Curious City

The city that works needs places to play. Even before Chicago was a big city, its drinking establishments served as oases for the tired, thirsty and lonely alike. On April 12, Curious Cityhosteda night of beer, honky-tonk and Chicago bar historyat the iconic Carol’s Pub in Uptown. Our guests for the evening were writer Robert Loerzel — who reported one of our favorite Curious City stories, about the history of Uptown’s nightlife and entertainment scene — and Liz Garibay, founder and executive

Courthouse weddings have a lot going for them: They can be less stressful and less costly, take place in a smaller and more intimate setting, and are often steps away from great photo ops in historic locations.In movies, courthouses are often elegant places with white columns, carved archways and light streaming in across marble floors and wooden benches.We spent a day at Marriage and Civil Union Court in downtown Chicago to meet couples getting married.

The Avalon Regal Theater is a Chicago architectural gem built in the 1920s in the South Shore neighborhood. This 100-year-old building was a center of culture and entertainment for many years but fell on hard times due to low attendance rates and expensive renovations. The theater has been closed since 2003. Its most recent owner, Jerald Gary, has been trying to revive it since he bought it in 2014. But it’s been an uphill battle. Gary has faced a number of financial roadblocks tied to the

Editor's note: The podcast episode accompanying this story is about the history of Chicago's disco scene, in which drag performers played a key role.Chicago has a vibrant drag scene. On any day of the week you can catch drag performances at venues across the city: Clubs like Roscoe’s, Berlin and La Cueva all host popular evening events, and the Walnut Room and Furama are just two venues that host some of the city’s celebrated drag brunches. The history of drag in Chicago is known to go

Unlike many states in the Midwest, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, Illinois doesn’t have any federallyrecognized tribal lands. Yet all around the state, in the names of cities, rivers, streets and sports teams, there are reminders that we are living on land where Native Americans once farmed, traded and made their home.By the timeEuropeans first explored the region in 1673,Native Americans had long been settled in villages all around the area.So why aren’t there any federal Indian

Tesnim Hassan has lived in the Chicago area for about 10 years. But she’s originally from Los Angeles.Back in L.A, she grew up in Leimert Park, a diverse neighborhood home to immigrants from all over the world. Hassan, who is African American, enjoys connecting with Black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica. She loves Jamaican culture, the music and cuisine, including its tasty jerk sauce – a mix of savory, sweet and spicy flavors that complement all kinds of grilled

When then-middle school student Julia Florek Carlson went on a family visit to theHull Housemuseum searching for an idea for a history fair project, she came across a “little tiny exhibit in the corner,” she said. It was about a long-time Hull House resident named Alice Hamilton.And she thought, “Who?”There wasn’t very much information about Hamilton — a bit about her being a pioneer in the field of science and disease — just enough to get Julia intrigued.So she askedCurious City:Who was Alice

You’re likely familiar with the city’s most famous families — the Palmers, the Fields and the McCormicks — whose wealth and influence made their mark on Chicago. But one Curious City listener wanted to know about some of the “everyday families” that have lived in Chicago continuously, for generation after generation. Families who shaped — and were shaped by — this city. That’s what led us to the Atkinsons and the Bernsteins. These

When Ida B. Wells moved to Chicago at the age of 32, she was already a world-renowned anti-lynching crusader, civil rights activist and investigative journalist.Born into slavery during the Civil War, she laterrisked her lifeinvestigating and exposing violence against Black people in the South, and became a co-owner ofThe Memphis Free Speechso that she had the editorial power to do so. After an angry mob burned the newspaper’s office down, she kept going. She published her writings throughout the

For Curious City listener Erin Alexander, tinting her car windows poses a conundrum. “I really want to tint my windows,” she explained, “but I don’t want the dreaded $250 ticket!” So she asked Curious City: What exactly are the laws governing car window tinting in Chicago? If someone wants to get their windows tinted, what do they need to know? Erin isn’t alone in being confused about window tinting laws in Chicago. Tinted windows in the city are governed by the Illinois Vehicle Code. But

We're just a few weeks away from Chicago's municipal elections, when city residents will vote for mayor and members of the City Council. Polls show that crime and policing isamong the top concerns for Chicagoans right now. Four years ago, current mayor Lori Lightfoot won the mayoral race in part because of her past experience. As former president of the Chicago Police Board and chair of the Police Accountability Task Force, she excited those seeking police and criminal justice reform.