Busters sidewalk patio
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE
We’re not Uptown, and we don’t wanna be gentrified!
I have written quite a few times before about what I love about my neighborhood, Standish, and its adjacent partner, Ericsson. They’re the right size, friendly and diverse, with lots of well-loved small businesses. Last year, we mentioned that Chicago Taste Authority, one of those well-loved places, was moving out from its long-time location at 3101 East 42nd St. because of a massive rent increase. That property appears to have been for sale or rent for the past year with no takers. Gentrification is not just misguided “improvement,” it’s the more aesthetic early stages of what ends as the death spiral of a neighborhood. Just don’t do it!
Northern Fires wood-fired pizza oven
Places to eat and drink near 42nd Street
The area around 42nd Street and 28th Avenue still doesn’t have a lot of places to dine out or grab a coffee, so we celebrate the ones we have. The main spot at the main intersection is the very popular Busters on 28th. Its style is basically “pub grub,” but with a few choices you don’t see everywhere. Examples – a fried green beans appetizer, a poached pear with brie and balsamic vinegar, and ground chicken patties as a burger option. They also have a huge selection of beer, both on tap and in bottles.
Another option is Northern Fires Pizza a few blocks west at 1839 42nd St. They do not have indoor seating, but they do have what I consider a very superior (and under-rated) wood-fired pizza selection. Then there’s Bill’s Garden Chinese Gourmet, a mostly take-out spot across the street from the coffee shop. Check out their very favorable Google Reviews.
Green Elevator THC drinks
Shopping on or near 42nd Street
Another business that has closed in the area is Dabbler Depot cannabis dispensary. But coming soon is a different cannabis dispensary sharing space with a new vintage shop. The new dispensary will be a retail outlet for the existing wholesale distributor of cannabis products, Green Elevator. The vintage shop will be called Crash Vintage. Green Elevator products are currently available in some nearby stores and bars. You can get their THC-sodas such as Lemontini, Orangetini, and Limetini at Buster’s, and also at The Cardinal Bar. Those products plus other edibles are carried at Dokken’s Superette, a small independent convenience store also on 42nd Avenue.
Stay Gold Vintage, owned and operated by Tamrah Ryan, was mentioned as a new spot in last year’s edition, and it’s been sticking around which is good news. They had a little one-year anniversary celebration on Aug. 23 and 24 this year, and they have been garnering good reviews on Facebook and Google. Check them out at 2719 East 42nd St.
Services to fix things up nice
Flannery Brothers is the local’s favorite for fixing up or maintaining your car. A 68-year old family business, it has been in the location at 2720 East 42nd St. since the 1980s. See our in-depth coverage last year for more details: tinyurl.com/DKRatSSP-2024-42ndSt.
Maybe what your car needs in addition (or instead) is a little pampering. A quick, cheap option is the Wash-Me self-service car wash at 4159 Hiawatha Ave. S. This is one of a small local chain, with two other Wash-mes in the Twin Cities. You can purchase tokens for the wash, and follow the directions. There are also vending machines if you need supplies and a vacuum cleaner for the interior. Customer assistance staff are on-site during daylight hours, and there is a 24-hour customer help line. If you register on their website, wash-me.net, you can get a free car wash on your birthday!
Coping Skills Construction LLC is a good choice to call to fix up your domicile. This local business doesn’t have a website but they are very accessible on NextDoor, where they have a “Fave” rating and lots of top reviews from happy neighbors. Here is the owner of the business’s resume of his business from NextDoor:
“I grew up riding around on the golf cart as a kid, helping my grandpa fix the cabins at my family’s resort. After I decided college wasn’t for me, I went into the trades full time, and I’ve been a general contractor since 2008.
I absolutely love my job. Most days it doesn’t feel like work, I just show up to hang out with a friend and we do guy stuff; hammer on things and build stuff.”
Dr. Tracie Fowler at The Spinal Frontier
Neighborly care for your body or your animal companion
At 4154 28th Ave. S. is The Spinal Frontier Chiropractic operated by Dr. Tracie Fowler. From the website: ”She believes that the healthier you are, the more fun you have. You will feel that when you walk in the door! She has been a fun chiro for 17 years. She has spent way too many hours becoming a nutrition nerd.” Spinal Frontier seems to command great loyalty from their clients, which is why they have hung around since the mid-2000s. Also their website is adorable.
If you have a pet and want proven good veterinary care in the area, I can recommend Nokomis Pet Clinic at 2917 East 42nd St. I found their help and support invaluable when I “inherited” my last pet, a traumatized little miniature poodle named Kobe who had just outlived his second old-lady (thus the trauma.) (And he got better!) Nokomis Pet Clinic is yet another service that many locals can attest to and love.
Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) meeting at Lucy Parsons Center
Roosevelt Library and its interesting new neighbor
Roosevelt Library is the great “third space” in our neighborhood. It’s a small library with a big footprint, now with expanded days and hours. Check out the events offered there – a baby story time, a family story time, various craft classes, and two book clubs. The most recently added book club is Banned Books which will meet Thursday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Next door to the library, at 4100 28th Ave. S, is a new community center in the former YMCA building called the Lucy Parson’s Center. Named for the famed widow of a Chicago Haymarket martyr, this place offers a venue for meetings and events of social justice orientation. Welcome to the neighborhood!
