Inside Mr. Interior
Nate Berkus has parlayed a taste for simple elegance (and a blessing from Oprah) into a booming design business, and he’s done it without losing his sunny charm. Just don’t rearrange his t-shirts.
Chicago Magazine
Reel Chicago
Founded 100 years ago, Chicago’s Essanay studio launched the movie careers of Gloria Swanson and Wallace Beery and helped a cockney comic named Charlie Chaplin rocket to fame.
Terms of Endowment
Dr. Sheldon Burman was a pioneer in the practice of phalloplasty—surgery to enlarge the penis. He says he was simply giving patients what they wanted. But some of them say he left them scarred and deformed.
Dance Dance Revolution
We talk to DJs Flosstradamus and Bad Boy Bill, take a peek inside their record collections, and find out whether it’s true that DJs save lives.
Skokie’s Big Idea
Trying to wake its sleepy town center, Skokie has bypassed upscale retail in favor of luring science and technology companies. But will the suburb’s $750-million plan pay off?
Opening on a Crescendo
There comes a time in every party girl’s life when getting all dolled up for restaurant and bar openings, charity fundraisers, and B-list-celeb-studded parties gets a little, well, stale. Some nights I’d rather watch the Grey’s Anatomy finale (tonight!) than attend another overcrowded, over-Botoxed event, where the weightiest conversation topic is Paris Hilton’s jail time. … Read more
New on the Market – Playful Bronzeville Restoration
List Price: $899,000 The Property: This 19th-century red brick house has been extensively-and, in some places, zanily-restored. The boldly painted cornice and entry only hint at the quirky details that William Lavicka, a longtime rehabber on Chicago’s West and South Sides, has included in his latest project.Inside, there is a mix of restored objects-four of … Read more
Housing Bulletin – Downtown Condo Sales: Slowed, Not Stalled
At first glance, the news was disturbing-reports earlier this week that downtown condo sales had nose-dived by 46 percent in the first quarter of 2007. But contrary to those early reports, the downtown condo market has not stalled, only slowed. According to Gail Lissner of the Appraisal Research Counselors-the local real-estate consultants that provided the … Read more
Double Booking
River East Arts Center. I repeat: 25 hot bachelors – well, except for a few no-shows, like the Bulls’ Chris Duhon, who was too busy losing to the Pistons to attend the party. How could that be bad? (If you missed the bash, don’t fret. Summer Lovin’, Chicago’s annual singles event co-sponsored by The Auxiliary … Read more
Sale of the Week – Barrington Hills Bargain
List price: $749,900Sale price: $775,000 The Property: Situated on a secluded country lane in Barrington Hills, this 11-room house, built in 1990, has four bedrooms, an in-ground pool and hot tub, and a modern metal barn, as well as access to the local network of horse trails. The previous residents lost the home in a … Read more