Friday, November 6, 2009

The Chicago Gold Coast: They'll Just Die To Live Here!


Brunhilda here:

I have been living happily in the Chicago Gold Coast for a few years now. Most people say they would just die to live in this neighborhood! This is why I am so thrilled to hear about a proposed new use for a historic neighborhood building nearby. The Three Arts Club once housed as many as 110 women artists in the landmark building located at 1300 N Dearborn Street. Just thinking about the clubhouse filled with all those women studying the arts back then gives me a chill. Independent women, all together for the sake of the arts, in the early 1900’s! What a scene it must have been. I would love to get in there and do some friendly ghost busting! Maybe there are a few talented lady ghosts that Brunhilda could befriend. Yummy!

Now the Three Arts Club, a property revered by preservationists, sits vacant and useless, basically, dead. Many vultures, (I mean developers) have proposed different uses for the building. For a while Randee and I thought it would become a condo or hotel. But the neighbors fought hard against the congestion and noise that those would bring their beloved neighborhood. Then the real estate market nose-dived, and the developers disappeared.

Now I hear of a proposal for an ingenious way to use the building. A group of investors headed by Chicago architect Bill Bickford has a unique concept. They will turn The Three Arts Club into a “columbarium”. Don’t know what that means?  Brunhilda does! Basically, it’s a permanent home for the cremated remains of loved ones. Yep! It’s a proposal to turn this building into a big, giant vault to house the ashes of as many as 15,000 souls. Brunhilda likes! How perfect! There won’t be any noise makers, it won’t create traffic congestion. You would love it if you lived right next door. No parties! Maybe once in a while some one will come by to visit Granny’s urn. But mostly, their family members will pay the cost of maintaining the place.

Just imagine the well-to-do Chicagoans jumping on the cremation bandwagon, shopping for urns to house here. I see a future where Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton offer pricey designer urns. Think of the possibilities, older men at the Viagra Triangle indulging in booze and beauties, suffering instant heart attacks and a few days later they can wind up living for all eternity in the Gold Coast! Lucky Schmos!

This is Brunhilda signing off for today feeling like they finally might be getting something right. My Randee, she’s not so sure…..so don’t tell her that I love it!


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