Influx

Influx is just back from Chicago, where there are some interesting things going on.

The city’s incredible and strikingly beautiful, $475 million Millennium Park, that opened last year, seems to be under a storm of controversy over photographic copyright that ran rampant around the Internet last week, with stories of security guards telling tourists to stop taking photographs.

In reality, it appears that commercial photographs of the park, that features sculptures by Amosh Kapoor and architecture by Frank Gehry, are being prohibited because the city wants to be the sole creator of postcards, the sale of which might go a fraction of the way to paying for the park.

Elsewhere, the Wicker Park neighborhood seems to be suffering from the problems of gentrification that can’t have been helped by the 2004 Josh Hartnett movie. Tensions are high between the few remaining artists and landlords. Artists first moved to the area in the early and mid 1980s when rents were around $300/month for a large loft, they are now over $1200. Today, it’s Starbucks, trendy restaurants and a more commercial art scene, the conceptual artists having moved out long ago, that characterize Wicker Park.

Although the area is far from dead, people are already talking about the next cool neighborhood. One area being touted is Pilsen, four miles south of Wicker Park. It’s a neighborhood that currently doesn’t have a Starbucks, just low-rents, a few trendy restaurants, a Mexican community and some galleries.

Musically, Chicago is looking for more artists to follow in the footsteps of the success of Kayne West and Wilco. Reggie Ruckus might be the next big rap star to break out of he is getting notice and airplay for his track, “Ghetto”. Band wise, The Redwalls signed to Capitol, seem the ones likely for success. The band’s Brit sixties inspired sound recently won them a tour support slot with Keane.

Chicago is always good for new restaurant concepts and there were a couple of interesting ones a few doors from each other in Marina City. Bin 36 is 18 months old and built its dining concept around the idea of making wine more accessible. The restaurant plays the role of fun educator with a menu that features lots of suggested wine pairings, wine flights and a store in the restaurant where you can buy wine and accessories.

Less than 100 yards down the road from Bin 36 is 10pin. Here, the idea is to blend bowling, cocktail drinking and eating into a uniquely cool concept.

Finally, if your looking for good daily photography of the city