You Know It's Hard Out Here for a Pizza Eater...

From Sun-Times:

SEEN ON THE SCENE: Fans of “Empire” — and star Terrence Howard — were delighted to spot the actor dining at Lou Malnati’s South Loop location the other night.

Hopefully he got The Lou!

PS - if you didn't get the headline, watch this:

A Nice Write-Up about the Area Around 14th and Michigan

A little bit of a puff piece, but it's always nice to read about the neighborhood (via Tribune):

Fossils at the Field Museum, beluga whales at the Shedd Aquarium and Bears touchdowns at Soldier Field — the stretch near the South Loop’s lakefront is home to many of the city’s treasures.

Head slightly southwest, near the corner of 14th Street and Michigan Avenue, and you’ll happen upon a trove of a different kind.

Part of the city’s historic Motor Row District, the area rose to prominence in the early 20th century. Most automotive businesses have left the stretch, but with easy access to Lake Michigan, museums and plenty of locations for food and drink, it’s still a strip worth driving — or calling home sweet home.

Sink your teeth into this: For a dining experience that will appeal to foodies, historians or anyone with an affection for firefighters, try Chicago Firehouse Restaurant (1401 S. Michigan Ave.). Once home to Engine Co. 104 of the Chicago Fire Department, the restaurant, which made a comeback after a fire in 2014, preserves its Romanesque revival architecture and honors firefighters in both design and mission.

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Framed

(Hat tip:  RD!)

New Devices Help Monitor Pollution and Those Don't Paint a Good Picture for the Sloop

This is...troubling (via Tribune):

With an array of palm-size devices strapped across her chest and connected wirelessly to her smartphone, Gail Merritt discovered the air in the South Loop might be a lot dirtier than expected.

Merritt and her group of volunteer pollution hunters had assumed the low-cost sensors they carried during daily walks would confirm their fast-growing neighborhood had relatively decent air quality, at least when compared with the gritty industrial corridors in other parts of Chicago.

Color-coded graphs that popped up on Merritt's screen during an unseasonably warm October afternoon told a more complicated story. Something as common as a CTA bus or city garbage truck passing by caused the amount of lung-damaging particulate matter in the air to temporarily jump off the charts.

Just as concerning were spikes of pollution that turned up when the group reviewed data from a different air monitor stationed for three weeks in Dearborn Park, a quiet, tree-lined square framed by high-rise condominiums.

Team Rehabilitation Coming Soon to 2100 Block of South Michigan

Looks like Team Rehabilitation is opening up a new location on the 2100 block of South Michigan next to the Bar Method:

From their website:

Team Rehab is a network of therapist-owned outpatient physical therapy clinics in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Georgia. 

Our mission is to provide the best outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. We want our patients to enjoy therapy and experience clear improvements in their health. Our clinics receive the highest levels of patient satisfaction and our patients receive the best objectively measurable outcomes. Our strategy, based on excellent quality and patient satisfaction, is gaining momentum.

A Scary Road Rage Incident Comes to the Sloop

Ummm...yikes (via Tribune):

38-year-old man got out of his car to confront another driver in the South Side's Bronzeville neighborhood when he saw the motorist flash a handgun Friday morning, Chicago police said.

The 38-year-old hurried back to his car to drive away from the 3700 block of South Indiana Avenue. That's when he heard several gunshots about 10:40 a.m., police said.

Responding officers, who had a description of the suspect's car, arrested a man in the 2000 block of South Michigan Avenue in the South Loop, police said. A firearm was located.

Kome "Now Open" at 1303 S. Michigan

It looks like Kome Japanese Eatery is now open according to the sign in their window.  Additionally, their Yelp profile has 12 reviews and currently a 5 star rating.  Seems like they're off to a pretty good start. 

As a reminder this has been in the works since June (see old Sloopin post).

I'd like to eat this:

Columbia College New Student Center Breaking Ground on 11/13

Via Curbed Chicago:

Announced in May, a new five-story student center for Columbia College Chicago is gearing up to break ground in the coming days. Headed to a school-owned lot at the northwest corner of Wabash Avenue and 8th Street in the heart of Columbia’s South Loop urban campus, the modern structure will be the school’s first dedicated, ground-up student center since its founding in 1890.

Featuring 114,000 square feet of flexible space, the complex will include educational offerings such as dance studios, study lofts, and maker labs as well as recreational spaces like a fitness center and dining area. Designed by global architecture firm Gensler’s local Chicago office, the building will be wrapped in glass to showcase the activities within.

This should provide another nice shot in the arm to Wabash and the surrounding area.  This likely will mean a substantial amount of buzz for the area.

South Loop Market Opens at 9th and State

A reader writes:

South Loop Market (9th/State) is open - While they don't have every SKU on shelves, their doors opened yesterday morning. While their produce was meager, they had a surprisingly large booze section and a counter in the back for pastries and (I believe?) sandwiches.

(Hat tip:  DS!)

New Listing: Who Has $8.1M?

Looks like some rich person is going to have some nice digs in the Sloop (via Curbed):

Still months away from breaking ground, Chicago’s 832-foot-tall 1000M condo tower is steadily ramping up its marketing efforts. Over the weekend, the first residential unit in the upcoming skyscraper—a nearly 5,500-square-foot penthouse on the 71st floor—hit the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for an eye-watering $8.1 million.

Featuring four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, a private terrace, and higher than standard ceilings, the unbuilt residence is seeking nearly $1500 per foot. It would be located directly below the tower’s 72nd floor resident lounge and wrap-around outdoor terrace.

Interestingly, this would more than double the highest condo sale in the Sloop:

The current record for a South Loop condominium sale stands at “just” $3.2 million. It was set in July of last year by a five-bedroom, 4,600-square-foot unit overlooking Grant Park’s southern edge, reported Crain’s.

ilovekickboxing.com Appears to be Coming to 1325 S. Michigan

A reader writes:

I noticed there’s movement at this spot, which used to have “The Vault” signage. Looks like we’re getting an I Love Kickboxing chain just a couple doors down from UFC. Perhaps they’ll have a battle royale for South Loop supremacy?

We're not familiar with ilovekickboxing.com but apparently there is a strong desire for cardiovascular activities in the Sloop.

(Hat tip:  JC!)

"Worse than a Porta-Potty at Lollapalooza"

Because we like to laugh and Lollapalooza is in our backyard and this rings true (via SNL at 5:40 mark):

#ShotsAroundTheSloop:. Specs of light

(Hat tip:  SE!)

Soldier Field in the Running to Host Some 2026 World Cup Matches

In case you missed this, a big sports event might be coming to our hood...well in 8ish years (via Sun Times):

Chicago’s bid to host games during the 2026 World Cup looks strong.

The city has extensive experience with major conventions and international events. There also has been no shortage of prominent soccer games, notably during the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Infrastructure wouldn’t be an issue. Centrally located, Chicago is flanked by two international airports and has more than enough hotel rooms, restaurants and attractions to satisfy the influx of guests from around the world.

But it's not only Chicago's to lose.  It's a part of a bigger multi-country bid:

Chicago is one of 25 U.S. cities — and 32 total — left in contention to host games as part of the United Bid Committee’s campaign to bring the tournament to North America. The United Bid Committee is a combined effort between the soccer federations of the United States, Canada and Mexico, and it’s expected to beat out Morocco to win the rights to the 2026 tournament.

“It’s really nice that there is the collaborative bid with the three nations,” Bachman said. “I think it’s just a good message, a good vibe. It’s a different and unique approach they haven’t really seen before, and that just brings an even greater positive impact.”

Would be fun even if it's a long ways away.