Chicago
New Eastside Elitism
On a recent downtown walk through the Chicago Park District's new Lakeshore East Park, imagine my surprise to find neighborhood developers had posted several signs declaring the place 'Private Property.' Um, try again.
Chicago
Chicago
Lost in Space
adlerworst.jpg [http://www.chicagocarless.com/images/adlerworst.jpg] (Photo: Seventy-five years folks. Can we dust the exhibits now?) The folks at the Adler Planetarium [http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/] are surely mad. According to their visitor map, the septuagenarian hemisphere on the lake is ai
Chicago
Scraping on State Street: A Year of Macy's
It's generally not a good sign when the ABC news van is parked in front of your establishment in the middle of the business day. ABC was reporting on food health violations at the new Macy's State Street. I'd much rather discuss the economic health of the store after a year of deaf-eared marketing d
Chicago
Fire at Block 37!
Within the past hour, there was a construction fire on downtown Chicago's infamous Block 37. Here are photos I took from Devyn's mid-rise condo directly across the street.
Chicago
Museum Flopping
If you aren't anal retentive, you shouldn't be curating art exhibits. If the idea of dropped apostrophes, mis-attributed dates, and dog-eared inscriptions doesn't keep you up at night, you shouldn't be responsible for the hanging of museum shows in major metropolitan areas. Why does this problem aff
Chicago
Natya Dance Troupe at the Art Institute
Spending last Friday afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago, I had the unexpected pleasure of witnessing an artist-in-residence performance by a member of Natya Dance Theater. The Natya troupe performs Bharata Natyam, an ancient, highly expressive dance tradition from Southern India. And an aweso
Chicago
Museum of Broadcast Communications on Hiatus
Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) just can't seem to get built. Founded in 1987 and one of only three broadcast museums in the country, MBC left its longtime home at the Chicago Cultural Center in 2003 in preparation for moving into swanky new digs next to Marina City. And then the
Chicago
Vince Vaughn Closes Access to Loop in 8-Degree Weather
Just how far is the City of Chicago willing to sell itself out to movie filming? A closed street here and there to accommodate a movie shoot is one thing. Allowing a studio to close almost every single bridge between the Loop and the Near North Side on a Friday evening is something else entirely. Th
Chicago
Whither the Weather Drama King
Popular local blog Chicagoist has decided to assess local meteorologists by comparing forecasts with the weather that actually comes to pass. I wonder how that's going to work out for Tom Skilling, Chicago's co-most popular (along with Jerry Taft)--but always overly dramatic--weatherman.
Chicago
Happy 2nd Birthday "Looper" Photoblog!
Today, Devyn Caldwell's Looper photoblog celebrates its second anniversary. For the past two years Looper has focused intently on downtown Chicago, featuring edgy, insightful, and often unexpected images of the city's urban core for a loyal and growing audience. Browse Looper and see for yourself wh
Chicago
Macy's North: It's Lonely In Here
If you thought you heard a citywide refrain of 'I told you so' yesterday, you weren't imagining things. According to a report in Wednesday's Chicago Tribune, Federated finally admits feeling financial pain over a hardcore group of former Marshall Field's shoppers who decided to quit shopping the cha
Chicago
Seasonal Perversity in Chicago
Or, It's Just Weather, Dammit! Much as I like her column, there are two times of year I just can't condone Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich: the beginning and end of summer. When we get to read her complain about...the beginning and the end of summer.