See what cool things (spoiler alert, Twinkies!) got their start in Chicago, Lincoln's Springfield tomb has water damage, there were several fatal car crashes this weekend, and other news. more ›

Oprah turns 58, a Pilsen man has been charged with a weekend rape, and other news. more ›

For any sandwich freak, Sacco Bruno is most definitely a place you can get your freak on. If you seek a classic Italian sub, but don't have the good fortune to live anywhere near Little Italy, it's ideal. more ›

There has been many a night we have bellied up to the bar at one of our favorite Bucktown haunts Danny's. Cheap drinks, great DJs, dancing and just enough light to get an outline of the person you'll be gracing with your best walk-of-shame the next day usually makes for an interesting evening to say the least. Stephen Sowley, a six-year-veteran in his humble station as doorman at the bar has probably seen it all. After all, mixing young people, massive amounts of booze and perhaps some less than savvy judgement calls can make for some intriguing stories to say the least. more ›

Marquis Harrison of the West side Austin neighborhood is being charged with murder as an adult with after a fatal car crash this weekend. Harrison, who was allegedly driving a stolen Range Roger Sunday, was stopped at the intersection of Elston and Blackhawk for disregarding a traffic signal. When police stepped out of their vehicle, Harrison allegedly drove away, leading police on a chase through the Bucktown neighborhood before striking the vehicle of 42-year-old Marciea Adkins, a 911 dispatch operator on her way home from her shift. The crash was fatal. “It appeared there was a chase going on. I saw police vehicles speeding through the neighborhood and heard sirens just before the crash,” Bucktown resident Steve Jensen told the Sun-Times. more ›

Two female suspects used semi-automatic weapons in a robbery of three Irish women in Wicker Park yesterday morning around 5:30 a.m. The incident occurred in the 1600 block of N. Wood, not too far from the location of the April incident in which two women, one Irish, were beaten by a baseball bat-wielding suspect. No one is in custody at this time for Friday's incident. more ›

A pair of separate gang-related shootings last night injured three youngsters. more ›

As charges are filed in last week's Bucktown bat attack, police are dealing with a separate beating incident on the Northwest Side. more ›

A man and a woman are in police custody in connection with last week's baseball bat beating of a pair of women in Bucktown more ›

A man accused of two rapes in the Bucktown neighborhood has been arrested. Damario McNeil, 31, of Lawndale, was arrested and charged with one count of attempt first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated criminal assault and two counts of aggravated kidnapping and one count of armed robbery. The first rape occurred in February in the 2300 block of W. Moffat, very close to the Western/Milwaukee Blue Line stop. The second assault happened just a few weeks ago, a bit further from the same Blue Line stop but still in the vicinity, in the 2000 block of W. Charleston. Police think McNeil could be linked to at least two other assaults, another in February close to the Western/Milwaukee Blue Line stop and one last September close to the Damen/North Blue Line stop. [Chicago Breaking News] more ›

• Chicago Police are investigating what seems to be a serial rapist terrorizing the Bucktown neighborhood after another attack of a woman leaving the Western Ave. Blue Line stop.
• Former pro-wrestling star Verne Gagne is in hot water after a man he threw to the ground in a nursing home died as a result of the incident.
• On the eve of the 10th anniversary of Gene Siskel's death, former partner-in-criticism Roger Ebert gives a heartfelt remembrance of Siskel.

• The family of Aquan Lewis is asking for a second autopsy to be performed, disputing what they call a "startling" and quick decision by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office that ruled Aquan's death a suicide.
• Police continue to investigate the rape of a woman that occurred early Monday morning in the Bucktown neighborhood - 2300 block of W. Moffat - just south of the Western (Milwaukee) Blue Line stop.
• Today in Executive Resignations: Dawn Catuara, acting executive director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, has abruptly resigned. Cyrus Freidheim, president and CEO of Sun-Times Media Group, has also announced his resignation.

With the recession keeping many buyers at bay, properties have to do more than just slash prices to drum up a potential purchases. To that end, EcoLogic Lofts, Bucktown's hot new green condo complex, is banking on a fashion show to hopefully provide a few leads during the Whirlwind in Bucktown fashion show and mixer. The neighborhood's fashion retailers including Apartment Number 9, Robin Richman and Hejfina will send their duds down the runway for guests to sneak peek while sipping cocktails and noshing nibbles provided by SKYY Vodka, Blue Heron Wine Brands, California Pizza Kitchen and Lindt Chocolate. more ›

1.Arrive the minute the doors open. This way, you won’t have to wait in line just to get in and will have more than 10 pies (out of 75) to choose from if you come a bit later. more ›

We thought this would go away, but apparently, the residents who had their car towed have a real gripe. The following flyer comes to us via a resident whose car wasn't towed, but did receive the flyer alerting him to the race. Among other things, the flyer says: "The city will tow cars off the race route and move them to nearby streets and the Burr Elementary School parking lot." There is no mention anywhere of impounding the cars. [Typo: The year on the flyer reads 2007 which has been scrawled over with an '8' but the date (Sunday, October 5) is correct.] Check out the full flyer after the jump. more ›

Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd) has come to the defense of Bucktown residents whose cars were towed this weekend apparently without any warning to make room for a 5K race. Ald. Waguespack wrote a letter asking that those whose cars were towed be reimbursed for expenses incurred. Race organizer John Corrigan, however, insists that residents were properly notified of the race. more ›

A new battle pitting citizens against the city is brewing in Bucktown where 137 cars were towed over the weekend to clear the roads for a 5K race, an action that residents say happened without warning. The Streets and Sanitation Department begs to differ; spokesman Matt Smith claims the signs were posted Thursday night and Friday warning residents of the Sunday morning race. A home-made sign posted in the neighborhood Sunday morning directed residents to call Ald. Scott Waguespack's office if they felt their cars had been wrongly towed. Tim Eberline, whose car was towed while he spent the night with a friend, was told when he got his car out of the impound that "by immediately retrieving -- rather than putting in the paper work to appeal the tow -- he was told he was pleading guilty and had no further recourse." There must be a mix-up because the city would never pull a fast one on its residents for the purposes of financial gain. more ›

Throughout the month of September, you are cordially invited to spend your weekends touring fancy homes (the $900,000–$4,000,000 kind of fancy homes) during the fifth annual Chicago Luxury Home Tour. Presented by Midwest Home Chicago, 22 homes will be on display throughout the Chicagoland area. Think Hindsdale, Naperville, Glenview, not Gold Coast, Bucktown, Lincoln Park. It's a bit of driving around but after perusing the photo gallery (Hello, George Costanza-worthy Weilert Custom Homes bathroom, above) it might be worth devoting an entire day navigating around the suburbs. But if you're like us, you'll probably just get tired and end up hanging out at the refreshment stop, snacking on catered food and raspberry watermelon lemonade from the Viking Cooking School and Culinary Shop instead. more ›

We just heard a car ran into the side of the Bucktown/Wicker Park branch of the Chicago Public Library. We're still waiting to hear what caused the crash, but we can confirm that no one was hurt and no copies of any Oprah's Book Club selections were damaged. [Trib] more ›

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The Reader's Guide to Late Night Dining is now online, and there's the expected eclectic mix of diners, hot dog stands, taco joints, upscale pub grub, and places where only the fearless dare enter. Even better is that the range of offerings encompasses a wide stretch of the city and connecting suburbs (big love for Gene & Jude's Red Hots in River Grove!). If you're at the stage in life where "I'll sleep when... more ›