Lol. Well I went I went to the Met last summer it was free for everyone, maybe they changed it now. I spent 2 months in Europe last year, so the museums seemed alot cheaper there to me.

And yes, I'm a huge fan of Greco-Roman-European artwork. My favorite is Belgian art from the high middle ages/Renissance, Classical Greek and Roman. I know not everyone is into it as much. But the Belgian art from the middle ages is so extremely detailed, I really can stare at it for hours and get lost in the microscopic details. It takes so much care and patience to paint like that, you need a magnifying glass and a brush with only a couple hairs. I admire those artists that could paint like that. I just love fine details really, I'm not even very into the Christian themes personally, but that's all they painted in Europe till the Dutch Masters period in the 1600's. So, I loved the new Middle Ages wing at the Art Institute. I like modern surreal art such as Dali and Max Ernst which the Art Institute has alot of. They were expert artists as well.
I loved the Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg at MCA! I'd like to see the Art Institute buy some of his artwork personally.

Yes, the Oriental Institute should be world famous! It's a shame because I go there often and it's usually pretty sleepy there. I don't think that hardly any tourists go there, it's seems to just be local Chicago people. Although, I don't know for sure. It's excellent, and that museum is free to go to! Maybe the Art Institute could build a wing to house the Oriental Institute's collection. I think alot more people would then view their collection if it were there, and the Art Institute would become even more famous!

Yeah, in typical (and forever annoying) Chicago fashion, we fail to reveal to the world how much of a treasure trove we have lying in waiting.

I haven’t been to the OI but I’m planning a trip. I’m certain it will be intriguing. I absolutely LOVE ancient history

Sad, but true for me as well. I went to the Oriental institute for the first time last year. It has an impressive collection.

Wow, you guys have to go to the Oriental Institute! I know I've talked to lots of people from Chicago that haven't even heard of it. It's sad. When I take them there, they are blown away by the collection! It's a equal to the Pergammon Museum in Berlin that is the jewel of their museum district, and the most visited art museum in Germany! 1.1 million visitors! But in Chicago it's barely even know, while being free!!!
It should really be moved to a central location, and marketed alot more. At least, it should be know by residents of Chicago! It's insane!

They have a huge collection of MONUMENTAL treasures from the near East and Egypt that were excavated 100 years ago by the University of Chicago. I suppose the UC would rather them stay put on their campus as a point of pride.

Another article about the rent control movement which isn’t going away:

https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/...90050?rt=59960

I think UChicago is trying to market a "Museum Campus South" between the MOSI, Oriental Institute, Smart Art Museum, Logan Art Center, and the Dusable Museum. The addition of the Obama Presidential Library will hopefully help.

Emmanuel's tax hikes and reform efforts have managed to reduce Chicago's total unfunded pension liability from $35+ billion at the end of 2016 to to $28 billion at the end of 2017. Not bad for one year, it's annoying to have to pay more, but at least we are gradually moving towards solvency. Who knows, with enough economic development the additional pain getting there might not even be too bad.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...711-story.html

^ wow, a 20% bite in just one year. nice.

a very long road to go, to be sure, but a ray of hope none-the-less.

^ Exactly why we need Rahm to win reelection. Not fully convinced the other candidates will attack the budgetary problems the city has like Rahm has been. I feel many of them will cause the budget to bleed even more by throwing away cash to their core constituencies with little to no benefit for the city overall.

We need a mayor that will continue to focus on bringing in the bacon, IE corporate relocations and expansions that in turn fuel the real estate boom that fills city coffers with sweet, sweet property tax funds.

Ok, yea I suppose that's what they want to do. But the museum would be alot more visited if it was downtown. The Oriental Institute is a FREE museum with world class artifacts and the museums get very few visitors. Compared to the MOSI or the Field Museum there's barely a trickle of mostly local people that go there now. It just seems underutilized in Hyde Park. Lots of people that live in Chicago don't even know about it. It doesn't seem like they are doing a good job marketing it.

Uh, I'm a member of the OI, and it is my favorite museum in the City, it is not free - there is a "suggested donation" of $5 for children and $10 for adults, or something of the like. I go there a few times a year, both for special, temporary exhibits (like the Egyptian Book of the Dead exhibit that ended in March) and just to see artifacts that I've seen dozens of times before, and also just to walk around the nearby university grounds. I think the location is really ideal, because the surroundings (U of C, Hyde Park) and all other museums nearby make it more accessible, frankly, than other better known museums in and around downtown. It's a small, specialized museum that doesn't garner a lot of attention, and that's ok, as lesser known places like the OI usually have the most wonderful treasures.

How exactly did rent control become a topic of issue in the Governor's race?

Like in most things, politicians are more interested in getting votes via popular sentiment among highly vocal special interest groups than thinking through complex issues and making rational and fair decisions.

That's why I hate most politicians

Chicago is so affordable, the thought of rent control is down right laughable. Unfortunately, most of the electorate is going to get excited by any politician that offers to cut down one of their biggest expenses. Too bad they don't understand how supply and demand works, and how rent control is going to make finding available apartments damn near impossible. But alas, we like learning the hard way don't we?

You can thank that smarmy twat Will Guzzardi for that. He's literally the most disingenuous politician I've ever met. I literally know him on a first name basis because I run into him literally everywhere I go and by that I mean at all of the fanciest cocktail bars, restaurants, and breweries in Logan Square. He's always sitting at Scofflaw, Revolution, Collectivo, etc etc etc and then he goes and campaigns for rent control. I've talked to him too and he knows damn well how stupid the idea is, he also knows that's how he can get to higher office.

Chicago doesn't rent control. The problem (perceived and realistic to some extent) is that many residents have to choose between dodging bullets or giving up half their checks to live in some stability. When the city actually makes curbing the crime a major priority, perhaps this debate can be at least delayed if not a thing of the past.

We’ve also reached a point in Chicago where there are literally tenants who are wealthier than their landlords. This half century notion of the rich and greedy landlord vs the poor widdle working class tenant who is struggling is way outdated.

We need to stop victimizing tenant-hood.

This isn't true either. For example, there's been a grand total of three homicides in Little Village this year which has a reputation for being a very "shooty" place. There are many areas that are sterotyped as dangerous but in reality have little crime especially if you don't partake in gangbanging.

Hermosa has zero, Bridgeport has zero, Kenwood has two, Uptown has zero, Rogers Park has one, West Ridge has two, Pullman has one, Burnside has zero, McKinnley Park as one, etc etc etc. None of these are expensive places except maybe Bridgeport.


The reality is Chicago has no affordability crisis PERIOD. There is high crime concentrated in a few very specific pockets and there is Gentrification in a few specific pockets and pretty much 50% of the city is cheap or moderately priced areas with average or low crime.

I’ve got a tenant whose Dad co-signed the lease. Her Dad is a NYC attorney who makes $100,000 per month!. Now tell me, all of you who are stuck on this notion that tenants are poor and landlords are rich, who is better off here? I have a good job but I sure as hell ain’t making that kind of salary!

I have been trying to convince my mother-in-law of this for a month. She is convinced the only option for a 60 year-old woman is in Lincoln Park for $1400/month.