Positivity on a Monday is a great thing:
Hi Sloopin!I was wondering about the possibility of starting a thread focused on some of the positive aspects of the SL. I was reading back through some of the posts, and so many of the sloopers are angry and frustrated by the state of the market, things that are happening in our neighborhood ect. This is understandable as there is so much negativity to go around for people these days with regard to jobs, the economy, housing. Things are not great, but at the same time, we still live in an exciting and yes, still growing environment. I can still walk out my door and be by the lake in just a few short minutes. Sitting by the water can do wonders for your stress level! I still have access to public transportation and highways much more easily then some of my north side friends. I can find a park to take my dog to or lay out with a good book. I can eat at some good restaurants. I can get my fix at whole foods, go see a movie in the awesome new theater (and have a drink with it by the way if you go to the upstairs area). I also celebrate the diversity of our neighborhood. Talk to some of the people who live in the low-income housing when you walk past. You get to know that they are not dangerous and mean, but people not so different from anyone else.No, I can not shop at many different cute boutiques, or buy a cupcake, or have as many options for entertainment as some of my N. Side friends. However, I continue to have hope that people will work hard, neighbors and government alike, to make changes to this area to make it more desirable. I wonder what we can do as a community to come up with ideas to make things better. We can keep complaining all we want, and granted, sometimes it is nice to vent, but we should also shout out the potential of our area and celebrate what we do have to draw people in!!
(Hat Tip: RP!)
26 comments:
Hey, more good news! if you want a cupcake, head to 16th between michigan and wabash: three peas art lounge. irregular hours but definitely a nice space.
A van selling gourmet cupcakes was parked in front of 1250 S Michigan last Wednesday. See, it ain't so bad, the cupcakes come to us! I absolutely love living in the south loop and would not want to live anywhere else in the city.
Right on! Thanks for your positive thoughts :)
I completely agree! As a new resident in the South Loop, I have an endless list of great things I love about this neighborhood!
Well put RP! If I was to write my thoughts on the South Loop, it would include many of the same thoughts as yourself.
HEAR, HEAR!!!
HEAR, HEAR!!!
Great Idea on this post! I also would not live any where else but in the South Loop. How about the great new (soon) community building at Indiana and 18th. And... its football season, no better part of the city on Sundays than the South Loop on game day.
LOVE IT! Eight Years and Counting!
Great to see so many positive comments! Been here almost a year - loving the short commute, restaurants, the movie theater, and the benefits of the neighborhood's central location!
finally!!! i was thinking about taking this blog off of my daily surf because of all the negativity and gloom/doom comments. we have been in south loop for two years and absolutely love it! we feel so fortunate to have so much green space, great neighbors and far enough away or just as close to everything as needed. lets flip this blog back around and focus on the positive.
i will start...the red velvet cupcakes at three peas art lounge are amazing!
I have lived here for 3 year and also would not want to live anywhere else! LOVE it here and love seeing the growth, changes, and new places popping up.
Anon 7:11 - "great new (soon) community building." -
Facility is already active. Goto www.park550advisorycouncil.com
This transplated Northsider (9 years there, 4 in the S Loop) is beginning to like this 'hood. I already love the proximity to the lake and Loop. What can we do to get some more retail and restaurants in to the area that I miss so much from my days on the North Side? We have the people, now we need more businesses. Thanks for the tip on Three Peas cupcakes, didn't know they had them.
Bought my first place in the SoLo 8 years ago, bought my next home with my wife in 2005 a block from the first. The SoLo is a very, very young neighborhood. Has tons of upside that includes lake front access, museum campus/soldier field, short bus ride or walk to grant/millenium park, ease of getting into city center, unmatched access to all major expressways, 3 grocery stores to choose from and so much more. And lets not forget clean! Stumble through some other neighborhoods and their alleyways and such and you'll notice the difference.
sure, some, if not most, of the SoLo newbies, including me, are screwed with home values and such, so we might as well as enjoy what our neighborhood has and remember why we chose to live here in the first place.
speaking of which, i am looking to open a fast casual authentic nyc-style bagel/coffee/deli/bakery shop south of Roosevelt on Michigan. how does the sloopin community feel about that?
we would loooooooooooooooooooove a deli in the neighborhood!!!! This would be the FIRST wish on my South Loop wish list-it's EXACTLY what we need! Please, please, please! And while i'm at it another diner too!
Seriously, please don't call the South Loop SoLo. This is not NYC.
We can't have too many delis in the neighborhood . . . but you'll have some stiff competition against Manny's, Jason's and Eleven City.
I'm a ten+ year resident and there's no place I'd rather be.
I would love to have a "nyc-style bagel/coffee/deli/bakery shop south of Roosevelt on Michigan". I have lived in the south loop for about 5 years and the one thing I always tell my wife I wish we had was a good bagel place. If you add good coffee and deli meat that would be a plus, but the most important thing to me would be good bagels. If you have that then I promise you will have at least one regular customer, since I live on Michigan just south of Roosevelt.
Still haven't heard anything about "what we can do to make things better" in the south loop . . .
I moved to the South Loop in March and I love how diverse the neighborhood is!!! Go to the park on 14th and Indiana and people gathered are every color of the rainbow. :-)
I really believe that one way we can make the SL better is to 1. really throw our support behind the stores, resturants, and service providers in our own area vs. going outside the SL. Eat here, go to the dentist here, buy your groceries, shoes, Sunday Brunch, Saturday drinks/dinner here. This will help to keep what we have alive, will provide these spots with more revenue and thus, the opportunity to make themselves even better. This will ultimately lead to better reputation and more diverse crowds. 2. Bring more retail here. We need more local spots, be it clothing, food etc. There are so many people living here, and so many holes for good retail ideas. The NYC style deli sounds great!! Too much too soon is not the way to go...we have seen first hand what happens with this route. However, a few good places can start a great new trend!
Don't the green, blue, and purple people scare you?
I can't think about blue people without thinking of "Arrested Development," and then I get the giggles. Thanks.
Personally i think part of the appeal of the South Loop right now is that it's not overrun with overpriced deli's, bakerys and douchebag bars. I know that will change eventually, but currently I like walking uncrowded streets, cooking at home and not being tempted by overpriced bagels and coffee.
Three Peas....I saw the menu, if you want to spend $12 on a cocktail, you'll like that place. I guess I'm not that artsy.
I'm scheduled to close on a loft at Chess Lofts at the end of September and am really excited about it, albeit most people don't consider it part of the loop. I've lived in the sloop for the last 2.5 years and now that I'm about to own I want this neighborhood to thrive. I support local shops, bars and restaurants!
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