TweetEcho - April 5-April 11, 2009

For those of you who don't subscribe to our Twitter feed , here are the things we tweeted in the last week:

1. New York Times: Chicago 2016 Offers I.O.C. a Compact Games Plan http://bit.ly/35CEto8:27 PM Apr 9th from bit.ly
   
2. New free computer wallpaper has been added to CAI showing the Chicago skyline lit up for Saint Patrick's Day:http://bit.ly/I4KZ10:29 AM Apr 9th from web
   
3. Chicago's Toby the red panda from the Lincoln Park Zoo is now living in Houston: http://bit.ly/IUu0Z7:57 AM Apr 9th from web
   
4. Chicago's Mayor Daley to be honored by the National Building Museum in Washington for the greening of Chicago:http://bit.ly/qkidD2:24 PM Apr 8th from web
   
5. Chicago residents fed up with being ignored by city hall take pothole repairs into their own hands: http://bit.ly/aMvLw2:17 PM Apr 8th from web
   
6. Odyssey Lofts in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood faces a foreclosure lawsuit: http://bit.ly/XdZZP11:37 AM Apr 8th from web
   
7. Kohl's, Target, JCPenney, even Carson Pierie Scott would love to open new stores in downtown Chicago: http://bit.ly/UlrBG11:35 AM Apr 8th from web
   
8. What was old is new again in Chicago. Picture of the new 1920's-inspired railings on the Michigan Avenue Bridge:http://bit.ly/yY4wi6:55 AM Apr 8th from web
   
9. More information on the opening of the new Barney's New York store across Rush Street in Chicago's Gold Coast:http://bit.ly/3Lw1GM6:49 AM Apr 8th from web
   
10. Sorry I couldn't go to the meeting. But the Chicago Tribune has pics of the new temporary pavilions for Millennium Park:http://bit.ly/fd50z6:47 AM Apr 8th from web
    
11. UAL is thinking about ditching suburban Elk Grove Village:http://bit.ly/2pqzkI But where to go? How about here:http://bit.ly/RhrLV2:08 PM Apr 7th from web
    
12. Southwest to fly from Chicago to LaGuardia. First time it's gone into NYC. (Translation for airplane nerds: WN:MDW-LGA) http://bit.ly/1rdXCV8:11 AM Apr 7th from web
    
13. Luxury clothing store DNA 2050 moves from Halsted to 900 North Michigan. The report WAS that 900 was a second store. Now we hear it's a move5:00 PM Apr 6th from web
    
14. All Ethel's Chocolate stores in Chicagoland (except Skokie) are closing: http://bit.ly/3RFcsu We were regulars until they dropped the wifi.4:51 PM Apr 6th from web
    
15. The sculpture garden at the Art Institute of Chicago is open for the season. Not $18. It's free like the museum was just a few years ago.8:53 AM Apr 6th from Tweetie
    
16. Good news for tourists and Chicago locals-- The CTA #10 bus is now back on its summer schedule.8:48 AM Apr 6th from Tweetie
    
17. Sample season has begun in Chicago! Quaker is giving things away for free in Water Tower Park. I couldn't see what they were.8:25 AM Apr 6th from Tweetie
    
18. Photograph inside the stairwell at Chicago's new Barney's New York store scheduled to open April 16th:http://bit.ly/1IztH17:14 AM Apr 6th from web
    
19. Women's Wear Daily reports that French casual clothes company Zadig & Voltaire is looking for a Chicago location.7:13 AM Apr 6th from web
    
20. Field Museum artifacts saved from leaky roof - Chicago Breaking News http://bit.ly/uNnF6:59 PM Apr 5th from web
    
21. It's snowing in Chicago again. Maybe our International Olympic Committee visitors will give us the Winter Games instead.4:44 PM Apr 5th from Tweetie
    
22. Three finalists named for Chicago's Burnham Memorial competition: http://bit.ly/yQERW1:10 PM Apr 5th from web

Status Update: Pritzker Park

The large patch of fenced off grass on State Street that used to be an open-air toilet for vagrants is rapidly being turned into Pritzker Park.

Construction started back in the snowy (OK, "snowier") months and for a long time seemed to involve nothing more than moving all the dirt into a big pile.  These days, cement trucks are on the scene pouring the foundations for what will become seating areas and pathways.

The plan calls for concession stands in the park selling coffee and newspapers.  DePaul was at one time thinking of putting on free jazz concerts here.  There will be meaningful quotes carved into the back wall.

But don't get used to using the whole thing -- only the rectangle facing State Street is permanent.  The rest of it on Plymouth Court can be sold to a developer at any time.  Not surprisingly, some city officials are already drooling at the prospect of renting out the entire park to private interests, the way Millennium Park is sometimes closed to the public so that Allstate and Toyota can throw parties.

That little area really needs a park, and one that can smell the wifi from the Harold Washington Library Center would be ideal.  I only hope it's taken care of.

Between the DePaul kids across the street, the drifters used to sleeping on that turf, and various flavors of suburban "sk8rbois" who like to pretend the ultimate methods of expressing urban hipness are through skateboards and spraypaint, it just seems doomed.  If this park doesn't have full-time guard service like at Millennium Park , it might well be all for naught.

The park was designed by Doug Hoerr Landscape Architects.
Construction is paid for with TIF funds.

General Growth Properties Goes Bankrupt

In news that may or may not be shocking, depending on your point of view, Chicago mall owner General Growth Properties has gone bankrupt.

You can read the official press release here  .

General Growth, from its squat ugly building on Wacker Drive , ran a retailing empire, including some of the most high-end shopping centers in America.  Around these parts, it is best known for Water Tower Place , though it also owns the Lincolnshire Commons, Northbrook Court, Golf Mill Shopping Center (Niles), and Oakbrook Center.

What does this mean for your shopping pleasure?  Right now -- nothing.  It will be business as usual for quite a long time.  The stores will stay open and people will continue to shop for a long while as the bankruptcy court sifts through the documents necessary for such a large bankruptcy.  It's complicated enough when a business with just a couple of locations goes out of business.  GGP had hundreds of locations in dozens of states.

As an interesting aside, GGP is more ambitious than malls.  In some places, it owns entire towns.  I've visited and know a few people who live in one of the GGP-owned towns, and it's really quite nice.  Kind of Disney-esque, but the people who live there are the envy of everyone else in the metro.

What's In A Name? The NBC Tower

 

 The NBC Tower is one of our favorite Chicago buildings.  In fact, it may be one of the best looking buildings in the city.  But we can't help but wonder these days if it's in for a name change.

For the last couple of months the Sun-Times has been chirping about NBC Universal moving production of the Jerry Springer Show and the Steve Wilkos Show to Connecticut.  Then last week there was a big brouhaha when NBC informed the state that it plans to lay off more than 100 people who work in the tower.  And now he rumblings are getting louder about NBC selling WMAQ-TV.

It's not exactly a secret that NBC doesn't want to be in the local television business anymore.  Word in broadcast circles is that the peacock network would like to dump every local station it has outside of New York and Los Angeles .  The fire sale is already on in New England where Providence is gone and Hartford is next.  How long until the flames reach the Illinois prairie?

It will be a sad day for Chicago when that illuminated peacock is winched down from the 37th floor of 200 East Illinois Street.  Sure, channel 5 will continue to broadcast, but Chicago will have lost another bit of broadcast prestige and the city's cultural voice that once boomed across the nation's midsection will become yet a little quieter.

Barney's New York Opens Before It Opens

In what is probably going to be the biggest retail opening in Chicago for some time, Barney's New York's new store will open tomorrow morning, April 16, 2009.

But some shoppers have already had a chance to sample the new store.

It was all-hands-on-deck tonight for a special private shopping event for specially selected customers and V.I.P.'s.  Chances are if you're reading this, you weren't there.

We weren't invited, either.  But happened to be walking by admiring the new window displays while it was going on.

Here's some CrappyCameraPhone™ pictures to tide you over until tomorrow morning.

Best Buy's Date With Hancock

Best Buy has set a date to open its bi-level boutique in the John Hancock Center .  According to a news release on its web site, the electronics store will open Saturday, May 16th, 2009 at 10:00am.

The Hancock Center Best Buy isn't supposed to be like every other store.  It's supposed to be closer to an Apple Store in its boutique style, and it won't try to stock every little crappy gadget under the sun.  Instead, it will focus on certain upscale (and presumably high-priced) product lines.

Here's the full release:


Best Buy Opens Eight New Stores In First Fiscal Quarter


Stores support local non-profit organizations and offer employment opportunities for local communities

MINNEAPOLIS, April 14, 2009 – Best Buy today announced the grand opening of eight new U.S. Best Buy stores for the first fiscal quarter 2010. The new stores are set to open this month and next in the following cities:
Duarte, Calif. (Thursday, May 14th at 6:00 p.m. local time)
Goleta, Calif. (Friday, May 15th at 10:00a.m. local time)
Woodland, Calif. (Saturday, April 18th at 10:00 a.m. local time)
Chicago, Ill. -- John Hancock Tower (Saturday, May 16th at 10:00 a.m. local time)
Kansas City, Kans. – Speedway (Friday, April 17th at 9:00 a.m. local time)
Branson, MO (Thursday, April 16th at 6:00 p.m. local time)
Waynesville, NC (Friday, April 17th at 10:00 a.m. local time)
Kingsport, Tenn. (Saturday, April 18th at 10:00 a.m. local time)

Ribbon-cutting ceremonies and $10,000 check presentations to local nonprofits mark the opening of the new destinations. Updated layouts, highly trained employees, and interactive displays create a unique and engaging experience for customers. Featuring the latest products and services, the new Best Buy stores provide customers with the solutions to meet all of their technology needs.

As of May 30, Best Buy expects to operate 1031 U.S. Best Buy stores in 49 states and in Puerto Rico, among other operations.

Best Buy Employees: A People Powered Organization
The company’s Blue Shirt employees are the core of Best Buy. As a people-powered organization, Best Buy invests heavily in discovering and training employees in customer service, product knowledge and financial acumen. As the store employees are closest to the customers, the company relies on them for their innovative ideas and feedback to enhance customers’ shopping experiences. Whether an individual’s passion is to be the best salesperson on the floor, a Geek Squad Agent, home theater installer or the next CEO, Best Buy fuels employees with the knowledge and resources to achieve their personal ambitions.

Committed to the Community
Best Buy commits to being a vital community partner. Last year alone, Best Buy and the Best Buy Children’s Foundation donated approximately $30 million to their communities. For more information about Best Buy’s philanthropic efforts, including the Best Buy Teach program, visit www.BestBuy.com and click on the “Community Relations” link.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Mexico, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $45 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five
Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; The Phone House; and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2009, we donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

Getting Our Ash Clipped

It's sad to see any urban greenery go, but sometimes it's necessary.

Recently I was walking along Taylor Street and saw several City of Chicago crews pretty-much clear-cutting all of the trees along the sidewalk.

At first I was dismayed by what appeared to be a bit of urban gardening gone horribly wrong.  The I heard one of the man call to another, "No!  Just the ash trees!"

That explains it -- the city is cutting down the trees before they can be infected by the dreaded emerald ash borer.  The frisky little beetle has been chewing a path of destruction across the midwest for the last decade or so.  It popped up in the suburbs a few years ago and is now in the city.

While it's a shame to see the trees go, I'm not a big fan of ash trees.  Their skinny little leaves turn yellow in the autumn and that's about it.  They're kind of one trick ponies.  I'd like to see the city plant more maples and other broad-leafed trees that turn varying colors in the fall to give the city more of a tapestry look, rather than a yellow pall.  But then, I'm no tree surgeon.  Eveything I know about trees comes from sitting under them.

Status Update: The Rush Starfish

A couple of weeks ago we started seeing blinking lights in the distance and at dusk the outline of unfamiliar cranes, so it was time for a little Pink Line field trip.

What we found is the construction site of a new hospital at Rush.  Everything we've been able to find on the interweb, in newspapers, and even on the sign outside the construction site calls this simply "New Hospital."  That will change eventually, but until it does, we're referring to it as "The Rush Starfish" because it's shaped something like a starfish with one of its appendages crammed into the medical center' atrium.

The design is actually pretty good looking, not that you can tell from these craptastic camera phone shots.  But it's all horizontal stripes and rounded corners and as long as it's kept clean, it could be nice.  But considering how dense and cramped the campus is getting these days it would be nice to see a little more thought put into public green spaces and a pedestrian's perspective on the buildings.  I'm sure a few patients wouldn't mind spending some of their recovery time in a park instead of a Buck Rogers dormitory.

Returning the Power to LaSalle Street

If you've been around Chicago for a while, you might remember that Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan once had a restaurant.  You might have even wondered, "What ever happened to that?"  Well, it's gone.  Long gone.  Replaced by Lalo's, a Mexican restaurant.

Now Lalo's is gone.  Being replaced by something called LaSalle Power Co.  The logo's tagline reads, "Rock Bar • Stage • Retro Kitchen."  A sign near the door promises it will be an "exciting new concept."

For those of you more interested in the building than its occupants, you'll remember that this brick pile on LaSalle Street was once the LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse.  Massive engines inside dragged trolleys through a tunnel underneath the Chicago River to move 100,000 people a day from one side of the river to the other.

Today, it's still a nice looking building, and we're glad to see it being put to use and not left to deteriorate and implode into yet another River North surface parking lot.

Status Update: The Ritz-Carlton Residences

Things certainly are loud in Streeterville these days.  Just blocks away from where jackhammers have been tearing apart the old Lakeside Veterans Administration Hospital , another demolition crew has been busy turning the Farwell Building, the Terra Museum of American Art , a popcorn joint, and an old Starbucks into dust.

Taking its place is the Ritz-Carlton Residences (664 North Michigan Avenue, 60611).  40 stories and nearly 500 feet of swish for several dozen lucky homeowners.

But cry not for Philip Maher.  His Farwell creation will come back to life.  Sort of.

Remember that French lady who got her face torn off by a dog so surgeons put someone else's face on her?  Yeah.  They're doing that here.  The Farwell facade is in storage and will be stitched back together to mask the Ritz's parking garage.

It's been done before -- just down the street, in fact.  The old McGraw Hill building's facade was removed and stored while the building was demolished to make way for what is now the Conrad Hotel.  Then the Michigan Avenue side restore to look just like old.  Most people don't even know it happened.

And because the internet's not clogged up enough with video, here's one for the Ritz-Carlton Residences .  Strangely, there aren't any honking taxis on the street, or bucket boys banging and begging on the sidewalk.

Deco on Division

Chicago is blessed to have many authentic art deco and art moderne buildings.  It even has a society and a magazine for these sorts of things.

There's enough art deco and art moderne in Chicago that it squishes out of the Loop and into buildings in neighborhoods all around the city.  One of my favorites is just north of Division Street.

The Fisher Studio Houses are crammed between a CVS/Pharmacy and a residential skyscraper, but  manages to hold their own against these indignities.

The building at 1209 North State Parkway is actually a group of residences that share a courtyard.  It's a wonderful architectural expression, and a textbook example of art moderne.  If your friends don't know what the term means, take them here and they will understand.

Slice of Life: The Pining Icee

A blue Icee® gazes out the window of the Roosevelt Road Target store at the South Loop skyline wondering what life would be like if he wasn't a Blue Icee.

In other news, we finally have to acknowledge that there is a South Loop skyline:

Another Rosebud Blooms in River North

Q: How can you tell a local from a tourist in Chicago?

A: The local looks at the ground when he walks.  The tourist looks at the sky.

I've certainly been guilty of having my eyes cast downward as I walk around the city.  It's probably an aversion to getting wind-driven snow plastered on my pupils.  But there are hazards to looking down so much.  For example, I never noticed this:

Turning into this:

When did Ballo become Rosebud Trattoria?

I never went to Ballo because the prices on the menu outside seemed out of line with the food being served inside.  Hopefully the switch to an Italian menu has brought things in line.

Ballo was owned by Rosebud, so there was no ownership change in the transition.

State Street Gets Popular

Ontario Place is getting a little Puerto Rican flavor.  Not, it's not another hot-today-gone-tomorrow gastrospot.  It's a branch of Banco Popular.  The bank branch has opened on the corner of State Street and Erie Street that used to house part of Ontario Place's leasing office. The leasing office has shrunk, but maintains a presence in the building on the Erie Street side.

Oil Rolls Off A Dux Back on State Street

The tiny gourmet shop Oil & Vinegar just couldn't mix with the other stores on State Street, and has moved on.  But the space in the Lambert Tree Studios building isn't going to stay empty for long.

There are signs up reading "Coming April 2009 - Duxiana."

From what we gather around the internet, Duxiana's specialty is a "Dux Bed" which has a specially made Swedish mattress as its big selling point.

Such a store would seem to make more sense out near the Merchandise Mart, but then again -- maybe not.  After all, all those people who live in the towers along State Street can use all the help they can get trying to achieve a good night's sleep while just outside their windows the city's taxi herd maniacally honks its horns at demons both real and imaginary.

The Face of the Poor in Chicago

In Chicago, you never know who might be poor.  I mean the real poor, not the cup-shaking grifters who pop up outside liquor stores and tourist spots.  I know someone who's a millionaire.  He has no idea that the person who lives two doors down from him is on food stamps.  People think that just because you live in a high-rise you're rich.  In Chicago, like other big cities, that's simply not true.

This sculpture sits outside the LaSalle Street offices of Catholic Charities.  I started going there to drop off some unneeded clothing that I thought might be able to help out someone less fortunate than myself.  Boy was I surprised by what I saw.

The "poor" people inside could easily be divided into two categories -- the afore-mentioned cup-shaking grifters; and a whole bunch of people who look, talk, sound, and act just like anyone else you might run into a Starbucks or J. Crew, or Millennium Park.  These are people who simply missed a rent payment or who lost their job because of downsizing and found themselves on the street.  We're all a little closer to misfortune these days.  What happened to them could happen to any of us.

A plaque on the sculpture reads

This sculpture is a visual representation of charity.

"Whatever you did for one of these lease brothers

of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

We should see Christ in the poor and the hungry.

We should see our acts of kindness to them as kindness to Him

One day when dropping off another few bags of clothes I saw that the sculpture had money in its palm.  And as I was looking through the fence at it a man, clearly Muslim by his beard and headgear, came down the path and added his contribution to the statue in front of Catholic Charities.

Today is Good Friday.  Let's remember that in many ways we're all in this together.

Slice of Life: Attack of the 16-Story Pillow Monster

Well, OK... it's not a pillow monster.  But it sure looks like one.  If you squint.

It's actually the new Staybridge Suites under construction on West Huron Street in River North.  This photo was taken on a particularly windy day.

Hancock Center Lights Up With Best Buy

No, the lights at the top of the John Hancock Center haven't been changed to daisy yellow and corporate blue.  Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

What has happened, is that the first permanent Best Buy illumination is now visible from street level.

You can see in this crappy cameraphone shot that there is a yellow Best Buy tag in the window on the second floor.  This is a view across Chestnut Street. There is an identical illuminated tag on the Michigan Avenue side.  Both of these are similar to the big red illuminated blocks that The North Face has on its side of the second floor.

Also visible from street level is blue mood lighting which illuminates the second floor ceiling and new flooring for the first floor showroom.

It's obvious that progress is being made toward the scheduled opening next month.

First Fireworks of the Season

Thanks to the visit by the International Olympic Committee, Chicagoans got a little treat last weekend.  Navy Pier had its first fireworks show of the season.  Here are some crappy cameraphone snaps:

Felix Fine in River North

The new Hotel Felix opened at 111 West Huron Street in River North last month.  The 12-story-tall former Hotel Wacker was built in 1926.  March was a soft opening.  The official opening was in April.

The developer of the property wants it to be a neighborhood hotel, not a convention hotel or a business hotel, and not necessarily a tourist hotel.  That's one of the reasons it was not retrofitted with a ballroom and meeting space, but was given a chic bar.  He's hoping that people who live in River North will find it a nice place for their friends and family to stay when visiting Chicago, or a place to just get away for a night or two.  That also explains why there's so much advertising for it on the CTA.

The hotel presented more than a few physical challenges to the renovation team, but it still managed to get it LEED Silver accreditation.  It's the first hotel in downtown Chicago to be that "green."

When this picture was taken, the hotel's cool purple neon awning welcomed visitors, while the big green sign that used to read "Hotel Wacker" remained blank.  It remains to be seen what exactly will happen to that.  It's not a landmark, so let's hope something unusual.

More information about the building here: Hotel Felix/Hotel Wacker information

Reservations and more here: Hotel Felix Chicago

The Loop's Most Peculiar Building

To the untrained eye, this is just another random alley in the Loop.  But if you know what you're looking for, this is a rare sight, indeed.

This is the Pickwick Stable -- an actual farm stable in the heart of the Loop.

Official records have the date this stable was built at 1892, but those records are notoriously sketchy.  The Chicago Tribune says it's actually 1857, which would make this one of the oldest buildings in the Loop.

The stable was built for Henry Horner back when much of the Loop was still farmland.  Since the horses left the Loop it has been used for a number of purposes, most often as a restaurant.

This picture is a rare snap.  Every time we've walked by it in the past either the gate is closed, or there are cars parked in the alley.  Sadly, since our last visit it looks like the historic cobblestones that once lined the alley have been replaced by concrete.

Interestingly, the stable is for sale.  Ask your favorite real estate consultant to look up 22 East Jackson Street 60604 for you.

If you're looking for more farming artifacts in the Loop, there is also a cattle path which still exists amid the skyscrapers of LaSalle Street.

Frogurt on State

Remember back in the 1980's when frozen yoghurt shops started to pop up all over and guys with slicked back hair and gold chains and bad tans would call them "frogurt stands?"

No, me neither.

But frozen yogurt is coming to the Loop.  This sign has popped up at DePaul University's imaginatively named DePaul Center.

I don't remember what was in the space before Yogen Früz, but it's better to have frogurt than an empty storefront.

Bitter Chocolate Update

An update to yesterday's blather about the closing of all the Ethel's Chocolates in Chicagoland --

I just checked The Shops at 900 North Michigan and Ethel's has been expunged from its first floor location. There is no sign of it other than an awkward attempt to fill the empty space with chairs and couches.

The Past Hangs Over the Chicago River

Traffic is back to normal on the west side of the Michigan Avenue Bridge now that the rehabilitation project is half over.

The boring 1970's rusted beige picket fence that once made up its pedestrian rail has been replaced by a replication of the original 1920's version.  It's not an exact copy of Edward Bennett's design, because that would allow children to get their heads stuck in the pattern or possibly let leashed pets fall through to the water below.  The new pattern is close, but the gaps are smaller to meet the new (oh my God, think of the children) safety standards.

Interestingly, the rehab of the bridge cannot change the weight of the bridge too much or it won't be able to open.  The bridge is a bascule, so balance is key.

The pedestrian walkway has also been replaced with a better non-skid surface with more spaces to let rain and snow through to the river below, but the spaces are much narrower so you don't notice them until you're already ready to step over them.  That should also help reduce the standing water that caused the old non-skid surface to deteriorate and blister.

The total cost of the project, including the Beaux Arts handrails is $3,500,000.

Tuesday trivia: Tragic blimp accident edition

Q: What was the name of the blimp that caught fire, raining flaming wreckage on the Loop and killing people in a bank building?

A: The Wingfoot Air Express.

It happened July 21, 1919.  Read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingfoot_Air_Express_Crash

Bits on Barney's

Here are a few more notes about Barney's New York's move across Rush Street to its new store.

• The workers don't have to work weekends for a change as they help ferry the inventory across the street.
  
• Barney's cosmetics department is going to start carrying Bobby Brown and La Mer.  Before now those were considered "lower class" brands relegated to the likes of Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue.  If you asked for La Mer at Barney's before now (it's really fantastic on sunburns!) you would get a serious sneer, a toss of the hair, and if you're lucky the makeup maid would only walk away from you.
  
• It's unconfirmed, but we hear that Barney's has joined the ranks of most other large companies and instituted a hiring freeze.
  
• The inside of the new building's stairwell looks really cool, and there's a picture floating around the internet: http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7065/0903130140web.jpg  You can see the Prairie School architectural homage.
  
• In case you missed it earlier, the new Barney's store opens Thursday, April 16th, 2009.

So Long, Ethel. You Will Be Missed

Crain's Chicago Business reports that five of the six Ethel's Chocolates stores in Chicago are going to close.

According to the paper, only the Ethel's in Skokie will survive the sweet, delicious carnage.

Back when L'Artisan Parfumeur skipped town, leaving a big black gap and cartoon swoosh marks on the ground floor of 900 North Michigan , we heard rumblings from other stores in the mall that Ethel's was on its way out.  But at the time we assumed they meant the 900 location, not all the Chicago locations.

Ethel's was a nice change of pace from Starbucks, Argo, and Caribou.  The drinks were pretty good, but not spectacular.  But sometimes you crave something different, and Ethels was it.  The chocolate was from New Jersey (it's owned by the company formerly known as M&M Mars), but it was good enough to fix the nagging in your brain.

In fact, we were Ethel's regulars at the 520 North Michigan Avenue ("Nordstrom Mall") location, probably stopping in there three or four times a week for a cup of hot chocolaty goodness.  Untill the wifi went away.  That was what killed it for us.  Starbucks, Argo, Caribou, Seattle's Best, etc... all have wifi.  So we went there.  Ethel's didn't have wifi, so we stopped going there.

Moonstruck Chocolates on Michigan Avenue didn't have wifi, either.  Now it's gone.

Do you see a pattern here, café owners?  We're talking to you, Café Descartes with the expensive Michigan Avenue storefront and minimal foot traffic!  You, too Lavazza across from City Hall!

Sure, at the Ethel's at 900 North Michigan you can wheeze off the mall's wifi.  But 900's wifi is so unstable that it's not worth the effort of even stopping in when there's there's three nice, reliable Starbucks connections within two blocks.

In the end, the café business is tough.  If you don't give the people everything they want, they'll go elsewhere.  It's easy enough to do now that coffee shops are on every third or fourth corner.  Ethel's didn't distinguish itself enough with the chocolate concept to overcome its shortcomings.  Again, it will be missed.

Interestingly, the 900 location isn't even mentioned on Ethel's web site.  It may already be gone.

Locations going out of business (or already gone):
The Shops at 900 North Michigan (900 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago)
The Shops at North Bridge (520 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago)
8 West Lake Street, Chicago
819 West Armitage Street, Chicago
28 West Jefferson Street, Naperville
527 Davis Street, Evanston

TweetEcho - March 29-April 4

For those of you who don't subscribe to our Twitter feed , here are the things we tweeted in the last week:

• Field Museum artifacts saved from leaky roof - Chicago Breaking News http://bit.ly/uNnF
  
• It's snowing in Chicago again. Maybe our International Olympic Committee visitors will give us the Winter Games instead.
  
• Three finalists named for Chicago's Burnham Memorial competition: http://bit.ly/yQERW
  
• First Navy Pier Chicago fireworks of the season. First time they've been on time in years. Thanks, IOC! http://twitpic.com/2ufxa
  
• Fashion guru Tim Gunn (Project Runway, Liz Claiborne, Macy's TV ads) will be at Kate Spade (54 E.Oak, Chicago) April 16 4-6pm.
  
• First Chicago fireworks of the season will happen tonight at 8:00pm at Navy Pier.
  
• Ritz Camera at the Thompson Center (100 West Randolph) is among the Chicago-area stores closing.
  
• Saw this at the kitty pound this morning. Surely someone in Chicago has room in his home for this sweet moggie. http://twitpic.com/2rnpd
  
• If you can brave the cold Six Flags is open from 10am-7pm (Sun=5pm) each wknd starting TODAY! http://budurl.com/6FlagsGA (via @VisitChicago)
  
• Overheard today on Oak Street: "We dont come [to Chicago] like we used to. We try to shop closer to home because of the high [sales] tax."
  
• The Wrigley Building's Olympic lights came out really nice. Sears Tower/311 South Wacker... not so much.They're too big and look washed out.
  
• Anti-Olympic protesters now gathering at Dirksen. 7pm will march up LaSalle to Washington to Michigan to Randolph. Avoid the northeast Loop.
  
• Half of the Michigan Avenue Bridge renovation is done: http://bit.ly/LLU3J
  
• Happy Olympic Day! Everybody be on your best behavior.
  
• Stuff to do in Chicago OTHER than go to the Art Institute since it's raised it price from $FREE to $18 in three years: http://bit.ly/WosO4
  
• The Taste of Chicago is being downsized -- but not because of the economy: http://bit.ly/upmyu
  
• Crain's: Huge, vacant strip of land near Sears Tower in Chicago to remain a huge vacant strip of land. Sad. http://bit.ly/n5Fr7
  
• Crain's: Skinny tower at Randolph and Michigan Avenue in Chicago could end up with 185 apartments: http://bit.ly/3O48fd
  
• Crain's: Lululemon will open a new Chicago store and fill the vacant lot that used to be Gino's East on Rush and Walton: http://bit.ly/8fyOG
  
• Even the Airport Express vans are decorated for the International Olympic Committee's visit to Chicago.
  
• Updated the ParkView West (505 North McClurg Court, Chicago, Illinois, 60611) article at Chicago Architecture Info: http://bit.ly/gddc
  
• Street sweeping begins in Chicago today. If you have a car, keep an eye out for temporary and permanent no parking signs until November 30.
  
• Wrigley Building, CBOT, John Hancock Center, Navy Pier Ferris Wheel are lit up in the Chicago Olympic colors for the IOC visit.
  
• Barney's New York is now closed and moving to it's new building across Rush Street.
  
• Here's an interesting piece of Chicago history -- the day flaming blimp wreckage rained down on the loop, killing people http://bit.ly/5TMXo
  
• Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago article at Glass Steel and Stone has been updated -- http://bit.ly/zN3d
  
• The Palmolive Building article at Chicago Architecture Info has been greatly updated with lots of info and history: http://bit.ly/dHJSh
  
• At the 1893 Exposition in Chicago George Vuitton met John Wanamaker. Wanamaker's in NY became the 1st in the US to carry Louis Vuitton bags.
  
• Hizzoner gets a flat, then warms up to sponsored pothole repair in Chicago: http://bit.ly/AjpDV
  
• The CTA Tattler has some pictures of the ever-so-slowly rehabbing of the Red Line's Grand station: http://bit.ly/3dXo
  
• The Sun-Times Media Group has filed for bankruptcy. http://bit.ly/uLtf The Trib's been bankrupt for a year. Who will stop publishing first?
  
• The list of performers for this year's Taste of Chicago is out. Buddy Guy, Charlie Wilson, Counting Crows, etc... http://bit.ly/K0Ta
  
• The Chicago History Museum is running an Abe Lincoln-themed photo contest: http://bit.ly/4k3WTP Winners might end up in a museum ad.
  
• RedEye's Olympic chart is pointless. Doesn't address any real concerns. Tokyo has the edge because of transit, which Daley keeps ignoring.
  
• The big story in today's RedEye is sprucing up Chicago for this week's visit by the International Olympic Committee. Pick it up- it's free.
  
• Not surprising if you've ever talked to a tagger/vandal, but it's outsiders who mess up Chicago not people who live here: http://bit.ly/k8Sr
  
• New 35-story tower approved in Evanston: http://cbs2chicago.com/loca...
  
• While Chicagoans mourn the loss of the name "Sears Tower," BusinessWeek says 'get over it:' http://bit.ly/K2TQn
  
• Blurb on the intarweb claims that Chloé is looking for retail space in Chicago. If there's one thing we have in Chicago, it's retail space.
  
• Wall Street Journal says 108 North State/Block 37 is 55% leased: http://online.wsj.com/artic...
  
• Girl Scouts have a table in the south lobby of the John Hancock Center today. Come get your cookies! (I bought three boxes)
  
• New sculpture in the planter in front of 401 North Michigan (Equitable Building). Very red. Should go nicely with the tulips.
  
• Olympic flags going up on the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Here comes the IOC!
  
• City of Chicago crews are cutting down all the ash trees on Taylor Street. Sad to see them go. Blame the emerald ash borer.
  
• Robin spotted in the 1400 block of West Polk. Maybe this Chicago winter won't last forever after all.
  
• Buckingham Fountain and the Crown Fountain will be turned on early for the Olympic Committee's visit to Chicago: http://bit.ly/FSbDJ
  
• Another settlement in a tit-for-tat between the Tribune Company and people who own buildings overlooking Wrigley Field: http://bit.ly/xXcXA
  

Update: Holy Name Cathedral rebuilding

Parishioners squeezed into Holy Name Cathedral's makeshift worship facilities for Palm Sunday services this weekend.  It was standing room only as the people in the crowd fidgeted with their palms and wondered when they might go back to their beloved cathedral.

More details were published in the Sunday bulletin.  Some of it hopeful.  Here are the highlights:

• Holy Name officials are still hoping to reopen the cathedral in August.  That's just a hope, though -- no firm date has been set.
• Six roof trusses were damaged by the February 4th fire.
• Each of the ceiling's 23,000 pieces will have to be removed, cleaned, and examined to see which ones, if any, have to be replaced.
• There are three large holes in the roof, plus a number of smaller holes.
• The entire roof will be replaced.
• All of the prayer books have to be replaced.
• The pews have to be removed and refinished.
• The inside of the cathedral will have to be completely repainted. 
• The paneling in the cathedral basement will have to be repaired or replaced because of water damage.
• The fund raising event we mentioned a few weeks ago at the Palmer House Hilton appears to have been huge.  It sold out.  There were over a thousand guests.  An official tally of the amount of money raised hasn't been released, but tickets to the event were $100 each, so it makes sense that the event should have raised at least $100,000.
• Not including the Palmer House event, so far $104,007 has been donated to help fix the roof.

While the work is being done on the roof and cathedral interior, Holy Name is taking the opportunity to repair its west-facing rose window, which needed some work anyway.

Barney's On The Move

Barney's New York was closed today for the first day of it's big move across Rush Street. The long-awaited transition cones after years of demolition, construction and preparation.

Papa Milano's Italian restaurant, a bar, a cupcake joint, a button store, and a Bang & Olufsen outlet either moved or closed to make way for the new department store.

Barney's management had long been unhappy withthe diminutive size of the previous space. Unfortunately, the upgrade cones in the midst of a bad economy where even luxury shoppers are asking shopgirls for plain brown bags to hide their consumption.

Hopefully the new store buying frenzy won't cool off too much and bring a little more life to Rush, Oak, and Walton Streets.

Tourists aren't Barney's usual customer, but these days no store is in a position to turn its nose up at a dollar. Hopefully someone will tell that to the unnecessarily snooty black-clad makeup mob that will now put the "sell" in cellar.

Tuesday Trivia: Baggage edition

Q: The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago is credited with bringing what French luxury brand to America?

A: Louis Vuitton.

It was at the 1893 Columbian Exposition that George Vuitton met John Wanamaker.  Shortly thereafter, Wanamaker's department store in New York became the first store in America to carry Louis Vuitton merchandise.

Bonus trivia: The first Louis Vuitton store in Chicago opened at Water Tower Place in 1982.