15 The Joy of Running on an Empty Lakefront

Chicago in the winter is a reminder that love, for all its heart-pounding, soul-stirring, head-spinning magic, also requires some suffering. Anyone can relish the lakefront path in the summer. The breeze! The beaches! The joyful packs of fellow joggers! The dudes bumping Morgan Wallen’s “Sunrise” at … sunrise! It takes commitment to love it when … Read more

16 It’s the Best Time to Look for Animal Tracks

When snow falls overnight, the footprints of Chicago’s wild critters are unusually visible, especially in nature parks or cemeteries early in the morning, before people (and their dogs) show up. If the snow’s a bit wet — not too fluffy — you can make out the distinctive impressions left by a variety of paws and hooves. I’ve seen coyote … Read more

20 Jewish and Chinese Chicagoans Eat Well on Christmas —Thanks to Each Other

Christmas bustles like few other days in Chinatown. With restaurants closed elsewhere, it’s almost become a cliché: we Chinese sitting shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish brethren, shoveling lo mein into our maws.  Several years ago, perhaps out of irony to score Instagram points, I thought it’d be funny if my Chinese family ate at a … Read more