Things To Do While Self-Isolating in Chicago: Part 2 — Play the “Check, Please” Drinking Game
With tens of millions of Americans suddenly forced to work from home, to stay at home, and to confront the general cleanliness of their homes; this seems like a good time to discuss things to do while self-isolated in Chicago. We bring you this series as people with some experience in this arena, having worked from home for ten years in a 475-square-foot apartment in downtown Chicago with a wife and a cat. Part 2 of ?: Play the...
Video Advocating For Thompson Center Wins Award
The James R. Thompson Center was controversial when it went up. And now that a lot of people want to tear it down, it’s controversial once again. There has been much hullabaloo created by people in Springfield and also in Chicago who want to see the building sold for tear-down and redevelopment. Part of the impetus is the fact that Illinois doesn’t have enough money to pay its bills and owes money like a meth addict in...
Baffled by Winter, Left Coast Bloggers Jump Ugly on Chicago’s Apple Store
Since this publication began almost 15 years ago, we’ve always stated there is a big difference between blogging and journalism. That became evident over this New Year’s Eve weekend, when a bunch of 20-somethings with smartphones who like to play journalist lit up the internet with cries that there was something wrong with the new Apple flagship store at Pioneer Court. Sadly, it started with local blogger Matt Maldre who...
On TV Tonight: Baer in the Water
In a time when most Chicago media can’t be bothered to look out their window unless someone has been shot, WTTW’s Geofffrey Baer remains the face of Chicagoans interested in their city, its history, and what it looks like today. Bear hunters rejoice, because the city’s premier urban explorer has a new special which airs tonight on channel 11 at 7:30pm. It’s called Chicago River Tour With Geoffrey Baer, and is...
Throwback Thursday: Chicago Never Looked So Bad
Lots of TV shows use the cities they’re set in as a kind of supporting actor that adds color and depth to the production. If it’s a situation comedy, the cities are celebrated for being wonderful places for fun and family (Full House, Laverne & Shirley). If it’s a cop drama, the city can be moody and interesting (Dragnet, Hill Street Blues). And then there’s Lady Blue. It’s a cop drama. But...
Chicago Makes an Appearance During Super Bowl L
The only way any of the Chicago Bears made it to last night’s Super Bowl at Levis Stadium deep in the heart of Silicon Valley (not actually in San Francisco — don’t believe the hype), is if they bought a ticket on StubHub. But that doesn’t mean that Chicago didn’t make an appearance. Our fair city made a prominent, though anonymous, appearance in a new Toyota commercial. Rebranded as the City of...
Two Movies, One Architect Showing in the Loop
Architecture has the power to change the world. But architects just aren’t Hollywood darlings the way that cops or firemen or lawyers are, so there are very few movies about people who make great buildings. But two films about Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí are going to be screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 North State Street) this month. The first starts this Friday, December 12th, and is called Sagrada: The...
Wallenda’s Wire Walk Watched Worldwide, Shows Off Chicago Skyscrapers
Down on the Upper West Wacker Drive tonight, it was a fairly normal Sunday night. At least if you don’t take into account the bystanders sitting in clumps all the way from Michigan Avenue to Wells. Along the river, up in the high rises, and just about everywhere you looked, people were gathering. No, this wasn’t a re-do of the Chicago Fire Festival. If you somehow spent the last 24 hours avoiding legitimate media, social media,...
West Loop Not Rolling Out the Red Carpet For MTV’s “The Real World” Reality TV Show
I think it was the Buggles who sang, “Skyscrapers killed the West Loop.” Folks in my neighborhood don’t much like tall buildings. They aren’t very impressed by big-time movie stars and TV shows, either. On Monday night, the executive producer of MTV’s “The Real World” gave residents a preview of the show’s 30th season venue—smack in the middle of Restaurant Row. The 20 people in attendance were less than welcoming. There’s really only...
Video Games [Heart] Chicago
A few months ago we wrote about how driving through downtown Chicago is an option in the new video game Need For Speed 2 Shift Unleashed. After that was published, some of you wrote in to note that Chicago was featured in other racing games like the 1999 Microsoft game Midtown Madness. Now Loop North News has a story about Chicago being featured in the new Ubisoft game Watch Dogs. Here’s a video of the game in action: The game...
