Biking Adventure #3: Ravenswood

Alderman: Gene Schulter (47th)

July 06, 2010 - Ravenswood

This up-and-coming industrial corridor known for it's vintage 1900-1920's factory buildings-turned-commercial-lofts is rapidly becoming a cross between Silicon Valley/tech powerhouses, and Wicker Park Artists lofts. These former factory buildings used to churn out ammunition for World War II, braziers, pressed tin ceilings, and even copies of The Saturday Evening Post and Playboy magazines.

Lillstreet Art Center, Beyond Design, and EveryBlock.com moved to the area in 2003 lulled partly by the creative energy, here, quiet neighborhood, and free parking. Also here, you'll find Stoner Communications, Rise Health, (Forrest Claypool's Health Care Reform start-up), Threadless.com, (customers design and pick their shirts online -adding a flagship store at 1260 W. Madison Street), Orbit Media, (20-something geek-squad Internet outfit), Squishy Press and Bioelements.

The Lillstreet Center, which houses 21 classrooms and 50 artist studios, is the largest ceramics education center in the Midwest. It attracts thousands of students from around the city for classes, including printmaking, textiles and jewelry-making as well as summer camp for children.
The corridor, which is runs along the Metra tracks, down Ravenswood Avenue from roughly Foster to Montrose or Waveland Avenue, with close to 67 industrial firms that employ about 2,000 people, according to Jane Addams Resources posted in the Chicago Tribune.

A new train station at Lawrence Avenue and a commuter parking garage are in the works, they also say.

Here's the entrance to Orbit Media, Rise Health and Threadless/skinny.com where I was scoping out businesses I'd like to work with, close to home. And below, is another building's directory:

Biking over to Ravenswood, we passed a group of kids creating a huge mural out of bits of broken glass, the likes of which you may have seen going up on the sides of schools and underpasses in the Chicago area. These are taken from the Uplift Comm. HS on Wilson Ave and roughly Broadway. I'll post some more photos of the progress, the next time I get over that way.

This is Anna, who is supervising today's art project:

Paw Paw Patch: #4

Wednesday Pugs: Penelope and Fresca came charging into "Thai Uptown" (4621 N Brdwy - 663-561-9999), turning a quiet lunch into a raucous adventure - watch these adorable pets quickly turn from mild, adorable pets into Mighty Transformers IV - no doubt from all the tempting aromas coming from the kitchen! Notice how clean this place is! Check out the Yelp review, HERE!

Hipsters-Die: #1

Hipsters spotted N of Bryn Mawr - sporting taped-up-recycled mike stand - between guzzling their vente lattes.

Biking Adventure #2: Lincoln Square

Alderman: Gene Schulter (47th)

July 13, 2010 - Lincoln & Lawrence

Tuesday, it was a perfect "10" day - so I set out for a favorite outdoor cafe called La Bocca in Lincoln Square, for some authentic Italian food, however . . .

There are a couple of other great spots over here, and I quickly forgot all about Italian food, when I rode by "Selmarie" - right on the square.

Cafe Selmarie

The cafe sits on a shady square, anchored by a bubbling 3-tier fountain, on one end . . .

and a (somewhat smaller) version of an antique Bavarian lamp post at the other . . .

This is about as close as it gets to an authentic Euro Cafe in Chicago . . .

Today's offering was a chilled beet and horseradish soup, followed by fresh salmon fashioned into a burger on a pretzel bun. Our waitress, Christine, who is just starting out in the theater, helped make this an A-1, enjoyable summer lunch experience.

Sidenote: An older gentleman, sitting across the way had just ordered a macaroni and cheese masterpiece, baked like french-onion soup, with cheese melting over the sides of a canoe dish.

Merz Apothecary

Also in Lincoln Square, another must-see is
Merz Apothecary
I can always make a reason to stop by Merz's, where you feel like you're stepping back in time. Circa 1870s-floor-to-ceiling dark, antique shelves, are brimming with every kind of lotion and potion you can imagine. I took a random picture of it, today, as the sun hit it just right, making one of the most interesting photos of the day.

Davis Theater

There is always something to do, once you get to the square. One of the feature attractions is the vintage
Davis Movie Theater, 4614 N Lincoln, which hearkens back to the roaring 20s, and movie matinees are still around $5.50 for first-run shows.

Here's a pic from their website.

Wanna see what 4 shows are there right now?

I just thought this mural was cool over at the Bad Dog Tavern.

. . . The End