Friday, June 17, 2011
Pulaski Swimming Pool Opens Today
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Recap: How Was Your Do Division Festival?
Overall, the crowds flocked to the streets, the music was diverse and up-tempo, and the smell of grilled meat was only surpassed by the ridiculous amounts of sunshine (except for the lone thunderstorm Saturday afternoon). All in all, it was a great year.
One thing that had tongues wagging was the changed presence at Wicker Wash at 2133 W. Division St. While in past years, the car wash has been home to throngs of dancers and several DJs, this year it was turned into a sedate island paradise (complete with sand), an event put on by a third-party sponsor that rented out the car wash.
So what happened? According to folks at the carwash, the West Town Chamber of Commerce had received complaints about the loud, pulsating music and crowds of dancers on the sidewalk, and did not allow them to bring DJs back to the space this year. After a series of talks, as far as they know the DJ is no longer permitted at any fest in the future.
What do you think? Were there less distractions without the car wash music or was something missing this year? There were several other "impromptu" jam sessions on the street that were not an official part of the festival (such as in front of the Division Gold Pawn Shop at 2112 W. Division St.), but the show went on for them. Regardless, a major hat tip to all the organizers of the festival, and we'll see you next year!
By the way, it seemed Delish and Armand's Pizzeria did open as planned with limited menus.
*UPDATE 6/7/11: An eagle-eyed reader pointed out that Armand's Grand Opening is tomorrow, June 8, and Delish is still not totally open -- although some readers reported being allowed inside for milkshakes and ice cream this weekend. However, the full menu is taped to the window in case you are curious.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Good Things Come in Threes -- New Openings, Including Delish
- Word on the street is that Delish Diner & Bakery (2014 W. Division St.) will possibly be doing a soft opening Friday at 7 a.m., or Saturday at the latest. We can't wait to get inside this new breakfast diner brought to you by the folks behind next-door-neighbor Picante.
- As we mentioned before, Armand's Pizzeria (2121 W. Division St.) still plans to open Saturday and Sunday for the first day of Do Division with a pizza-only menu. On Monday, it'll roll out its sandwiches, salads, pastas and more.
- FoundRe Furnishings (2151 W. Division St.) has been open for a few days, but will make it's big debut this weekend. The custom picture frame and furniture gallery features recycled materials from around the city. That stretch of Division Street is a little quieter than the rest, so it's great to see retail units going up on that block -- especially when huge crowds are expected to descend on it for two straight days.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Do Division Streetfest Adds to Musical Line-Up
In case you missed it, yesterday Do Division announced part of the line-up for the 2011 festival, which takes place June 4-5. More announcements are forthcoming, but for now the Damen stage will include:
- Bonobo (A British DJ with a sample-heavy, down-tempo electronica style. Check out a YouTube clip here)
- Big Freedia (A transgendered ass-shaking rapper taking riffs from New Orleans' "Sissy bounce" musical tradition. YouTube clip here)
- Omar Souleyma: A high-octane Dabke (Syrian dance music) performer who's heavy on the synth-keyboard (YouTube clip here)
- Led Zeppelin 2 (Chicago-based cover band eerily similar to the original. YouTube clip here)
- This Must Be the Band (Playing music exclusively from the Talking Heads catalog, this group is fairly popular in the festival circuit - YouTube clip here)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
New Pizzeria Projects a Mid-May Opening at 2121 W. Division


When you venture down west of Hoyne, the scene on Division Street starts to taper off a bit. That’s why we were really excited to hear that Armand’s Pizzeria Express will be coming to 2121 W. Division, in the storefront space that was formerly Funkshion, a fashion boutique. (And neighbors to Eye Candy Optics, Wicker Basket Cafe and North Coast Video.)
The spot will be an express version of the original Armand’s Pizzeria, which got its start in Elmwood Park and has since expanded to North Center, Arlington Heights and Naperville. It’s main specialty is pizza, but there’s also a full menu of soups, salads, pastas, sandwiches and desserts, for dine in, carry out or delivery.
Co-owner Nick Dizonno says they haven’t started construction yet aside from clearing out the old space, but they’re gearing up to bring in a 9,000-pound stone pizza oven to make the old-world pies. In the traditional Italian style, the “Pizza Novas” will have extra thin crust and extra virgin olive oil in place of tomato sauce, but there will also be thin crust and pan pizzas as well.
Though Dizonno says he expects the counter-service spot to have a large delivery and carry-out focus, there will be a handful of tables inside and a sidewalk patio for those who want to grab pizza by the slice. Since it won’t be open late-night or serve alcohol, it should be a nice family-friendly addition to the street and will add to the lively sidewalk presence, too.
Armand’s Pizzeria Express will start its hiring process in about a month, so if you know anyone in the neighborhood who is looking, tell them to stop by and say hi.


