Chicago State University presents Jazz on the Grass

 Long time no hear. Here's an event to put on your calendar, especially if you live near the campus of Chicago State University (9501 S. King Drive) . Jazz on the Grass on August 20, 2025. 

h/t Concerned Citizens of Chatham

The RoseBowl in Roseland #tbt

11517 S. Michigan Ave

Years and years ago on Michigan Avenue, Roseland had a bowling alley. You could take the bus there directly on Michigan. If I could single-handedly redevelop the Michigan Avenue drag it would be somewhere that is walkable.

Go to the movies, restaurants, retail, professional services, etc right on Michigan Avenue and some other streets such as 111th or 115th. If this business still existed could it benefit from the Red Line extension?

The RoseBowl itself I had to Google where it was located and the address is posted below the photograph. Unfortunately today it's just another vacant lot right across the street from yet another vacant lot. Though since I mentioned the Red Line extension, one day this might be part of transit-oriented development.

Photo found via VanishedChicagoland on FB.

Clean out your closets for Rosemoor Community Association

Collection days coming up for March 2, 23, and April 6 & 13, 2024. 

Drop-off time 9 AM to 10:30 AM and on April 13 8 AM to 12:00 PM

Location St. John Parking Lot 10205 S. King Drive

Pickup available 10 bags or more upon request

Refer to flyer for more details

Questions? Contact Rosemoor Community Association office 773.264.0783

h/t Concerned Citizens of Chatham

 

Food pantry coming to 119 E. 95th Street #Ward09

119-121 E. 95th St

This building has been vacant perhaps for over a year it was formerly home to an insurance company, and for many years before that it used to be a Trailways bus depot until that company got bought out by Greyhound. Of course that was at least back in the 1990s. Now it has another hat:

Endeleo Institute, a community group in the majority-Black Washington Heights and Roseland neighborhoods on the city’s Far South Side, received a grant that will allow it to open a food pantry at 119-121 E. 95th St., in a 3,500-square-foot building that once housed an insurance business.

“It’s going to be nothing like a traditional food pantry,” said Executive Director Melvin Thompson. “We really want to dignify the space, to destigmatize this.”

It will be a choice pantry, where people can select what they want. The plan is to offer cooking demonstrations, nutrition education and a financial opportunity center to help people with budgeting.

The building sits on a 12,000-square-foot lot and the hope is to eventually bring a mobile pharmacy to fill a gap left by the closure of several neighborhood pharmacies over the years, Thompson said.

“We really want to take advantage of people coming through the door and fortifying them beyond food but with things that will help them along the way,” Thompson said. He expects to serve 500 to 1,000 people weekly.

West Chesterfield and Roseland Heights Community Associations will partner with Endelo who is affiliated with Trinity Church further west on 95th Street per an e-mail that was forwarded to me.

The main thing is those who aren't able to put food on the table will have somewhere else to go to fill their pantries in their homes. 

103rd & Eberhart #tbt #Ward09

 

[VIDEO] I found this article in the archives recently and decided to upload this. On a cold January day in 2015 I was walking along 103rd Street shooting video on my then new iPhone 6. So I captured the traffic near 103rd & Eberhart including this very loud Chevrolet Caprice making a turn onto Eberhart. I wish I could tell you why you hear that helicopter, however, there is heavier traffic seemingly on this street than normal after 4 PM on that day.

If there's anything from the neighborhood or from around the city you'd like to see on YouTube feel free to subscribe and let me know.

Shedd School still serves its purpose

I remember many days spend in Shedd's cramped library. The books I remember checking out of the library under a man named Mr. Hackenbrock were mainly sports books - usually old books with black & white photographs underlying the sports of basketball, baseball, hockey or even boxing also a book showing how to draw animals. 

During our library period we also played computer games on IBM computers carted out into our gym/library. These were some fun interesting days.

What if I told on Shedd's lot there is a box full of books where you're allowed to leave a book and you can take a book. These types of book boxes exist throughout the city and its located on the playset on 99th Street. So adults and youth alike can come up to Shedd at anytime to entertain themselves or otherwise educate themselves outside of a classroom.

I snapped a few shots when dropping off books there. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Oct 9, 2020 at 8:14am PDT

There is no longer a cramped library inside the school since it's been closed but you can still pick up a book or leave a book by Shedd School (at 200 E. 99th Street) anytime.

Plans for historic Pullman revitalization #Ward09

[VIDEO] While it seems that the newly freed Rod Blagojevich is in the news a lot right now, let's check out the revitalization taking place in Pullman. New projects for the national monument in addition to new businesses coming into that historic neighborhood.

We got former Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaking with a few nice words about the work of Pullman residents in their care of their community. We also see 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale speaking to WLS-TV's Karen Jordan about the positive developments in Pullman.

Recent shot of the Gately's ruins #Ward09

Drove through earlier this week. Sad to see this great big building along Michigan Avenue being demolished. I see the sign's gone, excited to find out any news of this local landmark. It's reminder of a business that no longer exists but many of a certain age still remember.

A posted this recent pic on ig embeded below

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Jun 27, 2019 at 10:43am PDT

#fbf 111th Street & Michigan Avenue

The photo above was taken in 1907 and the building you see in the front foreground according to Chicago history blogger J.R. Schmidt remains at the corner of 111th & Michigan Avenue. If I recall correctly for many years it was a Walgreen's until that location moved across the street. Though now the former Walgreen's store on the north side of 111th Street is now a dollar store.

Of course the progress of time over the course of 111 years ago (111th street and 111 years ago hmmm), we see a lot of the buildings are no longer standing. And of course the city ran its last streetcar in 1958. Even better according to Schmidt who posted this late last month:

A century ago traffic was so light on this stretch of Michigan that small children could wander around aimlessly in the street—not advisable today, in the era of the automobile.

Yeah totally agree with that statement! Click the link to see the photo Schmidt took in 2018 of this same area.

McDade Elementary School

Visit them online here. There is a nice park in the back with playlots and tables with checker boards. I have a picture of the park. Very nice though the dandelions may not help in making it look nice.

Tomorrow is the last day for the #SeawayBank farmer's market

Division of Self-Help FCU

It was started back up early last month and on Wednesday that's it for the year! Here's hoping they return with fresh produce for local residents next year!

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Sep 19, 2017 at 3:18am PDT

A new sidewalk near the coming Whole Foods Market disribution center in Pullman

Last year I took a walk along 111th Street towards the Pullman Walmart store and noted the lack of a sidewalk. This was not long after the announced Whole Foods Distribution Center was unveiled. If you have plenty of workers - who may be taking public transportation - at a facility that is presumably 24/7 this spot isn't very accessible.

Photo taken in April 2016

Now with other amenities coming and plans for other warehouses to come to the former site of a steel mill near the site of the Walmart anchored shopping center near 111th/Doty we now get a sidewalk. No more stepping on mud or stepping into the street! I'm sorry that these pics were taken at dusk and that you get an east and west shot here.

Photos taken Sept. 2017

From this particular evening there are more photos to come which hopefully will be see on @thesixthward instagram account.

West Chesterfield moves up on leader board State Farm neighborhood assist

From The Chicago Neighborhoods

We got an e-mail recently from West Chesterfield's Michael LaFargue

• THANK those who have voted! and ask PLEASE VOTE TODAY, TOMORROW, THURSDAY and FRIDAY!
  
  UPDATE!
  We have moved up on the Leader Board to #145. We need to be at #40.
  
  VOTE:
  GO TO: www.neighborhoodassist.com
  SIGN UP: name, personal email…
  SEARCH: type in West Chesterfield
  VOTE: Today *
  VOTE: Daily **
  
  Please help the West Chesterfield Community Association Inc. win a $25,000 State Farm "Safety" Surveillance Camera Grant!
  
  Only the "The forty (40) Causes earning the highest number of votes by 11:59:59 P.M. ET, Friday, August 25, 2017 will be designated the winners"

Also there was a press release attached to this e-mail which includes reference to Cook County Judge Raymond Myles who had been murdered this past spring. The private surveillance camera network of West Chesterfield was instrumental in capturing his killers.

2017 Neigborhood Assist Press Release Color Photo for WCCA by Levois on Scribd

Let's support West Chesterfield in their efforts!

West Chesterfield on the recent Walgreen's closure in the neighborhood

Crossposted from The Sixth Ward

347 E. 95th Street - June 2017

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to go to the recent meeting hosted by state Rep. Elgie Sims on the Walgreen's store that closed on Tuesday Jun. 27th at 95th/King Drive. However I'm glad that the West Chesterfield Community Association was able to share a quick report on their fb page. That report is embedded below

Wendy's coming to 95th/Michigan?

Worlee wrote this over at NextDoor recently

107 E. 95th Street - June 2017

• Where o Where Will Wendy's Go

  
  
  The plot thickens. There is an unverified report that Wendy's will take over the former KFC site at 95th Michigan. 
  
  
  Also, it has been reported that Wendy's will be opening a store at the 87th street retail corridor. 
  
  
  So will we have two stores opening? Will we have 4 stores in a 5mile radius with the existing stores at 86th Stony and 83rd Ashland? 
  
  
  What's your thoughts?

In addition there's also a Wendy's at 111th/State in Roseland. Also let's not forget that the former Wendy's at 95th/King Drive still hasn't found another tenant yet. Though it's great to finally have a new business in the former KFC space which closed permanently near the end of 2015. Here's one of our ig posts.

I don't know what is going on here but this KFC at 95th/Michigan is now closed. #kfc #kentuckyfriedchicken #southside #chicagogram #95thstreet #businessclosed

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Dec 17, 2015 at 8:23am PST

 

The Walgreen's on 95th & King Drive is closing

In about one month the Walgreen's location at 347 E. 95th Street will be closed permanently on June 27, 2016. It'll just be another vacant storefront just like the former Wendy's across the street on 95th.

The flyer you see below is seen on a table as you enter the store and signs are posted in that location alerting customers of the impending closing. This particular space had only been open for roughly a decade.

The former St. Nicholas Church in Roseland

You might see this reposted onto our ig page. In the meantime here's Eric Allix Rogers photo of this vacant church in Roseland at 113th Place and State Street.

There are some great buildings and architecture in our communities. Someone out there appreciates them, if only there was a way to keep these buildings in use so they won't meet the wrecking ball.

The former St. Nicholas church (William J. Brinkmann, circa 1900) is rotting away in Roseland

A post shared by Eric Allix Rogers (@ericallixrogers) on Apr 19, 2017 at 8:35am PDT

9th Ward Community Meeting

With 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale& city department representatives

Tuesday, March 28, 2017
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Pullman Presbyterian Church
550 E. 103rd Street
Chicago, IL 60628

For more information call the 9th Ward Service Office

34 East 112th Place

Chicago, Illinois 60628

773.785.1100

Transit Matters - Pullman open house

This open house about a Pullman Transportation and Access Plan to take place January 26th at the Pullman National Monument Visitor's center located at 11141 S. Cottage Grove from 6:30 to 8:00 PM with a presentation set to start at 7:00 PM. Refer to flyer below.

And checkout this website www.pullmantransportation.com

Shedd School as seen in December

Shedd School as seen in December 2016

The issue of Shedd School came up at the last of this year's community meetings with Ald. Anthony Beale in October. There is interest in re-opening Shedd as a school and Beale's response was to a written question posed by a resident in attendance.

Unfortunately it was noted at the meeting that Shedd was closed because of declining enrollment. While the question noted an increase in children in the community Beale suggested that it still isn't enough to justify reopening that former school. If it were to ever re-open there may have to be consideration of bringing in students from outside of the neighborhood.

In the meanwhile the school remains for sale as there are signs on the building as I saw from this past summer, pictures were shown on our ig account. Beale pledged to let the community know of any bidders on the property.

A photo posted by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Sep 2, 2016 at 5:57pm PDT