Results tagged “wrigleyville”

• The CTA Board approved plans to extend the Red, Orange, and Yellow Lines, but we'll believe it when we see it.
• U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's son-in-law died while snorkeling during a family vacation in Mexico.
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois is cutting 650 jobs.

An alderman who says one thing in private and something else in public? Considered us floored. Ald. Tom Tunney is the latest political figure to come under a bit of scrutiny over perception versus reality. To hear him talk about his proposal of shutting down vendors within a certain radius of Wrigley Field, it's all about safety. Last month, Tunney told the Trib, "It's a public safety issue. You can't walk to the park." Behind closed doors is another matter though.

We've talked before about the proposed new development at Addison and Clark. And now, in an effort to win key government and community backing for the project, the developers have decided to keep the project a bit shorter than planned. They've redesigned the top portion of the project so that the top floors go no higher than the neighborhood's centerpiece: Wrigley Field.

Safely away from Chicago, Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney mentioned the team's desire to play a total of 50 night games, an increase over the current 30 allowed in an agreement between the club, the city and the local Wrigleyville residents. Speaking to the Marco Island (FL) Sunrise Rotary Club, Kenney explained, "Players like a routine," and that additional night games would relieve the players of playing day games after arriving from road trips in the early-morning hours. In 2009, the Cubs have just one game that falls into that category -- their home opener on April 12 following a night game in Milwaukee.

It's being called the "Addison Park on Clark," and plans for it continue to push forward despite complaints of nearby residents. NBC5 has even tagged their story,"Wrecking Wrigleyville," which earns points for alliteration - but is that even close to accurate? Could a hotel property across the street from Wrigley Field destroy all that Wrigleyville has come to be associated with? Perish the thought.

Surely, a lot of praying goes on in Wrigleyville: for such things as Cubs victories, and discount refills on MGD, and "that girl"'s number, and -- among local homeowners -- that one day they shall wake up to find their front lawns untainted by the urine of young men. So yes, Wrigleyville is a spiritual place. On Friday, September 12, the folks at A.Okay Official will take the hood's religiosity one step higher, when it hosts the opening reception of their latest exhibit: Wax Burner, a show of custom-painted prayer candles. DJ sets by Maker, Intel and Sonryze and refreshments round out the evening's offerings.

When Wrigley Field joined the 20th century and added lights to the stadium in 1988, part of the team's agreement with the city banned night games on Fridays or Saturdays. Now the Cubs want that ban lifted.

Longtime Wrigleyville joint Nisei Lounge is apparently no more. The Sun-Times is reporting that the bar, in business since 1949, is up for sale and is closing its doors, although the deal hasn't yet gone through. But the clock is ticking. It always sucks when a local joint goes under, and when it was witness to demographic shifts like post-WWII migrations of Japanese-Americans, it's like losing another piece of history. From what we can tell, only Hamburger King, the Korean/Japanese/American dining establishment, remains of the businesses that catered to the Japanese clients during that era. We're also reminded of similar places like Carol's Pub in Uptown, and June's Inn over in North Center, both watering holes for rural transplants who came up from southern states to find work in the big city.