Around the South Loop and Chicago

The fountain becomes a Christmas tree at Trevi Square.



The Art Institute lions are decked out for the holidays.




Elvis and Anita are coming to town.



Are folks really sitting outside Eleven City Diner at 1112 S. Wabash Ave.?

South Loop knitters meet with Florence Hardy (second from right) at Three Peas Art Lounge.

We're practically Bedford Falls; we have our own Christmas tree lot!

Look at this beauty I walked past in the West Loop! Looks like a 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood to me.

Wabash Ave. improvements continue

Stage II of the Wabash Ave. improvement project looks like its nearing completion. Walking north on Wabash this morning, we observed workers pouring hot asphalt near Roosevelt Rd. According to the CDOT website, construction should be completed by this fall.

Pedestrian traffic on the west side of Wabash is being routed around the construction, but none of the businesses are closed during these Streetscapes improvements. As reported earlier, popular South Loop restaurants Bongo Room, Eleven City Diner, and India Grill are open for business.

This current Streetscapes project is improving the roadway and sidewalks between Harrison St. and Roosevelt Rd.

Wabash businesses open during construction

Pardon our dust

Stage II of the Wabash Ave. improvement project is well under way. According the the CDOT website, construction should be completed by this fall. Some of the improvements are street and pedestrian lighting, sidewalk planters, and new trees in tree grates.

Open for business

It's hard to believe, and see through the dust, but all of the businesses on the west side of Wabash from Harrison to Roosevelt are open. These businesses include popular South Loop eateries Bongo Room, Eleven City Diner, and India Grill. All three are worth patronizing even during the construction. According to the CDOT press release, "We will take every step to keep disruption to a minimum. Access to buildings will be maintained at all times." I walked up to the Interdisciplinary Arts building of Columbia College at 619 Wabash Tuesday morning with no problems. Business and other locations on Wabash are unobstructed and easy to navigate, so don't avoid visiting your favorite restaurants or businesses.

For more information on the Wabash Construction, visit the CDOT website.