I spoke with Tony about his new book, upcoming Steppenwolf show and of course, all things Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/22/t...

god bless Chicago "Last month, Satrom launched a petition to “Save the West Town Skeleton (On A Motorcycle),” with a goal of permanently installing it on a median in the middle of Ogden Avenue, ideally right by the Twisted Spoke site." blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/17/t...

Heyday Eatery is bringing all-day breakfast, coffee and matcha to Wicker Park. blockclubchi.co/4nbtYzu

Here is the reroute/detour plan

If I see the salt truck video one more time I'm going to lose my fucking mind. They're not being used to block the city off from ICE. They're walling off the Taste of Chicago. The city uses salt trucks as temporary infrastructure.

2,800 total housing units, 180-200 room hotel, 19 SFH, 28 townhouses, a riverwalk and the 606 extension over the Chicago River: JDL shared its latest plans for Lincoln Yards replacement Foundry Park at a community meeting last night @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/04/f...

Meet Me On Milwaukee shut down a section of the usually crowded thoroughfare to cars for seven hours Sunday. It’s the first of three car-free events on the strip this summer and fall. blockclubchi.co/4lWGqSa

Here's a fun palate cleanser story before whatever happens this week happens @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/02/p...

I was not expecting Trump to become a champion of anti-Asian carp efforts in the Great Lakes....but as he's calling it the "China" carp, maybe it makes sense - comments start a bit after 51 min www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlPf...

A 44-unit apartment building is replacing a longtime Wicker Park tire shop. blockclubchi.co/3JkYojP

A bit of good news for a strip that's been struggling this year. "Indie Row" around Armitage on Damen continues to be a vibrant business corridor, with locally-owned boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Damen closer to North is full of chains -- and many are closing or moving.

📢 JOB ALERT: @blockclubchi.bsky.social is hiring a FT reporter to cover Beverly, Morgan Park + Mount Greenwood in Chicago! Dream come true for @jensabella.bsky.social + me. We both live in Beverly + have long dreamed of adding a reporter here. Deadline 9/25: blockclubchicago.org/2025/08/13/w...

Meet the Watermelon Man, a South Side legend with the sweetest melons in town.  blockclubchi.co/3J8d59P

Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park will go car-free once a month this fall. blockclubchi.co/4fawx1o

Major scoop from @themelodymercado.bsky.social

Mayor Johnson is pushing for a City Council vote next week on a proposal to allow single-family homeowners to convert their attics, basements, garages, and coach houses into "granny flats," also known as accessory dwelling units.

An adult spelling bee brought hundreds to Wicker Park to relive their childhood glory. blockclubchi.co/3IhQ4k4

Yes, I went to the "Free Adult Spelling Bee" in Wicker Park last night. It was a blast blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/26/a...

The barrel that launched a sour beer movement is now at Chicago’s Off Color Brewing. blockclubchi.co/4k5rOyY

what could possibly go wrong?

The "snap curfew" passed City Council — but the mayor vows to veto it. blockclubchi.co/43S4bVX

Indivisible Chicago is now estimating 75,000 people attended today's march. Impossible for me to tell from on the ground, but certainly "tens of thousands" of people attended.

My old apartment, blocked by tree.

How Rainbo Club bartender and artist Ken Ellis became a "Wicker Park icon." blockclubchi.co/4mD3ret

A very cool and very Chicago effort from people trying to make their neighborhood a better place @blockclubchi.bsky.social blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/02/b...

The "additional bathrooms" is actually the most exciting part of this

When we talk about the impact of local news, most think of a massive investigation. But the impact I'm most proud of is how we've empowered our readers to help each other, keeping folks in their homes, saving local businesses — and finding a kidney donor.

A woman donated her kidney to a renowned Chicago choreographer — who will soon dance again. blockclubchi.co/4jiXtwF

Good morning from today's City Council zoning meeting, which is set to kick off shortly. The largest project on the agenda: Onni's massive three-phase development at 700 W Chicago Ave near the casino that includes 2,451 mixed-income residences. From last year: blockclubchicago.org/2024/06/25/m...

Believe me when I say this is very, very cool blockclubchicago.org/2025/05/02/d...

Quimby’s new owners are pledging to keep the Wicker Park bookstore going for years to come. buff.ly/8Ct1sal

Dick Durbin, Pope Francis, Johnson vs. Emanuel and much more on the Week in Review — 7p or streaming anytime on @wttw.bsky.social with the great Rick Pearson @sskedreporter.bsky.social @quinnmyers.bsky.social and @cptime47.bsky.social

Davenport's has now deleted their Instagram and Facebook pages. Screenshots of their earlier posts:

Davenport's management is now posting "stop the steal" content on their Instagram, perhaps in a bizarre response to the scathing reaction their rebrand has garnered on social media

Chinatown's QXY Dumplings is expanding to Wicker Park -- although its opening this year may be pushed back a bit by, you guessed it, Trump's trade war blockclubchicago.org/2025/04/18/q...

NEW: With a nearly three-year robbery surge in the rearview mirror, #Chicago numbers plunge to historic lows, @wbez.org finds. The first three months of 2025 had the fewest #robberies of any quarter in decades. www.wbez.org/criminal-jus...

An African fusion restaurant is taking over El Rinconcito Sudamerica’s Bucktown location. buff.ly/VRGoBCu

A developer has shared plans for Wicker Park’s Lubinski Furniture building — arts space not included. buff.ly/VGXmAEe

Today I'm thinking about Lajuana Lampkins, who after getting out of prison in 2012 began selling her paintings on the streets of Wicker Park, where she became a fixture in the neighborhood's nightlife scene. Lajuana died last month at the age of 67. blockclubchicago.org/2025/03/17/l...

And that's a wrap. We've got details from the hearing here, with a few more Chicago-related fact checks to come. Time to ̶s̶m̶o̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶i̶g̶a̶r̶e̶t̶t̶e̶ go outside for the first time today.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has so far taken the brunt of grilling from GOP firebrands like Lauren Boebert and Jim Jordan over his city's sanctuary policies James Comer and Brandon Johnson had a brief exchange over when someone is turned over to ICE, otherwise not much action so far for Chicago

And so it begins. Here's Johnson's written statement to the committee: oversight.house.gov/wp-content/u...

Really cool concept coming to Bucktown this spring -- with direct ramp access to the 606!

Chicago Park District board officially appoints Ramirez-Rosa as district CEO and superintendent effective April 1. Contract details will be approved in mid-March. Outgoing Parks chief Rosa Escareno makes $230,000/year

Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez's chief of staff kicked a Block Club reporter out of a meeting on a controversial bar reopening. Two other reporters stayed. The move could violate the media’s First Amendment rights, experts said. I was that reporter. More on this: blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/25/a...

3 years after Russia’s invasion, hundreds gathered to honor Ukraine — and decry lies about the war.

who art thou, Drew? www.chicago.gov/city/en/dept...

Club Lucky’s big tipping couple strikes again — this time leaving $3,000 on a $120 tab.

“I’m not doing all the splits and kicking my legs up and stuff like I would at one time, and it’s hard to get up the stairs, ” Duncan said. “But I’m still teaching. That hasn’t been an issue, except for doing all the physical stuff that I would normally do.”

The kind of programming public broadcasting was created for and excels at!