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5/23/13

5:15 p.m.

the312

Why Is So Much of Chicago a Commercial Desert?

Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods have much less commercial activity than even a typical poor city neighborhood in America. Is it crime? Investment? History?

5/23/13

4:45 p.m.

domestica

Here Are Six Lovely Lawn Chairs To Class Up Your Patio This Summer

These seats are so nice, you might bring them indoors at the end of the season.

5/23/13

4:15 p.m.

cnotes

With Urban Decay’s Setting Spray, Your Face Won’t Turn Into an Oil Slick This Summer

The formula cools and sets makeup so you can look fresh in Chicago’s heat.

5/23/13

3:30 p.m.

cnotes

Music

America’s First Indie Music Genre Comes To Chicago This Weekend

Sacred Harp singers will be in town for the 28th year. You can listen for free!

5/23/13

2:15 p.m.

dish

First Impressions: J. Rocco’s Italian Table & Bar

Spicy crusted salmon satisfies at this up-and-comer in River North.

5/23/13

1:45 p.m.

the312

Photos: Chicago’s Black Belt During the Great Migration

As World War II swelled Chicago’s black population, photographers Edwin Rosskam and Russell Lee—with the help of author Richard Wright—documented the changing city.

5/23/13

12:30 p.m.

dish

Before You Look at Parson’s Fried Chicken, Grab a Napkin To Wipe Up Your Drool

Among the fried food, Parson’s Chicken & Fish actually sneaks some haute cuisine onto its menu.

5/23/13

10:45 a.m.

dealestate

On the Market

Frank Lloyd Wright + Octagons + Good Price = Headline!

The Oak Park house needs work, but it’s a deal—and this 1897 structure shows how Wright created the new Prairie style.

5/22/13

5:15 p.m.

the312

Here’s One Parent’s Story About the Closing of Her Neighborhood CPS School

Trumbull Elementary was closed by a unanimous vote of the school board today, despite parents’ claims that the school is not underutilized—if special-education students are considered.

5/22/13

5:00 p.m.

domestica

At Uptown’s Forget Me Knodt, the Flower Business Is in the Family Tree

Janessa Knodt, owner of this Uptown flower shop, brings a modern style to the work her family has done for years.

5/22/13

4:30 p.m.

cnotes

The Beethoven Festival Is a Fantastic and Strange Work of Art

This fun, free-flowing music festival is not easily confused with the other classical events in Chicago this summer.

5/22/13

4:00 p.m.

cnotes

Brooks Brothers Will Dress You as Sharp as Jay Gatsby

These dandy loafers will help you get inside the elusive literary figure’s head (and closet).

5/22/13

3:30 p.m.

domestica

Hills & Dales Has the Furniture Your Patio Needs

This local former wholesaler is now offering its well-made, eco-friendly outdoor pieces to the public.

5/22/13

3:00 p.m.

chicagoguide

Six Things You Can Do This Week to Prove You Have Good Taste

It’s a lowbrow, sophisticated, cheap, and totally fancy mix of events in town.

5/22/13

1:30 p.m.

the312

Why These Four Chicago Public Schools Won’t Close

Community involvement, private investment, and basic math all helped spare Mahalia Jackson, Manierre, Leif Ericson and Garvey Elementary Schools.

5/22/13

12:15 p.m.

dish

This Is the Biggest Chicago Dining News This Week

The city has new fried fish and chicken, Negroni slushies, cupcakes for charity, and a super macho taqueria.

5/22/13

11:30 a.m.

the312

Here Are Some of Brian Urlacher’s Greatest Moments as a Bear

From recovering fumbles to the Super Bowl Mumble, we’ll miss big number 54.

5/22/13

10:00 a.m.

dealestate

Housing Bulletin

This Washington Park Renovation Is the Next Chapter of a Great Chicago Housing Story

New owners revived a home that once belonged to Jesse Binga, a pioneering black developer and banker in Chicago.

5/21/13

5:20 p.m.

the312

Mr. Tornado’s Magic Cyclone Machine

One of the 20th century’s legendary meteorologists, Ted Fujita, revolutionized the study of tornadoes, but for most of his life never got to see one. So he made his own.

5/21/13

4:30 p.m.

cnotes

Don’t Let Your Wrists Go Naked

These stack bracelets from Chicago’s BusyWrist beautifully cover a bare arm.

5/21/13

3:30 p.m.

salescheck

Randolph Street Market Begins Its Summer Season This Weekend

And with it comes everything that’s great about shopping outside. Check out a few other top sales of the week, too!

5/21/13

2:30 p.m.

the312

Here Are the Best-Looking (and Most Bizarre) Airbnb Rentals in Chicago

Airbnb rentals may be illegal in NYC, but the DIY-hotel site is still ok in Chicago. Here’s a look at a few standout listings.

5/21/13

1:45 p.m.

the312

Why Food Stamp Use in Illinois Has Exploded

It’s the economy, but not just the economy. Eligibility has expanded, states have increased participation rates, and food stamps have replaced other forms of the social safety net.

5/21/13

12:30 p.m.

cnotes

Theatre

In the Company of Men Review: A Good Play About Some Truly Bad Guys

Neil LaBute’s tale of mind games probes the sociopathic side of the male psyche.

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June 2013

Table of Contents »

Cover Story

	Here Are Some Great Summer Road Trips You Can Take From Chicago With drive times under a couple of hours, these are the staff's favorite out-and-back excursions from the city.
	Five Great Food Vacations for Chicago Travelers With an Appetite The best summer getaways for the city's foodies are on the west coast, around our region, and in Canada. Be there (and be hungry) in 4 hours or less. By Elaine Glusac, Nina Kokotas Hahn, and Lauren Viera
	Here Are Five Summer Vacations for Chicago's Culture Lovers New Orleans. Nashville. East Lansing, Michigan? Driving or flying, great cultural destinations are only a few hours away. By Elaine Glusac, Nina Kokotas Hahn, and Lauren Viera
	Five Summer Trips for Adventure Seekers in Chicago Montana wilderness, Utah mountain biking, and Wisconsin rock climbing—it's all just a few hours' drive or flight away. By Elaine Glusac, Nina Kokotas Hahn, and Lauren Viera

Features

	Check Out This Rad House With a Silo This Wisconsin vacation home is about as fun as it gets for two kids, and the classic aesthetic fits the style of the grown-ups. By Tate Gunnerson
	This Beautiful Wisconsin Vacation Retreat Is a Modern Home Disguised as a Barn How do you build a modern structure that fits in with its rural setting? Just put the new systems in a familiar silhouette. By Gina Bazer
	This Secret Garden in Lake View Looks Like an Extra-Large Slice of Heaven High walls hide away the leafy, romantic oasis behind a graystone on Barry Avenue. By Joanne Trestrail
	Why the Smartest People in the Midwest All Move To Chicago Edward McClelland explains how Chicago rose above the Rust Belt cities to become the undisputed star of the Midwest, in an excerpt from his new book, Nothin' But Blue Skies. By Edward McClelland
	Theaster Gates: The Rise of an Unconventional Art Star Theaster Gates believes that good art can rescue bad neighborhoods. Here’s how he has convinced the international art world to buy into his vision. By Cassie Walker Burke and Elly Fishman

Departments

Culture
	Having a Beer With Smith Westerns on a Monday Afternoon On their third album, 'Soft Will,' the local rockers debut a more grown-up sound. By Dan Hyman
	Here’s How Mary Zimmerman Created Goodman Theatre’s ‘The Jungle Book’ It took the Disney film, Kipling's text, and two trips to India to get the story right.
Deal Estate
	Someone Paid $829,900 in Cash on the First Day This Ukrainian Village Home Went Up For Sale A buyer ponied up the money in a flash once this immaculate, 4,000 square foot, 11-year-old home hit the market. By Dennis Rodkin
Dining Out
	Has Spiaggia Sold Out? Spiaggia and Cafe Spiaggia are two Italian legends under one Mag Mile roof. Great food. Ridiculous prices. They're tourist traps—but maybe you should go anyway. By Jeff Ruby
Insider’s Guide
	The 15 Best Things to Do in Oak Park Here's how to experience the character and craftsmanship in the western suburb that Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright once called home. By Kevin McKeough
Table
	Here Are Three Great New Chicago Pizza Places These new parlors prove that Chicago's pizza can go beyond the deep dish. By Carly Boers
Shopping
	These Are the Best Store Openings and Shopping Deals in June This month's Sales Check has a Wicker Park Street Fest, the Old Town Art Fair, cosmetics, swimwear, and more. By Lynn Okura Bey
Arena
	What Chris Kennedy Is Doing With the New Wolf Point Project How the former head of the Merchandise Mart plans to redevelop riverfront land that's been in his family since the 1940s.
	The Kennedys Are From Chicago, Too Chris Kennedy is not the only member of the prominent family to show an interest in Chicago. By Dennis Rodkin and Jessica Nikolich
	Chi-Slam Table Tennis Club Is Chicago’s Ping-Pong Headquarters Here's a look inside the city's suddenly resurgent Ping-Pong scene. By Adam Doster

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