Metra Scraps Plan to Move Ravenswood Metra Station

Local residents who opposed Metra’s plan to relocate the Ravenswood Metra Station north of Lawrence Avenue (from its current location south of Lawrence) have had their concerns heard. As first reported by the Chicago Tribune, Metra and Ald. Schulter (47th) have decided not to move the station across the street into a more residential...

Pollen Floral Design: Putting the Green in Weddings

Flowers might seem like the “greenest” part of any wedding. Not so. The business of cut flowers is resource-intensive, requiring irrigation, the heating of greenhouses, and long-distance transportation. Approximately 75 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. are flown in from South America. Lynn Fosbender, who has more than a decade of experience managing...

Metropolitan Brewing

Boys & Girls Club Carnival: So Much More Than a Family Fest

“You would be amazed how many people do not know who we are or what we do here at the Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club,” says Program Director Bonnie Werstein. “But when I mention the Family Fest and Carnival, I characteristically hear something like, “Oh, that is you guys?!” “It is so frustrating to...

CAPS Beat 2031: Property Theft on the Rise

Thefts and burglaries are up across the city, largely attributed to the state of the economy, and Beat 2031 has not been immune to this trend. Reporting to the approximately one dozen residents in attendance at last night’s CAPS meeting, Sgt. Jeffrey Sacks noted that while there’s very little violent crime within the beat...

Beat 1911 CAPS: Burglary Prevention, Movie in the Park

At last night’s CAPS meeting on the top floor of Kindred Hospital (2544 W. Montrose), neighbors—in particular, meeting facilitator Maria Bappert—demonstrated a strong sense of community involvement. Bappert is collecting plush toys so that officers have something to help calm and comfort children at crime scenes, and she encouraged others to bring new or...

Cool Storytimes for Hot Summer Days

Attention, parents: Outside it may be hot hot hot, but inside there are some cool local places to chill out with your children and read. There’s Green Storytime at 10:30 a.m. every other Friday at Bellybum Boutique (4347 N. Lincoln Ave.). Join “Miss Alix,” aka Alexandra Gnoske, author of Loui Saves the Earth—as she...

Lane Tech Freshmen Connect with 47th Ward

This summer more than 1,000 students from Lane Technical High School have been volunteering throughout the 47th Ward as part of the prep school?s Freshman Connections program. Lane Tech Staff designed the program to include four volunteer hours per session, providing students with the opportunity to become more acquainted with the surrounding area. “We...

Planet Access Company Store to Open August 14

The new managers from Planet Access Company Store braved the heat to show off a few of their products during the Lincoln Square Block Party. They are excited to open their first retail location at 4727 N. Lincoln Ave. after spending a few years operating out of a warehouse location in the north suburbs....

Car Accident on Lawrence Avenue

A CSJ reader, Jack Lydon, took this photo of a car accident that happened yesterday afternoon on the corner of Lawrence and N. Lincoln avenues. Lydon said he was driving west on Lawrence around 1 p.m. when he spotted this car impaled on the concrete barriers. We do not yet have information from the...

Center Square Burglary Stats by District

Center Square Journal obtained statistics from the Chicago Police Department showing the total number of cleared burglaries (forcible entry) in Districts 17, 19, and 20—the three districts in our coverage area. The graph shows the number of burglary incidents for 2008, 2009, and through May of 2010 (representing the most recent statistics available for...

Public Art Mural Unveiled at Lillstreet

A 40 sq. foot public art mural was unveiled this past weekend at Lillstreet Art Center (4401 N. Ravenswood) in celebration of the center’s 35th anniversary. Composed of handmade ceramic tiles, broken pottery, scrap metal, bits of fabric, textured clay pieces, and other materials, the bricolage mural contains objects and tools from each of...

Paciugo Gelato Caffé to Open This Week in Giddings Plaza

My gelato vigil is over! Paciugo is scheduled to officially open its second Chicago location on Tuesday, July 27, in the Fountain View building (2326 W. Giddings St). Yesterday I stopped by for free samples and chatted with owner Ani Poddar and manager Marlena Irizarry. Free samples (for everyone) continue this afternoon. Poddar seemed...

Nano Sushi

Former Kan Pou space.

Crime on Brown Line Among Chief Concerns at Beat 1713 CAPS Meeting

Yesterday four police officers and 15 residents met outside in Ravenswood Manor Park for the monthly Beat 1713 CAPS meeting. Between June 24 and July 22, 42 arrests were made in the area that covers Wilson to Foster and Kimball to the Chicago River. The same number of arrests were made during the previous...