Wiley Roberts: Best Doorman Ever

Let me introduce you to my favorite doorman on the entire Gold Coast: Wiley Roberts of 189 E. Lake Shore Drive.

Wiley has been a Gold Coast mainstay since 1972. He spent many a year as doorman at the Whitehall Hotel. It was there that Wiley mastered the art of doorman multi-tasking. He learned how to manage a non-stop, in-and-out stream of patrons, private cars and taxi cabs. He skillfully navigated the delicate waters of beat cops on the take. Wiley's ability to see everything, miss nothing and say just enough, made him invaluable.

In 1997, Wiley joined the staff of 189 E. Lake Shore Drive as daytime doorman. That's where I met him, standing where you see him in this photograph. This high-end luxury condo conversion is first rate in every way. Wiley was a natural addition.

He became my instant hero when he shooed a ticket-happy cop away from my car. I had (LEGALLY!) parked on building property and was inside 189 LSD at the time. The cop, still in need of meeting his monthly quota, was prepared to write me a ticket. For what? Who knows? Wiley rushed outside. He told the cop I was conducting business inside his building and I'd be right out. Which of course was true. But how many times has the truth gotten you out of a ticket??? Wiley had the magic touch. I was in doorman love.

I still am.

Eleven years later, Wiley is still outperforming every other Gold Coast doorman from his post at 189 E. Lake Shore. He's just the best.

Spire on Ice

So there it is. The gloriously stalled-out Chicago Spire at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive. Heralded for years as the Next. Great. Thing. in world design and construction, it is now actually an abandoned receptacle for rainwater, and debris tossed out the car windows of vehicles traveling along the adjacent Lake Shore Drive. 'Tis a pretty lil' thing. Not.

Oh, did I mention that it's also in my front yard? Yeah, lucky me. We used to have a surprisingly delightful assortment of wildlife here. Bunnies scampered. Raccoons visited sidewalk trash cans in the wee hours. Squirrels scurried from tree branch to sidewalk and back again.

Then the Spire service trucks began barreling in, as early as 6:30 each morning. They left dust everywhere. To compensate, the developer brought in trucks to spray everything down with water. Which just left every. single. surface. muddy and messy. Somewhere along the way they also drove out all but a few sturdy squirrels and pigeons. How ironic: Two reasons people move to this neighborhood are its quiet and charm. Where's the charm in noise and mud and chaos? Apparently the wildlife agreed. They're still gone.

This big hole in the ground is what I get to look at until the developer finds more money. Or the economy picks up. Or something. In the meantime, my beautiful neighborhood is host to a fenced-off abandoned ghost worksite.

I'm a Realtor. I'm supposed to be universally excited about any opportunity to increase my business. But this? I wish they'd just fill in the hole, take down the fences, re-landscape what they made bald, and go away. Forever.

Pinot Noir in broad daylight!

I got an e-mail invitation for a pinot noir wine tasting at Lush Wine and Spirits at 2232 W. Roscoe for last Sunday afternoon, Nov. 9. I've never met a pinot I didn't like and in fact, it's about all I drink these days. And I hadn't been to Roscoe Village for a while. It was a good opportunity to see what new properties populated this hot little neighborhood.

Lush is a beautiful shop. The wine tasting was hosted by three young ladies who certainly looked similar enough to be sisters although I'm not sure they were. Tucker, the 3-yr-old Boxer mix, ushered patrons from the front door to the bar with much polite sniffing. lol

The flight of eight wines included two white pinot noirs. Seemed like an oxymoron. lol They were rather pungent. My friend and I agreed they were not at all the sort of "texture" we associate with the delicate-ness of pinot noir. Our palates also agreed: the flavor of the pinots improved as the color of the wine got darker.

All of the pinots were accompanied by knowledgable comments & descriptions offered by Rachel Driver. She knew the wineries, the various vintages, the best pairings for each pinot. The day's highlights? It was a tie: Rachel's informative comments, Tucker's warm and wiggly body which we couldn't help petting, and the delicious pinot noirs.

I confess a bottle of something fairly expensive followed me home. Bold & fruity. It will remain stashed away for a very special occasion. Right now I'm thinking it may factor into celebration of closing on my latest real estate listing: 440 N. McClurg Ct. #710-711. I know: shameless plug! :o)

My dawgs are barkin'

No offense to Little Miss Tabby. :o) Clients were in town yesterday from Milwaukee. It was a five-hour whirlwind tour of two-bedroom properties in some of Streeterville's most popular highrises: 505 N. McClurg Ct., 474 N. Lake Shore Drive, 160 E. Illinois, 440 N. McClurg Ct., 400 E. Ohio.

My clients were fun and lovely people; it was very enjoyable to be out with them. And thank heaven the weather cooperated. But perambulating the sidewalks of Streeterville for five straight hours without sitting and with no breaks of any kind...whoa, mommy!

I'm feeling the effects today. My feet have recovered but my legs are now on strike. Lucky for me I didn't need to go out today. This afternoon is all about negotiating an agreement between prospective buyers and sellers. All that requires is a comfy chair, a cell phone and some nimble dialing fingers.

Remember to VOTE on Tuesday!