Rahm Emanuel: C/D? (probably going to be a Chicago politics complaint thread too)

I'm sure he will keep trying to gut pensions in a way that will avoid being overturned.

Wtf is "soho house"!?

Oddly, I was actually there Sunday night. It's a private club (lol) that no doubt started in New York, but which opened up in Chicago not long back. The Chi version has a public component, because their research basically showed that Chicago would laugh a truly exclusive members-only club out of business. My understanding is that they recruit or attract hipsters/folks in the arts/cool people/whatevs. (I went with a member.). It's honestly a neat space, with a really cool gym, a great bar/space, some restaurants, a heated outdoor pool, etc. Very boho fancy-pants beardo chic. We had a few drinks after dinner somewhere else and then played ping pong. They had three really nice ping pong tables.

http://www.sohohousechicago.com/

https://twitter.com/moniquegarcia

covering IL supreme court and the pension bill

On wbez they keep playing this quote of a woman calling it a treehouse for adults that cost 44 million bucks and counts as neighborhood development acc to rahm.

when soho house first opened a lot of artists i know were offered membership in exchange for artwork, lol

Looooool

omg that soho house thing is so incredibly odious. I guess there are probably many worse things out there (like any suburban country club) but c'mon

It really wasn't as bad as I expected, but I was there during the off hours. I'm sure the fancy and well-scrubbed DBs come out during peak hours. For the record, I saw no treehouse, though it would be super cool if they did this in Chicago: http://www.citymuseum.org/ Which of course is one of the best places in the world stuck in the middle of one of the worst cities (imo) in America. But man would it liven things up here.

Actually, the lamest thing about Soho House is that on top of the membership, which is now ... $2000 a year?, you still have to pay for everything inside. Food, gym classes, drinks, etc. They apparently have good cultural programming, though. Speakers and bands and events and stuff. My friend said the hotel is great, too. In fact, if it was all free it would probably be the most hippest place in the city, but of course, gotta keep the hoi polloi in check. Plus, pay off that $44mil or whatever.

i don't say this much but that place can kiss my ass
neighborhood development? it's a private club that costs $2000 annually just to go there and stare at the wall. and they require a headshot and approval from a board!
fuck that place

i bet it is fun to swim and play ping pong there because it's fun to do those things but i can't stomach the idea of doing it myself

I went there for the first time a few weeks ago. They do have my dream ping-pong tables - pretty sure they're these ones.

The design is nice, and the service was much friendlier in the non-members area, on top of the same glass of wine being a buck cheaper in the public space.

Their L.A. outpost is really the most popular place for doing business in that city, in part because they don't allow cameras, have a relaxed private setup versus a public restaurant, etc.

There's lots of potential for something that is a private club without the old-money trappings but not being a fitness space either - kind of a city equivalent to King Spa. This gets there, but it didn't feel like I place I would pay to be a part of.

how did we start talking about this?

Also in LA/NY/London, it's a club built around artistic folks. Here, it had a new-tech/ad-agency feel to it, but was a fit for the West Loop in that way, especially once Google opens their big building right nearby. -xpost

xpost Everyone who's anyone is talking about Soho House.

my name is nobody, i guess

For $2000, you can be somebody.

exclusive clubs make me want to barf

i brought it up bc there was a radio segment that played like 8x today in which they detailed what qualified as "neighborhood development" acc to rahm emanuel. one of the developments that "helps to make Chicago livable for families" is this $44 million dollar private club, which was described by a member as "kind of like an adult treehouse" and they didn't say anything more about it, so while i was pumping gas into my car i asked wtf is soho house

like i'm sure the design is great! and the food and pingponging is delightful! i just really object to it being counted in "neighborhood development"

oh wow, that's almost too perfect.

it would be perfect-er if they used a closed public school to open a TIF-financed exclusive private club for which the monthly membership fee could be waived if you contributed to rahm's reelection campaign

actually i'm not positive that hasn't happened

(Totally agree with you, LL! I saw JiC's answer to your question but didn't get why you were asking until after posting.)

what's a DB?

Douchebag or Doobie Brother, not sure which.

same difference, really

i just went to their website and it made me want to go to the music room and make so much awful noise
they advertised "bespoke cocktails" and i have no idea what that means tbh

It means fancy/craft.

There's no way they'd let the Doobie Brothers in there.

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.

http://www.the80sman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/michael_mcdonald_I_keep_forgettin_1982_the80sman.jpg

riff-raff

^^All of Tom Ford's tricks, right there.

the last hotel i worked at had three of its most talented managers poached by leave for jobs at SH

coincidentally all three happened to be stylish, attractive, and in their late 20s/early 30s

"Bespoke" has lately become a buzzword for luxury. It still sounds dumb/awkward to me when spplied to things like cocktails.

Well it successfully identified me as someone not in the club, so I guess it did its job!

I would love to see someone actually try to use the word bespoke in a real conversation.

technically all cocktails created by a bartender after you order them are bespoke

bespoke clothing is more of a rarity/luxury/fancypants/$$$ thing & i guess "craft" and "artisinal" (and even "luxury" in some cases!) are already worn-out so we've moved on to bespoke

btw this conversation is very relevant to this thread, mayor 1% etc

Speaking of 1%, when people insist Rahm's ultimate aspiration is president, I have to remind them that he is Jewish and at some point will hit a glass ceiling. I have no idea what Rahm's endgame is, though. Certainly not mayor. Probably back to Wall Street.

5 year stint as CEO of Haliburton followed by vice presidency

at that point his contacts will fail him and his glowing red eyes will become visible to everyone and he will be forced to step down and go into hiding

http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/432923/garcia-criticizes-ashland-bus-rapid-transit-plan-claypool-insists-not-done-deal

Not only do I disagree with his stances on transportation, I think it's ultimately going to backfire on him. He's appealing to a very vocal minority.

i think it's best to remember the big picture and not focus on the day-to-day squabbling of these two, which seems perpetuated by the news cycle and persistent need for eyes/clicks/outrage
the daily garbage is like junk food

Has there been a study to determine the majority/minority opinions regarding the BRT?

The primary survey that I've seen indicated 59% support - http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/survey-investing-mass-transit-key

garcia seems to be opposing some measures just b/c rahm supports them which is lame

imo it is lame because it distracts from the big picture which is that rahm is a political shark and needs to be stopped before chicago becomes more fully entrenched in his network of rich asshole friends
he will also stop at nothing to smear his opponent so i hope garcia is ready to call him out on that

I wonder how much Garcia's opposition to Ashland BRT specifically is grounded in his home neighborhood. The 18th/Ashland corridor is evolving/exploding because of gentrification, seems like it'd be unwise politically not to listen to voices in that realm who are against the proposal in its current form.

Like I can't help but wonder how much of the BRT support is driven by northside white people who never set foot on a bus south of Roosevelt.

I've taken a bus all the way down to 26th! But you're right, I imagine many don't. Maybe having the BRT that goes all the way down to 95th would at least get them a few more blocks south.

And IIRC, that trip does take over an hour from Diversey.

i don't think i've had occasion to take the ashland bus more than once or twice in my life. i've depended on the #22 down clark many a time, though.

i'm willing to accept that garcia's opposition to the dedicated bus lane is principled and based on his constituents' expressed concerns.

Meanwhile in Springfield... http://io9.com/springfield-il-just-gave-the-key-to-the-city-to-cobr-1691016266