As Chicagoist enjoyed a day off yesterday, we also found ourselves reflecting on some of the hallmarks of the holiday, namely fireworks. We spent our care free day away from work and the stresses that usually come with it, taking the opportunity to ride the Damen bus down to 18th Street, where we kept walking until we got to 23rd. After a cozy stroll through Heart of Chicago, we wound up in Little Village, where... more ›

Chicagoist loves parenting in Chicago; we’re happy for now to give up the sprawling lawns of suburbia to enjoy all the city has to offer in the summer months. Recently, we discovered a new favorite: “Niki in the Garden,” an exhibition of sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle at the Garfield Park Conservatory. more ›

Spring appears to have, er, sprung, at least temporarily, in most of the Ist-A-Verse, so naturally, we're all feeling pretty good. (Yes, we know that spring doesn't start till later this month. Just let us enjoy our weather!) And that makes us that much more eager to share all of the nifty things we're up to... more ›

Chocolate, Peace and Music. We can't think of any better combination. The information on the events are below. As always, feel free to add additional events in the comments section. more ›

As you listen to the heat mercifully click on again, perhaps ushered in by the tell-tale blonks and cloinks of the radiator, you might be inclined to give in to the idea that winter is already here. That, once again, the icy chill will force you to wear a jacket over your Halloween costume. We know -- sigh. more ›

We're sure no Chicago Police officer ever hopes that a vehicle chase ends with a crash and injuries, but two officers had to be feeling a sweet sense of irony Sunday evening when two suspects tried to recreate a scene from Grand Theft Auto. They were chasing two men in a van that had been reported stolen. When officers first approached the van, the driver put it into reverse, rammed into another car, then tried... more ›

Seattlest saw a house party get senselessly attacked with a shotgun and end in seven dead. A local senator is debated and their version of the big dig is investigated. To truly get to the bottom of it they interview the writer Jonathan Raban. Bostonist has its first birthday party and investigates how to attach more gambling dollars to the Red Sox. Benjamin Franklin is celebrated and Johnny Damon is not. Image by Ethan Bagley... more ›

Chances are you have a friend with a bit of a gambling problem. It's probably a guy, someone you know from college who likes to hit the casinos, maybe play the ponies, but his real addiction is the sports book. Fantasy football and office pools aren't enough for this guy--he was the one betting on the coin toss for the Super Bowl last week, the one who had $50 on the over-under for how many penalties were called. On the surface it might seem like this guy has a problem, but a quick read of the business section will tell you that he's not much more than a product of his culture. Anything is fair game for a little wagerin'. more ›

This week marked the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the only wartime deployment of nuclear weaponry, hastening Japanese surrender to the Allies and the end of World War II. The calm, measured accounts of history books can’t approach the horror that the Axis powers were inflicting upon the world and the subsequent horror of hundreds of thousands of Hiroshima and Nagasaki residents perishing in the blasts and subsequent aftermaths. The necessity of... more ›

Tiny Golf more ›

When New York got went and got itself a Mandarin Oriental hotel last year, even the city renowned for indulgence and frivolous luxury took a step back and gasped: this hotel was da bomb. Featuring a killer location just steps from Central Park, as well as Asian-influenced design, prerequisite marble bathrooms and luxury sheets and the city's best spa, the Man-Or (as we just nicknamed it) redefined the superior hotel experience for the New... more ›

Does anyone else find this a bit odd? All over the news we're hearing that the police and community activists are asking us not to shoot guns in the air to celebrate the new year. And that anyone caught with a gun on New Year's Eve will be charged with a felony. And that bullets that are shot up into the air often come down with deadly consequences. All we keep thinking is "uh, how about no guns.. ever.. and bullets that go up always come down.. every day.. not just on New Year's." more ›

Starting today and running through Saturday, Eyes Wide Open is on display at the Peace Museum (100 North Central Park Ave.). The exhibit was unveiled by the museum in January with 504 pairs of boots symbolizing the lost lives of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Each week the exhibit moves to a new city and more boots are added to represent more soldiers who haved died. Next to the boots is a wall of rememberence with with the names of more than 11,000 Iraqi civilians who have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion. more ›