New York Fashion Week Kicks Off

New York Fashion Week's Spring 2009 season kicked off today, and I'll be your guide to the shows and parties in the next few days.

The biggest difference I'm noticing so far between fashion week in New York and fashion week in Paris—Paris, I have done for a few seasons now; New York, it's my first time—is that New York is much more commercially sponsored...

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People’s Choice

Thirty years ago, Jim Jones urged the residents of his “utopian” settlement in Jonestown, Guyana, to drink poison-spiked punch. In the three decades since, the event has lingered uncomfortably in the public memory: How did such a thing happen? Why?...

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On The Market—Contemporary Extravagance in Northbrook

List Price: $3.295 million
The Property: Set behind a 15-foot-tall privacy hedge, this house in western Northbrook has 18 rooms, a pool and a tennis court, and an outdoor kitchen big enough to cater a swim meet or a tennis match. The contemporary-styled home has a monumental entry flanked by two hefty...

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Presto Merlo

High on Merlo

In late September, Giampaolo Sassi and Luisa Silvia Marani, who own Merlo Ristorante and Merlo on Maple, plan to unveil La Trattoria del Merlo, a simple 99-seat Bolognese restaurant, at 1967 North Halsted Street. “The concept in general is ‘like it is in Italy,’” says Marani, also the chef. “That means I prepare things with...

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Housing Bulletin—Will Property Taxes Decline with House Prices?

Now that we have pretty much accepted that our homes are worth less than they used to be, a question comes up: If the value of my home is dropping, will my property tax bill do the same?

Short answer: Not now, not for a few years, and very likely not at all.

For the long answer, it’s important first to grasp...

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Oh, Canada

Fashion Forward, Eh?
Canada has given us hockey, Michael J. Fox, and now Aritzia (Water Tower Place, 3rd fl.; 312-867-9230, aritzia.com), a trendy shop carrying boutique brands that range from comfy tees ($18) to a double-breasted gray overcoat ($350). The 4,300-square-foot shop is the Vancouver-based brand’s fourth store in the U.S. Brands include BCBG Generation, Citizens of Humanity, Ella Moss, Habitual, Nudie, Talula, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, and...

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Sale of the Week—New Sears Recruit Shops in Winnetka

List Price: $2.99 million
Sale Price: $2.88 million
The Property: Gunther Trieb, the new president of the Sears brands Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard, has bought this 17-room mansion in the heart of Winnetka. The sale closed August 25th, four days...

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Great Balls of Vinyl

Red Alert
Squashing a gigantic inflatable ball into tight spaces sounds a little like one of those Olympic events that didn’t score much NBC airtime (half-lightweight judo gets no respect). But artist Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project—a public art installation in which a 15-foot vinyl ball makes its way across the city, stopping at...

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The It List: What’s Coming Up in Nightlife

1. You heard it here first: Dan Schwab of Avenue M has partnered with White Sox GM Kenny Williams to open an upscale sports bar late this fall or early winter in the West Loop, at 1113 West Randolph Street. There's no name yet, and Schwab is open to suggestions. Post your best shot...

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On The Market—Glen Ellyn’s Warwood Farm

List Price: $2.45 million
The Property: Prominent on its hilltop site and looking like a hen among chicks, this Arts and Crafts–style mansion is surrounded by the ranch houses and other smaller homes that now occupy all but two acres of its original 300 acres of...

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A New Urban Legend

Rubbing the Belly

The most beloved new restaurant in Chicago right now? Urbanbelly (3053 N. California Ave.; 773-583-0500), Bill Kim’s noodle-and-dumpling BYO in Avondale. On The Huffington Post, Steve Dolinsky called it “the best first-day opening of any restaurant in Chicago,” and approximately a zillion Yelpers, LTHers, and other species of foodies have already weighed in with praise. A pair of trusted FODs who live in the neighborhood went nuts for the...

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Housing Bulletin—One Chicago Seller’s Limited-Time Offer

To save money on commissions to real-estate agents, Rachel and Mark Bickenbach have been trying to sell their Clybourn Avenue loft themselves this summer. They put it on craigslist.com and advertised it in the Chicago Tribune and the Reader—but all they heard was...

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Swimming With Sharks

Ever hear of Eileen and Tom Lonergan? They were a couple from Baton Rouge who went scuba diving off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1998, and accidentally got left behind due to a faulty head count taken by the boat crew. No one noticed they were gone until their bags were found in the boat two days later. A vast search followed, but they were gone. Eventually their empty wet suits, tanks, and dive jackets washed ashore. Most likely they met a shark or...

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Accessories Boutique in Lincoln Park

A Little Something Special

New Lincoln Park accessories boutique Aberle (1101 W. Webster Ave.; 773-477-1101) carries all the elements to complete an outfit: jewelry, shoes, and handbags. Co-owners Kira Price and Joy Koziol have chosen luxury accessories, filling the store with “brands we love and can never...

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The Last Hurrah

Last week was The Fiancé's rite-of-passage dudefest commonly known as the Vegas bachelor party. Before his trip, I laid down one simple rule: No touching strippers in inappropriate places. That's it. One rule. I didn't ask him not to go to strip clubs; I didn't remind him not to gamble away our life savings (he knows better). But maybe there should have been two simple rules. On our first weekend apart since getting engaged, it might have been nice for...

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Sale of the Week—Traded Again in Southeast Ravenswood

List Price: $2.399 million
Sale Price: $2.25 million
The Property: So far in its short life, this 14-room house, built in 2002, has been sold four times, most recently on August 11th. Those sellers had owned the place for just 11 months...

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