The Day Harold Washington Died

By Mike Thomas

It has been 30 years since Chicago bid farewell to the mayor who broke the Democratic machine and became a beacon of hope for thousands. In remembering the man and the moment, those close to him reveal how keenly his loss is still felt. Read more

Big Data Dining: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

By Mark CaroIllustrations by Davide Bonazzi

And your spouse’s name, your ex-spouse’s name, your dog’s name, what kind of Chardonnay you like, how you treat the valets, and a whole lot more. Welcome to the data-driven era of dining in Chicago. Read more

How Chris Collins Made a Winner of Northwestern Basketball

By Bryan Smith

After coaching the Wildcats to their first-ever NCAA tourney bid, the former Glenbrook North star is bent on making the program a perennial power. Read more

Remembering Medusa's: A Portal to Chicago's Counterculture

By Mike Thomas

The closing of the legendary dance club Medusa’s 25 years ago marked the end of an era. In this raw and raucous oral history, the club’s founders, employees, and patrons bring the exuberant madness of this after-hours mecca back to life. Read more

The Chicago Journalist Who's Spent 17 Years Investigating R. Kelly

By Mark Caro

It's been a lonely crusade for rock critic Jim DeRogatis, whose reporting on allegations of sexual abuse against the R&B star has grown increasingly high-profile. Read more

Found in Chicago

By Tom ChiarellaPhotos by Colin Beckett

You’d be amazed what you can discover about a city—and its people—simply by looking down. Read more

The Hunting Accident: The Curious Tale Behind a Decades-Long Family Lie

By Novid Parsi

A Chicagoan’s quest to learn the truth about his father—whose life is the subject of a new graphic novel—delves deep into the city’s criminal past, crosses paths with one of the 20th century’s most notorious murderers, and leads to unexpected redemption. Read more

The Chicago River: Seeing the City's Future—and the Undertow of Its Past

By Scott BlackwoodPhotos by Whitten Sabbatini

Polluted by expediency, reversed out of necessity, flowing through a city of wonders and deprivations, the river has more stories yet to tell. Read more

Charlie Trotter Is Alive And Well

By Carrie Schedler

Chicago’s iconic chef died in 2013 and it seemed his legacy was tarnished. Three decades after his restaurant opened, we look at his lasting imprint on the city’s dining scene. Read more

Meet K.W.O.E., Self-Proclaimed #KingoftheMitzvahs

By Jeff Ruby

Party emcee Kareem Wells—a.k.a. K.W.O.E.—once sold drugs on the West Side. Now he’s the toast of Chicago’s Jewish elite. Read more

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