Chicago magazine

Chicago magazine delivers an authoritative guide to life in one of America's greatest cities. From insight into the best dining and shopping to interviews with fascinating figures shaping the future of Chicago, every issue is your source for living city smart.

Chicago magazine

To L and Back

An Elevated View

Who’ll Succeed Brandon? • The city and voting population should take elections and the mayoral office seriously [“The Next Mayor,” March]. This amazing city continues to fall well short of its unlimited potential. @cmundychicago via Instagram

Q: Has a Chicago mayor ever been assassinated?

Talking Points • This month’s conversation starters

Hands Off, Indiana • Our neighbor to the east is trying to annex downstate counties and, worse, lure the Bears, whom we’d actually miss.

A History of Violence • Jens Ludwig questions everything you thought you knew about shootings.

A Castle Made From Gum • A faulty clock. An aerial shortcut. Second-floor jam sessions. Here’s what we learned from a new book about the history of the iconic Wrigley Building.

MY NEIGHBORHOOD LINCOLN PARK

Swedish Delight • At 108 years old, this sunlit and spacious Lincoln Park condo is forever young.

Alison Victoria • HGTV rehabber, Lagree lover, candy craver

Reframing the Immigrant Story • Intuit Art Museum reopens with an exhibition featuring works by 22 self-taught, foreign-born Chicago artists.

AGENDA • Top 10 reasons to fill up your calendar this month

Classics Elevated • Gus’ Sip & Dip delivers updated cocktail faves and a fab ham sandwich.

Personal Space • Longtime chef Lamar Moore opens his own place with a menu that speaks to his history.

Ask the Dining Editor

Roman Holiday • At Il Carciofo, Joe Flamm’s exploration of the Eternal City’s cuisine makes for a glam but uneven excursion.

New Mexican

Say Cheese

Retreat…Relax…Refresh…Repeat!

The Hot List • 10 places everyone’s talking about (in order of heat)

Love and the Literati • How a couple’s passion for books spurred not only a romance but a business embraced by local authors.

DOORS CLOSING • Graham Garfield gazes pridefully from the northernmost perch of the Belmont L station in Lake View. Officially, Garfield is the general manager of RPM operations and communication coordination at the Chicago Transit Authority, a position he’s held for almost six years.

OFF THE RAILS • L RIDERSHIP, WHICH HIT ITS PEAK IN THE MID-2010S, HAD BEGUN TO SLIP EVEN BEFORE COVID TORPEDOED IT. FIVE YEARS ON, THE NUMBERS ARE STILL WELL BELOW PREPANDEMIC LEVELS.

The Wild, Wild Mid west • You don’t need to hop on a plane to California or Colorado to find adventure. Whether you want to spend your vacation surfing, climbing, or biking, here are 12 epic getaways within a few hours’ drive.

Shades of Boredom • Newly published images by photographer Mark Steinmetz highlight everyday life in a Chicago of 35 years ago.

Summer Is Served

Szewai Lee • North Avenue is the “it” shopping strip for this dance instructor and busy mom.

Sip and Shop • These two spots blend refined retail with café culture.

Shelby Van Pelt • The novelist, 44, on fan mail, a close call with the Boston bombing, and following up a bestseller