We thought there was an awful lot going on at the grand opening of the Southside Hub of Production (SHoP), a brand-new cultural center in Hyde Park, until we saw that the space the organization will be occupying was the Fenn House, a 16-room Victorian mansion across the street from the University of Chicago Campus. With that kind of square footage, there is room to offer something for everybody, which is what SHoP is aiming to do--and from a decidedly local perspective. more ›

The Peterson Garden Project (which is hosting the Chicagoist garden plot for the second year in a row) is having a gala fundraiser on Thursday, May 26th at Architectural Artifacts. Things kick off at 7 PM, and the event will have food provided by City Provisions, drinks poured by vinejoy and Koval Distillery, live music, a silent auction for restaurant gift certificates, and more. Best of all, we're giving away two tickets - a $150 value! more ›

First of all, if you're not watching Community then there's something wrong with you. granted, it's the kind of show that when you describe it to someone else sounds like it can't possibly be good, but then you watch it and realize just how great it is on so many levels. So it's funny that's this video mashes up the struggling critical darling with another show that sounds dumb to most folks until they actually see it, the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. more ›

Joe Somar changed the way we watched The People's Court forever. Some foreign product called "movember" was even imported. One thing that hasn't changed: good-hearted guys are still getting together and letting their upper lip go wild in order to raise money for a good cause. more ›

According to statistics announced yesterday by Police Superintendent Jody Weis, crime in Chicago has decreased for a 22nd straight month. more ›

Karl uploaded some bonus audio from his chat with Danny Pudi of "Community" that didn't make it onto the Chicagoist podcast series. iTunes users can check it out here; folks using standard RSS feeds can listen here. more ›

Danny Pudi plays Abed Nadir on NBC's Community. Danny Pudi is from Chicago. As fans of the show, we really only needed to know the first part to try to finagle an interview, but Pudi's hometown Polish roots spoke to us in a way that can only be fed by pierogi-related conversation. You'll remember we started the conversation yesterday talking about his early career and experience - today we get into more of the current Community season, and what it's like being one of the breakout stars of the show. (Is Joel McHale jealous?) more ›

Just about a year ago, Danny Pudi was best known for being the "butt-dialer" in this T-Mobile ad. Since then, he's begun the ascent to sitcom stardom as Abed Nadir on NBC's Community. It's gotta be great being part of the ensemble cast that's the heir apparent to the "Scrubs" mantle, but you've truly arrived when you get not one but two "Fuck Yeah" Tumblr sites. more ›

During an interview with Chicago Public Radio, North Kenwood resident Lauren McCadney says she chose to live in the South Side neighborhood because of its parks and affordability - but to shop for groceries or other household items, she has to get in her car and make a “destination trip” to a Dominick’s or Target. McCadney says she spends between $500-$700 a month for groceries, dining out, and trips to Target, money spent outside her community which she believes could ultimately support the business. more ›

Just a reminder that the Swan Creek Farm Online Auction ends tonight. This is your last chance to bid on a dinner for 6 prepared by some of the city's best chefs in your own home. so if you want to pool your money with five of your pals and try to win a chance to have Stephanie Izard cook you dinner, don't dawdle; the high bid on Izard is currently at $1100. more ›

Still looking for ways to give back this holiday season? The Resurrection Homebound Elderly Program – a program that supports Chicago’s “low-income, socially isolated and chronically ill” homebound elderly – makes it possible to provide a little holiday happiness for these seniors in our community. Calling (847) 568-8531 will get you the name and information of a program participant who will need a gift this year, or a contribution of $25 will be enough to purchase a hot holiday meal and gift box delivered directly to their door. You can also always make a tax-deductible donation to the program, which services patients regardless of their ability to pay. For those who have a little extra time to volunteer, help is needed to drive and distribute gifts to each home and with helping to write the program’s handwritten holiday cards. more ›

The holidays have arrived, and though we always encourage our readers to Give Back, please consider doing what you can this season to spread a little extra holiday cheer. more ›

Now in its third year, the annual Mustaches for Kids fundraising event in Chicago combines an in (on?) your face concept with a commitment to raise money for Chicago public schools. M4K growers compete to sprout the sweetest ‘stash in four week’s time while soliciting the most pledges and donations to the campaign. more ›

800 South Halsted St., Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 11/10, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Free, Reservations recommended by calling 312.422.5580 or at events@prairie.org more ›

Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., 11/6, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Free more ›

Lectures more ›

Emanuel Kuntzelman, founder of the Greenheart Initiative, will be at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts tonight to host a free "lively” discussion called Our Singular Moment, a look at how the present time has the potential to change the world. Kuntzelman’s theory is based on the idea that while society creates its own realities, it can transcend cultural conditioning to evolve a healthier personal and social awareness. The discussion has a foundation in Kuntzelman’s research and experience from his travels, using quantum physics, systems and chaos theory to support his model of social evolution. more ›

213 W. Institute Place, October 26, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. more ›

A new gourmet catering bakery opened earlier this week in Goose Island to great fanfare from the Mayor’s Office, as the new business is meant to help the homeless in Chicago – something the Mayor certainly finds helpful for his ten-year Plan to End Homelessness. The bakery, Sweet Miss Giving’s, is a both a business and social service organization, providing job training, employment, and support for formerly homeless persons with disabilities. Twenty paid interns are staffed as bakers, packers, and delivery assistants. more ›

Harris Theater for Music and Dance celebrated the opening night of their fifth anniversary season to great fanfare last week, hosting a gala on Thursday night in Millennium Park to kick off their week-long engagement with the San Francisco Ballet while raising nearly $1.4 million to benefit the theater. more ›

A marketing slip-up in the merger of two large corporations can cause customers to feel angry and betrayed, especially when a company with local ties is being overtaken by a national company. We saw this with the Macy’s corporate take-over of Marshall Field’s, which some are calling this decade’s “New Coke” of marketing disasters. more ›

Oh, Charlie Trotter’s. It is so choice. But recently, diners at Trotter’s were not only sophisticated foodies, but the kids from Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, who were enjoying a signature eight-course meal, compliments of the house. more ›

Even before Chicagoland got its first 70 degree day of the year, area beekeepers were preparing for spring. Beehives—like the ones on the roofs of City Hall and the Chicago Cultural Center, in Garfield Park Conservatory, and the 100-plus hives in a North Lawndale co-op community— have already been checked to make sure the bees have survived the winter and have enough food to last them until the first dandelions, willows, and soft maples bloom. Keepers have cleaned and medicated the hives as necessary and might have ordered a few more thousand bees or a new queen, which are shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. more ›

The Chicago Public Schools are alway a hot topic here, mainly for discouraging news. Now, there's a chance to make a positive impact and get involved. Chicago Public Schools, in conjunction with the Chicago Teachers Union, have a unique opportunity for you: become a teacher for a day. Whether you're looking to scratch that teaching itch you've always felt or just trying to become more involved in your community, it's a unique chance to lend a hand. The event is designed "to give business and community members a better understanding of and develop a deeper appreciation for the work Chicago Public Schools’ teachers provide each school day." more ›

Like his old man, Mayor Richard M. Daley is determined to transform public housing as part of his legacy (here's hoping it turns out better than Sr.'s effort -- several detractors don't have high hopes). His plan is creeping forever forward -- it's currently many years behind -- and the city will eventually replace CHA high rise projects like Robert Taylor Homes and Cabrini-Green with mixed-income housing. more ›

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Demetrius Warren, 17, was charged yesterday as the gunman in Amadou Cisse's murder. Warren had already been charged with other crimes from the robbery spree that night, and three others have already been charged in connection with the case. more ›

As every committed localvore knows, the best way to get fresh local produce (aside from a farmer’s market) is to join a CSA. A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a farm that has decided to sell directly to the public. By investing several hundred dollars in the spring, you can receive deliveries of fresh produce throughout the summer and fall. However, some of us aren’t ready to commit several hundred dollars up front to the cause of fresh produce, or we might not be around in the summers. But we still want to help out local farms, and we cringe a little every time we pick up shallots shipped all the way from Uruguay at Whole Foods. more ›

We know winter can be a bummer. And sometimes ... it can be more than a bummer. Chicagoist heartily endorses getting some therapy — help helps, cupcakes — but we know $150 per session can be prohibitive. Luckily, there are other options. more ›

Barrington Community Unit School District 220 canceled its classes today because its fleet of school buses were vandalized. Unknown culprits slashed the tires on "24 to 26 large buses and 15 to 17 smaller ones," apparently with an ice pick. School bus tires cost about $200, which means someone's on the hook for a lot of damage. A note from the district's superintendent says about 7,000 of Barrington's 9,200 K-12 students take a school bus... more ›