The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association wants us all to “Feel Magnificent,” and this month apparently that means knocking back the bubbly. Throughout February, businesses on the Magnificent Mile and its surrounding area have been serving champagne to diners and shoppers all along the Avenue, which means we have T minus 7 days to score some free (or reduced) sparkling goodness. The Mag Mile web site can fill you in on everywhere that’s filling flutes, but here are our suggestions on where to stop along your own personal “Champagne Crawl.” more ›

Some of you foodies may have heard that Alice Waters, the godmother of the American localvore and slow food movements, is in town this week. If you don't have reservations to Saturday's sold-out farm-to-table brunch at North Pond Restaurant, you can still catch Chef Waters at Green City Market at 9 a.m. Saturday, where she'll be signing copies of her book The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution. She'll... more ›

Bill Clinton was in town today to sign books at Borders on North Michigan. A woman arrested for battery of an off-duty police officer claims that the arresting officer offered the cop filing the complaint a "free shot" while she was cuffed in the squad car. She also claims that the next day she was pulled over as a joke and let go. What is he smoking? Cook County Board President Todd Stroger says... more ›

There's about to be some empty spaces on North Michigan Avenue, the likes of which haven't been seen on the Magnificent Mile for 15 years. Lord & Taylor will soon shutter the doors at its Water Tower Place location, and it will be 2008 before American Girl Place moves from its current spot on Chicago to take over a portion of the space. With CompUSA closing up shop on Chicago as well, retail vacancy for... more ›

DuSable Park should have its own place in history as a figure of speech. Example: “Sure, I’ll call you back, when DuSable Park is finished”. DuSable was originally discussed in 1988. Wrigley got lights, the Bears lost to the 49ers in the NFC Championship, Daley was a year away from being mayor, and DuSable Park was only going to cost $1.2 million. Today, estimates put the completion of DuSable park at around $12 million,... more ›

The buzz on tonight's Outlaw dinner at the Omni Chicago Hotel's new 676 Restaurant and Bar has been so loud that it threatened to blow out our eardrums. more ›

If you spend much time at Millennium Park or on North Michigan Avenue, it’s no surprise that these are tourist hot spots. You know because you’ve been nearly blinded by a sea of brightly colored capri pants on at least one occasion. more ›

As Chicagoist sits down to enjoy our second cup of coffee for the morning, we couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic for the dude who yesterday walked into a Starbucks on North Michigan Avenue and stole one of those fancy-schmancy stainless-steel coffeemakers. After all, we need our coffee too. more ›

We’re not scared of big books. In fact, we love big books, the bigger the better. It’s like those restaurant contests where you win something if you eat that big, huge cheeseburger. We always know we can eat it and we see it as challenging more than daunting. more ›

Your big Valentine’s Evening need not be threatened by a lack of ideas or lack of cash. You can impress that special someone tonight for absolutely free! Yes, that sounds like bad email spam but it’s true. Many of our favorite museums are free on Tuesdays. more ›

The trees along North Michigan Ave. have been light up for more than 40 years, signifying the official start of the holiday season in Chicago. Today the festival starts at Pioneer Court (at the Equitable building) at 11 am with Disney characters putting on a stage show (the above photo was taken yesterday when they were setting up the stage). All day long there will be carollers, food, activities for the kids, dancers & tumblers, charitable events, and even a little petting zoo. Then at 6pm the procession begins. more ›

Remember Ryan White? The white middle class kid from Indiana who contracted HIV in blood as part of his treatment for hemophilia? The kid who was expelled from school because he was thought to be health risk to other students? The teenager who died of AIDS in 1990 and made the entire world wake up and realize that everyone on this planet is susceptible to AIDS no matter their sexual orientation or race? more ›

Chicago has always basked in the glow of its own architectural heritage, and over the next week, that glow will be a little bit brighter around these parts. The publishers of Architectural Digest are "celebrating the power of architecture and its ever-increasing influence" through Architecture Days, a three-city tour of distinctive architectural programming that lands in Chicago from May 4-10. Architecture Days will feature tours, lectures and special receptions, all surrounding and taking place in... more ›

Last July Chicagoist mentioned that we're getting a Hershey's store in town. Well, last week we passed by the store site and it says it should be completed in June of this year. Funny thing, though. The location of the Hershey's store is pretty much right across the street from the Ghirardelli shop. We know that Ghirardelli is more upscale than Hersheys, that it tries to be more like a soda fountain with sundaes and shakes and huge ass cookies and Hersheys is more.. well.. Hershey's... but can that little water tower square on North Michigan Avenue really support TWO chocolate shops? more ›

On Saturday about one thousand dedicated people marched from Oak and Michigan streets to Federal Plaza to protest the second anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq. Chicagoist didn't attend the march, but from what we can tell from media reports, it was about half the size of last year's march on the same date, and significantly smaller than the march held when the Iraq invasion began two years ago. more ›

Boy oh boy, we learn something new about Chicago several times per day. Today, clocking in right at 11:35, we learned that the Cremation Association of North America is based right here in the Windy City. How bout that? Yup, CANA is at 401 North Michigan, a mere hop skip and a fiery furnace away from such ordinary pleasures as Nordstroms or the Tribune building. more ›