There are finals all over the city tonight - or in least two contests we're aware of: stripping and boxing. Both have male-dominated audiences, but the latter is probably a little more socially acceptable -- and something your significant other is inclined to let you go out and see. more ›

Art Shay is without a doubt one of the greatest photographers this city ever produced. For sixty years he's captured some of the most iconic images of city life. His 1988 book Nelson Algren's Chicago (Visions of Chicago) inspired scores of photographers, both professional and amateur, to pick up their cameras and pound the pavement looking for the perfect shot. more ›

Oh, how we love this photo by ten-nine. Great black and white tones, interesting textures, a nice dose of urban grit, and an interesting angle make for an alluring photograph. It also reminds us of one of the downsides of city life — the rather frequent need to find a decent apartment. We're always a bit intrigued to know where people live, and why they chose to live there. So, dear readers, spill the... more ›

Starting this weekend, look for peddlers of highly addictive substances to be prominently displaying their products at various grocery stores, banks and churches throughout the city. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself in line, waiting for your fix. Yep, it’s Girl Scout cookie time. more ›

Ben Joravsky's column in the The Reader this week addresses something every property owner is thinking: Cook County's property tax assessments are wack. We briefly mentioned this fact earlier this week, but Joravsky's article picks up on an interesting study by Merlin Tripp, of Citizens for Fair Assessments and Taxes. Tripp's study uses the financial disclosures of various Chicago public officials to get a sampling of how much property tax bills have actually risen over... more ›