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You can see boats in the distance from practically anywhere along the lakeshore, but seasoned ship watchers know the prime viewing is actually inland. Spanning the Calumet River, the 95th Street Bridge connects South Chicago and the East Side, the city’s most maritime neighborhoods. Standing beside it is as close as you can get to … Read more
Majestic raptors are a year-round sight above Big Marsh Park, but they’re not the only reason to visit this nearly 300-acre swath of urban wilderness in South Deering. It used to be a dumping ground, polluted with slag from nearby factories. But since the Chicago Park District acquired it in 2011 and started cleaning it … Read more
Just because you’re a dad doesn’t mean you know how to hit a curve. Fortunately, after my son fell in love with baseball four years ago, I had SwingScience Hitting Lab. This Lincoln Square facility has two batting cages equipped with HitTrax, which uses motion capture technology. You can see your swings played back in … Read more
True to the name, Pop Up Karaoke apparates in various North Side bars five nights a week, putting on an infectiously joyful experience. As an enthusiast who has taken my “Wrecking Ball” all over town, I love how this series fosters a community of regulars who pack the dance floor and applaud every performance. It’s … Read more
There’s something magical about gliding through the Humboldt Park Lagoon on Chicago’s only pedal-powered swan boats. Who knew the city had so much serenity to absorb: water lilies floating along the surface, wetland grasses humming in the breeze, turtles basking on sunbaked logs. For $30 an hour, up to four people can ride inside a … Read more
A mix of chutzpah and attention to detail has enabled founder and co-owner Ryan Martin to attract top-tier standups to the 302-seat Den Theatre in Wicker Park. For example: John Mulaney, who’s had multidate gigs at the United Center, played the Den in February; Tom Segura was there in October; Maria Bamford will return in … Read more
Each Sunday afternoon at Chicago Magic Lounge, a feat of pure impossibility is deftly performed: keeping a bunch of fidgety kids entertained for a full hour. The genre of children’s magic shows sometimes suffers from a corny reputation, but this long-standing residency in Andersonville is anything but. There’s a science to holding children’s attention rapt, … Read more
For a dramatic take on public art, head to Jackson Park’s Wooded Island for Yoko Ono’s Skylanding. Amid this serene, grassy setting, a dozen 12-foot-tall steel lotus petals protrude from the ground — or have they fallen from the sky? The work, installed in 2016 on the site of the Japanese Pavilion from the 1893 World’s Columbian … Read more
The combined onset of streaming services and the pandemic made us all question the very notion of going to the movies. Why fork out the price of a monthly gym membership just so your family can see yet another Marvel sequel and munch on overpriced Sno-Caps? The Logan Theatre’s lobby bar will make you want … Read more
All we really require from our city’s pro athletes is that they help their teams win. But it doesn’t hurt when they also love being here — and get what makes us tick. In his first season with the Cubs after eight years playing in his native Japan, 30-year-old phenom Shota Imanaga is nailing it on all … Read more
