You may have heard medical experts and public health figures refer to the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States as “the second pandemic.” Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia were already commonplace in our complex, fast-paced world before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 triggered a monumental […]
Category: City Life
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Support Illinois organizations working to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic with your purchase of the Illinois Lottery’s Twisted Treasure ticket
In recognition of World AIDS Day in 2009, the Illinois Lottery and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) launched a new Instant Ticket to raise funds for the Quality of Life grants, which are distributed to organizations across the state that work in HIV/AIDS prevention education, and treatment. Since its inaugural year, sales from […]
Posted inThe To-Do
Microcinema, rock ’n’ roll photography, and more
Warming temperatures mean it’s time to get out there and strut. From book signings to variety shows, there’s something coming up for everyone’s walking speed. Sweet Void Cinema screeningssweetvoidcinema.com The Humboldt Park-based production company and microcinema Sweet Void Cinema (3036 W. Chicago, Suite 1W) collects shorts from local filmmakers and screens them monthly as a […]
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Help support individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability with your purchase of a “BLACKJACK” Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
In 2019 the Illinois Lottery launched a new Instant Ticket to raise money for agencies and organizations that support people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity throughout the State. The Illinois Lottery gives 100 percent of profits from the ticket to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), which then utilizes funding for a grant program […]
Posted inCity Life
Cronenberg, comedy, and weirdo music
Warmer weather is finally here to stay. You’re probably hoping to be everywhere all at once, but here are a few things you won’t want to miss, in the first iteration of our new column, The To-Do. MargueriteFri 5/26, 8 PM, Color Club, 4146 N. Elston, sold out, 18+ ReveriesSat 5/27, 8 PM, Color Club, […]
Posted inCity Life
Black high school lacrosse is here to stay
Black teenagers can view lacrosse as a healthy outlet and a new gateway to seek athletic or academic scholarships. It’s very understandable that Chicago wants to send a clear message that this sport is for everyone.
Posted inCity Life
Brick by brick
Will Quam found his love of bricks by accident. While working as an itinerant theater teacher in Chicago, he would travel around the city for work, and as he traveled, he started to notice Chicago’s bricks. “Before 2016 if you’d have asked me what a brick looks like, I would have said, ‘red,’ and I […]
Posted inFeature
Ghosts, cryptids, and Chicago
When Jack Wagner was 15, he made a documentary about the haunting of Wheaton’s Grand Theatre. Built in 1925, the historic theater went through several identities over the decades (including an aughts-era punk venue where Wagner’s band played). When he showed up with his camera, the owner shut Wagner and his buddies in the empty […]
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Immerse yourself in the darkest side of humanity at Chicago’s Medieval Torture Museum
Learn the history of torture and execution, and chase ghosts at one of the Loop’s hottest attractions Have you ever imagined a museum dedicated to the history of torture and execution from the Dark Ages to the present? Look no further than Chicago’s Medieval Torture Museum. At 6,000 square feet, it’s the largest interactive museum […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
2022 City Life poll winners
The people, places, and things voted Chicago’s best—and runners-up: activist, advocacy organization, alderperson, elected official in Chicago, elected official in Cook County, state elected official, federal officer holder from Illinois, charity, HVAC maintenance or repair, home construction or remodeler, lawyer, co-working space, hotel, overall radio station, radio DJ, podcast, blog, email newsletter, local TV broadcast news, doctor (general or primary care), dentist, chiropractor, ob-gyn, public mental health care clinic, Chicago Instagram account to follow, Chicagoan to follow on Twitter, tour, south side neighborhood, west side neighborhood, north side neighborhood, suburb, block club, and more
Posted inStreet View
Beyond advanced style
“I kinda just threw this together,” says Gail Joanes, 73, while enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon on the luxuriously fashionable Oak Street. “I went over to the Chicago History Museum, which I love, went to Twin Anchors for ribs, came back, and now I’m just shopping a bit, just relaxing,” she shares. Though Joanes might […]
Posted inStreet View
On a roll
“I’m just skating around town, just basically trying to get my miles in. My goal is up to 14 miles. I think I’m at about 8 right now. So I’m going to take another lap around the city,” said Alex Scott, 26, on a Monday in the early afternoon. “It takes me a couple of […]
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Help support Multiple Sclerosis research with your purchase of a “It Takes 2” specialty ticket from the Illinois Lottery
In 2008, the Illinois Lottery launched a specialty ticket benefiting the Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). Funds raised from Illinois Lottery specialty tickets are distributed through grants awarded to numerous organizations working in a specific area, such as veterans programs or breast cancer research, but the Illinois Lottery specialty ticket in […]
Posted inCity Life
Perfection from the pieces
If you’ve ever dabbled in woodworking, you probably have a sense of just how much scrap material can go to waste. Lumber is sold in predetermined sizes, like the ubiquitous 2×4, so once you have the cuts you need, you’re likely to end up with various odds and ends that are hard to put to […]