SUMMER IS BACK! Chill at Under-the-Radar Restaurant Patios Hit the Best Hot Dog Stands (We Ranked Them) Rent a Boat For Your Crew Try the Wildest New Soft Serve And Much, Much More
JUNE/JULY 2021
Catch New Chicago Sky Superstar
CANDACE PARKER (She’s got a lot to say, starting on page 50.)
The 20 Smartest, Greenest Places to Buy a Home Right Now Top Heart Docs in the Metro Area The New Cook County Public Defender on Sentencing Reform
SUMMER IS BACK! Chill at Under-the-Radar Restaurant Patios Hit the Best Hot Dog Stands (We Ranked Them) Rent a Boat For Your Crew Try the Wildest New Soft Serve And Much, Much More
JUNE/JULY 2021
Catch New Chicago Sky Superstar
CANDACE PARKER (She’s got a lot to say, starting on page 50.)
The 20 Smartest, Greenest Places to Buy a Home Right Now Top Heart Docs in the Metro Area The New Cook County Public Defender on Sentencing Reform
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F E AT U R E S
Volume 70 Q Number 6
CHIJUN 78 The Survivor She’s helped rebuild the lives of scores of sexual exploitation victims. Now a new memoir from activist Brenda Myers-Powell reveals that her strength lies in having endured the unimaginable herself.
50 CANDACE PARKER COMES HOME After 13 seasons in Los Angeles, the two-time WNBA MVP and former Naperville Central star joins the Sky. She brings with her some hard-won wisdom. Interview by Mike Thomas
Photograph by LAWRENCE AGYEI
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SUMMER IS BACK!
TOP HEART DOCS
This year, the pleasures of the season are that much sweeter. Make a lip-smacking potato salad, party on a boat, and stuff your face with soft serve. You’ve earned it!
The 127 best cardiologists in the six-county metropolitan area. Plus: Four stats for better heart health. Interviews by Cindy Kuzma
86 BEST PLACES TO LIVE: GREEN SPACES EDITION We identified 20 neighborhoods and suburbs that offer great value and exceptional access to natural beauty and recreation. By Brenda Richardson
J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
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D E PA R T M E N T S
CHIJUN Nick Drnaso’s Sabrina cover, page 99
Minor Details, page 31
21 THE 312 A day of reckoning for Black legislative districts … New Cook County public defender Sharone R. Mitchell Jr. … The juiciest parts of Richard Marx’s memoir.
31 FOUND A cool line of comfy kids’ clothes … Vegan shoes and accessories come to West Town … Chicago Fire star MR Mayo’s routine … Body transformation via massage.
39 TABLE Meet barbecue’s new pitmasters … Pick up chef-made condiments for your summer cookouts … Go on a taco árabe tour … The hottest restaurants this month.
47 CHICAGO STORIES A hospital chaplain reflects on grief, ghosts, and whether flannel counts as PPE. By Kristel Clayville
99 GO Two related exhibitions make a convincing case that Chicago is ground zero for innovative cartooning.
IN EVERY ISSUE Q From the Editor, 14 Q From the Vault, 14 Q Talk to Us, 16 Q Instagram Contest, 18 Q Backroom: Jesús “Chuy” García, 126
ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY NOLIS ANDERSON STYLING BY JESSICA MOAZAMI | HAIR AND MAKEUP BY CHRISONDRA BOYD SILK ORGANZA DRESS, $2,495, AZEEZA, 900 N. MICHIGAN AVE. Y-3 YOHJI STAR LEATHER SNEAKERS, $280, ADIDAS, 845 N. MICHIGAN AVE.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: (PATEL) JEFF MARINI; (SABRINA) COURTESY OF NICK DRNASO; (MINOR DETAILS) MATT SCHWERIN
Sheal Patel of Dhuaan BBQ Company, page 39
)()@ 65 )6(9+ (9(5< 1(: %$%< ,6 $ 5($621 72 &(/(%5$7(
A TRIBUNE PUBLICATION EDITOR IN CHIEF AND PUBLISHER
Susanna Homan EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Terrance Noland DESIGN DIRECTOR Katherine Bryja Shady FEATURES EDITOR David McAninch SENIOR WRITER Bryan Smith SENIOR EDITORS Tal Rosenberg, Lauren Williamson DINING EDITOR Amy Cavanaugh CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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Member, American Society of Magazine Editors ASME works to preserve editorial independence and speaks out on public policy issues, particularly those pertaining to the First Amendment. Chicago (Vol. 70, No. 6, JUNE/JULY 2021; ISSN 0362-4595) is published monthly by Chicago magazine, 560 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60654, 312-222-8999, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tribune Publishing Company. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $19.90/12 issues, $35/24 issues, $45/36 issues. Single copy $5.99. Chicago assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials. For information regarding subscription renewals, payments, or changes of address, call 800-999-0879. To make address changes in writing, mail us both your new and old addresses, including zip codes along with the code number from your address label. © 2021 by Chicago magazine. All rights reserved under International and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. For article reprints and permissions, call Wright’s Reprints, 877-6525295. Portions of Chicago are available in microform from Bell & Howell and University Microfilms. The names Chicago and Chicago Guide are trademarks of Chicago magazine. Post master: Send address changes to Chicago magazine, PO Box 37016, Boone, IA 50037-0016. Printed in USA.
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ESCAPE EXPLORE
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FROM TH E EDITOR
F R O M T H E V A U LT
Homing Device
Mongo Memories Revisiting a Bears great while he battles a debilitating disease — TAL ROSENBERG
OME OF MY HAPPIEST SUMMER MEMORIES INVOLVE READING
books in the attic of my childhood home while branches from a tree in our front yard fluttered outside the window. For the last few years, my view has been considerably different: I’ve lived in a condo in the city, and when I look out I see a busy expressway exit, Metra train tracks, and, in the summer, a near-constant parade of ferry boats and kayakers floating by on the Chicago River. Last year my now-fiancé Chris and I began reconsidering our living situations. We wanted to move in together, and the combination of low interest rates and the suburban housing boom — which meant we could save money by bucking the trend and staying in the city — allowed us to target places closer to Lake Michigan, even in view of it. We aren’t the only people craving open space these days. Which is why our annual “Best Places to Live” story (page 86) focuses this year on properties that offer proximity to green spaces — not just the lake, but parks, rivers, woodlands, and golf courses that offer natural beauty and recreation. In the Chicago area, there are so many ways to enjoy the view. I hope this story helps you find one that’s uniquely yours.
S
Susanna Homan Editor in Chief and Publisher 14
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He walks into the channel 5 TV newsroom and clears an enormous amount of phlegm from his throat. This is how Mongo, as he has come to be known, after the Alex Karras character in Blazing Saddles, announces his presence. Then he takes a Bowie hunting knife (a present sent to the station from WLUP radio personality Kevin Matthews) and mumbletypegs it into the top of a producer’s desk. It is the first night of the new season — both for football and for Sports Sunday, McMichael’s show. The Bears beat Minnesota this afternoon; now a certain level of tension mixed with excitement floats through the air here. What will McMichael do tonight? Given his past performances, it’s hard to say. He has broken a stunt bottle over Mark Giangreco’s impeccably groomed head, squirted him with whipped cream and Champagne, and held him down so that Debra could paint his mouth with lipstick. Sometimes McMichael’s Chihuahua, Pepe, has appeared on the show wearing his own miniature football helmet (painted by Debra) or a red bandanna (sewn by Steve).
PHOTOGRAPHY: (HOMAN) SUSANNA HOMAN; (MAGAZINE) MICHAEL ZAJAKOWSKI
Q In late April, Steve McMichael, the most animated character on a 1985 Bears team loaded with them, disclosed in a WGN interview that he has been diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, leaving him paralyzed from the shoulders down. It was a tough sight for fans who remember him from his boisterous antics on the field and as Mark Giangreco’s cohost on NBC-5’s postgame show. Marcia Froelke Coburn captured McMichael in all his roguish charm when she profiled him for this magazine in December 1991, when he was still with his now ex-wife, Debra.
There are two kinds of people in this world. The ones who think Nebraska is nothing OQTG VJCP C USWCTG OKNG EQTPƂ GNF CPF VJG QPGU YJQ FQPoV 9G Ƃ PF VJCV UGEQPF group to be a lot more interesting, and are comforted by the knowledge that there are RGQRNG YKNNKPI VQ NQQM FGGRGT VQ FKUEQXGT YJCV OCMGU VJKU RNCEG UQ URGEKCN 9GoTG not trying to convince everyone. Just you. So go to VisitNebraska.com and be the kind of person who gets a free Travel Guide.
TA L K T O U S
This is scary. So much we still don’t know about COVID. @NShrubs via Twitter
A Viral Aftermath
WHERE TO FIND US
One person noted how many long-haul sufferers are middle-aged women [“What COVID Survivors Know,” May]. Finally! I could have written several of these entries myself. PostCOVID aftereffects are not kind.
Email us at letters@ chicagomag.com. Chicago may edit letters for conciseness, clarity, and accuracy.
@mjsutherlin via Twitter
Food still tastes weird, and I swear to god COVID made me a hypochondriac. @itsmecaleesi via Twitter To think there are people who think COVID isn’t dangerous. @_monse via Twitter The aftereffects sound much like every autoimmune discussion group thread. The Venn diagram of treatments is likely to have significant overlap. Let’s hope this crisis pushes researchers to focus there. @pdx2ord via Twitter
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DIVERSITY DISCOURSE When I left Chicago’s arts and cultural scene in 2008 to live overseas, it was entrenched in layers of racism from the top down [“Chicago’s Arts Scene Has a Race Problem,” May]. It’s exciting to return to the U.S. and witness the great sea change of antiracism work. @travelfarnow via Twitter As a Black male who came up in the ’60s, I am so tired of every single thing centered around the myth we live in a systemically racist country. The author is hopping on the bandwagon without regard to the repercussions. Mike via chicagmag.com The path to ending racism is not through boardrooms or conference rooms. That may create opportunities for people of color, but the oppressor culture does not change. The path is through the classroom and the streets. There we foster an evolutionary mindset of inclusion. Rich Alapack via chicagomag.com
PHOTOGRAPH: MICHAEL ZAJAKOWSKI
This hits home. Retraining and strengthening my swallow function; damaged vocal cords from intubation; high resting heart rate; O2 falling when working out; carpal tunnel possibly from clenching my fists for months while hospitalized. I’m working with a pulmonologist, speech therapist, and sports doctor to improve my strength and lung capacity. Angie Dornseif Cantillon via Facebook
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@i.love.that.spot Katie Rose got Walter, a Labrador–border collie mix (shown here in front of Soho House Chicago), from Arkansas after pandemic-fueled adoptions largely cleared out area shelters. “He howled for nine of the 10 hours home,” Rose says. WE ALSO LOVED …
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NEXT CONTEST Post your best shot of beer can art on Instagram by July 15. Follow us at @chicagomag, tag us, and include #chimagcontest to be considered. The winner will be featured in the September issue and will receive a free one-year subscription to the magazine.
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THE 312 Rucker
Talking Points This month’s essential Zoom happy hour chatter 1 It’s a twofer of iconographic paintings: 26 works by Frida Kahlo — the largest exhibition of her work in the area in 40 years — go on display June 5 at the College of DuPage, while the groundbreakingly modern Obama presidential portraits (Barack’s by Kehinde Wiley and Michelle’s by Amy Sherald) will be at the Art Institute starting June 18.
PHOTOGRAPH: SCOTT KOWALCHYK/CBS VIA GETTY IMAGES
2 The statewide ban on coronavirusrelated evictions expires June 1. But tenants will have a few more weeks to piece together rent: The federal moratorium ends June 30. 3 What says postvax summer better than hot meat and the guy from Hootie & the Blowfish? The Windy City Smokeout is back July 8 to 11, this time in the United Center parking lot and with performances from Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker. 4 For the first time, Cook County will observe Juneteenth as a paid holiday on June 19 for its employees.
Illustration by DANIEL FISHEL
Squeezed Out A day of reckoning is here: After the 2020 census, Chicago can no longer maintain all its Black legislative districts. By EDWARD McCLELLAND OR THE PAST 40 YEARS, CHICAGO HAS ALWAYS HAD THREE BLACK REPRESENTA-
tives in Congress, symbolizing the power of the “Black Metropolis” that elected Harold Washington mayor. We have sent more African Americans to Washington than any other city. In the past decade, though, Chicago’s Black population has fallen 14 percent, part of a longterm decline that could reduce it from 1.2 million at its peak in 1980 to 665,000 by 2030. Chicago may still have three Black representatives — Bobby Rush, Robin Kelly, and Danny Davis — but it no longer has three Black-majority congressional districts. Rush’s 1st District, which has been represented by an African American since 1929, longer than any other in Congress, has held steady at 51 percent Black since 2010. Kelly’s 2nd District is actually up 1.5 percentage points in Black population, to 57 percent, because she represents the south suburbs, which have absorbed many Blacks leaving Chicago. But Davis’s 7th District, which encompasses the shrinking West Side and
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the booming Loop, is now only 47 percent Black, down from 54.6 percent. The Voting Rights Act guarantees minorities representation commensurate to their numbers, but has the moment come when Black politicians no longer have the numbers to hold on to their traditional seats of power? It’s not just Congress: In the Illinois General Assembly, 10 districts drawn with Black majorities after the 2010 census now have a minority of African Americans. The population loss has been magnified by a 2020 census that experts believe undercounted Blacks and Latinos even more than usual. “Danny Davis’s district is in trouble,” says Alden Loury, WBEZ’s senior editor covering race. “He’s been in that seat forever, but it’d be a lot harder for a lesser-known Black candidate to win.” Blacks have already lost ground on the City Council. The 2nd Ward, which had been represented by an African American for nearly a century, was won by a white candidate in 2007 and has had a white alderman ever since. The 15th Ward, on the South Side, is now represented by a Latino. Loury can foresee further loss in the South Loop and the West Loop, where white gentrifiers have replaced African Americans. Non-Hispanic whites surpassed Blacks as the largest racial group in Chicago in 2010; they now make up a third of the population, compared with 28.5 percent for Blacks. Not surprisingly, Black elected officials have announced they intend to hold their ground — and even increase their representation — when congressional, legislative, and aldermanic districts are redrawn. “We’re going to have to work very carefully from the Black Caucus’s perspective to protect our districts,” state representative Sonya Harper said at a virtual panel on the census and redistricting organized by political consultant Avis LaVelle. “We want to ensure that the districts are drawn in a manner that allows for all people to have representation.” In the City Council, 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin, chair of the Black Caucus, sees the 18 existing Black-majority wards — out of 50 total — as a “premise” 22
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Population Swap At the beginning of the 2010s, Blacks made up the largest racial group in Chicago. Over the past decade, they’ve fallen to third, behind whites and Latinos, imperiling their political representation. Black
White
Latino
900,000
800,000
700,000 SOURCE: AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY
600,000
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
that could be increased to 19 with creative mapmaking, since some of those wards are more than 90 percent Black. The state legislature and the City Council have a certain amount of wiggle room: State law allows mapmakers to draw low-population districts for the purpose of preserving minority representation. In the 2011 City Council remap, many South and West Side wards wound up less populous than North Side districts for that reason. There are no such allowances for congressional districts, which must be equal in population. And as a result of the 2020 census, Illinois will lose one seat in Congress, down to 17. Nonetheless, U.S. representative Kelly thinks it’s possible to maintain three Black congressional districts — and even add a Latino district. “There is concern about the seats of mine, Bobby, and Danny’s, and the importance of those seats, and who we represent,” she said at the census and redistricting panel. “I think that everything will be done to make sure those seats remain. The Latino population has grown, and they have one seat, which is Chuy García. From my understanding, they’re looking at their population, and possibly having two seats. It’s going to be a delicate balance.” W hen t he B e t ter G over n ment Association asked demographer Rob Paral to produce a nongerrymandered congressional map, he managed to create three Black-majority districts, but Paral says each was at “barely 50 percent.” However, he argues that Black-majority
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
districts are no longer as essential to electing Blacks as they were in the 1980s, when Chicago’s politics were racially polarized. Two Black aldermen — Matt Martin and Maria Hadden — represent North Side wards. Mike Simmons, who is Black, was appointed to replace a white state senator on the Far North Side. “With the Black population loss, it makes it harder to draw a Black-majority district,” Paral says. “It doesn’t mean you can’t elect a Black official.” Minority politicians don’t think a few North Side victories make the Voting Rights Act unnecessary. Two Latino aldermen were elected on the North Side in 2019, but that was the result of “antiincumbent sentiment,” said Alderman Roberto Maldonado, chair of the City Council’s Latino Caucus. Over the past decade, Latino growth in the city has been fairly flat — an estimated 2 percent — but Maldonado thinks there are opportunities to add two Latino-majority wards on the South Side in the remap. “My interest is to make sure Latinos get the number of slots we deserve,” he says. “That is the spirit of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. To pretend that we are a colorblind city, I don’t live in la-la land. Nobody will convince me that given standard political times, without the intensity of emotions against incumbents, Maldonado will beat Smith.” Which is why Black and Latino politicians are going to fight to maintain the power they’ve gained in Chicago over the past four decades — whether the numbers add up for them or not. C
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VOX
Fixing What’s Broken New Cook County public defender Sharone R. Mitchell Jr. on prioritizing reform Interview by ANNE FORD Q: What was your view of the police while
growing up in West Pullman? A: My community had its share of violence. Even with all of that, the thing that made me most scared was red and blue lights in my rearview mirror. Billions of dollars are paying for this institution, and people still have to have conversations with their children about how to not get killed by the police. Q: What did your parents tell you? A: Say “Yes, sir. No, sir.” Keep your hands on the wheel. Don’t be disrespectful. Don’t make any fidgety movement. Follow their directions. Pray. Q: What drew you to this role? A: I interned at the public defender’s office as a law student. One of my tasks was going into the back of the courtroom and meeting with the men and women 24
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who have court dates that day. One of the first days, I link eyes with a guy I went to grade school with. After that, I looked at a fifth-grade picture and compared the number of dudes that were in jail or lost their lives to the number of guys that had gotten through. That day I decided I was going to be a public defender. Q: What do you know now that you didn’t know then? A: The public defender’s office has a monopoly, quite frankly, on the stories, the narratives, the data, all the things that we can use to learn about why the system is broken. Our attorneys and investigators are literally in the trenches on the fight against mass incarceration, on the fight against wrongful convictions, on the fight against permanent punishments. I’m so excited to put our
team in the center of this conversation around reform. Q: What changes do you have in mind? A: Substantive sentencing reform. We use our prison system to punish. I don’t think that we do a very good job of using our system to get folks better. I would really think about how we use our prisons, how long people go to prison, and how often we give folks felony records. Q: How hopeful are you about being able to make changes? A: People are understanding how broken the legal system is and how we can benefit from changing it. With that said, we live in a big city where people are nervous about crime. Sometimes, they convolute making the system more fair with making us less safe. It’s not true. But that common thought is always a risk. C
Photograph by MICHAEL ZAJAKOWSKI
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THE 312
Richard Marx Grooms Each Chest Hair Flip straight to that and other spicy tidbits in the singer’s name-dropping memoir, Stories to Tell, out July 6. By LAUREN WILLIAMSON
x JC Chasez with Mar on s te en and Daisy Fu their wedding day
Anka, Paul late-night writing binge with, 76 appearance grooms individual chest hairs, 185 mullet, 185, 225 “not ‘pretty’ enough to be a pop star and not ‘tough’-looking enough to be a rock star,” 87 Chasez, JC picks up Marx kids from day camp, 162 Davis, Clive blocks Grammy nomination for best new artist, 124 famous people are stupid, 226 Fatone, Joey delivers notes from tween fans to, 234 feuds See Davis, Clive; Gatica, Humberto; Loggins, Kenny; Night Ranger; Paisley, Brad; Vixen Fuentes, Daisy sexy ’90s calendar, 282 sexy selfies, 286 slow hiker, 2
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With Olivia New ton-Jo hn Gatica, Humberto (producer) almost comes to blows with over mixing of “Should’ve Known Better,” 94 Gretzky, Wayne spends weekend with and doesn’t recognize, 81 Jackman, Hugh bad at jokes, 254 Loggins, Kenny “can go fuck himself,” 216 literally cries and makes up with, 221 Newton-John, Olivia pops popcorn and shows Marx Xanadu, 180 Night Ranger turns out sound and lights during Marx’s set, 109 Paisley, Brad “poster boy for pandering,” 261 Presley, Priscilla performs for wearing T-shirt that says “Elvis Had a Stinky Butt,” 139 Prince mistakes for child, 48 sexy Beautiful Goodbye, 286 Cynthia Rhodes’s dance routine to “Manhunt,” 71 “Like the World Is Ending,” 284
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See also Fuentes, Daisy; Streisand, Barbra Streisand, Barbra asks Marx to sing like Barry Gibb, 45 has her “own intoxicating scent,” 126 “Right Here Waiting” written for, 129 sexy, 126 very sexy, 126 Taiwan fans wave sign that says “We Don’t Love You Anymore,” 154 guitarist held hostage, 150 Timberlake, Justin Marx is “big footnote to his … success,” 233 Urban, Keith attends Marx kids’ basketball games, 162 Vandross, Luther cashmere wallpaper, 168 doesn’t wait for anyone, even Lionel Richie, 194 Vixen uses Marx poster as dartboard, 118 Winfrey, Oprah falls through stage at World Cup, 198
Ask Chicago Q: I’ve seen both 1871 and 1896 given as Cracker Jack’s birth date, which would make this year its 150th or 125th anniversary. What gives? A: The makers of the sugary globs of peanuts and popcorn love any excuse for a party. Previous owner Borden celebrated the centennial three separate times: in 1972, commemorating the creation of F.W. Rueckheim & Bro., the Chicago company that invented Cracker Jack (the recipe was developed the year before); in 1993, to mark the World’s Columbian Exposition, even though there’s no evidence it was sold there; and in 1996, for when it was named. Why so many anniversaries? Marketing, says Hyde Park resident Theresa Richter, president of the Cracker Jack Collectors Association. Big dates lend themselves to splashy campaigns. In 2012, for example, in honor of a hundred years of prizes, current owner FritoLay gave out special trinkets, including one that winked at a famous Breakfast at Tiffany’s scene: a real diamond ring. — L.W
PHOTOGRAPHY: (MARX, LEFT) ANGELA WEISS/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE LONDON HOTEL; (MARX, RIGHT) PAUL HAWTHORNE/GETTY IMAGES; (CRACKER JACKS) COURTESY OF FRITO LAY
INDEX
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4. “Of all the African Americans that I can think that are sort of like qualified … the one that’s least offensive and maybe gets you the most … is Jesse White.” — J.B. Pritzker, 2008 3. “If two fucking schemers like you and I can’t figure this out, then we got a problem.” — Edward Vrdolyak, 2008
Makeup rigged the Chicago judicial system. “In the 1920s, a string of women killers arrested for murder … were housed together at Cook County Jail … where they discovered that the city’s court system favored white women who used makeup to look wealthy and beautiful,” writes Rae Nudson in All Made Up: The Power and Pitfalls of Beauty Culture, From Cleopatra to Kim Kardashian (out July 13). One was Sabella Nitti (above left), an Italian immigrant accused of killing her husband. Called a “dumb, crouching, animal-like peasant” by the Chicago Daily Tribune, she was demonized — until her attorney gave her a makeover. With meticulously plucked eyebrows, defined lips, and a bob, Nitti came to embody the modern American woman, and her charges were eventually dropped. Sound familiar? She and her companions on “Murderess Row” inspired the musical Chicago. Cosmetics helped Empress Wu of China 2 take the throne. A merchant’s daughter who became a concubine to Emperor Taizong, Wu “cultivated her image by wearing lavish cosmetics to indicate her rising status,” writes Nudson. At Taizong’s deathbed, Wu began a 1
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flirtation with his son Gaozong, who later made her empress. Upon his death in 683, Wu became the only woman in China’s history to rule the country. Black beauty salons were hubs for politi3 cal organizing. These parlors provided safe spaces where African American women could convene and talk about the politics of the day. Take Lucille Green Randolph, whose New York City salon, which catered to the Black elite, distributed — and helped finance — her husband’s socialist newspaper, the Messenger. Despite legend, suffragettes likely did 4 not sport red lipstick. “Makeup myths are everywhere,” Nudson writes, including this one about how advocates of women’s voting rights signaled their rebellion. In reality, they needed to appear respectable to be taken seriously, and during the early 1900s, cosmetics were taboo in upper-class society. Theatrical makeup protected Hong Kong 5 protesters from surveillance. In 2019, to make themselves unrecognizable, pro-democracy demonstrators painted their faces like the Joker’s: white base, an overdrawn smile, blue eye shadow, and a red nose.
2. “You know as well as I do, Jews are Jews and they’ll deal with Jews to the exclusion of everybody else unless there’s a reason for them to use a Christian.” — Ed Burke, 2016 1. “I fucking bust my ass to give your fucking grandma a free ride on the bus. Your fucking baby has health care. What do I get for that? Only 13 percent think I’m doing a good job. So fuck all of you!” — Rod Blagojevich, 2008
Illustration by JOHN KENZIE
PHOTOGRAPHY: (NITTI) CHICAGO TRIBUNE HISTORICAL PHOTO; (PROTESTOR) MIGUEL CANDELA/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES; (SUFFRAGETTES) PAUL THOMPSON/TOPICAL PRESS AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES
News that Alderman Ed Burke was caught on a federal wiretap making an anti-Semitic remark got us thinking: Where does it rank among the most cringe-inducing things local politicians have said under surveillance?
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a es . g ef — n i e l l l e a r o r y ch ngs s i n r e b s h s etail ren wit N d l D i h r c By MOLLY BRYSO o to Min Q For the one in six kids living with sensory processing disorder, finding clothes that are both comfortable and stylish is no small task. Fortunately, those kids — and the adults responsible for making sure they don’t run around naked in public — have River North mom Dina Lewis looking out for them. “Every morning used to start with a meltdown,” says Lewis, whose 9-year-old daughter refuses to wear socks, long sleeves, or pants that press too hard on her skin. “So I said, ‘Let’s make something cool. Kick-ass kids’ clothes that are easy on the senses.’ ” Enter: Minor Details, a line of sensory-friendly, gender-neutral clothing that’s deisgned and tested by kids (check out the Scribble Tee, which looks like something Jackson Pollock could have sold for a million bucks). Each garment is tag-free and made with flat seams and ultrasoft fabric, which keeps itches to a minimum. For those who prefer loose-fitting clothes, the tie-dyed slouch pants offer plenty of leg room. Or if feeling snug is your kid’s thing, try out a comforting weighted cardigan with hidden interior pockets that Lewis points out are “perfect for a stash of raisins.” minordetailskids.com
Photograph by MATT SCHWERIN
J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
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HOW TO SPEN D $50 0: MOHOP
Hop in Your Step The cult-fave vegan shoe and accessory brand finally finds a permanent home in West Town. By HEIDI MITCHELL UCKY FOR US SHOE AND ANIMAL LOVERS, ANNIE MOHAUPT
grew up on a sheep farm before she was trained as an architect. When she tired of her desk job and decided to pivot to fashion, she was able to apply the same production processes she’d learned designing buildings to constructing killer shoes with vegan leather — no sheep sacrifice required. After the Ukrainian Village resident launched Mohop (the phonetic spelling of her surname) in 2005, she attracted a cult following at maker fairs. “We got a lot of press because we were one of the first eco-friendly shoe companies,” says Mohaupt, “but I was making each pair by hand, which wasn’t sustainable.” She couldn’t find a factory that met her standards for work conditions, pay, and waste practices, so she started her own in Rockford in 2018, with the help of her partner in life and work, Justin Walker. This spring, Mohop opened a boutique in West Town — the brand’s first — to showcase its iridescent sandals, accessories, and pet products. Designed by Mohaupt, the airy, minimalist space has angular walnut furnishings on which to park yourself while your shopping partner picks out a peacock-hued handbag and heads to the Fab Lab, where nearly anything can be customized by artisans on the spot. Buy yourself some super-comfortable, chunky high-heeled mules for summer soirees, and feel good about the hands (and materials) that made them. 1659 W. Chicago Ave.
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1 Mobile bag, $80 2 Earrings, $25 3 Coin purse, $20 4 Wedge mules, $180 5 Pet collar, $20 6 Crossbody bag, $180
A: For flower, the simplest and cheapest method is also the most reliable: Mason jars. They provide a cool and airtight environment, which preserves the quality. Keep your jars in a dark place, since light degrades the terpenes (a.k.a. the flavor), and maintain a relative humidity of 55 to 65 percent. For those of us without a green thumb, drop in a humidity pack, about the size of a sugar packet, which will do the job for you. If you want to up your storage game, there’s Cannador (from $149), a wooden box that’s like a humidor for cannabis. Or look to the $220 Stori, an inconspicuous shoebox-size white plastic container. It bills itself as airtight, smell-proof, and child resistant, and it includes a dozen smaller color-coded containers — aluminum tubes and jar-like “pods” that come with a humidity pack. An associated app lets you track your stash, so no more weed roulette.
Illustration by JOHN KENZIE
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF MOHOP
Q: What’s the best way to store cannabis?
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MR Mayo Actor, master meditator, pull-up pupil By CINDY KUZMA OR THE PAST FIVE SEASONS, MAYO HAS LIT UP THE SMALL
screen as Chicago Fire’s Stella Kidd, an aspiring officer in an on-again, off-again romance with Taylor Kinney’s Lieutenant Kelly Severide. When the series took a six-month break from filming during the pandemic, she redirected her creative energy into making music and pitching a new TV pilot, Here She Comes, about therapists who lead the next sexual revolution. Now that the 30-year-old’s beloved Firehouse 51 crew is back together — albeit with strict safety protocols — here’s how she fuels all her passions without burning out.
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MENTAL CLEANSE “My mom began teaching me to meditate when I was 10. I try to practice every day for at least 10 minutes, usually in the morning. I sit with my feet planted on the floor — in my trailer, in makeup, or on my couch — and focus on my breath. My best work happens when all the noise has been processed and I’m able to connect.” TRAINING ROUTINE “Playing a firefighter involves heavy gear and lifting things, including people. After seeing every single member of the truck company cast have an issue with their neck or back, it was important to get into a routine, training my body so it’s strong and injuryproof. I work out four to five times per week — two to three spin classes, sometimes an outdoor run or a treadmill walk, and one or two strengthtraining sessions. I do circuits with lower body moves like hex-bar dead lifts and, for upper body, triceps and shoulder presses. We’ve been working on pull-ups for two years. I hate them and still can’t do one on my own, but afterward, I always feel like a badass.” EATING PLAN “Days when I’m on set, I get picked up by 5 a.m. I’ll have oatmeal with berries or green juice for breakfast at 6 or 6:30. Later, I might snack on almonds and fruit or some hard-boiled eggs. We’ll have lunch around noon — veggies and protein, soup if it’s cold, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which is my favorite. One recent dinner was a big salmon salad and a couple glasses of Chardonnay. But as it says on my Instagram, I am a selfproclaimed hurricane disguised as a human. There’s very little consistency. If I feel like having pancakes or rice, I’m gonna have it, you know?”
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CAFFEINE CYCLING “My costar Kara Killmer gave me a book called WomanCode, about how to eat across the menstrual cycle. It says during our luteal phase, excess caffeine and sugar can make it difficult for the kidneys and liver to filter out excess hormones. If you can cut down, you probably will experience less cramping, mood swings, and other PMS symptoms. So I now alternate between regular coffee, decaf, and green tea. I mostly like coffee in the morning because of the smell of it and the ritual, so if having decaf helps my flow and functionality but I still get to drink coffee, that’s amazing.” MIND GAMES “I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2018. In addition to training my body, I worked on mental training and visualization. When my hips would start to hurt, I would think, What if they didn’t? What if the sensation is actually what it feels like when you got a massage? I take those same techniques on set. Any fires you see happening indoors on the show take place on what’s called the burn stage. We’re in full gear, wearing masks, our tanks are about 30 pounds, and there’s smoke everywhere. When you hear ‘OK, we’re going again,’ it can be discouraging. I’ll take a deep breath, and I’ll think, What if everything is OK, right here, right now?”
Photograph by LISA PREDKO
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OTS OF THINGS MAKE ME FEEL WEIRD ABOUT MY
body. Instagram. Bras that don’t fit right. Kale. The war on skinny jeans. Goop. Bikinis. Dropping my phone and making an involuntary “unnhh” when I bend over to pick it up. Still, when I walk into Freeze & Float Spa in River North for the $299 Signature Lymphatic Duo treatment, I had no idea how weird it was about to get. I’m greeted by Gabby — young, blond, fit, and full of life. She escorts me to the locker room and tells me to take off all my clothes and put on a disposable thong. The last time I wore disposable underwear, I’d just given birth. While I hope the Signature Lymphatic Duo will be a more relaxing experience, as I struggle into what’s basically a tiny modesty square on paper strings that almost snap when I tug them over my hips, I’m surprised to find my current anxiety about the future feels strikingly similar to being handed a newborn. In the treatment room, Gabby has me disrobe so she can paint me with magnesium spread. Let me be clear: Even though Gabby is a delight, I wasn’t prepared to reveal all my quarantine
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Having your ass rolled out is something to be weathered more than enjoyed.
T H E E X P E R I M E N TA L I S T
Wrap Star Can I massage my way to a peaceful relationship with my corporeal form? By ADRIENNE GUNN 36
C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
chub to her in such a well-lit room. But I smile through gritted teeth while she kneels at my crotch and paints my thighs. Once I’m slathered in the housemade compote, Gabby wields a roll of black plastic wrap and makes quick work of mummifying me before inserting me into an infrared sauna, where I tune the Pandora station to Fresh Air and dissolve into a puddle of existential crisis. Just kidding, I’m still alive when Gabby releases me from the sauna 30 minutes later. She cuts the “charcoal osmotic wrap” off me and, with my sweat still glistening, encourages me to take a naked selfie so I can see what I look like before massage therapist Lana gets her hands on me. I try to beg off but — kids these days — Gabby insists. Having your ass rolled out with a wooden rolling pin is something to be weathered more than enjoyed. Lana is “sculpting” me with a variety of wooden tools to “dissolve toxins while assisting in the breakdown of cellulite, reduction of swelling, and improving body tone.” As she’s working on my belly, I think that for all the talk of toxins, what this treatment really seems to be about is squeezing every ounce of water from your body so you can look as thin as possible. This might be useful if I were attending a Playboy cover shoot, rather than going home to bed. When it’s all over, I think I’m supposed to be studying my thighs in the after selfie and congratulating myself on how lean they are now or relishing the fact that I woke up three pounds lighter. But instead I feel the weight of a society that tells women we need all this rigmarole to rid our bodies of toxins when perhaps it’s wellness culture itself that’s making us sick. C
Illustration by PABLO LOBATO
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TABLE
Akiko Moorman and Phillip Foss of Boxcar BBQ
The New Pitmasters
From monster beef ribs to smoked seitan, these spots are blowing up Chicago’s barbecue scene. By AMY CAVANAUGH Photography by JEFF MARINI
J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
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Beef rib from Boxcar BBQ
Garlic chicken legs from Dhuaan BBQ Company URING THE PANDEMIC, EL
Ideas chef Phillip Foss and his wife, Akiko Moorman, had an idea: Why not dust off the boxy old smoker he’d been using occasionally at his idle restaurant and launch a barbecue spot? And so Boxcar BBQ in Douglas Park (2419 W. 14th St.) was born. As you might expect from a Michelin-starred chef, this carryout-only concept serves some dizzyingly good ’cue. The St. Louis spareribs ($24) are pure porky bliss and come with an übersavory sauce that adds depth to every bite. “I wanted the sauce to be full of umami, so I use black garlic and coffee extract,” Foss says. That sauce also works perfectly on El Boxcar ($32), a beef rib fit for a caveman; it’s super tender and studded with peppercorns. Noncarnivores are welcome too: Foss smokes seitan, then braises it with pickled jackfruit, tossing it into Hawaiian rolls to make a pair of vegan sandwiches ($16).
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Foss isn’t the only fine-dining chef going low and slow. In May, El Che Bar’s John Manion opened Babygold Barbecue at FitzGerald’s, the Berwyn music venue (6615 Roosevelt Rd.). His barbecue has a Cajun accent: Get slices of smoked brisket with Texas toast ($14), or have it shredded and tucked into a po’ boy ($15). D’Andre Carter, the former Moto executive sous chef, runs Soul & Smoke, which focused on catering after its launch in 2015 but has grown massively in the past year. A food truck hit the road in September, and Carter opened pickup and delivery locations in Evanston, Avondale, and the South Loop. His menu (“the food I grew up eating on the South Side with my grandma”) combines barbecue and soul food; think fat-streaked brisket ($30 a pound) and creamy mac and cheese ($5). Other new barbecue spots offer regional and international takes. Offset BBQ (1720 N. California Ave.) in Logan Square ser ves smoked lamb g yros
($24); Diamond Head BBQ, a Hawaiianinfluenced virtual kitchen from Arami, offers a pecan-wood-smoked pork shoulder sandwich ($13); and Ravenswood’s ATX Bodega (2301 W. Foster Ave.) smokes brisket ($18 a pound) that wouldn’t be out of place in Austin. Then there’s Dhuaan BBQ Company, which barbecue enthusiast Sheal Patel launched over the winter. In his Bridgeport backyard and rented kitchens, he’s smoking and grilling mash-ups of American classics and Mumbai and Old Delhi street foods: garlicky chicken legs ($11 a pound), lamb kebabs with roti and chutney ($14 a pound), a cheese steak with tandoori-spiced rib eye and Amul cheese ($13), and more. Order on Instagram at @dhuaanbbq for pickup. These spots may have been born of pandemic necessity, but the chefs plan to keep smoking even after the dining scene fully reopens. And that’s good news for ’cue fans. Because these are offerings worth digging into again and again.
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TA B L E
Awesome Sauces Shake up your summer cookouts with these chef-made condiments. By AMY CAVANAUGH
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UMAMI SSAM SAUCE from Mott St.
CURRY MANGO SAUCE from Trini Zaddy
TOMATO THOKKU from Thommy’s Toddy Shop
MACHA VERDE from Macha by Chef Rishi
What’s in it The Mott St. team makes this vegetal twist on traditional Korean ssamjang by mixing red miso, gochujang, and scallions. How to use it Co-owner Vicki Kim loves it on lettuce wraps. Grill rib eye, then tuck slices into a lettuce leaf with rice, scallions, and a dollop of this sauce for a savory punch of flavor. $10. Pick up at Foxtrot and other select markets.
What’s in it Taking inspiration from the West Indian curry she ate as a kid, chef Nariba Shepherd makes this spicy, fruity Trinidadian sauce with curry powder, mango, and habaneros. How to use it Meet your new go-to patio dip: Scoop it up with crispy plantain chips. $12. Order at snackette.club; follow @rebaru on Instagram for pop-up shops.
What’s in it Thommy Padanilam, a line cook at Superkhana, makes this gingery Indian tomato pickle by cooking Green Acres heirloom tomatoes with jalapeños, mustard seeds, and Kashmiri chiles. How to use it Spread it on a cheeseburger — its tanginess cuts right through the meat and cheese. $12. Pick up at Superkhana (3059 W. Diversey Ave., Logan Square).
What’s in it Bar Sótano chef de cuisine Rishi Manoj Kumar uses fresh serranos, hazelnuts, toasted sesame seeds, and cilantro for this herbaceous, nutty take on salsa macha. How to use it Grill shrimp, then smother them in macha verde for a bright burst of heat. Play up the cilantro notes with an herb salad alongside. $14. Order at your waywardmuse .com/macha.
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THIS MONTH’S OBSESSION
Tacos Árabes Q My daughter has an idea: Let’s go to Pilsen Yards. She wants to check out the place her friends are talking about. It’s fun, the 140-seat patio twinkly with string lights, and the standout dish is the taco árabe ($4) with chicken, fattoush, queso fresco, and hummus. Tacos árabes sounded familiar, and I recalled they’re on the menu at Evette’s in Lincoln Park, where the cooking of one co-owner’s Lebanese grandmother is seen through the prism of another co-owner’s Mexican heritage. Their chicken árabes (two for $9, three for $12) combine cinnamon-scented, fresh-off-the-spit shawarma with cucumber yogurt, jalapeño tabbouleh, and radishes in a way that triggers both the taco and gyro pleasure responses. But I don’t think I’ve cracked the taco árabe code yet. They’re a specialty of Puebla, where Christian Arabs fleeing the Middle East settled and brought with them not only the shawarma spit, the progenitor of al pastor, but the tradition of wrapping spiced lamb in a pita. Over time, the lamb gave way to pork and the pita to a thick flour tortilla. So I went to Maywood’s Antojos Poblanos el Carmen, a one-table spot where the taco árabe ($4.50) comes in an extrathick tortilla. Inside is seared pork lavished with oregano, thyme, and onions melted into submission. Accompanied by the traditional chipotle sauce and radishes, it tastes not so much of fusion as of a longing for home, a Levantine soul with a Mexican heart. I’ll be back with my family — with any luck, we’ll score the table. — JOHN KESSLER
Tacos árabes from Evette’s
Photography by JEFF MARINI
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Parson’s Chicken & Fish in West Town
ROSE MARY What A sleek spot for coastal Adriatic fare from Top Chef winner
Joe Flamm Why The menu promises “drinking food,” so sip Croatian beers alongside branzino with paprika sauce. Where 932 W. Fulton St., West Loop 2
THREE HOUSE What An all-day West Town café from chef Tyler Nickson and
the owners of Half Evil and Round Two Why Think French toast with coffee anglaise for breakfast and smash burgers for dinner. Where 1450 W. Chicago Ave. HOT BOX SUSHI What The TikTok sushi bake trend, in real life, made by a local enthusiast and home chef Why Use nori to scoop up spicy-crab-topped rice for DIY hand rolls at home. Where Order at thehotboxsushi.com for pickup and
3
delivery in Northbrook and rotating city and suburban locations. 4
HOPLEAF What The destination beer bar reopens in time for summer.
Why Pretend you’re on a European vacation: Sip a Belgian draft on the leafy patio and split the mussels and frites for two. Where 5148 N. Clark St., Andersonville
5
KORINI’S PIZZA What A Korean pizza pop-up from Parachute Why Did you
miss where we said pizza from Parachute? Try one topped with kimchi, pepperoni, and gochujang-tomato sauce. Where 3472 N. Elston Ave., Avondale BOONIE FOODS What Former Arami chef Joseph Fontelera highlights the Filipino flavors of his childhood at Revival Food Hall. Why Have your sisig with garlic rice and a fried egg or get it turned into tacos. Where 125 S. Clark St., Loop
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C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
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CHICAGO STORIES
NEVER THOUGHT I’D CARRY A PAGER. I HAD DECIDED AGAINST
medical school and being a drug dealer long ago. Who else carries a pager? I thought. Who else needs to be reached and told that their specific skills and goods are needed stat? Most of my pages come in all caps, which adds to the felt urgency of the request. One might read, “PT EXPIRED FAMILY AT BEDSIDE.” This means a patient died and there are family members in the room grieving their loss. Then there’s “CARDIAC ARREST,” which means a patient is having a heart attack and may not make it — and if family is present, watching the CPR could be difficult. “FAMILY MEETING FOR PT IN 9904” means that the medical team is about to meet with next The author, pager of kin and will probably be giving them bad news. The protocols for at her side and Bible death, potential death, grief, loss, and bad news at the South Side in hand. “Asking for a Bible,” she hospital where I work all conclude with “Page the chaplain.” says of patients, We’ve sometimes been referred to as “God on call,” but the God part isn’t always “is summoning clear. That said, people in distress do tend to spontaneously ask questions that might someone to listen.” be called theological. After a recent “PT TRANSITION TO COMFORT CARE” page, I sat with a self-identified atheist who asked me, “Where is he now?” after we watched his father’s blood pressure and heart rate fade to zeros on the monitors. Before that moment, the son had shared stories about his father and had told me why he, the son, didn’t believe in God — it was the general irrationality of it all — and had marveled at the monitors as a way to measure the presence of life. “He’s in your memories,” I answered. “And he’s in the spaces where you share stories about him, and in the relationships that he helped you create.” I paused as we looked together at the presence of his father’s body and felt the absence of his father. Mustering all the wisdom from my toes to my graying hairs, I said, “You’ll have to find a new way to love him.” My voice cracked as I said it, but there are no cracks in my belief that what I said was true. We keep loving the people who are gone, and the pain of grief is our adjustment to figuring out how to love them in their new state. As I left, the son gave me a hug and thanked me for staying with him so that he didn’t have to be alone as he watched his father die. Maybe not having to be alone is the God part. Sometimes I think the patient brings the God part. At one visit, a woman in her 60s from South Shore, one of the neighborhoods my hospital serves, prophetically said, “You should get some Easy Spirit shoes. God told me to tell you that.” She nodded, convinced that she was giving me a divine message. Turns out it was good advice. In my first year on the job, I went through two pairs of walking shoes. Some of that walking was answering “PT REQUESTING BIBLE” pages. Now, this may seem like the God part showing up, but sometimes a Bible is just a Bible. Or sometimes it is an invitation to sit and hear about marriage troubles, or about this thing their minister said that has been bothering them, or about the ghost that keeps them awake at night by walking up and down the stairs in their house. In these cases, the request for a Bible, A hospital chaplain reflects on grief, divine communication from the past, creates a conversation ghosts, and whether flannel counts as PPE. without my even having to open the book. Often I carry the By KRISTEL CLAYVILLE
God on Call
Photograph by MICHAEL ZAJAKOWSKI
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CHICAGO STORIES
Bible in and hand it to the patient, who then puts it on the table by the bed. It sits there while we talk about the patient’s various issues. Asking for a Bible is summoning someone to listen. What counts as a conversation with God is sometimes hard to judge. Once, I came back to the office space I share with the hospital’s nine other chaplains and found a couple of them pondering a page: “PT IN 497 WANTS PRAYER WITH CHAPLAIN WHO SPEAKS IN TONGUES.” We looked at each other, a bit stunned. One of us said, “At least we know that the patient is religious.” Another said, “Yes, and she knows what she wants.” We looked up videos of speaking in tongues to see if it was something any of us could even do. I wondered aloud, “Does the patient think that speaking in tongues happens by request?” I called the nurse back and told her that we didn’t have a chaplain who could speak in tongues, but that one of us would come and see the patient anyhow.
Ultimately, the patient just wanted to talk about her hospital bills and whether she’d be able to take care of her husband when she was discharged. And then one day the plague came and chaplains were declared essential workers. Suddenly all the pages were “TRANSITION TO COMFORT CARE 743” or “PT DEATH 992” or “CARDIAC ARREST COVID+ PT 1215” or “FAMILY IN LOBBY FOR END OF LIFE VISIT.” Patients were dying, families were grieving, and everyone was alone. Now we had to keep the grieving family members at a distance. We were used to caring for others, but now that care required us to calculate distances and weigh the costs and benefits to getting just a little closer—to be a human with another human in need. And now the spaces we had previously used for talking with families—those rooms where you get bad medical news—were filled not only with grief but also with tears and gasps and exhalations that felt dangerous.
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Did anyone in this room have the virus? Would grief literally become contagious? The operator paged me. It was just a callback number — the rare page that meant someone outside of the hospital was trying to get in touch with a chaplain. With no other context, I picked up the phone and dialed the number. The woman on the other end had heard that patients in hospitals were dying alone and she thought it was so horrible. She wondered if she could bring her hunting gear — flannel jacket, hat with earflaps, rubber waders — to the hospital for the chaplains to wear as protection against the virus so that we could go into the COVID patients’ rooms and be with them at the end. Apparently, she’d been hearing about PPE shortages but didn’t quite grasp that flannel and wool didn’t count as such. I politely declined her offer. The image of chaplains in hunting gear made me laugh for days. I was glad I took the page. C
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AD ER and my favorite book is Chop Wood, Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf. He talks about focusing on the preparation and relinquishing the results. And I’m one of those people who, if I had a chance to be the hero and take the last shot but an 80 percent chance of missing it, I would take the shot. So I’m choosing to come home to Chicago regardless of what the outcome is. I want to end my career where I started it, and whatever happens in between is out of my control.
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Q The second-best job to playing basketball is talking about it. I pride myself on knowing the game, the history of it, and the players. I think my authentic love of it shines through in my broadcasts. And I’ve always respected the men I grew up watching, who have respected me in return. The issues come from guys who weren’t able to play basketball past their middle school or high school days. Somebody who didn’t play is qualified to talk about it, but I can’t because I was born a woman? In my mid-20s, there was a switch that flipped when I stopped concerning myself with why they were acting this way. I’m not someone who wants to be coddled, and I’m not going to coddle the men I’m around — or not try my best because it would hurt their ego. That’s just not the way I was raised. Q I grew up in a household where we were humbled. We realized that you can’t take yourself too seriously. You’ve never got everything figured out. You make mistakes and admit them. You laugh. You joke. On a Saturday morning, if my oldest brother, Anthony, had shot poorly in a game the night before, my dad would get up and start looking around in a kitchen cabinet. We knew not to ask. But if we had a friend over, they would be like, “Hey, Mr. Parker, what are you doing?” “Looking for Anthony’s jump shot.” And when I was named one of People magazine’s most beautiful people during college, my brothers sent me hilarious photos of me: “Should we show People these?” So I have people who will bring me right back down to reality. Q My dad was tough on me across the board. In sixth grade, the workload got to be so much that I told him, “This isn’t what I’m cut out for.” My brother Marcus is brilliant. He’s a doctor and scored like 34 on his ACT. I was like, “I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to do it like him.” And my dad made me stay up and redo my homework until it was perfect. He said, “Now you’ve set the bar. It’s up to you to hold yourself to it.”
Q It’s important to show up. It shows people that you care. At one point, my parents had a sophomore in college, a junior in high school, and my YMCA basketball games. So on Saturdays they’d go to my 8 a.m. games, then Marcus’s noon game, then we’d all drive to Peoria to go to Anthony’s 7 p.m. game for Bradley University. We weren’t allowed to not attend. We supported each other. And I’m trying to carry that forward with my child. Q Before my freshman season at Tennessee, I had a scope procedure on my knee. I woke up in the hospital. My parents and my coach, Pat Summitt, were there, and we were joking, because I guess I’d been telling them through the anesthesia, “We won.” They’re like, “What did you win?” So I’m feeding into it and laughing. Then I saw the doctor’s face, and everybody kind of stopped laughing. I remember my parents and Pat saying, “We should tell her,” and the doctor saying, “No, we have to wait until she wakes up fully.” I said, “No, I’m awake. Tell me.” Pat and my dad kind of grabbed me, and I knew it was bad. They said I needed an additional surgery that was seasonending. Back at our hotel, I remember being really upset, like, Why does this have to happen to me? I had just come off ACL surgery the year before. After an hour of me screaming and yelling, my dad took me into the bathroom and made me look at myself in the mirror. He was like, “OK, you’ve had your pity party. Now what are you going to do about it? You need to promise yourself that you’re going to overcome this.” And that really stuck with me, because as a parent it would have been easy to just say, “I’ll make everything fine.” But he made me take responsibility for myself.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (FAMILY, BRYANT) COURTESY OF PARKER FAMILY; (LAILAA) MEG OLIPHANT/GETTY IMAGES; (STATE TITLE) CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Q Not being able to play that season was a huge blow, because playing is something I would always do whenever something was wrong. I was also going through the transition of moving to college, and my parents were getting a divorce. But I was one of those kids who tried to act like everything was fine and dealt with stuff by myself. Pat noticed what was going on and made me go see a sports psychiatrist — who I wouldn’t talk to. I didn’t know how it would help me. And so I would go to the sessions and we would just sit there. I would do my time. Pat got wind of this and was like, “Instead of doing that, why don’t you come by my office
at lunch every Wednesday. You can do your homework, but just sit in my office.” The first two times, we just kind of sat there and talked. By the third session, it was like therapy for me. We talked about life and how we dealt with stuff. She was the one who really helped me through everything. And she was ahead of her time in terms of advice. She’d say, “I’m going to tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.” A lot of times we gravitate towards comfort and don’t want to solve the underlying problem. A phrase that has echoed in my ear from different coaches and mentors is “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” People who can live in that space really have an advantage.
Clockwise from top left: Parker at age 4 with her father, Larry, brothers, Anthony and Marcus, mother, Sara, and grandmother Shirley; with Kobe Bryant at the 2008 Olympics; with her daughter, Lailaa, now 12, after a Los Angeles Sparks win in 2019; leading Naperville Central to the Class AA state title in 2004 for the second year in a row.
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Q When I was 18 or 19 years old, I was dating Dwight Howard. He was going straight to the NBA, and everybody was talking about him. I was hung up on the fact that, dang, I’m skilled, I’m pretty good at what I do, but this guy’s set for life on his first contract, and I’m not. Then when I got out of college, I realized the limitations that were put on women in general, not just in sports. And that was difficult, because nobody had ever called me bossy, nobody had spoken of my confidence, nobody had said that I couldn’t do math. And I started realizing the world wasn’t what I thought it was. But I wasn’t gonna let it change me. Q Having Lailaa at 23 years old really made me grow up and try to be a better person. I was taken aback by people’s initial reaction when I announced I was pregnant. It was like, “How could you do this to us? You’re not going to be the same.” But if you tell me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it. So I had everything scheduled. I worked out during my whole pregnancy, and I worked out again two weeks after I had my daughter. Two weeks after that, I was on the court. And six weeks after that, I was playing in a game. I was nursing and Lailaa was just along for the ride. Q Your kids are constantly watching you. I remember crying after a game. We’d lost in the Western Conference finals, and I was really upset. There’s a picture of Lailaa coming onto the court and hugging me. Fast-forward a couple of months. We were at my brother’s house, visiting her cousins, and they were playing a board game. I went in the room because I heard some yelling. Lailaa was in the corner, crying. So I walked over to her and said, “What happened?” “I lost.” And I said, “We don’t cry when we lose.” She’s like, “But you did.”
Q I was married to Shel for eight years after I had Lailaa. It’s difficult to balance. You have this love for the game, and it takes you so many different places. And there’s a growth factor: Sometimes you grow apart. You don’t know your true self yet, and you’re trying to get to know somebody else as well. It’s like rolling the dice, because you’re kind of betting on who the other person is going to be. Going through the divorce, with TMZ reporting stuff and so many people knowing what was going on, was difficult for me. We had to have conversations with Lailaa about how sometimes things that are personal get out. But I can honestly say we do an amazing job coparenting. Lailaa absolutely loves her dad, who’s super supportive. So it’s been as easy a transition as you can have. There are ups and downs — I’m not in any way saying there aren’t — but we’ve landed on two feet and we’re in a good place. Q When I play against my daughter, I’ll let her score maybe once or twice, but she won’t beat me. Everybody is like, “Candace, let your kid …” No, absolutely not. That’s the biggest problem with sports that they play at this age. They lost five games and she got a trophy? Like, I’m confused how you get a trophy from that. Q I talk over everything with Lailaa, like the decision to come to Chicago. We’ve traveled the world together. She grew up in Russia. Her first school was in Russia. And it got harder as she got older. The last time we went to China, I remember telling her, “Hey, baby, Mommy got this great opportunity. But we’re a package deal, so I want to talk it over with you. It would be for only eight weeks. What do you think?” And she turned her head, and I saw a tear fall to her cheek, and she turned back around and was like, “I think we should go. We’ll be OK.”
Q Confidence comes from preparation. It comes from repetition. It comes from putting in the time and the hours. And I believe that I belong. I belong on the basketball court. I belong at that TNT desk with Shaq and D-Wade. I was raised in a household where I wasn’t limited because I was a girl. I didn’t have a different curfew. I didn’t have to do the dishes and cook while my brothers sat on the couch. No, we all did everything. Even when I was the only girl playing kickball, I felt as though I should be out there. And I went to a predominantly white school in Naperville, so I don’t feel uncomfortable walking into a room or sitting at a table with all white people — or all men. When I was in China, I was on a team of all Chinese players, and I didn’t speak their language. But I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I don’t ever think I shouldn’t be there. Q In 2016, when we finally got the WNBA championship, it was so amazing. But I’m one of those people who remember my losses more. I remember almost feeling disappointed the day after we won, because the feeling wasn’t what I thought it would be. Like, I automatically wanted to do it more, get more championships. I had to learn to stop and really appreciate moments. Q It’s interesting how society judges people based on their accomplishments. I saw an Instagram post that was like, “Candace won a championship, she knows what it takes.” We won a championship by one point in game 5. Four times, I’ve been one shot away, so I could have been a four-time champion or a zero-time champion, but I still have the same knowledge and the same experiences. If I worried about what people said, it would mean I’m this close to not knowing what I’m talking about because I don’t have the rings to back it up.
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Q A couple of years ago, I was voted the most overrated player in the WNBA. It was a poll by the Athletic. Players voted. I laughed because it’s almost comical. But honestly, it just gives me more motivation on a random Tuesday to wake up and work out. That’s what I’m taking from it. Q Especially now, the knock on me is that “Candace doesn’t always play hard on every single possession.” I think my pain has been mistaken for not working hard, because sometimes my body’s not cooperating. If those people knew how much I had to do just to get out of bed and onto the court. I feel like you know your own truth, but still, it eats at me, because laziness is one of those personality traits that really bothers me. Q I remember one game when Kobe Bryant was 6 for 26 from the field and he came down the court — calm, cool, and collected — and nailed the game winner. I texted him the next day, like, “How do you have the confidence to do that?” And he said, “I’ve put in so much time and work and energy that, statistically, the next shot had to go in because I’d missed so many times.” I was like, Wow. That’s really shifting the way you think about it. What makes one shot at the end of the game more important than the previous 20 you took? Your mind is the thing that’s holding you back the most. I’ve struggled with free throws occasionally. But it’s not the actual free throw that’s messing me up — it’s my brain. So you try to figure out ways to turn that off. One of my family members was like, “You should sing a song at the free-throw line.” “Forever Young” by Jay-Z is my freethrow line song. It makes me happy, and I started shooting better.
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Q Kobe was a mentor, and I really got to know him well in 2008. We hung out at the Olympics, and I went to a couple of events with him. He was a professional before I was, and I’d watched this guy win championships and have that mindset. To have that model and blueprint, especially in L.A., was really special. He called me before one of my huge playoff games, after we had lost in game 4, and basically said, “I’m not trying to Hoosiers on you, but the basket is the same in L.A. as it is in Minnesota. You know what you’ve got to do. Go get it done.” Q I was about to take my daughter to a basketball game when I heard about Kobe. It was one of those moments that rock the entire world, when you’re always going to remember what you were doing. He really let us see who he was during his last couple of years. He let us see the joy and the laughter instead of always being serious. He was an entire human, not just a basketball player, and I kind of fell in love with the part of him that was a father who brought his daughter around to different tournaments. And so I think that’s what’s been so hard to move past. All of us, especially athletes, can see ourselves in him. I still wake up and can’t believe it. It doesn’t seem real. Q I have always been super interested in the history of our country, both good and bad. I remember, when I was younger, my dad and I would talk about what I learned in school, and then he would show me lies my teacher told me or things that they don’t put in history books. At 13, I was able to go to France to play basketball. And my dad and I spent three or four hours in Les Invalides, a museum that is basically the perspective of the French on World War II. That was the first time I saw Americans painted not as heroes
in a museum. I also heard my dad’s stories about going to Joliet West, the amount of hatred he received. They bused in Black students to desegregate the school, and he was part of that. He played varsity his freshman year, and one of their first games, people were throwing quarters at them because they were Black. And so it’s a matter of being able to see how far we’ve come but also how far we have to go. What are our blind spots today? What aren’t we addressing? America is built on these principles and fundamental ideas that are great, but we wait until something happens to react. Q I was a little bit of a hothead when I was younger. And my mouth has gotten me into trouble. I would yell. I got technicals. I have passion and energy and fire, and I may not have always whispered to my coaches when I talked to them. But I don’t think anger should hold you back. It hasn’t held me back. Sometimes, in your heart, you know something is right, and you just do it because it’s authentic to who you are. The fight with Detroit’s Plenette Pierson in 2008 was one of those things where you either face the bully or you end up getting bullied your entire career. There’ve been skirmishes since then, but nothing like that. I’d still be described as highly emotional, but I’ve gotten better. And over the last 10 years, I think the world has adjusted to women being passionate about playing a sport they love. C
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Sum mer Back! Off-thebeaten-path bike trails
This year, the pleasures of the
season are that much sweeter.
Make a lip-smacking potato salad, party on a boat,
and stuff your face with
soft serve. You’ve earned it!
Tips from a picnic judge
Photography by Lucy Hewett
Illustrations by John Kenzie Styling by Melissa Elias
The top 10 hot dog stands
How to visit busy places when they aren't
Find the perfect frozen treat!
Take a hike! Then have a beer.
The criteria: unpretentious ambiance, natural-casing wieners (with one exception!), stellar nondog offerings, and a location within city limits By Titus Ruscitti
1
Redhot Ranch/35th Street Red Hots
Considering the first of this trio of spots opened only in 2005, its rise to the top is meteoric in hot dog stand years. It’s gotten there thanks to its consistency, simplicity, and cheap prices, which are seemingly from another era. Each spot feels like an old-timey stand (there’s little more than White Sox signs at the Bridgeport location and a Vienna Beef poster in Lake View), the seating is largely outdoor picnic tables, and the menu isn’t padded out with pizza puffs or mozzarella sticks. That, plus zero shortcuts, means the dozen items on offer are all killer: The juicy, beefy hot dog ($3.62), minimalist compared with a full-fledged Chicago-style number, is served with mustard, relish, sport peppers, and onions. It comes wrapped with tender fries, which are handcut and double-fried — leave a few on the wiener for texture. Bring a friend so you can also split the city’s best double cheeseburger ($6.11, including fries) and the crispy fried shrimp ($17.20 per pound). 3057 N. Ashland Ave., Lake View; 2449 W. Armitage Ave., Logan Square; 500 W. 35th St., Bridgeport
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Beef Factory Store & Cafe 2 Vienna Part hot dog stand, part shop, it is as close to a farm-to-table dining experience as you can have at a hot dog stand. From the wieners to the electric green relish, nearly everything is made at the Vienna Beef factory across the street. 3847 S. Morgan St., Bridgeport
Original Jimmy’s Red Hots 3 The This 67-year-old corner stand is loaded with character — and characters. Some of the staffers have been slinging dogs here for decades. And no, you can’t dip your fries in ketchup — as the signs declare, “Don’t even ask!” 4000 W. Grand Ave., Humboldt Park
Wiener’s Circle 4 The Whether or not you consider the yelling
Three Tips to Fancy Up Your Picnic From a Former Picnic Judge
at patrons and the late-night circus atmosphere charming, you’ll dig the the local-classic char dog ($5) — get it topped with grilled onions — and the crisp, well-seasoned hand-cut fries with cheddar ($5). 2622 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park
5
As the city’s last drive-in, it brims with nostalgia, from the food being toted to your car to the giant hot dogs on the roof. And of course, there’s the Superdawg ($6.75), the rare great skinless wiener, served with housemade crinklecut fries. 6363 N. Milwaukee Ave., Norwood Park
Red Hots 6 Dave’s The oldest stand in town (around since 1938), it looks the part, but the quality of its food hasn’t faded. The red hot ($3.10) is served up with a mountain of fries, and an excellent seared salami sandwich ($3) is tucked into a dog bun. 3422 W. Roosevelt Rd., North Lawndale
Last Stand 7 Fatso’s Stroller pushers and barhoppers alike flock to the two locations for the char dog ($6.50 for one topped with Merkts cheddar) and the fried shrimp ($7 per quarter pound) breaded with crispy panko crumbs. 2258 W. Chicago Ave., Ukrainian Village; 1982 N. Clybourn Ave., Lincoln Park
Under the L 8 Al’s Tucked beneath the tracks, this brick LOCATION: PREVIOUS SPREAD COURTESY OF BIG DELICIOUS PLANET
By Amy Cavanaugh
Superdawg
storefront has swapped hands a few times since it opened in 1956, but what hasn’t changed: You can still get a delicious minimalist dog ($3.50). The signature item: the Polish sausage ($5.50), crisp from a trip to the deep fryer. 2908 W. Lake St., East Garfield Park
Coney Island 9 Lola’s This place, from a Detroit native, offers a superb version of the Coney-style dog ($4.50) prevalent in the Mitten State. It’s slathered with meaty sauce and garnished with mustard and onions on a steamed bun; get it with a Faygo for an authentic taste. 2858 W. Chicago Ave., Humboldt Park
Dawgs 10 Devil The Lincoln Park location recently closed, but three spots remain for a perfectly dressed Chicago-style dog ($4.25), fresh-cut fries ($3), and the aptly named Kick-Ass Slider ($3.50). 767 S. State St., South Loop; 1431 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wicker Park; 937 W. Belmont Ave., Lake View
As someone who loves (a) picnics and (b) judging things, I jumped at the chance a few summers ago to help preside over the Grant Park Music Festival’s annual picnic contest. Here are a few lessons I gleaned from the experience:
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Planning is everything. You could just ask your friends to bring their favorite dishes, but who wants six pasta salads? The best picnics have foods that make sense together and options for the beginning (cheeses, dips, finger foods), middle (sandwiches or a main dish), and end (something sweet). A theme, whether it’s French country cooking or the color green, can help focus the menu. (The theme of the Grant Park contest was inspired by the night’s classical music selections.)
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Gussy up the table. Actually, first of all, bring a table. Nothing is less elegant than sitting on the ground passing around deviled eggs in a plastic container. The standout picnics featured tablecloths, candles (get ones that repel bugs), ice buckets to chill beverages, trays and bowls to serve, and vases of flowers. Skip plasticware and use real plates, glasses, and utensils.
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Think big. Your first visit to Ravinia in two years is a special occasion; this is not a time for grocery store sandwiches. One group at the contest I judged created meal courses like at a restaurant: amuse-bouches on skewers, a salad course, and a main. Some served fancy apps, like shrimp cocktail or caviar nestled in ice trays. Others had beverages to pair with each course. Which brings us to what to drink: When in doubt, bubbly.
“I love shopping, foodie-style” Whole Foods Market, 3201 N. Ashland Ave., Lake View This particular Whole Foods has a ton of areas for interesting setups because of the repetitive patterns, multicolored products, and huge windows that provide great lighting. I love this shot of me, which says, “I’m an idiot, but an idiot who loves apples.”
“I love nature as long as I can pose with it” Garden of the Phoenix, 6401 S. Stony Island Ave., Woodlawn We’re city people for a reason, and that’s because nature is dangerous. But nestled in Jackson Park is a spot filled with lush plants and immaculately pruned trees. No matter where you take a photo, it will say, “I’m into the outdoors if it doesn’t move.”
“I fell 30 seconds after this photo”
Quick Shop, 2901 W. Irving Park Rd., Irving Park Art in Chicago is not just what you see in brick buildings but also what’s on brick buildings. This corner liquor store gives you a chance to both check out the verdant mural and get fuzzy-eyed on hard seltzers and corn nuts.
SOCIAL MEDIA SAFARI TikTok maven Elizabeth Gomez recommends six backgrounds that send just the right message about you.
“Gosh dang it, I love this city!” Just south of the Chess Pavilion, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, Lincoln Park Here’s your obligatory “Chicago is glorious” location, featuring Chicago’s Experimentalist, Adrienne Gunn. She looks thrilled here, but after our subsequent 40-mile bike ride to the Indiana Dunes, she died.
“I know how to swim but would prefer to sit on sand” 63rd Street Beach, 6300 S. Lake Shore Dr., Woodlawn Never underestimate the power of a beach shot during the magic hour (when the sun starts going down) or moody weather, which should be Chicago’s nickname.
The Mellowest Getaway Tune waaaaay out at a pro-pot B&B in Galena. By Nina Kokotas Hahn
Dreams do come true: The state’s first cannabis-friendly accommodation is just three hours away. At the five-room Aldrich Guest House, you can get vacation-baked, judgment-free, with breakfast included. No, you can’t stroll around with a spliff on your lips, but you can get buzzed in the Potting Shed, a tiny house with air conditioning, comfy seating, a TV, and a snack bar. Go for a 13-minute walk downtown to stock up on cannabis at Verilife (opt for consumables if you’re bringing them back to the shed, since Illinois law forbids indoor smoking), or walk a block to Depot Park for two made-for-stoners outdoor summer events: the 20-vehicle-strong Food Truck Fight, where you play judge (August 7), and Corkless in Galena (August 14; $20), which showcases northern Illinois wines. Presumably, all of this will taste awesome. From $145 a night, 900 Third St.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (WHOLE FOODS) STEPHANIE JENSEN; (ALL OTHERS) ELIZABETH GOMEZ
“I’m cultured and slightly buzzed on White Claw”
Humboldt Park, 1440 N. Humboldt Blvd. Chicagoans love to look active so we don’t feel bad about the jibarito we put into our faces, and by “the,” I mean two. Humboldt Park provides a nice backdrop for action shots. I tried to get my friend to look cool, but this is what I got. Zing!
PHOTOGRAPHY: THIS SPREAD (BOAT) JENN WINTER; NEXT SPREAD (SHAWN MICHELLE’S) NATAKI MUHAMMAD; (DAISIES) EMILY WILLIAMS; (PRETTY COOL) COURTESY OF PRETTY COOL; (KASAMA) KRISTEN MENDIOLA; (RECESS) COURTESY OF RECESS; (SACRED SERVE) COURTESY OF SACRED SERVE; (2 FOOLS CIDER) COURTESY OF 2 FOOLS CIDER; (CICCIO MIO) COURTESY OF CICCIO MIO; (CUPITOL) VICTORIA KENT; (BANATO) CARL SUGIHARA PHOTOGRAPHY; (LA MICHOACANA PREMIUM) EVELYN GOVEA; (INA MAE TAVERN) HEATHER TALBERT; (KURIMU) COURTESY OF KURIMU; (SUSHI-SAN) ZOE RAIN; (BOMBOBAR) LINDSEY SIMON; (JOJO'S) MARLANE PHOTOGRAPHY; (NORTHERLY ISLAND) CHICAGO TRIBUNE
PARTY IN SEMI-SECLUSION
You feel comfortable enough to hang with close pals but not to mingle in crowds. Here, five ideas for a private bash. By Carly Boers ↑ On a boat
At the bowling alley
At a vacation pad
In a secret garden
At the beach
If you’re not ready to party in the Playpen or mix with tourists on an architectural boat tour, your crew can still cruise this summer. Check out the Chicago Electric Boat Company, which lets you rent vessels tailored to novice skippers. Choose from a fleet that includes 18-foot picnic boats with canopy tops, doughnutshaped rigs with roundtable seating ideal for gazing at architecture, and 1950s-style cruisers in cool retro colors. From $900 an hour for up to 13 people. chicago electricboats.com
Following a long coronavirus-induced hibernation, Avondale Bowl reemerged as chill and Instagrammable as ever, but with half of the lanes closed to allow for social distancing and stringently disinfected shoes and balls. Go big and rent the whole shebang — you’ll have reign of the lanes and dedicated servers to ensure everyone has a drink in their nonbowling hand. Private parties for up to 50 people, from $350 per hour (includes shoe and lane rental). 3118 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Yes, you and your pod can responsibly staycation together, thanks to Airbnb options like a baller penthouse loft in Old Town. Two separate units adjoined by a private staircase make up the roomy 4,000-squarefooter. Grownups can mingle freely while the unvaxxed kids watch Netflix in their own space, then convene for open-air shenanigans on the rooftop deck. From $799 a night for up to 16 people. airbnb.com/ rooms/16453692
While jetting off to the Piedmont region may not be in the cards quite yet, a cozy family-style Italian feast at Osteria Langhe can temporarily scratch the pasta-and-wine itch. Rent the entire lush patio for a dinner party and your whole group can gather around the single large table to enjoy a preset meal with wine pairings. $1,200 minimum on food and drink for up to 14 people. 2824 W. Armitage Ave., Logan Square
Twelfth Street Beach may not be as prime for people-watching as its North Side counterparts, but this summer, that’s a good thing: There’s a greater likelihood of your group finding ample towel space here. Plus, the skyline view is stellar. 1200 S. Linn White Dr., Near South Side
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For Grownups
Aperol Freeze Recess, 838 W. Kinzie St., West Town Housemade Root Beer Float With Bourbon Ice Cream Daisies, 2523 N. Milwaukee Ave., Logan Square
Halo-Halo
Stairway to Heaven (Jamaican Rum Raisin and Raspberry Cookies and Cream Ice Cream) Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream, 46 E. 47th St., Bronzeville
Kyoto Cold Brew Pop Pretty Cool Ice Cream, 2353 N. California Ave., Logan Square
This Filipino shaved-ice sundae typically comes loaded with colors and textures, and pastry chef Genie Kwon’s version is no exception. At Kasama (1001 N. Winchester Ave., East Ukrainian Village), she tweaks the flavor profile so it’s brighter and fresher: She swaps the ube ice cream for pandan and makes an icy honeydew granita. The base comes from close to home: It’s chef Tim Flores’s mother’s recipe for leche flan. Kwon finishes the dessert with toasted rice, seasonal fruits, dehydrated berries, and microgreens.
Saffron Chai Spice PlantBased Gelato Sacred Serve, sacredserve. com for locations
Classic
Mango Paleta La Michoacana Premium, 1855 S. Blue Island Ave., Pilsen; 5114 Museum Dr., Oak Lawn
Sno-Ball This towering mound of fluffy shaved ice flavored with a rainbow of syrups is a traditional New Orleans treat that NOLA native Brian Jupiter serves from a window at Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods (1415 N. Wood St., Wicker Park). Get it in flavors ranging from blue raspberry to green apple to Tiger’s Blood, a fruity strawberrywatermelon-coconut blend.
Sneaky Bar (Frozen Housemade Snickers Bar) Cupitol, 812 Grove St., Evanston; 455 E. Illinois St., Streeterville Strawberry-Banana Dairy-Free Bar Banato, 850 W. Superior St., River West
Wonder Years Shake (Blueberry Ice Cream With Marshmallows, Gummies, and Cotton Candy) JoJo’s Shake Bar, 23 W. Hubbard St., Near North Side
For Kids
Looking for the Bike Path Less Traveled The owners of Roscoe Village Bikes recommend trails where you’re infinitely less likely to hear “On your left!” By Robin Linn
Major Taylor Bike Trail
Beer and Cider Soft Serve
Amaro Shaved Ice With Meletti, Casoni, and Amaro Nonino Ciccio Mio, 226 W. Kinzie St., River North
Local breweries are tapping a machine from Huntley-based WDS Dessert Stations to make soft serve beer and cider. At Mikerphone Brewing (121 Garlisch Dr., Elk Grove Village), World of Beer Imagination IPA is adorned with sprinkles and crushed graham crackers; at More Brewing Company (13980 Automall Dr., Huntley; 126 S. Villa Ave, Villa Park), Arketype stout is accented with coconut flakes; and at 2 Fools Cider, pictured (1665 Quincy Ave., Naperville), Wildberry cider comes on a cone. That cider one may sound kid friendly, but it’s just as boozy — and just as delicious — as its liquid counterpart.
Over the Top
Beverly to Riverdale Distance: 8 miles Head south from the Dan Ryan Woods at 81st Street to the Whistler Woods Forest Preserve at West 134th Street, following an unused train line. You’ll traverse forests, parks, and historic neighborhoods like West Pullman and Beverly. Along the way, you'll find Original Rainbow Cone and Top-Notch Beefburgers, perfect spots for a pit stop.
Burnham Greenway
East Side to Hegewisch and back Distance: 5 miles Ambitious cyclists can bike the additional 2.7 miles to the trailhead from Calumet Park (the lakefront park, not the village), giving them the chance to bike under the Chicago Skyway. Others can start a leisurely loop from the Eggers Grove Forest Preserve. That’s a former antiaircraft missile site, so keep your eyes peeled for a Cold War–era warhead on display near the picnic tables. You’ll bike through a number of habitats — savannas, wetlands, woods — and ride past Wolf Lake, popular with fishermen and boaters. Hike around William Powers State Recreation Area before looping back.
North Shore Channel Trail
Evanston to Lincoln Square Distance: 7 miles Begin this family-friendly trail (underpasses let you avoid car traffic) at the Ladd Arboretum, following the North Shore Channel south. You’ll wind through hills and trees before coming to the colorful, oversize art at the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park. Cross the pedestrian bridge in Lincolnwood and head to Legion Park, where you can stop and catch the mist off the fountain. At River Park you’re back under tree canopy and are bound to catch a few soccer games. Finally, stop for a banh mi at Nhu Lan Bakery.
Northerly Island Park
Downtown Chicago Distance: 1 mile A far cry from its former life as Meigs Field, this nature preserve is now filled with prairie flowers, grasses, and gorgeous views of the lake. The path itself is short but sweet, so it’s great for kids. For a longer, less isolated ride, head just south of the Shedd Aquarium, where you can connect to the Lakefront Trail. The Northerly Island path is closed on occasion for repairs due to erosion, so check with the Chicago Park District first.
Raspberry White Chocolate Crunch Emochi Sushi-San, 63 W. Grand Ave., Near North Side
Asian-Inspired Soft Serve
Gelato Cookie Sandwich With Caramel Drizzle and Fruity Pebbles BomboBar, 832 W. Randolph St., West Loop
The dairy desserts at Kurimu (1159 W. Taylor St., Little Italy) come in wild flavors like cereal milk and strawberry-watermelon swirl, get dispensed into colorful cones, and are decked out with toppings like heart-shaped marshmallows, gold leaf, and Pocky — all of which makes them perfect for your tween’s latest TikTok. Plus, with flavors like Earl Grey and black sesame, adults have options too.
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Hot Butt Summer How to fix your flat tush after a year stuck sitting on it By Elizabeth Gomez
Of all the insults laid on us by the pandemic, this might be the most egregious: It literally wilted our butts (a condition known as dead butt syndrome). Your badonkadonk matters beyond just vanity. “It plays a vital role in posture and hip alignment and helps control the tracking of your knees,” says Alex Nsiah-Kumi Jr. of Paramount Personal Training in Logan Square. “Improving your butt can go a long way toward moving and feeling better.” Here’s how he recommends you, in his words, “juicify your booty” with exercises that can be built into your day:
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Do fire hydrants while scrolling TikTok. Get on all fours and lift your bent leg like a peeing dog (which incidentally will strengthen your core so you stop actually peeing when you sneeze if you are a person who has had a baby). Repeat 10 times on each side.
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Dip into deep lunges while walking to the bathroom. Keep your back straight and don’t let your back knee hit the ground. If you’re well hydrated and make the trip often, it’s a real workout.
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Do five squats every time you have a nonalcoholic drink. Center your hips over
The Least Busy Times to Go to the Busiest Places
your feet and squat like you’re about to sit in a chair, letting your bum lead the way. Do 10 squats for every alcoholic drink and it suddenly becomes a balance exercise, too.
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Do 10 single-leg dead lifts per side after each meal. Consider it a nonsurgical butt lift. Stand straight, lift one leg behind you, and tighten your abs. Keep your upper body straight as you lean forward from your hips as far as you can go. Then bring your leg down, returning to an upright position, and squeeze your cheeks like you are holding a proof-of-vaccination card between them!
Art Institute of Chicago Mon., 4 to 6 p.m.
Block 37 Mon., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Brown Elephant (Andersonville) Tues., noon to 3 p.m.
Field Museum Mon. and Tues., 3 to 5 p.m.
Hyde Park Art Center Mon., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FIVE OVERLOOKED PATIOS TO SEEK OUT Avoid the crowded sceney spots and head to one of these under-the-radar dining refuges. By Audarshia Townsend
← For a Mexican backyard party El Cid Tucked in the back of this unassuming restaurant is a patio where it feels like you’ve wandered into a festive gathering of friends and family south of the border — in fact, to get there, you’ll walk past a hand-painted sign reading, “You Are Leaving the USA, Welcome to Mexico.” Order the fajitas and, on Wednesdays, $20 sangria pitchers. 2645 N. Kedzie Ave., Logan Square
For Southern hospitality Blue Door Kitchen & Garden You’d never know this lush gem is right off the boisterous Rush Street strip. Shade-giving trees, plant-loaded fire escapes, striped umbrellas, chandeliers — it’s all a perfect backdrop for a glam brunch over Art Smith’s fried chicken and waffles. 52 W. Elm St., Near North Side
For Paris vibes La Crêperie The patio is decorated with an abundance of lights and the kind of knickknacks you’d find at a vintage Parisian café, like the fountain that serves as a focal point. You’ll find a mix of European expats and locals relaxing over bottles of French wine and crêpes stuffed with boeuf bourguignon. 2845 N. Clark St., Lake View East
For a chill rooftop scene The Woodlawn Sheltered from the bustle of 79th Street, the light-strung rooftop at this gathering space and business incubator might be a destination for a yoga class one day and a food pop-up the next. You can always grab a relaxed dinner and share heaping orders of jerk nachos and turkey tips. It’s BYOB. 1200 E. 79th St., Grand Crossing
For an Italian date night A Tavola Good luck as a walk-in snagging a table in the back of chef Dan Bocik’s tiny, elegant eatery, which is why you should make a res. The cozy patio has a bar slinging Italian vino and Negronis, which sets a romantic tone and whets the appetite for dishes like saffron risotto. 2148 W. Chicago Ave., Ukrainian Village
King Spa & Sauna Mon. and Tues., 8 a.m. to noon
Portillo’s (River North) Tues., 2:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Shedd Aquarium
Skydeck Chicago
Tues., 3 to 5 p.m.
Wed., 9 to 10 a.m.
Waveland Bowl
Wndr Museum
Mon., Tues., and Wed., 1 to 3 p.m.
Mon., noon to 6 p.m.
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The Most Romantic Spots to Make Out With Barack Obama A completely fabricated summer date with the most smoochable ex-prez By Elizabeth Gomez
The two things I think about every day of my life are ham sandwiches and Barack Obama. So I wasn’t surprised to find myself pedaling at an easy clip across the Riverview Bridge and dreaming of Barry. My eyes follow the curve under the viaduct while I imagine him staring into my eyes and leaning in, my stomach fluttering — and then our kiss is interrupted by a woman in a Cubs hat screaming at her toddler, “Utah! Come here!” I’m not looking to fistfight Michelle over B. I’ve seen her arms, and I like my face where it is. But if you have a hot celeb hub whose laugh has reached into every home in America, you’re gonna have to deal with a stranger’s little smoochy-smooch fantasy about your husband. Sorry, not sorry. As I continue to bike around the Clark Park boathouse, I see teenage girls unloading their kayaks, and suddenly I’m in a canoe with Barack. He’s rowing, and I’m under a parasol, twirling my hair. He explains that if I don’t start helping, the canoe will go in the wrong direction, and I laugh at his joke. He says he’s serious. I say he’s charming.
After someone rescues us off the river at Horner Park, Barack suggests we grab a box of dumplings at Qing Xiang Yuan in Chinatown. We eat them at Ping Tom Park and wave at the water taxis going by. He says I shouldn’t eat two dumplings at a time and worries about my health. I say, “OK, Michelle. I didn’t know I was dating both of you. … Do you think she’d be into it?” The night settles at the council rings at Promontory Point. We sip on Koval gin with lemon and ice and discuss why we hated The Trial of the Chicago 7 despite Sacha Baron Cohen playing Abbie Hoffman. The moon reflects on Lake Michigan, the fire crackles, and Barry hands me a warm smashed ham sandwich he’s been carrying in his pocket all day. I’m disgusted and madly in love at the same time and take a delicious bite.
How to Cosplay the Fyre Festival Gone Right Escape city life in a tent that’s more tricked out than your first apartment. If you fancy the idea of sleeping outdoors (warm breezes! stars!) but not the reality (bugs, backaches), then Off Map, which opens June 28, is the campground for you. At this glamping site in South Haven, Michigan, a two-hour drive from Chicago, you’ll find real beds, crisp linens, and cute wood-burning stoves — basically Robey and Gwen vibes, but surrounded by 30 acres of viridescent woodlands. The 12-tent campsite, run by Chicagoans Mike Doyle and Sam Shanley, has a campfire pit and yard games, too, but the real draw is the barnturned-bathroom. It’s subdivided into individual lavatories that each contain a sink, commode, and shower to give you privacy, no squatting in the woods required. From $200 a night. stayoffmap.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY: (TENT) KRISTIAN WALKER/OFF MAP
By Megan Sauer
PHOTOGRAPHY: (EISENMAN) COURTESY OF NICOLE EISENMAN; (LOVELL) COURTESY OF WHITFIELD LOVELL; (GIBSON) JOHN LUSIS; NEXT SPREAD (LEON’S) JESSE BRADFORD
From left: Nicole Eisenman’s The Triumph of Poverty, Whitfield Lovell’s Spell No. 9 (Diamond Cuts Diamond), Jeffrey Gibson’s Chief Pretty Eagle
WHERE TO SEE A GENIUS’S WORK
Over the next year, venues across the city will exhibit art by 29 recipients of the MacArthur Foundation’s ballyhooed grants, with 12 shows happening this summer. By Megan Sauer 1
Jeffrey Gibson’s historical mash-up. The multimedia artist overlays his psychedelic wallpaper with 19th-century portraits of Indigenous leaders. Through September 18. Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St.
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Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s 70-foot banners. You might recognize the Nigerianborn artist’s distinctive portraits, in which she renders subjects in acrylic and color pencil and surrounds them with photo collages. Now they’ll be on the sides of two buildings. Ongoing. National Public Housing Museum, 625 N. Kingsbury St. Minnie Riperton Apartments, 4250 S. Princeton Ave.
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A monument to “canceled” monuments. An-My Lê has gained recognition for her photo of two decommissioned statues, which will be shown here alongside Shahzia Sikander’s sculpture of intertwining femmes fatales. June 3 to August 29. Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College of Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave.
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Whitfield Lovell’s photorealist sketches. These portraits of Black Americans are so lifelike it’s hard to believe Lovell uses only conté crayon. July 15 to September 29. South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave.
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One show, three artists. Mel Chin’s Fundred Dollar Bill Project, where visitors can draw on a blank bill to advocate for lead poisoning prevention; local photographer LaToya Ruby Frazier’s moving black-and white images from Flint, Michigan; and photographer Fazal Sheikh’s aerial shots of Middle Eastern deserts. July 25 to October 24. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave.
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A Dawoud Bey miniretrospective. There’s no better introduction to the local photographer than his portraits of South Side teens from the early 2000s. Through August 28. Arts + Public Life, University of Chicago, 301 E. Garfield Blvd.
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Rick Lowe’s Black Wall Street Journey. The Houston-based artist and activist will construct installations around the city, but here is where you’ll see the first: a stock ticker relaying data on the South Side’s economic health. Ongoing. Schulze Baking Company Building, 40 E. Garfield Blvd.
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Twelve geniuses in one place. New and old artworks from Mark Bradford, Nicole Eisenman, and Alfredo Jaar. July 15 to December 19. Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave.
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Kara Walker’s paper cutouts. A series of black human shadows cast against a white backdrop, which from a distance resemble a Rorschach test. June 29 to mid-September. DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl.
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A new water pump for the Sweet Water Foundation. Local artist Iñigo ManglanoOvalle installs a new source of free and clean water at one of fellow grant recipient Emmanuel Pratt’s imaginatively repurposed vacant spaces. Ongoing. Sweet Water Foundation Thought Barn, 5749 S. Perry Ave.
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Carrie Mae Weems’s living room for civil rights. Heave, an installation of a middle-class, midcentury modern domicile with newscasts of the killings of Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin playing in the background. July 15 to October 24. Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St.
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One-stop genius spot. Previously exhibited artworks by 11 grant recipients, including locals Bey and Kerry James Marshall. July 15 to December 19. Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Ave.
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A CHOOSEYOUR-OWN POTATO SALAD ADVENTURE with Galit’s Zachary Engel “One of my lifelong goals is to master making potato salad in as many forms as I can,” says Engel. “I joke with the Galit team that we’re going to open a potato salad restaurant one day, but I don’t think I’m really joking.” These three recipes of his start with the same cooking method: Place 2 pounds of peeled, cubed Yukon gold potatoes in a pot with 8 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of kosher salt. (“Heartily salting your water makes for a consistently seasoned and aromatic potato salad,” he says.) Bring this to a boil over medium heat; reduce to low and cook the potatoes until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Finish the potatoes with your choice of the following recipes, and you’ll have a salad that’ll be a smash at any summer picnic. — Cate Huguelet
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Classic Take: Galit’s Potato Salad Engel tucks this salad into a pita with pastrami for a sandwich he serves at the restaurant. While the potatoes cook, finely dice four celery stalks and one small yellow onion and thinly slice three scallions; place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons of Creole mustard (Engel recommends Zatarain’s brand), and ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika. Drain the potatoes and place them on the vegetables in the large bowl. Let them sit 5 minutes, then gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Allow to cool.
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Jewish Twist: Schmaltzy Potato Salad With Gribenes and Mustard Engel’s reimagining of German potato salad calls for gribenes and schmaltz (i.e., chicken cracklings and rendered chicken fat). Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dry ½ pound of chicken skins (Engel suggests asking your butcher to save them for you), then slice them into ½-inch strips. Spread these on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 40 to 60 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move the cooked skins to a plate, then crumble them. Strain the rendered fat and set aside. While the potatoes cook, combine ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar and 3 tablespoons of Creole mustard in a small bowl; whisk in reserved schmaltz gradually. Drain the potatoes, place them in a large bowl with the schmaltz vinaigrette, the gribenes, and six thinly sliced scallions, and stir to combine.
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A Tangy Twist: Herby Tahini Potato Salad With Bulgarian Feta and Too Many Pickles While the potatoes cook, place one thinly sliced shallot in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of sumac and ¼ cup of red wine vinegar. Strain an 18-ounce jar of Middle Eastern–style pickled cucumbers (Engel recommends Osem brand) and chop them into ½-inch thick slices. Place the drained potatoes in a large bowl and let them cool to room temperature. Add the chopped pickles, the sumac-shallot mixture, and 4 cups of an herbed tahini sauce (like Trader Joe’s brand) and stir. Sprinkle 2 cups of crumbled Bulgarian feta (available at Mariano’s) on top. Refrigerate before serving.
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Food That’s Worth a Road Trip These six regional favorites are less than a two-hour drive from downtown. By Titus Ruscitti
↑ Vanilla custard at
Double bacon cheeseburger at Just Hamburgers
Milwaukee Drive time: 1 hour 30 minutes Head north for classic Wisconsin summertime fare in the form of thick, creamy custard at this 79-year-old stand. It’s offered in three other flavors (chocolate, butter pecan, and a daily special), but the rich vanilla is the way to go. You can get it topped with everything from hot fudge and halved pecans to malt powder. $3 for a double scoop. 3131 S. 27th St.
Paxton, Illinois Drive time: 1 hour 45 minutes Though there’s more than “just hamburgers” at this 50-year-old shack, they are the reason to go. The ones here start with small, fresh balls of beef smashed to a crisp on the griddle. Our favorite is topped with American cheese and thick, crisp locally made bacon. You may not find a better burger anywhere for the money. $3. 214 Ottawa Rd.
Leon’s Frozen Custard
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Sausage pizza at Wells Brothers Italian Restaurant Racine, Wisconsin Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes Chicago isn’t the only place for a great tavern-style pie; you’ll find the best example in the Midwest at this 100-year-old corner spot. Extra thin, with a cracker-crisp crust dusted with cornmeal, it’s loaded with fennel sausage. $13 for a 14-inch pizza. 2148 Mead St.
Fried lake perch at Teibel’s Family Restaurant Schererville, Indiana Drive time: 1 hour At 92 years old, this vintage diner-turned-restaurant just keeps serving up plates of fried chicken, frog legs, and lake perch. You’re here for the perch — order it and you’ll get a platter loaded with lightly dusted fillets of tender fish, which come with lemon wedges and melted butter for dipping. $18.95. 1775 U.S. Route 41
Three Sisters Tacos at Molino Tortilleria Sawyer, Michigan Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes At this new-school taqueria and shop, the tortillas are made the old way, with heirloom corn from nearby farms and Mexico, and they leave your fingers smelling of corn — in the best possible way. These tacos come filled with roasted garnet yams and organic refried black beans and topped with crisp pickled red onions and guacamole. $12.99 for three. 5846 Sawyer Rd.
Fried chicken at Rip’s Tavern Ladd, Illinois Drive time: 1 hour 55 minutes Want to try the best fried chicken in Illinois? At Rip’s, which has been at this for 85 years, fresh birds, delivered twice a week, are brined, battered, and fried in a blend of oils. There’s nothing fancy about it — the chicken is served with french fries and a slice of bread on a paper plate — just juicy fried bird, with skin so crisp it shatters. $11 for a half chicken. 311 N. Main Ave. J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
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By Rima Parikh
1
What would your perfect day off look like?
A. Restaurant hopping and catching up on the Tribeca Film Festival picks, with three to seven outfit changes throughout the day B. A double-header at the Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Art, followed by drinking a glass of wine in the park while watching someone try to parallel park their giant car into a tiny space. Poetic, kind of. C. Wearing footie pajamas and watching a Ken Burns documentary turned up so loud that the neighbors file a noise complaint D. Picnicking by the lake. Skipping rocks on the lake. Putting my feet in the lake. Becoming one with the lake. That should take a full day.
2
What’s your vacation motto?
A. Pictures or it didn’t happen. B. Ceci n’est pas une margarita on the beach. C. Vacation is for making memories — I mean histories. Vacation is for making histories. D. Rum for me, milady! Keep away, scurvy! I don’t normally talk like that, but it is making me stand out here at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.
Farm Animals and Chill The goats at GlennArt Farm provide a rural respite in Austin (just watch your step) By Kathleen Rooney
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The long-delayed Hollywood icon finally made its debut in Chicago last summer as both a restaurant and a hotel. It’s the spot for purveyors of the newest trends, and also for fans of owner and rising young actor Robert De Niro. Stay in one of 115 minimalist, Japanese-influenced rooms, including the Zen Deluxe Suite, which has a teak soaking tub that overlooks Randolph. From $359 a night. 155 N. Peoria St., West Town
If you picked mostly B’s: 21c Museum Hotel Chicago This spot just off the Mag Mile features a contemporary art museum with rotating exhibits that’s open seven days a week. Each of the 297 rooms also includes original artwork, so if you’re feeling more like staying in bed and watching HGTV all day, that’s fine — you can still technically say you’re taking in culture. From $120 a night. 55 E. Ontario St., Near North Side
Hotel soaps. What’s your plan for these?
A. Using them normally? B. Idly stacking them until I accidentally create a work of art that projectiles me to fame C. Peeling off their wrappers and laminating them so that I have a piece of history in case something notorious happens at this hotel one day D. Hoarding them. They are nice, and what if I’m, like, shipwrecked and need to wash my hands?
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If you picked mostly A’s: Nobu Hotel Chicago
C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
If you picked mostly C’s: Pendry Chicago Housed in the 1929 art deco Carbide & Carbon Building, this hotel fuses the historic with the luxe. The higher the floor, the better the view from your sleek room. But depending on your priorities, the best panorama of all can be had from either the 24th-floor rooftop deck or the ground-level Venteux, the Parisian-inspired restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Donald Young that has an oyster-packed raw bar. From $220 a night. 230 N. Michigan Ave., Loop
If you picked mostly D’s: Sable at Navy Pier Named after a navy training ship from World War II, the first hotel on Navy Pier is nautically themed: Weathered brass and shipbuilding materials cover the interior, and floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the lake. Plus, Navy Pier should be at least partially reopened in June, so there are plenty of ways to tire out your kids, put them to bed early, and go have some fun yourself at the hotel’s tapas restaurant, Lirica. From $199 a night. 900 E. Grand Ave., Near North Side
After more than a year of sticking close to home, I, like many, longed for a taste of a life more rural. But I didn’t have to leave the city to cavort with adorable farm animals, thanks to GlennArt Farm, which offers Goat Chills — hourlong appointments to hang out in a pasture with goats of all sizes. As co-owner David Ioder warned when I booked my date, “We recommend wearing shoes to which you are not emotionally attached.” I can say with affection and honesty that his heads-up bears heeding because the goats do, as he put it, “leave little presents on the ground.” Not romanticized, not idealized, real goats are earthy. But relaxing in their company as they bleated, grazed, and tended to their babies offered a spell of simplicity, delivered with the pitter-patter of hooves and the curious gaze of those captivating eyes. From $40. 5749 W. Midway Park
PHOTOGRAPHY: (NOBU) DAVID MASSEY/DMP PRODUCTIONS LLC; (21C) COURTESY OF 21C MUSEUM HOTEL CHICAGO; (PENDRY) COURTESY OF PENDRY CHICAGO; (SABLE) MIKE SCHWARTZ PHOTOGRAPHY; (GOAT) ANDREA MARIA VAZQUEZ FERNANDEZ
Which New Hotel Is Right for Your Staycation?
PHOTOGRAPHY: (HIKE, BEER) JESSICA SEDGWICK; (ALARMIST) COURTESY OF ALARMIST; (SCHILLER WOODS) COURTESY OF FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY; (SHORT FUSE) ERIK HOLOWICKI; (WATERFALL GLEN) CHICAGO TRIBUNE; (MISKATONIC) PAUL ANANIAS; (IMPERIAL OAK) GRANT HAMILTON; (KICKAPOO) KRIS DaPRA
The Grove
Macushla Brewing Co.
HIKES AND HOPS
Play in the woods, then have a brew nearby with one of these six perfect pairings. By Jessica Sedgwick
Hike here
Then drink here
North Park Village Nature Center
Alarmist Brewing
This not-so-strenuous half-mile loop features wide paths and footbridges that take you through wetlands, woods, and prairie. 5801 N. Pulaski Rd., North Park
Cool off at the coziest taproom you’ll ever find in a plaza warehouse, and try the brewery’s latest, a malty Bock named Sebastian (get it?), or Le Jus, its juicy flagship IPA. 4055 W. Peterson Ave., North Park
Schiller Woods
Short Fuse Brewing Company
Deer spotting is an art when hiking — except here, where dozens are found just off the east parking lot. After admiring Bambi, take a peaceful stroll along the Des Plaines River. Irving Park Road, west of Cumberland Ave., O'Hare
This food-focused spot features beer with names like Cinnamon Roll and Saturday Morning Stacks. For lunch, order anything made with their famous beer cheese, including the Bomb Burger (you’re welcome). 5000 N. River Rd., Schiller Park
The Grove
Macushla Brewing Co.
For a side of history, trek through the gorgeous oak-hickory savanna surrounding the former home of naturalist Robert Kennicott, who in 1857 founded what’s now the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. 1421 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview
Plant yourself on the lovely sprawling front patio decked out with string lights, and down a Head Rush, a rare Belgian IPA. 1516 E. Lake Ave., Glenview
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Miskatonic Brewing Company
Trot through this 2,503-acre preserve (watch out for bucks sprinting across trails) before stopping for a photo op at the Rocky Glen Waterfall, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Cass Avenue and Northgate Road, Lemont
The hip, homey brewery is family friendly (bring your favorite board game), despite slightly scary beer names like Dungeon Master: Gelatinous Cube, a mind-boggling cinnamon mocha imperial milk stout. 1000 N. Frontage Rd., Darien
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
Imperial Oak
If you grew up here, you might have made a school trip at this charming preserve, with three scenic unpaved loop trails and an actual 1886 schoolhouse that is indeed little and red. 9800 Willow Springs Rd., Willow Springs
Order anything aged in a bourbon, maple syrup, or toasted pecan barrel. Or if you prefer something lighter, opt for a fruity saison. Forage for nourishment from rotating food trucks, Thursday through Sunday. 501 Willlow Blvd., Willow Springs
Kickapoo Woods
Blue Island Beer Co.
Go for a stroll (or launch your canoe at the landing on the Little Calumet River), then get your giggles watching model airplane enthusiasts crash and burn. Halsted Street, south of 144th Street, Riverdale
This small brewery hosts festive live music nights on its patio (bring your own lawn chairs). Purists will relish Massive Political Corruption, an amber ale, but if you prefer something unexpected, ask the bartender for a summer shandy — they’ll recommend a beer to mix with a housemade soda. 13357 Old Western Ave., Blue Island
TOP HEART DOCS
It’s the engine that keeps your body running, so you want it in the best hands. Look no further than these 127 cardiologists in the six-county area, recommended by their peers. Interviews by Cindy Kuzma Illustration by Madeline McMahon 74
C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
Lutheran General, Park Ridge. 847-698-5500
Rishi K. Arora Atrial fibrillation; defibrillators; pacemakers. Northwestern Memorial.
Mouyyad Rahaby Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; heart failure. Advocate
312-664-3278
Condell, Libertyville. 847-367-7171
Adarsh Bhan Atrial fibrillation; ventricular arrhythmias. Advocate
Richard G. Trohman Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation.
South Suburban, Hazel Crest. 708-799-8700
Rush. 312-942-5020
Martin C. Burke Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; ventricular tachycardia ablation. CorVita Health & Associates, Orland Park. 773-432-4800
Alexandru B. Chicos Arrhythmia ablation; cardiac sarcoidosis research. Northwestern
Roderick H. Tung Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; ventricular tachycardia ablation. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
Samaritan, Downers Grove. 630-719-4799
Erica D. Engelstein Arrhythmias. Amita Health St. Elizabeth. 773-326-2244
Westby G. Fisher Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; catheter and radio-frequency ablation. NorthShore, Glenbrook. 847-657-1819
Mehran Jabbarzadeh Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; defibrillators; pacemakers. Advocate Condell, Libertyville. 847-367-7171
Eric J. Kessler Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; defibrillators; pacemakers. Advocate Condell, Libertyville. 847-367-7171
Mohammed Nasir Khan Atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; defibrillators; heart failure; pacemakers. Amita Health Alexian Brothers, Elk Grove Village. 847-981-3680
Bradley P. Knight Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; defibrillators; pacemakers. Northwestern Memorial. 312-695-4965
Kousik Krishnan Atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; heart disease in athletes; left atrial appendage occlusion. Rush. 312-942-5020
Scott M. Miller Arrhythmias; catheter ablation; defibrillators; pacemakers. Advocate
312-996-6730
Alan S. Brown Cholesterol; echocardiography; familial hypercholesterolemia; lipid disorders; preventive cardiology. Advocate Lutheran General, Park Ridge. 847-723-2445
Vincent J. Bufalino Coronary artery disease; preventive cardiology. Edward, Naperville. 630-527-2730
David J. Wilber Atrial fibrillation; arrhythmias; heart failure. Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888
Memorial. 312-695-2745
Steven P. Chough Atrial fibrillation; cardiac electrophysiology; familial hypercholesterolemia; pulmonary vein isolation. Advocate Good
Joan E. Briller Cardiac stress testing; echocardiography; heart disease in pregnancy and women. UI Health.
David R. Campbell Arrhythmias; congestive heart failure; coronary artery disease. NorthShore, Highland Park. 847-444-5300
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Pierrot S. Abi-Mansour Arrhythmias. Advocate Christ, Oak Lawn. 708-636-7575
Adalberto Campo Amita Health St. Elizabeth. 773-326-2244
Maria Rosa Costanzo Congestive heart failure; heart transplant. Edward, Naperville. 630-527-2730
Brian H. Albert Coronary artery disease; echocardiography; preventive cardiology. Northwest Community, Arlington Heights. 847-618-2500
Jay H. Alexander Coronary artery disease; preventive cardiology. NorthShore, Highland Park. 847-444-5300
Francis Almeda Interventional cardiology. UChicago Medicine Ingalls, Harvey. 708-331-2200
William G. Cotts Heart failure and transplant. Advocate Christ, Oak Lawn. 877-684-4327
Michael Davidson Cholesterol and lipid disorders; preventive cardiology. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
Jeanne DeCara Cardiac imaging; coronary artery and heart valve disease; heart disease in cancer patients. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
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THE PERCENTAGE OF RECENTLY RECOVERED COVID PATIENTS WHO SHOW HEART ABNORMALITIES ON MRIs “The most common is inflammation in the heart muscle or the lining around the heart. The most dangerous are heart attacks, heart failure, and ventricular arrhythmias. Fortunately, those are rare — I’d say less than 1 percent have life-threatening manifestations. So you don’t need to be evaluated by a cardiologist unless you have warning signs such as shortness of breath, fatigue upon exertion, or fainting.” Roderick H. Tung, director of cardiac electrophysiology and EP laboratories at UChicago Medicine
LESS THAN
Daniele De Girolami Cardiac imaging; interventional cardiology. Amita
40
Health St. Joseph, Joliet. 815-729-3280
Jessica Delaney Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; cardiac catheterization; defibrillators; pacemakers. Northwestern Medicine Delnor, Geneva. 630-232-0280
Stamatis Dimitropoulos Vein disorders. Amita Health Adventist, Hinsdale. 630-963-4000
John F. Dongas Cardiac electrophysiology; defibrillators; pacemakers. Amita Health St. Joseph, Joliet. 815-740-1900
Dan Fintel Cholesterol and lipid disorders; coronary artery disease; nuclear cardiology. Northwestern Memorial. 312-695-4965
Duane Follman Amita Health Adventist, Hinsdale. 630-789-3422
Gary Gibbs Advanced and congestive heart failure; transplant cardiology. Amita Health Adventist, Hinsdale. 630-789-3422
William J. Gries Echocardiography; peripheral vascular disease; preventive cardiology. Amita Health Alexian Brothers, Elk Grove Village. 847-981-3680
Syed A. Hasan Angioplasty and stent placement; coronary artery sisease; heart valve disease; interventional cardiology. Advocate Sherman, Elgin. 847-888-2320
Alain L. Heroux Heart failure and transplant. Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888
Jerome L. Hines Cardiovascular computer tomography; interventional cardiology. Amita Health Adventist, Hinsdale. 630-789-3422
Charles Jaffe Atrial fibrillation; coronary artery disease; heart failure; preventive cardiology. Advocate Condell, Libertyville. 847-549-0170
Dinesh K. Kalra Cardiac CT angiography and MRI; congenital heart disease; echocardiography. Rush. 312-942-5020 76
THE PERCENTAGE OF CLINICAL TRIAL ENROLLEES FOR HEART DISEASE AND STROKE TREATMENTS WHO ARE WOMEN (ONLY 3 PERCENT ARE WOMEN OF COLOR) “Heart disease is the top killer of American women, and they need to be included in studies of valves, devices, and especially medications. Participating has some definite benefits for you, too: We would know if the drug is effective for you, and even if you get the placebo, you could be a candidate for the drug once it’s approved.” Marla A. Mendelson, medical director of the Program for Women’s Cardiovascular Health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Thomas T. Kason Heart disease; nuclear cardiology; preventive cardiology. Silver Cross, New Lenox. 708-274-3278
James Liao Cholesterol and lipid disorders; noninvasive cardiology; peripheral vascular disease. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
Clifford Kavinsky Congenital heart disease; heart valve disease. Rush. 312-942-5020
Dennis M. Killian Amita Health St. Joseph, Joliet. 815-740-1900
David I. Koenigsberg Angioplasty and stent placement. NorthShore, Skokie. 847-663-8410
George T. Kondos Coronary artery disease; coronary calcium imaging; preventive cardiology; valvular heart disease. UI Health. 312-996-6730
Philip B. Krause Congestive heart failure; coronary artery and heart valve disease. NorthShore,
Donald M. LLoyd-Jones Cholesterol and lipid disorders; hypertension; prevention. Northwestern Memorial. 312-664-3278
Gregory P. Macaluso Heart failure and transplant. Advocate Christ, Oak Lawn. 708-274-3278
Joseph C. Marek Angioplasty and stent placement; coronary artery disease; hypertension; preventive cardiology. Advocate Good Samaritan, Downers Grove. 630-719-4799
Jeffrey J. Marogil Echocardiography; nuclear cardiology. NorthShore, Glenbrook. 847-869-1499
Skokie. 847-676-1333
Thomas A. Mayer NorthShore, Highland Park. 847-444-5300
Robert P. Mazurek Amita Health Alexian Brothers, Elk Grove Village. 847-843-0726
Medicine Palos, Palos Heights. 708-923-4200
Mark Rabbat Cardiac CT angiography and scanning; coronary artery disease; echocardiography. Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888
Thomas L. McKiernan Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888
Elizabeth M. McNally Aortopathies; cardiac neuromuscular; cardiomyopathies; inherited cardiovascular disease. Northwestern
Arkady B. Rapoport Arrhythmias; coronary artery disease; hypertension. NorthShore, Skokie. 847-676-1333
R. Andrew Rauh Elmhurst. 630-946-2250
Memorial. 312-695-4965
David J. Mehlman Coronary artery and heart valve disease; echocardiography. Northwestern Memorial. 312-695-4965
Venoodhar Reddy Cardiovascular computer tomography; diagnostic ultrasound; nuclear cardiology. Amita Health Alexian Brothers, Elk Grove Village. 847-981-3680
Marla A. Mendelson Congenital heart disease; heart disease in pregnancy. Northwestern Memorial.
Elizabeth M. Retzer Interventional cardiology. Northwestern Medicine
312-695-4965
McHenry. 815-759-8070
Johnny P. Monteverde
Ashish Mukherjee
Stuart Rich Clinical trials; congenital heart disease; heart failure; pulmonary hypertension. Northwestern
Mount Sinai. 773-767-8375
Memorial. 312-695-4965
Chadi Nouneh Interventional cardiology.
Vera H. Rigolin Echocardiography; valvular heart disease.
Humboldt Park Health. 312-733-4000
Advocate Christ, Oak Lawn. 708-346-5562
Ivan V. Pacold Cholesterol and lipid disorders; geriatric cardiology; preventive cardiology. Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888
Evans Pappas Cholesterol and lipid disorders; hypertension. Edward, Naperville. 630-718-2660
Gary R. Pineless Coronary artery disease; heart failure. NorthShore,
Northwestern Memorial. 312-664-3278
Jason C. Robin Amyloid heart disease; heart valve disease; nuclear cardiology; transesophageal echocardiography. NorthShore, Glenbrook. 847-869-1499
Daniel A. Rowan Angioplasty and stent placement; cholesterol and lipid disorders; preventive cardiology.
Highland Park. 847-444-5300
Northwestern Medicine Palos, Palos Heights. 708-923-4200
Thomas J. Quinn Coronary artery disease; geriatric cardiology; heart failure. Northwestern
Gaile Sabaliauskas Cardiac effects of cancer and cancer therapy; familial hypercholesterolemia.
Seif A. Martini Mark B. Lampert Echocardiography; noninvasive, nuclear, and preventive cardiology. NorthShore, Skokie.
Silver Cross, New Lenox. 815-740-1900
847-864-3278
Roberto M. Lang Cardiac ultrasound; echocardiography; heart failure and valve disease. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
Gregory M. Lewis Arrhythmias; cardiac electrophysiology; defibrillators; pacemakers; preventive cardiology. Amita Health Adventist, Hinsdale. 630-789-3422
C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
ABOUT THIS LIST It was compiled by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a health care research and information company founded in 1992 by a former medical college board chairman and president to help guide consumers to America’s top doctors and hospitals. Castle Connolly’s selection process, under the direction of an MD, involves surveying hundreds of thousands of physicians, as well as academic medical centers, specialty hospitals, and regional and community hospitals across the nation. Online nominating (at castleconnolly.com/nominations) is open to all licensed physicians. Educational and professional experience is screened before final selection is made among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers. After identifying the top doctors in America, Castle Connolly provides consumers with detailed information about their education, training, and expertise in its paperback guides and online directories. Doctors cannot pay to be selected. Castle Connolly was acquired by digital health care company Everyday Health Group in 2018. EHG, a division of J2 Global Inc., combines social listening data and analytics expertise to deliver personalized health care content and patient-engagement solutions. Its websites have an audience of more than 53 million consumers and more than 780,000 practicing U.S. physicians. Its flagship brands include Everyday Health, What to Expect, MedPage Today, Health eCareers, and PRIME Education, and it has an exclusive partnership with MayoClinic.org and the Mayo Clinic Diet.
Advocate Good Samaritan, Downers Grove. 630-719-4799
Priya Sateesha Heart disease; preventive cardiology. Northwestern Medicine McHenry. 815-759-8070
INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY
disease. Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888
Nouri Al-Khaled Angioplasty; echocardiograms; interventional cardiology. Advocate Christ,
John J. Lopez Angioplasty and stent placement; complex coronary artery disease; heart valve disease; interventional cardiology. Loyola,
Oak Lawn. 708-346-5562
John E. Blair Coronary angioplasty and stents; echocardiography; heart failure and valve disease. UChicago Medicine.
Matthew Sorrentino Hypertension; preventive cardiology. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
773-702-9461
Tom K. Stathopoulos Heart disease; preventive cardiology. Northwestern Medicine McHenry. 815-759-8070
Mushabbar Syed Advanced cardiac imaging. Loyola, Maywood.
Noel Camba Cardiac ultrasound; heart disease in women; percutaneous coronary intervention; preventive cardiology. Heart Care Centers of Illinois, Merrionette Park. 708-824-1114
888-584-7888
Edgar S. Carell Cardiovascular computer topography; peripheral vascular disease; vascular medicine. Amita
Melissa J. Tracy Echocardiography; cardiac rehabilitation; heart disease in women; noninvasive cardiology.
Health Adventist, Hinsdale. 630-789-3422
Rush. 312-942-5020
Maywood. 888-584-7888
Jonathan D. Paul Coronary artery disease; peripheral vascular disease; venous thromboembolic diseases. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
Stephen M. Rowley Angioplasty and stent placement; arrhythmias; heart disease in women; nuclear cardiology. Advocate Good
45
THE AGE AT WHICH THE AVERAGE PERSON SHOULD BEGIN SCREENING FOR PREDIABETES “In middle age, many people tend to put on weight around the abdomen, which leads your body to become more resistant to insulin and thus raises your blood glucose. The good news is that there’s almost a 60 percent reduction in the risk of going on to diabetes if you lose 10 percent of your body weight.” Alan S. Brown, director of the cardiology division at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge
Samaritan, Downers Grove. 630-719-4799
Gary Schaer Angiogenesis; complex coronary artery disease; stem cell therapy for heart failure. Rush. 312-942-5020
UChicago Medicine Comer. 773-702-6172
Peter Koenig Congenital heart disease; echocardiography. Lurie Children’s. 312-227-4100
Annabelle Santos Volgman Arrhythmias; atrial fibrillation; heart disease in women; prevention. Rush. 312-942-5020
R. Parker Ward Echocardiography; heart valve disease; nuclear cardiology. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
Kim A. Williams Sr. Cardiovascular computed tomography; nuclear cardiology; nuclear medicine.
Memorial. 312-695-4965
Neeraj Jolly Angioplasty and stent placement; congenital heart disease; interventional cardiology; peripheral vascular disease. Rush. 312-942-5020
Ankit A. Shah Northwest Community, Arlington Heights. 847-618-2500
Atman P. Shah Carotid artery disease; interventional cardiology; peripheral arterial disease. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-9461
R. Jeffrey Snell Coronary angioplasty and stents; peripheral vascular disease. Rush. 312-942-5020
Peter M. Kerwin
Rush. 312-942-5020
Kurt Williams Atherosclerosis prevention; atrial fibrillation; cardiomyopathy; echocardiography. Northwestern Medicine Delnor, Geneva. 630-232-0280
Charles J. Davidson Transcatheter aortic valve replacement; transcatheter mitral valve repair; transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement. Northwestern
Advocate Good Samaritan, Downers Grove. 630-435-6100
Hussam Suradi Congenital heart disease; heart valve disease; peripheral vascular disease.
Fred S. Leya Aortic aneurysm; coronary artery disease; heart attack; heart valve
Rush. 312-942-5020
3
Ranya N. Sweis Cardiac catheterization; coronary and structural heart interventions.
Duane Follman, cardiologist at Amita Health Adventist Medical Center, Hinsdale
773-702-2500
Stephen M. Neuberger Cardiac catheterization; echocardiograms; tilt table studies; transesophogeal echocardiogram. Advocate Children’s, Park Ridge. 708-684-5580
David A. Roberson Congenital heart defects; echocardiography; fetal cardiology. Advocate Children’s, Oak Lawn. 708-684-5580
Philip T. Thrush Cardiomyopathy; heart failure and transplant. Lurie Children’s. 312-227-4100
Thomas J. Weigel Congenital heart disease; echocardiography. Lurie Children’s. 312-951-5800
Bryan K. Foy Heart transplant; LVAD. Edward, Naperville. 630-416-8500
Valluvan Jeevanandam Artificial heart devices; bloodless heart surgery; heart transplant; minimally invasive heart valve surgery. UChicago Medicine. 773-702-2500
Axel W. Joob Aneurysm; cardiovascular surgery; coronary artery surgery; thoracic surgery. Advocate Lutheran General, Park Ridge. 847-723-1550
Malek G. Massad Coronary artery, heart valve, and lung surgery; heart and lung transplant. UI Health. 312-996-4942
Paula E. Williams Echocardiography; fetal cardiac imaging.
Patrick M. McCarthy Heart valve surgery.
UChicago Medicine Comer. 773-702-6172
Northwestern Memorial. 312-695-4965
Oak Park. 708-660-2138
THORACIC & CARDIAC SURGERY
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY
Rudolph Altergott Coronary artery surgery; heart valve surgery. Amita
Edwin McGee Jr. Heart transplant; heart valve surgery; mechanical assist devices; robotic cardiac surgery. Loyola, Maywood.
Northwestern Memorial. 312-664-3278
Donald J. Tanis Coronary artery disease; echocardiography; nuclear cardiology. Rush,
THE NUMBER OF DAILY SERVINGS OF LEAFY GREEN VEGGIES FOR OPTIMAL HEART HEALTH “Focusing on nonstarchy vegetables is especially important for people who struggle with weight and heart disease risk. Starchy ones have more calories from carbohydrates and are higher on the glycemic index, a measure of how quickly food affects blood glucose levels. Diets high on this index may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Husam Balkhy Atrial fibrillation; coronary artery surgery; robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery; totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery. UChicago Medicine.
Abraham Groner Echocardiography. UChicago Medicine Comer. 773-702-6172
Daniel H. Gruenstein Adult and child congenital heart disease; cardiac catheterization; interventional cardiology.
888-584-7888
Health St. Joseph, Joliet. 630-324-7900
Patroklos S. Pappas LVAD; robotic cardiac surgery. Advocate Christ,
Mamdouh Bakhos Heart and lung transplant; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; minimally invasive cardiac surgery; mitral heart valve surgery. Loyola, Maywood.
Oak Lawn. 708-346-4040
888-584-7888
Jeffrey P. Schwartz Aortic aneurysm; cardiac surgery; heart and lung transplant. Loyola, Maywood. 888-584-7888 C
J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
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C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
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Tiffany
Baker
BRENDA MYERS-POWELL IS THE COFOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE Dreamcatcher Foundation, a nonprofit created in 2008 to help current and former prostitutes and other victims of sexual exploitation in and around Chicago. Raised by a grandmother with alcoholism (her mother died when she was 6 months old), Myers-Powell started to suffer sexual abuse at around age 4, usually at the hands of men her grandmother brought home from bars. By the time she was 14, she had two daughters and had begun working as a prostitute near Clark and Division. In 1997, after she’d spent 25 years on the streets, a doctor at Cook County Hospital helped Myers-Powell secure a bed at Genesis House, a women’s refuge where she would spend two years healing and, as she told a forum a few years ago, “getting Brenda back.” The following excerpt from Leaving Breezy Street, Myers-Powell’s new memoir, chronicles her harrowing first experiences working as a prostitute — and does so in explicit detail and strong language that may make some readers uncomfortable. As Myers-Powell puts it in her author’s note: “I’m not trying to tell you a story about my past using the careful words of right now. I call myself a prostitute and a ho in this book because those words are my truth. If you want to really know my story and how it went down, you should know what I was hearing and what I was telling myself. Because it’s the truth. It might turn your stomach or make you mad, but that might be a good thing. Look around, we need a little truth-telling.”
Good Friday, 1973.
I was 14, and I was going My daughter Prune, whose real name is Ernestine, was a year old. Peaches, who I named Ruth after my grandmother, had been born four weeks before. I was going out with older men, doing a hustle here and there. Just being real cute and getting a couple of things. That year it changed. I went down to the street to turn my official first trick. That day. That day we had no food and the Aid to Dependent Children check didn’t come in the mail. We used to get a check, and we got a little food-stamp book to go and buy groceries. Soon it was going to be Easter Sunday. We didn’t have nothing to eat, and usually when we were like that, we called Aunt Josie to give a few dollars to hold us over, but you know, we had two kids in the house and we got Ma’Dea — that’s what we called my grandmother — and we got me, so how much could she stretch us? Aunt Josie could throw us a bone every now and again, but she couldn’t float us all the way. Ma’Dea was talking a lotta shit about me and how I had brought us to a point to where we couldn’t make it. She told me, “I ain’t never had to depend on handouts. I ain’t the one who need the welfare, you the one who need the welfare.” But she was the one who needed welfare. I didn’t need the welfare because I got a friendly coochie. I was 14 and jumping from this bed to that one, but Ma’Dea was the grownup; she’s really looking at cupboards that were bare. I didn’t want my babies’ Easter to be not right. I wanted Peaches to have the prettiest dress, and Prune to have the prettiest dress, the biggest bunny rabbit. I wanted them to have little slippers to run around in. I thought to myself, You got to shit or get off the stool. The pressure was on. After Ma’Dea told me all about how the babies got to eat and we didn’t even have a cup of rice in the cabinet, I went and asked a girl in the neighborhood who I knew was a prostitute how to set
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up my situation. At first, she told me she would show me, but I would have to see her man. I didn’t want to choose her man. Her man’s brother and I used to go together. I didn’t want to get that messy. She understood, and she told me where to go. She didn’t tell what to charge, but I had read enough books and magazines. Donald Goines. Iceberg Slim. Hustler. Xaviera Hollander, the lady who wrote The Happy Hooker, she was giving lessons on how to be a grand ho. After reading her, I thought all hos got $100. That’s the kind of money I was looking for. So I took the train and transferred over there at Grand, to Clark and Division, and started my little prostitution thing right there. It was night. I hadn’t learned yet when to come down and when not to. I was playing a dangerous game because I was new at it. And because I was fresh, nobody had caught me. If I had been a regular girl, who knows? There was a lot of police presence and there were a
PHOTOGRAPH: HENRY HOLT & CO.
to change for good.
only had $60 and that wasn’t enough. So I took a deep breath and started looking around for the next car. The next guy was Italian, and he did give me $100 when I asked. And the only reason I got the $100 was because I told him I was 14. I wasn’t the only girl my age out there either. I knew this pimp whose lotta guys out there. I found out the whole stable was minors. I mean, 17 was old for him. His name first night, getting that $100 was not was Larrod. Forty years old and a short little dude. He used to wear what happens in real life. The first car the pimp suits. Everybody used to talk about him. Thirteen, 14, I got in, I asked for $100, and he said, 15 was the average age for his girls. “Honey, I’m not trying to He called them his hos and bitches. buy you; I’m just renting Somebody killed him and all his girls. you for a minute.” Nobody was left in the house alive I looked at him like he except a 3-year-old baby. Some coldhad lost his mind. “Well, blooded shit — they killed everybody. how much you gone Shot them all in the head. give me?” In the beginning, I stayed away from “I’ll give you forty dolsituations like that. I just went out there lars for a BJ.” I had no Excerpted from Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir by Brenda Myers-Powell, with to prostitute. And the tricks taught me idea what a BJ — a blowApril Reynolds, to be published June 29 how they wanted to have sex with me. job — was. I was still a by Henry Holt & Co. Copyright © 2021 by All I had to worry about was my wardbaby in some ways. And Breezie LLC. All rights reserved. robe. I bought this new lime-green skirt even though I had read and top, which had puffy sleeves. It was from this store called Three about a woman sucking on a man’s Sisters, and you could get an outfit for $3.99. I wore my hair in Afro penis, that hadn’t come up a lot with puffs, but I got a wig, the kind we used to call a “gypsy wig.” It was a me in my community. We didn’t really long, wild, curly wig that hung in three layers — cost seven bucks — and do all that in the hood. You need to know I put that on. And these horrible shoes, these cheap shoes. They all of this to understand what I did next. looked like patent leather, but they were rubber or vinyl or something I started to blow on his penis. And he like that, and they made your feet sweat and stink. Even the heel was said, “What the fuck are you doing?” I made of that same material; they didn’t even have the respect to put looked up at him. a real heel on the shoe. When you walked, they scrunched. But I was “Are you that new?” he said. out there, ready to take that direction. “Yeah.” And I started crying. I wonder sometimes if my mother was looking down on me saying, “Stop crying, stop crying. How old “Baby, my baby.” I wonder if she was watching me and cringing. I had are you?” I told him, and he said, “Ah! made like four or five tricks that night, and I made almost $400. I cried I’ll show you how to do this shit.” Funny through the first two. I had been with other guys and had slept with how he didn’t tell me to go home. He them, but it was more like a date before. You know, old men sniffing liked the fact that I was 14 and gave me up my ass and liking me. But this was impersonal, grimy, in the car. I another $20. I learned then that guys didn’t know how to talk them into going to a hotel. I didn’t think about picked me up because I was fresh. all that. I made that money and went home, gave it to Ma’Dea, and Afterward, when I got out the car, I she never asked me where it came from. One time I gave her $500. felt a little sick to my stomach. I stood All $100 bills. She didn’t ask one question. there with the taste of him in my mouth and tried to spit it out the best I could. It was too late for me to turn around. I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to. I WENT OUT THERE ON THE WEEKENDS. I DIDN’T GO OUT DURING the week, because I would go up to Madison Street and work in a furniture store, where I did odd jobs. I was a part-time prostitute. I took some money to Sears, and I got the cutest dresses for Prune T h e f i r s t c a r I g o t i n , and Peaches. I got Peaches a bunny, and I put it in her crib. Oh, she was so beautiful. She was a little bitty thing, and her diaper used to just slide on down and hang on by her hips. I had been out there for a month. Then I ran into the pimps. Big an d h e s a i d , “ H o n e y , I ’ m pimps. I thought I knew the streets. I thought I knew how n o t t r y i n g t o b u y y o u ; gorilla to be hard. But when the gorilla pimps wanted me, I got caught up. They told me I needed to have representation: “Your man need to be out here.” See, if you can produce a man, they weren’t gone go up
I
I asked for $100,
I’m just renting you for a minute.”
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against some brother, but if these fools out there thought you were an outlaw — that’s what they called it — you would be under pimp arrest. I didn’t know anything about working massage parlors or anything like that. I knew just what I knew: Girls worked that area. I saw it, and if them hos could get some money, I could get some money. I figured out how to be a prostitute from seeing what was going on outside and from blaxploitation movies. That’s no bullshit. I was really influenced by Super Fly and The Mack and Get Christie Love! and Cleopatra Jones. Pimp pictures turned on all that. Willie Dynamite. All that was impressive to me. Sick clothes, sick life. Hos getting money, being a bottom bitch. The first time I ever heard of a bottom bitch was in the movie Truck Turner. Turner was played by Isaac Hayes. It was about this pimp getting murdered. His bottom bitch was played by the woman who was on Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols — Uhura. And what I learned from that movie was that the bottom bitch actually ran shit. Because when the pimp got murdered, all the hos turned to Dorinda, and she told them, “Y’all gone do this, y’all gone do that.” And I liked a statement that she said in the movie: “I haven’t had to sell my pussy since I was 15 and found out I could sell other bitches’ instead.” That laid me back. I thought that was so profound. That was gangster. So I wanted to be the bottom bitch, the one who didn’t have to do the work. The one who just did the handling. She’s in control. And the only person she takes orders from is the pimp. I didn’t know about the loneliness. I didn’t know about the responsibilities that you take on as the bottom bitch. Not only do you take on the control of the stable; anything that goes wrong, you’re the one who goes down for it. You are responsible for everything, but you don’t get a dime of his money. You are doing it all for him. And before you know it, you become a little him. I thought like him; I acted like him. You did things that he would do when he wasn’t around. And it becomes hard, because some of those things you don’t want to do. A bottom bitch was the best that I could see and reach for at that time. I didn’t realize that I was reaching for the lowest part of my life. What came with being a bottom bitch was losing your identity, becoming an awful person for the love of money. Even when I finally made it as a bottom bitch, it never made me happy. Because I knew when I left, everything he had would fall apart, and that’s a lot to put on somebody. Pimps would come looking for blood if you left. You weren’t a bitch who could just run off. Leaving interrupted his lifestyle. Not only would your pimp be looking for you, other brothers would be looking for you, too. You worth $50, $100 if some guy found you and brought you back. I know all this now, but back then, when I first got started, the movies made it all look really glamorous. It looked powerful. And when you are in pain, you are looking for some power and control. How can I be on top? How can I be the boss?
B
When you are in pain,
you are looking for some UT BEFORE I GOT TO ALL THAT, THE GORILLA PIMPS GOT ME
first. A gorilla is a pimp who uses force and abuse to control his women. These aren’t men who are smooth and play the boyfriend part in the relationship. It’s all about fear. Gorilla pimps
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are brutal. And they can get creative with their violence. These pimps, they weren’t handsome; they didn’t have no swag. They were just some country-ass punks, and the only way they got hos was to snatch them, ’cause they had nothing else for a girl. They had to kidnap. I had only been out there for three good weekends when they grabbed me. I was standing in the middle of Clark Street. I had just gotten out a trick’s car in the middle of the block when they rolled up on me. Had I been on the corner, I would have been around more people and they wouldn’t have got me. But in the middle of the block, it’s dark with no streetlights. Two o’clock in the morning and nobody was around. When I got out the trick’s car, I’m walking fast to get to the corner of Clark and Division. But one of the gorilla pimps is walking super quick behind me; the other one is rolling down the street on the side of me. I see the play, but I can’t get away. And then the pimp behind me jumped and bust me in the head with the pistol. I was shocked because I didn’t know pimps wowed out like that. My uncle was a pimp. He never pulled shit like that. They grabbed me and shoved me in the trunk. In the trunk. I don’t know where to put that. To this day, I don’t know where to put that experience. I was screaming and bleeding from my head where the dude had hit me with his gun. There was a blanket in there and a metal can and a tire jack handle. It was a huge trunk, and I remember getting jostled. A roll of tape bumped into my thigh. The only thing I knew was when we were moving forward and when we took a turn. God, I tossed
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power and control.
H ow c an I b e o n t o p?
How can I be the boss?
The author, photographed in May. Last year she was appointed to the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. PHOTOGRAPH BY LAWRENCE AGYEI
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around and around. I was paralyzed and scared. It was like being in a grave. I peed all over myself in that trunk. They took me to a cornfield and did Russian roulette to me: They took a pistol out and put it to my head. It was not the last time they did that. They used to do that for entertainment. Me and the two gorilla pimps were all in one hotel room. I could tell they had been snatching up girls for a while. It was just me at first, but then they got another girl. It was just two girls at a time because a whole lotta girls was too many to watch. I don’t care what you say, a gorilla pimp ain’t gone keep a ho long. Too much food involved. Too much fear and intimidation and physical brutality to keep up. I never knew what kind of relationship those two assholes had between them, but it wasn’t healthy. One of them was really dark, and he had this half-ass perm, a nappy perm. He was always putting rollers in it, and it never quite looked right, ’cause he had that real fly-up-and-away hair. He had a crooked tooth in the front of his mouth, and his hands were real big. When he hit you, it was like Ah! It just took over the whole head. The other asshole had a little bit of a gut. Brown skin and a ponytail. They had a Cadillac. Dark blue, and they kept it up really nice. They would send me out to get tricks from truck stops. They would pull in and park in a particular area. At that time, police weren’t messing with pimps doing business. They put me out the car and told me, “You work this side and this side only. You just work up and down this lane. When you get to the end, work yourself back down the other side.” They watched me closely. Some of the truck drivers knew the pimps I was with. I found that out because one time a truck driver walked up to the pimp to complain. I had cried the whole time I was with him because I had gotten beaten up before they put me out there. I was still upset. “OK, partner. You want her to do it again? ’Cause there ain’t no refunds, but she’ll take care of you.” But the gorilla pimp was looking at me like, You know I’m going to hurt you when we get back to the motel. So when I got back to the room, they beat the snot out of me. To me, that validated every threat they had ever given me. They had told me, “We know everything you do. We got people everywhere.” I felt like even the customers were in on my kidnapping. Was the truck driver their friend? That just happened one time, but that was enough to keep me scared about running off. Sometimes they dropped me off on a street corner to work, but I didn’t like it. The truck drivers knew what the girls were doing. You could get your money quick. But standing on the corner? It was dark and scary and you could be out there for hours and not make enough money. So the truck stops was where those gorilla pimps really got their money’s worth out of me. We stayed on a major road; I knew that much. Sometimes we would find a spot and we stayed because I made money there. I mean, these guys weren’t the brightest, but they knew where the money was. We worked between five or six different truck stops. When I came back to the motel from hoing, they felt like they needed to terrorize me some more. They were big on anal rape. They were big on doing terrorizing games. Make you intimidated and keep your thoughts off of planning what to do. Keep you locked up, tossed up in fear. In the beginning, I was trying to figure a way out. But those were the things that got me beat up. Bad. Every time I tried to escape, I got 84
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After the rape b e c ame
no more rape to me, after it was just part of t h e f o r m u l a , they actually
stopped raping me.
caught and punished. I kept thinking, If I could be out of this room, if I could get out of this cornfield, I could get around people who would save me. Every time I tried something — not showing up at the Cadillac at the end of working the truck stop, asking somebody for help — it just all went bad for me. No one was willing to step into a situation that looked like it was just between me and the gorilla pimps. I thought about my kids, but I also thought that somebody was looking for me. Ma’Dea would find me. And I thought if I could just stay strong, I would be found. I didn’t know that people don’t look for little Black girls. They didn’t then, and they don’t now. So many missing Black girls. Nobody looked for us. I didn’t know that back then. All I knew was being lost was a lot for a 14-year-old girl to hold on to. All that pressure gone bust a cap. I’m talking about me and all the girls they did this to. My pressure valve was going to burst. So many petty-ass mind games to throw me off and keep me unbalanced. I made all their money, and I’d come home and they’d say, “You can’t eat.” “Why can’t I eat?” “ ’Cause I said so, bitch. And who am I? Who am I?” “God. You run this show.” “Bitch, gone somewhere with your simple ass. Go sit down. You don’t know what you need.” So not only are you sitting up there confused, tired, you got to go to bed hungry. I hadn’t been hungry in a long time, but I cry if I get that way. I mean really hungry and there’s no food. I get desperate.
I was with them for five, six months. If there had been opportunities for me to get away, I didn’t see them. Or maybe I was too afraid to take them. I needed someone to rescue me. To say, “I got you.” I needed somebody like that because I didn’t have the courage. As part of my seasoning, they had me in Indiana. For me, it might as well have been New Zealand. They had me at unfamiliar truck stops and little sleazy hotels. I’m talking Motel 6 would have been an upgrade. Side-road motels with rusty-ass showers. They locked me in the closets, mold growing out the carpets, to let me know there were consequences to my behavior when I didn’t follow their commands. “If I ask you something, I need a response right away, bitch.” “Well, I thought —” “Bitch, why you thinking again? You don’t think. I think. You do what I tell you to do. What was you doing, thinking?” How brutal is that? To take a person’s will to have a thought in their brain. You begin to question even thinking about something. Someone has cut that down to: “You don’t have the ability to think, I’m going to do the thinking for you.” So you begin to believe things would be better for you if you just go along and do what you supposed to do, and some kind of way you might be happier or at least you won’t get consequences and that will make you happy. You do things to make them happy. After the rape became no more rape to me, after it was just part of the formula, they actually stopped raping me. In the beginning, they raped me all the time. Together. Separately. The crying, the begging, it was a part of how they got off. Knowing that they were brutalizing me and messing me up. I was in pain,
and hurting me was OK. But I’ll tell you something about myself: I can adapt to a bad situation fast. It was one of my survival instincts. I was sore, I was hurting. I needed medical attention, but I still had to get their money. I would get to the motel with my money, or whatever they were OK with, because I couldn’t come back to the hotel until they were OK with it, but there was a possibility that I was still going to get jacked up. I didn’t know what was going to happen whenever I got to the room. Were they going to let me go to sleep? Was I going to get a hamburger? If I got a hamburger and was able to go to sleep, it was a good night. And that’s only because they had some other shenanigans going on. Other times, I could expect the brutalization, and it started not to even bother me. I was being raped and not really screaming, not begging and stuff no more. For me, it just became, “What you gone do now? How you gone be tonight? Let’s do this so I can go to sleep.” What they were doing was tearing me down. So I detached myself to deal with it, ’cause if I detach myself, you can’t touch me. That’s why they went and got another girl. I was no fun for them anymore. The other girl was about my age. I think her name was Sharon, but nobody called her that. They called her “bitch” and they gave her the street name Sparkle. My street name was Liza. I got it from a soap opera: All My Children. Liza was a trip, so I was going to be a trip. I loved Liza, and I adapted to that name. It helped me disconnect. It wasn’t Brenda doing those things, it was Liza. Brenda didn’t have to take the abuse, Liza did. Brenda couldn’t have went through all that. By the time Breezy came, Breezy was a mess. Breezy was created by all the other names, and that ho was something else. She was her own reality show. I was on That’s Entertainment! when I was Breezy. I used to have costumes when I was that ho because it had become a game. And I had to be the star of the game. That’s why sometimes people wanted to hurt me. I did this too well. I was always hearing, “That bitch think she something.” I don’t know what they thought I was, but I was something. I was surviving. I became a chameleon to deal with the situation. I became so desensitized to rape that I had a rapist turn around and leave me alone ’cause there was no sense in raping me, given the way I was acting. You think I’m playing? I didn’t give in to what his plan was; I made a new plan. I wowed out with the dude who came to harm me and flipped the script, and now I’m hanging out for two, three days with this monster. But by then I was controlling this game. I remember one time, I told this rapist, “Why are you raping me? This dick is so good, I’m gonna come.” And, well, he just got up. He was trying to have something from me, and I had to get it off his mind. He looked at me and I said, “You want to do this again?” He backed away, snatching at his clothes. “I’m good. We’re good.” “Sure you don’t want to go again?” “Naw, I gotta go.” He was trying to get away from me now, because damn it, I can’t just let you keep on doing this to me! I gotta flip it. I gotta do something with it. I gotta take control. No matter what happened to me on those streets, I had one big thought: I’ll fix your ass. At the same time, I was fixing me, because if I didn’t, the horrible in me might get out. There has to be a good ending for me, I thought to myself. C J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
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BEST PLACES TO LIVE HOMEBUYERS ARE RETHINKING THEIR PRIORITIES. PROXIMITY TO A DOWNTOWN OFFICE? NOT SO IMPORTANT. PROXIMITY TO FRESH AIR AND NATURE? TOP OF THE LIST. WITH THAT IN MIND, WE IDENTIFIED 20 NEIGHBORHOODS AND SUBURBS THAT OFFER EXCEPTIONAL ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES AND RECREATION. By Brenda Richardson
Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles
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PHOTOGRAPHY: (POTTAWATOMIE PARK) MIKE FRANKOWSKI; (BENNETT PARK) GEORGE ROSE/GETTY IMAGES
Green Spaces Edition
PHOTOGRAPHY: (ST. CHARLES) RYAN LYNCH/CREATIVE LIGHT STUDIOS; (STREETERVILLE) RELATED MIDWEST; (WOODLAWN) NAJA MORRIS/@PROPERTIES; (EVANSTON) SANDY SHERWOOD/@PROPERTIES
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Downtown
S T. C H A R LE S
S TR E E TE RV I LLE
The 40 or so green spaces meticulously maintained by the St. Charles Park District provide the setting for a robust array of recreational activities, from swimming to nature walks to skateboarding. Residents take particular pride in the string of greenswards that hug the banks of the Fox River. In Mount St. Mary Park, brick paths wind past flower gardens and tennis courts, converging at a decorative wall on which sits, fittingly enough, a sculpture of Humpty Dumpty. On the river’s east side, Pottawatomie Park offers volleyball, mini golf, and beautiful river views. You can snag a townhome near this pretty stretch of central St. Charles for $350,000, says Suzy Macino of @Properties, and if you want to spend more, sellers in this pricey suburb will oblige. “There’s everything from little 800-square-foot homes to 7,000 square feet. It’s very eclectic.” 1 $519,000, 311 Brownstone Dr., 3 bedrooms, 2,400 sq. ft.
Residents of this high-rise enclave have traditionally had to settle for a trip to the lakefront for their dose of fresh air. That changed in 2019, when the developer Related Midwest transformed two acres of Streeterville into a dynamic public green space that is becoming a downtown destination in its own right. Designed by the creator of Maggie Daley Park and the 606, Bennett Park is adjacent to the developer’s 66-story residential tower, One Bennett Park. The park has a fairyland feel, centered on a “lawn bowl” and encompassing play huts, sandboxes, walking paths, and two dog runs. Uneven demand downtown means you can snap up a bargain in a Streeterville highrise. “You can negotiate much more than you ever could,” says broker Melanie Everett. The ultraluxe condos in One Bennett start at $1.8 million, but a couple of blocks away you’ll find fully updated units starting at around $250,000. 2 $1,975,000, 1 Bennett Park, 3 bedrooms, 2,100 sq. ft.
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South Side
WO O D L AW N With construction set to begin this year on the Obama Presidential Center, all eyes will be on Woodlawn, the neighborhood extending west from the lush expanse of Jackson Park, home to the new center and, as any armchair historian will tell you, site of the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The 550-acre Olmsted & Vaux– designed park and its pleasures — a Japanese garden, sports facilities, a restored prairie habitat, a boat harbor, blossoming cherry trees — are the heart and soul of this neighborhood. Median sale prices for both houses and condos have risen steadily over the past few years, a trend that promises to continue, but there’s still immense value to be found. A completely new, ultramodern threebedroom townhouse with heated concrete floors and just a few blocks from the park was recently listed for $638,000. 3 $425,000, 1437 E 65th Pl., Unit 1, 5 bedrooms, 3,000 sq. ft.
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Bennett Park in Streeterville
Parks and Playgrounds
This dense lakeshore suburb is blessed with an impressive 76 parks and 50 playgrounds. The primacy the town places on park access is exemplified by Noah’s Playground for Everyone, which was designed in consultation with pediatric therapists and is fully wheelchair accessible, from the water fountains to the sandbox. Parks have special value for newcomers, who will find fewer housing options close to the waterfront. “Evanston is a very old town, so there’s not a whole lot of new construction right by the lake,” says @Properties broker Allyn Rawling. Head a few blocks in, though, and you’ll find all kinds of options. Just $225,000 will get you a toehold, in the form of a onebedroom condo within walking distance of any number of parks and playgrounds. A modest house, even one well in from the lake, will run you closer to $1 million. 4 $179,000, 817 Forest Ave., 1 bedroom, 800 sq. ft.
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G LE N V I E W Many visitors to Glenview pass through town along the main arteries, noticing little more than the shopping strips and gleaming commercial parks. But this suburb is flanked to the east and west by a largely contiguous network of forest preserves that makes the town an excellent access point for some of the metro area’s best walking and biking trails — including the 20-mile North Branch Trail and the 30-mile Des Plaines River Trail. The median sale price of a house in Glenview in 2020 was around $600,000, a lot less than in adjacent Northfield, which boasts a tonier reputation but has way less inventory (99 sales in 2020 versus more than 600 in Glenview). 1 $495,000, 4676 Jenna Rd., 3 bedrooms, 3,000 sq. ft.
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W H E ATO N Walk in virtually any direction from the center of this suburb of 53,000 people and you’ll end up in a forest preserve or leafy public green space. To the west is Cantigny Park, with its flower gardens and shaded picnic areas; to the north, Lincoln Marsh Natural Area, with its lush wetland habitats; and to the south, the 887-acre Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, which is justifiably one of the Chicago area’s most popular preserves, with more than seven miles of trails, including a section of the gorgeous DanadaHerrick Lake Regional Trail. With a median sale price in 2020 of just $380,000 for single-family homes — $75,000 less than in adjacent Naperville — Wheaton offers entry points for new homeowners or budget-minded city dwellers looking to make a break for the suburbs. 3 $304,000, 407 S. Morgan Ave., 3 bedrooms, 1,300 sq. ft. Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton
Fa r Nor t h w e s t S i d e
F O R E S T G LE N Although Forest Glen is just 10 miles from the Loop, it seems a world away. The aptly named community area, which includes the staid neighborhoods of Edgebrook and Sauganash, extends along a corridor of woodlands encompassing floodplain forests, flatwoods, and open savanna and oak forest. Picnic groves, activity areas, a warming shelter, a sledding hill, a biking trail — all these lie a short walk from virtually any point in Forest Glen. The area consists mostly of singlefamily homes — midcentury ranches, brick bungalows, English Tudors — giving it a suburban feel. With a median sale price in 2020 of $460,000, those homes are accessible to urban buyers who’d be relegated to condos in many other similarly attractive North Side nabes. 2 $849,000, 6300 N. Louise Ave., 6 bedrooms, 3,200 sq. ft.
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Woodlands 1
2
Palos Park Woods in Palos Park
3
S o u t h w e s t S u b u rb s
PA LO S PA R K Well known for the lush forest trails and nature areas that partially surround it — all part of the 15,000-acre Palos Park Woods, the crown jewel of the Cook County forest preserve system — Palos Park is a happy hunting ground for homebuyers with the resources to go big. The homes here have been a magnet for more seasoned buyers who are ready to upsize. Be prepared to spend, says John Schaefer, manager of RE/Max Synergy in nearby Orland Park, but also expect a lot for your money: “There wasn’t a builder who came here and just put in big subdivisions. Mostly everything is custombuilt.” That means lots of three- and even four-car garages, among other high-end amenities, and prices hovering around $700,000 for a fully updated threebedroom, four-bath home — all of it within walking distance of the biggest preserve in the Cook County system. 4 $750,000, 12813 S. Misty Harbour Ln., 4 bedrooms, 6,800 sq. ft.
4
PHOTOGRAPHY: (PALOS PARK WOODS) ZBIGNIEW BZDAK/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; (HERRICK LAKE FOREST PRESERVE) COURTESY OF FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY; (GLENVIEW) SHIRLEY FAUCETT/BAIRD WARNER LIBERTYVILLE; (FOREST GLEN) VHT STUDIOS; (WHEATON) SARA NADER/ REDFIN; (PALOS PARK) VHT STUDIOS
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O R L A N D PA R K It’s emblazoned right there on the town’s water tower: “World’s Golf Center.” Other golfcentric cities around the globe might quibble, but it can’t be denied that duffers in this suburb have extraordinary choice, with at least 12 courses within an easy drive of downtown. One of the most popular is the sprawling 45-hole Silver Lake Country Club, which encompasses three individual courses, each presenting distinct challenges. The median single-family home price in town has been creeping up, but the growth hasn’t been explosive — 18 percent over the past five years — and there is plenty of value to be found, whether you’re in the market for a condo (ones in the Fountain Hills development start in the $170s) or a house ($210,000 will get you a 1,000-squarefoot two-bedroom). Got the budget to spend big, Tiger? For $1.4 million, you can have three floors, 10,000 square feet of living space, and a four-car garage — plenty of room for an extra set of clubs. 1 $779,000, 10840 Somer Ln., 5 bedrooms, 4,100 sq. ft.
The Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park
No r t h S u b u rb s
1 No r t h w e s t S u b u rb s
E LG I N
N O R TH BA R R I N G TO N This affluent village and its adjacent suburbs are home to half a dozen public and private courses. Arguably the most prestigious of them is the Wynstone, a Jack Nicklaus–designed course anchoring a gated residential enclave spread across 750 acres of partially wooded, lake-dotted land. Houses currently on the market within the community range from around $500,000 for a 3,800-square-foot threebedroom to $1.7 million for a six-bedroom manse — competitive prices relative to the surrounding area. Purchasing any of those homes requires becoming a duespaying member of the Wynstone Property Owners’ Association, whose fees can run to nearly $6,000 annually. That said, the association takes care of pretty much everything, from landscaping and water treatment to 24-hour private security. 2 $1,199,000, 56 S. Wynstone Dr., 5 bedrooms, 6,600 sq. ft.
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Created by the environmentally minded course designer Rick Jacobson, the award-winning links at Bowes Creek Country Club, on the western fringe of this handsome Fox River town, are open to the public but offer dues-paying members perks like free use of golf carts and priority tee times — which visitors can get a taste of thanks to the club’s “member for a day” passes, starting at $90. The developer Toll Brothers is building several dozen smartly appointed open-concept single-family homes on lots facing the fairways, all with access not just to the nearby club but also to walking trails and playgrounds. The new houses start at around $390,000 — a price point comparable to what you’ll find for existing construction elsewhere in town. 3 $473,000, Bowes Creek Country Club Fairways Collection (model shown), 3 bedrooms, 2,300 sq. ft.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: (SILVER LAKE COUNTRY CLUB) TROY WALSH/DRONE MEDIA CHICAGO; (ORLAND PARK) ARYN VAN DYKE/UNITED REAL ESTATE; (NORTH BARRINGTON) KELVIN LIN/VHT STUDIOS; (ELGIN) WAYUP MEDIA
Golf Courses
S o u t h w e s t S u b u rb s
We s te r n S u b u rb s
PHOTOGRAPHY: (BOATHOUSE) STEVEHALL/STUDIO GANG; (NAPERVILLE) LESLIE LEMMONS; (NEAR NORTH SIDE) BURT SUDHAUNG/REDFIN; (AURORA) DICKERSON TEAM; (BRIDGEPORT) SHERRY NG/GOODLAND REALTY
AU R O R A We s te r n S u b u rb s
N A PE RV I LLE
1
2
Naperville’s Riverwalk may not be as famous as Chicago’s, but it’s a lot less hectic, located along a gentle bend in the DuPage River and graced with brickpaved paths, fountains, a footbridge, and sculptures. “The Riverwalk area is a huge asset, kind of a model for what a riverwalk should be,” says Eric Rogers, a Century 21 Affiliated broker. One advantage of living near it is that you’re also downtown, putting you steps from the Naperville’s historic district and top-notch dining and drinking, including the vaunted high-end coffee purveyor Sparrow, which is a block from the river. Given the enormous inventory in this burgeoning burb — it logged more than 2,000 sales in 2020 — there’s a price point for every budget. A downtown two-bedroom condo will run you about $300,000. For the best value, Rogers recommends looking at new developments south of downtown. 1 $529,000, 427 W. Jefferson Ave., 3 bedrooms, 2,200 sq. ft.
Downtown
N E A R N O RTH S I D E
3
The commercial heart of this downtown community area includes the Mag Mile’s upscale shops and restaurants. But arguably of more value to residents is the fact that the area’s southern boundary is the Chicago River itself, specifically the stretch occupied by the Riverwalk, with its packed cafés, brewpubs, and eateries — all of which are rightly held up as the prime symbol of the river’s years-inthe-making rehabilitation. While farther-flung city nabes and suburbs are currently seeing bidding wars and crowded open houses, much of the Near North Side is “100 percent a buyer’s market,” according to broker Melanie Everett, with fully updated condos in a river-adjacent building like the Park Place, on Kingsbury Street, starting at under $300,000. “There is an opportunity to scoop something up at a really great price in an awesome location.” 2 $275,000, 600 N. Kingsbury St., 1 bedroom, 700 sq. ft. The Jeanne Gang–designed Eleanor Boathouse in Bridgeport
4
Rivers
Many Chicagoans looking west to buy tend to focus on the more upscale Fox River enclaves of Geneva and Batavia, but that’s changing, says broker Linda Pilmer: “People from Chicago have been moving to Aurora because of affordable prices.” Indeed, with its historic downtown and the expansive neighborhoods of handsome prewar houses on its west side — including one designed by Frank Lloyd Wright — Aurora offers exceptional value for the money. A two-bedroom riverfront condo can be had for about $225,000. Aurora also offers access to the Fox River Trail, a 40-mile paved biking and walking route. 3 $290,000, 430 Grand Ave., 6 bedrooms, 3,300 sq. ft.
South Side
BRIDGEPORT When most people think of recreation on the Chicago River, their thoughts turn to downtown, with its Riverwalk and boat tours, or to neighborhoods along the North Branch like Lincoln Square. But developers are betting big farther south, in Bridgeport, where new townhomes are going up along the South Branch, many just steps from the prosaically named Park No. 571. That 4.5-acre riverfront jewel is home to a boat launch and a Jeanne Gang– designed boathouse, which has a training facility for rowing teams, as well as kayak storage and exercise areas. A sextet of river-accessible townhouses from the Hulett Group each have a private roof deck and start at just under $700,000. Buyers with smaller budgets can find relative bargains in the form of fixerupper houses just a few blocks in from the river. 4 $689,000, 2825 S. Short St., 5 bedrooms, 3,700 sq. ft.
Fa r N or t h S i d e
E D G E WATE R While famously expensive Lincoln Park and its eponymous waterfront stomping ground attract huge summer crowds seeking water and waves, this quieter, stately North Side enclave offers city dwellers something more rarefied: close-to-the-beach prewar homes at not-exorbitant prices. “There are little pockets of Edgewater such as Edgewater Glen, which are within walking distance to the lake,” says Debi Weinberg of @ Properties. “Most of the homes there tend to be older and many of them are updated. It’s more affordable to get a single-family home there than, say, in Lincoln Park or Lake View.” Handsome older houses can also be found in Lakewood Balmoral, a historic district within Edgewater, many of them undergoing gut renovations and selling for north of $1 million — but a lot less than comparable homes in Lincoln Park — with unrenovated properties considerably cheaper. 1 $685,000, 1545 W. Glenlake Ave., 4 bedrooms, 2,200 sq. ft.
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2
No r t h S i d e
LAKE VIEW No r t h S h o r e If there is a single spot that captures the manifold glories of Chicago in the summertime, it’s Belmont Harbor. Bustling with recreational boaters, kids taking sailing lessons, tennis players, cyclists, nature lovers visiting the migratory bird sanctuary, and even golfers, this stretch of lakefront can feel like the center of the universe on a nice day. The dense residential neighborhood west of the harbor offers surprisingly affordable options, especially for young first-time homebuyers. “Studio apartments and one-bedroom units in a high-rise can be purchased for under $200,000,” says Lyle Harlow, managing broker of Kale Realty. And with the Red Line running through the heart of the area, and Lake Shore Drive just blocks away, Lake View delivers unsurpassed access to the city beyond the harbor — if you ever have the urge to leave. 2 $290,000 (sold), 1140 W. Wellington Ave., 2 bedrooms, 750 sq. ft.
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4
5 PHOTOGRAPHY: (SOUTH SHORE CULTURAL CENTER) ALEX GARCIA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; (ROSEWOOD BEACH) CHRIS WALKER/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; (EDGEWATER) TODD K. FIKE/THE FIKE GROUP BAIRD & WARNER; (LAKE VIEW) BRENT BORCHARDT; (HIGHLAND PARK) VHT STUDIOS; (GLENCOE) MAC DUBOSE/COLDWELL BANKER WINNETKA; (SOUTH SHORE) @PROPERTIES GOOSE ISLAND
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H I G H L A N D PA R K Almost 10 percent of Illinois’s Lake Michigan shoreline falls within the bounds of this leafy suburb, which boasts no fewer than four public beaches, as well as boat launches and pretty blufftop parks. Those assets don’t come cheap: Singlefamily homes on the water start at $3 million, with one recently fetching close to $15 million, and unlike in the city, there aren’t any shorefront condo buildings. But if you’re willing to tote your towel a few blocks, the options expand: Condo developments close to the main drag of Green Bay Road are offering units in the $400,000 to $850,000 range — and what they lack in instant access to the water, they make up for in proximity to shops and restaurants. Demand for such properties has soared, says Beth Alberts of Compass. “People who are used to living in the city like to be in a walkable town.” 3 $845,000, 1789 Green Bay Rd., 3 bedrooms, 2,600 sq. ft.
The South Shore Cultural Center, at lower right
No r t h S h o r e
G LE N CO E This lakefront village of 8,900 doesn’t boast the abundant beaches of Highland Park, just to the north — Glencoe has a single, very nice public swimming beach — but it has something Highland Park doesn’t: an incredible backyard. The town’s entire western border abuts the bucolic Skokie Lagoons, with its ponds and walking trails, and the magnificent Chicago Botanic Garden. What’s more, Glencoe, virtually all of which lies within walking distance of the beach, offers a remarkable amount of choice for its size when it comes to housing. Homes run the gamut from two-story Tudors to vintage colonials, as well as townhomes, which can be had for as little as $370,000 — all of it giving the suburb a diverse, colorful character. “It’s a family community that’s really charming,” says Jenni Gordon, a broker for Matlin Group of Compass, “but it’s not a subdivision type of place.” 4 $875,000, 362 South Ave., 5 bedrooms, 4,200 sq. ft. Rosewood Beach in Highland Park
Lakefront
South Side
S O UTH S H O R E On a fine summer day, the broad crescent of Rainbow Beach feels like the thumping heart of the South Side, with hundreds of sun seekers and families arrayed across the sand and boats from Jackson Park’s nearby harbor bobbing in the waves. The neighborhood just to the west of the beach is justly proud of its waterfront — and of its architecture, too: Few lakeside communities pack in as much architectural interest as South Shore, from the six graceful 1920s apartment buildings of the JeffreyCyril Historic District to the Mediterranean grandeur of the South Shore Cultural Center to the distinctive 19thcentury colonial and Renaissance revival homes of the Jackson Park Highlands area. “You are going to see a lot of historic homes, a lot of mosaic tiles, a lot of different woods— everything about these homes screams character,” says Coldwell Banker’s Mara Morris of that elegant enclave. A fully renovated, century-old fivebedroom home there was recently listed for $390,000, which would get you a modest condo in many North Side lakefront nabes. 5 $390,000 (sold), 7027 S. Constance Ave., 5 bedrooms, 2,000 sq. ft.
THE LATEST PRICE DATA FOR 73 NEIGHBORHOODS AND 225 SUBURBS
Near North Side, 3 bedrooms, sold for $1,325,000
In the City COMMUNITY AREA
Q P R I C I E S T NEIGHBORHOOD
In 2020, Lincoln Park had the highest median sale price in the city for both houses ($1.6 million) and townhouses and condos ($515,500), both up slightly from 2019. Q T O W N H O U S E AND CONDO BOOM
The high-riseheavy Near North Side had the biggest volume of sales for attached housing last year (1,938), beating out similarly dense Lake View by a few dozen sales. Q Q U I C K E S T SALES
Sellers of singlefamily homes had to wait, on average, just 37 days to snag a buyer in McKinley Park last year. Sellers on the Near North Side had to be more patient — houses there sat on the market for an average of 216 days.
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NORTH Albany Park Edgewater Forest Glen Lake View Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Loop Near North Side North Center Rogers Park Uptown West Ridge WEST Austin Avondale Belmont Cragin Dunning East Garfield Park Edison Park Hermosa Humboldt Park Irving Park Jefferson Park Logan Square Lower West Side Montclare Near West Side North Lawndale Norwood Park O’Hare Portage Park South Lawndale West Town
WHAT YOUR
Woodlawn, 4 bedrooms, sold for $491,000
Jefferson Park, 4 bedrooms, sold for $427,000
DETACHED HOUSING MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
TOWNHOUSES AND CONDOS NO. OF SALES 2020
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
NO. OF SALES 2020
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
$447,500 $737,500 $460,000 $1,343,800 $1,595,000 $795,000 N/A $1,420,000 $1,122,500 $485,000 $892,500 $399,000
12 5 −4 5 1 11 N/A 17 1 −2 1 8
30 17 7 1 0 14 N/A −34 8 9 12 21
148 82 251 152 199 117 N/A 39 210 41 40 142
63 92 82 138 135 95 N/A 216 94 62 138 73
$210,500 $245,000 N/A $415,000 $515,500 $325,000 $330,000 $410,500 $447,000 $177,000 $300,000 $148,900
5 17 N/A 18 2 3 1 3 0 1 7 3
26 30 N/A 22 16 30 −5 3 15 14 28 45
184 698 16 1,868 1,214 362 550 1,938 427 452 786 304
58 74 N/A 72 80 57 105 125 56 67 54 72
$236,000 $583,500 $290,000 $309,900 N/A $392,500 $315,000 $270,000 $557,500 $347,800 $799,000 $360,000 $300,500 $489,000 $160,000 $359,900 $395,000 $355,000 $155,500 $950,000
31 17 9 9 N/A 1 17 8 13 5 5 10 12 −6 46 8 0 6 12 6
89 60 49 30 N/A 12 80 90 31 26 22 88 32 44 229 26 10 40 132 12
324 112 225 479 19 141 72 168 286 250 269 23 92 33 51 471 27 417 35 216
71 45 80 79 N/A 56 67 72 75 65 68 54 86 67 75 62 62 51 64 83
$125,800 $365,000 $208,000 $210,000 $162,300 $170,000 N/A $269,000 $231,300 $150,000 $418,000 $429,900 N/A $370,000 N/A $174,900 $145,000 $170,000 N/A $500,000
2 −1 19 5 13 3 N/A 1 10 −12 2 6 N/A 1 N/A 0 7 10 N/A 4
96 32 130 36 175 26 N/A 28 29 9 27 91 N/A 12 N/A 38 41 29 N/A 22
42 167 27 101 30 69 4 37 280 71 638 95 17 974 11 87 109 119 N/A 1,608
66 45 86 59 81 83 N/A 83 51 91 49 83 N/A 70 N/A 64 68 58 N/A 62
NOTES Data is given only for places with at least 20 sales in 2020. In the suburbs tables, towns that straddle two or more counties are listed in the county where they have the greatest population. SOURCE Midwest Real Estate Data, an aggregator and distributor of data for Chicago and its collar counties; MRED does not guarantee the accuracy of the data, which may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: (FROM LEFT) RYAN OCASIO PHOTOGRAPHY; MARNI BEALS PHOTOGRAPHY; CHICAGO HOME PHOTOS; VIS-HOME; ERIC FELDMAN/TURN-KEY REALTY LLC; REDFIN
HOME IS WORTH
Park Ridge, 4 bedrooms, sold for $420,000
Evanston, 5 bedrooms, sold for $649,000
DETACHED HOUSING
COMMUNITY AREA
SOUTH Archer Heights Armour Square Ashburn Auburn Gresham Avalon Park Beverly Bridgeport Brighton Park Burnside Calumet Heights Chatham Chicago Lawn Clearing Douglas East Side Englewood Gage Park Garfield Ridge Grand Boulevard Greater Grand Crossing Hegewisch Hyde Park Kenwood McKinley Park Morgan Park Mount Greenwood Near South Side New City Oakland Pullman Roseland South Chicago South Deering South Shore Washington Heights Washington Park West Elsdon West Englewood West Lawn West Pullman Woodlawn
MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
$250,000 N/A $212,500 $172,500 $180,000 $340,000 $473,800 $219,000 $150,000 $166,800 $160,000 $187,000 $267,000 $429,000 $153,500 $52,000 $210,000 $268,500 $549,000 $109,300 $155,000 $960,000 $640,000 $320,000 $220,600 $257,800 N/A $197,000 N/A $155,000 $134,800 $150,000 $102,000 $197,500 $170,000 N/A $230,000 $80,000 $230,000 $115,000 $287,500
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
11 N/A 6 23 27 9 −4 0 20 12 8 17 9 −11 19 105 15 8 13 32 7 20 19 22 11 5 N/A 51 N/A 68 38 95 2 89 18 N/A 9 78 5 48 105
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
55 N/A 49 214 140 15 17 65 348 78 119 134 48 16 92 333 100 41 93 123 52 19 −6 100 52 29 N/A 315 N/A 163 221 230 224 110 134 N/A 48 367 48 231 142
Elmhurst, 3 bedrooms, sold for $462,000
TOWNHOUSES AND CONDOS NO. OF SALES 2020
47 3 354 360 122 235 108 60 21 134 196 247 207 25 120 62 92 391 99 174 70 29 30 35 230 224 2 65 9 47 350 141 57 124 311 3 95 141 183 239 36
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
65 N/A 62 100 86 107 63 85 116 90 90 58 52 90 80 74 77 57 94 100 73 133 139 37 109 59 N/A 75 N/A 47 91 130 62 90 81 N/A 62 64 62 103 87
MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
N/A $320,500 N/A N/A N/A N/A $289,500 N/A N/A N/A $45,000 N/A $126,000 $149,900 N/A N/A N/A N/A $237,500 N/A N/A $199,900 $248,000 $324,000 $114,900 N/A $385,000 N/A $328,000 N/A N/A N/A $46,500 $65,000 N/A $185,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A $195,000
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
N/A 19 N/A N/A N/A N/A −2 N/A N/A N/A 6 N/A −1 14 N/A N/A N/A N/A 13 N/A N/A 3 14 −2 17 N/A 4 N/A 26 N/A N/A N/A 50 −4 N/A 98 N/A N/A N/A N/A 11
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
N/A 34 N/A N/A N/A N/A 33 N/A N/A N/A 120 N/A 21 39 N/A N/A N/A N/A 169 N/A N/A 25 77 18 150 N/A 7 N/A 46 N/A N/A N/A 145 117 N/A 330 N/A N/A N/A N/A 200
NO. OF SALES 2020
8 32 6 3 5 13 54 4 1 5 25 3 77 79 3 2 N/A 10 131 5 N/A 255 186 20 37 11 631 11 35 8 7 9 26 130 1 33 12 2 19 6 94
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
N/A 91 N/A N/A N/A N/A 67 N/A N/A N/A 118 N/A 84 71 N/A N/A N/A N/A 95 N/A N/A 81 88 92 40 N/A 86 N/A 89 N/A N/A N/A 94 116 N/A 83 N/A N/A N/A N/A 110
Q SOUTH SIDE SURGE
West Englewood saw median prices for single-family homes go up 367 percent since 2015, with neighboring Englewood not far behind, at 333 percent. The neighborhoods are among 10 designated as priority areas by Invest South/ West, the city’s community improvement initiative. Q P R I C I E S T SUBURB
The wealthy North Shore enclave of Kenilworth had the suburbs’ highest median sale price in 2020 ($1.2 million), edging out its neighbor to the north, Winnetka, by $80,000. Q C O L L A R COUNT Y JUMP
The Lake County suburb of Lakemoor saw a one-year increase in median sale price of 30 percent, the biggest in the metro area outside Cook County.
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In the Suburbs DETACHED HOUSING
TOWNS BY COUNTY
COOK COUNTY Alsip Arlington Heights Barrington Barrington Hills Bellwood Berkeley Berwyn Blue Island Bridgeview Broadview Brookfield Burbank Burnham Calumet City Calumet Park Chicago Heights Chicago Ridge Cicero Country Club Hills Countryside Crestwood Des Plaines Dolton Elk Grove Village Elmwood Park Evanston Evergreen Park Flossmoor Forest Park Franklin Park Glencoe Glenview Glenwood Hanover Park Harvey Harwood Heights Hazel Crest Hickory Hills Hillside Hoffman Estates Homewood Inverness Justice Kenilworth La Grange La Grange Highlands La Grange Park Lansing Lemont Lincolnwood Lynwood Lyons Markham Matteson Maywood Melrose Park Midlothian Morton Grove Mount Prospect Niles Norridge
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MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
$211,500 $380,000 $465,000 $716,300 $187,000 $220,000 $260,000 $145,000 $235,000 $212,000 $267,000 $237,500 $119,800 $125,000 $119,000 $129,900 $224,900 $215,500 $154,000 $324,500 $221,000 $295,000 $120,000 $310,000 $296,900 $585,000 $215,000 $259,000 $326,000 $232,000 $930,000 $601,000 $143,300 $249,900 $40,000 $306,400 $129,300 $282,000 $225,500 $316,000 $190,000 $555,500 $237,000 $1,180,000 $525,000 $310,000 $374,500 $153,100 $460,000 $431,500 $205,000 $206,500 $95,400 $187,800 $188,700 $225,000 $169,000 $340,000 $345,000 $332,000 $330,000
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
9 5 6 −1 5 0 13 6 15 10 6 11 17 28 29 24 12 11 14 0 7 2 11 5 6 15 12 18 15 8 8 9 2 6 31 6 12 20 7 0 9 1 −1 −7 −6 −16 7 19 15 7 2 10 19 −1 11 7 7 8 8 4 6
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% CHANGE SINCE 2015
39 7 9 5 59 63 49 123 58 77 16 48 242 198 171 141 46 86 93 11 45 22 264 20 32 16 39 24 39 47 −4 9 71 44 150 22 116 43 82 21 46 −10 42 −19 7 7 13 80 40 8 49 61 210 47 142 52 43 24 15 20 27
DETACHED HOUSING NO. OF SALES 2020
168 920 365 96 181 63 488 131 125 75 265 321 30 281 60 287 75 228 206 42 89 568 318 300 263 533 272 189 107 165 194 649 110 290 111 86 128 133 66 585 312 120 72 53 243 31 178 292 316 142 80 105 122 238 228 153 184 310 550 273 157
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
66 83 132 289 66 80 77 91 80 57 66 60 79 101 75 78 64 76 86 113 63 77 98 57 72 94 64 122 88 56 136 114 73 48 91 105 77 66 78 82 60 199 70 225 96 121 90 61 114 106 66 74 92 83 84 72 61 78 80 83 73
TOWNS BY COUNTY
North Riverside Northbrook Northfield Northlake Oak Forest Oak Lawn Oak Park Olympia Fields Orland Hills Orland Park Palatine Palos Heights Palos Hills Palos Park Park Forest Park Ridge Posen Prospect Heights Richton Park River Forest River Grove Riverdale Riverside Rolling Meadows Sauk Village Schaumburg Schiller Park Skokie South Barrington South Chicago Heights South Holland Stickney Streamwood Summit Thornton Tinley Park Westchester Western Springs Wilmette Winnetka Worth DuPAGE COUNT Y Addison Bartlett Bensenville Bloomingdale Burr Ridge Carol Stream Clarendon Hills Darien Downers Grove Elmhurst Glen Ellyn Glendale Heights Hinsdale Itasca Lisle Lombard Naperville Oak Brook Roselle
MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
NO. OF SALES 2020
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
$270,000 $569,000 $699,000 $228,000 $230,500 $240,000 $457,000 $232,900 $236,000 $345,000 $334,900 $312,500 $295,000 $437,500 $81,000 $479,000 $145,000 $385,000 $163,800 $680,000 $240,000 $65,000 $455,000 $262,500 $71,000 $335,000 $265,000 $350,000 $732,000 $120,000 $174,000 $225,500 $231,900 $175,000 $129,000 $273,000 $256,300 $623,000 $792,500 $1,100,000 $210,000
9 −1 1 9 9 7 4 14 9 4 3 8 8 8 13 12 8 10 9 −3 2 38 3 4 18 3 8 3 0 28 18 4 3 4 25 11 5 2 7 −10 11
26 5 −1 60 38 34 9 37 24 18 5 20 31 23 161 10 85 8 93 15 29 190 21 18 158 21 40 25 −13 107 67 49 34 67 61 19 32 3 6 −8 47
73 485 99 113 350 699 533 108 78 624 627 157 125 130 307 561 47 107 130 153 69 100 165 204 85 496 49 454 87 27 283 84 421 45 35 593 336 243 426 303 121
59 115 142 54 61 67 90 121 44 84 101 94 66 115 95 83 62 135 83 108 74 120 122 63 83 62 59 73 256 62 81 97 56 54 47 61 53 88 85 120 53
$280,000 $309,500 $255,000 $352,500 $720,000 $285,000 $567,000 $359,000 $390,000 $472,500 $462,500 $248,000 $930,000 $328,000 $385,000 $294,500 $455,000 $740,000 $299,900
4 1 0 −3 −1 3 −8 4 5 8 17 6 4 2 8 3 3 4 3
30 18 36 20 0 24 −8 12 12 15 15 42 0 23 8 24 11 −9 15
321 530 129 170 185 327 166 237 773 677 613 219 367 89 279 552 2,001 93 224
69 53 71 97 205 50 104 79 88 103 97 48 163 80 100 48 85 179 63
DETACHED HOUSING
DETACHED HOUSING
TOWNS BY COUNTY
MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
NO. OF SALES 2020
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
Villa Park Warrenville Wayne West Chicago Westmont Wheaton Willowbrook Winfield Wood Dale Woodridge
$270,000 $280,000 $485,000 $284,500 $337,500 $380,000 $445,000 $332,000 $295,000 $312,500
6 4 −4 0 5 −6 −3 2 9 10
27 24 5 46 16 12 17 16 27 22
291 126 59 346 197 816 99 175 113 329
41 75 201 73 73 88 117 71 86 62
KANE COUNTY Aurora Batavia Carpentersville East Dundee Elburn Elgin Geneva Gilberts Hampshire Montgomery North Aurora Pingree Grove Sleepy Hollow South Elgin St. Charles Sugar Grove West Dundee
$240,000 $341,000 $214,000 $231,500 $325,000 $251,500 $375,000 $315,500 $295,000 $236,000 $295,000 $295,000 $305,000 $300,000 $397,100 $316,800 $314,000
11 7 16 10 0 7 3 0 −1 9 9 5 13 6 9 4 9
41 23 59 32 31 41 11 20 25 44 26 22 13 19 25 16 21
1,550 396 331 52 196 1,288 521 92 179 110 253 147 48 302 926 208 113
55 82 54 66 134 76 85 62 107 51 64 80 100 56 96 83 79
LAKE COUNTY Antioch Beach Park Buffalo Grove Deer Park Deerfield Fox Lake Fox River Grove Grayslake Green Oaks Gurnee Hainesville Hawthorn Woods Highland Park Ingleside Kildeer Lake Barrington Lake Bluff Lake Forest Lake Villa Lake Zurich Lakemoor Libertyville Lincolnshire Lindenhurst Long Grove Mundelein North Barrington North Chicago Riverwoods Round Lake Round Lake Beach
$230,000 $192,000 $355,000 $540,000 $494,500 $209,000 $248,400 $245,000 $500,000 $295,000 $225,000 $491,000 $542,000 $205,000 $585,500 $525,000 $542,000 $795,000 $245,000 $338,000 $229,500 $465,000 $504,500 $239,000 $604,900 $290,000 $587,500 $135,000 $605,000 $245,000 $179,000
−1 4 1 5 5 4 7 6 −5 2 8 −1 11 9 0 8 16 5 5 2 30 5 −12 7 2 1 7 23 −1 7 8
21 41 −4 7 6 61 9 23 −9 13 23 2 0 39 0 −5 11 −5 27 10 35 4 −16 24 −3 32 4 187 −14 25 63
446 160 409 61 283 136 90 597 27 473 41 195 565 186 88 77 166 446 345 324 66 465 100 256 185 451 84 65 65 232 247
84 63 73 102 112 78 76 81 107 74 43 141 130 92 180 209 158 208 75 79 69 125 146 60 163 77 229 59 227 58 48
TOWNS BY COUNTY
MEDIAN SALE PRICE 2020
% CHANGE SINCE 2019
% CHANGE SINCE 2015
NO. OF SALES 2020
AVG. DAYS ON MARKET
Round Lake Heights Round Lake Park Vernon Hills Volo Wadsworth Wauconda Waukegan Winthrop Harbor Zion
$209,300 $140,000 $400,000 $264,500 $300,000 $273,000 $155,000 $184,000 $141,500
23 8 −3 6 0 9 12 −6 9
67 96 4 15 23 11 94 28 65
30 60 221 140 99 222 465 117 346
18 62 123 69 117 101 63 63 73
McHENRY COUNTY Algonquin $295,000 Cary $268,000 Crystal Lake $275,000 Harvard $173,500 Hebron $208,000 Huntley $295,000 Island Lake $212,600 Lake in the Hills $267,500 Lakewood $412,500 Marengo $220,000 McHenry $225,000 Oakwood Hills $244,000 Port Barrington $293,000 Richmond $278,950 Spring Grove $278,500 Wonder Lake $180,500 Woodstock $247,900
4 5 10 12 10 5 12 9 6 11 14 2 7 12 5 19 8
26 20 31 47 49 24 29 27 7 42 50 37 25 59 25 68 34
515 372 879 161 35 592 124 399 80 201 853 50 39 58 195 220 473
77 71 74 78 88 63 77 50 117 94 77 75 129 101 101 57 75
WILL COUNTY Beecher Bolingbrook Braidwood Channahon Crest Hill Crete Frankfort Homer Glen Joliet Lockport Manhattan Minooka Mokena Monee New Lenox Plainfield Romeoville Shorewood Steger
−1 7 0 6 8 14 5 3 11 4 5 −2 9 6 3 6 5 9 14
14 32 39 36 43 60 22 25 60 33 29 18 26 31 23 30 48 29 109
71 804 95 135 154 205 472 323 1,312 414 218 37 318 153 581 1,343 432 299 111
86 54 53 54 59 83 93 84 52 62 76 49 75 91 58 57 57 90 54
$207,000 $268,000 $190,000 $251,000 $210,800 $200,000 $390,000 $365,000 $187,000 $259,000 $299,600 $285,000 $360,000 $229,900 $319,000 $290,000 $230,000 $309,000 $115,000
J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
97
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ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY OF ARTIST
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Turtel Onli, NOG, 1980
Comics Capital Two related exhibitions make a convincing case that Chicago is ground zero for innovative cartooning. By TAL ROSENBERG J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1 | C H I C AG O
99
MAGINE IF I TURNED THIS
article into a comic. (I’d do it, but I can draw about as well as I solve math equations.) In the first panel, you’d see Tim Samuelson and Chris Ware, who are actual, real-life people. Samuelson retired in January as Chicago’s first and only official cultural historian; Ware is a star in the world of cartooning, known for exacting, labyrinthine books whose aesthetic intricacy complements their profound insights on the human condition. Above their heads you’d see enormous speech bubbles, because I surmise two such knowledgeable people would have a lot to say. And they’d be talking about Gasoline Alley. In the next panel, Samuelson and I are on the phone, and I’m asking him what was so innovative about that comic. “That was a pioneering comic strip that would tell an ongoing story,” he says of the Frank King–created work, syndicated out of the Tribune starting in 1918. “In fact, in that particular comic, the characters aged: There are characters that go from a baby and then you watch them grow up and go off to World War II.” Moving back to that first panel, Ware and Samuelson’s conversation shifts to a plan they first discussed a few years ago to mount an exhibit on Gasoline Alley at t he C h ic a go Cultural Center. New panel: Museum of Contemporar y A rt chief curator Michael Darling approaches Ware about doing a show on the history of Chicago comics. In Ware’s mind, a colorful sequence of Chicago comics unspools: Dick Tracy, Brenda Starr, Little Orphan Annie, the contributions of Black artists such as Jackie Ormes, Jay Jackson, and Leslie Rogers. This all wound up resulting in two exhibitions, both running June 19 to
I
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C H I C AG O | J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 1
From top: Kerry James Marshall, Rythm Mastr, 2018; Charles Lederer, Queertown, 1906; Edie Fake, Dusk, 2015
October 3: Chicago: Where Comics Came to Life, 1880–1960 at the Cultural Center and Chicago Comics: 1960s to Now at the MCA. Samuelson and Ware quickly realized that the entire history of comics in this city was too much to organize into one show, so they focused on the period covered by the Cultural Center exhibit. For its portion, the MCA brought on Brooklyn-based Dan Nadel, a renowned curator and author on cartooning. In the course of his research on Chicago’s Black cartoonists, he discovered far more material than he could include. As
a result, he also compiled a collection of this underrecognized work: It’s Life As I See It: Black Cartoonists in Chicago, 1940–1980, which will be published June 1 by New York Review Comics. “It’s the first anthology of Black comic book artists anywhere,” Nadel says. The exhibitions themselves will showcase exclusive and rare material. At the Cultural Center, you’ll be able to see copies of the first color strips in America, taken from Chicago’s Daily Inter Ocean in 1893, and the Tribune’s first color comics section. The MCA will display cartooning from such famous Chicagoans as Kerry James Marshall and Daniel Clowes and have rooms dedicated to single artists. That includes one for Ware, who is designing it himself using, he says, “essentially the same approach as I have for the Cultural Center.” And what approach is that? “Lifting how one reads the standard two-dimensional rat maze of comics into three dimensions,” he says. “I have no idea if it works or if it’s completely insane.” C
ILLUSTRATIONS: (RYTHM MASTR) PHOTOGRAPH BY BRYAN CONLEY. COURTESY THE ARTIST, JACK SHAINMAN GALLERY, NEW YORK, DAVID ZWIRNER, LONDON, AND KOPLIN DEL RIO, SEATTLE; (QUEERTOWN) COURTESY OF CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS; (DUSK) COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND WESTERN EXHIBITIONS
GO
WHO IS BILL
MAULDIN?
ILLUSTRATOR
OR
INFLUENCER?
A retrospective of the provocative work by two-time Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin about our nation’s time of war, civil rights, and social justice.
Now Open!
Tuesday – Saturday, 10am– 4pm Admission $10. Seniors, students and teachers w/valid ID, $8. Free for Members, active military and children under 12.
104 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60603
© 1963 by Bill Mauldin. Courtesy of Bill Mauldin Estate LLC
whoisbillmauldin.com #WhoIsBillMauldin
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Dr. Epstein performs surgery in his fully accredited facility, Northbrook Plastic Surgery, also located in the MAE Plastic Surgery ) ŏ -/#. -| . - )'*& . 1#." ." & . -. +/#*' (. ( ) , ,.#ŏ anesthesiologists. Patients receive the highest standard of care, ensuring that the experience is as safe and comfortable as possible. From the #(#.# & )(-/&. .#)( .) ." ŏ( & *)-.)* , .#0 0#-#.} Dr. Epstein and his staff do everything possible to exceed their patients’ expectations.
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ALZHEIMER’S ISN’T STOPPING. NEITHER ARE WE.
We’re walking in 2021 — and we invite you to join us. We’re moving forward with plans to host the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® in person this fall. Families facing Alzheimer’s and all other dementia need us now more than ever — and with your support, we can continue to be there for them. Every dollar you raise through Walk to End Alzheimer’s allows the Alzheimer’s Association to provide 24/7 care and support while accelerating critical research.
Register today at alz.org/walk
2021 NATIONAL PRESENTING SPONSORS
Walk to End Alzheimer’s® Chicago Soldier Field Saturday, October 9 Look for our other nearby Walks in Naperville, St. Charles, Glenview, and many more...
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WELCOME BACK, SUMMER!
CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER Chicago’s newest riverfront museum is where the story of the city begins. See the country’s largest 3D model of Chicago—boasting more than 4,200 buildings—and an interactive video on Chicago: City of Modern Architecture. In the Skyscraper Gallery, walk among towers from around the globe and learn about Chicago’s history of innovation, from inventing the first tall buildings to engineering the megaskyscrapers of today. Learn why Chicago is considered the city of neighborhoods, catch a glimpse of the future city in the “Me to We” gallery, and more! The CAC also is the starting place for more than 50 awe-inspiring tours all led by our highly trained volunteer docents. Learn more at architecture.org. ARCHITECTURE RIVER CRUISE Ranked the city’s No. 1 boat tour according to TripAdvisor user reviews, the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady are narrated by
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expert docents with compelling stories about more than 50 architectural gems along the Chicago River. NEW EXHIBITION Americans are changing—and so are our housing needs. Housing for a Changing Nation explores how developments in American society and experience, including shifts in demographics, the economy, and the environment, are forcing us to reexamine the concept of house and home.
WALKING TOURS Get your steps in: 50 different tours to choose from, including Historic Austin, Humboldt Park, Fulton-Randolph Market, Explore Chinatown. PUBLIC PROGRAMS Book Talk: Historian Carl Smith on Chicago’s Great Fire June 22 at 6 p.m. *Stay tuned for additional programming around the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, made possible by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Pioneer Zephyr
Explore this record-setting train to learn how its diesel-electric engine, innovative construction and lower center of gravity allowed P[ [V [YH]LS MHZ[LY HUK TVYL LѝJPLU[S` [OHU Z[LHT SVJVTV[P]LZ Try out interactive stations demonstrating the physical properties that WYVWLSSLK [OL :PS]LY :[YLHR PU[V OPZ[VY` ;OL ALWO`Y ^PSS [YHUZWVY[ `V\ [V ]PZP[ SPML K\YPUN [OL OLPNO[ VM YHPS [YH]LS 3LHYU ^OH[ 4:0 OHZ [V VќLY H[ msichicago.org
LAUGHTER
IS BACK IS BACK
SEE A SHOW • TAKE A CLASS • SUMMER KIDS CAMPS secondcity.com
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GO WEST!
A Guide to Chicago's Western Suburbs
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Downtown Downers Grove Downtown Downers Grove is a historic vibrant downtown in the western suburbs of Chicago. The historical element with a modern twist creates an atmosphere for all ages to enjoy and spend the day shopping, dining, and playing— whether you need the shoe cobbler, a custom chocolate treat, a bag of caramel popcorn, or a one-of-a–kind gift for you or someone else. Find the latest in clothing trends and home decor, a new beautiful plant or flowers, a toy for the little one in your life, a new family game, or a nice book to relax with. Don’t forget
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GO WEST!
a treat for your four-legged friend. You will find what you are looking for as you stroll through Downtown Downers Grove.
and cafés include something for every palate. While visiting don’t forget to check out the historic Tivoli Theatre.
Enjoy our expanded outdoor dining while you take a break from shopping. Our vast variety of restaurants
Visit downtowndg.org for more information or call us at 630-725-0991. We’d love to hear from you!
VISIT NAPERVILLE THIS SUMMER!
A modern, vibrant downtown filled with old-fashioned fun all year long!
DOWNTOWN NAPERVILLE
DINE IN NAPERVILLE
STAY IN NAPERVILLE
CELEBRATE IN NAPERVILLE
RIVERWALK
SHOP IN NAPERVILLE
Your fun-filled getaway awaits you in Naperville! Just 28 miles from Chicago, take I-88 to Naperville’s charming historic downtown. Enjoy great shopping, dining and entertainment. Take a stroll along the scenic Riverwalk, explore the many shops, spas, and eateries in Downtown Naperville, and come to dine and stay! Naperville is the perfect place to spend your free time!
DOWNTOWNNAPERVILLE.COM
VISITNAPERVILLE.COM
TO NAPERVILLE: Take I-88 to Naperville Road. Go south to Diehl Road, west to Washington Street, then south two miles to downtown fun and attractions.
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GO WEST!
Geneva Tucked away amid the gorgeous Fox River Valley is Geneva, Illinois, overflowing with comfort and charm. Festivals and special events bring a bustle of activity all year. Hop on the train and see the boundless opportunities for good fun, great memories, and best fests that Geneva offers. SHOP Over 140 specialty shops offer affordable and upscale items all housed in historic architecture.
STAY Replenish during a stay in one of Geneva’s relaxing bed-and-breakfasts or fine hotels.
EAT & DRINK Fine dining or a quick meal, reds and whites or barley and hops, with the variety of options, a stop in Geneva is more than a meal, it is an experience.
PLAY Bike or walk on one of our spectacular paths or parks, kayak on the Fox River, or catch a baseball game with the Kane County Cougars.
SHOP s EAT s DRINK s PLAY s STAY
Geneva…
a train stopportunity
Only 35 minutes from Chicago and easily accessible by Metra, a grand adventure awaits you in historic Geneva. Shop for gifts, enjoy a scoop of ice cream, linger over lunch or a drink with friends, or discover excitement at one of our annual festivals. Get away for the day, or stay the night in a world-class hotel. For festival dates and trip planning tools, visit genevachamber.com.
630-232-6060 genevachamber.com
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EVENTS There is always something happening in Geneva. However, this year some of our award-winning fests may look a little different. Please visit genevachamber.com for full details.
Shop. Dine. Experience.
Lavergne’s Tavern, 6546 W Windsor Ave As seen on Chicago’s Best Spicy Mural by artist Cranio | cranioartes.com Created in partnership with the Berwyn Public Art Initiative (BPAI)
Plan a day trip to experience Berwyn’s diverse dining experiences, grassroots art initiatives, live music, and small shops. This year, Berwyn will be home to community events throughout the summer and fall. Be sure to visit www.whyberwyn.com/events to plan your experience. All events will follow appropriate Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidelines and will be subject to restrictions to ensure the safety of visitors and participants. Save the date for the following signature events: • Taste of Cermak Road Thursday, July 22 • WeatherTech® Route 66 Car Show Saturday, August 28 • Loyola Medicine Presents Berwyn’s Oktoberfest Friday, September 17 & Saturday, September 18 • Depot District Mini Golf Pub Crawl Saturday, October 23 *Events are subject to cancellation.
While in town, visit Berwyn’s parks, see some public art, and enjoy a self-guided tour of Berwyn’s Bungalow District.
Legendary music venue FitzGerald’s 6615 W Roosevelt Rd
La Lupita Restaurant, Home of Chicago’s Best Pozole 6539 W Cermak Rd
WeatherTech® Route 66 Car Show Berwyn Park District’s Proksa Park 3001 S Wisconsin Ave Flapjack Brewery, 6833 W Stanley Ave As seen on Chicago’s Best Brew Pubs
Proksa Park
PROMOTION
MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIEDS
(215) 482-6517 www.psychicread.com
New to The Magnificent Mile
BURDEEN’S OPENS ON MAG MILE We are excited to announce the opening of the Midwest’s sole Vacheron Constantin Boutique, accompanied by the newest Burdeen’s Jewelry location. Get ready to shop the largest selection of preowned watches and estate jewelry on the Magnificent Mile this spring.
PARTIES & PROMOTIONS
Burdeen’s Jewelry 847-459-8980 burdeens.com
PRIVATE PARTIES
Club Lucky BUCKTOWN / WICKER PARK Good food and fun! Book your Private Party Room. Outdoor Patios. Pre-Set Family Style. Menus & Bar Packages Available. Cocktail Lounge. Now Delivering. 1824 W. Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 • (773) 227-2300 • clubluckychicago.com
Check out our special section in the October issue for a list of 2021 Five Star Professional award winning real estate agents, mortgage professionals and home insurance professionals! Tell us about your home professional today — they could win the Five Star award! Go to www.fivestarprofessional.com/homesurvey or call 651-259-1865. 12 4
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PROMOTION
IN THE KITCHEN
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Chicago magazine’s In the Kitchen Live! series continued on April 1, when Proxi chef Andrew Zimmerman joined Emily Johnson to create a four-course meal which included his signature dishes, Roasted Delaware Oysters and Braised Chicken in Laska Broth. The recipe for the oysters can be found in The Chicago Cookbook: 50 Great Recipes from Chicago’s Best Chefs. On April 22, Johnson hosted co-owner and chef Tim Flores of .DVDPD )ORUHV FUHDWHG D GHOLFLRXV ¼YH FRXUVH PHDO featuring his Pancit Bihon. Kasama was featured in the Noodle Nirvana April issue of Chicago magazine. Each guest received a bottle of wine from Cooper’s Hawk and branded chalices and beer from Stella Artois. 1 Proxi’s Braised Chicken in Laska Broth. 2 Tim Flores and Emily Johnson during the virtual event. 3 A meal kit from the event. 4 Andrew Zimmerman and Emily Johnson during the virtual event.
Benefitting
etropolitan chicago
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Sponsored by
BACKROOM
No shavers, no electric trimmers, no machinery on my mustache. Every lock is cut individually with small scissors.
Jesús “Chuy” García The U.S. representative, 65, on growing up in Mexico, running for mayor, and saving Harold Washington’s life Interview by MIKE THOMAS Q Adam Toledo’s death had a profound impact on me. I was running around in the Capitol when I got the video texted to me by my staff. It was noisy and pretty hectic, so I went in a corner of the Speaker’s Lobby and watched it a couple of times. It was devastating to watch it knowing that a child was about to be killed and then seeing it play out. My palms got sweaty and it was hard to contain my emotions. Two of my grandchildren live in Little Village, just a few blocks from me, so it’s personal. It brought back so many memories of young people who have died there. I’d grown numb to these deaths — it’s a survivalist role you take on. But the power of that video will be lasting. Q I’m certainly not the best Catholic, but I’ve always felt that modesty is a virtue. And I think the values of humility and generosity have helped me stay on the right course through all the travails of Chicago and Illinois politics. When I lost my Illinois Senate seat, a bunch of people tried to lure me to become a lobbyist: “You can make three, four, five times more.” But that just wasn’t my calling. So I started a nonprofit and took a pay cut. In almost every job but Congress I’ve taken a pay cut. But my promotions — from the City Council to the state Senate to the Cook County Board — have allowed me to represent larger numbers of people. That’s been my reward. Q I was raised in a little village in Mexico. We didn’t have electricity, we didn’t have running water. We had a river nearby, and a walk there for water was maybe three Chicago 126
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blocks. When I read García Márquez, it reminds me of my childhood. Everybody knows each other, it’s picturesque. I cherish having grown up in a village like that. Q During Harold Washington’s first year as congressman, we recognized his commitment to the immigrant community with a plaque. At the dinner, my wife and I went around checking on everybody. We got to his table and noticed he was coughing and having a hard time breathing, so we gave him some water. But he was still struggling, so we took him to the back, and I grabbed him real hard and squeezed — a Mexican-style Heimlich maneuver — and got it unstuck. He went, “Oh, man! What did you say your name was?” I told him, “Jesús.” He said, “How do you spell that?” “J-E-S-U-S.” He looked at me, grabbed me by the shoulder, and went, “Jesus, you saved my life!” When Harold died, his family asked me to give a eulogy. Q People thought I was crazy running for mayor. I was polling at like 8 percent. But I foresaw the weakening of the machine, the potential for a new coalition, and the reviving of some of the elements that elected Harold Washington. The 1 percenters were reigning, and we wanted to open things up and democratize the city. If Rahm hadn’t withheld the Laquan McDonald tape, I would have won that race. I have no doubt about it. Q When I got to Washington, I was not a big fan of Nancy Pelosi, but I’ve come to appreciate her talent and her ability and, by God, her work ethic. We were on a flight back from Central America and someone asked her, “How do you unwind?” She said, “Rest is rust.” I think that’s her mantra. Q Little Village remains our community of choice. We have relatives here, we have neighbors and friends — people who really let you appreciate the essence of the working class. If I’m out cutting the grass or trying to plant some flowers, people will pull up with music blasting in their car. “Tengo una pregunta” — “I have a question.” And most of the time that leads to quite a few questions. But I like it. I help them get their papers. I help them become citizens. I help them buy their first house. It makes a big difference in their lives. C
Illustration by KATHRYN RATHKE
The point of it all?
Helping each other. Through it all. ®
Some things are inevitable. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois understands that through every stage of life, there will be high points we’ll remember forever, but we’ll also be there to get through the low ones together. And how we endure those
challenges will always depend on the commitment we have to ourselves and to each other. Knowing you have the right SDUWQHUV E\ \RXU VLGH PDNHV DOO WKH GLHUHQFH The ones who always lift each other up, no matter the circumstance. Through it all.
A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association