Lone Stars

They're successful, beautiful, and available. It's our annual showcase of 20 of the city's most desirable singles. Find out which ones have gone skinny-dipping and which one's haven't.

Noah Isackson

Why We Love Chicago in the Summer

Well, why do we? For starters, just step outside. The lake is sparkling, the air is warm, people look genuinely glad to be alive, and the city crackles with activity. Here are just some of the...

The Nightmare

Five months after three-year-old Riley Fox of Wilmington was brutally murdered, her father, Kevin, confessed following a long night with Will County detectives. He recanted almost immediately, but...

Bryan Smith

Shore Patrol

While scouring the long stretch from Jackson Park up to Hollywood Beach, we discovered some of the lakefront’s native dwellers. Meet the characters, photographed last year, who make our shore...

Meghan McEwen

Everybody Loves Bruce Norris

Except Bruce Norris. The playwright’s growing notoriety as a social satirist is surpassing his success as an actor, and Chicago’s top directors value him as an original mind and an excellent...

Tony Adler

Table of Contents

Raging Bulls

Three new hot spots with prime beef and hopping scenes prove an indisputable point: red meat—and lots of it—never seems to go out of style PLUS: On Wine

Dennis Ray Wheaton

Heads of State

The 1960 Nixon-Kennedy presidential election proved that a successful candidacy cannot be had without photogenic appeal. But in the coming gubernatorial race, both major-party candidates seem...

Jeff Ruby

Hello, Goodbye

In a new book on friendship, a noted Chicago author concludes that it should be treated as an art—one worthy of regular maintenance through thoughtful cultivation

The Annotated: Adler

One hundred thirty thousand visitors are expected to pass through the Adler Planetarium this summer, many lured by Shoot for the Moon, the permanent exhibit opening July 8th showcasing the capsule...

Graham Meyer

How Do We Fare?

With gas prices soaring, we thought we’d look at the comparative costs of two modes of transportation other than our cars.

Libby Sander

Trouble Spots

Ah, summer—time for fun in the sun at the 52 public beaches around Chicago. But, beachgoers, beware: beach closings have more than doubled in recent years. We take a look at the area's most...

David Bernstein

Nightspotting - Rock On

Rock the Warehouse; Minnies; Celebrity Beat

Sarah Preston

Will & Grace

The first U.S. city to host the Gay Games in more than a decade, Chicago expects to welcome some 12,000 participants from about 50 countries beginning July 15th. Here are a few standouts...

Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

The Tao of Jenny

Playmate turned self-help guru Jenny McCarthy has never been afraid to bare it all. To see how Jenny’s advice stacks up against conventional fare, we compared her views with those of some local...

Lauren Murrow

The Short List - July 2006

Insects, flies, and videotape; July’s best deal on a gourmet meal; the baby gift you’ll feel good giving; more

Style Sheet - July 2006

Stacy Wallace-Albert

Street Scene

Madrid St. Angelo started a theatre. Now he’s busking to fill the seats.

Thomas Connors

Pastrami Smackdown!

The Chicago area is full of both pastrami purists and newfangled innovators. With some new delis entering the scene, we sized up a few of the latest offerings alongside some old favorites.

Deborah Wilk

In the Shadow of Doubt

Joseph Bast seems to be one of the last people in America to doubt the danger of global warming.

Kathy Svitil

Fest Frenzy

Five music events to mark on your summer calendar.

Mark Guarino

Demolition Divas

In an industrial park in Elk Grove Village, two history buffs build a store around their shared love of architectural salvage.

Stacy Wallace-Albert

Boys "R" Us

Watch out, American girls. A trio of Chicago businessmen aim to create a hot toy venue for boys.

David Thomas

The $11-Million Bargain

After a big price cut, a Georgian mansion—designed by David Adler for a daughter of John G. Shedd—gets the third owner in its 75-year history

Dennis Rodkin

To Dine For

New development could help lure high-end restaurants to center of western suburb

Dennis Rodkin

Recipe File - July 2006

Michael Tsonton’s Organic Wisconsin Summer Carrot Soup

Dining Tidbits - July 2006

Budget Beat, Bistro

Breakfast Beat

Love to sit down with a plate of eggs, some tasty potatoes or toast, a cup of freshly brewed joe, and the morning paper? These recently opened spots have got your number.

Deborah Wilk

5 questions - Douglas Rodriguez

Douglas Rodriguez, Miami-based executive chef who owns restaurants in three time zones. His latest, De La Costa,opens in July in the River East Art Center.