Chic Chicago

Our unabashedly subjective guide to the designers, stores, and goods that make the city shine

Jet Setter

After arriving to head Chicago's troubled Boeing Comapny, Jim McNerney fostered a culture of openness and honesty—values he learned at the family dinner table growing up in Winnetka. The results:...

Judith Crown

Heir Jordan

He has weathered the pressure of being Michael Jordan's son and managed to build a strong high-school record. Now Jeffrey Jordan has his sights set on college hoops.

Noah Isackson

Shared Experiences: Chicagoans of the Year Recap

Though tossed and blown, these nine Chicago dreamers never walked alone

Alexis Mattera and Pauline Shih

The Wright Way

Last year, the owners of Wright, a 20th-century boutique auction house, moved both their private and their professional lives to another level, and their drive, ideas, and distinctive presence...

Christine Newman

Marquee

News, reviews, and hot tips for March

Workplace Dramatist (web exclusive)

Q&A with author and former Chicagoan Joshua Ferris, who tackles office minutiae in his debut novel

Playing with Fire

Three new suburban glamour spots have city folks programming the GPS to points west and north.

Do You Believe?

If the truth is out there, trust The Closer to track it down. In the wake of reported UFO sightings at O'Hare, we look to a local expert for guidance.

Jeff Ruby

Price Watch: Auto Insurance

A look at how auto insurance prices compare

Sandra Swanson

The City of Big Stomachs

How fat is Chicago? We show you a map of the city's fittest versus the fattest neighborhoods.

Karin Horgan Sullivan

When Disaster Strikes

In case of emergency ... well, what do we do, exactly? What happens when disaster strikes? We give you the 411 in case of a 911.

Spies Like Us

Nightspotting gets into spy mode for The Underground, Billy Dec and Co.'s latest club. PLUS: More new and soon-to-open spots

Sarah Preston

When Girls Won't Eat

Has a University of Chicago professor found a way to treat the baffling psychological disorder that is anorexia?

Marcia Froelke Coburn

Writers on the Record - Anne Lamott

Victoria Lautman chats with Anne Lamott. PLUS: Critical Mass

The Short List

It’s Showtime for This American Life; puppets aren’t lame—we swear! A Bobbi Brown secret; why Stacey Ballis is cool; and more for March

Taking Flight

Andrew Bird’s brand of musical esoterica takes off.

Spring Training

March is a shopping bonanza! Here are five chances to snap up high-end labels at reasonable prices.

Rebecca Little

Designer Kara Mann

Kara Mann invents Gold Coast goth

Gina Bazer

Oprah, Pint-Sized

Ilene Cooper pens an unauthorized bio for tweens.

Karen Springen

Shakespeare in Love

Schulfer, the executive director of the Goodman Theatre, and Fisher, a veteran actress, show off some of their stylistic choices.

Heather Kenny

High Market

A women’s boutique that stocks up-and-coming fashion designers before they hit it big

Rebecca Little

Next, Fulton Market

Welcome to the most innovative block in town.

Cassie Walker

Boom in Bronzeville

Reformed tech exec Helen West turns an architectural charmer into an artists’ haven.

Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Style Sheet - March 2007

Get outta town with this smart new travel gear.

Barri Leiner

Friends of Fall Out Boy

An update on Chicago's number-one-with-a-bullet band, Fall Out Boy, and some of its protégés

Fighting Words?

After a bitter divorce, Maria George appeared to get her revenge when she sent around documents purporting to reveal the ugly truth about her ex-husband, Scott. He sued her for defamation—and won...

Jonathan Black

Right Time, Right Place

A developer transforms a six-flat in West Lincoln Park, and the suburbs top down-town in condo conversions.

Dennis Rodkin

Finally?

At the heart of Chicago’s Loop, Block 37 has stood vacant since 1989. But spurred by a new development team, a flurry of construction is under way at the site, suggesting that at last, this time,...

Robert Reed

A Diamond in the Rough

A mix of new housing for the Cabrini-Green neighborhood, and upscale condos on a Lake County shoreline

Dennis Rodkin

Chefs on the Grill with Michael Nagrant - Rick Bayless

For March, Nagrant chats with Rick Bayless, the king of regional Mexican throughout the United States, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Frontera Grill (445 N. Clark St.; 312-661-1434).

Michael Nagrant

Dining Tidbits - March 2007

Budget Beat, Small Plates, Spin, Barbecue

Recipe File - March 2007

Paul Virant's Gooey Butter Cake

Jennifer Tanaka