Chicago 33rd Most Affordable Metro Area April 17, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies, Chicago Fact, The Arts in the City, Sustainability , add a commentA new study by Bizjournals.com, a group of business publications, ranked housing affordability in the nation’s metropolitan areas, with terse advice for those seeking a financially manageable place to live: ABC —-That is, Anywhere But California.
Bizjournals compared median home payments and household income levels in the nation’s 50 largest metros. The study was based on statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey, the most up-to-date source of federal data on housing costs. The study, to no one’s particular surprise, concluded that six of the seven most expensive places for housing are in the Golden State. Others on the list of America’s 10 most expensive home markets are New York City, Sacramento, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Boston.
The study compared median home payments, property taxes and household income in 50 metros. Los Angeles was most expensive: The magazines estimated the monthly housing tab in L.A. amounts to about 75.5 percent of the median household income, with a median monthly mortgage-and-tax payment of $3,491.
Compare that to the most affordable metro, Oklahoma City. There, housing eats up just 19 percent of the median household income, the magazines said. The median monthly bill for mortgage and taxes is $667.
Chicago ranks as the 33rd most affordable metro, ahead of such cities as Portland OR (37th),Seattle, (40th), Boston (42nd), NYC (46th) and San Francisco (49th). In Chicago, where the aforementioned housing charges consume about 35 percent of our income, the study said. It pegged the median mortgage payment here at $1,358; add to that a median monthly property tax of $309, and your basic home-owning Chicagoan gets a monthly mortgage payment of $1,667.
The complete rankings are at www.bizjournals.com; go to “Online Edition” and click “Special Reports.”
Chicago Named a Top City for Hispanics April 9, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Chicago Fact, DifferenceMakers , add a commentHispanic Magazine, came out last year out with their annual Top 10 Cities for Hispanics, and Chicago ranked in the top 10 among all US cities. The magazine looked at several factors in coming up with their top 10, such as cost of living, average home cost, Hispanic population, violent crime, pollution, health insurance costs, unemployment rates, and measures of school success. Chicago was given poor marks for cost of living, but high marks for wages and for a large and active Hispanic population. The Windy City also received high marks for “diverse culture” and “wealth of arts”.
The Top 10 Cities for Hispanics: (in alphabetical order)
01. Albuquerque
02. Austin
03. Chicago
04. Dallas
05. Denver
06. Houston
07. Miami
08. Phoenix
09. San Antonio
10. Tucson
The article goes on to say that Hispanics comprise 29% percent of the overall city’s population. The City of Chicago also has an active Puerto Rican community complete with its own street (Paseo Boricua), about 3 or 4 Puerto Rican specific restaurants, and an annual parade attended by many.
Google Maps and CTA = Excellent Public Transportation Directions April 8, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Technology, Chicago Fact, Tech Tips , 1 comment so farAlright Chicago — way to link up with Google!
Chicago Transit Authority riders can now plan their trips using the Google Transit Web site, Mayor Richard M. Daley and CTA officials announced Tuesday. Through a new partnership with Google, mapping and directions for CTA bus and rail services are available in 11 languages on the Google Transit Web site, according to a release from the CTA.
Google’s new Transit Chicago map gives detailed public transportation routes, like O’Hare to Wrigley Field. This initiative expands on Google’s popular mapping features and driving instructions to provide information for transit riders. Chicago is now the largest U.S. city to offer this service to transit riders, joining Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon, among others.To access travel information, customers enter an originating address and a destination address. Tabs will allow customers to obtain public transit directions and provide the ability to customize the date and time of the transit trip.
When accessing the public transit data, step-by-step written directions will appear with fare information included. A map of the route represented by icons appears and clicking the icon will display an estimated schedule for the departure of the next train or bus. A link on the Google Transit page will take visitors to CTA’s web site at www.transitchicago.com to easily access additional CTA information.
You can reach the site here.
Chicago Ranks 9th as Green City April 7, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Chicago Fact, Sustainability , 1 comment so farPopular Science recently reported its top 50 greenest cities, where Chicago ranked a strong ninth in the country. In their ranking, the key variables analyzed were:
- Electricity (E; 10 points): Cities score points for drawing their energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power, as well as for offering incentives for residents to invest in their own power sources, like roof-mounted solar panels.
- Transportation (T; 10 points): High scores go to cities whose commuters take public transportation or carpool. Air quality also plays a role.
- Green living (G; 5 points): Cities earn points for the number of buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as for devoting area to green space, such as public parks and nature preserves.
- Recycling and green perspective (R; 5 points): This measures how comprehensive a city’s recycling program is (if the city collects old electronics, for example) and how important its citizens consider environmental issues.
Here are the leaders:
1. Portland, Ore. 23.1
- Electricity: 7.1 Transportation: 6.4 Green Living: 4.8 Recycling/Perspective: 4.8
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public (more…)
Chicago Voted Best Destination for Food and Dining March 16, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Chicago Fact, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentTravel + Leisure, Headline News and CNN.com are launching their annual search for the best cities in America. Since Chicago was voted the best destination for food and dining in 2007, let’s make it happen again in 2008!
Here’s how to vote on the Travel & Leisure website below.
Let the debates begin
When Travel + Leisure announced the results of last year’s America’s Favorite Cities Survey, debates raged on television, in print and on the Internet: Was Chicago really the best destination for food and dining (as well as pizza)? As a foodie, I knew that, and all of you knew that, but finally the rest of the country knew that.
But did you think that Philadelphians deserve last place in the attractive citizens category? Are Seattle residents really the most intelligent in the country? How could sunny Los Angeles edge out surly New York as the least friendly city?
Cast your vote now
Here’s your chance to tell us what YOU think. Visit TravelandLeisure.com/afc/survey from March 7 to June 15, take the 2008 America’s Favorite Cities Survey and enter to win a dream trip for two. We want to know: Which of these 25 urban contenders has the best shoe shopping or ethnic eats? Where would you go for a romantic escape? Which cities have the best (and worst) museums, theater and live music? If you want a wild weekend or a relaxing retreat, which urban destination would you visit? You know best, so tell us!
(HT: Bestofthebestdiningchicago.com)
Chciago Voted Best Radio Market in the Country March 16, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Chicago Fact, The Cultural Conversation , add a commentWe know what a great music town this is, but it’s been confirmed by The Infinite Dial Radio Blog, which rated Chicago the best radio market in the country. Here is what they said in summary:
- When we put together the list of the Ten Best Markets For Radio Listeners–those that offered the best combination of quantity and quality on AM/FM radio–there was some discussion about whether our choice for the No. 1 market would surprise people. After all, it wasn’t New York or Los Angeles, two places that get a lot more attention. But nobody who has ever been connected with Chicago radio will be surprised. This is a market where radio has always been taken very seriously and held to a certain standard.
- Chicago is a great market for listeners because of the choice it offers.
- There are more head-to-head battles than you’ll find in most markets (Top 40, Urban, Talk, Mainstream AC, Regional Mexican, Classic Rock, Urban AC, Sports, and even the Variety Hits battle between Jack-FM and Nine-FM).
- There’s also, seemingly, the most student-run radio per capita of any market,
- There are more viable suburban radio than in most places.
- Chicago is also still the morning show capital of the world.
- Chicago has what many consider to be the best male/female morning show in the country in WTMX (the Mix)’s Eric & Kathy, who still manage to animate what has become a cliché in other markets, and get more out of their callers than most.
- It’s also a market with a lot of recent activity. WKQX (Q101) has segued from its more eclectic version of Alternative to the cusp of Active Rock, meaning that Heritage Rock sister WLUP has gone more Classic Rock. FM Talker WCKG has become CBS’ second “Fresh FM,” launching while longtime AC WLIT plays Christmas music. WILV (Love 100.3) has segued from Jammin’ Oldies to a broader-based ’70s/’80s party format. Progressive talker WCPT has moved frequencies.
Think You Know Chicago? Test Yourself March 5, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Breaking News, Urban Church, Chicago Fact, Chicago Photo , add a commentAs you most know, I love Chicago and everything about it. I found a great new show on 
our local PBS station WTTW, called Hidden Chicago, where Geoffrey Baer takes you all over the Chicago region in search of often-overlooked fragments of our city’s history. Many are in places you pass by every day. But when you learn their hidden stories you’re sure to say “I never knew that!”.
Leave a comment and tell us your favorite hidden chicago tidbit……
Test Your Own Knowledge of Hidden Chicago:
Q: Where will you find an actual ticket booth from the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893?
A: In the back yard of a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Oak Park. It was moved there after the fair for use as a children’s playhouse and later became a garden shed.
Q: Where is the monument that Benito Mussolini gave to Chicago?
A: Along the Lakefront - just east of Soldier Field on the site of the 1933 World’s Fair. It’s a 2000 year old Roman column commemorating the arrival at the fair of a fleet of Italian seaplanes under the command of General Italo Balbo.
Q: Is there really a cowpath among the skyscrapers in the Loop?
A: There were no cows living in the loop when the highrise building at 100 W. Monroe was constructed in 1928. But a passageway through the building was left open anyway because the deed required it. It was part of a strip of land that a farmer named William Jones retained for his use when he sold this land in 1840. According to newspaper accounts Jones wanted to be sure he still had a way to walk his cows to pasture. It’s behind black metal doors and not open to the public.
Q: What’s that metal blob hiding in the bushes behind the Chicago History Museum at North and Clark?
A: It’s all that’s left of a storefront that melted in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Q: Where was the first movie version of “The Wizard of Oz” filmed?
A: At Selig Studios located at the corner of Byron and Claremont (map) on Chicago’s North Side. The yellow brick structure is now used for condominiums. Chicago was the silent movie capital of America before the industry moved to Hollywood. Another studio, Essanay is also still standing. Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and others worked there. It’s now St. Augustine College in the Uptown neighborhood.
Q: Why is there a mural behind the clutter in the manager’s office at Meyer’s Ace Hardware in Bronzeville?
A: This building once housed one of Louis Armstrong’s favorite jazz clubs, the Sunset Café. The mural decorated the back wall of the stage, which is now the store manager’s office.o
Already Thinking About Chicago’s Farmer’s Markets March 3, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Chicago Fact , add a commentI am so-o-o-o-o-o ready for summer. Once we get past the Super Bowl, it takes everything I’ve got to bear through the rest of winter. Summer is a ways off , but already the season’s summer farmer’s markets are getting prepared for a season that finds many of them all over Chicago. Did you know that according to the USDA, there were 4,385 organized, local markets across the country in 2006, a dramatic 18 percent rise since 2004? I am a huge fan of farmer’s markets - you get the best priced and freshest produce, baked goods, flowers and other food items, AND it’s a super fun Saturday morning activity to go walking around in and out of the vendor’s stalls. There are five such markets in the downtown area alone and twenty different markets all over the city that operate on a weekly basis (days of the week vary) — also see below. Here’s a Google mashup map for your convenience.
One of the local markets for us is the Green City Farmer’s Market (Chitown’s only 100% sustainable market, which runs May 14 through October and named one of the country top 10 by renowned chef, Alice Waters). However, if you’re not in Chicago, you can find a free listing for local farmer’s markets (more…)
“Time of Your Life” - Jeff Recommended February 14, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Breaking News, Chicago Fact, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City, Provision Theater, Culture and Faith , add a commentCome on out and see “Time of Your Life, a Pulitzer prize-winning play by William Saroyan performed by Provision Theater Company at the Viaduct Theater at 3111 N Western Avenue in West Roscoe Village. Don’t miss this poetic tribute to optimism and dreams, starring Tim Gregory. A stellar 22-person ensemble cast brings to life Saroyan’s message of spending your life truly living, and Sue and I are going tonight so we can give you a first hand report. It’s already been reviewed by the Jeff Committee and got a RECOMENDED verdict from them.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - Provision Theater has mounted a masterpiece… a magical evening of theatre… the kind of show that you want to experience again.” - Tom Williams, ChicagoCritic.com
LISTED AS ONE OF THE TOP 5 SHOWS TO SEE NOW
Sweet… Attractive… a postcard of a different time.” - William Scott, New City
“Saroyan’s writing is lyrical… characters, entertaining… there’s a humanity to this play.” - Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald
“Snuggle in the nostalgic comfort… an American classic.” - Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City Times
JEFF RECOMMENDED!
Chicago Leads Nation: 25-34 Year Olds January 12, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Urban Church, Chicago Fact, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City , add a commentAs we have always said at Park Community Church, Chicago is a magnet for bright talented college graduates to come to a global city and begin their careers. This was affirmed this week in an article by Crains Chicago Business who reported that Chicago leads the nation in the concentration of 25-34 year olds within three miles of the city center.
Crains reports:
Human capital — a buzzword among economists — simply means people. Think of it as raw material made up of bankers, traders, consultants, advertisers, engineers, artists and others who, through brainpower and creativity, turn ideas into money. “The comparative advantage of cities is determined by how smart, how trained, how innovative, how entrepreneurial the people are in that city,” says Edward Glaeser, a Harvard urban economist who advised the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ study group.
Chicago’s human capital is strong. Among U.S. cities, Chicago ranks first in the concentration of young people (ages 25 to 34) living within three miles of downtown. It’s second only to New York in the number of those with college degrees. Its universities are world class. The University of Chicago has been home to 20 Nobel Prize laureates, while both the U of C’s Graduate School of Business and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management rank among the world’s best business schools. Chicago also has the quality of life that keeps people here — vibrant art and music scenes, restaurants, museums, parks and recreational facilities.
Read the whole article here.
Chicago is the Most…… January 6, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Chicago Fact , add a commentAs many of you know, I LOVE CHICAGO and all things about ti and believe that is ti the most livable, and best global city to live in around the world. As we begin 2008, I thought I would give you some of the titles Chicago holds as I Googled around the web.
Chicago is the most………
1. Caffeinated city in the US (Healthsaver survey)
2. Chocolate consuming city in the nation (Healthsaver survey)
3. Colas consuming city in the nation(Healthsaver survey)
4. Expensive place to buy cigarettes (retirementliving.com)
5. Studied American city— thanks to the birth of American sociology at the University of Chicago.
6. Accessible city in the country. The transportation hub of the Midwest, Chicago boasts the world’s busiest airport and is located at the intersection of the busiest interstate highway system. Approximately, 180,000 travelers pass through O’Hare International Airport daily. Chicago is the only U.S. city with three airline hubs, plus 50 commercial, commuter, and cargo airlines at O’Hare alone. When combined, O’Hare, Midway, and several small local airfields serve nearly 70 commercial, commuter, and cargo airlines with more than 300 daily flights to approximately 200 cities. All told, the Chicago area offers more nonstop flights than any other city. And, in an increasingly important global economy, airline carriers offer direct service from O’Hare to 60 cities around the world.
7. Important railroad center in North America. More lines of track radiate in more directions from Chicago than from any other city. Chicago has long been the most important interchange point for freight traffic between the nation’s major railroads and it is the hub of Amtrak, the intercity rail passenger system.
8. Visited U.S. destination for business travelers for several years running, according to a survey of business travelers fielded by Accenture, a global management and technology services company. This city is always adapting and improving to better meet the needs of convention organizers and their attendees.
9. Important Great Lakes port.
10. Searched City’ for Holiday Cards - CardsDirect.com
11. Ethnically diverse city in North America per capita. On the north side of the city, one out of three people is foreign-born.
12. Chicago is the most popular destination for Labor Day 2007 (priceline.com).
13. Important architectural city in America.
14. Bike friendly city in the country. Mayor Richard Daley is solidly behind initiatives to create a 500 mile network of bike paths and bicycle-friendly streets in Chicago. He wants Chicago to be the most bicycle friendly city in the United States. The Bike 2015 Plan is the City of Chicago’s vision to make bicycling an integral part of daily life in Chicago. The plan recommends projects, programs and policies for the next ten years to encourage use of this practical, non-polluting and affordable mode of transportation.
15. Popular site for national conventions of both major political parties; since 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was nominated by the Republican Party, 26 national Republican or Democratic conventions have been held in the city. (MSN Encarta)
16. Known world-wide center of Polish immigration. Poles in Chicago are more visible and spectacular group than the Poles in NYC. Even on the airport O’Hare in Chicago one can hear announcements in Polish quite often. Many custom officers are caring the badges with the information “Mowimy po Polsku” (We are speaking Polish).
17. Livable major city there is, major being places that are home to several million people or more.What makes Chicago so great is that it looks and acts like a big city, but it doesn’t feel like one. Unlike so many cities its size, its cultural and recreational charms come with some big benefits. You won’t break the bank to live there; rents and home prices remain relatively reasonable. It’s accessible by public transportation and car. And it’s looking spiffier than ever thanks to major beautification and redevelopment efforts. (Best Places to Live)
18. Ethnically and culturally diverse city in the United States, and probably in the world.
19. Expensive city to fill up your car’s gas tank, thanks to city and county taxes.
20. Dog friendly city in the US.
Friday Fun Fact About Chicago October 27, 2006
Posted by Steve in : Weblog, Chicago Fact , add a commentI love this city! In fact, I have just celebrated my 20th anniversary of my move here last week. Chicago is the greatest large urban city in the world to live in (IMHO!) and I want to share each week a fun fact about Chicago from the Encyclopedia of Chicago by Janice L. Reiff Ann Durkin Keating,
James R. Grossman
As a Christfollower and member of Park Community Church, a church committed to the city, , we want to celebrate all the goodness and excitement of Chicago, the third largest city in the United States. Cities are a critical element in God’s redemptive plan, because they are places of size and population density, centers of influence and commerce, and the gateway for those who are broken, in transition or in need. Given its preeminence as a global business and transportation hub, we believe that Chicago is one of the most exciting and strategic places to live, work and live out the life that God has for us here. Today we will start this new Friday item by looking at the venerable Wrigley Field.
Wrigley Field
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A mecca for baseball fans, a Chicago landmark, and the heart of “Wrigleyville,” fabled Wrigley Field originated in 1914 as home of the Chicago Whales in the short-lived Federal League. When that league folded in 1916, owner Charles Weeghman bought the National League Chicago Cubs, moving them from the West Side to his new ballpark at Clark and Addison Streets. Following purchase of the team by William Wrigley, Jr., in 1920, the park became Wrigley Field in 1926. A second deck was added in 1927–28; bleachers, the famous manually operated scoreboard, and ivy-covered outfield walls in 1937; and lights in 1988, 40 years after they were standard elsewhere.
Rich in legends, redolent with nostalgia, and superbly maintained, Wrigley Field is known nationwide as a site for baseball as it once was and as many would like it still to be: a game played on natural grass, chiefly in the daytime, in intimate surroundings that link players and fans, in a residential neighborhood rather than a sea of parking lots. Rumbling by the right-field stands, “L” trains link baseball with its yesterdays and the Cubs with their legions of North Side fans.
Successfully marketing “Beautiful Wrigley Field” and “The Friendly Confines” as an attractive place to spend a carefree afternoon in the sun, the Wrigleys and the Tribune Company (owners since 1981) have found it unnecessary in the modern era to mount a consistently good team. Built for baseball, the park proved an unsuitable home for football’s Chicago Bears, who played there until 1970. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, about to become the oldest ballpark in baseball, Wrigley Field had become a model for a new generation of baseball-only parks in other cities.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Chicago
