Strange goings on in Chicago's Rogers Park

For those who don't live in the Chicago area, Rogers Park is on the far-northeastern corner of Chicago, Evanston is on the north, Lake Michigan is on the east. Like the Uptown neighbhorhood a mile and a half to the south, it's dominated by apartments--the lack of single family homes are an impediment to the type of gentrification that has, based on your viewpoint or annual income, is either a curse or a blessing.

But there has been some gentrification, and many Rogers Park apartment buildings have gone condo. Rogers Park has a strong presence of all our the major racial groups, and many immigrants, so it should be no surprise that the community blogging group Outside.in named Rogers Park among its top ten bloggiest communities. Clinton Hill in Brooklyn topped the list.

I thought it was just me who noticed all of these great Rogers Park bloggers, such as Rogers Park Bench, Rogers Park Neighbor, 24/7 North of Howard Watchers, and The Broken Heart of Rogers Park. But it shouldn't be a surprise. Just as Texas and Louisiana have been disproportionately producing great musicians for decades--from the interactions of a diverse population--new forms of music emerge. The same thing is happening in Rogers Park and similar communities in regards to blogging.

Of course the big topic of Rogers Park, whose borders coincide almost exactly with the boundaries of the 49th Ward, where Joe Moore was re-elected alderman last week.

Or was he? Moore won by only 227 votes, and Tom at Rogers Park Bench, in an exclusive, reports that Moore's opponent in the race, Don Gordon, is challenging the results of the election.

Anne at Backyard Conservative, a north suburban blogger like myself, adds her input about the electoral cesspool in the 49th Ward. In short, why did Moore have to import so much union money and labor foot soldiers to help him eke out a victory over a lesser funded opponent with little name-recognition.

And Tom wants to know why this big deal Washington political insider claiming to be an on Chicago resident named "Seamus" decided to seek him out at a Rogers Park bar. "Seamus" is in fact Andrew Sharp.

Rogers Park bloggers have plenty to blog about. And there will certainly be more.

And for those of you outside of Chicago, Joe Moore is best known for his opposition to Wal-Mart and being the author of the Chicago law banning foie gras in the city.

And for those people reading this in Morton Grove, I have this question: Am I the only person who blogs here?

Technorati tags: Rogers Park The Left Joe Moore elections politics unions labor foie gras metblogs