Now Open: Five Guys

Over on her Tales from the Lake Shore blog, Neighbor friend Red Haired Girl reports on the new Five Guys Burger Joint, just opened at Sheridan and Arthur/Loyola.

I can't wait to try this place out. I tried to go there for lunch yesterday, but it was too busy. And I'm in Indiana for most of the rest of the week, so it will have to wait until this weekend.

400 Theater Opened Last Night

Kate and I went to see Public Enemies at the New 400 Theater (formerly the Village North) last night. Our experience was mostly positive, and we're definitely glad that the theater is back open again. I hope they're not quite done renovating; there's some disappointing, incomplete facade work on the outside around the doors, and the inside hallways and lobby looks like the grandest expense spent was put toward a coat of white paint. Also, the screen in auditorium #4 seems to have a hot spot in it, perhaps due to a bump on the wall or a shadow from some leaking light source.

I'm sure I've made the new owner very unhappy with those statements, but I have to call it like I see it.

That being said, it's great to see the theater here; it provides a valuable service to Rogers Park, and helps to keep our neighborhood alive and vibrant. I want the theater to succeed, and I hope the plans for success include putting a little more elbow grease into making the place shine.

Parking on Pratt and Sheridan?

We rented a car to go out of town last week, as we occasionally do. We returned to Chicago on Monday night, but weren't able to return the car until Tuesday morning, as Enterprise wasn't open in the evening. Yuck, a night of street parking. My least favorite thing about Rogers Park.

That got me thinking -- is it possible to get occasional temporary parking permits for the permit parking in the neighborhood? I don't actually own a car, so I wouldn't be buying a city sticker. If it's allowable to occasionally get a temporary permit, how does one go about doing that?