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 ›

It’s expected to revitalize a neglected part of Hyde Park but won’t look anything like its neighbors—a sleek skyscraper surrounded by Gothic curiosities and post-war bureaucratic eyesores. It is the new Reva and David Logan Center for Creative and Performing Arts, expected to rise 160 feet above the Midway Plaisance and scheduled to open in 2011. Yesterday, the University of Chicago awarded the $100 million project commission to Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, a New York based husband and wife team plus associates, who “see architecture as an act of profound optimism.” We’ll see if that attitude can transform Where Fun Comes To Die. more ›

A couple of years ago, Alderman Gene Schulter of the 47th ward (and Chairman of the License Committee) was made aware of some scummy kennel operators in his area and was disgusted by what he found going on at their operations (e.g., dogs without food and water). He headed up a task force of sorts to ensure that kennels, grooming and other dog day care facilities would be held to some sort of standard in... more ›

We remember our first “real kiss”. It was a bajillion years ago, on a hot, sticky, summer night. We were at Great America, exhilarated after one last, wet ride on Logger's Run. We remember an unmemorable boy sticking a dry and bumpy tongue into our virgin mouth. We were disappointingly shocked, wondering out loud to our tittering friends, “wait, this is supposed to feel good?” more ›

The Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art is displaying a small but important collection of work capturing a sea change of Eastern European democracy. Artists Respond: Ukrainian Art and The Orange Revolution receives its U.S. premiere at this unassuming building in the heart of the Ukrainian Village via The Center for Contemporary Art, Kyiv, Ukraine. As reports of fraud surfaced during the 2004 Ukrainian election, supporters of opposition candidate Victor Yushenko took to the streets to... more ›

Today marks the groundbreaking for Chicago's new GLBT community center. When the 55,000 square foot Center on Halsted opens next year, it'll be the largest such facility in the Midwest and rival other gay and lesbian centers in New York and San Francisco. more ›

It's the freakin weekend, baby I'm about to have me some fun. Why is Chicagoist so excited for the weekend? Maybe it's because August just drags and drags, with no holidays and nothing in particular to rock out to. Bleeh. That's why we're so excited for Northalsted Market Days tomorrow and Sunday. Did you know that it's the longest-running two-day street fair in the Midwest? Yeah. It is. more ›