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November 2012
Where to Go This Weekend: Cedarburg, Wisconsin
By Catey Sullivan
If you’ve ever thought about making the drive to historic Cedarburg, just 20 miles north of Milwaukee on I-43, the coming weekend may be the time to go. The town will be decked out in its holiday best and hosting one of the nation’s premiere juried folk art and craft festivals... Read more
The Geography of Chicago Jobs, 2002-2010
By Whet Moser
An animated map shows where jobs are distributed in Chicago—and how that distribution changed from the run-up to the economic collapse to its aftermath. The difference between 2008 and 2009 is stark. Read more
How Did Jesse Jackson Jr. Keep Getting Elected?
By Whet Moser
His incumbency was a huge advantage (and as with many incumbents, may have played a role in his ethical lapses), and his focus on building a Chicago machine while bringing federal aid was a cornerstone. But Jackson was also one of the most reliably progressive votes in the House—to an extent that cost him on the national level. Read more
Penthouse Sells at Mies Landmark
By Dennis Rodkin
List Price: $1.975 million
Sale Price: $1.7 million
The Property: After more than two years on the market, a large, extensively renovated top-floor condo has sold at 880 North Lake Shore Drive, the landmark high-rise designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe... Read more
Harold Washington in His Own Words
By Whet Moser
The late mayor on "a crisis of leadership in Chicago"; reflecting on the first half of his first term; and discussing the legacy of Richard J. Daley, whose long reign overshadowed Washington's brief but critical tenure. Read more
"What's Love Got to Do With Politics?": The Funeral of Harold Washington
By Gary Rivlin
"The media estimated that somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 mourners passed by Washington’s open casket in the days leading up to Washington’s funeral. Only 25,000 amassed in Memphis to view Elvis Presley’s. It may be crass to compare two famous men by counting heads at their funerals, but how better to make the point that the reaction to Washington’s death resembled the death of a celebrity more than that of a local politician?" An excerpt from the new edition of Gary Rivlin's classic Fire on the Prairie. Read more
Leftovers: Food and Thanks
By Whet Moser
How Morton, Illinois, the world canned pumpkin capital, subsidizes a tiny town in Mexico; the rich life and quick death of mince pie as America's pie; why Black Friday doesn't tell us anything about the Christmas economy; and more Read more