The Fair Trader quietly closed its doors a couple of weekends ago, and for the most compelling of reasons — not enough customers. Amidst the clamor in the neighborhood around the proposed McMobil high-rise and the ongoing conversation about Harper Court and its value to the retail scene in Hyde Park, the loss of this(…)
As of this weekend, the Red Line reconstruction project begins, which means Red Line service ends for at least five months. Residents from across the South Side who use the Red Line to get around will be shuttled to the Garfield Green Line stop. In the oft-understated parlance of the CTA: Expect delays. We have(…)
The debate over the planned high-rise development across from Nichols Park, called Vue53 by the developers and McMobil by everyone in the neighborhood, is shaking out to a few key points. We are enjoying watching that process unfold in the pages of our paper. As arguments are made both for and against the project, we(…)
As the vote to decide whether to close 54 Chicago Public Schools draws near — it is scheduled for next Wednesday, May 22 — we are endorsing a very sensible proposal regarding Canter Middle School, which is on the closure list, made by House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25), whose district includes Canter, 4959(…)
If Chicago Public School administrators have their way, this will be the last school year Canter Middle School remains open. It was listed as one of more than 50 schools CPS announced would close last week because of underutilization. CPS is broke, we are told, and maintaining underused buildings will mean fewer programs for the(…)
South East Chicago Commission Executive Director Wendy Williams laid out a case last week for the advantages of a Special Services Area on 53rd Street for readers of the Herald. Williams, who is a member of the SSA Advisory Committee, spends a lot of her time thinking about how to attract shoppers to 53rd Street.(…)
Developers of the Mobil gas station and former McDonalds sites on 53rd Street across from Nichols Park presented to Hyde Parkers on Jan. 28 a vision for the combined parcel that clearly meets one goal of planners for the new 53rd Street — residential density. Unfortunately, it achieves that goal at the cost of almost(…)
When new Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett was appointed last year, her rhetoric related to public school closures gave us reason to be hopeful that, at last, CPS had a leader who understood the need for input from teachers and parents, especially when contemplating the dramatic decision to close schools. She promised to listen(…)