The Week Past, the one Ahead

Here is a link to our July 12 issue.

The Silver Room 9th Annual Block Party is this Saturday, from Noon to 10PM, at Evergreen and Milwaukee. We will have booklets at the party!

The Week Past, the Week Ahead

Here is a link to the May 24 pipeline...

As for the week ahead, we will be very busy working on the We're in the Neighborhood booklet.

It is very exciting yet very scary at the same time. Lots to do, lots already done, and way more to go.

Spaces with Eva Bergant: "Let's Be Careful Out There"

On occasion, there are questions that some buyers ask, like How safe is this neighborhood? Or, Who else lives in this building?, which are never answered by their Realtor, because to do so would be in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

In compliance with the FHA, all Realtors must provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or sexual orientation of any prospective client, customer, or of the residents of any community. A Realtor may not encourage any group into or away from any property.

In Chicago, there is public information available through the Chicago Police Department website. Here is the link to the ClearMap for Bucktown, where it's very easy to go to any area of the city and find valuable information.

As the line goes in Hill Street Blues - "Let’s Be Careful Out There."

Regardless of where you live, crimes happen in every neighborhood, and no one is immune to it, so please be safe!

Moving on, in Bucktown/Wicker Park over the past two weeks, there were 12 closings, ranging from a one bedroom condo on the low-end to a near $1 million 4-bedroom, 3 bath home. Of the mix, four were detached single family homes, and eight were attached homes. Get the rundown HERE (LINK)

1852 W Dickens, 3 bedroom, 1.1 bath house $305,500,

2028 W Charleston, 4 bedroom, 3.1 bath house $715,000,

2123 W Dickens, 4 bedroom, 3.1 bath house $770,000,

1808 N Wood, 4 bedroom, 3.1 bath house $957,500,

2150 W Dickens #2, 1 bedroom, 1.1 bath, Condo, 1 parking spot $255,000

1955 N Leavitt #2B, 1 bedroom, 1.1 bath, Condo, 2 garage spots $262,500

2045 W Concord #303, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, Condo, 1 garage spot $298,750

1942 W Armitage #3, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, Duplex, Condo, 1 parking $335,000

1942 W Armitage #1, 3 bedroom, 3 bath, Duplex, Condo, 1 parking, $385,000,

2008 W Homer #3C, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, Condo, 1 garage spot $400,000

2040 W Lemoyne #A, 3 bedroom, 2.1 bath, Townhouse, Garage, $563,500

2330 W Wabansia #G, 4 bedroom, 4.1 bath, Townhouse, Garage, $882,500

*** Information sourced from MREDLLC; 5/21/11. Attached Property and Detached Property residential Bucktown (Ashland, Western, Fullerton, North) and WickerPark (Ashland, Western, North, Division)

Do you have a topic you’d like to see explored in a future column, or a real estate question? Send me an email at EvaB [at sign] atproperties.com

Weekend Edition: 11 Things You Could Do This Weekend

OK, it just took me almost two hours to put this email together, highlighting 11 Things You Could Do in the 'Hood this weekend.

Newsletter writing appears deceptively easy, but there is a lot of time involved in writing, attending events, taking pictures, photo editing, inserting links and such.

While we know there's easily 11 more things we could focus on, there is a danger in trying to be too comprehensive all of the time. 1) You lose time because you're trying to include everything people send you and 2) In an ironic twist of fate, you can't go to any events because you are holed up in front of a wretched computer.

And with that note, I'm just about out of here.

Happy Weekend.

The Week Past, the Week Ahead

The May 3 issue is here. Looking forward to the week ahead.

Images inside Ray's North Wing

Ray's Bucktown Bed & Breakfast, which we featured in the March 23, 2010 Pipeline, celebrated the opening of its "North Wing" this past Sunday.

Though we didn't get a chance to see any of the rooms (click here for a detailed story on the addition over on the Red Eye's new neighborhood blog) we most enjoyed the reading room, adorned with a collection of framed posters from the Bucktown Arts Fest!

Also enjoyable was the art on the walls, and the friendly faces present at the opening.

Inside the GANGWAY GALLERY

Just a quick update... we're working hard on the first ever pipeline printed booklet, and thus are scaling back energies devoted to this blog during the month of May and June.

Please save the date for a booklet launch party on Thurs. June 30th at Congress Theatre.

The content in the booklet as well as in future pipelines will be mined primarily from those who have supported our creative engine.

Let's begin with awesome readers like John of Division Street Gold, who owns a pawn shop and is an early pipeline reader. Division Street Gold was also a member of our Pipeline Angel Club.

John alerted me to a new grassroots gallery, and sent in this note, in italics, below about Robert Soller, who coincidentally used to work with Philin Phlash on the Wicker Park Voice newspaper!

"I just wanted to drop a note to you about Robert Soller' s Gangway Gallery.

A friend of mine has started a little artist gallery of his work, that he puts up on display ,Saturdays ,weather permitting. He is a cool dude that has painted the murals in moonshine,the Russian bath house on division, super lounge, rock a tiki & others.
Anyway i just wanted to give you an invite because this seems to be something that may interest you & and your readers..
Here is his contact info
http://artid.com/members/Solarcoaster/"

When we popped by, after a long day on the streets, Robert had lots of Wicker Park Voice newspaper archives to share in addition to his illustrations, which are inventive and lively and tell quirky stories of robot orgies, dogs literally doing the downward dog, tabby cats taking over cities and leaving destruction in their wake, bathhouses, and more.

Back in the day, Robert even illustrated a map of the neighborhood, featuring advertisers who were part of the map.

The map was so cool (still need to scan it in) that I wondered if we could do something like this again. How neat would it be to have an illustrated map in the pipeline printed booklet?

"It'll cost [this much]," Robert said.

Then I thought about all the people I would need to call, and call back, and send emails to (all during lunch breaks at my day job when i should just be eating lunch or taking a break from that other job i do), and try to get on board to fund such an amazing illustration.

In theory it would be cool. But for now, I'm exhausted, and hanging up the selling hat to focus on the creative side of things. I. can't. sell. or. try. to. sell. anymore. DONE. Thanks to all who committed to the pipeline 100 project. Let the real work--- the work which feeds our soul-- begin.

Printed booklet coming soon!!!!!

Until then, we're just going to keep on keeping on. And be as real as we can. Because we wake up every day and we want to keep on working hard. On the creative side. The only side that matters. Whomever said "do what you love, and the money will follow" clearly didn't take into account that in "New Media" you have to chase the money down too.

No mas.

I don't want anyone's two dollars or ten dollars or 100 dollars.

I want to just write the stories that feel real.

And tattoo a help-wanted sign for a Pipeline publisher to my forehead.

The Week past, the Week Ahead

Here is a link to Tuesday's issue.

Next one May 10.

Until then, we are working on the printed booklet.

Cheers.

The Week Past, the Week Ahead

It was a fun week (March 29) issue.

Pipeline 100 Participation Details

CLICK TO ENLARGE




Updated 3/14/11: There are no other sizes than the ones listed here. Free Kudos is just about all booked. $10 Listings do not include images or logos, but it's likely those who purchase $10 listings and Display Ads might be more likely to find their photos in our Anniversary 'Best Of' Album and in our booklet editorial, which will be completely original and a lot of fun (thanks to Elijah of Your Shoe Repair for the brainstorming! we've got some unique ideas lined up!)

Make No Small Plans... A Dispatch from Bloomingdale Trail Design Lecture

By Nandika Doobay

Since 2003, The Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail have envisioned a three mile long, multi-use, linear park above city traffic where now sits a defunct rail line that runs through four densely populated neighborhoods. Running West to East from Ridgeway to the Chicago River, The Bloomingdale Trail, whose original ground-level tracks were laid by Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1872, was elevated in 1910 for safety reasons.

After 80 years, traffic on the line dwindled as the North side’s industrial factories stop production and are converted into lofts or torn down altogether. By the 90s, no trains run along the tracks and nature has since then reclaimed the line, with trees, grasses and wild flowers sprouting up out of the structure.

Twenty years of neglect has also made the site notorious for vagrants, vandals, the homeless, and teenagers doing what teenagers do. Last year, the trail’s viaduct at Damen was the scene of a crime that made international news when two young women were beaten with baseball bat during a robbery. Residents who live adjacent to the tracks, sometimes close enough as an arm’s length away, have attended CAPS meetings to complain about unsavory activity happening right outside of their bedroom windows.

So what’s a city to do with this part-eyesore, part-crime haven, part-potentially awesome public space? As it is now, entering the area is considered trespassing and Canadian Pacific still owns all three miles of track and many parallel plots of land. The Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, in conjunction with the Trust for Public Land (TPL), have been working to acquire these areas to convert the private land into a green-space for public use.

The two organizations met with residents last Monday at Wicker Park Lutheran Church to outline their future plans, design ideas and possible obstacles that may arise as they push to make their dream of the Bloomingdale Trail a reality. Their main goals for the site are to provide a greenway that is easily accessible, has room for bikers and runners, families and school children, plant life and public art murals.

Design ideas have been floating around and the project’s leader’s have narrowed it down to five themes to work from -- the first being the Double Agent. This theme focuses on landscaping that is not only pretty to look at, but also productive and economical, such as a tree nursery or vegetable garden. The second design theme is Surface Stimulus, which plays with the idea of creating topography in this otherwise flat-as-a-pancake city. Just like most of Chicago’s modern-day lakefront was created using landfill, Surface Stimulus would use landfill to create hills and slopes that could transform the trail and its surrounding areas into something more organic looking and less industrial. Idea three is called Hybrid Host, and though it sounds like something out of the movie Aliens, its all about using the space as a venue for events, public gatherings, advertising and even perhaps a vertical cemetery. The next design theme, Native Spill, focuses on remediating soil at the site, which may have some levels of toxicity, and then just letting nature do its thing, so to speak. Once cleaned of hazardous materials and given the right conditions, the site can flourish as an example of natural prairie growth and can even be used to collect and move rainwater. The final design theme is Urban Improv, which suggests that the area could be used to stage public performances, unique shopping experiences and other activities that could possibly generate income. It is not yet clear which theme the project will be adopting, but for now they are still accepting new ideas and working with design firms and architectural students.

There are quite a few obstacles being faced by TPL and The Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, one major one being “How do you get up there?”

Many access points will need to be built, some of which will be placed in existing parks like Churchill on Damen and Walsh on Ashland. Another obstacle is the proximity between public and private space. As mentioned earlier, many residents live extremely close to the rail line and will definitely need to be taken into consideration once construction begins. Other problems include the physical condition and heights of the line’s 37 viaducts, which may need extensive reworking and some may have to be demolished and rebuilt. Safety is also big issue, with a fall from the surface of the trail being 20 feet to street level in some cases.

The project is expected to cost $75 million and according to promises made by mayor-elect Emanuel, who is a big supporter of the Bloomingdale Trail, should be completed within his first term. Construction is already underway at what will be a future access point at Albany and Whipple, and the new park is set to open the first week of June.

For more information about The Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, take a look at their very informative website. According to FotBT president Ben Helphand, you can also friend him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.

-By Nandika Doobay
Portions of this story appeared in the March 8, 2011 Pipeline.
Images of trail from 2009-10

The Week Past, the Week Ahead

Our Feb. 22, 2001 issue actually came out on time today!

The reason is because I was in too much pain to wander on Sunday, so I got to work on the next pipeline and many contributors sent their stories in early.

Thus, I am super happy to have a chill Tuesday night.

Onward!

Dispatch from The Bento Box

Though past prime lunch hour, and more like 1:15PM, nearly every table except the one next to mine was occupied at The Bento Box , 2246 W. Armitage, this past Friday.

The cozy storefront space, with natural lighting pouring onto simple blonde wooden tables covered in Bento Boxes of steaming food, is a perfect spot for a business or personal lunch.

Late in the day this past November I'd 'speed-popped' into The Bento Box, where its owner, Rick, pictured with ladder, was getting ready to convert the front of his catering space to The Bento Box. (More on Rick in Chicago magazine.)

Now, Rick was working intently in the kitchen, visible through an open window common in Korean restaurants like the window installed in the long closed Su-Ra (now covered with a painting at Yuca Cafe, where Su-Ra once was) and I was just a citizen with a community e-newsletter writing illness on a lunch break from running a mad number of errands which I felt like needed to get done before Armagetajobagain hits Mon. Jan. 10. There was a table leg sticking out of my purse. It was from this table that I'd been meaning to 'put back together' since May of '09 when it fell apart during a move. Between jumping into the abyss which was initially the uber-modestly-chamber-supported Street Scene and then the indie Pipeline, and shoving the table into the back of a storage closet, I'd all but dismissed the table until I had to fish something out of the closet recently.

Seized by a desire to repair the table, my plan had been to eat quickly, take a hopefully under-the-radar snapshot of the delicious and filling compartmentalized assortment of fresh vegetable and lime leaf curry with cucumber table salad, pictured, and then scurry along, to 'pop ins' at local shops, wandering and permit-peering, capped off by a final destination of Home Depot, where a friendly clerk couldn't help me but suggested I try Ace Hardware or True Value. I then walked in the snow from Home Depot to the hardware shop across from Second City in Old Town, but they couldn't help me either, and said if I don't have luck at a place called Croft I'm out of luck. (Though I did leave with $4 worth of epoxy just in case I want to continue destroying the antique like I already maybe did with the Gorilla Glue adventure back in '09.)

But back to The Bento Box!

So, there I was, alone but not lonely at The Bento Box. I had the latest issue of Streetwise magazine to keep me company, and I was reading the letter from its new publisher, who'd likely be my boss if I keep up this scurrying around the neighborhood nonsense full-time, hence the 'Final Friday' of freedom.

It makes me feel like a failure that I haven't figured out a way for the Pipeline to be a sustainable business, or that I'm more of a writer than a truly effective hyper-local publisher, that we live in a country where health insurance is not available to all, and those who want medical coverage or believe it to be important must devote 40-hours each week to a structured cube farm, but I digress. There's a point here, yes! So, I was fully enmeshed in Streetwise when Martha Ring of @properties walked in with a friend.

I know Martha not first as a Realtor, but as one of the organizers of the Bucktown Apple Pie Contest, which we covered in the Oct. 11 or 12 Pipeline but I can't seem to find the archive for, though here's a video interview of Martha and one of her co-organizers.

Martha and her friend were waiting on another friend, so they merged their two top table with mine. One of Martha's friends wondered if I'd maybe like to snap a photo of her steaming dumplings, which I did.

My belly full from lunch, washed down with not just any Diet cola, but the fancy Boyland brand that I believe other local places like Birchwood Kitchen offer, I paid $20 with tip and continued on. The total was $16-something, a bit pricier than I'd usually spring for on a lunch, but I've been more celebratory than usual these days. If I were a smarter person I would've kept my receipt and expensed it because I've just spent 90-minutes on a Saturday morning photo editing and writing about a lunch I had yesterday, in hopes that the images will inspire other folks to try out a Bento Box for themselves too, because that is the point of The Pipeline:

To maintain and sustain a communication pipeline that will inspire participation and interest in the local economy...

To not write anything too snarky or salacious but to still be interesting and informative enough to warrant a read, or a glance amid the myriad of blogs and publications out there...

To be authentic in tone as well as style...

To serve as an e-publishing platform for not just my own tired voice, but voices from many other contributors, as well as links to other voices and stories.

It's a calling, an obsession, the bane of my existence, or a pride and joy depending on my mood. And I'm going to keep on doing it in 2011. This is my most pressing and urgent resolution, along with moving toward a more balanced life. Even Phlash just told me on the phone that I need to have more fun, that I can't be so serious all the time, that I more or less shouldn't keep stopping potential relationships before they even begin, under preemptive grounds that I won't have any time for them.

According to So You Say You Want a Resolution, which I read in the print version of RedEye, the best New Year's Resolutions, as in the ones which are most likely to stick, are not made for other people, but for oneself.

"It has to be about you," the expert said.

If I said I was doing the newsletter for readers, I'd be lying to myself. If I said I was doing it for the money, I'd definitely be lying, because there is very little money in this field.

I do the pipeline for myself. Because it makes my life seem and feel less important. And all of us need to feel less important, no matter who or what we are in life. Throwing myself into the ever changing dynamics of an urban neighborhood, and chronicling its development and stories and its people is what gives me a sense of purpose far beyond the one any 9-5 job can offer. That's why I refuse to tell people what I'll soon be doing.... because I don't want a job to define me.

We are living and breathing byproducts of our experiences and decisions, a part of all whom we meet. The Pipeline is a way to share my journey with others. To be of use to a corporation is one thing. It'll feed me, blah blah... But to provide local information and the occasional insight of use to hundreds of people is something more special and worth the energies invested into not just hanging onto it, but fighting for it too.

Neighborhood NYE 2011 Scene for Da Scenesters

Last night, while at Walgreen's, I saw a box of Wheat Thins, and thought that if I had a NYE party, I would call it "There Will Be Wheat Thins!"

But I'm not having a party. That would require having more than three friends here in Chicago and mopping my floor, which I might do anyway, just for the fun of it, because it will be easier than shopping for clothes for my new job, which I really need to do, or working on the next pipeline, or any number of things I could do during what I've always perceived to be the best week ever, when everything kind of shuts down between Christmas and NYE.

Those who have to go to jobs during this week pretend to be working hard at them, and those who have time off just enjoy the peace and quiet as I've been doing. It's been a fun and busy year, though I'm glad it's coming to a close. Next year should and will be better. On that note...

... 13 is usually an unlucky number, but here's 13 Things You Could do In the Neighborhood for NYE. For links, visit The Week Ahead in the latest pipeline. Additionally, the New Insiders Guide to the Neighborhood is also doing a good job of listing a lot of events and such, so check that out too.

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Fri. Dec. 31, Anytime After 5PM
$65: Prix Fix Four Course Meal
1616 N. Damen (Feast Restaurant)

Fri. Dec. 31, 6 PM, 9:30PM Seatings
Celebration & Farewell:
2039 W. North (Spring Restaurant)

Fri. Dec. 31, 7 to 10PM
No Cover!: Free NYE Buffet
1547 N. Milw. (Pint)

Fri Dec. 31, 8PM-1AM
$50: BYOB, with Heavy Appetizers, Champagne Toast
2325 W. North (Naveen's Cuisine)

Fri. Dec. 31, 8PM -1AM
$85: Sangria, Beer, Cocktails, etc.
1560 N. Milw. (People Lounge)

Fri. Dec. 31, 8PM-2AM
$85: Open Bar, Party Favors, Balloon Drop
1942 W. Division (Division Ale House)

Fri. Dec. 31, 8PM-2AM
$100: Open Bar, Buffet, DJs Free Valet, Etc.
1824 W. Division (Moonshine)

Fri. Dec. 31, 8PM-2AM
$75: Djs, Dancing, Buffet
1904 W. North (Lokal)

Fri. Dec. 31. 8PM-2AM
$65: Pizza Buffet, Appetizers, Champagne
1925 W. Cortland (Lottie's Pub)

Fri. Dec. 31, 8PM-4AM
$20-$100: Dead Man's Hand Burlesque Show
1565 N. Milw. (Flat Iron Bar)

Fri. Dec. 31, 8:30PM-1:30AM
$145: All You Can Eat/Drink/Dance
1531 N. Damen (Big Star)

Fri. Dec. 31, 9PM-Midnight
$20 Cover: New Years Eve Bash
1927 W. North (Piece Pizzeria)

Fri. Dec. 31, 9:30PM-1:30AM
$60: DJs, Party Favors, Champagne
1560 N. Milw (Rodan Lounge)

Eight Things to Do in Wicker Park Bucktown this Weekend

Most of these happenings were mentioned in the Dec. 7 Pipeline, but here it is again for anyone looking for stuff to do. Apologies to any events I've left out. Feel free to add yours as a comment.

Sat. Dec. 10, Sun. Dec. 11, Noon to 5PM
12th Annual Bucktown Holiday Art Show
2200 N. Oakley (Holstein Park)

Sat. Dec. 11, Noon to 5PM
Holiday Art Show:
St. Nick's Top Picks 2010
1431 N. Milw. (Eyeporium Gallery)

Sat. Dec. 11, Noon to 7 PM
Clever Crafters' Handmade Art Fair
1459 N. Milw. (Lenny & Me)

Sat. Dec. 11, 4 to 7PM
Trunk Show:
Jensen-Conroy Jewelry, Moire Conroy capsule line
2154 W. Division (moniquemeloche)

Sat. Dec. 11, 6 to 1PM
Art Opening:
Soft Served: A Soft Sculpture Group Show
1800 N. Milw. (OhNo!Doom Gallery)

Sun. Dec. 12, 10AM to 2PM
Community: Logan Square Indoor
Farmer's Market
2135 N. Milw. (Congress Theater)

Sun. Dec. 12 Noon to 4PM
Family Fun: Holiday Expo
2215 W. North Ave. (Wicker Park Art Center)

Sun. Dec. 12 7PM
A Festival of Lessons and Carols
1502 N. Hoyne (Wicker Park Lutheran Church)

Pipeline: 2011 Plans, Advertiser and Reader Feedback

(Note: I am posting this here to prevent 'scroll fatigue' in the actual Pipeline. Our Editorial Policy can be read here.)

Whether it's attending a community health fair and reporting on it like we did this past Friday, or waiting for a parade to pass by on a cold Sunday morning, or scouring the neighborhood and local craft fairs to find gift ideas that we think are unique and fun, or following up on businesses-yet-to-be-opened, or editing the work of contributing writers, or paring down a few hundred photos we personally snap each week, and then another few hundred from Philin Phlash, we are constantly trying to improve The Wicker Park Bucktown Pipeline , which is a weekly, independently produced e-newsletter, focusing on the Chicago neighborhoods of Wicker Park and Bucktown. We highlight community news, real estate, art, independently owned businesses, and lots of unclassified "Tidbits."

In recent months, with the addition of Philin Phlash to our team, we've added original (albeit out-of-the-neighborhood) "tidbits" like images shot by Phlash at a downtown Rahm rally and during Snow Days at Navy Pier.We really are having a lot of fun [update: well, now that we've added, as of Jan. 10, 2011, an additional 40-hous of NON-Pipeline work to our weekly schedule, "fun" is up for debate...it's more like OCD masochism and 5AM mornings before work, thus we are being much more selective with the news that we include due to time constraints] and many of you tell us, "It shows."

WHO ARE WE?

I've worked as both a staff newspaper reporter, and as a freelancer, as well as a sales rep in various industries. (Scroll on down & find me in the brown hat raising a pint at Pint, circa 2008). Phlash is a true newspaperman, a former publisher of a local rag, the Wicker Park Voice, with a hardcore nose for news and a unique take on the world that he brings with him every Tuesday morning when he visits Pipeline HQ and shares the photos he snapped from the previous week. (Find Phlash with a dubious expression in front of my 'It's OK to be you poster." The poster was intended for my niece but it was too expensive to mail and I think I need this reinforcement on my wall too.) Nandika Doobay is the youngest of our crew, having recently graduated from a city college with a minor in journalism. Nandika is rocking the CAPS meetings and contributes occasional articles, like her upcoming December on Damen adventure that we're looking forward to featuring in tomorrow's issue. (Find Nandika in front of the Pipeline Scarecrow which she helped to design for the WPC Scarecrow Extravaganza) Pat J. Daily is our trusted copy editor and occasional theater reviewer. Pat formerly worked at the Chicago Reader, still freelances for the Reader, and is used to slashing up my words, and, at my urging, deleting most of them. Pat's sharp eyes catch all sort of mistakes, often at odd hours since we're always scrambling to get the latest issue to Pat. (Find Pat in front of a can of Tecate at Big Star).

The addition of Phlash, who, by his own reckoning, is "hopefully adding some balls to your girly newsletter, Alisa!" also means more work. But we suspect it's time well spent. Even strangers I don't know are writing in to say that they're enjoying Phlash's "Sound OFF" columns. So, yes, now we have balls too.

WHAT'S NEXT?
We are excited about 2011, which will include more design improvements and a functional and searchable web site. It is our hope that the pipeline will continue to be the kind of publication where you can expect reliable, fresh, professionally written and edited, weekly original content. When we stop having fun, we'll stop doing it, though it seems like there's an unlikely chance of that since each time we 'walk the streets' we find new inspiration.

Following is a bit of feedback, received from readers and advertisers. We've removed names and identifying details for privacy. If you are interested in partnering with us, and perhaps becoming an executive/corporate umbrella sponsor to contribute to The Wicker Park Bucktown Pipeline's growth in 2011, we'd love to meet with you and see if there's a way we can fuel each other's continued development. We are proud to say we are in this thing for the long haul. We are so happy so many of you have been with us since the beginning, aka our first issue in April of 2009! We're looking forward to a bright future made even brighter by being together with you in 2011. It's not just "our" pipeline, but yours too, so keep the ideas coming, along with your news tips and suggestions. We can be reached at streetsofwicker@hotmail.com

We try to answer most pertinent emails, though we receive a large amount of email and cannot respond to every message or request. Just check the next pipeline to see if we've included your news. Most of the time we try our best to do so, and even if we don't reply to you, we often add your news to our listings or elsewhere in the newsletter. We hope that you check out the pipeline to read it first and consider it to be yet another 'free way' to get the word out in the blogosphere second, if you catch our drift. We're really trying to infuse meaning into what we do, and we want to make the time we cannot afford to continue investing into this thing feel like hours and days well spent. If you feel your news is urgent, go ahead and add that lil 'red flag' thingamajig to your message, or if you have my number, send a text message. Unlike many folks, I do not have 'Net on my phone, nor do I necessarily want it on my phone, and when I sit down at the computer it is usually to scan email and get crackin' on the next pipeline.

Happy Holidays! See you on the streets!

Alisa,
Philin,
Nandika,
and Pat


READER FEEDBACK:

Hi Alisa,
The new look is terrific. Your creation just keeps getting better and I look forward to it each week. You are probably not aware but my wife and I bought a XXXX company in XXXX last June and now reside in XXXX. We still have our properties in Wicker Park and the many friends we made there over the past XX years. The Pipeline helps us maintain the connection. I am receiving it at my old email address. Please update to XXXX@gmail.com and keep up the great work. I hope it has become financially rewarding to you! With your creativity and drive you deserve the success.
Best wishes,
XXXXX


Hi,
Thanks for the mail. I'm reading your newspaper. It’s a really cool idea and i bet everyone must love it.
Hope you are doing great and keep up the good work.
XXX


Also, been meaning to tell you that after following Pipeline for a good while now, the weekly edition has evolved into a really informative and entertaining news source. The design & edit flow is casual and the range of photos of folks from all walks of the neighborhood is truly awesome. It is a lot of fun to see so many people smiling! Well done!
XXXX


Alisa,
I've been reading the Miner column on LEN and the comments. Saw you come up therein, and detected the burnout feeling. I hope you power though. Your newsletter is great, and I always enjoy reading and browsing it ...
All best,
XXX

Alisa,
Infinite thanks - excellent article.
XXXX

Hey Aly:
Add me back please. I've missed your Pipeline.
XXX

Alisa,
I get a lot of email, and I barely read any of it, but I always read The Pipeline. Thank you!
XXX

Alisa-
Just a short "Thank You" for all the work you do in putting together the Pipeline.
Your column is well written and informative. I really look forward to reading it to learn what is going on in Wicker Park.
XXXX

Alisa,
Thank you for making the PIPELINE a source of communication for the Wicker Park / Bucktown area. This online news source has made me aware of people and places in our community that were not familiar to me. Recently, I was in one of the Chase branches in the area and the teller recognized me from an article which you had written about our store. Thank you again for your dedication and I hope you continue providing the residents and business people of Wicker Park/Bucktown with information on which they can depend.
XXXX


Alisa,
I just wanted to send you a quick note to say that I thoroughly enjoy The Pipeline. Keep up the good work!
XXX


ADVERTISER FEEDBACK:

"We had 30 new sign ups last month. It could have been our mailer, but you are the only local place that we choose to advertise. And I told you that I will continue to advertise with you as long as you do the Pipeline. You know more about the neighborhood than I do, and I've been here 20 years!"-- A local gym owner, upon renewing for the seventh time

"We had a lot of people come to our show. I am guessing some of them heard about it from The Pipeline. Keep up the good work. We really appreciate what you're doing in helping us get the word out on a local level" -- A local gallery

"Yes, we'd love to renew again. Send me an invoice." -- A local shop

"Wow, I love the facelift! Do you need any new sponsors?" -- A soon-to-be advertiser

Images from the Bucktown Bazaar

More on this in the next (redesigned! easier to read and faster to load images!) Wicker Park Bucktown Pipeline, along with links to a few of these artists and how to find them postbazaar, but a fun time was had by all at the Bucktown Bazaar in the Holstein Park field house this past weekend.

We popped by on Sunday-- where there was a pleasant and steady crowd despite Da Bears game-- and ended up having a difficult time choosing a gift for a family member because there were so many cool tables and crafters. The perfect gift was found, but I'll have to keep it on the down-low since my mother claims to read The Pipeline.

Instead of featuring the gift I think my mom, a craft fair vendor herself, will like, I'll just keep things a surprise for once, and focus on the strangers I chatted up who had bags in their hands as they were leaving, prompting the question, "What's in the bag?"

There was also a Free Origami workshop, but I was too hyper and restless to sit down and learn how to fold paper into neat designs, which probably would've been therapeutic, but I did snap pictures of other people learning the ancient art of origami, taught by master educator Gerald Marciniak.