Now You C It

Tuesday night I had the chance to check out C-View, the 29th-floor lounge in the Affinia Chicago. The bar is the counterpart to C-House, the hotel's new eatery from the James Beard–recognized chef Marcus Samuelsson, but don't expect his full seafood menu in the lounge—at least, not yet. A staffer told me they're still trying to figure out how to buss the food from the lobby-level restaurant to the 29th-floor bar. At Tuesday's media party, just about the only things served were...

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Patriot Games

Yankee Doodle Daughter
Hillary Clinton won’t be the next female president, via this election cycle anyway, but the new documentary What’s Your Point, Honey? aims to figure out who might bring a little ...

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On The Market—Hinsdale’s New-Old Stone Mansion

List Price: $4.9 million
The Property: You will be forgiven if, when approaching this new house in Hinsdale, you wonder whether they hauled it over from England in pieces or already assembled. The rough-hewn stone façade, the sheltered entry vestibule with timber beams and...

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Tree Huggers

Chop Down the Tree, Plant a New One
Oak Tree Restaurant (900 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-751-1988), a Chicago institution that has held court in the Bloomingdale’s building for 18 years, has closed for three months so the space can be gutted and reintroduced on October 1st as Oak Tree Restaurant & Bakery. “It’s a little tired, design-wise,” says Hale DeMar, the owner. “It’s a very, very sophisticated neighborhood, and we are going to provide a new environment: stylish, urban, cosmopolitan...

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Housing Bulletin—A Green Demolition, in Northfield

The developer who paid $1.2 million for a Northfield lot where he plans to build six condos could have had the old house there demolished in two days, at a cost of about $15,000. Instead, he’s paying twice that—and the...

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Spy Games, Suburban Home

Rhain, my oldest friend in the world, is only 36, but he has lived dozens of lives. The best high school tennis player in Kansas history, Rhain eventually went pro, where he ascended high enough on the tour to play some real opponents. "Pete Sampras beat me 6-0, 6-0, 6-0," he says, proudly. Soon, though, he shattered his ankle, and it was all over. Next, he went to...

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Two Home Stores in Andersonville

At Home in Andersonville
The new vintage furniture and gift shop Room Service (5438 N. Clark St.; 773-878-5438) specializes in late 1950s and early 1960s furniture and accents, which the owner, Paul Lechlinski, sources mostly through estate sales and auctions in and around Palm Springs in California. “We’re complementary to other specialty retailers on the street,” he says. “We’re parallel and fit in with Scout and

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Breaking the Rules of Engagement

One thing I've learned since I started writing this blog back in December 2006: I've got to have a thick skin when it comes to readers' comments. Among the most ominous posted last week: "I think you are rushing into everything," and, my personal favorite, "Your marriage is going to fail." Some of these declarations even made The Fiancé flinch. "Why would someone say that?" he asked me the other day.

The naysaying isn't about to break up my engagement, but it did give me pause. It got me thinking...

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Sale of the Week—An Evanston House Swap

List Price (Tudor): $2.975 million
Sale Price: $2.975 million
List Price (Brick): $1.295 million
Sale Price: $1.225 million
The Properties: The owners of these two homes swapped houses—even though it wasn’t an even trade. In fact, as you can see, one residence is worth more than twice the other...

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Holding Out for a Hero

Take that, Dark Knight. Chicago Tap Theatre presents a superheroine with sass and mad tap-dance skills in The Hourglass and the Poisoned Pen. Co-created by CTT artistic director Mark Yonally and comic book artist Andrew Pepoy, whose work includes inking the likes of Batman and X-Men, the show blends opera and...

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The It List: This Week’s Nightlife Buzz

Like the Web itself, Last Girl Standing has evolved. I used to mix nightlife news with stories from the singles scene; now I pair nightlife coverage with reports from the road to the altar—and you can always read my monthly column, Nightspotting, in Chicago magazine. But since there's some confusion as to the LGS schedule, here's the scoop: On Mondays, I'll be writing about my engagement; on Thursdays, tune in for dispatches from the nightlife front. I'm off for my wedding in September, but the party's not over: In October, it'll be all nightlife all the time. And if you're looking for more info...

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On The Market—Glenview’s Passage to India

List Price: $4,495,000
The Property: At this 7,000-square-foot house in Glenview, a pair of large, intricately carved front doors made of sagwan wood open into a granite-floored foyer illuminated by a crystal chandelier. While the chandelier is Austrian, the wood and the granite are from...

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Power Play

Jerry Rigged

Now that he’s got Park 52 (5201 S. Harper Ave.; 773-241-5200) and Room 21 (2110 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-328-1198) under his belt, Jerry Kleiner is looking for the next big score. Or, rather, scores. In October, Kleiner plans to open a 120-seat “nice little Italian eclectic” spot at 8 First Avenue in downtown Hinsdale. After that, he’s got his eye on Old Town, specifically an old warehouse garage in the 1400 North block of Wells Street. “I had to dig out a basement, so I’m getting to the...

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Housing Bulletin—Victory Gardens’ Real-Estate Reality Check

In Relatively Close, the new James Sherman comedy that opened at Victory Gardens Theater last week, three adult sisters and their families gather at their late parents’ longtime summer home in Union Pier, Michigan. One of the sisters wants to sell the place, and she’s planning to spend the week convincing her sisters it’s a ...

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Hannah and the Chocolate Factory

As I mentioned before, my wife planned this entire trip, and I did nothing but show up. If you've got a spouse who likes to take the reins, and you're lazy like me, I highly recommend such an arrangement. Every day is like a surprise party. Today, Sarah drove us to the northern suburbs of Hobart, Tasmania, for a tour of a massive Cadbury Chocolate factory. Hannah and I were delighted...

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Baby Furniture in Roscoe Village

Baby Style
Expectant moms—and those who purchase gifts for them—tend to go a little overboard on the pink and blue, the bunnies and ducks, the ruffles and sports-themes. Twinkle Twinkle Little One (3224 N. Damen Ave.; 773-472-3000), a new kids’ home boutique in Roscoe Village, aims to change that with its stylish décor and furniture that...

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