Does anyone know when the Downtown Farmer's Markets are going to start selling?

I believe the Green City Market in Lincoln Park opens mid May.

Does anybody have experience with dying a piece of furniture?

I found a Herman Miller chair on the curb and would like to dye it because it has faded so badly.

I don't know the name of the chair but it is a foam chair on a plastic base with blue fabric upholstery. The only time I have seen these chairs are when they are grouped together to form a sofa. There was a Living Etc. issue that featured a writer from the show Lost. His home was a converted barn in LA. His couched was comprised of these chairs.

Re-upholstering would not be worth it as it would probably exceed the value of the chair. So if anyone has any tips for simply dying the fabric intact I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks in advance!

I made a ceiling lamp from a sack. Click on my name to see the 'instructable'. I'm looking for something a little more glossy for my room. However my room is a lot wider than tall, and the lamp is in the middel of the width. 18 ft wide, and 9 ft tall. And there is no table or similar under the lamp.

Any ideas for an alternative?

I've just discovered Apartment Therapy (love it) while looking for new digs in Chicago. I'm moving in the next few months from St. Louis and am having a difficult time figuring out where I want to live. The most important thing to me is proximity to work and modern amenities. I'm happy in a small studio apartment but NEED a washer and dryer, gym, central AC, etc. Can anyone recommend a specific building or neighborhood that would accomodate those needs (plus being stylish as well) that is close to the Loop/Michigan Ave? Most of my time spent in Chicago has been shopping in those areas, so I'm feeling a bit intimidated about looking outside of it.

Best,
Katie

Are there any Farmer's Markets in Evanston or on the North Shore? I am new to this area and am wondering if there are any places in this area for fresh fruits and veggies when it gets warm outside. Just thought I would pick AT's brain :) Thanks!

The Green City Market starts on May 16th. For all other city markets, do to www.cityofchicago.org.

For Evanston - http://www.cityofevanston.org/enjoy/market.shtml

Most local townships websites will have all the info you need.

Katie-

Wicker Park/Bucktown is a good neighborhood, gets you to the loop in 15/20 minutes on the blue line. It's got plenty of shopping, restaurants and bars and Cheetah Gym is good. If you want to be closer to the lake, there's plenty to choose from in Lakeview. You can get downtown in 10-15 minutes on a lakeshore bus.

Katie,

Do you want a washer/dryer in the unit? If so, you're probably better off renting a condo.

Also, if central air is a necessity, stay the heck away from anything "vintage"! (There are some exceptions, but not many.) As you've probably already found out, c/a is not a given in the Chicago apartment housing market.

My recommendation: rent in River North for a year. It's in your comfort zone, you can spend a year exploring the town and learning if there's a more quirky neighborhood that's a better fit. River North has a plethora of restaurants, wonderful shopping, and it's within walking distance of the Loop. There's a number of high-rises in the River North that have units with washer/dryers and the typical high-rise amenities (gym, doorman). 440 North LaSalle (which is converting to condos but rentals are still available I think) and the Sterling (a condo building that's renting out the units the developer can't sell because the rents have been reasonable the prices are not!) immediately spring to mind.

The Loop itself is beginning to get interesting, but it's still relatively dead after 7 p.m. I lived there for a year in 2005 and found myself constantly drifting up to River North!

Oh, and while I live in and adore Boystown (which is getting called "East Lakeview" more and more -- can there be a more generic name?), don't kid yourself on the commute. Door-to-door, it typically takes me anywhere between 30-45 minutes to get to work on the express buses:

10 minutes walking to the bus stop
5-10 minute wait for the right bus
10-20 minute bus ride (depending on which bus I take and how bad traffic is)
5-10 minute walk from the bus stop to work (again, depending on which bus I take and how close it gets me to my office)

Don't get me wrong -- I'm a huge fan of public transportation -- but the time spent commuting cannot be counted simply from the time you get on the bus/train to the time you get off. There are days I miss being within walking distance of work -- I was always 10 minutes away, no matter how bad traffic was.

Katie if you want all those things in your building you'll want to live in river north or the south loop where there are tons of new construction condos. I love wicker park but it doesn't have big fancy buildings like you are looking for.

Wilmette has a good farmers market too...
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M2079

Thanks for your input! You definitely confirmed my original thoughts that I would value being able to walk to work. The job I'm taking would require a lot of late nights at work so I think I would prefer to not have to rely on public transportation. And thanks for the info on farmer's markets too...a fav of mine as well as Iittala glass! Went to Finland this summer and adore their store.

Can anyone recommend a good moving service for moving a couch a relatively short distance (about a half hour drive). I need someone who can pick it up, put it in a van, drive it to me, and move it up to my 3rd floor walk up. Any ideas?

I used USA Movers (847-673-6301) when I moved a couple years ago. My friends' realtor recommends them to everyone she works with. They typically move entire homes/apartments/etc, but I would give them a shot. I moved from a condo bldg with an elevator to a 3rd floor walk up and they were amazing - fast, no damage, polite, no complaints. Good luck!

On the moving question, there are always people on craigslist advertising just that service, but I've never personally used them so can't vouch.

I also have a question - I need to frame a couple of small things - around 11x14 each. I've been looking for ready made frames but haven't found any that I like (I want white wood, flat, about 3/4" thick). Any suggestions for places with large ready-made frame selections and/or relatively inexpensive but decent custom framers?

Thanks!

I'm looking for a small modern, inexpensive sofa, and was thinking about cb2. Has anyone sat in the cb2 oasis sofa? is it comfortable?

N, frameusa.com has a huge ready made frame selection. they are very affordable as well.

Hi Katie, I grew up in St. Louis (go Cards!) and moved to Chicago about 8 years ago. I lived in Hyde Park while I was in school, then Lakeview, then Evanston and now I'm moving back to Lakeview. Every place I've lived in has been a vintage building with no central air and with steam heat (radiators). With your wishlist, I think you will definitely want a place in a modern high-rise. The Loop or River North sounds like a good choice for you since you'll be working downtown and are familiar with the area--be aware, though, that it doesn't really have a neighborhood feel and many of the buildings don't have a lot of personality (JMHO!!). If you have time to do it, I'd suggest coming up to Chicago for a visit for a few days during a workweek, do a mock commute, walk around a bit, and see what feels comfortable.

N, how about Pottery Barn's Gallery frames? (Click my name for link)

Anne (and Katie)-

I totally agree, which is why I didn't recommend River North or downtown. Obviously it just depends on your personality and what you're looking for in a neighborhood. Finding a rental in a high-rise along the lake in lakeview might be a good compromise.

Here's a great website I found. It lists all the Farmer's Markets in the country first by state, and then it's broken down by town/neighborhood.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm

Anne and Gavin,
Thanks! (Anne, those PB frames are perfect - yay!)

does anyone know what magazine featured Nigella Lawson in her study at home? it was a desk library room. I cant find it online and need the pic for something at work. help!