Tag Archive | Chicago

Chicago Meter Parking is Going Up – Again

Dec29

Chicago street parking rates are going up — again.

The third of five scheduled annual rate increases is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1. But it probably will take several weeks or so to reprogram all of the boxes.

Here’s what you’ll have to pay:

  • $5 an hour (up from $4.25) in the downtown area (bounded by the south side of Congress Parkway on the south, Lake Michigan on the east, the north side of Wacker Drive on the north, and the west side of Wacker on the west).
  • $3 an hour (up from $2.50) in areas adjacent to downtown (bounded by the south side of Roosevelt Road on the south, Lake Michigan on the east, the north side of North Avenue on the North and the west side of Halsted Street on the west. Included are River North, the Gold Coast, parts of Lincoln Park and the Near North Side).
  • $1.50 an hour (up from $1.25) in outlying neighborhoods.

According to published reports, Chicago will continue to have the highest downtown parking rates in the country, topping New York’s $3.75 an hour and Los Angeles’ $4.

Two more rounds of increases are scheduled under the roundly criticized lease agreement that gave the city a quick cash infusion three years ago of $1.16 billion–most of which has already been spent. The agreement covers the city’s approximately 36,000 parking spaces for a 75-year term.

After 2013, rate increases will be tied to the rate of inflation.

A spokesman for Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private firm that now operates on-street parking, was not immediately available for comment.

Source: Chicago Tribune

“Up & Down, Up & Down”

Oct12

As a follow up to my post http://wp.me/pARi1-1vM, there is now an official video for the catchy song, “Up and Down” by my favorite Chicago artist Dat Boy Hot.

The video is fun, sexy and energetic! Check it out for yourself below!

To jam to the song while riding in your car, or shake your booty “up and down” in your room just download the song NOW by following one of the many links below!

Chicago, let’s go!!!!

www.iTunes.com
www.MySpaceMusic.com
www.Rhapsody.com/datboyhot2def
www.Napster.com 
www.eMusic.com
www.AmazonMP3.com
www.Lala.com
www.AmieStreet.com
www.Shockhound.com

Take Some Deep Breaths, Chicagoans

Sep7

Chicago ranked 8th on Portfolio.com’s listing of the “Most Stressful Places in America,” with a stress index of 4.366. Detroit was deemed the most stressed-out metro area in the nation, with a stress index of 9.026 points.

Nos. 2 through 7 are Los Angeles, Cleveland, Riverside, Calif., St. Louis, Mo., New York and New Orleans.

Each market was compared against the study group’s average scores in all 10 categories. Instances of higher-than-normal stress received positive scores, while cases of lower-than-normal stress were given negative scores. Category scores were combined to determine each market’s overall rank.

Final scores ranged from 9.026 points for Detroit, the most stressful metro, to negative-7.949 points for Salt Lake City, the area with the least stress.

Serious road congestion was one reason for Chicago’s high ranking. Traffic is a grind in the New York City area, where the typical commute to work takes 34.55 minutes. Washington, D.C., and Chicago transit times on average were 33.23 and 31.08 minutes, respectively.

Chicago also ranks high in the number of robberies per 100,000 residents in the central city, at 557.4.

To see the complete set of the data, click here.

Chicago is Movin’ on Up! #6

Aug18

Chicago moved up two slots, to No. 6, in an updated ranking of global cities, coming in behind New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong.

The ranking aims to show how much influence a city has beyond its own borders. It was conducted by Foreign Policy magazine, management consulting firm A.T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and comes two years after the inaugural ranking by these same parties.

The ranking analyzed data ranging from numbers of major company headquarters to the size of capital markets and the flow of goods through airports and ports, Foreign Policy magazine stated. Other factors included numbers of embassies, think tanks, political organizations and museums.

According to an A.T. Kearney, Chicago’s upward move in early September were due to contributing factors such as increases in major corporate headquarters, as well as in business and international conferences. Also cited were better rankings in air freight and in visual and performing arts.

In 2008, Chicago’s strengths included the presence of major capital markets, a highly educated work force, an ability to attract international students to its universities, the presence of a number of Fortune 500 company headquarters, and the size and diversity of its immigrant population.

It did not fare as well on other measures, including visits by international travelers, numbers of foreign correspondents based here, frequency of foreign coverage by local newspapers, and numbers of embassies, think tanks and international organizations.

Source:  Chicago Breaking News

I guess this can be looked at as the positive side from our increase in crime?

 

” … the worst mosquito outbreak in 20 years!”

Aug12

I recall two weeks ago when I attended an outdoor wedding reception, getting eaten up all around my ankles as I chatted and tried to ignore the mosquitos. Everyone around me was fighting for the bug repellent – it just wasn’t enough. They still managed to leave their mark in 5 different areas on my ankle within the span of 5 minutes. Found this article from the Chicago Tribune which contradicts my belief that mosquitos love my blood – it’s actually a weather related issue! Keep reading below.

Excessive rain and a string of warm days over the past two weeks have contributed to a surge in the mosquito population across Chicagoland, health officials say.

The northern and western suburbs are stepping up efforts to battle what officials are calling record mosquito infestations, while their counterparts in southern Cook County are facing mosquito levels maybe three times higher than in recent memory.

“This is the worst mosquito outbreak in 20 years,” said Laura McGowan, a spokeswoman for Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management of Roselle, which handles abatement for several communities in western DuPage County. “The (mosquito) traps are catching three to four times the amount that’s usually considered a nuisance.”

Traps that typically capture a couple hundred mosquitoes are filling up with thousands, McGowan said.

“With the numbers (of mosquitoes) we’re seeing now out there, if you miss one patch of skin they will find it,” said Mike Szyska, director of the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District.

The good news is that the heavy rains that have doused the Chicago area this summer don’t typically produce the kinds of mosquitoes known to carry the deadly West Nile virus, The “Flood-water” mosquitoes that are so prevalent are aggressive biters,but are not considered a health threat.

Local health departments and abatement districts say they’re taking action to quell the mosquito problem before it becomes a public health threat. Communities are targeting known mosquito breeding grounds, such as stagnant water at the bottom of storm drainage ditches, puddles, and even unattended backyard pools

“We’re in that period where if you’re outside, and even if you don’t see mosquitoes in your neighborhood, you should still use some repellent,” said Linn Haramis, an entomologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health

Lady Gaga at Lollapalooza

Aug9

Lady Gaga put on quite a show over the weekend at Lollapalooza, not that anyone was too surprised about the mega star doing some wild and crazy things on the stage. She donned a purple leather jacket, sequined stunna shades  and leopard print hot pants, and later stripped off her jacket to crowd surf with the band Semi Precious Weapons!

Gaga knows how to put on a show, that’s for sure. And it’s not the first time she performed at the Chicago music festival. The songstress played at the festival three years ago, too, but she was a small act on a small stage and virtually unknown.

The packed crowd gathered around the main stage to see the superstar in action. “We did it, little monsters,” she said as she began her encore, “Bad Romance,” via NY Times. “We made it to the main stage at Lollapalooza.”

She’s come a long way.

 

 

 

‘Transformers 3′ in Chicago [Date, Times, Location Details]

Jul13

As many of you may know, the filming of ‘Transformers 3′ started in downtown Chicago last weekend. If you are a Transformers fan, I’m sure you are curious to find out when and where you can take a sneak peek of the set. Below is a schedule and map of the times and locations where filming will be taking place. Click on the schedule below.

Click to Enlarge

Check out some pics of Chicago’s “transformation” for the movie below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Europe Fares over Thanksgiving Drop 50% from Chicago

Jun15

GOOD NEWS From the Travelzoo Newsdesk:

CHICAGO–June 15, 2010– Fares to several European destinations from Chicago just dropped by 50% for travel over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Prices start at $446 roundtrip, including taxes. Regular prices to Europe during this peak travel period are $800-$1200.

Sample (roundtrip, incl. tax) prices from Chicago:

  • Frankfurt, Germany … $446
  • Zurich, Switzerland … $448
  • Copenhagen, Denmark … $518
  • Brussels, Belgium … $518
  • Paris, France … $553
  • Munich, Germany … $586
  • London, England … $619

These fares are not part of an advertised sale so they are expected to sell out quickly.

The best fares were found when departing Nov. 23 or 25 and returning Nov. 29. Search several date combinations to find the best price.

Click below to search for these fares on Fly.com:

http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/68966451-833409/

Some SERIOUS Hoarding, the City Got Involved!

Jun1

Yikes! That’s pretty bad when you hoard so much that you critically injure yourself and literally bury your body under all the knick-knacks that you could not bare to throw away. I’ve seen previews of “Hoarders” on A&E but never watched a full episode. Hoarding is more serious than I thought. Keep reading below, it’s an interesting and sort of disturbing story.

Workers from the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation began cleaning up the inside of the Grand Crossing home today where an elderly couple was found buried underneath debris on May 24, a city spokeswoman said.

A five-member crew began cleaning at 7 a.m., cleaned for 8 hours, left for the day and will return on Wednesday.

Jesse and Thelma Gaston, both in their seventies, are still in critical condition at Jackson Park Hospital, but they are slowly getting better, family members said. Jesse Gaston’s condition improved to the point where he was taken off life-support on Saturday, said his niece Doris Funches.

The Gastons, of the 1500 block of East 69th Street, could have been underneath mounds of debris, which included trash, furniture, and spoiled food, for nearly two weeks, authorities said.

A neighbor called 311 for a well-being check May 24 after she noticed parking tickets accumulating on Jesse Gaston’s gray truck, mail piled on the couple’s porch and a unkempt lawn, which was usually mowed. When authorities arrived, they had to call the Fire Department to make a forced entry.

Thelma Gaston may have fallen through a mound of belongings and gotten trapped, said Kevin MacGregor, a fire department spokesman. When her husband tried to come to her aid, he got stuck too.

Thelma Gaston had injuries resembling rat bites, a fire official on the scene said.

On May 28, the city’s streets and sanitation workers removed the debris from the home’s back yard and porch, said Rosa Calderon, a Streets and Sanitation spokeswoman. Calderon said there is no timeline for the clean-up’s completion.

Source:  Chicago Breaking News

Chicago-Area Gas Prices Jump in April

Apr19

(per Chicago Breaking News) Gas prices in Cook County jumped 23 cents in April to an average of $3.16 per gallon of regular unleaded, an increase of 95 cents from last year, according to AAA Chicago. In Illinois and northern Indiana, gas increased to $3, 89 cents higher than last April.

“Gas prices have continued to rise and as we head into summer season of higher demand, we don’t see this changing soon,” says Beth Mosher, AAA Chicago’s spokesperson.

According to www.gasbuddy.com, a site that uses member data to compile and compares gas prices in a city, the cheapest gas in Chicago on April 19 is $3.09 at B&Z Quik Mart on 10301 S. Kedzie Ave. and 103 St.

The price hikes come amid high demand for oil in China and economic uncertainty. Last month, oil traded at $87 a barrel, an 18-month high.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Although gas prices have jumped in April, I am happy to see that it is way under $4/gallon. The ideal gas price for me would be anywhere between $2-$3/gallon. Remember when everyone thought that that gas prices would rise to $5/gallon?