Is it just us, or has this week sucked ass? It seems like everyone we've talked to has wanted to stab the whole world in the neck this week. At least we have a bunch of things to do that are awesome..... The Old Town School of Folk Music has its annual craft fair tonight, plus their monthly First Friday series. Tomorrow, bust out your wallet at Renegade Craft Fair's holiday bonanza. We've noticed... more ›

Construction Permit Requirements? more ›

Once again, we building lovers are put on the defense. Landmarks Illinois has come out with its fifth annual Chicagoland Watchlist. There are twelve buildings on the list in danger of demolition, including the Chicago Daily Defender Building and the Lakeshore Athletic Club. more ›

This is part of a Devil Wears Prada promotion, and we feel slightly moronic for clicking on all the ads to get to it ... but those are the kinds of things we do to get to the good stuff for you! Today between the hours of 2pm and 4pm, right about that time your lunch is wearing off and you're feeling like you need a little burst of energy, a little caffeine, a coffee, perhaps (!), head over to one of the locations below for a free coffee. more ›

While Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are what constitute big “movie news” in the major papers, there are two independent film productions that have captured Chicagoist’s notice. more ›

Man. more ›

Chicagoist loves baseball. And Chicagoist loves the romance and history of the game. So we were pretty excited to learn there are plans to build a Chicago Baseball Museum in town! more ›

Mayor Daley advised his book club followers yesterday to go forth and read en masse Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s classic 1940 Western saga The Ox-Bow Incident as the eighth in the city’s “One Book, One Chicago” exercise. more ›

So yea, BIG fire at the LaSalle National Bank Building at 135 S. Lasalle St. last night. The "5-11 with three specials" fire (we're not sure either) started around 6:30 p.m. and wasn't completely extinguished until around midnight. We don't know what to do with that deli-order of a fire label. But it was a five-alarm fire and according to this web site a fire's label mostly refers to the amount of assistance required to extinguish it. The fire started on the 29th floor and may have spread to the 30th. more ›