Historical November–December 2005 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Change is relative. Former SDCC President Catherine Forslund and her husband Roy Roncal visited last weekend.
It was so good to see them and I regretted that they now live – very happily – in Rockford, Illinois.
We went up to Delmar to Miss Saigon for dinner. Seeing all the lights and cars and people on Delmar was a shock to Cath and Roy.
All the development has occurred since they moved about 8 years ago.
I myself couldn’t believe all the cars parked on what had once been a deserted boulevard.
The restaurant was full and groups of people walked by in the time we were there.
It really is a miracle and hopefully it will continue to extend further east. I’ve been buoyed by the news that Companion Baking is coming to the former Dobbs Auto site, baking facilities plus cafe plus retail sales.
A place for neighbors to meet and greet and to get the staff of life.
As someone used to say, “It’s a miracle.” Last weekend I ambled over to Nina Place where I had lived for 12 years.
It looked so familiar and yet different.
When I first moved there, there were a number of boarded up buildings.
I was afraid to walk around. That changed quickly.
I hope some of the condo folk on Nina think of finding a permanent home in Skinker DeBaliviere. I’m certainly glad I did. Newer residents might wonder why we are so tenacious about the Delmar redevelopment ordinance. Perhaps it’s because we know where we’ve been and we want the positive changes of the last few years to endure. Our neighborhood and the East Loop are special blessings, perhaps still fragile in their spring. Never take anything for granted.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2005.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2005_11.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
