Found this photo via Roseland History on Facebook. It shows a building which is used for apartments on the top floor and a storefront on the street located on 10957 S. Wentworth.
We see how it looked during the 1910s vs today. It appears the storefont is covered up today and the whole building is vacant and boarded up.
This is why I say "make the corner store great again". A building like this ought to be used for housing and certainly with a business operating on the street.
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Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias officially joined the 2027 Chicago mayoral race on Sunday in an exclusive interview with NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern. He announced his candidacy while criticizing Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration for failing to “meet the moment,” citing high staff turnover, credit-rating problems, and difficulty advancing an agenda through City Council and Springfield. Giannoulias positioned himself as a coalition-builder who can work across labor, business, and neighborhood lines, and outlined priorities that include hiring more police officers, restoring ShotSpotter, and handling under-enrolled schools through community-driven processes rather than abrupt top-down closures.
In the interview, Giannoulias was clear in his opposition to President Trump, calling him dangerous to the world order and pointing to his own record of resisting Trump administration policies, including limits on ICE access to Illinois driver data. At the same time, he said he would still meet with Trump, framing it as a practical necessity: a mayor has to be willing to engage when the city’s interests — federal funding, public safety resources, or other issues affecting neighborhoods like the 9th Ward — are on the line.
The 2027 Chicago mayoral election is shaping up to be one of the most crowded in recent memory. With Election Day set for February 23, 2027 (and a potential runoff on April 6), the field of challengers to incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson continues to grow. Petitions can begin circulating as early as July 28, 2026, and the race remains fluid.
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| Source: ABC7Chicago |
For residents of Chicago’s 9th Ward and the broader South Side, this contest matters deeply. We need leaders who will prioritize reliable transit (like Red and Green Line service to downtown jobs), safer streets, affordable housing that preserves long-time homeowners, equitable school resources, and economic development that actually reaches our neighborhoods instead of stopping at downtown or the lakefront. At the same time, the next mayor must tackle city-wide challenges that affect every Chicagoan — from structural budget deficits to system-wide transit reliability and government efficiency.
Here’s the latest breakdown of who has officially announced and who remains rumored or potential as of early July 2026.
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.
Forgot to note, that I just recently published a page for the 2011 elections.
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| 2011 Election |
This was the election where President Obama's former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was elected Mayor of Chicago. He had a tumultuous two terms as mayor and fun fact 2011 was the last time a candidate outright won the mayoral election without having to go to a run-off.
In 2015, Mayor Emanuel was in a runoff with then Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia. In 2019, Lori Lightfoot won the mayor's race against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. And then in 2023 then Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson defeats former Chicago Public School CEO Paul Vallas.
Question is what would 2027 hold. We're at more than the halfway point for the next municipal elections here in Chicago.
Also, it causes me to want to tweak the 2015 and 2019 pages to include the mayoral race. I've included in all these election pages the Ward 9 Alderman election as that's the race that should be very important, not just the mayoral race.
Feel free to let me know if there's anything I should add to these pages.
Also for the record this is now Ward 9 looked up until 2015.
Black and white HR Koopman postcard showing Michigan Avenue in Roseland looking south from 110th Street, 1912. Chicago's other "Magnificent Mile".
I wish we could bring back the hustle & bustle to this street. In my own research I've learned longtime residents at least before "white flight" would refer to Michigan Avenue as The Avenue. You see from one of the signs here to the right.
This is about how this same area looks now via Google Streetview in 2011. You head south on Michigan Avenue from 110th Street you see a bend, especially near that storefront that used to be Major Motors on the east side of the street.
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| Click for better resolution |
Before sharing this video, I had been for the past month or so documenting scooters that have been left on my street overtime. And in my opinion these scooters were left on the sidewalk on my street as an afterthought. Many of these scooters are in the way and are obstacles.
My solution is that these scooters need to be left in designated areas. Such as a bus stop, however, I understand that with these Lime scooters that's not allowed. So what do we do?
Also these scooters are supposed to be locked on bike racks, however, this might be inconvenient to bikers. That's not a "perfect" solution either.
Downtown I witnessed scooters being docked, just like these Divvy Bikes. And there are some of them in the community. Why can't these be placed at these docks?
Thankfully if you're tired of these scooters being left around the community and being in the way of pedestrians, one solution is to call 311.
You can always visit the 311 site here or with your smartphone you can use the 311 app. And using the website and app you can send the city pictures of these scooters that you want removed.
Now with this knowledge this is something I'm taking advantage of to clear the sidewalks of these scooters. Allow me to share the video from Chicago Like a Local on YouTube. [VIDEO]
Allow me to open the floor to you all. If you walk on the sidewalk are you annoyed with these scooters being left on the sidewalks? What would you like to see done about it? Would you prefer that these scooters are left in designated areas.
Earlier on Thursday "business" took me into Roseland and decided to snap a few shots. I can't stand the ruin porn, a lot of vacant storefronts.
You see that Hillman's sign? That used to be a grocery store. This is a block or so north of 115th Street. The old Hillman's store faces a Chicago Fire Department firehouse. The only grocery store appears to be home to a medical facility of some sort.
And this isn't that far away from the Red Line Extension to be built near 115th & Michigan.
In fact to give credit where credit is due, this photo was shared on the Red Line Extension FB page.
Also allow me to announce you can now find Ninth Ward Chicago on TruthSocial & BlueSky. You can always follow us via @TheSixthWard on X formerly known as Twitter, although perhaps it's time to change the handle there.
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.
[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?
[VIDEO] CharlieBo on YouTube driving around Roseland primarily along South Michigan Avenue from as far south as 119th Street to about 108th Street. That YouTuber primarily drives around urban areas, seemingly decaying urban areas.
One could look at South Michigan Avenue as a decaying area, however, I like to look at what could be. A lot of vacant lots and boarded up buildings, houses, etc. Fortunes could change and as it seems has been said a lot on this page with the Red Line extension there's an opportunity there.
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| 11517 S. Michigan Ave |
I found this photo in the Roseland History FB group. Some recall donuts in the basement of this store. Another commented that they want to bring back "The Ave" which is what they called the shopping strip along South Michigan Avenue.
I'm curious what happened to the Gately's sign as it was an easily recognizable landmark that perhaps many took for granted even if the store itself had long ago closed.
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| Via VanishedChicagoland FB |
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.
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?
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| The Chicago Neighborhoods |
[VIDEO] Something for you to watch this weekend. The YouTube channel called It's History discusses the history of the Pullman neighborhood. From it's days as a company town for the Pullman Company that produced those luxury sleeper cars for railroads to it's current history as a Chicago neighborhood after annexation. This is Ninth Ward Chgo and thus Pullman is part of the fabric of this part of the city. Enjoy.
Events taking place tomorrow Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. These flyers are provided in a recent email blast by Ald. Anthony Beale.
[VIDEO] FOX 32 reports on attacks by a mob (10 or 15) of teens near the 95th Street Red Line terminal. The attack was reported to have happened an hour before the remote by reporter Elizabeth Matthews. Matthews was broadcasting inside Abbott Park across from the terminal.
So an incident happened before Matthews was broadcasting and they reported another incident last night speaking with one of the victims wear a facemask and a bandage over her nose. The victim who was assaulted suffered a fractured nose.
So not only are they punching victims, they're also using pepper spray and engaging in strong arm robbery.
Be careful on the train, getting off the train, and perhaps even on the bus.
[VIDEO] The video of a crowd huddled around an intersection where cars were drifting and doing donuts is at the corner of 115th/Halsted. There's a Checker's there, two service stations, and a vacant lot where a Jewel/Osco and a Zayre (which later became the Halsted Indoor Mall now demolished) were formerly located.
So this display of loud and noisy cars took place there at 3 AM. I wonder how long has this been going on. A few weeks earlier a similar display was recorded at Monroe/Clinton near the Loop. The city council recently voted to impound cars involved in this, however, in this incident on Halsted police came and no one was arrested.
