Real Estate 2013: Where to Buy Now

Chicago-area home prices have finally bottomed out, most experts say—making now a great time to buy. Here are the 21 towns and neighborhoods to choose.

By Dennis Rodkin

Why Chicago’s Spineless City Council Just Can't Say No

Nearly two years after Rahm barreled into office, aldermen are still rubber-stamping everything he wants. Here's why the trend is so troubling for Chicago's citizens.

By Steve Rhodes

The 2013 Green Awards

By Steve Hendershot, Bryan Smith, Cassie Walker Burke, and Elly Fishman

20 Reasons Aleksandar Hemon Will Never Leave Chicago

In an excerpt from his new book (due out March 19), the Bosnian refugee turned literary star lists what he loves about his adopted hometown.

By Emmet Sullivan

The 20 Most Beautiful Photos of Chicago This Winter

In early February, we sent the local photographer Carlos Javier Ortiz out into the cold to capture Chicago neighborhoods and street life. He came back with a stark portrait of a city that freezes...

By Carlos Javier Oritz

The Four Biggest Dance Performances in Chicago This Spring

More than a dozen local dance companies are back in action this month. Here are some of the most anticipated shows to see—starting tonight.

By Emmet Sullivan

The Five Best Things to Do in Chicago This April

Alicia Keys, sports scenes at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra does Bach, and more.

By Trupti Rami

The Crazy Life of the 'Darth Vader and Son' Cartoonist

Chicago graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown shows us what his meteoric year has been like—in comic form.

There Are Three Great New Chicago Books Out This Spring

On the hunt for a good read this spring? Three local authors will soon publish new work on a Kindle, Nook, iPad, or a bound stack of paper.

By Geoffrey Johnson

How the White Sox Struck Out the Name "Comiskey"

While researching his new biography of Hank Greenberg, author John Rosengren uncovered the story of a pivotal transaction in White Sox history.

What Pulitzer Winner Quiara Alegría Hudes Loves About Chicago

The playwright's The Happiest Song Plays Last premieres at the Goodman Theatre on April 13.

By Catey Sullivan

These Are the Most Expensive Homes Sold in Chicago in 2012

While Chicago’s median home prices are bottoming out, big-ticket prices are soaring. The year even set a new record for the highest amount ever paid for a Chicago residence.

By Dennis Rodkin

At Fat Rice, the Unforgettable Food of Macau Comes to Logan Square

A couple could help save an endangered cuisine with potent, unfussy dishes served in their small corner restaurant.

By Jeff Ruby

The Boarding House Review: Basically Meeting Chicago's High Expectations

Alpana Singh has four stories of revelers to please in River North. For a three-month-old venture, the restaurant pulls it off pretty well.

By Jeff Ruby

Here Are the 10 Hottest Restaurants in Chicago This April

Little Goat, Found, Fat Rice, and Grace are the places everyone is talking about (with their mouths full) this month.

By Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby

The Guide To North Center: Ten Great Places To Eat, Drink, and Shop

The strip between Lake View and Lincoln Square is bursting with homey eats and cozy cultural attractions.

By Kevin McKeough

What Homes Cost in 73 Chicago Neighborhoods and 200 Suburbs in 2012

Here's the complete set of home sales data—median prices, percentage change, number of sales, and time on the market—for every part of the city that we gather enough stats to measure.

By Dennis Rodkin

How to Downsize to a Smaller Chicagoland Home

With the kids gone and retirement at hand, you gain some huge home-buying advantages.

By Dennis Rodkin

Where to Buy a Pied-À-Terre in Downtown Chicago

Here's how to make a smart investment on a second home in the city.

By Dennis Rodkin

How to Upgrade to Your Next Chicago Home

Ready to move on up to a bigger, better house for your family? Here are six suburbs with undervalued properties and easy rides to the city.

By Dennis Rodkin

Where to Buy Your First Home in Chicago

A mortgage can cost half as much as rent in Chicago. Are you ready to take the plunge and buy your first place?

By Dennis Rodkin

Here's What Midway Would Look Like as a Privatized Airport

White Castle, Hooters, and Halliburton: Our back-of-the-envelope sketch of a new layout for the city's oldest airport.

By Paul Hornschemeier

Five Bright Bags You Should Claim This Spring

Just in time for travel season, a colorful crop of small-scale bags for keeping calm and carrying on.

By Heiji Choy Black

Sales Check: Store Openings and Deals in April

Get discount spa treatments, meet the designer of sky-high platform pumps, and more to shop for this month.

By Lynn Okura Bey

An Autographed Mandela, a Theaster Gates Original, and More Things Linda Johnson Rice Loves

The daughter of the founders of Ebony and Jet magazines inherited and adapted her own sophisticated style.

By Heiji Choy Black

Endgrain Will Serve Enoch Simpson's Doughnuts (and Dinner Too)

The casual American restaurant, run by the Nightwood and Girl & The Goat veteran, is coming soon to Roscoe Village.

By Penny Pollack

Takito Kitchen's Crazy Tacos Could Be Awesome

David Dworshak's 80-seat Wicker Park place opens soon.

By Penny Pollack

At Rickshaw Republic, Eat Your Way Across Indonesia

Street food from Southeast Asia is conveniently served in Lincoln Park.

By Jeff Ruby

Who Is the Best Coffee Roaster in Chicago?

In the city's thriving local coffee culture, a hill of beans means everything.

By Carly Boers

Oiistar Is a Lovely Spot for Steamed Buns on a Budget

Chef Sunny Yim serves well-executed memorable Pan-Asian-by-way-of-Europe dishes in this Wicker Park restaurant.

By Joanne Trestrail

Billy Sunday Makes the Best Damn Daiquiri You've Ever Had

Matthias Merges’s Logan Square spot does fine work on a dozen different cocktails.

By Carly Boers

Why You Should Never Get Your Kid a Rabbit for Easter

Charlotte the bunny was cute, cuddly—and a living terror.

By Jeff Ruby

'Brothers Emanuel' Tells How To Raise Kids To Be Overachievers

In a Q&A about his new memoir, the bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel opens up about how his family's culture helped him (and his brothers Rahm and Ari) find their own paths to success.

By David Bernstein

Illinois's Credit Rating Is the Worst in the Nation: Three Reasons You Should Care

How the state's A- status could affect the people who live here.

By Whet Moser