Thanks to AdRants for the clue on this one:

Leveraging frustration with rising gasoline prices, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has placed a billboard campaign anyone at the gas pump can identify with.

Project PlaceSite introduces a new way of using wireless networks -- to create a digital community service by, for and about people who are in the same café together.

Three U.C. Berkeley students are carrying out this work in San Francisco Bay Area cafés. They hope that PlaceSite, and projects inspired by PlaceSite, will form an open platform that will enhance community gathering places around the world.

PlaceSite - Reinventing Wi-Fi Community

FlowFeel - Chicago Avant-Pop Outside the Loop

I like this guy's style. we need more of this.

Metroblogging Chicago

pretty cool collaborative blog.

This came to me as an email from my brother... not sure who the original author is, but funny!

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Subject: Cell Phones and Driving

I don't know if you've heard, but starting Jan 1, 2006, in many states, you will no longer be able to use a cell phone while driving unless you have a "hands free" adapter.

I went to Circuit City and they wanted $50 for a headset with a boom microphone for my cell phone.

Having a friend in the cell phone business, I talked with him and was able to come up with an alternative, working through Office Depot.
These kits are compatible with any mobile phone and one size fits all. I paid $0.08 each because! he bought in quantity. I tried them out on Nokia, Erickson, Motorola, Samsung and Kyocera cell phones and they worked perfectly.

Take a look and let me know if you want one, and forward this to anyone you know who may want one. As of today, I have about 150 left.

A photo is included.

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It is getting hard to keep track of all the blog action in chicago, but here is a site that is attempting to do so... I find it interesting that they and other sites are using the L maps as the graphical way to show the city... CHICAGO BLOGMAP

Has anyone seen this? It appears there are "wardrivers" that map out open Wifi networks all over the place. Check out the links in Illinois... WiFiMaps.com Wi-Fi hotspot Locator

Chicago Uncommon Photographs

these pictures are by Dawn Mikulich and there are tons of great shots and very well organized.

Check out Geektastic for "Chicago's premier site for second-hand news, commentary, and outright lies."

This is the kind of story I want to hear about more often! After the city closed down a corner grocery for violations, the neighbors that heard about it pitched in to help the old man clean it up and get back to work... Read the Sun-Times story

and there was a followup to this story posted on 4.27.04 (88-year-old reopens store with help from old, new pals)

While we are on the topic of the loveable L trains, I cant help but mention this VERY informative site... http://www.chicago-l.org that deserves so much more notice.

It includes sections such as History of L Signage, histories and photographs about each of the stations (ie. Belmont), a whole section of multimedia with movie clips, video, audio and more.

If you ride the L often, then the news page may also be of interest to you.

Boy I wish someone would do this again as a Blog maybe? hmmm...

Ever ride the "L" and had something go wrong? The Weekly Breakdown was a journal, updated weekly on Sundays, that reports people's encounters and experiences on the "L".

It lasted from 1998 to 2000, check out theWeekly Breakdown Archives

I stumbled upon this little application, anyone found something better? more up to date?

FreewarePalm: Chicago "L" Train Maps v1.00

Type: Freeware
Min. Requirement:
• Any hardware
• Palm OS v3.0
• FireViewer

Description:
Chicago "L" elevated/subway rail system maps.
Includes B/W, 4-bit grayscale, 16-bit grayscale, and color maps.

It appears the city is taking the problem more seriously and attempting a first ever census of the homeless population as part of a 10yr plan.

Frank Main at The Sun-Times did a story on the new plan: How many homeless in Chicago?

In the context of what we want to do here, did anyone see this article and what are your opinions about how Street Level will fit into the space?

Emerging Alternatives: Blogworld

There is more discussion in this VillageVoice.com story as CJR has recently launched its own BLOG to pick on other BLOG...
"Last fall, Columbia Journalism Review ran a cover story hyping the impact of blogs on journalism. The author, Matt Welch, himself a blogger, argued that the very best blogs are an antidote to mainstream media and one of "the most exciting new trends the profession has seen in a while." Blogs are so exciting, he suggested, that no one should waste time holding their purveyors to journalistic standards. "" -villagevoice.com

There's a STOP sign I walk by on Sunnyside every morning on my way to the train. It has a sticker stuck to it that says, DRIVING so together it reads STOP DRIVING. I'm new to the train, the CTA to be exact. I'm also new to Chicago and new to the commute from my Lincoln Square neighborhood to N. Michigan Avenue every morning and back again at five or six. I take the Brown Line, and I know I could switch at Belmont to the Red, but I don't. Getting on at Western affords me a seat I'm not eager to give up, which is precisely what would happen if I moved to the Red. So I stay with the Brown and sometimes think of getting off at Merchandise Mart to wait for a Purple train entering The Loop going east towards my stop. But no, I ride the Brown all the way around. By the time I reach Randolph and Wabash, there's no one left on the freaking train.

As Centerstage seeks to serve an active user group with up-to-date information on Chicago culture and entertainment, it looks to empower these very users, people in the communities reporting the real news as they see it, all (corporate media-type) filters off. An involved media of the people serving common interests is the strategy here. Street Level, this new blog is the tactic. So, blog on. It's your city. Tell us more about it, in detail, with links.

I think it's also important to recognize those community blogers already laying down the foundation in Chicago. Particularly, Chicago Bloggers, Crescat Sententia, and Gaper's Block.

Enjoy and Exciting!

Pop-culture tidbits and snarky asides. Accurate and dependable!

I didnt read this one too closely, but looked like it had potential.

... is Gawker.