Shots Around the Sloop: Chicago Fire in the Sky

"Shot of the storm from a few nights ago moving in during sunset. the setting sun was shining THRU the storm making the city look like it was on fire."


(Hat tip: RT!)

The Pursuit of Lucy Banning - A Story Based in the Neighborhood

If you know anything about the Sloop's history, you probably know that Prairie Avenue was home to Chicago's elite class back around the turn of the century.  Walk down Prairie Avenue today and you can't help but be awestruck by some of the glamorous mansions.

With this in mind, Olivia Newport's new book, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning, brings the neighborhood to life:

Marshall Field, Henry Studebaker, Pullman, Kimball, Glessner, Bissell, Armour and Rothschild—these names add up to business inventiveness and unbounded wealth in turn-of-the-century Chicago. But changing social classes are threatening the luxury of elite Prairie Avenue, the playground for the rich and powerful. Olivia Newport introduces readers to a world of luxurious mansions, secrets and forbidden love in the Windy City.

Set on the corner of Prairie Avenue and Eighteenth Street, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning gives an inside look at the rich and powerful on the eve of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Olivia Newport transports readers to a time of opulence in the first installment in the Avenue of Dreams series.

Pretty cool stuff if you ask us.  If you want to learn more and meet Newport, she will be signing copies of The Pursuit of Lucy Banning at the Glessner House Museum on June 5th at 6:30 p.m. as part of their celebration of 125 years of the house's history.

No Go for Grant Park Farmers Market? Maybe Wheeler Mansion Will Suffice

Remember when we were supposed to get a farmers market in Grant Park last year?  Remember when they said it wasn't going to work out in 2011 because of government bureaucracy?  Remember when they said it would happen in 2012?  A reader writes:

Last year a lot of talk of a farmers market to south end if grant park, but it never materialized. Is it dead? Or will 2012 be the year?

Well we haven't heard a peep about this since then, so is it safe to assume it's this farmers market is dead?  Our guess is yes, but has anyone else heard anything different?

While this may or may not be adequate consolation, if you're in search of a market a reader recently tipped us off to a story about this:

Calling all local artisan food producers. We want you! The Wheeler Mansion is ecstatic to announce our weekly, Wheeler Mansion Market; set to launch this June, on Wednesday nights. The Wheeler Mansion Market features the city’s top local food purveyors, as well as an artfully curated array of vendors featuring antique and repurposed furniture, clothing, jewelry, collectibles, and antiques. 

Two things.  First, looking forward to seeing what the market is about.  It sounds intriguing to us.  Second, how did we not know about the Wheeler Mansion (2020 S. Calumet Avenue)?  Shame on us:

Wheeler Mansion (via wheelermansion.com)

Originally built in 1870, The Wheeler Mansion is one of the last remaining stately mansions that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The residence was among one of the earliest constructed in the South Prairie Avenue neighborhood, home to Chicago’s early mercantile and industrial barons and Chicago’s first “Gold Coast” during the last quarter of the 19th century. After the property’s meticulous restoration in 1999, the city recognized The Wheeler Mansion with the Preservation Excellence Award and the Friends of Downtown Award. The mansion is a Chicago Landmark as well as a National Landmark because of its architectural attributes and important historical significance.

Very intersante.  For those curious, the mansion is now a boutique bed and breakfast.  For more information check out their site.

(Hat tip:  JM & AJ!)

Shots Around the Sloop: Candelabra

Most Think Many Businesses Will Open in the Sloop in 2012

For more information, click the "2012 Business Counter" tab on the toolbar at the top of Sloopin.  If you don't see that click here.

Shots Around the Sloop: Scenic Ultimate

Does Brown Paper Mean Retail Is Coming to 1200 Block of S Michigan?

On a recent walk up Michigan Avenue we noticed that some brown paper has been put on two of the retail spots on the East side of the 1200 Block.  To some this might not signal much, but to us it means something is cooking.

What?  We don't know.  Someone continues to float the rumor that Jamba Juice is coming to these spots, but to this date we're not sure.

Something has to give.  There are five retail spots in this building and only one is occupied now that Marble Slab Ice Creamery and House of Sole are closed.  Maybe rent needs to come down?

Anyone have any scoop on this building?

A Ghost Sign Pays Homage to a 1950s Magazine

A little history thanks to this ghost sign at 1006 S. Michigan:

Both of the building sides exhibit old (1950s era?) ads for Hobbies Magazine, which, in the 40s and 50s featured a several page coin section every month. Frank C. Ross was the main contributor, though Thomas Elder and others also held forth. The publisher, Lightner, is still listed at this address.

What is the Gist of the 2012 NATO Summit?

There has been so much news about NATO, it's hard to keep everything straight.  So in honor of the official kick-off today, we simply thought we would post something from the 2012 Chicago NATO Summit website:

In May 2012, the City of Chicago will serve as the host for a summit which will be among the most important diplomatic forums of the year. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit will be held from May 20th to 21st. In joining the ranks of other world-class cities that have hosted this event—Paris, Rome, and Brussels, to name a few—Chicago will mark several milestones:

• The first city in the United States outside of Washington, D.C. to host a NATO summit. 

• The largest city to host a NATO summit in nearly a decade. 

In all, several thousand dignitaries, along with an international press corps of thousands, will gather in Chicago. Attendees will include Heads of State and Government, cabinet ministers, other high-ranking government officials, and NATO’s Secretary General. In addition to the official meetings, the summit will bring a number of related events and conferences. 

More information is available on the official Chicago Summit page on the NATO website. 

While the summit itself will be closed to the public, the Chicago NATO Host Committee is working with various city groups on a variety of programs to inform our community about this historic event. For more information on programs that will be open to the public, see our events calendar. 

Learn about the heads of state expected to be in Chicago for the summit.

NATO Summit Open Thread

There has been a lot of fuss about how the NATO Summit has affected life in Chicago and the South Loop.

Since we've been inundated with information from the media, we thought we wouldn't post anything and simply create an open thread for readers to share their thoughts.

Let us know what you think.  Is this it interesting that our neighborhood is hosting the most powerful people in the world?  Is it a pain?  Has anything changed for you?  See anything interesting in the neighborhood?

Shots Around the Sloop: No NATO Parking For You

Fences and Boards...Oh My!

NATO information continues to dominate the airwaves as the summit draw near and you can really feel the impact around the Sloop.  Besides parking bans taking affect and various protesters beginning to show up and linger in the neighborhood, we've had some readers send in shots of some of the precautions being taken:

Crews installing boards over the windows at 1400 S. Michigan

More boards on 14th street

Fences installed outside
the Field Museum

Fences outside Soldier Field

(Hat tip: DE & AA!)

Square One Shooting for Early June Opening; Will have Self-Service Wine Dispensers

There has been a lot of excitement surround Square One, a new wine and cocktail bar coming to the Southwest corner of Michigan and 14th.  Last we heard, things were going swimmingly and they were shooting for a late May opening.

Well you're going to have a wait a couple extra weeks, but intriguing information continues to come out about the concept (via Chicago Magazine):

SQ1 Tea Blossom
via Chicago Magazine

Buddies Alex Hernandez and Ron Vaisman are giving South Loopers the Choose Your Own Adventure treatment at SQUARE ONE, their wine and cocktail bar scheduled to open in early June. “The idea was for our neighbors to have a place to hang out where they could be comfortable for any occasion,” says Hernandez, who also owns a breakfast spot, Waffles, in the same building. 

Here’s the story: You want a drink. If you’re after wine, grab a glass and advance to the self-service dispenser, then pay by the ounce for what you imbibe. If you’re pining for a cocktail, let the bartender craft a drink to your tastes, or go with a classic like the trusty old fashioned. You’re looking for somewhere to take a load off. If you opt to sip alfresco, find a spot on the 30-person patio that runs the length of the building.

Self-service dispenser?  Sounds fun...kinda like Bull & Bear and Public House in River North, but with wine instead of beer and liquor.

Also glad to hear that they will have outside seating.  Good idea to put it on 14th street as Michigan can be a little hectic and noisy with cars flying by at 40+ MPHs.

Five Guys Sign Means Something Else is Coming to 1146 S. Wabash

Five Guys Sign Installed

We all knew that Five Guys was coming to 1146 S. Wabash a couple of weeks ago, so seeing this sign shouldn't come as a surprise to most.

However, this installation does create a new question.  The sign is to the right side of the entrance, which means that more space is available for the left side.  Judging by the buildings configuration and this new installation it seems that something else is going to be coming to this building as well. 

Could it be the diner we heard about?  Anyone have some more information?

What is coming to the dark area?

UPDATE:  A reader writes:

The other side of the building is a café by the same owners as Artist's Café. My friend, local South Loop resident is the chef. I haven't heard much other than that but it will be nice to have some new places close by. I will let you know if I hear anything else. 

(Hat tip: DK, TK & LS!)