau Bar + Restaurant (2115 S. State)
19. Adorable Baby (1462 S. Michigan)
20. Fast Signs (1315 S. Michigan)

Closed or Moved Out of the Sloop in 2020

1. Pier 1 Imports (1014 S. Canal)
2. Not Just Cookies (901 S. Plymouth Ct)
3. To Magic Nails (1255 S. State)
4. South Coast Sushi (1700 S. Michigan)
5. Carter's (1143 S. Delano Ct)
6. Sod Room (1454 S. Michigan)
7. Tiny Tunes Studio (69 E. 16th)
8. SRO Chicago (610 S. Dearborn)
9. Kroll's (1736 S. Michigan)
10. Giglio's Tavern (825 S. State)
11. Bridgeport Coffee Company (1021 S. Delano Ct)
12. Tantrum (1023 S. State)
13. Arts & Craftsman Supply (828 S. Wabash)
14. Vanille (800 S. Michigan)
15. The Scout (1301 S. Wabash)
16. Royal Puppies (2000 S. Wabash)
17. Starbucks (1101 S. Canal)

Additionally, here are some of the businesses that may or may not open in the neighborhood:

• Sage Room (67 E. Cermak) 
• New Asian Fusion Restaurant (Roosevelt Collection - S. Delano Ct.)
• Overflow Coffee (1449 S. Michigan) 
• Wabash Tap New Concept (1233 S. Wabash) 
• The Lucky Well (Roosevelt Collection) 
• Crab Bucket (South Michigan & 21st) 
• Williams Inn Pizzeria (2210 S. Michigan) 
• Chick-Fil-A (Clinton & De Koven) 
• 7-11 (Clinton & De Koven) 
• Aspen Dental (Clinton & De Koven) 
• Piasans Pizzeria & Bar (700 S. Clark)
• Xiang Hot Pot (2201 S. Michigan)
• Lao Sze Chaun (614 S. Wabash)
• Apolonia Restaurant (2201 S. Michigan)
• Hotel BnB (1316 S. Michigan)

• Haidilao (107 E. Cermak)

• Potential Marijuana Dispensary (1420 S. Michigan)

• F45 (1322 S. Michigan)

• Surf's Up (TBD)

• Orange Theory (110 E. Cermak)

What do you think?  Is there something wrong with our list?  Did we miss something?  Let us know.

The real toll of the pandemic won't be measured with a blunt count like this and likely will linger on for some time.  Stay safe and stay healthy Sloop!

Starbucks Closes at South Gate Market ; Other Retail Updates in the Sloop

Mr. South Loop (Instagram page here) gives us a download on a bunch of retail changes:

Yarnify has moved from Dearborn Station to the Pope Building.

Starbucks at south gate market has permanently closed.

Knucklehead boxing gym is opening tomorrow inside the Pope building. 

Fast signs has opened at 1315 S Michigan. I believe it was a blow dry place before.

Chicago French press opened

Adorable Baby at 1462 S Michigan opens today. 

We're going to take a deeper look at the retail scene in the Sloop this week so stay tuned.

(Hat tip: AL!) 

Chicago Press Coffee to "Pop-up" at Roosevelt Collection

It sounds like a new coffee option is coming to Roosevelt Collection (via Eater Chicago):

Kris Christian started her own coffee company hoping to share her love of coffee with others. Chicago French Press, which focused on the home and office markets, will now pivot as this week Christian unveils a pop-up coffeeshop at the Roosevelt Collection in the South Loop. The pop-up will last through the end of the year.

The coffees, which are certified organic, fair trade, and non GMO, come in flavors like maple pecan, chocolate blueberry, and peach nectar. The beans are roasted in Pilsen. Chicago French Press has previously partnered with groups like the Simple Good and The Take Back. For the pop-up, they plan on donating 5 percent of sales from each coffee bag to a charity. Christian is hoping to take the operation national. As Black Lives Matter protest continue to counter the number of police shootings of Black men, Christian has also expanded her company’s scope. In June, Chicago French Press donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Christian hopes to open more locations. The pop-up is an effective marketing tool to introduce people to her brand and to push them toward monthly coffee subscriptions. Black entrepreneurs are getting more opportunities as the spotlight shines on racial injustices, Christian says. But, in a sentiment echoed by many Black members of the service industry, Christian mentions that those in power — the majority of who are white — need to lead.

“It’s really good to see the Roosevelt Collection is interested in diversity,” she says.

It appears that Chicago French Press will be opening in the space vacated by Bridgeport Coffeehouse earlier this summer.  

While this seems like a temporary arrangement, it's nice to see new businesses making a go of it (although we imagine rent is waived?).

Regardless, good luck with the pop-up and hope everyone enjoys it!

Timeout Chicago Highlights 8 of Chicago's Best Public Gardens - Including Some in and Around the Sloop

Covid-19 has put a hamper on some typical Summer activities in the Sloop and city, but that doesn't mean you can't be outside.  Timeout Chicago recently highlighted some of the city's best gardens and some are in the Sloop (and/or very close):

Chicago Women's Park and Garden

This South Loop park and community garden pays homage to women's history with a fountain and a statue honoring the Chicago activist and social worker Jane Addams. In addition to housing the Clarke House Museum, which showcases Chicago's oldest home, the garden's 3.2 acres of green space is home to tons of city programming, like Night Out in the Parks event and day camps for kids.

Outside of that, a couple other close ones are in Grant Park such as:

Grant Park Rose Garden

 An ever-popular destination for wedding photos, this picturesque garden is lined with rows of pillowy roses and hedges backgrounded by the skyline, like a mini English estate transported right into downtown Chicago. (Its proximity to the stately Buckingham Fountain only strengthens the comparison.)

South Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago

Step away from the bustle of Michigan Avenue and into this peaceful garden on the side of the Art Institute, which the museum commissioned in the 1960s from landscape architect Dan Kiley. Honey locust trees drape overhead to create an intimate, canopied effect; in the center of the garden, a rectangular pool leads up to the towering and sculpture-bedecked Fountain of the Great Lakes, originally built in 1913.

Lurie Garden

Located at the south end of Millennium Park, the Lurie Garden was designed to evoke nature's beauty during all four seasons. Come by in the spring for a mind-bending array of tulips and delicate anemones; in the summer and fall for butterflies drifting among bee balm and calamint; and in winter to watch snow and ice interact with the dormant plants. Chicago literature enthusiasts will also appreciate the 15-foot hedges ringing the garden's perimeters, a shoulder-like allusion to Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago."

Hopefully you've been to some of these - if not get out and visit them! 

Ambulance Stolen in Front of Nursing Home in Sloop

An inconspicuous theft...geez (via Chicago Tribune):

 A private ambulance that was parked outside a nursing home, unattended, unlocked and running, was stolen overnight and later crashed into a car in the Lakeview East neighborhood, sending one woman to an area hospital with injuries, police said.

About 12:30 a.m. Thursday an Elite Ambulance vehicle was left parked outside a nursing home in the 1800 block of South Wabash Avenue in the South Loop. It wasn’t immediately clear if or when the ambulance was reported stolen.

Authorities did not say whether the ambulance was waiting to transport a nursing home patient to a hospital. Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman, said since Because the ambulance belongs to a private company, police can’t say what the vehicle or driver were doing at the time, said Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman.

This is a strange move on many fronts - leaving an ambulance running attended, someone thinking this is a good mode of transportation, someone thinking they wouldn't get caught...the list goes on...

 

More Looting Rocks City and South Loop Late Sunday Night & Monday Morning

 The city has been on edge again as looting took grip late Sunday night into the early morning yesterday.

We didn't post about it yesterday because...well...it's tough to see and also tough to understand the impact on the South Loop.  We've read various reports on news sites and social media, but any way you cut it, it's unfortunate on many fronts.

Here are some stories we've read if you're interested in reading more:

• Binny's, Target, Best Buy as well as other stores on Roosevelt targeted (via ABC7)
• Roots Pizza gets brick thrown through window (via Chicago Tribune)
• Saprino's at 1923 S. Archer looted (via CBS2)

We're sure there are others that were hit.

Similar to the looting that happened a couple months ago, the city restricted access to the downtown area starting at 8pm on Monday night.  It's unclear if similar measures will be taken on Tuesday evening.

Stay safe everyone!