13th and Wabash: Dangerous Crossing

Water Main Construction
The water main work currently going on S.Wabash Ave. may be snarling traffic, but it’s also creating a hazard. A truck loaded with pipes is obscuring the stop sign to vehicles traveling south.



Traffic snarls during construction

Walk This Way
Walking across Wabash this afternoon, I was almost run down by a tracker-trailer truck barreling through the stop sign, honking as he went. Obviously, he thought he had the right of way.

"13th & South Wabash"

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Be on the Alert
South Loop Connection put in a 311 report and also contacted the Alderman’s office. Please be aware of this obstruction while you’re walking and/or driving down S. Wabash, just south of Jewel. If you don’t see any action being taken to correct this situation, please call 311 yourself and/or contact the Alderman’s office.

Around the South Loop: 2011 Volume 4: Snowcopalypse the Day After

It's Thursday and many businesses and shops are still closed. Now that the primary roads are plowed and clear, the sides streets are getting some attention. Maybe by tomorrow things will be back to "normal." Walking to the Jewel on Roosevelt Rd. is kind of an adventure. It's tough walking around town if you don't have a good pair of boots; the streets and many of the sidewalks are sloppy messes. And there are plenty of reminders that we endured a pretty powerful blizzard, as the photos below can attest.

Is the gate locked? The gate is still standing, but what happened to the fence?

The entrance to 1600 S. Indiana was broken during the blizzard.

You can actually get to the bus stop at 16th and S. Michigan today and the Dunkin' Donuts is open!

This looks broken, but I have no idea what it is. Any ideas?

This is how we clean sidewalks after the Snowcopalypse.

This old house: The Glessner House Museum was open today.

More signs of spring

Walking around the South Loop this morning, I couldn't help but notice signs of spring all around me. For one, I couldn't believe I was actually looking for shady spots while walking up Michigan Ave. After months of looking for sunbeams, during what seemed like the longest winter on record, that was an odd occurence.

Getting closer!

The fountain at Trevi Square isn't working yet, but I noticed something new today. The green tarp that has been covering it all winter has been removed, revealing the fountain. Can't wait until it's bubbling forth once again. If you look closely, you'll see a garden hose off to the left. Maybe they're filling it up as I type this!

Walking to Jewel, I noticed potted plants for sale...outside! It's amazing what a difference a day makes. Beautiful, lush looking spring plants and flowers on display at last.

Dominick's lowers prices today

Dominick's is lowering its prices on thousands of food items today in an effort to boost sagging sales as consumers flock to discount supermarkets like Wal-Mart.

Prices will be reduced chain wide in Chicago.According to ChicagoBusiness, prices will be reduced by 30 percent on thousands of items. With rival Jewell recently lowering prices, Dominick's was looking at a reduction in its 11 percent market share in Chicago compared with market leader Jewel's 39 percent.

According to a similar article in the Chicago Tribune, there could be a backlash with all these price cuts. Consumers may wonder if they've been paying too much all these years making them wonder if they should start shopping somewhere else.