The Chicagoland Guide

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we interview Nina Barrett the owner of Bookends and Beginnings. Bookends and Beginnings is an independent bookstore located in, “Bookman’s Alley,” located at 1712 Sherman Ave, Alley #1 Evanston, IL 60201. We discuss her ties to the store, why she became a bookstore owner, the book selling industry, her career in writing and her connection to Evanston. Her store is purpose driven in a personal way.

Bookends & Beginnings just celebrated its 5th birthday. The building used to house a different bookstore in it, and Nina did a story on it when she was in college at Northwestern University. It closed several years ago, and Nina opened up her store in 2014. She talks about her love of the space, and how she competes with Amazon and chain stores, and how she urges people to support independent bookstores.

Nina discusses the development that almost occurred on her location, and why she thinks it is so important for downtowns to have spaces like hers that offer lower rent in these areas. If you destroy all of the small independent shops, it can destroy the ecosystem of the neighborhood. She stresses the realities versus the fantasies of owning a small independent business and how lower rent is so important for her business to be viable.

Nina talks about how her store is so different than many other stores, and what things they do differently. She and the staff also hand curate all of the books. Bookends and Beginnings also has many events at the store, which can be found here: https://www.bookendsandbeginnings.com/event Some customers call it a speak easy for books where you have to know the password to get in so you can get drunk on the books, and it feels so much better than shopping at a chain store.

Bookends and Beginnings can also be found online at https://www.bookendsandbeginnings.com, on Instagram at @bookends_and_beginnings and Facebook at @bookendsbeginnings.

Please share this episode and tag Bookends and Beginnings, @IndieBound #shopindependent and #insidetheskev.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, email me at [email protected] or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Photo credit to Jeff Barrett for the photo of Nina Barrett.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

This week on, “Inside the Skev” we interview Lorri Lippitz from the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. We discuss her passion for music, Yiddish and connections to Jewish culture through music. We also discuss her goals in sustaining music and Yiddish to future generations and how children can get involved.

Lori Lippitz is the founder and manager of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, which has toured the US and Europe and recorded six CDs. After studying Slavic Languages and Literature at the Universities of Michigan and Chicago, she devoted herself to restoring the “joy of klez” to the Chicago Jewish community. Under the auspices of the Klezmer Music Foundation, Lori started the Junior Klezmer Orchestra, mentoring young people in klezmer music and Yiddish songs. Among her other current Klezmer Music Foundation projects, she manages three congregational klezmer bands as well as the Salaam-Shalom Music Project, an interfaith orchestra combining members of Maxwell Street and members of the Chicago Muslim musical community. Lori also serves as a Cantorial Soloist at several congregations including the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (Evanston and Ahavat Olam (Glenview). More information on the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band can be found by clicking here.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Photo credits to David Sutton from Sutton Studios for the photo of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

This week we broadcast live from Bangkok, Thailand. We interview Michelle Mills Clement, the CEO of the Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR), Maurice Hampton, the President-Elect of CAR, and Mabel Guzman, the head of the Global Real Estate Council for CAR and Past President of CAR to discuss CAR's trade mission to Thailand.

You may ask, what does Thailand and real estate have to do with the Skev, or Chicago in general. CAR is the ambassador organization to the Kingdom of Thailand through the National Association of Realtors. We talk about how people from the US can invest in international markets like Thailand, and people outside the United States can invest in real estate in the US in markets like Chicago. We have been connecting with our Thai peers, sharing our experience on how to lead in professionalism and education in real estate with Thailand, and learning how to find foreign investors and clients seeking passive income and great investments in our global city. We have been discovering the country’s real estate market and business opportunities through numerous meetings, property tours and cultural tours.

The purpose of the Global Real Estate Council is to support C.A.R. members who do business with global markets (inbound and outbound transactions and/or consultancy) through education and networking activities, information sharing and involvement with select global real estate organizations. The forum also fosters strong relations with local organizations representing diverse ethnic and cultural communities in Chicagoland. You can follow them online at https://chicagorealtor.com/groups-and-networks/global/ and social media.

This trip can be found on social media at the following hashtags: #aarongoesglobal #carinthailand #carglobal.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes the leadership and staff of CAR and my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

This week on, “Inside the Skev” we interview Mayor Steve Hagerty from the City of Evanston. Mayor Hagerty discusses his passion for being mayor, his triumphs, his challenges, his hopes and his passions. He also discusses new development projects in the area, both private and public like the new Robert Crown Center and the redesigned Fountain Square.

Mayor Hagerty’s background is in leading a company called Hagerty Consulting that creates plans for disasters. It is a global company based in Evanston. After speaking with several people who had been involved in government, he decided to become civically engaged and run for mayor.

We discuss the great aspects of Evanston like it’s 5 shark-free beaches, proximity to Chicago, connections to the metro area with the Metra and CTA, Northwestern University and its global companies like Rotary International. Rotary International has 1.4 million members and is based in Downtown Evanston.

Some of his visions include that we ensure that we have a vibrant and robust business community. That means smart and sensible development focus on Transit Oriented Development. He points to the Albion Development on Sherman Avenue which is a new rental community that replaces the former site of Tommy Nevin’s Pub and Prairie Moon, and the Mather Homes on Davis and Hinman. He points to close to $500 Million of commercial development in Evanston. He also thinks the library parking lot will eventually be developed.

He talks about how the City has taken the initiative to be more environmentally friendly in order to combat climate change. Part of this includes adding more bike lanes and encouraging development near mass transit. He also has made statements of Evanston’s commitment to the environment.

The Mayor talks about stepping up and get civically involved in Evanston. He said to get involved in organizations and committees. He talks about he moved to Evanston 20 years ago and didn’t know anyone. He also joined the Evanston Leadership program which will helped open his eyes that he should be involved in organization like the Chamber of Commerce. He also says you can contact him directly if you want to get involved by emailing him at [email protected].

We discuss the Dodge and Dempster called the West End Business District area which has been led in many ways by Valle Produce which owns the shopping center at Dodge and Dempster, Temperance Brewery, Out of Space, Goldfish Swim and Erie Health Center.

Affordable housing is another topic discussed in the episode. We discuss the need for it and a new development being built on Dempster and Pitner. This development is run by Housing Opportunities for Women with 16 units. He also discusses the inclusionary housing ordinance, and the accessory dwelling units (coach houses).

Last we talk about the Robert Crown Center. A new facility is currently being built to replace the existing facility which was built in the 1970s. That building is in disrepair, heavily used and is obsolete. The new facility will have a much better Head Start program, a new branch of the Evanston Public Library, new ice rinks, an indoor running track and sports facilities. The fields will also be replaced with 250,000 square feet of turf which will greatly improve surfaces for sports teams. This will allow teams to play even instead of requiring cancellation when it rains. He expects 200,000 people to come through the new center once completed. The price of the facility is $53 Million, which is a huge investment in the community. It will be paid for with bonds and donations from the Friends of Robert Crown. They have raised $12 Million.

People can learn more about the City of Evanston by going to cityofevanston.org and sign up for the City’s weekly newsletter and the Mayor’s newsletter which goes out 5-6 times a year. He also suggests people signup for the ward newsletters.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

In this episode, we sit down with Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen and Trustee Karen Gray-Keeler. We discuss their motivation, how to become civically engaged and what new things are happening in Skokie.

Mayor Van Dusen started in government by working for congressman Sidney Yates in Michigan. You can learn more about his background in his new book, Clear it With Sid, Sidney R. Yates and Fifty Years of Presidents, Pragmatism, and Public Service. Trustee Gray-Keeler got involved in Skokie government first through volunteering at her children's schools. She then got involved in the commissions, the Caucas party and then became a Trustee. To learn more about how to join a commission, click here.

We discuss the Students' Outstanding Artist Recognition (SOAR) program, which is a way to showcase Skokie's fine art. Recently my daughter's artwork was displayed and the Mayor took a photo with her. More information on the program can be found by clicking here.

We discuss many of the great things that have recently come to Skokie, like Ignite Gaming which was recently featured on this podcast. We discuss various projects on the horizon like 8000 North and breweries coming to Skokie. We also discuss the high-tech park, the new Skokie Yellow Line station at Oakton Street, and Skokie connections to the world and its incredible diversity.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show.And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

In this episode, we sit down with Matt Ryan, the farm manager at the Talking Farm in Skokie. The Talking Farm is a non-profit farm on Howard Street in Skokie. They grow fresh, hyper-local food using innovative and sustainable practices while educating the community about the environment, agriculture, biodiversity, permaculture, horticulture, gardening, and social justice and health issues.

Through a land-use agreement with the Skokie Park District, the Howard Street Farm was created by developing 2.5 acres of uncontaminated, overgrown land (formerly a horse pasture) into vegetable, herb, and flower production integrated with a variety of fruit trees and bushes, nut trees, and other perennial species. In 2014, after being granted Skokie’s first zoning designation for urban agriculture, they began operating the Howard Street Farm as a full-production urban farm, which means that we are able to distribute and sell hyper-fresh, locally-grown produce to the community. The farm is located at 3669 Howard Street, in Skokie, Illinois, west of the intersection of Howard Street and McCormick Boulevard.

Matt Ryan has been involved in urban agriculture and community gardening for over 7 years. In 2012 he graduated from the Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest Sustainable Urban Agricultural Certificate Program. In 2012 Matt was hired as the Assistant Farm Manager at The Talking Farm along with managing the ETHS school garden the “Edible Acre”. In 2015 he became the Talking Farms Operations Manager and has since been working to further develop both the educational and production capacities of the organization.

The produce from the farm is sold at several restaurants in the area such as Blind Faith Cafe, Hewn, Farmhouse and Backlot Coffee. They also sell the produce at the local Skokie and Evanston Farmers markets. More information about the talking farm can be found at https://www.thetalkingfarm.org/ and on social media.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

In this episode, we sit down Katherine Gotsick, the executive director of the Main Dempster Mile. The Main Dempster Mile is a Special Service Area for the commercial districts that currently make up the Chicago/Dempster business district and the Main Street business district. A Special Service Area (SSA) is defined by Illinois State Statute as a contiguous area within a municipality or county in which special services are provided in addition to those services provided generally throughout the municipality or county. Special services include things like landscaping, advertising, public art, and extra garbage collections. The special services are paid from revenues collected from taxes levied or imposed upon property within that area.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

In this episode, we sit down with brothers Flavius Maximus and Sam Oanta, the owners of Ignite Gaming. Ignite Gaming is a premier e-gaming lounge with locations in Skokie and Chicago. The Skokie location recently opened on Skokie Boulevard directly across the street from the CTA Yellow Line's Oakton stop.

We discuss the origins of Ignite, which started in Flavius and Sam's apartment as teenagers in Chicago. Avid gamers, they would have friends come over and turned their living room into a gaming center. Soon the spark of the idea of a professional gaming center with great service grew into the first location of Ignite.

Ignite recently opened their new location in Skokie. With the help of the Village of Skokie, they gut-renovated an old furniture store with bow-truss ceilings into a gorgeous open room with multiple gaming pods, virtual reality and a full bar with wait staff while having an equally large space for an open events space.

We discuss the continual drive for excellence, and how Flavius and Sam continue to tweak their business to provide a better customer experience. Their plans are to allow their business model to be scaleable to multiple locations.

We also learn about Flavius and Sam's entrepreneurial spirit, which started from immigrating to the United States from Romania as children, and figuring out how to run a great business through trial and error. We even find out how Flavius got his name!

Ignite Gaming's Skokie location can be found at 8125 Skokie Blvd · Skokie, IL. More information about Ignite including their hours and social media can be found on their website at https://www.ignitegaming.com/.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

In this episode, we sit down with the leaders of the YWCA/North Shore which includes Karen Singer, the CEO of the organization, Tiffany McDowell, the Director of the Equity Institute at the YWCA Evanston/North Shore and Trimmy Stamell, the Director of Corporate Relations and in charge of the Race Against Hate. The Race Against Hate takes place on June 16, 2019 and is co-sponsored by Dreamtown Realty.

The conversation begins by discussing the history of the YWCA, and the pillars of the organization. YWCA was founded in 1858. It is the oldest and largest multicultural woman’s organization in the world and, since its inception, has been an advocate for social change in the areas of civil rights, race relations, and the empowerment of women.

YWCA Evanston/North Shore came into existence in 1931 as a branch of the Chicago YWCA and was incorporated independently in 1947. Initially a place for women coming into the city from rural areas to work to find safe housing, our programs and services have changed over the years to meet the changing needs of the 16 communities they serve.

We then spoke with Tiffany McDowell, the Director of the Equity Institute at the YWCA about the programing she leads. The Institute is dedicated to promoting racial and gender equity at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels by partnering with individuals and institutions through training and education, community engagement programs, and annual events.

Trimmy Stamell discussed the upcoming Race Against Hate which is taking place on Sunday, June 16, 2019. More information can be found by clicking here. The Race has taken place for the past 20 years. The Race Against Hate honors the legacy of Ricky Byrdsong, the former Northwestern University Men's Basketball Coach and Skevanston resident who, while walking with his two young children in 1999, was murdered by a white supremacist. We discuss my own and the community's personal connections to the horrific incident.

There are approximately 300 independent YWCAs in the country. Each association is completely autonomous with its own board of directors, governing documents and structures, funding streams and programs designed to respond to the unique needs of the community it serves. The national YWCA provides no funding for its associations.

The discussion also encompasses the work of the YWCA which is rooted in four interconnected pillars:

· Freedom from violence

· Women’s economic advancement

· Racial and gender equity

· Aquatics access and opportunity

We discuss future plans for the YWCA Evanston/North Shore, and how they serve a large regional area.

The YWCA Evanston/North Shore can be found online at https://www.ywca-ens.org/. Their social media handles can be found there as well.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.

In this episode we sit down with David Lipschutz, the owner of Blind Faith Cafe. Established in 1979, Blind Faith is a certified green restaurant located in Evanston that has been transforming the way people enjoy vegetarian cuisine for more than thirty years.

We learn about how David got into the food industry as a teenager, travelled to the west coast and then returned to his native Evanston. In 1979 at age 22, David started working at Blind Faith and quickly bought the business.

We learn about the great successes of Blind Faith, and the challenges from getting zoning approval to open up at their current location, obtaining a liquor license, and having another location in the Lincoln Park/Roscoe Village area. We learn about David's keys to success which include constant attention to details. great customer service and treating his employees very well.

Blind Faith Cafe is located at 525 Dempster St. Evanston, IL 60201. It is open Tuesday-Thursday 11AM-9PM, Friday 11AM-10PM, Saturday 9AM-10PM, and Sunday 9AM-9PM. They are closed on Mondays. Their website is https://www.blindfaithcafe.com/ and can be found on Facebook at @blindfaithcafe and on Twitter at @BlindFaithCafe.

I’d like to thank several people for help with today’s show. This includes my real estate brokerage, Dreamtown Realty in Evanston for helping me with my graphics for the show. I’d like to thank Industrious in Evanston for use of their space to record follow them on Instagram at @industriousevanston. And if listening to this podcast gave you the bug to buy or sell real estate, give me a call or go to my real estate website at http://www.aaronmasliansky.com And don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you.

Thank you for listening to The Chicagoland Guide.

For thoughtful, data-driven insights on living, working, and investing in Chicagoland, visit thechicagolandguide.com.

Connect with Aaron Masliansky on LinkedIn for market updates and new episodes.

If you have questions, ideas, or topics you’d like covered, feel free to reach out.

If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who cares about Chicago and its future.