Filed under: Life at The Morgan, Neighborhood Guide | Tags: candy, Frozen Custard, Lickity Split, Rogers Park, sweets, The Morgan at Loyola Station
Ken Anderson was not always a custard guy. In fact, there was a time when he couldn’t even tell you the difference between ice cream and frozen custard. (If you don’t know the difference, read up here. “Where I grew up it was all either hard serve or soft serve, that’s it,” he explains. But after working in retail for most of his life, he found himself in a place that he says was a “now or never” moment. “I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I just had certain choices given to me, so I thought, okay! Let’s give this a whirl,” he says. His partner had introduced him to frozen custard, and together they decided to open up an old-fashioned sweets and custard shop in Chicago.
Anderson said that they settled on Rogers Park because they like the fact that it was “off the beaten track.” The space they chose to open Lickity Split Frozen Custard and Sweets used to be an antique store where Anderson and his partner would shop. When they moved into the location, they did some major renovations to make the shop comfortable all year round (rather than closing in the winter like many frozen treat shops). This also meant that the shop would sell more than just frozen custard. If you stop by in December and aren’t in the mood for something cold, there is a wide variety of gourmet chocolates, retro candies, and baked goods to choose from.
One of the unique things about Lickity Split is how connected it is to the neighborhood. In the shop you can purchase coffee from Metropolis and sweets from Chicago bakers such as Flirty Cupcakes, Sweet Attila’s, Celestial Kitchens, and Josie’s Cookies. In addition to supporting local businesses, the shop also hosts live local music sets on Friday nights throughout the school year. (They would continue this during the summer, but the shop is just too crowded with custard customers to have room for the bands.) You can enjoy a rotating display of work by local artists on the walls inside the shop. Right now they are featuring pieces by second graders at Northside Catholic Academy. This summer they hope to have a neighborhood talent show around the 4th of July to bring in more local talents. “It’s just a really welcoming area. We are so appreciative to have landed in this neighborhood,” Anderson says.
So as we are starting to settle in to summer, definitely add Lickity Split to your list of summer hang out spots. The custard is made in-house, and each week they will be featuring a different flavor to supplement the traditional chocolate and vanilla. You can find the weekly flavors on their Facebook page or on their website. And if you are looking for a good fundraising opportunity for your organization, school group, church group, club, etc. Lickity Split hosts charity nights in which a portion of the proceeds from one day or evening can go to benefit your group.
Lickity Split is located at 6056 N. Broadway (at the corner of Glenlake & Broadway). They are open daily from noon to 10pm. Check them out on Facebook , on their website, and follow them on Twitter @LickitySplitChi.
Filed under: Life at The Morgan, Neighborhood Guide | Tags: apartments, Art, gallery, luxury living, Rogers Park, The Morgan at Loyola Station
May 17, 2013 – June 8, 2013
The Wide Open
Artists Reception: Saturday, May 18 – 1 pm to 4 pm
Gallery Hours: Thursdays 4 pm to 7 pm, and by appointment
An exercise in space management, modest means, and timeliness. The Wide Open is an experiment in autocurating. Organized through an open call, all completed submissions to the show were accepted in the order they were received until the available space was exhausted.
Featured artists will include Haylee Anne, Ceyda Aykan, Gabriella Boros, Dan Boyd, Peter Bullock, Vanessa Capshaw, Betsy van Die, Taylor Ervin, Jane Ferris, Chris Gans, Gretchen Hasse, Julia Haven, Jon Henry, Jennifer Hines, Kelsey Knutson, George Larson, Lauren Macklin, John McLaughlin, Emily Moorhead, Sebastian Napoli, Dan Olvera, Judy Petacque, Diane Ponder, Peyton Rack, Chris Ramsey, Pat Rice, Earl Ritchie, Camila Santin, Emma Saperstein, Kadie Schmidt-Hackenberg, Luke Shemroske, Amanda Wirig, and Jungyul Yu.
How much room does the artist require to present the statement they need to make? How difficult is it to put yourself out in the world, claim what you need, and then hold your ground. . . . How difficult should it be?
The Wide Open is part of series of upcoming programming which aims to develop new, locally-focused opportunities to display, create, and experience art in the Rogers Park neighborhood. The show is coordinated by Roman Susan gallery director Kristin Abhalter and communications director Nathan Smith.
For more information about the Roman Susan Gallery, refer to our last post on the space.
The gallery is located at:
1224 W. Loyola Avenue, Chicago 60626
romansusan.org | (773) 270-1224
Filed under: Green Living, Life at The Morgan | Tags: Rogers Park, DIY, The Morgan at Loyola Station, crafting, luxury apartment living
So as the weather is still deciding what season it would like to be, I often find myself waiting around inside for it to make up its mind. This means I have a little more time for the ever-growing list of apartment decorating projects that I store in a folder of bookmarks on my browser. Since some of you may or may not be finding yourselves in the same boat, I figured I’d share four of my favorite projects. They’re all very simple. (I’m definitely no Martha Stewart…) Have fun!
1. Polaroid Magnets + Photo Wall
Between Facebook and iPhones, most people aren’t printing many pictures these days, but I think these two easy projects are fun, creative ways to display some of your favourite snapshots in your apartment. I got the ideas from one of my favourite blogs called A Beautiful Mess.
Photo from A Beautiful Mess.
For the “Polaroid” magnets, you can either take the easy route and print your photos yourself (or at CVS, Walgreens, etc.) and then use magnetic tape to turn them into little magnets. But if you’re feeling fancy (and you have an Instagram account), you can check out StickyGram. The site allows you to turn your Instagram photos into 50mm x 50mm magnets that you can order and have shipped to your door.
Photo from A Beautiful Mess.
The photo wall also has two options. You can print the photos yourself, or you can use PostalPix. This is an app (for iPhone or Android) that allows you to order prints of any pictures on your phone. The nice thing about PostalPix is you can order square prints of your pictures, which look cool on a photo wall. And it’s pretty cheap: 29¢ – 89¢ depending on the size. For creating the wall itself, use painter’s tape to create the grid so your pictures are straight and evenly spaced out. It’s also good for the backs of the pictures because it won’t rip the paint off your walls.
2. BOOK shelves
Photo from Real Simple.
I saw this project in Real Simple magazine and thought it was would be a really quirky way to decorate. Maybe check out Armadillo’s Pillow for some suitable vintage books. Then make a run to the hardware store to pick up two sets of brackets (one set for below the books and a single bracket for above). Then measure the thickness of each book “shelf” to figure out the spacing of the brackets and drill away.
3. Cloth Napkins
Cloth napkins are generally pretty boring. But they’re good because they’re reusable and all that. So why not make them a little more fun? I found these ideas on A Beautiful Mess and are also super easy. For both projects you need solid colored napkins.
Image from A Beautiful Mess.
Option one: Messy polka dots. In addition to the plain napkins, you will need fabric paint (Martha Stewart craft paint actually works the best and you can get it at any craft store) and Q-tips. The end result is really cool once the napkin is covered, but it does take a pretty long time so it would be a good activity to do while catching up on your Netflix shows.
Image from A Beautiful Mess.
Option two: Wax resistant designs. For these napkins, you will need wax resist sticks (or just crayons!) and fabric dye, both of which you can get at any craft store. Just use the wax sticks to draw whatever design you would like onto the napkins, then dye them whatever color you’d like. Then your design will stay behind. This is also a cool technique to use to design scarves, pillow cases, tea towels, etc.
4. Gold ceramics
Image from Sterling Style.
I found this super easy project on the blog Sterling Style . This is not only a cool idea for your own dishware, but would also make a really easy gift idea. Just take a gold (or silver) Sharpie and draw the design or pattern you’d like on the dishware. Then put it in the oven to bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes to make it stay. The dots are cute but you could also try writing words or making monogrammed mugs.
Words by Emily Taft
Filed under: Green Living, Life at The Morgan, Neighborhood Guide | Tags: Green Living, luxury apartments, luxury living, natural foods, Newleaf grocer, Rogers Park, sustainable
Hidden behind the tracks of the Loyola CTA station, and just around the corner from the Morgan, resides the Newleaf Natural Grocery Store. Celebrating its tenth anniversary of operation, the independently owned Newleaf groceries serves as an all organic, all local, all natural grocery store to the Rogers Park area. Newleaf partners with local farms in Illinois to offer chemical free meat and produce as everything they sell in-store is void of antibiotics, hormones or pesticides. Newleaf’s impressive stock is only matched by their loyalty to the community, as strong advocates of sustainability their cooperation with local and organic businesses serve to spearhead sustainable “green” movements in Rogers Park.
Located on the corner of Loyola and Lakewood Ave the grocery store is setup in a very small storefront. Newleaf likes to keep things simple and to the point, you walk in and are immediately greeted by an assortment of vibrant colors. The multitudes of colors are the various selections of organic produce in season. A long series of shelves housing organic vitamins, oils, supplements and baked goods bi-sects the length of the store. Refrigerators in the back of the store house their meat and dairy section which features all organic milk as well as “Amish eggs” as produced by the local farms of the region. The back of the store houses grains, beans, and rice’s in addition to a large selection of tea and coffee, all of which are fair trade. Newleaf groceries also sports an in-house bakery and café which offers organic salads, sandwiches and baked goods. In keeping with their sustainability efforts, Newleaf partners up with local farms to deliver organic goods right to your door! Newleaf offers a weekly delivery program where you can order and have a sizeable box of organic fruits, vegetables or a mix of both delivered straight to you.
While you might find yourself paying an extra buck for some dietary staples, your money is quite literally benefiting the community. The funding for Newleaf continues the cooperation with local businesses and farms in order to provide you, the consumer with organic and natural products. Newleaf fosters an air of well being and community, don’t be afraid to stop in and have a chat with the staff. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and can offer healthy alternatives for almost anything in your diet. Their well being is your well being. Don’t be fooled by the “organic” label that most major grocery chains will throw at you, this is as organic and natural as it gets.
Words and pictures by Max O’Kane
Filed under: Life at The Morgan, Neighborhood Guide | Tags: Baking, Cafe, Growling Rabbit, Rogers Park, The Morgan at Loyola Station
As a child, Laura Soncrant always had exotic pets. Hedgehogs and ferrets wandered around the house and she would carry out squirrel rescue missions when playing outside. Now an adult, she continues to hold a sweet spot for animals, especially rabbits. Sweet Attila the Honey Bunny came first, and would later become the namesake for Soncrant’s bakery. Sweet Atilla has since been joined by Deputy Kallie (the Growling Rabbit herself), Mister Harrington III, and Butters. All of the bunnies are “rootin’ tootin’ rescue rabbits” as Soncrants says, but they have come from all over the states (from Reno to Ohio) to join the Soncrant family, which totals 4 bunnies, 1 dog, 1 (human, two-year-old) kid, and a two-year-old business.
Soncrant moved to Chicago from Toledo, OH in 1999 to get her Masters degree in Arts Management from Columbia College. She worked for a while as a landscape architect and as a gallery manager in Chicago. But when her dad passed away, she started thinking about the bigger picture. “It was one of those times in my life when I was asking everyone around me, ‘What should I really be doing?’” she says. “And people kept saying, ‘You bake. You’re good at baking.’ So I started making cookies.” The bakery was also a way to publicly remember her father: Sweet Attila’s was incorporated on what would have been his 60th birthday.
The Growling Rabbit just before closing on a Thursday evening.
After renting space for awhile in a commercial kitchen and selling the baked goods at farmers markets, Soncrant eventually realized that because of Sweet Attila’s growing production and demand, it would be more economical to find their own space. When she found the location at Lunt & Sheridan, she decided that the space would be too big for just the bakery, so she decided to open a café as well. She, not surprisingly, named it the Growling Rabbit. Around the same time that she was moving into the new location, Soncrant also found out that she was pregnant with their first son, Kai. “I like to say that between Kai, the bakery, and the café I gave birth to triplets that year,” she jokes. Both Kai and the Growling Rabbit turn two this year.
Yummy red velvet cupcakes from Sweet Atilla’s.
Sweet Attila’s continues to make plenty of its delicious baked goods, selling both in-store at the Growling Rabbit as well as wholesale to other Chicago sweet spots like Lickity Split in Edgewater, Urban Orchard in Andersonville, and Other Brother in Evanston. The Growling Rabbit also has a partnership with Montalblano Farms, so any neighbors interested in getting into CSA (or community-supported agriculture) are able to use the café as their pickup spot for their weekly deliveries of farm fresh veggies and/or fruit. (Check out the farm’s CSA site for more information.) The café uses many of the farm’s produce for their full-menu of delicious food.
Soncrant calls the Growling Rabbit’s food “healthy comfort” and says that there’s really something for everybody: vegan, gluten free, meat lovers, and everything in between. “It’s the cooking your mom and your grandma used to do,” she says. “If it reminds you of your childhood, we’ve done our job.” Growling Rabbit makes its sausage in-house (try it in their chorizo omelet!), and the homemade cinnamon rolls on the weekend are a fan favorite. Brunch is served daily until 2pm, but Soncrant says they will be extending hours to 3pm on the weekends for the summer. (So now you have no excuse not to stop by and check it out! J)
Martha, one of the Growling Rabbit’s baristas, serving up some cupcakes with a grin.
The Growling Rabbit is located at 6981 North Sheridan Road. Their hours are Tuesday – Friday 8am – 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am – 6pm. (Closed Mondays.) Check them out on Facebook
Words and Pictures by Emily Taft
Filed under: Life at The Morgan, Neighborhood Guide | Tags: Flatts and Sharpe Music Co, local business, Rogers Park, The Morgan at Loyola Station
Located at 6749 N Sheridan Rd on the corner of Columbia and Sheridan and next to the previously mentioned Armadillos Pillow, Flatts & Sharpe Music Co caters to Rogers Park’s musically creative side. Billed as a “small town music store that somehow ended up in the big city,” Flatts & Sharpe makes the distinction that they are more than just a music store but a musical community. For the already established musician, you can find any musical accessory imaginable for a price that will almost always beat major retailers. The staff’s musical expertise is not just limited to instruction, as you can bring in your instrument for a tune-up, repair or an upgrade. Flatts & Sharpe also has one of the largest musical libraries offering a plethora of various instructional books that range from your favorite artist or advanced musical techniques.
In addition to selling musical instruments they focus mainly on the musical education that they offer. Flatts & Sharpe offers lessons for virtually any instrument you can think of and what’s more is that for every instrument they have a knowledgeable and friendly person on staff to assist you. But don’t be deterred! They offer music lessons for people of all ages; each lesson is a private one on one experience that caters to your individual needs. The staff can instruct you in a classical background, something more contemporary or anything else that might suit your fancy. The aspect of community and social interaction is highly valued. Twice a year the staff at Flatts & Sharpe gather all the students together to interact and collaborate with each other. The development of musical relationships and network is something that cannot be “found” and needs to be developed, and Flatts & Sharpe provide you with the proper avenues. So whether you’re a casual music enthusiast or you want to tap into your inner Mozart, stop in to Flatts & Sharpe where you’re not a student, you’re family.
Words and pictures by Max O’Kane
Filed under: Life at The Morgan, Neighborhood Guide | Tags: Bar63, eating and drinking, entertainment, Rogers Park, The Morgan at Loyola Station
Bar63 opened last weekend at 6341 N. Broadway, replacing Hamilton’s Bar and Grill. The space has undergone much renovation. The new look includes wallpaper made from the newspaper articles announcing Loyola’s win in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 1963, which was the inspiration for Bar63’s name. There is also a new den/lounge area in the back of the space that doubles as a dance floor at night. Other updates include a pool table, arcade games, large flatscreen TVs, and chalkboards featuring daily specials and sports schedules.
The restaurant features a full menu of sandwiches, salads, and classic appetizers as well as an extensive drink menu including a large variety of craft beers. “We just want to give the neighborhood some place to go to just sit, relax, and eat. We wanted to really target the entire neighborhood: college students, adults, families with kids,” says Bar63 General Manager Shiming Chen. Chen says that they have been excited to see so many families come in for lunch and dinner, and are looking to add a kids menu in the near future.
Chen says that they are hoping to appeal to the entire neighborhood community: college students, adults, and families. The bar has already become a weekend hotspot among of-age Loyola students. “It is great to have a local bar right around the corner. It has a really great atmosphere for both catching up with a friend after class and dancing to some tunes on a Saturday night,” says Loyola student and Rogers Park resident Julia Poirier. (She strongly recommends the salmon salad. J)
Looking ahead, Chen says that they will always be looking for new and fun things to do, such as trivia and karaoke nights. They are also hoping to use the spacious back room to host banquets and other events for people in the neighborhood.
Bar63 is located at 6341 N. Broadway. Its hours are 3PM-2AM Monday through Thursday, Fridays 11AM-2AM, Saturdays 11AM-3AM, and Sundays 11AM-2AM. Check out their website and Facebook page for more information about specials and upcoming events.
Words by Emily Taft and pictures courtesy of Bar63
