Chicago
Cut-Rate Macy's Holiday Windows: The Movie
Take a look at this video of 2008's State Street Christmas windows and decide for yourself whether Macy's firing of longtime window dresser Amy Meadows was really such a bright idea.
Chicago
Chicago
Macy's State Street Cost Cuts Christmas
I'll cut to the chase: Macy's State Street has cost-cut its Chicago Loop holiday windows and Christmas tree so deeply this year, I personally don't believe it's worth bothering to make that time-honored family foray downtown to see them.
Chicago
Back to Back of the Yards
'My earliest memory (or so I have been told) is being two years old year old and not so ceremoniously introduced to my new Lithuanian toddler neighbor in a sandbox. She began yammering at me in baby Lithuanian. I responded in baby English. We seemed to understand each other just fine. That's life fo
Chicago
Cincinnati Jamie and the Hot Wings of Doom
The day I celebrated my 38th birthday by visiting my favorite Windy City hot wings joint, I never expected to have to outrun funnel clouds on a mad dash to make it safely home. Until the moment when every tornado siren in Chicago sounded the alarm.
Chicago
Weekend Link Love
This is just a quick weekend shout-out to a few sites that have shown my blog some linking affection in the past few days.
Chicago
Gordon & Max Bike the Drive
Here's a guest post from Gordon Mayer, vice-president of Chicago's Community Media Workshop. Gordon and his son Max participated in the early morning Bike the Drive cycling event on Lake Shore Drive. Here's their story.
Chicago
Jasmine Takes the Bus
Here's a guest post from local Chicago blogger, Jasmine Davila. She always takes the bus--and tells it like it is about the interesting people you find on board in Chicago.
Chicago
Inside the Onion Dome: Atop the Intercontinental Chicago Hotel
This year's Great Chicago Places and Spaces event had an incredible surprise in store for Pastry Chef Chris and me. When we joined the tour of Mag Mile's historic Intercontinental Hotel, we never expected to be the first public group in years to get to see the onion-dome observatory. Here are the pi
Chicago
What Is a Chicagoan?
Lately I've been wondering about my place in the world. Maybe it's the New Yorker in me that keeps bringing that question up. New York has long history of considering itself the center of the universe. Take a New Yorker out of Gotham and he's bound to feel disoriented.
Chicago
Too Late to Save Macy's State Street?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren will go to the grave--and take the former Marshall Field's with him--before he and his team get a clue about how to treat Chicagoans.
Chicago
Pulling a "Lundgren"
Who says you can't teach an old Macy's, Inc. CEO new tricks? Last week, Crain's Chicago Business and the Chicago Tribune both announced the rollout of a new Macy's marketing campaign entitled, 'Take Me to State Street.' According to the papers, the campaign will be full-court media push highlighting
Chicago
Explaining the Chicago Children's Museum
On Friday, I was given unfettered access to interview the administrative staff of the Chicago Children's Museum. I wanted to learn about the museum's civic importance, programs, and reputation--all things Chicago dailies have ignored in their ongoing coverage of the controversy surrounding the museu