Author: lbchicago1@hotmail.com

Aurora is an historic city in Illinois. It was first settled in 1834; incorporated as a village in 1845 and then became a city in 1857. With a population of over 200,000 it is the second largest city in Illinois behind Chicago.

Aurora has five designated historic districts. They are comprised of the Near Eastside Historic District, Tanner Historic District, Riddle Highlands Historic District, Palace Street Historic District and West Side National Register District. Aurora also has many buildings that are designated landmarks.

The Near Eastside Historic District primarily consists of East Galena Boulevard, Lincoln Avenue, South Avenue and South 4th Street.

The Riddle Highlands Historic District consists primarily of Sunset Avenue, Lawndale Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and North Lake Street.

The Palace Street Historic District consists mainly of West Illinois Avenue, Palace Street and Plum Street.

The West Side National Register consists mainly of Highland Avenue, West Downer Place, Garfield Avenue, and Locust Street.

There are many benefits of having a historic designation in Aurora. It can increase property values and improve the character of neighborhoods. It allows neighbors to play a part in the preservation and beautification of their neighborhoods through ensuring improvements such as historic street lighting, historic plaques for homes and neighborhood organizations. Some other benefits are easier access for information on how to repair your house and research house history.

If a building is a designated historic landmark, the owner needs to apply for a COA (Certificate of Appropriateness) before making any changes. The COA is needed for outside improvements to windows, doors, roofs, siding, etc. Financial assistance, such as loans and grants are also available.  For more information you can contact the City of Aurora Preservation Division at 630-844-3648 or find information online at www.aurora-il.org/historicpreservation

        

        

 

I guess it’s almost that time of year again when we make New Year’s resolutions. Our resolutions are lofty, ambitious and well- intentioned. The difficult part is getting them accomplished. To reap the rewards we need to start them and then strive to complete them throughout the year. I think the key is to break them down into smaller, more realistic goals. For example, if your resolution is to lose weight this coming year, you should identify how much weight you want to lose and by when. Then set sub-goals of how to get there. Maybe you can lose 5 pounds a month. You decide and set the goal. Once the goal and sub-goals are set you need to develop a plan. Maybe your plan will include avoiding certain foods or cutting back on the amount of food you eat; or it may include exercising. Whatever you decide, don’t be too hard on yourself and reward yourself for each sub-goal you accomplish along the way. Buy yourself that outfit that didn’t fit before, but now does since you lost some weight. Celebrate along the way, but don’t feel bad if you can’t always stick to your diet or exercise plan. Any little bit you do is a step in the right direction. I wish you patience and good luck in achieving your New Years resolutions (whatever they may be)!

Most Chicagoans have probably visited the Rock N’ Roll McDonald’s at 600 North Clark Street in the River North neighborhood. It has also attracted many tourists to the area, since it is located right across the street from the Hard Rock Cafe and the Rainforest Cafe. This flagship McDonald’s restaurant and museum is one of the busiest in the U.S.

The restaurant opened in 1983, but underwent extensive remodeling in 2005. The restaurant celebrates and displays the rock n’ roll theme throughout it’s interior and exterior. It has been a fun place and enjoyed by many locals and tourists alike. But now it’s time to say a fond farewell to the Rock N’ Roll McDonald’s. It will be closed temporarily for remodeling on December 30th and will lose the Rock N’ Roll theme. The restaurant will reopen with a McCafe design with a more modern interior, self-order kiosks, and table service. This is a part of McDonald’s nationwide push to change the look of all its 14,000 U.S. locations. The rock n’ roll memorabilia will be put in storage (at least for now) with the possibility of being displayed somewhere in the future.

The other day during lunch I was walking on North State Street and after crossing the bridge at the Chicago River, I saw The Gentlemen Statues. This sculpture has been at its current location at the AMA Plaza (formerly known as IBM Plaza), since March of 2015. Prior to that it was located at the Langham Hotel. The sculpture was designed and built by Taiwanese sculptor Ju Ming. It depicts a group of businessmen traveling to work. It is a minimalist design that highlights just the basics of these ordinary businessmen headed to work on an average day. All the men look similar as they go about their day. It looks like any group of businessmen you might see at a bus stop. And you know it depicts a gloomy day because most of them are holding umbrellas. To me, they fit their environment/location perfectly, since that area is heavily populated by big office buildings.; and the views of the buildings along the river there are awesome!

Plans are underway to establish the National Museum of Gospel Music right here in Chicago by the Fall of 2020. It will be located at 3301 S. Indiana in the Bronzeville neighborhood – on the grounds of where the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church once stood. The church was destroyed in a fire in 2006. It is completely fitting that the Gospel Music Museum should be located there, because the church played an important part in the history of gospel music. Pilgrim Church’s longtime music director, Thomas A. Dorsey was known as the Father of Gospel Music. He was a former blues pianist that created a genre of gospel music by blending jazz and blues with Christian hymns of praise. Famous gospel and blues singers like Mahalia Jackson, Staples Singers,  Aretha Franklin and James Cleveland performed at the church.

The project is being undertaken by Don Jackson, CEO of Central City Productions, Inc. Jackson is also the founder of Stellar Gospel Music Awards and has served as board chairman of the DuSable Museum. It will be a 45,000 square foot facility that is projected to cost $32 million to build. Architect Dirk Lohan said they will salvage the 127 year old limestone shell from the original structure of the Pilgrim Baptist Church.

The museum will offer exhibits, a research library, an auditorium, a cafe and a retail store.

Old Pilgrim Baptist Church

Future National Museum of Gospel Music

The other day I stopped by the Chicago Cultural Center and saw some beautiful art without even entering the building! This art was not an exhibit inside the Cultural Center, but rather it was on the outside painted on the side of the building itself.  The mural entitled, “Mount Rushmore” is 132 x 100 feet and features the images of 20 women that have had (and continue to have) a profound positive impact on the City of Chicago. It was painted by Chicago artist, Kerry James Marshall, and is a part of Chicago’s Year of Public Art. Mr. Marshall said he wanted to “honor women who have been important to cultural life in so many situations.” He also said, “the piece echoes the message of a 50 year old mural on the South Side entitled the Wall of Respect.” *That mural no longer exists. It was torn down after a building fire in 1971. While that mural honored important men, this one honors important women. The artist and honorees hope the mural communicates to young women the message that they can do whatever they choose to do if they set their minds to it……..they can even climb Mount Rushmore with the right drive, plan and tools!

The honorees featured on the mural are: Gwendolyn Brooks – Illinois poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner; Albena Joan Brown – founder of eta Creative Arts Foundation; Cheryl Lynn Bruce – actress and co-founder of Goodman Theatre’s Dearborn Homes Youth Drama Workshop; Margaret Burroughs – founder of Dusable Museum of African American History; Sandra Cisneros – author; Maggie Daley – former Chicago First Lady; Sandra Delgado – founding member of Collaboration Theatre; Barbara Gaines – founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Suzanne Ghez – director and chief curator of the Renaissance Societ; Joan Gray – dancer and president of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago; Monica Haslip – founder and executive director of Little Black Pearl; Barbara Jones-Hogu – founding member of AfriCobra artists collective; Harriet Monroe – founder of Poetry Magazine; Achy Obejas – Pulitzer Prize winning journalist; Ruth Page – dancer/coreographer and founder of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts; Jacqueline Russell – founder and artistic director of Chicago Childrens Theatre; Jane Saks – founding director of the Ellen Stone Belic Institute and Project&; Jackie Taylor – founder/CEO of Black Ensemble Theater; Lois Weisberg – longest serving commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs; Oprah Winfrey – cultural icon, media mogul/Academy Award winner.

         

         

I hope you enjoy watching this short video of downtown Aurora Illinois

I hope you enjoy watching this short video of Chicago 2017