Carpenters of all abilities are welcome at this gargantuan shop — 13,500 square feet! — which means you can come for the basic saw skills and stay to figure out the math behind a curved box joint. Everyone walks away from the nine-week course with a piece of sturdy self-made furniture. From $475 per class. … Read more
This traveling biweekly roundtable crams in dispatches from activists, performances by local musicians, and discourse on politics. What saves it from feeling like homework: the cutting humor and raucous audience. Free. thehoodoisie.com
At long last, there’s quality shared office space for South Siders, with plenty of nine-to-five amenities and reasonable rates. 6127 S. University Ave., Woodlawn, universitycowork.com
In a 24-hour period, this “Twitterstorian” will post a 1904 photo of the Fullerton L stop, a 1942 ad for all-night barbecue, and a one sheet for James Bond Aston Martins. @backwards_river
Hop off the L at 18th Street and relax into a red, woven beach chair for a thoughtfully curated screening of overlooked international films, like the recent series on the New Taiwan Cinema movement. 1740 W. 18th St., Pilsen, filmfront.org
From John Morris, the architect of Steppenwolf’s and Black Ensemble Theater’s spaces, comes this sleek building designed so light filters in through the gaps in the black brick exterior. The latest addition to its neighborhood’s burgeoning cultural scene hosts a grab bag of cool events, from film screenings to dance performances. 329 E. Garfield Blvd., … Read more
This four-week class, held in three-hour blocks one evening a week, sets you up for maximum coziness by diving into piecing, basting, and other sewing fundamentals. When the workshop concludes, you’ll have a finished quilt. It won’t be as good as your grandmother’s, but she was a rookie once, too. $150. 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., … Read more
The German-Southern fusion restaurant’s irreverent posts are bona fide works of art, with goofy stop-motion videos about brunch specials and staff portraits inspired by old master paintings (above). The feed comes across not so much as promotion as an expression of pure creativity. @funkenhausenchi
This Southwest Side megastore is to school dances what Kleinfeld is to weddings. It tracks every lacy, pouffy purchase and won’t sell a style to more than one customer per dance — though with more than 20,000 dresses in stock, that probably wouldn’t happen anyhow. 5915 S. Archer Ave., Garfield Ridge, peachesboutique.com
When you inevitably leave your Ikea furniture on the curb (again), head over to this Canadian brand’s first Chicago location, which opened in January. You’ll find the same clean, modern lines with smoother edges and streamlined assembly. Sure, the price point is a step higher, but so are the chances that you’ll want to keep … Read more
