It's officially the third warmest winter Chicago has ever seen, tornadoes continue to tear up the Midwest, and other news. more ›

TipsyCake owner Naomi Levine said, “I bought a bakery in Humboldt Park in 2006 and there were just too many gunshots in the cakes.” Levine also went on to mention some addictive "crack cakes," that she lovingly calls "Humboldt Crack." more ›

a drive-by shooting on the West Side killed a 26-year-old man and wounded another. Other shootings happened in Old Irving Park, Roseland, Gage Park, Humboldt Park, West Englewood, the Near West Side, and two were shot in Lawndale. more ›

In an effort to reduce violence, voters in a part of West Humboldt Park voted to ban liquor sales in their precinct. Pagan Liquors at 3251 W. Division St. was a source of much of the turmoil in the neighborhood. Kurt Gippert, the Executive Director of the United Blocks of West Humboldt Park, said that people would loiter, drug deal, and participate in gang activity in front of the store. Ten people were shot there in 2010 during the nine or 10 months the store was in business. As a result of all the violence, voters made use of a 77-year-old rule, which allows precinct residents to ban liquor sales with a referendum. Some worry, however, that the CVS store will close as a result of losing liquor sales. CVS officials said they had no plans to close. more ›

Unfortunately as the summer has progressed the violence that has taken place across Chicago has changed our preconceptions and thoughts about many beautiful and beloved places in our city. Though it is sometimes difficult to imagine now, some of the hot spots where this violence occured, these are also some of the city's most picturesque places; like the sprawling green, tree covered landscapes in Humboldt Park. more ›

Chicago is the second largest home for Puerto Ricans in the U.S., but diabetes prevalence in the community is the highest in the nation. Almost 21 percent of the Puerto Rican adult population living in Humboldt Park has Type 2 diabetes - three times the national average - according to a four year research study by the Sinai Urban Health Institute. New York has the most Puerto Ricans in the U.S., but diabetes prevalence is 11 percent of the population, while Puerto Rico only had 9.6 percent. more ›

Check out this beautiful cheese plate, one of many reasons that Rootstock was one of our favorite new bars last year. That is every cheese the Humboldt Park wine bar carries on its menu. You've got the Minnesota Big Woods Blue at the bottom left, a sheep's milk cheese with a light, grassy note. Directly above that is Alpine, a cow's milk cheese from New York state with hardness like Parmesan, but a rich complex flavor. Next to the Alpine is another New York state cow's milk cheese with a washed rind and fruity complexion called Hudson Red. more ›

First responders were busy on the Northwest side overnight. Just before 3 a.m., a car was involved in an accident with a garbage truck, killing two and injuring two others. The crash happened in Logan Square at Fullerton and Central Park when the car broadsided the private company garbage truck. The two injured victims were taken to Illinois Masonic and Northwestern Memorial Hospital; one of the two deaths was a man inside the car but it's not known if the second death was a passenger in the car or truck. Police also had their hands full with a series of fires across the Logan Square and Humboldt Park neighborhoods. At least six fires were reported overnight, all starting in trash cans but some spreading to nearby garages. [Tribune, WBBM] more ›

Officials at the Norwegian American Hospital seek federal funding for a new emergency room due to a lack of space in their current one, according to a Chi-Town Daily News report. more ›

In 1989 Juan Johnson, then 19, was arrested for murdering a rival gang member with a two-by-four outside a nightclub in Humboldt Park. He was later convicted and sentenced to a 30-year prison term and served eleven and a half years before he was acquitted in 2004. On Monday, Johnson was awarded $21 million in compensatory damages which is the largest award for wrongful conviction in Chicago history according to Chicago Breaking News. more ›

Several people, including children, were hospitalized overnight after they were sickened by carbon monoxide as a result of a gas leak at 1926 N. Keystone Ave. in Humboldt Park. Five ambulances responded to the call shortly after 9 p.m. While police reported that nine people were hospitalized, the Fire Department said only seven were.

Police said nine people were sickened, including four children and two teenagers. Four people -- 15-months, 8, 11, and 20 -- were taken to Our Lady of the Resurrection, three people -- 16, 17, and 32 -- went to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center and an 8-year-old and another person whose age was unknown were taken to Norwegian-American, according to a Grand Central District sergeant, who was citing preliminary information.

Tragic news in the story of the Humboldt Park girl who was shot in the head Saturday night: according to family members, 13-year-old Eternity Gaddy is brain dead. Eternity and her mother, who currently live in Allentown, Pennsylvania, were visiting family in Humboldt Park this summer. Eternity and her mother were scheduled to leave Chicago to return to Allentown later Sunday morning. According to a cousin who was standing with the girl, four men appeared out of a near-by alley and one began shooting. more ›

A Humboldt Park teenager remains in critical condition at Stroger Hospital of Cook County after she was shot in the head early Sunday morning. The girl, 13, was standing in front of her home in the 3400 block of Potomac Avenue when the shooting occurred. She was standing with several adults outside the house; police are not sure whether the shooting was gang-related or if the girl was even a target. more ›

Chicago Police Officer Michael Ciancio, arrested yesterday for soliciting bribes from tow truck drivers, received up to $800 a week with his scam. more ›

As Police Supt. Weis and G-Rod spar over bringing in the National Guard and State Police to quell the rise in violence, crime continues and makes us wonder if we'd be better off with the Man of the Moment. more ›

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of Weegee's Lounge, one of our favorite cocktail lounges in the city. While others like Violet Hour change out the cocktail menu with the season, Weegee's sticks to the time-honored classics and does them exceptionally. On a visit Saturday night a friend read the menu and remarked, "This should be considered one of America's true contributions to the world." more ›

Police issued an Amber Alert for three Humboldt Park kids who've been missing for days. Oscar Casanova, 6, Karla Casanova, 7, and Fernando Casanova, 11, above, were abducted from their school Friday. Their mother was found dead in their apartment yesterday afternoon, and police are treating her death as a homicide. Investigators are looking for Benito Casanova, father to two of the missing children; according to CBS 2, "neighbors now believe...32-year-old Benito Casanova kidnapped [the children] after killing their mother." more ›

As if you needed reminding, it's Tax Day, one of the more stressful times of the year, especially with the economy in the toilet. But maybe you're lucky enough to get a half-decent refund from the Federal Government this year and feel like treating yourself to something nice. more ›

More fascinated by Kelis' milkshake than Daniel Plainview's? Is the only Oscar you'll watch living in a garbage can? Then this Sunday probably means nothing to you. You're burnt out on the "glitz" and "glamor" of the night, not to mention the drama surrounding that writers strike. more ›

• Drew Peterson Watch: the Cowardly Lion's attorney says a racy message recently found on missing wife Stacy's phone is proof that she was having an affair, and ran off.
• The mini Wrigley Field formerly at the New City YMCA is being relocated to Humboldt Park.
• If you're a Streets and San worker around 53rd and Union, be careful that woman you offer money for sex isn't an undercover officer.
• Kanye West, blogger.

. Hubbawha? more ›

The jibarito is a cross-cultural gem with a very American story. It was invented in Chicago (circa 1993) at Humboldt Park’s Borinquen Restaurant, a tricked-out plantain sandwich inspired by Puerto Rican culture and named after its peasant class, then embraced across strata at local Cuban, Mexican, and South American joints. more ›

A request for a street named in honor of Chicago author Saul Bellow was denied due to controversial remarks and writing by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Bellow's University of Chicago colleague and friend, Richard Stern, made the request to Ald. Toni Preckwinkle. Stern told the Chicago Tribune that Preckwinkle sent him a letter saying she had heard Bellow made racist comments and so would not endorse a memorial to him. Raised in Humboldt Park from... more ›

One year after she took refuge inside a Humboldt Park storefront United Methodist church, immigration fugitive, mother, and unlikely activist for immigration reform Elvira Arellano announced that she would risk deportation by leaving the church to head to Washington, DC to lobby Congress for immigration reform. "If this government would separate me from my son, let them do it in front of the men and women who have the responsibility to fix this broken law... more ›

This afternoon, gangs of Chicago artists are out to change the way you think about Independence Day, slaying sacred cows and cherished myths. Myth #1: July 4 is a time to put politics aside and celebrate America. For Feel Tank Chicago, the personal is political. And that includes how we celebrate The Fourth. Rather than marching lockstep with Team USA cheerleaders, loving their country right or wrong, the artistic collective has planned this afternoon’s Fifth... more ›

It's hard not to love Chicago's MacArthur Foundation because even when they cut funds for something you cherish, they continue to support tons of other amazing services, community programs, and on and on. The newest rabbit with a hat up its sleeve is a boatload of money for sixteen ailing Chicago neighborhoods the Local Initiatives Support Corporation* is concentrating on with its New Communities Program. In what someone (but who?!) calls "the nation's largest community... more ›

Treat is a treat for the eyes thanks to a colorful, funky atmosphere. The food, unfortunately, was not such a treat. more ›

Every once in a while a band rolls across Chicagoist’s desk with just the right combination of reverence for their influences and clarity of vision for their own work. Erie Choir is the recording name for Eric Roehrig, a Chapel Hill, NC, native with a crisp indie-folk sensibility and a lot of patience. Roehrig spent five years writing and recording Slighter Awake, a tight, classically constructed 38 minutes of lovely, embellished pop recorded for... more ›