Add the Lavazza Espression Cafe in the Hancock Observatory to your must-visit list. Plus, Chicagoist readers get a discount! more ›

If you had any doubts that mixology has become a lofty subject as of late (and, depending how you feel about it, that's for better or for worse), you must not have known that it's currently being practiced in space. more ›

In case you didn't notice, the Chicago skyline has been showing its Irish pride like everyone else by wearing its finest green outfits. Every few weeks a few brave individuals travel to the tops of the city to change the colors of the lights on the tops of our skyline, but how do they do it? "Magic and pixie dust," he said. Of course, Randy Stancik, building manager of the Sears Tower, was joking. It is actually a manual process, Stancik said. It takes two men about two hours to change the colors, attaching theatrical gels to the tops of the 22 spotlights that illuminate the antennae. more ›

Well, you really couldn't ask for a better weekend to get your keister out there and enjoy the weather. There's also so much going on, you have no excuse. Here are a few samplings: - We know some of you are going to the World's Largest Block Party this weekend. It ain't our speed, but we know there are some of you who still like to party like it's 1994 with Rusted Root and Big... more ›

Where Do I Take Mom? more ›

We know what you’re thinking: “Aren’t the best ethnic markets located in, well, ethnic neighborhoods?” Why, yes, astute reader, for the most part they are. But sometimes, like that ever-elusive bluebird of happiness, you can find them right in your own backyard. Case in point: L’Appetito, an Italian deli and café with two locations in the Gold Coast. Yeah, yeah, there you go again: Yes, we, like you, normally avoid shopping in the Gold Coast... more ›

The Sears Tower and John Hancock Building have been iconic parts of the Chicago skyline for a while now (check that logo in the corner if you don’t believe us). But thanks to an appearance on a certain album cover a while back, the Marina City Towers may be becoming the go-to Chicago structure … especially if you have to throw a car off of it. more ›

Earlier in the week Chicagoist stopped by the Chicago Flower & Garden Show and one of the coolest things there was definately a display called All Aboard, Chicago. In it, miniature trains run past vignettes of 30 local landmarks including Wrigley Field, Trib Tower, the Sears Tower, and the Hancock Building. Pretty much everything in the display is made of natural materials. Like the train trestles that are made from willow twigs and the buildings made of twigs, bark, leaves, acorns, and pebbles. more ›

You know that really pretty church across the street from the John Hancock Building? Yeah, that one. Well, the folks who belong to the Fourth Presbyterian Church voted 611-173 yesterday to approve sale of land behind the church for the construction of a 64-story condominium. In return the church gets $25 million, and use of the first six floors for various church outreach programs. Chicagoist first brought this story to you two weeks ago, and since then neighborhood groups surrounding Fourth Pres. have started to heat up. more ›