At Left Bank Life our plan is to celebrate the best of the city. And there are some amazingly talented professionals contributing to Chicago’s success, as well as documenting it on their own blogs. Connie Cermak, a designer, illustrator and writer, fits just such a description.
We had a chance to touch base with Connie, discuss her work, her travels and her big love of the city. Check out part one of our two-part interview that will surely inspire you to explore your surroundings (and maybe even re-think your living space).
LeftBankLife: Tell us about yourself. When did you move back to the Chicago area and what inspired you to start writing about it?
Connie Cermak: I was born in Chicago and raised on the south side which makes for quite the family controversy since I’m such a diehard Cubs fan. My parents were both fairly active in the community so I had great exposure to the social and cultural aspects of the city at a very young age.
While I was off sewing my oats on the West Coast, my sister was working at the Mercantile exchange where she met and married her husband. My passion for the city was really reignited when they purchased an old loft in Printers Row and I came back to the city to help them design the interior.
I was designing restaurants at the time, so we purchased an industrial kitchen from a restaurant supply shop. We also found a stainless steel restroom stall and shower from a decommissioned train which we placed dead center in the middle of this big open space!
It was so cool. The restroom door had a rubber gasket and a portal window, with no hardware whatsoever, so we used an old marble ball to hold the door shut when it was in use. We also found an emergency shower with an enormous bright yellow shower head, and placed commercial hand dryers kind of high on the wall so they could be used to dry both hands and hair (not ADA approved). For the closet, we purchased a circular dry cleaning conveyor that was controlled by switch that which we turned into remote operation. But the crème de la crème of the space was that it came with the original freight elevator.
My brother-in-law built floor-to-ceiling book shelves that we placed in front of the elevator which easily spanned 10 x 20 feet because it was used for the printing equipment.
The book case hid the elevator, which they used as storage. We bought a gorgeous rolling staircase to reach the top of the book shelves and placed a simple cherry desk from Room & Board in front of the old ironwork fire escape which was visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. This area was my brother-in-law’s office by day, a basketball court on the weekends, and a dance floor during their infamous dinner parties.
It was the experience of designing their loft that made me yearn to return to the city, and my roots.
There are so many fabulous opportunities to express yourself with antique architectural elements, really great antique shops on Belmont and Lincoln Ave., and of course there’s the Merchandise Mart! I knew if I returned, the possibilities would be unlimited.
Chicago has this really crazy history of organized crime, industrialization and architecture and it all comes together with this super chic, totally approachable urban sophistication.
By the way, their loft was eventually filmed for an episode of City Lofts on HGTV. After which, they sold it for about three times their investment. Well done!
LBL: Very well done! How did you narrow down the focus of your blog and what do you hope readers take away from the experience?
CC: My friends in Copenhagen were very aware of our plight to host the Olympics and they asked how we could expect to host a major international event with such a tremendous social problems (aka “the shootings”). I wanted to get the word out that Chicago is a very clean, friendly city rich in culture and diversity and friendliness. I wanted to remind readers of our incredible architecture and let them know that we’re also about great food, green initiatives and of course, thanks to Mayor Daley’s initiative, fashion!
LBL: What do you love about living and working in Chicago?
CC: I love the pedestrian street vibe. It’s the variety of styles and personalities and people of all ages and all nationalities that generates this strong sense of eclecticism that I’m impassioned by.
I also REALLY love the CTA! Anyone who complains about traffic driving down Lincoln gets absolutely no sympathy from me! Jumping on the L and burying your nose in a book is the best way to start and end the day: “Transition time!” The fact that the city provides us with these great techno tools to make using public transportation easier is absolutely wonderful! Have you used the Bus tracker? Or track by text? Absolutely amazing. The city pumped a lot of money into renovating the L stops, making them ADA accessible and providing us with warmth shelters in the winter. Examples like this show us that this city loves its people!
I also really love the fact that Mayor Daley is such a huge proponent of green initiatives. It’s so exciting to be in a high rise with someone new to the city when they suddenly ask “what’s with all the green rooftops?” They’re gardens! Rooftop gardens! Occasionally you’ll spot a bright red sofa sitting on someone’s roof deck and I can’t help but think “I’m going to go knock on their door because I really need to check that out!” In fact, the rooftop at the Witt was absolutely the “it” place last summer as everyone in town couldn’t wait to enjoy the view and the breeze from their rooftop hot spot! What an incredible city! (and another place I need to blog about).
LBL: What would you consider the hottest neighborhood to live in right now and why?
CC: I would probably have to say the West Loop. It seems to be emerging at a similar pace to what we witnessed Wicker Park go through a decade ago. I remember when MTV decided to host their reality show there and suddenly boutiques started popping up over night. The West Loop doesn’t have the Bohemian edge that Wicker Park has, but it has a young professional crowd that keeps Madison west over to Fulton expanding at a steady pace with great restaurants and boutiques. It’s also an easy jump on the El to the loop, and there’s a neighborhood dog park that seems to bring all of the singles together. Bonus!
LBL: What restaurant is among your favorite right now?
CC: This is such a difficult question that I could easily write a book. We have some old timers that are consistently above reproach when it comes to food and service. Rosebud on Rush is among my favorites because the management takes liberty in reading their audience and engaging with them accordingly. They’re simply pleasant and enjoyable people. I absolutely love it when management makes the rounds to say hello and make sure you’re having a great time at their establishment.
If I have to choose only one favorite right now, it’s Sunda in River North. Co-owner Billy Dec does everything he can to ensure that it’s the place to see and be “scene” which is clearly unnecessary given that locals and tourists don’t have the same mentality as our big city sisters LA and NY. The decor and the vibe alone bring people in regardless of their desire to spot a celebrity. It’s the management team behind Sunda that strives to be the absolute best in town, and the result is nothing short of perfection. In addition to the food being so unbelievably delicious – it’s true that I could dine their almost every day if my budget allowed it. the kitchen staff and the servers are absolutely stealth. The only thing I would have them improve on is their greeting when you enter. Too may people at the entry sometimes results in a confused greeting, but I’m a freak when it comes to customer service, so my standards are insanely high.
Speaking of which, the best service I’ve experienced from start to finish is at Balsan at the Elysian Hotel. The design of the Elysian is driven conceptually from the fashions of Chanel and Dior. That alone makes me salivate inappropriately. But it’s their consistent attention to detail and truly superior customer service which is evident from the minute you enter the lobby and are whisked away to the third floor where Balsan is located.
As for the food, both the Pizza Daniele with zucchini, goat cheese, a slightly spicy tapenade and the Tuna sandwich with avocado, tomato and arugula will definitely not let you down. They flavors are exquisite and just knowing that they boy from local farms makes me feel really good about the sustainability factor. Oh damn. I’m obviously going to need to blog about the Elysian too.
Read Connie Cermak’s blog here and check in again tomorrow for part two of our interview. You won’t want to miss it. She lists some of the reasons that keep her here in Chicago (and they have us clamoring for the change of seasons!)
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