May 2008: Mama J's #Ward09 #tbt

UPDATE March 27, 2025 - Earlier this month I snapped some shots along Michigan Avenue and will share the shot of this place at a later time. This building is boarded up currently, which is a shame. When I was in school a classmate lived in the apartments above and I had visited him occasionally. I knew another classmate - who's since passed away - who was said to be connected with the family that owned Mama J's. I only wonder what happened to the business and the family that owned it and how the building is now basically abandoned.

Originally posted to The Sixth Ward on May 14, 2008. And with some of the shots around Roseland Heights taken over the years I wouldn't mind trying to recreate some of these shots!
 This is near 98th and Michigan. Known for their Jones hamburgers. I haven't patronized this business in years and at that this was when I was much younger. I wish I could give you a review of how good the burgers and service was here.

Perhaps I might do that in the near future. I do know that this place didn't always look like this and that this place certainly doesn't have the window lettering it does now! It's been a while since I paid attention to this place.

Here's a shot of this place now!

Chicago Like a Local: These overpriced box homes are taking over Chicago

 

[VIDEO] Sometimes I enjoy the local commentary of the YouTube channel Chicago Like a Local. He takes aim at a recent trend in modern residential architecture.

He calls the homes you see in this video  blocky or "Minecraft" homes. I may lament the construction of housing that doesn't fit the style of a particular neighborhood. At the same time perhaps you may have a neighborhood where the housing isn't in great condition.

In fact homes like these could be one sign of gentrification. Chicago Like a Local does refer to these homes as overpriced.

Lately I've been taking aim at Roseland and I wonder how many people wouldn't mind seeing homes like these built in Roseland, for example?

Also will this YouTuber ever go to the far south side?

Roseland Plaza 115th & Michigan #tbt #Ward09

Via VanishedChicagoland FB

This is what you would've found on the vacant lot at 115th & Michigan perhaps before the mid-2000s at least. 

Of course as you can see by the cars here, this is a vintage photograph. Coffee Pot is likely in the foreground. And then the National grocery store you see in the background here.

Once the Red Line is built in this area, here's hoping we can have this block brought back to life again in the future. Retail, restaurants, hopefully some other services.

Some of you may have gotten this in your mailbox recently

I found this flyer in my mailbox this week a short time before this event is to take place today regarding plans for the 95th Street Corridor.

Event details

• Location: 
  The Chicago State University 
  Jones Convention Center
  9501 S. King Drive

• Date & Time: 
  Wednesday, July 19, 2024
  From 6 PM to 8 PM

• Doors open at 5:30 PM and light refreshments will be provided

Flyer is provided below

Clevan Tucker R.I.P.

If you've never heard of Mr. Clevan Tucker, he was the longtime President of the Roseland Heights Community Association. In addition he was also a former CPS teacher and a small business owner. He passed away late in the month of March

He was known to me as person interested in the issues of Abbot Park, which is the local park at 95th & Michigan. He was at one point on the Advisory Council there, and he became President of the RHCA at some point in the last decade.

Mr. Tucker was very good at getting information out and you would be well versed in neighborhood issues if you were on his many email blasts. He most certainly will be missed.

My apologies for not noting this sooner. His funeral occurred on April 12, 2024 and sadly I wasn't able to attend. However, it was important for me to not let the month of April go by without acknowledging his transition and his accomplishments.

Thanks to the acting president of the Roseland Heights Community Association for allowing me to share information on Mr. Tucker.

My condolences to his family and friends.

REVISIT: Where is Roseland Heights?

This was posted to The Sixth Ward Blog on March 5, 2012 not long after the ward remap at the time. The topic of Roseland Heights being recognized was a topic of discussion within the Roseland Heights Community Association then.

I attended the recent Roseland Heights Neighborhood Association meeting where they discussed a number of topics that affected that particular community. It could be about landscaping, street lighting, trash, fly dumping, parks, ect. But they devoted a lot of time to the recognition of Roseland Heights.

At their November meeting they devoted a lot of time to address the remap situation. One of the subjects that came up was the recognition of neighborhoods. Look at any current map of Chicago neighborhoods or even the community area maps and Roseland Heights (which is bounded by 95th on the north, Dan Ryan Expressway on the west, Bishop Ford/Calumet Expressway on the south, and King Drive on the east)  is not to be found. The maps are made up by the city, the community area maps were created originally by the University of Chicago, and another map made up by the real estate businesses.

The maps change when the city recognizes a particular area. They may also change when real estate people decide to distinguish an area from the surrounding area. For example you build some new houses in Englewood, you may not like the general reputation of Englewood so you would elect to give your development a new name. One that is marketable!

That may well have been the case in Roseland Heights but then that neighborhood organization has been in existence since at least 1956. So why is it that particular neighborhood isn't recognized at all?

But then apparently there is another thread. It seems on a past map - according to association president Clevan Tucker - Roseland Heights did exist. He was looking up information regarding Abbott Park and he threw out the names of Olympia Park or Champion Park and I'll just assume those are the original designation for Abbott Park near 95th & Michigan.

However old that map was, what happened between now and then where Roseland Heights lost their recognition? Oh and I forgot to add that Roseland Heights according to a neighborhood map provided by the city is considered part of Rosemoor. I took a detail of that map and put an image here.

Also notice the thin Strip of Roseland in light green that comes on the west up to 95th Street. The western part appears to be State Street and the eastern part is Michigan Avenue and then it widens out by 107th Street. The purple shade is Roosemoor which does include most of Roseland Heights and Chicago State University.

CapFax: Alderman attacked....

 Ald. Julia Ramirez (Ward 12) was attacked by constituents who were "protesting" a proposed tent camp in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

I would say citizens have a right to be concerned about immigrants to be housed in their communities. There have been stories out there about crime involving these immigrants who have been bused from places such as Texas primarily. Something needs to be done and there needs to be a better plan than a tent camp or just allowing them to shelter at district police stations.

What we don't need is footage of an Alderman (or Alderwoman but never Alderperson yuck) being whisked away from their constituents because of a violent mob (verbal or physical abuse). I'm glad to see today that the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council denounces the actions of the crowd.

Here's raw footage from what happened on Thurday via WGN News [VIDEO]

ABL: DANGEROUS Illegal Aliens THREATEN Black Chicago Residents!

 

[VIDEO] Anthony Brian Logan isn't a Chicago resident and allow me to make that clear, he is one of those citizen YouTube personalities who talk about what's going on in the world. He's talking about Chicago and the issues of one neighborhood - particularly Woodlawn - and their issues with the migrants who have taken up residence at a neighborhood school Wadwsorth Elementary.

So he looks at a report from our local CBS affiliate WBBM-TV or CBS 2 Chicago and listen to resident comments towards city officials which include a deputy mayor, a deputy police superintendent, and an Alderman in this case Jeanette Taylor. Of course the town hall got heated though it underscores in some respects how unhappy some people in this city are with these migrants coming into their neighborhoods.

The other day I was walking around the Streeterville neighborhood, and I do believe it was noted in the WBBM-TV report. And near the intersection of St. Clair & Ohio there's a hotel there and you see these migrants (presumably I might add) just standing around loitering near the hotel and in a nearby alley. That alley is next door to a Dunkin Donuts. I'm amazed that this going on one block away from Michigan Avenue - the Magnificient Mile.

Just so that you might not be persuaded solely by the commentary offered by ABL, I will share links to the WBBM-TV report both video and a written report from the Hyde Park Herald.  [VIDEO]

Could social media be utilized to influence people to move into a neighborhood?

 Over at the Capitol Fax today there is a post about a Peoria, ILL resident who is using her reach on TikTok to influence people to live there. She doesn't work as a real estate agent or even for Peoria itself she is sure to tell people about what to do there (say entertainment or restaurants), what movers to rely on, or certainly another important aspect finding a job in a particular city.

TikTok infulencer persuades hundreds to settle down in Peoria https://t.co/WiVx7cL8EL

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) March 30, 2023

The question I may ask is what things are available for people to do in say Roseland or Pullman? What restaurants exist? What entertainment options? What kind of retail?

Also the price of housing - that is rent or a mortgage. What kind of people live there? Certainly what types of opportunities entrepreneurial or employment might exist?

Perhaps there a person out there pondering these things whatever neighborhood in the city they live in. Of course if we're lacking in those attributes that makes a particular community attractive what can be done to change that?

The Chicago Neighborhoods

ABC 7: Private security firms to patrol Beverly, Morgan Park and Mt Greenwood

 

[VIDEO] Out of ward 19. Ald. Matt O'Shea wasn't seen in this report however he was quoted as stating that his part of the city is safe, but acknowledged that police are stretched thin. Security will be unarmed and if they see illegal activity will remain on scene and call police. This extra layer is appreciated by residents as you see in the above story.

Sept. 5th Pullman Nat'l Monument Opening

 

[VIDEO] I see there were other festivities on Labor Day that featured the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Chicago among other dignitaries. And of course the Alderman of Ward 9 Anthony Beale was around for this since the nat'l monument is in our ward. Here's to the positives of this new tourist destination on this part of town.

This was recorded by local YouTuber artistmac. Enjoy!

I hope you get a kick out of those antique bikes called penny farthings and the two gents riding them in period clothing.

I hope everyone had a restful and safe Labor Day weekend.

Urbanize Chgo: Historic Pullman Nat'l Monument ready for Labor Day grand opening #Ward09

The Chicago Neighborhoods

Something to look forward to this weekend the National Monument in the historic Pullman neighborhood in our part of the city will have a grand opening this coming weekend.

Pullman tourism poster

 I've been following the work from The Chicago Neighborhood for years. The talent he brings in designing brands for Chicago's neighborhoods and for the many parts of the city that tourists should come visit is impressive.

Historic Pullman on Christmas Eve 2020

 

[VIDEO] It's a bit snowy in Pullman isn't it. As depicted in these scenes uploaded this morning as we seen in this video of the historic planned company town/Chicago neighborhood, now a national monument.

I hope you all have a safe, festive, and happy holidays this year.

White Castle 2 E. State Street in Roseland #Ward09 #tbt

You may well have seen this photo below on social media taken in the mid-1980s of the White Castle that formerly stood at 111th & State Streets or actually 2 E. 111th street. I'm most familiar with this location since often looking for a hamburger slider fix this was where my folks went. At some point during the 1990s this location was closed and demolished.

Then looking for photos I found an even older photo of the White Castle taken in 1937 according to the information on the photograph. Could be the same building and I don't recognize the neighborhood around it.

Via Pinterest

Of course back in the 1980s the White Castle was surrounded by a post office to the north and then to the east on 111th Street was the YMCA. The post office is still there however the YMCA is long gone though the building itself remains.

I hope you enjoy this look back and a break from the dire news regarding coronavirus.

Editorial: The Avenue could again become magnificent #Ward09

The Chicago Neighborhood

This editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times makes reference to last year's fire at the former Gatelys Department store on the Michigan Avenue shopping strip south of 111th Street. It's probably time to redevelop that corridor, especially in time for that Red Line extension whenever it gets funded and construction starts.

Keep an eye on the Roseland neighborhood’s Michigan Avenue, once a retail strip so popular it was called Chicago’s second Magnificent Mile.

Shoppers could find anything from school supplies to furniture to brand new cars.

Rocked by two devastating extra-alarm fires within the last year, and now slammed by a pandemic that’s likely to change forever how we shop and gather, the faded and struggling commercial strip faces a tough future.

But “The Avenue” — as this stretch of Michigan Avenue between 115th and 107th was called in its heyday — now is being targeted by the city for possible redevelopment.

The plans were in place before the coronavirus broke out and they’ll need to be modified. But given that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit all traditional retail strips hard — have you seen the boarded up stores on North Michigan Avenue these days? — saving The Avenue should be even more of a priority.

When neighborhood shopping dies, neighborhoods die.

The Avenue’s day as a regional commercial giant are not likely to return. People just don’t shop in brick-and-mortar stores the way they used to, and the street’s major retailers, such as JCPenney, are long gone.

But the buildings still stand and could be reused in potentially exciting new ways. And if done correctly, the lessons learned here could be applied to troubled commercial streets in neighborhoods elsewhere on the South and West sides.

Probably excerpted a lot more than I should've so I'll stop there and hope that you'll read the whole thing.

The editorial itself makes reference to this strip's proximity to the Pullman National Monument. How could the businesses and the community leverage that. The Avenue - at least for those old school residents might refer to the strip - might not return to the glory days. I still would like to see what plans could develop with revitalization. What entrepreneurs can become successful in this area.

CTA Red Line extension update

Rendering 103rd Street Red Line station - CTA 

Over at The Sixth Ward on Tuesday I shared a tweet to a Curbed Chicago article with regards to various upcoming transit projects throughout the city. One project that many who live near the 95th terminal is the planned CTA Red Line extension. One reason that Curbed article was of interest to me is the seeming progress in which case is to merely fund engineering & design work.

Of course the reason for this interest is mainly the safety and activity of the area. The 95th terminal is one of the busiest of the CTA. The CTA Red Line connects with not only CTA and Pace suburban bus routes, also intercity bus services with Greyhound and Indian Trails buses. So there's definitely a lot of activity there especially during the week.

The main thing is building this extension further south to the city's southern limits might mean less activity at 95th. Or perhaps hopefully for local leaders in the community less opportunities for criminal activity. Either way another stated and important purpose for this extension is to cut commuting times for those individuals who must use public transit who must travel to other parts of the city.

State Theater 11016 S. Michigan Ave #tbt

The State Theater is one many movie theaters that existed on what was known in local parlance as The Ave. South Michigan Avenue in Roseland during far more prosperous times was a very active destination for local shoppers until the local economy changed after the 1970s.

According to Cinema Treasures this theater was opened in 1922 and as you read in below ig post from Pete Kastanes was demolished in 1997.

View this post on Instagram

The State Theater once located at 11016 S Michigan Ave in The Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. It was demolished in 1997.

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 1:23pm PST

Here's a Google streetview image of the corner where this theater was located near 110th & Michigan.

Here's another ig post from Kastanes of a 1936 program from the State. Sometimes I forget how different going to the movies was for movie goers back in the day.

View this post on Instagram

Here is a 1936 program from The State Theater once located at 11016 S Michigan Ave in The Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. It was demolished in 1997.

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 1:24pm PST

Here is a listing of other theaters that existed along The Ave/Michigan Avenue according to Cinema Treasures.

Chicago History Today: 103rd/Eggleston then & now #fbf

Just think how often I pass through this general area and it's fascinating how this area has changed over the years. 103rd Street and Eggleston back in 1905 about 113 years ago! This is courtesy of a photo provided by local historian J.R. Schmidt.

Here's how Schmidt described this scene from the early 20th century:

We are on 103rd Street at the railroad crossing, midway between Halsted and State. In 1905 this was the site of the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad’s Fernwood station, so various businesses had been established in the immediate vicinity. Yet traffic along the street was so light that people commonly walked down the middle.

Of course as you see there are a lot of changes to this stretch. You can go over to his post from 2015 to see how this area looks today. Just think this will be the next stop from 95th once the CTA Red Line is extended.

Oh wow, another shot of a streetcar! 

111th & Michigan Roseland, Chicago

Found a photo of this corner 111th/Michigan on twitter - which was retweeted on @thesixthward.

Today is #NationalFriedChickenDay! Here is a photo of Chicken Unlimited. This one was once located at E 111th St & S Michigan Ave in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. Countdown to 36,000 likes to Chicago’s Extinct Businesses continues! 8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1 pic.twitter.com/7PLFz0dKUY

— Chicago's Extinct Businesses (@chgoextbusiness) July 6, 2018

Chicken Unlimited was once where the currency exchange is currently located. This is how this corner looks now. Quite a vast difference.

As you will see below some buildings are missing and while the Google Street image below is from 2015. The building in two years time looks vastly different and it has me wondering if this is the same building as Chicken Unlimited. Now I wonder!