Top Posts of 2013

Hard to believe another year has come and gone in the South Loop, but it has. What were some of the things on our minds during 2013? Following are the top-ten posts which reflect a small portion of what was of interest to our friends and neighbors. Here we go, starting with number 10 at the top.

Strikers at the Congress Hotel

10. Strike at Congress Hotel ends after ten years—It was hard for some of us to believe that this strike was over. It was practically a tourist attraction. As long as we’ve been in the South Loop there was a strike in front of the landmark hotel, but it ended in May of 2013.

9. The Burger Point Delivers—Food and restaurants are always popular topics for us in the South Loop. So when a neighborhood favorite announced that they would now deliver, it was big news. Hmm, I think I want “The Gobbler” delivered to my door right now!

8. Creepy or Art: “Borders” Sculpture Installation in Grant Park—This was a fun post. This art installation just south of the Art Institute had a lot of people talking. It reminded us of the 1950s science fiction classic  The Day The Earth Stood Still, but art is in the eyes of the beholder.

Creepy or art?

7. British School to delay opening—The British are coming! The British School that is. Somewhat of a controversy when announced, the British School will be building an opening a new campus at the Roosevelt Collection.

6. No neighborhood school for the South Loop—When the new campus for Jones College Prep was announced, many had hoped the older campus would become an open-enrollment neighborhood school. It was not meant to be.

5. Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl—Modern and contemporary art lovers found this event interesting and fun thanks to the participation of several local colleges and universities and neighborhood organizations in the South Loop.

4. Kai Sushi Opens Friday in the South Loop—Once again, a new restaurant opening got the attention of South Loop residents. Kai Sushi opened in July in the former Donna’s Café space.

3. A Walk Through Time on the “Sunny Street of the Sifted Few”—This annual fund raiser for the Glessner House Museum is a popular event and attacks crowds from all over Chicago and Illinois. It’s a once-a-year chance to peek inside some of the remaining mansions from the glory days of Prairie Avenue.

The Kimball House

2. “Mildred Pierce”: 4th Film in “High Heels and Fedoras” series at Daystar Center May 14, 2013—This popular film noir classic garnered a lot of attention. The Chicago Film Club features classic Hollywood movies viewed on the big screen with discussion afterwards.

1. South Loop Suicide Attempt Thwarted—It was hard to miss this event if you were commuting to work along S. Michigan Ave. on Friday, June 7, 2013. A man threatening to jump from 1250 S. Michigan Ave. caused road closures and traffic reroutes. South Loop Connection took some heat for covering this story, but it was news, with plenty of media on the scene. 

There were many stories from 2013 that didn’t make the top-ten here, but that doesn’t mean they were less important. What do you think were the top stories in the South Loop for 2013?

Strike at Congress Hotel ends after ten years

Not with a bang but a whimper
Can you believe it? The strike at the Congress Hotel is over! According the Tribune, the 10-year hotel strike is considered the longest union hotel strike in the world. Imagine that.

Strikers in front of Congress Hotel, November 2010

I moved to Chicago in 2003. The strikers were a familiar scene in front of the hotel at 520 S. Michigan Ave. Most of the time there were about a half-dozen protesters carrying signs in front of the entrance, but sometimes there would be larger crowds, with musicians and a “leader” encouraging the picketers using a microphone or megaphone. The strikers were such a fixture on Michigan Ave., that I’m sure the Chicago tour buses pointed to them on their daily rounds.

Around the South Loop: 2011 Edition Volume 2

The last two weeks in Chicago were pretty exciting. The Bears bested the Seahawks, the snow came and went and came back again. If you were walking around the city, it was pretty rough going in some places. But that's all part of winter in Chicago, right? It's also part of what makes us start thinking that spring can't come any time too soon. Let's take a walk around the South Loop and see what the last two weeks were like.

Bears fans assemble in the South Loop for Sunday's game.

It wouldn't be Bears game day without cops writing tickets now, would it?

And it wouldn't be Bears game day without tailgating...at 9 a.m.

The number 12 bus stops at Michigan and 16th St.

Traffic blocked at Adams, caused backups on Michigan Ave. this Tuesday.

They finally took the wreaths off the Art Institute lions.

Michigan Ave. looking north to downtown

Everything you need to know on one signpost

Nothing stops the picketers in front of the Congress Hotel.

Happy Cleaners on S. Indiana can't make up their mind who they're supporting for Alderman.

Footprints in the snow at Grant Park

Two birds found my balcony  a great place to rest and catch some rays...when there were some rays to catch.

New asphalt on Michigan Ave.

Asphalt is being poured now that the summer is ending and the weather is getting cooler. Michigan Ave. will have a brand-new look before you know it.







So, what's a little traffic back up when the rewards of driving down a pot-hole-free Michigan Ave. is only days away? Check out this scene on the right, from this afternoon in front of the Congress Hotel.