New delinquencies may be down nationally, but the local picture still looks grim. more ›

Long after the last structure is demolished, Cabrini-Green will remain a potent symbol of 20th Century Chicago's complicated history of dealing with segregation and poverty. And long after the last resident moved out, Cabrini-Green will still be thought of as "home" by thousands of Chicagoans. Its complete story cannot yet be told, one local filmmaker is looking for help to put the latest chapter in the books. more ›

Annie Ricks has the distinction of being the final resident of Cabrini Green to leave the infamous housing projects. She and her family leave today to a new apartment at Wentworth Gardens, by U.S. Cellular Field. more ›

It's an inglorious end to an infamous era: the two remaining families in Cabrini Green have been ordered by a federal judge to leave their home at 1230 N. Burling within 10 days. The two families, who were among seven still living at the Burling high rise, backed out of a plan to move out of the building yesterday when moving trucks arrived to take them to their new, temporary homes provided by the Chicago Housing Authority. An attorney for resident Annie Ricks said the new housing was unacceptable for her family of seven, saying the windows to the house were boarded up and it was located in a crime-ridden neighborhood. more ›

Former Mount Carmel High star and NBA star Antoine Walker is in hot water for slum conditions at various buildings he owns across the city, according to a report by the Tribune: "Real estate investment companies that list Walker as an investor or principal -- Walker Ventures LLC and AW Realty LLC -- are the target of more than a dozen lawsuits alleging poor management of numerous properties, unpaid debts and damages caused by shoddy repair work." In an interview with the Trib, Walker apologized for the conditions and said, "I accept full responsibility for the debts of my company." more ›

27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett thinks he's found a way to fox up neighborhoods, put people back to work, and help some Chicagoans find affordable housing. Burnett would like to put the more than $1 billion in TIF funds that the city is holding into building affordable housing. "You build the houses, people work, people get affordable housing, people pay taxes, money comes back to the city," Burnett told CBS2. Currently only about four percent of TIF monies go to affordable housing in the city. He'd like to see that number closer to 20 percent. "We need to do our own stimulus package," says Burnett. more ›

The International Olympic Committee has come and gone, but the challenges surrounding Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid still loom large. more ›

Saying the Fix Wilson Yard community group waited too long to file, Judge Mary Rochford dismissed their lawsuit against the City of Chicago challenging the TIF that financed the Wilson Yard project. The ordinance for the TIF passed in 2001 but the group didn't file suit until December 2008, a period of time that was far too long, according to Judge Rochford. The controversial Wilson Yard project set aside $52 million for the development of commercial spaces, such as a Target store, and mixed-income housing. But the swelling cost as well as the shift in focus from commercial spaces to residential spaces is the impetus behind the Fix Wilson Yard group's ire. more ›

It’s not a surprise that Chicago is seeing the number of foreclosures on the rise. What is a surprise is the rate at which they are increasing. Second quarter comparative data was release yesterday: more ›

With the spate of recent tax increases in the region, Chicago's been trying to find a way to ease the pain. Earlier this month Mayor Daley announced that he had persuaded the Cook County Board of Review to reopen the appeals process for a special two-week period, so that homeowners who feel that their property tax has been assessed too high as a result of the downturn in the housing market could appeal. And yesterday the city council's Finance Committee backed a proposal by Ald. Patrick O’Connor (40th), which would shift the burden of the 40 percent transfer tax increase onto sellers of homes. 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 ›

The CTA will be spending $227 million in federal funds on improving itself and fixing slow zones. Doors open on the left at "finally." In other CTA news, the Yellow Line is going to start running on weekends. [S-T, Trib] more ›

In case there were any lingering skeptics, this recession thingy is for real. more ›

During last week’s sleet storm we ducked into the South Loop Wine Cellar on the walk home from the Museum Campus. Half-frozen, soaked and more concerned with warming up than with finding a new shopping destination, we were pleasantly surprised by what we found inside. Warm, welcoming and filled with wine bins, exposed bricks and a beautiful Christmas tree, the store was the perfect place for us to stop. With all of the hype surrounding the opening of the South Loop location of Sam’s Wine and Spirits, some may have missed this much smaller, but much cozier, destination. more ›

Corruption in Chicago has evolved, according to federal hiring monitor Noelle Brennan. According to the annual report Brennan released yesterday, blatant abuses and manipulation of the hiring system in the city is no longer a problem. But patronage has moved to "more subtle types of manipulations of the hiring process." Brennan has been the hiring monitor since August of 2005, when federal prosecutors uncovered a fraudulent hiring scheme that led to Daley's former patronage chief Robert Sorich in prison being sentenced to 46 months in prison. more ›

You know how's it kinda gross and crappy out? You didn't know? Well, it is. Guess what's sexy to dolphins? Carrying stuff around in their mouths. At least, that's what some scientists think; other ones not sure; yet others, attempting to cure cancer. Mayor Daley announced his pick for CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority: Lewis A. Jordan. Jordan ran the Rockford and Cook County housing authorities, and spent 20 years in management at Allstate... more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist. Dewars Repeal Day, because you shouldn't take the right to have a drink for granted. Sony Card, because you'll get a free MP3 player if you apply. Love is a Mix Tape, Rob Sheffield's book about women, music, and love. American Express' Urban Adventures-- for information about shopping, dining, and entertainment. Homes for Working Families-- working to make housing affordable in... more ›

Another casualty from yesterday's deadly fire: The mother of the two little boys who were killed in the fire also died this morning. Dennis Quaid and his wife filed a suit against Chicago-based pharmaceutical giant Baxter International today saying the company was negligent by marking different strengths of medicine in too similar packages. (It appears Baxter has relabeled the products in question.) Quaid's infant twins were accidentally given the blood thinner that was 10,000... more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist. Dewars Repeal Day, because you shouldn't take the right to have a drink for granted. The Backroom, playing tonight at The Note. Homes for Working Families, because who hasn't been squeezed out of the housing market? Sony Card, because you'll get a free MP3 player if you apply. Choice Hotels, because you can win a part to be in their next... more ›

Good news, Pace riders: The strike is over! Yes, it came and went in the blink of an eye, unless you were trying to ride this morning, in which case the blink was a long, frustrating, busless one. But it's done. Teamsters Local 731 walked off the job this morning, but have since agreed to federal mediation, and service should be back to normal by now. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist. The Backroom, playing at The Note on 11/23. Homes for Working Families, because who hasn't been squeezed out of the housing market? Sony Card, because you'll get a free MP3 player if you apply. Choice Hotels, because you can win a part to be in their next commercial! Busted Tees, where you get free shipping with the purchase of three shirts.... more ›

John Waters: Junk hoarder? Slum lord? Con man? (No, not that John Waters.) This Waters is an 80-year-old lousy neighbor who created a giganto junk house on the 4200 block of Melvina. The folks who lived around the trash heap (sadly not an oracle) were less than thrilled. James Parker, who lives next door, kept a close eye on Waters and even documented the junk man's movements with a point-and-shoot camera. Kopka called the... more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist. AMEX Urban Adventures, because big cities are full of little adventures. The Backroom, playing at The Note on 11/23. Homes for Working Families, because who hasn't been squeezed out of the housing market? Choice Hotels, because you can win a part to be in their next commercial! Busted Tees, where they've thrown their weight behind Hillary in '08. That's Hillary Duff.... more ›

There isn't total agreement on just how "green" Chicago is (though if anyone knows, it would be Blair Kamin). The city hopes to make some progress in Al Gore-ifying the city with its two new programs. more ›

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own... more ›

The city Health Department just sent out a press release announcing that Penang, the popular Malaysian restaurant and sushi bar at 2201 S. Wentworth, was shut down yesterday for "critical violations of the City Health Code" after being tipped off by a person calling 311, reporting the sight of a rat entering the building housing Penang. Among Penang's many offenses, inspectors found live fruit flies and rodent feces throughout the kitchen and "premises" (one can... more ›

From Rogers Park up north to Pullman in the wild-wild hundreds, Chicago is a town full of renters. But there is a problem. The Center for Housing Policy, a national organization that examines housing policies and programs, has reported that Chicago ranks 17th out of 31 areas studied in their Least to Most Affordable Rental Markets. Even more distressing is their finding that 43,000 families are spending more than half their income on rent. Another... more ›

We got an eyeful on Monday when we read the Chicago Reporter's study of high-cost loans and their impact on Chicagoans. The federal government has already announced a program to help middle-class families avoid foreclosure. Now the State of Illinois is stepping in to help renters as well. A new piece of legislation, sponsored by Sen. Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) will give Illinois renters living in properties where the landlord is going into foreclosure 120... more ›

In a report published Monday, the Chicago Reporter found that Chicago is the the nation's capital for "high-cost" home loans. The study, looking at three years' worth of federal home-loan data, showed that in 2006, "the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metropolitan statistical area, which includes Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties" led the nation, with 88,315 “high-cost” mortgages. "High-cost" mortgages are defined as first-lien home loans that are at least three percentage points above... more ›

The Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center site is being considered for redevelopment as the Olympic Village, moving the proposed site west off the lakefront. Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Inc. has already received bids on the land, which Medline Industries Inc., Michael Reese's parent company, is trying to unload. The hospital is in discussions with Cook County to form a potential partnership, although no formal agreement has been reached yet. Among the benefits of moving... more ›