CHICAGO | General Developments

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i didn't see that episode. check please is a decent resource to learn about ethnic hole-in-the-walls in unfamiliar hoods that you would otherwise never hear about, but the reviews from the people on the show are often useless for me cuz a lot of the people they put on the show are uptight morons who complain about the dumbest shit.

for me it's food, food, food, food food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, service, ambiance, etc.

if a place has good food, i will overlook a crapload of other shortcomings. that's not the case for a lot of the pretentious nitwits they put on check please.

Completely agree. I think one of the guys on Check, Please complained about one thing at Tio Luis and I remember thinking "dude, that's how it's supposed to be.." It was Tio Luis or something else. In the end, not everyone's palate is actually that great or anything and you just have to try some spots for yourself unless they're just universally bad. Plus the guy who recommended Tio Luis's parents were from Mexico and grew up in the neighborhood. I trust what he says more than the others.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Completely agree. I think one of the guys on Check, Please complained about one thing at Tio Luis and I remember thinking "dude, that's how it's supposed to be.." It was Tio Luis or something else. In the end, not everyone's palate is actually that great or anything and you just have to try some spots for yourself unless they're just universally bad.
...

Hence why I rarely trust Yelp.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

absolutely! as soon as i saw the patio with the tiki huts and fake palms i said to my wife "we HAVE to check this place out".






i didn't see that episode. check please can be a decent resource to learn about ethnic hole-in-the-walls in unfamiliar hoods that you would otherwise never hear about, but the reviews from the people on the show are often useless to me cuz a lot of the people they put on the show are uptight yuppie morons who complain about the dumbest shit.

for me it's food, food, food, food food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, service, ambiance, etc.

if a hole-in-the-wall has good food, i will overlook a crapload of other shortcomings. that's not the case for a lot of the pretentious nitwits they put on check please.

My kids love the huge shark with a bloody mouth at La Palapa.

I also agree, FOOD is almost the only thing I care about when dining out.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by emathias

Hence why I rarely trust Yelp.

Yelp reviews are awful in most instances.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Yelp reviews are awful in most instances.

A lot of the time. There's good accurate ones, but there's a lot of noise.


Anyway, I noticed that the Chicago Fire dome near Addison & California was issued a building permit to build the permanent foundation yesterday ($2.2 million). Funny we were talking about McKinley Park and Brighton Park too - new house issued a permit on the border (Pershing & Archer) yesterday.

[SamInTheLoop]

Just wanted to mention for those that have not seen the new issue of Architectural Record, nice features for 3 new Chicago projects:

- Ralph Johnson's Jones College Prep
- Jeanne Gang's WMS Boathouse at Clark Park
- Joe Valerio's Earl Shapiro Hall Early Childhood Center at U of C Lab Schools

Really nice recognition for this superb local work!

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

McKinley Park is going to flip soon; very soon. For a long time, it has had a bad reputation for lots of gang activity but there was a ton of new investment leading up to the recession. The development cycle paused and its flooding in again. Like Bridgeport, its becoming alot more Chinese as time goes on. If I had the money to do so, I would be buying property there, right now. Its a cheap hood, but not for long.


----------

The downzoning proposals of the 2 lots near transit to DS-3 is unbelievably absurd. If this goes through, it proves the actual Department of Planning is only a ghost in this town and Alderman are truly free to do whatever they please. It appears we may need a couple of successful court challenges by property owners/developers to put a stop to this garbage.

Really agree with you on McKinley Park (and I guess at least part of neighboring Brighton Park as well). What potential. I actually really think the park itself is fantastic, and such a wonderful anchor amenity of sorts.......think of all the residential/techy office type adaptive reuse that could occur with some additional warehouses right there around the park (there was that one right at the corner I believe of Pershing/Western several years back - right before the crash....)


Oh, and yes - I of course completely agree with your second point too!

[Chicago Shawn]

^I really hope suitable uses are found for those amazing warehouses on Pershing. It would be a travesty for them to go the way of Brach's. One of them is used by the Board of Education.

Originally Posted by marothisu

Completely agree. I think one of the guys on Check, Please complained about one thing at Tio Luis and I remember thinking "dude, that's how it's supposed to be.." It was Tio Luis or something else. In the end, not everyone's palate is actually that great or anything and you just have to try some spots for yourself unless they're just universally bad. Plus the guy who recommended Tio Luis's parents were from Mexico and grew up in the neighborhood. I trust what he says more than the others.

I love Tio Luis. I have been meaning to try La Palapa for a while now, if anything for the ambiance. The food reviews you and Steely mentioned will finally get me over there. I also go to the Archview every now and then.

If you want a good Mexican food crawl try Pulaski from 55th-61st.

El Solazo- 56th/Pulaski (Try the Pollo Abodabo)

The Original Zaca Tacos- 59th Pl/Pulaski (excellent taqueria, one of my top 5, but currently closed for renovation which is tripling the size of the restaurant).

Burritos Juarez 59th Pl/ Pulaski (Amazing Milenesa de Pollo <breaded chicken>)

El Chisme Express 60th/Pulaski (rotisserie chicken is their specialty)

Paco's Tacos 60th Pl/Pulaski (typical taqueria, but also serves carnitas 7 days a week)

Avoid the Los Comales across from Paco's. Its not affiliated with the other Los Comales taquerias and its awful.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

^I really hope suitable uses are found for those amazing warehouses on Pershing. It would be a travesty for them to go the way of Brach's. One of them is used by the Board of Education.

I love Tio Luis. I have been meaning to try La Palapa for a while now, if anything for the ambiance. The food reviews you and Steely mentioned will finally get me over there. I also go to the Archview every now and then.

Yeah, hopefully that goes the same for most warehouses in the city that are abandoned. Have to find a use for them instead of tearing all of them down.

About La Palapa - definitely try it. I'll "warn" you that they use a lot of garlic in some of their dishes but if you love garlic you'll be fine I love the Rompecolchon dish. I took my friend who grew up in Brazil to La Palapa who moved to Chicago 9 months ago. He has eaten at some good places in town, but said La Palapa has been the best food he's had in Chicago so far. He said it reminded him of food in the town he grew up in, in the Amazon and some other regions of Brazil. Funny, but true and he knows good food.

Also thanks for the recommendations. I have not been in Brighton Park, West Elsdon, Chicago Lawn, etc much, but I LOVE good and authentic Mexican/Hispanic based food and absolutely love finding new places in the city - especially ones not on the radar (so hipster of me).

[SamInTheLoop]

^^ ^ Don't even think about going on a real Mexican food binge in this area without stopping at Atotonilco at 5656 S Kedzie. Absolute sweet death by tacos and tortas (do yourself a favor and wash it all down with a cold agua de jamaica). My recommendation: go on a warm evening for dinner, than walk a couple doors north on Kedzie for dessert at the excellent ice cream shop there....

[aaron38]

I know most on this thread don't care much about the happenings out in the burbs, but I just came across these renderings of the new Zurich Insurance headquarters to be built in Schaumburg.

11 stories, interesting architecture.
Edit: Pulled the images because they're huge.
http://www.zurichna.com/zna/hq/design.htm

Now that is a tower in a park. But considering that site next to I-90 has been vacant for over a decade, it's not bad. Good infill for the site. According to Zurich, 2500 people will be working there.

[marothisu]

Ran across these interesting building permits

1) 9 story nursing home at 5009 N Sheridan (Sheridan & Argyle) got one issued to convert it into 160 apartment units with ground floor commercial. This was known as Somerset Place and used to also be an apartment hotel back in the day. I found the following site from October 2012 and says most of them will be market rate apartments and the figure was not cheap on each

http://www.carmenwinona.org/Somerset.htm

* Management by Zidans (http://www.zidans.com) who appear to be a management company probably centered in Indianapolis. This is their first apartment in the Chicago area.

* Estimated cost = $14.5 million


What happened to the office building conversion into apartments around Broadway & Argyle? I like the development, just please for the love of god maintain the ethnic thread of the neighborhood.

2) The church at 1338 N Damen (Damen & Evergreen) in Wicker Park was issued one yesterday to convert it to 11 detached units. Separate building in back (or something) to be another unit. $1.1 Million

[the urban politician]

Has anyone else noted that there seems to be something else under construction next to the Astella Pharmaceuticals building near 294? Any idea what that could be?

[J_M_Tungsten]

Today
New City

[nomarandlee]

For being a suburban office park that Zurich HQ's looks pretty bad arse. Should be one of the nicest office buildings outside of downtown by the end of construction. It has obvious resemblance to the Clinton Presidential Library which is a building I'm pretty fond of.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Has anyone else noted that there seems to be something else under construction next to the Astella Pharmaceuticals building near 294? Any idea what that could be?

The former Culligan Water site. Another Mariano's? Could have guessed it. Not that I'm complaining as I often travel down that stretch on Willow a few times per week.

http://glenview.suntimes.com/news/st...142013:article
At the former Culligan Water site at Willow and Sanders roads, the GlenStar development will have 290 apartments, a health club, day care center and retail stores.........




As far as the burbs go Glenview is actually bustling with building activity. The most interesting one to people here would be the condo project going on in downtown Glenview. From the same link.........

The downtown Glenview project.......

.......Despite the recent national recession, major housing and retail projects are underway across the village, he said, especially downtown.

Construction has started on the 1800 block of Glenview Road where Midtown Square will house 138 apartments, retail storefronts and a drive-through coffee shop. The mixed-use, four-story building is scheduled for occupancy in September of 2014..........


A few other developments

The old Avon Products building on Waukegan and Golf roads will be demolished for 238 apartments and retail at Glen Gate.

Both projects have Mariano’s grocery stores, and yearlong construction periods could begin in spring.

In addition, the village recently sold Navy Parcel 24 at Shermer Road and West Lake Avenue (The Glen), where 171 residential units will be built, as well as Willow Creek Community Church...........

Other building projects in progress include the American College of Chest Physicians at Patriot Boulevard and Compass Road, Elite Athletic Academy at Waukegan Road and Pleasant Lane and Glenview Commons, at Milwaukee and West Lake avenues........

[the urban politician]

I had no idea Glenview was going so buck wild. Is Glenview the city that has a stop on Amtrack's Hiawatha Line?

[nomarandlee]

Yes it is. Except I think there has been talk about switching the station one block north to North Glenview (the Glen) station for those northbound Amtrak trains if they haven't already done it by now. I think it makes most sense long term to move the north suburban Amtrak station up north two stations to Lake-Cook Road Station in Northbrook/Deerfield but I have never heard of that being proposed.

[ardecila]

Yeah, Glenview is a really interesting place from a development perspective. It reminds me of suburban Maryland to some extent with its big focus on reuse, mixed-use and townhouse development.

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Yes it is. Except I think there has been talk about switching the station one block north to North Glenview (the Glen) station for those northbound Amtrak trains if they haven't already done it by now. I think it makes most sense long term to move the north suburban Amtrak station up north two stations to Lake-Cook Road Station in Northbrook/Deerfield but I have never heard of that being proposed.

I love the Lake-Cook idea for connections to regional transit, but I really don't think moving the station to The Glen is a good idea. The North Glenview station sits far from major roads, so it can't be served efficiently by buses. The immediate area is better than most suburban environments but not as good as a genuine mixed-use downtown (i.e. downtown Glenview).

There's really no benefit to the Glen site other than increased parking. There are also fewer Metra trains serving North Glenview, so it will be harder for riders to transfer.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

For being a suburban office park that Zurich HQ's looks pretty bad arse. Should be one of the nicest office buildings outside of downtown by the end of construction. It has obvious resemblance to the Clinton Presidential Library which is a building I'm pretty fond of.

Agreed, but I still can't help but think what a massive missed opportunity (for both the city and Zurich) in the company deciding against moving their HQ downtown....

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Ran across these interesting building permits

1) 9 story nursing home at 5009 N Sheridan (Sheridan & Argyle) got one issued to convert it into 160 apartment units with ground floor commercial. This was known as Somerset Place and used to also be an apartment hotel back in the day. I found the following site from October 2012 and says most of them will be market rate apartments and the figure was not cheap on each

http://www.carmenwinona.org/Somerset.htm

* Management by Zidans (http://www.zidans.com) who appear to be a management company probably centered in Indianapolis. This is their first apartment in the Chicago area.

* Estimated cost = $14.5 million


What happened to the office building conversion into apartments around Broadway & Argyle? I like the development, just please for the love of god maintain the ethnic thread of the neighborhood.

2) The church at 1338 N Damen (Damen & Evergreen) in Wicker Park was issued one yesterday to convert it to 11 detached units. Separate building in back (or something) to be another unit. $1.1 Million

I'm going to quote my own post because I think #1 is important. For the record, that's near the Argyle Red Line stop. Also, for the church I found this article :
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130...n-damen-avenue

Looks like they will probably be on target for their Fall 2014 target.