When my boyfriend and I moved to Edgewater in June 2020, I had quiet weird feelings about becoming yet another white, north side Chicagoan, but the move brought me to the Red Line—and the Red Line brought me back to the world. Ten months later, I put on my mask, walked to the Thorndale stop, […]
Category: City Life
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best reason to look down
According to legend, fairy doors are portals to the world of fairies—but I’d argue they’re also gateways to the imagination. I came across one located in an alley near Clark and Foster this summer and I was immediately charmed by this diminutive doorway. At first, my journalist’s instinct kicked in: who made this and why? […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best tour of non-sentient architecture in Chicago
When Will Quam was asked if all bricks want to be arches, he insisted that bricks have neither feelings nor desires, that as wonderful as they are, they simply aren’t sentient. Quam, Chicago’s resident “brick whisperer,” gives walking tours of Chicago where he shares his infectious passion for—yes—bricks. The tours last 90 minutes, cover 1.5 […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best mayor impersonation on social media
In the spring of 2020, as memes of Mayor Lori Lightfoot advising ballplayers to ditch basketball courts and stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic made rounds on the Internet, videos of her counterpart “Lory Litefoot” would soon swirl on the interwebs and bring Chicagoans a persona they could actually laugh at without remorse. Portrayed by […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire’s sesquicentennial
2021 marked 150 years since the Great Chicago Fire. While acknowledged by major institutions, the anniversary was muted, perhaps because it’s difficult to commemorate a massive tragedy in the midst of another overwhelming one. For me, the best marker of the anniversary is journalist, historian, and photographer (and past Reader contributor) Robert Loerzel’s @ChicagoTimeline Twitter […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best free daily roundup in your inbox
In the tradition of 18th-century newspapers like Samuel Johnson’s The Rambler, or more contemporary efforts like I.F. Stone’s Weekly, Charlie Meyerson’s Chicago Public Square, a daily newsletter containing short capsules of the day’s top stories, is a one-man show. In full disclosure, I’ve known Meyerson personally since the late 1980s. Meyerson started putting out the […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best suburban source for horror writing and talk
Jon Kitley of Aurora has made a friend of horror. For 22 years he’s run Kitley’s Krypt, a site devoted to horror films, ranging from the earliest silent nightmares to the latest terrors from overseas. The site started in October of 1998 using the now-defunct Microsoft FrontPage tool. Kitley’s Krypt continues to provide regular updates […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
City Life poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago’s best—and runners-up: activist, advocacy organization, alderperson, elected official in Chicago, elected official in Cook County, state elected official, federal officer holder from Illinois, charity, HVAC maintenance or repair, home construction or remodeler, lawyer, co-working space, hotel, overall radio station, radio DJ, podcast, blog, email newsletter, local TV broadcast news, doctor (general or primary care), dentist, chiropractor, ob-gyn, public mental health care clinic, Chicago Instagram account to follow, Chicagoan to follow on Twitter, tour, south side neighborhood, west side neighborhood, north side neighborhood, suburb, block club, and more
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best of Chicago 2021 final ballot
Winners were announced in the March 3, 2022 special issue: Best of Chicago 2021 chicagoreader.com/best.
Posted inPublic Service Announcement
Festivals, fun, Foodball? Bingo!
Another few days of summer weather for the next week will surely bring Chicagoans out and about! Be safe, have fun, and consider one of these options as you make your plans. Fri 9/10 (open run): Theater Wit had a huge hit in 2015 with Anne Washburn’s apocalyptic black comedy, Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, […]
Posted inCity Life
Leisure options for Labor Day and beyond
It’s Labor Day Weekend (unless you’re OG and already celebrated workers on May Day—not that you can’t honor working people every day). For the traditional end-of-summer celebration, we’ve got walking tours, markets, music, exhibits, and more.
Posted inPublic Service Announcement
Festivals, fairies, and free shows in the parks
Labor Day is coming up, but there’s plenty of summer left to enjoy. Here are a few things to get you out and about (and several of these events are free). Your weekend outdoor festival watch: Ruido Fest happens in Union Park this weekend (Fri 8/20, gates open at 3 PM, Sat 8/21 and Sun […]
Posted inPublic Service Announcement
August abundance
The torpor-inducing temperatures seem to be cooling down, so it’s a good time to get out and about. Here are some mid-August events worth looking into. Fri-Sun 8/13-8/15 (and through 8/29): High school can be fraught, as so many teen dramedies have taught us. School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy […]
