Can you "play" at a Chicago "park?"

From today's Crain's Chicago Business

A few days ago, a group of 30-something Loop office workers decided to let off a little post-5 p.m. steam. Being a healthy lot, they headed not to a bar, but to the 3-acre public park plopped amid the huge Lakeshore East residential and office complex on East Randolph Street for a pickup soccer game.

A few minutes later, the cops arrived—and busted one and all for violating an ancient and unknown city law that restricts sporting activities to sites specifically designated for sport. As reported by WFLD-TV/Channel 32, the coppers had been summoned by an adjacent condo building’s management, which says it just was trying to protect the wet turf but clearly considers the “public” park to be mostly private.

This begs the question:  Can you "play" in the "park?"

In our neighborhood, there is a bit of a struggle between parents and dog owners over whether pets should be allowed inside the newly constructed Chi Che Wang Park on West Wolfram in West Lakeview.

Under a little known statute in Chicago, dogs are prohibited from any parks that do not have paved walk ways through them.  Chi Che Wang Park is three-acres of lawn with nary a path, toy, object, or impediment inside its boundaries.  It's filled with families and children playing soccer, football, baseball, softball and Frisbee.   On weekends, some organized Soccer Clubs have been setting up full soccer games.  Nets, goals, uniforms, spiked shoes - the whole shebang.

And if a dog sets a toe-step inside, a neighbor usually calls the police.

Hmmm.  I wonder if a vengeful - oops - I mean - observant - area dog owner were to keep his eye out for one of these "sporting" events being held in this "non sporting" venue - could he call the police?  Or will he just get the brush off?

Augustus H. Burley School in Chicago's West Lakeview Neighborhood

Here in West Lakeview, we're fortunate to have one of Chicago's more well-regarded grammar schools - Augustus H. Burley school.

Over the years we've wondered about the namesake.  Who is Augustus H. Burley?  Other namesake schools in Chicago are easy to recognize: William B. Ogden; Walter Payton; Disney Elementary.

Well, the geniuses at Google have helped again.  They've been busy scanning and converting to text the contents of the entire Library of Congress.  Lo and behold a new title popped up in their search results:  "Chicago Yesterdays: A Sheaf of Reminiscences" by Caroline Kirkland from 1919.  Since the copyright has expired, the entire contents of the book are available online.

From the book:

Two of Chicago's early and eminent citizens were Arthur Burley and Augustus H. Burley, brothers, who in 1837, the year Chicago became a city, came from Exeter, N. H., by rail, Sound steamer, river boat, canal boat, lake ship, and horse and wagon to the uncouth, unkempt frontier settlement that sprawled along both banks of a shallow stream. The new town had been in turn a halting place for wandering Indians, a fur-traders' camp, a military outpost of civilization, and now was fast becoming a business center for a rapidly developing agricultural district. The two Burley s were preceded by their half-brother, Stephen Gale, and followed later by their younger brother, Charles. From the beginning Augustus, and later his wife, Harriet, kept up a continuous correspondence with their eastern relatives — a correspondence which gradually unfolded a graphic picture of the conditions of life in this part of the world.

Read the letters at Google

Google Maps integrates CTA directions into maps and directions in Chicago

Check it out! Google Maps rolled out its integration with CTA information this week. When getting driving directions on Google Maps for destinations within Chicago, an option is available for taking public transportation. The idea is brilliant.

Chicago Transit Authority riders can now plan their trips using the Google Transit™ website, Mayor Richard M. Daley and CTA officials announced today.

Through a new partnership with Google, mapping and directions for CTA bus and rail services are available in 11 languages on the Google Transit™ web site.

“The ease with which people can access information via Google demonstrates the true value of technology – it makes the world a global community,” Daley said at a news conference held at CTA headquarters, 567 W. Lake St.

“Regardless of whether you want to travel three miles or 3,000 miles from home, the tools to plan the most convenient and easiest way to reach your destination is captured all in one space. The CTA is now a part of that global community and offers people the opportunity to choose a more environmentally friendly way to get where they want to go,” he said.

Check out this example for getting to the Airport from our office in West Lakeview...

View Larger Map

Interview with Chicago South Side Board of Tourism's Brett Smalls

Opening Day for the Chicago White Sox brings about both excitement as well as a bit of confusion every year at this time. Pat Tomasulo from WGN TV introduces us to Brett Smalls from the Chicago South Side Board of Tourism who shares with viewers some tips on what you'll find on Chicago's South Side.

Canary in the Coal Mine? Foreclosures in the news

While Chicago is not suffering the mortgage crisis as painfully as residents of the Coasts, Florida and Las Vegas, more and more foreclosure news has been creeping into the news lately. 

A roundup of foreclosures in the news in the last month:

March 3 Crain's Chicago Business

Foreclosure flu spreads:  14,250 foreclosures in 2007, a 46% increase over 2006. 

Northwest Side neighborhoods like Albany Park, Logan Square and Portage park saw their numbers more than double, according to a new report provided to Crain's ahead of it's scheduled release.

Those areas drew newcomers in large numbers in recent years as first-time buyers sought affordable alternatives to pricier city neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square and Lakeview.

Tower builder tie-up: Related Companies and Magellan discuss a combo as two major projects falter.

Talks to combine two of the Chicago area's largest developers come at a critical time for Related Midwest LLC.  The luxury condominium developer is struggling with a slow sales start at its two newest projects and has been without a president.

Related Midwest LLC developments include:

• 340 on the Park - already completed
• Canyon Ranch Living - planning
• Pestigo - Planning
• Roosevelt Square - Under construction

Magellan Development is currently building several high rises at Lakeshore East on the New East Side.

Decline seen in apartment sales

Sales of Chicago-area apartment buildings could drop 30% this year, to $1.08 billion, from a record breaking 2007,  according to a report from CB Richard Ellis, Inc.

Signs of the slowdown were evident late last year, a time when sales activity typically spikes as investors hurry to complete deals before yearend.  But only 42% of the Chicago deals close din the second half of last year, as opposed to 69% in the last 6 months of 2005, the previous record year when sales totaled $1.89-billion.

March 10 Crain's Chicago Business

A Sterling example of condo Bust:  Foreclosures, falling prices: a bad omen?

Over the past three years, lenders have filed 95 foreclosure suits, accounting for about $40-million in loans, on condominiums in the 389-unit high-rise, fueling a big drop in condo values throughout the building.

The tower represents a worst-case scenario in a downtown condo market that is weak but so far hasn't seen the falling prices and rising foreclosures that have afflicted once-hot markets like South Florida.  The real test for condo owners will come over the next two years, when downtown developers are expected to complete more than 10,000 condo's, an unprecedented jump in supply.

A nice building in a superior location seems an unlikely victim of rampant foreclosures, but artificially propped up prices along with developer incentives may have played a part in its unfortunate predicament.

American Invsco Corp attracted a lot of investors with incentives such as two years of free taxes, two years of free assessments, and artificially propped up cash flow.  One incentive offered to make up the difference between the rent and the mortgage + tax + assessment payments for a two year period. 

It was too good to be true for some buyers.  As the incentives wore off, many buyers saw their monthly payments soar to unsustainable levels.

A trickle of foreclosures in 2004 grew to a flood in the next three years.  Nearly 1/3 of foreclosures involve owners with multiple units in the building.

An American Invsco spokesman blames the Sterling's troubles on the depressed market:  "It has nothing to do with our program."

In more stable neighborhoods where the inventory supply is more limited and there is not as much speculation, the number of foreclosure epidemic seems quite limited.  In the Lakeview neighborhood, for example, only had 126 foreclosures, but this represented a 94% increase from 2006. 

It's interesting to watch the tale of two cities developing right inside the borders of Chicago.

Open Houses for the weekend of April 5 and 6

Sunday, April 6

942 North Fairfield - Open Sunday from 11 to 1

Six luxurious condominiums inside a restored Greystone.  Just reduced some prices this week. Two beds from $255,000

www.fairfieldgreystone.info

Warren Corner Condominiums - Open Sunday from 2 to 4

2036 W. Arthur and 6504 N. Seeley

Twenty condominiums ready for occupancy located in West Rogers Park near Warren Park. Great pricing with homes priced from $135,000.

www.warrencorner.info

Brand New Duplex? Or Turn of the Century House?

A customer recently posed the question:  Should I buy a new duplex-up or a turn-of-the-century SFH?  I'm looking to buy in the Chicago near north area. Both are similarly sized and in good condition, just built a century apart. Which will have better appreciation/resale?

It's such an interesting question because usually the same buyer would never be considering both at the same time. 

Here in Chicago, the history of the popular neighborhoods is such that they began their lives as working class neighborhoods filled with modest homes that do not lend themselves to modern living.  In the photograph above, this Victorian was the original farm house for the township built in 1889.  Despite its obvious charm, the inside layout was a jumbled mess of rooms that did not make any sense.  The basement was not accessible from inside the house.  Bedrooms were scattered throughout both levels of the home.  Some rooms were long and narrow, others did not have closets.

We were the third listing agents to try to sell this property, and after several months of reaching out to neighborhood residents who might enjoy this superior location in Lincoln Park, we pitched the property to a developer.  The lot was extra long, extra wide, and the zoning was generous (R4) to allow a large condo building to be built.

We sold the house to the developer for $700,000.  When the condominiums were completed, the developer's agent sold the largest condo - the duplex on the first floor - for $741,000.  This was in 2005.

In 2006, the same condo sold again for $818,000.

I suppose that says volumes about the popularity of condominiums, and of the duplex floor plans.

Based on this anecdotal evidence (as well as a bunch of experience) our advice would be to only purchase the single family house if it's a very good value and is sitting on a parcel of land that a developer would be very interested in when you're ready to sell. 

Otherwise, the popularity and salability of new condominiums can't be beat.

Back Few Day (Dry Cleaners.)

It's not too late to take part in Chicago's Whiskey Fest

We can not imagine how we missed this last week, but over the weekend, Chicago's Whiskey Fest opened.

America's Largest Whisky Celebration featuring more than 200 of the world's finest, rarest, and most expensive, single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, Tennessee, Japanese, Welsh, Canadian and other whiskies from around the world to sample in one Grand Ballroom. Attendees will also enjoy an expansive gourmet buffet all evening and will receive a commemorative Glencairn whisky glass.

Fortunately, Whiskey Fest takes place throughout Whiskey Week.  Therefore, there are plenty of events to attend, including the final event at the Hyatt Regency on April 4.

Other local events you haven't missed yet:

Wednesday, April 2nd

- One North Restaurant, 1 North Wacker Drive, 5:30-7:30 p.m., $30.

It's Hump Day and Whisky Night! Enjoy whiskies from around the world paired with delectable appetizers, while chatting the ears off of whisky reps and distillers

- West Lakeview Liquors, 2156 W. Addison, 6-9 p.m.

Wojcik will be on hand to sample out Bulleit Bourbon, Kentucky's "frontier" bourbon.

- Chief O’Neill’s, 3471 N. Elston, 8-10 p.m., complimentary, but Reservations are required.

Duffy and special guest Gregor Cattanach, global brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker and the Classic Malts of Scotland, will be on hand for a formal sit-down seminar of whisky. There will be lots of whisky, a buffet, and music.

- Rocks Tavern, 1301 W. Schubert, 7-10 p.m.

Rocks is having a Bushmills celebration. while you're there, check out their extensive whisky selection.

Thursday, April 3rd

- Warehouse Liquors, 634 S. Wabash, 4-7 p.m.

Cattanach and Tom Bulleit of Bulleit Bourbon will be on hand from 4-5 p.m. for a special sampling and bottle signing of the Classic Malts of Scotland and Bulleit Bourbon

- Binny’s South Loop, 1132 S. Jefferson, 5-8 p.m.

Brett Potoni hosts a whiskies of the world event, with Duffy, Cattanach and Bulleit. There could be a possibility that every bottle of whisky in the store could be opened.

- Sam’s Wines & Spirits South Loop, 50 E. Roosevelt, 5-8 p.m.

Singleton and Bulleit sampling/bottle signing with Bulleit and Cattanach available from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

- Bar On Buena, 910 W. Buena, 7-10 p.m. – THE SINGLETON VIP PARTY

It's a Singleton VIP party with Master of Whisky Robert Sickler as the guest of honor. Bar on Buena will also be serving whisky flights.

- Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, 3905 N. Lincoln, 7-10 p.m.

Tiered tasting of the Johnnie Walker selections.

- The Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace, 8-11 p.m.

There will be a free Bushmills sampling.

- Red Ivy Tavern, 3525 N. Clark, 8-11 p.m.

Red Ivy will be sampling out their new whisky flights. Bulleit and Cattanach will be on hand from 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Not a good day for the dry cleaner

I stopped at the dry cleaner today.  It seems I was a day late.  Or perhaps this is a good thing.  If I would have gone yesterday, I would have exchanged four shirts for six, plus a nice suit. 

Dear readers, do any of you know what to do when your dry cleaner has been shut down with your clothes still inside?