A Space of His Own
The decade Richard Wright spent in Chicago was packed with life transitions and centered by his initiation into becoming a Chicago writer
Money, Money, Money: Thirteen Takeaways From Chicago’s Historic Election
Dollar for dollar, Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot spent less than half as much as Toni Preckwinkle to clinch her landslide victory
The Last Days of Rezkoville’s Purgatory
A long-empty swath of land south of the Loop is the latest site of a planned mega-development
Ain’t You Heard
Exploring migration and belonging in the ruins of a school closing
Community. Family. Everything.
Stories of support and resilience from members of the Robeson High School community throughout its forty-year history
Food | Food Issue 2019 | Politics
What is the Future of Food Policy in Chicago?
Chicago’s food justice organizations weigh in
Chinatown | Food | Food Issue 2019
Underground Dives at the Richland Food Court
The big dreams at work in Chinatown’s unassuming basement food court
Food | Food Issue 2019 | Transportation
Fueling Up
The Weekly reviews small-shop restaurants attached to South Side gas stations
Food | Food Issue 2019 | Hyde Park
I Won't Be Back
Three newish Hyde Park restaurants fail to meet basic expectations
Hoppy Pairings
The Weekly reviews thirteen beers and finds they all go well with something
Bridgeport | Food | Food Issue 2019
Spicy Chicken for the Soul
Bridgeport's Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken
Englewood | Food | Food Issue 2019
A Homegrown, Community-Raised Garden
Englewood's Hermitage Street Community Garden
Brighton Park | Food | Food Issue 2019
Something New In Front of the Sun
Brighton Park's Frente al Sol
Bronzeville | Food | Food Issue 2019
Ice Cream to Take You Down Memory Lane
Bronzeville's Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream
Food | Food Issue 2019 | Hyde Park
Soul Shack, Baby Soul Shack
Hyde Park's new soul food spot serves up classics alongside newer dishes
Food | Food Issue 2019 | Portraits
What Was Breakfast?
An excerpt from Alan Epstein's beloved Instagram series
Development | Housing | Housing Issue 2019
What Is the CHA Doing?
Nearly two decades on, the legacy of the agency’s Plan for Transformation haunts Chicago
Filed Away
For the second year in a row, realtor advocates hold up eviction-sealing legislation
Home Histories: American System-Built Homes
Beverly residents enjoy the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright’s affordable housing designs
Environmental Justice | Interviews
Life in the Doughnut
Cheryl Johnson talks about growing up in Altgeld Gardens and the future of environmental justice
Housing Issue 2019 | Opinions & Editorials
Op-Ed: A Case for the Accessory Dwelling Unit
ADUs—banned in the city since 1957—could soon be legal again. Here's why that's a good idea.
Back to the Land Trust
A new generation of community land trusts looks back to the movement’s radical roots
Development | Housing Issue 2019 | Pilsen
More Than a Church
How the potential sale of St. Adalbert threatens not just the loss of a church, but the loss of a centuries-old anchor for the community
Chatham | Environment | Housing Issue 2019
Urban Flooding by the Numbers
Chicago has an urban flooding problem, and Chatham sits at its heart
Art | Arts Issue 2019 | Bridgeport
Catalyzing a New Renaissance in the Backyard
The Backyard Series provides new platforms for art and hip-hop
Arts Issue 2019 | Photo Essay | Visual Arts
Painting the Process
Finding balance in West Side graffiti
Into The Wild
Artist Armani Howard reflects on the inspiration for his work and fictional world
Weapons Out of Words
Kara Jackson on crafting her chapbook as Chicago's Youth Poet Laureate
Know Thyself
Smart Museum of Art exhibitions contemplate the ingredients of identity
Brenda Linda, Linda Brenda
WHPK’s Jazz Twins discuss a changing station and growing up with jazz
A Print Gallery
Artwork by Sarita Garcia, Andrea Coleman, Zakkiyyah Najeebah, Roland Santana, and Krista Franklin
Revisited Experiences
Chicago painter Andrea Coleman gives old stories a fresh coat
Court Theatre Sings a Black Girl’s Song
Ntozake Shange’s classic choreopoem finds new audiences who love it “fiercely”
A Symbol of Healing
An art exhibit from the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials showcases proposals for the final piece of promised reparations
Runoff to the Finish
Incumbents, challengers, and newcomers face off (again) in the 5th, 6th, 15th, 16th, and 20th Ward runoffs
Wrestling for the 25th Ward
Extremes of Pilsen’s political spectrum face each other in the runoff
Bad Fingerprint Work Undermines Chicago Property Crime Cases
Experts and judges question the quality of fingerprint analysis by Chicago police forensics, hampering prosecutions in burglary and theft cases
Elections | Opinions & Editorials | Politics
Op-Ed: Lori Lightfoot’s Dark Promises
Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to use closed schools for police academies should show progressives her true colors
Elections | Interviews | Politics
Meet the Challengers: Deborah Foster-Bonner
The Weekly sits down with the accountant and activist in the runoff for 6th Ward alderman
Between Reform and Retribution
Stateville Calling looks at one man's fight against a failed justice system
Development | Features | Woodlawn
On the Corner
At the intersection of 63rd & Cottage Grove, developers are shaping Woodlawn’s future by curating its past
Hospital Withdrawal
In Chicago, many people with opioid use disorder avoid going to the hospital for fear of becoming dopesick
An Education in City Planning
Students at Lindblom Math and Science Academy make no small plans for improving their city
Development | Environmental Justice | Little Village
Tax Breaks for Hilco, Diesel Trucks for Little Village
Aldermen vote to save an industrial developer some $20 million
Touring Jackson Park’s Future
With the Obama Presidential Center incoming, the Jackson Park Advisory Council seeks to ease concerns about a beloved park
A Second Chance
A recent change in Illinois law establishes domestic violence as a mitigating factor in sentencing
Elections | Englewood | Politics
Piece By Piece
Englewood activists and aldermanic candidates reflect on how political fragmentation affects the neighborhood
Elections | Environment | Food | Politics
Will Chicago’s Next Mayor Prioritize Environmental Justice?
At the first environmental justice–focused forum, candidates seemed hesitant to commit to environmental justice policy
On the Frontiers of Community Health Care
Brighton Park’s new Esperanza clinic will combine medical and social services
Ice Breakers
A West Side hockey program encourages kids to overcome barriers on and off the ice
The Sonic Chemistry of Isaiah Collier
The saxophonist talks to the Weekly about his new album and musical déjà vu
Bridgeport | Development | Politics
A Starbucks is Born
Bridgeport residents protest the forthcoming coffee chain
Features | History | Parks | South Shore