Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I think the lead image on the post got its caption swapped. It shows Commercial Ave. looking north from 89th, not Roseland. 000
Reposted by Susannah RibsteinStar:Line Chicago @starlinechicago.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Converting the Metra MED South Chicago Branch from hourly commuter rail to thru-running regional rail with direct trips to the North and Northwest Sides would be transformative for the entire south lakefront, and that’s just one more reason why we need to #BuildTheTunnel. BuildTheTunnelChicago.org 0394
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Looking forward to a hospitality space by the same architect in Hyde Park sooooooon! 🙂 140
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Most of the post is/was true & important! The current proposal from Yancy is a big deal. Because of the amount of area it covers & because absolutely zilch of substance has even been proposed - not to mention accomplished - in the area in decades. 011
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Nope, she just completely backed off. Put together a "corridor advisory panel" or something to make it seem like she wasn't entirely giving up but nothing happened (except millions more dollars on dead-end planning studies every few years). 100
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Also in case anyone is wondering here are the precise addresses and current/proposed zoning. 020
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Hairston's downzoning proposal never progressed because it got shouted down by everyone in the neighborhood (including & perhaps especially me & @ericallixrogers.com 😇). I'm so glad that Yancy seems to be finally using zoning properly here! 280
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 15/08/2026You buried the lede with this mostly-original bathroom (many thousands of dollars in tile and ceramic fixtures probably headed for the trash 😞) 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Every word of this story makes me physically ill. I can't fathom how the victim's family must feel. Not even the worst part of it, but aggressively accelerating around anyone who has the gall to stop for a pedestrian has become a signature feature of Chicago traffic. 040
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026SAIC's hand was forced towards landmarking by public outcry. The buyer took advantage of an opportunity to pick up a neglected & encumbered property for redevelopment in an extremely lucrative market. Everything else is PR. 🙂 030
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026I'm glad that the facade of the building will remain & it will be landmarked. This will prevent it from completely disappearing from public consciousness. But I don't think either the new owner or the eventual customer for his 6-bedroom flip are acting out of an appreciation for the arts. 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026I don't know the new owner. But if his & SAIC's commitment to preservation was truly elective then they could have closed 8 months ago shortly after going under contract. The new owner could then undertake landmarking post-closing, as is normal. 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026The backwards process thus allowed SAIC to decide if they could support Landmarking without risking their ability to sell to this buyer, and presumably for the buyer to make his purchase contingent on the City's pre-approval of his plans. 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026The sale was under contract for an extraordinary number of months for a cash purchase, & closed right after the city's pre-approval of his plans was granted. 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026(I'm not accusing Landmarks staff or commission of doing anything wrong here. It's had a positive outcome, & I believe it was done with their duty to protect architectural resources in mind.) 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026SAIC hired an expensive attorney to oversee an unusual arrangement in which they sought pre-approval of the prospective owner's future redevelopment plan from the Landmarks Commission before closing, before permit application, & even before landmarking itself (which is still in process). 110
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/06/2026This was not an elective outcome from an unselfish appreciator of the arts. Preservation advocates & SAIC faculty alums who spoke up last fall orchestrated this result by making it clear to the School that selling this house without landmarking would compound their reputational damage. (con't) 121
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Does Vic Mensa still have a house here? When he's not with his orange tree.... 010
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 28/05/2026The OPC (I am told?) includes a residence. I'm very curious what they're gonna do with the Kenwood house. Either way I doubt they will ever live full-time in Chicago again.... 040
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 22/05/2026A fantastic plan with so many civic benefits, fully articulated by people who know what they're doing. From @presfutures.bsky.social mouths to City Hall's ears, please! 032
Reposted by Susannah RibsteinProtect Bridgeport Bicyclists @stevevance.net · 20/05/2026The Chicago zoning map is so bad that it has to be modified 500 times a year 1215
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 20/05/2026FYI if you or anyone you know is using Zillow or Trulia to look for a house in Chicagoland, it's frozen in time as of last night. (There is a lot to say about this three-way slap-fight between MRED, Zillow, & Compass. Too much for Bluesky! But if anyone is interested in my perspective....lmk) 010
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Good values still very much exist in Chicago real estate: 3 large beds & 2 full baths, uninterrupted southeast views of the Lake, Promontory Point, & Harold Washington Park. $1697/mo covers property taxes & all utilities. $179,000. Spread the word! www.compass.com/app/listing/... 000
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 10/05/2026Everyone's always dunking on bad south side greystone rehabs, here's one of the good ones for once. Bought in 2021 for $325k, being sold now for $635k. www.compass.com/app/listing/...compass.com4451 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60653 | MLS #12642027 | Compass4451 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60653 is a single family home listed for sale at $635,000. This is a 4-bed, 2-bath, 2,200 sqft property. 052
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 09/05/2026"1-26-25 Nothing Done" could have been written on a DOB inspection report for this building precisely 100 years later 040
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 09/05/2026The South Shore Chamber of Commerce/Development Corp. kicked out the last remaining business like 2 years ago & are rehabbing it for their office & "business incubator." But progress is extremely slow and AFAIK it is still a shell inside. 😔 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 09/05/2026Huh! Underneath the plywood there used to be multiple distinct storefronts. They were midcentury vintage but I always thought the terracotta indicated it was built basically the same storefront configuration. However now that I'm looking more carefully I realize maybe not? 120
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Whenever City Museum is mentioned I am compelled to honor Cementland beltmag.com/the-cracked-...beltmag.comThe Cracked Wonder of Cementland - Belt MagazineIf the City Museum was a tribute to industrial repurposing, Cementland was meant to be its pinnacle. 030
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Any excuse to remind everyone that the type of "nice sit-down restaurant" demanded by every single South Shore community planning survey for at least the last ~15 years is still illegal here, & our alders could change that if they wanted to. 0175
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 30/04/2026This year I have had multiple deals nearly tanked by absurd insurance premium quotes that are so much higher than the lender anticipated that the buyer is no longer qualified for their purchase. (Shopping around more always got it under control. Shop around!!) 000
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 30/04/2026But JB is on the case... 🙏https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/2026/03/27/climate-change-surge-home-insurance-rates-illinois 140
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 30/04/2026This has been my personal experience & professional observation. Extremely climate-safe Chicago indeed seems to be subsidizing much higher-risk areas where insurance premiums are suppressed. Kinda stinks! www.wsj.com/finance/natu... 110
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 28/04/2026I took a rare Uber ride recently and while I was looking at my phone the driver's app sent her the wrong way down 56th at Dorchester. Maybe a Maps problem in that spot. When I looked up and realized what was happening she was like "I'm from the suburbs, I don't know what's going on here" 😩 300
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 25/04/2026Exactly my experience as well. Just way, way better than it needs to be, in every aspect! 020
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 20/04/2026Ditto to Buddy, Atlas Stationers, and the whole Monadnock first floor (fancy hats, clothes, shoes, perfume/florist, and get a drink/snack at the bistro!) 030
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 18/04/2026It's Mother Earth punishing every non-profit and community group for performing redundant, virtue-signaling park clean-ups on one day per year and never returning for anything more useful. 071
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 10/04/2026I agree. Most folks don't "use" a front yard anyway, all they want/need is some greenery to look at and pass through. This is an efficient use of space! (No comment on the driveway picture) 231
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 30/03/2026As a South Shore (but not 7th ward) resident, "substantial societal issue" is precisely how I would describe it. 1122
Reposted by Susannah RibsteinViolet Miller @vimiller.bsky.social · 21/03/2026How much did Cook County homeowners' frustration about rising property taxes show in Tuesday’s race for Cook County assessor? Who is to blame for skyrocketing property taxes? Will Hynes suffer the same fate? Let's dig into the answers (though I fear the headline gives away the first one) 🧵/12chicago.suntimes.comCook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi lost big where property taxes in city, suburbs soaredLast year, Chicago's median residential tax bill in the city rose 16.7%, to $4,457, the largest percentage increase in at least 30 years. In the 24th Ward, where bills skyrocketed the most — the media... 12610
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 16/03/2026My final comment is that I rarely see similar conversation around areas on the north side with 5-figure monthly assessments as the norm, where it is more likely to be a result of exclusionary policy than basic budgeting. 010
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 16/03/2026I'm preaching to the choir but I feel like the conversation around assessments is skewed online (present company not included 🙂), like high HOAs are inherently a waste of money. They are if they pay for stuff you don't want! 110
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 16/03/2026It's rare for buildings to be hoarding/embezzling. I tell people that HOAs are a reflection of financial philosophy & you should live somewhere that aligns w/ you. Low assessments generally = lower reserves (or deferred maintenance) & possibility of specials. Higher = more services &/or savings. 110
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 15/03/2026My house is bigger than this (not by *that* much), but my heat bill alone is like 1/4 of these assessments for several months of the year. 😂 Plus I have to pay my taxes & fix my own roof! And I don't have a doorman! 150
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 15/03/2026Yep. "The monthly assessment includes taxes, heat, water, gas, TV/cable, 24-hour doorman, exercise room, a bike room, and a party room." And a big building w/ healthy reserves. It isn't everyone's budget but it's not a rip-off. The bigger issue with this unit is def. the weird layout & no views. 260
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 15/03/2026Because co-ops are a small portion of Chicago real estate, there isn't a good way on our MLS to distinguish between monthlies for them vs. condos, & a lot of misunderstanding ensues. But 99.9% of the time, if a listing says it's a co-op, taxes are in the HOA assessment. 020
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 15/03/2026Yes property taxes are included in the monthlies for co-ops. Once you do that math, they are often comparable to a condo. Most of what makes buildings like this (both co-op & condo) more expensive is door staff & elevators. Which many people are happy to pay for. 251
Susannah Ribstein @susannahribs.bsky.social · 25/02/2026I'm also very curious about the roof. The high fence visible on the outside indicates that it was in use, presumably accessed via this spiral staircase from the library (?). 010