If your weekend plans involve walking, driving or exploring the Gold Coast or River North neighborhoods this weekend, please be advised of the following activity taking place that might cause a slight disruption to whatever plans you have.  Forewarned is forearmed!

FILMING NOTICE July 16-18 

“Transformers 3” will be filming the weekend of July 16, 17 &18 on the Michigan Ave Bridge. An aerial photography unit will also be flying in the vicinity of Trump Tower at Wabash and the Chicago River.

 STREET CLOSURES

• Michigan Ave will be closed from Ontario St to Wacker Dr
• 8:00pm on Thursday July 15th through 5:00am on Monday July 19th
• Lower Michigan Ave will be closed from Lower Wacker to Hubbard
• 8:00pm on Friday July 16th through 5:00am on Monday July 19th

VEHICLE DETOUR

• Michigan Ave southbound will be diverted at Ontario and detoured to Clark Street
• Ohio St will be open to east and northbound traffic only at Michigan Avenue
• Michigan Ave northbound will be diverted at Randolph and detoured to Dearborn
• Water St and Lake St will be open for Local Traffic only
• Businesses and garages between Wacker and Randolph will be accessible
• Upper E North Water St and City Front Plaza Drive will be open to Local Traffic only

PEDESTRIAN ACCESS

Michigan Ave sidewalks will remain open to pedestrians between Ohio & Illinois. Stores and buildings will remain open. To cross the Chicago River, pedestrians will need to access the Wabash and Columbus Street bridges. 

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Chicago Fire Department and Chicago Police Department will supervise the use of special effects and pyrotechnics, including:

• -simulated gunfire
• -smoke
• -fireballs
• -explosions 

HELICOPTERS

For brief periods between the hours of 8:00am – 8:00pm on both Saturday & Sunday, helicopters will be used for both aerial photography and stunt parachutists in the vicinity.

Adopt a Dot

I read about this in ChicagoMagazine Online and I while I know it is not real estate related, the Art Institute holds a special place in my heart and I think this is one of the most cleaver fundraising campaigns ever!

They are offering the opportunity for people to adopt one of the painted pointillist pinpricks on Georges Seurat’s beloved masterpiece, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. Ten bucks will get you one of the six available colors, pick three for $25, or get the entire spectrum for $50. All donors receive a pin in the selected color and a card indicating the location of your own private polka-dot on the 125-year-old canvas. It’s a cute, giftable idea for crafty kids who are sure to get a kick out of finding their dots, or a little bouquet of dots would also make an interesting Valentine’s Day present, period. February is free admission month at the Art Institute, so it’s a great time to warm up and check out the Modern Wing, or revisit some old favorites.

Learn more about Bebe and her fantastic performance in The Addams Family  at the Oriental Theatre and why Joffrey Tower located in the Loop at 8 East Randolph would be the perfect place for her to call home if she lived in Chicago!

Examiner.com Article

Should you be walking along Clark at Addison on the west side of  Wrigley Field you will see a “The Rink at Wrigley Field”.  Being constructed today, the rink will be open to the public for the next three months. Closing February 28, 2010.  Adult admission is $10 and children sake for $6.

This is a great way to get out and enjoy the Wrigleyville and Lakeview  neighborhood as well as get a Chicago Cubs fix!

Whether you are a budding Kristi Yamaguchi or Jonathan Toews lace up your skates and get out and enjoy this unique Chicago experience.

Oh, and don’t forget the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink  at Millennium park is FREE admission.

If you haven’t so much as thought about buying holiday presents yet and are feeling behind already, don’t worry. Starting Thursday, December 3 thru Sunday, December 6 the Merchandise Mart in River North is hosting one of my most favorite shopping events of the year. 

The One of a Kind Show!

Held the first weekend of December the One of a Kind Show  features art, jewelry and clothing from over 500 artisans and designers from across the United States.

It is a unique opportunity to purchase glass objects, furniture, jewelry, metal, paintings, sculptures, fashion accessories, ceramics and much more!

It is not all about the shopping!  Visitors are treated to specialized galleries such as:

• The Fine Art Gallery
• Fashion District Gallery
• Gourmet Gallery
• Emerging Artist Gallery

There are fashions shows scheduled for all four days as well as artist demonstrations performed throughout the four day event.

Tired already?  Don’t be, there are convenient amenities available to guests to make your One of a Kind Show experience sublime!

• FoodStuffs Cafe (including bar service)
• Sports Lounges (with comfortable couches and flat screen TVs)
• Free Childcare (ages 3 and up – operated by licensed and bonded child care professionals – sat & sun only)
• Coat Check
• Free Package Check
• Free Curbside Carryout Service
• Package & Shipping Service
• Gift Wrapping Service

Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for over 65, $9 for students, $9 children ages 13-17  and children under 12 get in free.

The Merchandise Mart is the worlds largest commercial building and spans two city blocks along the Chicago River.  The Mart welcomes over 3 millions visitors each year.

Get There Early:  Yes, I know, the movies start at dusk, approximately 8:00 to 8:30ish but you will need to arrive early to stake out a great space for your group.  Depending on the location, if you are going to Grant Park for instance, get there around 6:00 p.m.

Be Location Respectful:  If you are bringing chairs to sit on instead of laying out a blanket, please be respectful and sit in front of others with chairs not those sitting and laying flat on the ground. They will not be able to see over you.  Most people with chairs tend to situate themselves around the perimeters and the back.

Bring Plastic:  If you are sitting on the ground bring a tarp or cut open plastic bags to place under your blankets. Given all the rain we have been getting, you don’t want a soggy blanket to sit on.

Help People Find You:  If  you have a group and people are meeting you there, stop and pick up a helium balloon and tie it to your chair or tote bag. That way you can alert your arriving friends to look for the…Hello Kitty Balloon…and they won’t spend twenty minutes trying to find you once they arrive. When the movie starts, tie the balloon down so it won’t obscure the view of the screen for those around you.

Table Top: Bring a plastic coated table cloth to place over your blanket so if you do spill any drinks or food, it won’t get on your blanket. 

Don’t be Bored:  Yes, you have to get there early and while waiting for the movie you might get bored. Bring a deck of cards, a book/Kindle or a laptop to help pass the time. 

Time to Eat:  If you don’t want to bring your own food, many restaurants surrounding the parks showing the movies provide box dinners for the participants. Call the neighborhood restaurants to see if they are participating.

Set the Stage:  This is a fun way to spend your time waiting for the movie to begin so enjoy your dinner and set the stage and bring some flowers for a centerpiece.

Memories Last a Lifetime:  Don’t forget your camera!

Cold Items: To keep any drinks or desserts cold, pack them using  frozen bottles of water instead of ice. As the water melts you can drink the water thus having less to carry home!

January in June:  Yes, the weather hasn’t been very warm of late so make sure to bring a jacket or sweatshirt to put on as the night progresses.

Meet and Greet: Take this time to talk to those sitting around you. Meet your neighbors. Introduce yourself. We live in a fabulous city with wonderful people – get to know them!!!

Be Polite:  Clean up after yourself when the movie is done!

I hope these tips have been helpful. If you have any others that I missed, please comment below or email me at lpruchnik@rubloff.com

Lincoln Park residents, I haven’t forgotten you!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding – June 23

Little Shop of Horrors – July 6

Madagascar 2:  Escape from Africa – July 13

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – July 14

The Muppets Take Manhattan – July 20

School of Rock – July 27

The Bourne Ultimatum – Aug 3

Tootsie – Aug 10

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Aug 17

The Break-Up – Aug 18

Sunset Boulevard – Aug 25

For ALL of the other Chicago area parks holding outdoor film fesitvals visit the Chicago Park District website for details.

Located along the Chicago River at Erie Park (Kingsbury and Erie) River North presents their summer outdoor film festival starting on Tuesday, June 16th.  Bring a blanket and pack a boxed dinner and settle in at dusk to enjoy the singular sensation of watching movies outside surrounded by the glistening waters of the Chicago River and stunning residential high-rises of River North

The Dark Knight – Tues, Jun 16

Mamma Mia – Tues, July 7

Kung Fu Panda – Mon, Aug 3

American Graffiti – Tues, Aug 25

Fresh popcorn is included.

No Alcohol Allowed.

Films begin at dusk.

Did you know there will be more than 170 movies shown in neighborhood parks throuought Chicago from June through September?  Visit the Chicago Park District for more details!

Examiner Printers Row