Category Archives: Life in Chicago

A Biker’s Guide to Riding Metra

Posted on October 31, 2011 by

I’ve spent much of 2011 taking my bike on Metra trains daily, so I feel qualified to offer up some tips for anyone considering taking a bicycle on Metra: 1) Check the schedule! Before you leave the house, make sure … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, Life in Chicago | 1 Comment

Mucca Pazza at Tour de Fat

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

One of Chicago’s great cultural treasures, in my irreverent opinion at least, is the band Mucca Pazza. Billing themselves as a “circus-punk marching band”, this group of 30 musicians and performers employs all the trappings of a high school marching … Continue reading →

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Preservation in a global economy

Posted on February 28, 2011 by

My interest in historic preservation comes from some fairly simple origins: namely, I have seen far too many beautiful buildings torn down. I see it and I am outraged, because I know we cannot and will not ever build such … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Chicago, urban planning | 2 Comments

A brief pause

Posted on December 24, 2010 by

I try to keep a regular schedule for posting, but with the holidays underway and family obligations pulling me this way and that, I need to take a short break. I’ll be back at it come January. Till then, thanks … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Chicago | 3 Comments

Friday Photo Special: Critical Mass, August

Posted on September 3, 2010 by

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Critical Mass. This was my second time riding in one, but I’m familiar enough with the dynamic from the LATE Ride and other such events. Inevitably, when you get thousands of bikers … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, Life in Chicago | 3 Comments

Friday Photo Special: The LATE Ride rides again!

Posted on July 16, 2010 by

Shots from the 2010 LATE Ride, Saturday night / Sunday morning July 10/11: I’m not sure how this contraption operated, but it was slow. After I finished the entire ride, and was heading back north on the bike path — … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, Life in Chicago | Leave a comment

Lawn ornament extreme

Posted on July 12, 2010 by

The urge to decorate is, I suspect, fundamental to the human psyche. People like stuff. They like to personalize and elaborate and accumulate. Guys like Mies and Gropius were, truth be told, fighting a losing battle. Some folks, however, take … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Chicago | 3 Comments

Machines for Living

Posted on June 21, 2010 by

It’s not just that the occupants of this Northbrook home own three vintage cars. Nor is it the fact that all three cars, including a 1964 Imperial, a 1966 Chrysler Newport, and a 1966 Chrysler New Yorker, are operational. No, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Chicago, Midcentury Modernism | 2 Comments

Fall comes to the North Shore

Posted on October 28, 2009 by

Fall leaves from Sheridan Road and elsewhere along Lake Michigan’s northern shore. The North Shore, from Evanston on up to Winnetka, is an unbelievable assemblage of wealth. Mansion after mansion lines Sheridan Road as it winds its way up the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Chicago, North Shore | 3 Comments

Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Dead

Posted on September 27, 2009 by

Am I the only one who thinks that the name “Resurrection Health Care” is utterly hilarious?

Posted in Life in Chicago | 1 Comment