Pilsen store uses new media to sell vintage items
By Beixi Xu With more than 400 thrift stores in Chicago, some owners are trying new methods to reach an audience and break free from the pack. Pilsen Vintage and Thrift is the largest store of its kind in the Pilsen community. Two years ago, the owner began to use social media and now has over 2,000 followers […]
Buckingham Fountain: Own a Piece of History
By Mike Davis Buckingham Fountain is turned on for the season and Chicagoans are celebrating the monument’s 90th anniversary. But that’s not the only excitement surrounding the fountain. Stuart Grannen, an antiques dealer and owner of Architectural Artifacts Inc. in Ravenswood, is selling the thousand-pound piece of Georgia Green Marble for $22,000. Grannen said he […]
Chicago River enthusiasts take a group photo to focus on conservation
By Allie Burger April is Overflow Action Month on the Chicago River. Because of how the city’s sewer system was designed, sewage can enter the river during heavy rains when the drains overflow. To promote awareness of the issue, and to encourage water conservation, Friends of the Chicago River invited residents to “photobomb” the river. Photo […]
Stocks edge lower on disappointing earnings, political uncertainty
By Shen Lu Stocks fell slightly on Thursday as political risks and higher-than-expected inflation at the wholesale level weighed on investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average initially fell by as much as 144 points after major department stores reported disappointing earnings, but it later rebounded.
“Odysseo” combines equestrian and acrobatic skills in Chicago run
By Peter Jones Sam Alvarez is one of 48 human cast members in the world’s largest touring production. A trained aerialist and coach, Alvarez works alongside 65 horses in “Odysseo,” which has been produced by the Montreal-based company Cavalia since 2011. More than two million people in Canada, the United States and Mexico have seen […]
Chicago Mosaic School pieces together art and students
By Beixi(Bessie) Xu and Wenjing Yang The Chicago Mosaic School is the first non-profit mosaic arts school in the U.S. CMS gives artists, teachers and students a place to explore all facets of the craft. The school has graduated more than 3,000 students and lets participants collaborate and create sustainable Mosaic Art for public […]
Uptown summit brings together stakeholders in changing neighborhood
By Grace Austin Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood faces challenges ranging from gang violence and homelessness to gentrification. At the historic North Side neighborhood’s annual summit, State of Uptown, business owners, residents and local aldermen discussed how to maintain Uptown’s diversity and charm amid rapid development. Photo at top: A mural by the “L” tracks shows the […]
The calm before the storm: Weather chasers gear up for the next tornado
By Puja Bhattacharjee Sean Waugh is building two mobile mesonets from scratch In the Research Vehicle Equipment Bay of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Okla. These mobile weather stations measure temperature, pressure, humidity and wind in any conditions. But old vehicles with low floors make it difficult to chase tornados and other severe storms across dirt roads […]
Chicago independent booksellers join forces against Amazon
By Shen Lu The arrival of Amazon’s new brick-and-mortar bookstore in Chicago has brought local independent booksellers together. The Chicagoland Independent Bookstore Alliance is promoting a network of 24 bookstores, including feminist bookstore Women & Children First in Andersonville. Initial results of a recent marketing promotion have been positive, according to Lynn Mooney, co-owner. The […]
Victim advocates, survivors stand in silence against sexual assault
By Wenjing Yang A silent protest in downtown Chicago attracted 170 survivors of sexual violence, their supporters and victim advocates. The lunch-hour protest was a visual demonstration of the silencing of survivors of sexual violence, the organizers said. They wore T-shirts bearing the stories of sexual assault survivors in order to raise awareness. “There’s usually […]