For legacy Wrigleyville stores, change is good
By Jake Meister Medill Reports Upscale new commercial venues and stalwart old ones are making Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood a year-round destination even when the Cubs’ season ends at Wrigley Field. Whether it’s the slew of swanky new bars and restaurants such as Happy Camper Pizza on Clark Street or the bright lights that populate Gallagher […]
$750 million INVEST South/West initiative kicks off in Austin
By Alison Saldanha and Joel Jacobs Medill Reports Loud applause rang through the Kehrein Arts Center auditorium in Austin on the city’s West Side as newly appointed Chicago Planning Commissioner Maurice Cox presented Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s new INVEST South/West initiative earlier this month. Residents and business owners, hopeful for an economic renewal, attended to hear […]
WOMANISH panel focuses on female self-care to preview upcoming exhibit
By Sally EhrmannMedill Reports Women of many backgrounds reflected on how to be more selfish in the new year as part of a panel discussing what happens when women deliberately focus on their well-being through self-care. WOMANISH, a women’s empowerment group, created SELFISH as part of a series of events in Chicago introducing their upcoming […]
Chicago’s female founders find support and resources through local organizations
By Ruiqi Chen Medill Reports Chicago has the highest proportion of female startup founders in the world, helped by the city’s abundance of support organizations that provide women with resources and a sense of community. Research company Startup Genome’s 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report found that over a quarter of Chicago’s startups were majority female-founded […]
Lightfoot calls Chicago ‘the most welcoming city’ for immigrants, but some nonprofit leaders disagree
By Anabel Mendoza Medill Reports A month after Mayor Lori Lightfoot called Chicago “the most welcoming city” for immigrants, representatives from local immigrant rights organizations said this characterization doesn’t reflect reality. Lightfoot’s statement followed a report by the New American Economy last November, which ranked the city as first among the 100 largest cities in […]
Woodlawn residents still not on board as city rolls out housing plan
By Sidnee King Medill Reports Residents and city officials met in open forum Thursday at Hyde Park Academy High school to flesh out the city’s affordable housing proposal days after 20th Ward Ald. Jeanette Taylor publicly slammed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan. Amid a whirlwind of debate about how to preserve affordable housing in Woodlawn, Chicago […]
College track athlete crosses the finish line against disordered eating
By Zoe Collins Rath Medill Reports Jessica Harris, a winter graduate of DePaul with degrees in biology and environmental science, excelled as captain of the women’s track and field team. But she had a secret from her past that impacted how she captained the team. “I thought, ‘Okay, this is something I can do and […]
Racism pushes queer people of color to look for Boystown alternatives
By Adam Rhodes Medill Reports Queer people of color are turning away from Chicago “gayborhood” Boystown after two anti-black incidents last year and what some say is a pattern of hostility and racism in the neighborhood. Last May, a leaked email showed that management at Boystown gay bar Progress Bar aimed to ban rap music […]
Bronzeville Boutique connects women with trendy Chinese fashion designs
By Wanying Zhao Medill Reports China, the world’s largest clothing manufacturer, is also taking a rapid lead in clothing design. At the Bronzeville Boutique on Chicago’s South Side, owner Treva Salaam discovered her favorite land of fashion is Guangzhou, China. “I go to a lot of clothing shows. I go to major shows in Vegas, […]
Inspiration Corp. tackles food insecurity: ‘We need to give a damn’
By Briana Garrett Medill Reports Take a two-minute walk around the corner from the Wilson Red Line station to find Inspiration Corp., a non-profit organization waging war on food insecurity and hunger in Chicago as it has since 1989. In Cook Country, one in seven people are food insecure, meaning that they are vulnerable to […]