Start Spreadin' the News on Michigan Avenue

Last week we noted the disappearance of two of the city's higher-profile newsstands.  The kiosk on the corner of Chicago and Michigan Avenues and the one at the corner of State and Division Streets in front of the Washington Mutual at 1200 North State Parkway both disappeared last week to be replaced with fresh pads of gleaming concrete.

A note tacked to a light pole on Chicago Avenue noted that the kiosk would return, and indeed, it has.

Monday, a City Lights truck and crane showed up with a brand new newsstand from JCDecaux.  The new kiosk is the same as the other new ones already in place in The Loop and matches the rest of the motif the city uses for its street furniture, harkening back to Chicago heydays of the 1930's.

The crane had some trouble getting it in place because of a stray electrical line and the face that the kiosk goes under a tree.  But after a little while, the crews managed to figure it out.

In what feels like a bit of irony, the newsstand is getting new life just as the Borders store across the street at 830 North Michigan Avenue gets ready to close for good.  Regulars have told us that there are a number of subtle signs that preparations are already underway for the shuttering of the readery.  Chief among them, is the removal of several formerly prominent shelving units, leaving gaps in what would otherwise be prime retailing space.

Homeowners Fall Off A Cliff

Last week while sitting in an airport lounge on the other side of the world, CNN Asia ran a Breaking News banner reading, "Economy 'Falls Off A Cliff.'"  Some homeowners in the Gold Coast might feel the same way.

A couple of Division Street tear-down two-flats went up at the wrong time -- just when the economy went all pear-shaped.  They were completed in the Fall of 2008, but nobody has moved in yet.  And by "completed" we mean not quite completed.  As you can see in the above photo, the necessary finishing touches haven't been put on the upstairs portion of the building, so that it would take an act of levitation to make this home sweet home.

If you're into internet cliches, you could call it a "Fail" photo.  Or if you're a thinking person it's a sad reminder of the state of the real estate market in Chicago.