Meet the Bard of the Park District Bathrooms
By singing the praises of places to piss, Al Scorch has made himself the poet of the potty, the lyricist of the loo.
Custom Placements: City Life Lead
New Outfit, New You
At a Rogers Park thrift shop, Missy Thrasher-Lyon helps newly out trans Chicagoans find clothes that match their identities, styles, and bodies.
Can You Get More Progressive Than Pilsen?
Two of the neighborhood’s bookstores — one employee-owned and one pay-what-you-wish — encapsulate its spirit.
Love and the Literati
How a couple’s passion for books spurred not only a romance but a business embraced by local authors.
The Sketchy Future of Court Artists
Cliff Questel joins the limited ranks of visual reporters in the city’s courts — but the ship has long been sinking.
Shades of Boredom
Newly published images by photographer Mark Steinmetz highlight everyday life in a Chicago of 35 years ago.
Doors Closing
With ridership lagging and a fiscal reckoning looming, the L is in trouble. Here’s why our train is worth saving.
A Castle Made From Gum
A faulty clock. An aerial shortcut. Second-floor jam sessions. Here’s what we learned from a new book about the history of the iconic Wrigley Building.