Around the South Loop and Chicago: Happy Thanksgiving!

South Loop Connection would like to wish everyone a "Happy Thanksgiving." We hope you enjoy some of the shots around Chicago and the South Loop. Most of the photographs were taken this week. How many locations can you recognize?

Rainy days and Mondays: This past Monday wasn't the best day to walk to work.

The new Old St. Mary's school is going up fast.

2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti and 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell at the "State of the South Loop"

Fall colors morph into winter sparkle at the Blackstone Hotel.

Workers insulate the wall of a building on S. Michigan Ave. just south of Johnson Publishing

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: sprucing up (pun intended) S. Michigan Ave.

The clock inside the Chicago Hilton and Towers lobby

Commuters cross Wacker Dr. with the Merchandise Mart in the background

The view of Trump Tower from Lake St. and Wabash Ave.

Flirting with Flirty Cupcakes on Lake St. between Clark and Dearborn

The Boeing building and points south

Picketers in front of the Congress Hotel

The Glessner House Museum porte ccohere is lighted for an evening event

State of the South Loop

Second Annual State of the South Loop
The Second Annual State of the South Loop meeting took place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, November 20, 2010 at Britten Banner, 1420 S. Michigan Ave. There was a meet-and-greet, with coffee supplied by Overflow Coffee Bar, from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The meeting was planned and organized by the Greater South Loop Association.

 South Loop residents came out in force for the State of the South Loop

Aldermen Present the State of Their Wards
The main speakers were 2nd Ward Aldermen Bob Fioretti and 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell. Both gave overviews of their wards, the current challenges ahead, and their respective accomplishments. Fioretti pointed to the Pete’s Market in development at Madison and Western and the Target at Jackson and Racine. Fioretti also talked about the road repair work on State and S. Indiana currently taking place (both Fioretti and Dowell are responsible for this work). Dowell took pride in the development and construction of the Columbia College Media Production Center at 1600 S. State, as well as the establishment of the DayStar School at 1550 S. State. Both aldermen reiterated that there are many challenges ahead, in part due to the downturn in the economy. In spite of these challenges, their outlook was optimistic.

Ald. Bob Fioretti, Greater South Loop Association president, Deb Soelig, and Ald. Pat Dowell

Neighbors, Organizations, Local Educators, and Schools
Other speakers included Eve Kronen, a South Loop realtor, Gail Merritt from the Alliance for a Greener South Loop, Pam Focia from the South Loop Dog PAC, and Bill Van Emburg from the Prairie District Neighborhood Watch. There were additional brief presentations from Tara Shelton, principal, South Loop Elementary School, Danielle Croyer, law teacher at Jones Prep, and Julie Murphy from the Local School Council.