CHICAGO CARLESS

(Photo: Notice anything missing? Original Credit: Steven Dahlman.)

There are two ways to brand and position a world-famous residential tower: the right way; and the way downtown Chicago’s Marina City condo board is planning to go about it.

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(Photo: The Chicago Tribune has had enough of allegedly virile Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.)

I swear I almost did a spit-take with my coffee when I read it: an editorial in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune suggesting that the Illinois constitution be rewritten to allow for the recall of Governor Rod Blagojevich. The paper didn’t mince words:

“The Blagojevich experience suggests that the answer is yes, Illinois should write a recall mechanism into its constitution. Having endured the Blagojevich era, we believe voters never should have to endure another one like it. They instead should have the power to recall an inept governor…Blagojevich is an intentionally divisive governor and a profoundly unhelpful influence…He is the governor who cannot govern.”

Did you get all that? And here I thought it was just me.

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Who says you can’t teach an old Macy’s, Inc. CEO new tricks? Last week, Crain’s Chicago Business and the Chicago Tribune both announced the rollout of a new Macy’s marketing campaign entitled, “Take Me to State Street”. According to the papers, the campaign will be full-court media push highlighting the flagship State Street store as a premiere retail destination.

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(Photo: Go, Chicago! Credit: RSNA.)

Much as I love being a carpetbagging Chicagoan, even after almost five years I confess I still don’t fully understand the mercurial nature of Windy Citizens. Yet, after spending a month back in my native New York over the summer, I’m very aware that floating around in the core of me now is definitely a lot more Midwestern mellowness than Gotham swagger.

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(Photo: Can you hear me now? Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney. Credit: Gay Games Chicago.)

Yesterday, I was thrilled to learn that nothing bad happened, had happened, or was about to happen in the City of Chicago. I was told so by the Chicago Sun-Times.

And here I’d been worrying about looming CTA Doomsday, the largest property tax increase in city history, and another local sports team downspiral. Bad on me for failing to realize that those pesky problems had all been cleared up.

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So the Chicago Transit Authority has announced Doomsday once again, and not just one Doomsday, but two of them. What luck for Chicagoland transit riders who might miss the elimination of three dozen CTA bus routes in November! Now they’ll be able to enjoy the evaporation of the rest of the system on January 6.

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(Photo: If only Mrs. O’Leary had had an annunciator. Credit: Cushman Collection.)

On those nights when they burn the house down at the House of Blues, we shudder in Marina City condos above. Most of us are familiar with the midnight din of emergency vehicles looming loud and coming to a halt beneath our bedroom windows.

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