#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Head in the Sand

 

Humans of The Sloop: Our Guinea Pig

Welcome to Humans of The Sloop!

Humans of Sloop is a spin on the ever-popular Humans of New York blog that features community members and their stories. Our goal is to share Sloopers’ stories, bring joy to people and connect our neighborhood in unique ways. The South Loop is an incredible neighborhood and we have many gems within it - businesses and humans alike. Check back often for new stories of our residents! 

Do you or someone you know want to be featured in an upcoming story? Please email us at sloopin@gmail.com to communicate your interest.

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Are you guinea pig obsessed? Yeah, I wasn’t either. But, then I talked to one of our Sloopin’ friends, Jen, and I think I’m going to reconsider. Jen is our first ‘guinea pig’ (GP) for our Humans of the Sloop feature stories. Turns out, she cares for 4 GPs of her own - fitting. 

It sounds a little strange at first. Guinea Pigs. Obsession. Really? These tiny little creatures? I guess they’re cute. But, FOUR? Four GPs? I need to know how this happened. Jen, who has called the Sloop home for 19 years, lights up as she starts the story. 

I couldn’t help but notice some tiny marks on Jen’s shoulder that she quickly tells me are bite marks. Like a proud mama, she tells me that gps are sweet, smart, and very communicative. When they are done playing and ready to go back into their cage, they start to nip. Plus, they have tiny bladders and need to go to the bathroom every 15 mins or so. Wow. That’s distracting. Nelly - named after Nelly Furtado - is the original “Hello South Loop Front Lawn Special” that began as a Facebook post and became a neighborhood rescue mission, Jen laughs while telling me.

Wait a minute here, Jen - Nelly was a GP rescue? This story is getting even better! Yes, Nelly wouldn’t have made it without the neighbor who found her and posted on Hello South Loop! and the help of some Sloopers that intervened. Jen goes on to tell the wild story that ended with she and her family welcoming a new roommate home in May 2024. Wrapped in a small hand towel! Ok, I’m starting to see how obsession happens.

 
Jen had hamsters growing up, so she thought she’d just raise Nelly like a big hamster and feed her pellets. After intense research on gp forums (yes, they exist!), Jen learned that 80% of the diet for a gp should consist of hay. Oops. Ok, Nelly - we’re upgrading your meal plan! Not only does Nelly get hay, but she also eats fresh mini salads presented by Jen each morning. Now, this is the life! Remember how Jen said that GPs are communicative? Yeah - well, Nelly went from scared and timid to happy and energetic when her meals went from McDonald’s to gourmet!

She also ‘wheeks’ (cute squeaking noise) with her other GP roomies when salad breakfasts with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, parsley and cilantro are presented each day. The gourmet salads are the highlight of the gps’ day AND Jen’s! The anticipation and squeals are just too much.

So, tell me more about these roomies….. GPs are herd animals and thrive with at least one other GP friend. It’s difficult to find a GP single, so Jen adopted a pair that were already bonded. Nelly, meet Coco and Mila! Hm, apparently that didn’t go so well. Nelly must not have wanted anything to interfere with her gourmet lifestyle and attacked. Now, Coco and Mila live in a separate cage in the “GP duplex” Jen has built.

 
After the roomie drama, Jen adopted Lucy to pair with Nelly. Once Lucy arrived and the two bonded, Jen started to hear GP-specific noises that Nelly had not used prior. I don’t speak ‘Guinea’, but I think this means Nelly’s happy with her new friend!

 
Now, if you’re as in love with these cuties as we are, you should know it all comes full circle in the Sloop! We’ve been sloopin’ around and noticed that “One Tail at a Time”, which is where Jen adopted Mila, Coco and Lucy, is moving into the neighborhood (inside Petsmart 1101 S. Canal)! We’ll be welcoming a lot more GPs and other animals.

As Jen and I close out, she nervously gushes about her big dream of owning her very own GP rescue. I’d say she’s well on her way. Thank you, Jen, for being featured as our first Humans of Sloop guinea pig!

Sloopin’ Love: Jen’s favorite South Loop hotspots are Tapas Valencia (1530 S. State) and Spoke ‘n’ Bird (205 E. 18th)! Say hello if you see Jen or any of our salad-eating friends around!

Former Chicago Bear Star Israel Idonije Set to Officially Open "The Staley" on January 27

Looks like The Staley (1736 S. Michigan) is set to officially open on Monday (via Chicago Star):

Former Chicago Bear Israel Idonije and acclaimed chef Stephen Gillanders are teaming up again to bring Chicago “The Staley,” a high-energy neighborhood sports bar set to open Monday, January 27. Building on the success of their fine dining spot, Signature, which debuted last year, The Staley aims to deliver a more casual, approachable experience while retaining the same dedication to quality and innovation.

For those not familiar with the space this used to be Kroll's - which was one of our faves and had a rough go of it during the pandemic.  

Although we miss Kroll's, it's nice to see something open up in the space, so we're curious to see how it does.  

For those in the know and confused... thinking "didn't that already open?" - you're not crazy.  They did have a "soft opening" during the Bears season last year.

The article in the Chicago Star also has some pictures of the food and the pizza looks pretty good (maybe i'm just hungry?!?).  Looking forward to trying this one out.

#ShootsAroundTheSloop: Bears down; Buffalo Up

 

The Winter, Indoor Version of South Loop Farmers Market Opens this Weekend at Roosevelt Collection

Sloopin’ friends! Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Want to get inside and out of the cold Chi-town winter air? Local artisans? Kid and pet activities? Live DJs? Food? 🤩 

We’ve got exciting news! While doing our usual sloopin’ around, we learned that the indoor South Loop Farmers Market opens up this weekend at Roosevelt Collection. The market is on Saturdays from noon-4 PM and runs through March 30th. Explore the vendors this winter. 

Since it’s such a popular happening, the South Loop Farmers Market has also been invited to set up shop at the iconic Water Tower Place. Sundays noon-4PM. Water Tower Vendors. Validated 2-hour parking at both locations. 

Check one or both out over the next few months!

Video: What Makes the South Loop A Neighborhood

Stumbled upon this youtube video, figured some of you might enjoy it (via YouTube):

Dick's Sporting Good - at The Maxwell on Canal Street - Closing on December 4th

Well this ain't a great way to start the new year (via Chicago Star Media and Chicago Block Club):

Dick’s Sporting Goods will close its South Loop location on Jan. 4, adding to a string of recent retail departures in the area. The closure was announced via a sign near the store’s entrance, at 1100 S. Canal St., according to the Block Club Chicago. 

Dick's sign outside of The Maxwell on Canal street
(via Block Club Chicago)

The retailer is part of The Maxwell, a shopping center that also lost T.J. Maxx nearly a year ago. Remaining tenants at The Maxwell include Nordstrom Rack and Burlington. 

The South Loop has seen several high-profile exits recently. Rising rents forced The Container Store to announce its departure from Roosevelt Collection Shops, while Show Place Icon theater and local boutique Kido Chicago also have closed.

While some might poo poo on big national retailers, the reality is that it's just not a good sign for the neighborhood if they can't be supported.  The Dick's store was massive and nice.

The 78: Will 2025 Finally Be the Year?

Rendering of Proposed White Sox Stadium at The 78 (via Urbanize)

If you’re reading this, you probably know we’ve been away for a while. But you know what? It hasn’t been as long as The 78 – the infamous, long-standing vacant 62-acre site in the South Loop – has remained undeveloped.

If you’re like us, you’ve spent the past couple of decades fantasizing about what could be. An amazing riverwalk? An Olympic village? Amazon’s HQ2? A new White Sox stadium? A casino? So far, we’ve gotten bubkes.

Recently, though, we came across an article in Urbanize Chicago that provided an update on The 78 (and other mega-developments):

Planned by Related Midwest, The 78 is a 62-acre mega-development in the South Loop, located along the Chicago River just south of W. Roosevelt Rd. The original plans, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, called for over 13 million square feet of mixed-use development.

Years later, the only completed structure is the Wells-Wentworth Connector, which isn’t even open to the public yet. In 2022, Mayor Lori Lightfoot chose Bally’s casino plan over Related’s proposal for a casino and entertainment district at the north end of the site.

In early 2024, Related Midwest announced a plan with the Chicago White Sox for a new ballpark that would anchor the proposed high-rise district. The design included home plate at the southwest corner and a stadium that wrapped around the field, offering stunning downtown views, including the Sears Tower.

But later that year, just as construction was set to begin, the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) announced it was scrapping plans for its headquarters at the south end of The 78. Instead, DPI is pivoting to the quantum campus at Related Midwest’s redevelopment of the former US Steel site at 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. With the DPI headquarters canceled and public funding for the White Sox stadium facing opposition, The 78’s progress is largely stalled.

More recently, at the end of the year, it was announced that Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto is exploring The 78 as a potential site for a dedicated soccer stadium. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, Mansueto and Related Midwest have presented their proposal to Mayor Johnson and city officials. While no renderings or detailed plans have been released, Mansueto has committed to financing the stadium entirely with private funds.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about this plot of land, it’s not to hold our breath. Could 2025 finally be the year something happens? A billionaire willing to fully finance a soccer stadium seems promising—but we’ve been here before.

Will 2025 be the year The 78 finally becomes something?

Chabad South Loop Hosts Evening Dialogue with Holocaust Survivor this Thursday (5/18)

Surviving Auschwitz: An Evening of Dialogue with Mr. Israel Starck

Thursday, May 18th

Doors Open 6:45pm | 7:00pm Program Begins

Central South Loop Location

RSVP here.

Use promo code REMEMBER for earlybird pricing.

Lollapalooza Company (C3) Donates $500K for Pickleball Courts in Grant Park

We noticed a post on Hello South Loop's facebook page about the volley ball courts in Grant Park (south of Balbo and west of Columbus) being torn up.  

A reader posted an old article about what is happening (via Chicago Sun-Times):

Chicago’s pickleball scene is getting another shot in the arm — this time in Grant Park.

The folks behind Lollapalooza are donating $500,000 to the Chicago Park District that will be used to build new pickleball courts and refurbish existing tennis courts in the south end of Grant Park.

The pickleball courts will be designed for only pickleball use. 

One of the major knocks from the city’s growing pickleball scene is that the city is lightyears behind other major cities in building dedicated courts. Most pickleball in Chicago is played on tennis courts, which can create tension between picklers and tennis players.

The news was shared Tuesday in a letter that was emailed to Grant Park-area residents from Charlie Walker, an executive with C3 Presents, the company behind Lollapalooza.

A Park District spokeswoman said six existing tennis courts will be rehabbed and a minimum of eight new dedicated pickleball courts will be built.

I play tennis, but have never played pickleball.  That said, maybe we'll have to check it out.  This is probably a win win for most people - maybe outside of volleyball players.  C3 gets a hard surface to better accommodate their festival (for those in the know - this is usually behind "Perry's Stage" and the city/residents gets an area for recreation game that's getting more and more popular.  

City and NASCAR Announce Dates of Street Closures Prior to 4th of July Races

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is undoubtedly going to be a big, unique event for the city - but as expected it likely will be a headache for those of us who live or spend a lot of time in the Sloop.

How much of a headache?  Well the city just released a list of street closures in and around Grant Park and it's going to be much longer than we expected (via Yahoo):

NASCAR's Chicago Street race is slated to take over the city for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, but the impacts for drivers will be felt long before and after the race is done.

Officials on Monday detailed a traffic plan, featuring more than a month of rolling closures around the city in the lead-up and tear-down for the first-time event.

Closures will include major roadways like DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Drive, Jackson Drive, Balbo Drive and Michigan Avenue and are expected to kick off on June 2 and continue through July 15, adding to a long list of traffic disruptions for drivers in the city already battling major construction projects on the Kennedy Expressway and elsewhere.

The biggest interruptions are slated to begin on June 25. (Full list of closures at link)

On top of the closures, officials said they expect roughly 50,000 people to attend each day of the two-day event.

Yikes - a month and a half of street closures will likely be pretty disruptive.  Yes, maybe some of the closures early on are small swaths of streets, but still will be confusing and painful.  

(Hat tip:  Mitch!)

20 Years Later After the Close of Meigs Air Field (Now Northerly Island)

Northerly Island is a quiet retreat for us in the Sloop, but many newer residents might not realize it's history.  WBEZ has a good read on how the current concert venue and park became what it is today thanks to a brash move by a mayor:

When the sun came up over Chicago on March 31, 2003, it shone down on six large Xs that were bulldozed overnight into the runway of a small downtown airport.

Under the cover of darkness, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley made it clear who ran the city when he ordered the destruction of Meigs Field on Northerly Island without alerting the City Council, the statehouse or the Federal Aviation Administration. The former airport is now a park, which the mayor had wanted for years.

Daley defended the move the next day by citing safety concerns and told reporters it was a risk to have planes that close to skyscrapers in a post-9/11 world.

The destruction of Meigs was a brash stunt that epitomizes Chicago politics. Simpson equates bulldozing Meigs with similarly “autocratic” schemes greenlit by Daley’s father, Mayor Richard J. Daley, such as ordering police to maintain law and order among protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, resulting in violent clashes.

Twenty years after the overnight destruction at the airport, Simpson and others said the maneuver is fading from collective memory, but it can serve as a reminder of the need to have checks and balances on mayoral power.

Life at Nema (1210 S. Indiana)

We don't live inside the Nema rental building (1210 S. Indiana), but have gawked at it from the outside and recently spent some time in the shinny new Dollop Coffee shop.  We recently stumbled upon a video on Tik Tok and recognized some of the views and deducted that it was a young 20 something, entrepreneur shooting as if he lived on top of the world in the building.  Anyway - if you ever wondered what it was like to live in Nema, maybe his videos can give you an idea:

 (Hat tip: @theibrahimansari)

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Wood Pecked