Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
The Chicago Design Museum in Block 37 is hosting a Holiday Yard Sale tonight from 4 to 7pm. Shop for design-y gifts from local designers and companies like Cards Against Humanity, You Are Beautiful, Perfectly Acceptable Press and more. Free; RSVP on Facebook if you like.
The Alley, once the stalwart anchor of the Clark & Belmont countercultural district, is closing as soon as the end of the year, citing construction next door as the final straw. Sister store Taboo Tabou will remain in the neighborhood, and owner Mark Thomas plans to reopen the Alley in Avondale sometime next year.
On Black Friday, Cards Against Humanity closed its shop but put up a way to pay $5 for nothing. Over 12,000 people did just that, some multiple times, for a total of $71,145. The staff divvied up the money and spent it however they wanted, resulting in a wide array of purchases large and small, plus $22,735.37 in donations to various charities.
Shake Rattle & Read, the Uptown bookstore famous for its eclectic mix of music and books -- and for having access to Al Capone's old tunnels -- is closing next year, the store's 50th anniversary. Owner Ric Addy hinted at retirement in Tim Rolph's profile of the shop earlier this year.
We keep hearing that Chicago's tech scene is suffering from a talent drain and lack of venture capital. The first half of that argument is questionable, and the second half is also weak -- and getting weaker.
That ordinance that legitimizes food carts? It'll include a ban on carts in parts of the Loop and other areas close to downtown, as well as large portions of Lakeview, under the excuse of avoiding congestion on crowded sidewalks.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has charged Chicago trader Igor Oystacher and his company with spoofing futures markets more than 50 times between 2011 and 2014. It's just the latest of several accusations against Oystacher.
In ongoing in-depth coverage of chain stores bringing "boozy" versions of themselves to Chicago, it turns out the new boozy Target in Streeterville won't let you walk around with wine while you shop, like Mariano's -- it just has a Starbucks that serves wine in it.
The NYTimes tested the cost of loading mobile advertisements on 50 high profile websites and found that the Trib was among the worst. On an LTE 4G network, it took an average of 12.9 seconds to load the Trib's front page, 9.5 seconds of which was due to advertisements. That means it costs a typical mobile user 9.5 cents to load the ads, and only 3.4 cents for the content.
Atlas Obscura just published a crowdsourced map of punny business names, and Chicagoland is well represented, from Viet Nom Nom in Evanston to Hoosier Mama Pie Company in Ukrainian Village to Wok This Way near Midway.
On-demand shipping app Shyp is now available in Chicago. Users can take a picture of whatever they want to ship and someone will come pick it up, pack it, and take it to a shipping facility.
United Airlines is under investigation for bribery for allegedly reinstating one of its routes so the former chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey could fly to his vacation home.
Michael Jordan is suing Dominick's (or rather Safeway, the owner of the shuttered grocery chain) for using his likeness in a 2009 ad congratulating him for getting into the Hall of Fame.
Last week Mondelez International, owners of the Nabisco brand, announced that it would increase investments in its Mexico plant, a move which will be cutting several hundred jobs at the Nabisco Southwest Side bakery that has been making Oreos, Wheat Thins, and other Nabisco products since the 1950s.
Cards Against Humanity is selling a special Design Pack with illustrations inspired by George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," with all profits benefitting the Chicago Design Museum.
Amazon's PrimeNow local delivery service is now available in Chicago -- but only in the ZIP codes 60614, 60610, 60654, 60622 and 60642. Two-hour delivery is free, one-hour delivery costs $7.99.
The Distance, Basecamp's profile series of long-time businesses, has fully transformed into a podcast, and the latest episode profiles two Fulton Market wholesalers and how they're handling the changes affecting that neighborhood and industry.
Chicago ranks number 7 on the 2015 Global Cities Index conducted by management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. The index of 125 cities measures how globally engaged each city is across 26 metrics in five dimensions--business, human capital, info exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.
Police identified suspects in the mugging of Mayor Emanuel's son by tracking the resale of his iPhone after a woman who bought it discovered the phone was stolen.
The Chicago Loop Alliance has plans to make Wabash Avenue a more inviting streetscape. The alliance's Transforming Wabash Report describes how the project will highlight historic facades, install dramatic new lighting, and create "districts" along Wabash focused on cultural and business uses.
The Chicago Ridge and Ford City malls are banning teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights unless accompanied by adults in order to encourage a more family-friendly atmosphere.
Enjoy a weekend of bargains at beloved record/book/everything store Shake, Rattle & Read in Uptown. In honor of their 49th anniversary, the whole store is 50% off Friday-Monday.
Need something one-of-a-kind and locally made for Christmas? Get it Saturday at one of two (or both!) local craft shows going on (that won't have lines waiting to get inside). Check out The Hideout for their annual Last Chance Holiday Sale or The Empty Bottle for their Last Dash Xmas Bash. Bonus: both venues have full bars, so you can sip while you shop!
City Lab's look at Pilsen's economic outlook is worth reading, though it might be dangerous to generalize the fortunes of the Southwest Side based on its most prosperous neighborhood (assuming you even include Pilsen in the Southwest Side).
Calumet Photo is back, having been purchased in bankruptcy by New Jersey-based C&A Marketing, and the newly opened Chicago store is located, appropriately enough, on Eastman Street.
The National Labor Relations Board ruled McDonald's is a "joint employer," making it liable for unfair labor charges brought against franchisees around the country.
Techweek Chicago is officially live and you can get the play-by-play of the latest apps and buzzwords to emerge from the conference through Tribune's Blue Sky.
Cleaning and hygiene product company Method is planning to build its first manufacturing facility in Pullman, one of only two LEED platinum certified factories, including a wind turbine, solar panels, and rooftop greenhouses.
The stretch of Wabash Street in the Loop that is home to hundreds of jewelers is dealing with the economy, competition from big brands, and now CTA construction that will close the street to traffic for up to two years.
It's been three years since Next opened with a ticket-based reservation system, and the concept is beginning to catch on in the industry. Nick Kokonas explains how the system works and what difference it's made to the business.
Interested in working at a tech startup? Uncubed this Thursday is sort of a speed-dating session with local tech companies, as well as a day of workshops for job-hunters.
A newish hostel has opened up in Wicker Park. Holiday Jones offers hipster-friendly group accommodations in a former SRO at rates that beat most AirBnBs.
Seems a little late to be worried about the loss of the Meatpacking District, what with Randolph Street and half of Fulton Market taken over by high-end restaurants, but two new hotel projects really have residents and businesses concerned about the area's namesake being pushed out.
A nationwide contest will try to bring the "next big thing" to Chicago by providing young entrepreneurs with free office space and connecting them with potential investors and mentors for a year.
Calumet Photo abruptly closed all its US stores today and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. A post of Facebook says they're "exploring opportunities to reopen select locations to keep serving our customers." Update: their U.S. Facebook account is now closed.
Chicago is not going to be the next Detroit, despite budget and pension issues that still need to be addressed, according to an analysis by Standard & Poor's.
The Chinese food restaurant Mark's Chop Suey in Boystown will permanently close its doors today after 38 years of service. The restaurant's owner, Amy Mark, 64, is ready to slow down. Marks' is right next to Sidetrack, one of the best-known gay bars in Chicago, which is one of the reasons why Mark chose the location in the first place.
Whole Foods Market Inc. confirmed purchasing four former Dominick's stores in Chicago, including the Lincoln Park location at 959 W. Fullerton Ave., the center of DePaul University's campus. Other locations purchased includes the West Loop, Edgewater and Streeterville.
Google is sellingMotorola Mobility to Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo for $2.91 billion. (Schaumburg-based Motorola Solutions, which split from Mobility three years ago, isn't part of the deal.)
In crafting the city's new policy allowing for gun sales, Mayor Emanuel is turning to California for inspiration. Set to be active within six months, gun rights activists think that the Los Angeles influence will create strong restrictions on firearm retailers.
Attorney Anthony Brown, one of the guys for whom the term "patent troll" was coined, is back in business -- now running Northbrook-based Cascades Ventures, suing Motorola Mobility and other smartphone companies for patent infringement.
Cards Against Humanity cost $5 on Black Friday. Interestingly, they sold slightly more copies of the game on Amazon than last year -- and even more the day after.
Eleven of the Chicagoland Dominick's stores slated to close by the end of the year, including three in the city, will become Mariano's after a brief closure for rehab and rebranding. Meanwhile, Whole Foods is eying seven stores, including four in Chicago and one in Evanston.
Ted McClelland takes a ride on a freighter carrying taconite pellets away from Mittal Steel in East Chicago, learning a little about the crew who keeps the ship running.
Mershawn Feltus was in prison for nearly 20 years for a murder he committed when he was 17. Now he's running a yoga studio in Austin, teaching people to balance mind, body and spirit.
Women and Children First, one of the few feminist bookstores in the country (and the only one in the city) is available for purchase. It'll be sad to see things change, but the current owners are willing to help with the transition, which hopefully means it will remain a feminist bookstore.
A budding industry of schools that teach how to cultivate and sell marijuana- legally- is taking root in Illinois following the legalization of pot for medicinal purposes.
Grocery delivery service Instacart is expanding into Chicago, partnering with Trader Joe's. The company promises delivery in as little as an hour, which unfortunately means service is limited to within quick driving distance of a TJ's for now, but they plan to add Whole Foods, Dominick's and Costco soon.
Ken "artistmac" Smith attended the opening of the Pullman Wal-Mart opening earlier this week, and noted what a difference six years makes in terms of attitudes toward the big-box store.
The Paramount Room at Kinzie and Milwaukee has set up a bike repair station to help passing commuters -- and encourage them to pop inside for a drink or bite.
The Koch brothers apparently decided that rather than buy the Tribune's newspapers, they'd just go pick up Lisle-based Molex, an electronics company, for $7.2 billion -- which means they'll soon make a little bit of nearly every computer you use.
This fall, Starbucks hopes to bring their new drive-thru shop design to Rogers Park/Edgewater at the corner of Broadway and Sheridan. The kicker — the shop will be constructed entirely out of shipping containers.
Curious City did a crawl last month to find Chicago's best doughnut, but the question they really wanted to answer was, did Dunkin' Donuts kill the competition when it came here in 1965? The answer may surprise you.
An ad promoting the upcoming debut of a Nike running store in Bucktown featured the phrase "We Run Bucktown," which angered residents who thought it came off as arrogant, based on its double-entendre. It's been changed to "Nike Running Bucktown."
While the city seems to get the short end of the stick on most privatization deals, the one for bus shelters and newsstands (previously) has actually paid off.
Do you make consumer goods? Do you have an idea for a small business related to consumer goods? Are you interested in finding out all the rules and regulations on what can and can't be part of something manufactured, especially if it is manufactured for children? If so, then this small biz seminar put on by the Small Business Ombudsman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is for you. Free and open to the public, but an ID is needed to get past security.
Loyola business ethics professor Al Gini says taking a break from work is beneficial to the bottom line. With that in mind, we'll see you on Monday unless something important comes up
Cheetah Gym is in danger of being closed by MB Financial after the chain's owner, Reza Toulabi, defaulted on business loans. The gyms abruptly closed and soon reopened in 2007 after a bizarre series of events involving its former owner and employees. (Toulabi's been in the news more recently.)
Chicago-based GrubHub is merging with New York-based Seamless, creating an even bigger player in the food delivery biz. GrubHub's co-founder and CEO Matt Maloney will lead the combined company.
If you've got a thing for cute graphics on durable ceramics, then you've probably run into Circa Ceramics at a local craft show or indie boutique. If you haven't, then we suggest you get to Nordstrom at Woodfield Mall to check out their wares. Etsy Wholesale has teamed up with various indie makers to get them sold in Nordstrom stores around the country. So hie thee to the suburbs if you need something awesome to drink tea from.
If the 1871 coworking center sounds like something you'd be into, keep your eye on Industrious, a similar concept with a little more privacy, opening in June. Or maybe The Logan Share, opening in May, is more your speed.
The Atlantic Cities features Chicago-based CityScan, whose ability to combine open data and LIDAR to detect violations of city codes could be a boon for the budget.
The city wants 2,000 more cab drivers, so Olive-Harvey College is hosting a free taxi driver recruitment day Feb. 7. Interview with cab companies and learn what's entailed to get licensed.
Marie's Riptide Lounge, a favorite old-school dive, may close this week due to legal wranglings after longtime owner 's death. Stop by today for a "Save the Bar" fundraiser. Meanwhile, Cocktail in Boystown has been seized by its landlord, alleging $85,000 in back rent.
When the restored the Harper Theater, opens tomorrow night at 53rd and Harper in Hyde Park, it will be one of only two first-run mainstream movie theaters in Chicago south of Roosevelt Road -- the other being the Ford City 14.
Lathrop Community Partners, the organization coordinating community input for the redevelopment of Lathrop Homes, just released its summary of public input [PDF]. Among expressed opinions were a concern about the mixed-income character of the development, as well as preferences for reusing a "critical mass" of the existing buildings, maintaining a low-rise site and establishing high public transportation connectivity.
R.S. Owens & Co., the company that makes the Oscars, Emmys and other trophies, was bought be a larger competitor last year. The company's former owner blames China for its downfall.
North Center boutique Tin Duck features the creations of local artists and artisans -- a constantly rotating selection of handmade finery... jewelry, art, clothing, ceramics, bath and body products, stationary, accessories... you really never know what you'll find.
Walgreens has opened a new upscale store, similar to its State Street flagship, in the former Noel State Bank building at North, Damen and Milwaukee in Wicker Park/Bucktown.
The DIY Trunk Show kicks off at 10am this Saturday at the Broadway Armory; come say hi to Gapers Block at our booth! And right up the street at Broadway and Granville, the Vintage Garage Holiday Trunk Show gives you another reason to visit Edgewater.
U.S. Cellular is selling its Midwest customers and spectrum -- including here in its home town -- to Sprint, pending FCC approval. The company will lay off workers in Chicagoland as a result of the deal. Its name will stay on the ballpark formerly known as Comiskey.
ASU and the Cubs have officially ended negotiations regarding sharing a new spring training stadium in Mesa, Arizona. A Cubs spokesperson's snide comment may explain the negotiation's tone: "We invited ASU to play in a rent-free stadium. Unfortunately, this was not enough to meet the university's needs."
This afternoon the Commission on Chicago Landmarks voted 8-1 to deny landmark status to Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital. Paradoxically, the unusually rapid vote followed the board's unanimous decision that the building met landmarking criteria. Northwestern will demolish the building at an unspecified date.
The Martin Prosperity Institute ranks the Chicago area as the best Halloween spot in the country. The factors? A relatively dense population, the highest number of candy stores per capita and a median income that allows for high candy "purchasing capacity."
Target has announced its plans to open another store in Chicago in October 2013. The new store will be located on west Division and north Larrabee streets, on the old site of Cabrini-Green.
Work has stopped on a new Pete's Fresh Market being built in the food desert area of East Garfield Park, after the developers allegedly received threats of violence if they didn't hand out jobs or pay a bribe. Of course, Pete's doesn't have a stellar record in worker relations themselves.
Eddie Carranza, owner of the Congress Theater, has purchased the Portage Theater. I a message posted on Everyblock, Carranza said there are no immediate plans to bring concerts to the Portage, but might actually bring film programming to the Congress. Stay tuned for new developments.
Starting today, local music education nonprofit Rock for Kids is launching an eBay auction of autographed 8x10 photos from 150 bands, including The Temptations, Pat Benatar, The Village People, Nickel Creek, Naughty By Nature, Ben Folds and more. Bid early and often to win your favorites. Bidding starts at $8.10 and proceeds benefit the charity that brings music education to at-risk youth in Chicago.
The Pritzkers' Hyatt Hotels Corp. is receiving a $5.2 million TIF as part of the Harper Court redevelopment project on 53rd Street. The seven schools surrounding the TIF district are losing $3.4 million from their budgets -- which happens to be the about the amount that CPS loses in property taxes because of the TIF. Meanwhile, Penny Pritzker serves on the CPS board. Curtis Black explains.
From potential employers, anyway. Gov. Quinn signed into law a measure forbidding companies from requesting Facebook and other social media passwords of employees and applicants.
Motorola Mobility is moving its Libertyville office to the top four floors of the Merchandise Mart in order to be closer to Google HQ -- and 1871 as well.
Jobs for Youth Chicago is an organization helping low-income people aged 17 to 24 find work in professional environments. If you're looking for a young go-getter, give them a call.
While not so good for buyers, the many, many homeowners who've seen their property values crater will be happy to hear that local home prices are finally on the rise. UPDATE: Reader Juan-Pablo Velez shared on Twitter a map of housing prices year over year; Cook County's been in the negative since 2006.
Still need to get some work done during casual Fridays, but don't want to do it on the couch? Coworking space Enerspace is offering free space on Fridays this summer; just email ahead to reserve.
Speaking of the Trib's business practices, its keyword based Google ads generated this recent gem in an article about potentially questionable chemical additives in foreign Coca-Cola formulations.
McDonald's, Allstate, Abbott and other big Chicagoland companies are snagging custom TLDs; watch for http://www.imlovinit.mcd and http://yourein.goodhands on your browser in 2013.
As part of his strategy to streamline business licensing and stimulate business development, Mayor Emanuel's launching a new Restaurant Start-Up Program.
UofC professor Judge Richard Posner stepped into some controversial territory last week when he threw out a patent dispute between Apple and Motorola Mobility, and said in passing on his blog that the patent system is dysfunctional.
Read Posner's decision in Case: 1:11-cv-08540, Apple Inc. & NEXT Software Inc. vs. Motorola Inc. & Motorola Mobility, Inc., below.
If you can scrape together $32 million, the 14,260-square foot penthouse at Trump Tower -- the western hemisphere's highest residence, and the most expensive property in Chicago -- is all yours.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the "OMG stay away from downtown!" hysteria during the NATO Summit hurt downtown restaurants -- as well as some far from the action.
There are lots of rankings of cities' global influence, and Chicago is always near the top. A new study from the McKinsey Global Institute takes all the other ones and totals them up for an aggregate rating. Chicago still looks good.
Shawnimals' newest ninja doll pays homage to Remmy, the dog of owners Shawn and Jen, who is recovering from injuries stemming from a brutal dog attack earlier this spring. A quarter of the proceeds will be donated to the Logan Square Dog Park.
As AON moves out of the Uptown neighborhood this summer, the neighborhood is gaining another type of commerce. The company's staff parking structure on Broadway (near Argyle) will be utilized as a part-time vintage market from June-October, with vendors selling straight from their methods of transportation on the third Sunday of each month.
Have you wondered what a $1 million business really looks like? If so, then check out local entrepreneur Rebeca Mojica, owner of Blue Buddha Boutique. She was profiled by U.S. News & World Report as one of five business owners who turned $1,000 into $1 million. That's a lot of little metal rings, folks.
This weekend's CHIRP Record Fair has a few tables available for record hawkers, crafters, and doodad sellers to set up shop; contact them if you're interested.
Groupon's shooting star is crashing to earth, it seems, at least as far as Wall Street is concerned. Investors have filed a lawsuit, claiming the company made misleading statements in its IPO, and the SEC is investigating its accounting practices. Meanwhile, Chicago magazine offers up some Groupons we'll never see.
Chicago comes in seventh on the 2012 Global Cities Index from AT Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, falling one spot down from 2010. Read the report here (PDF).
If you're itching to stylishly transport that new iPad or maybe an iPhone or MacBook Air or Pro, check out the lovely "Biblio" handmade covers offered via Kickstarter by FoGB George Aye (he's shot some inspired photos at Pitchfork over the years for Transmission) and David Hull. The sweetness is in the video on the campaign page (also after the jump). See other GB-curated Kickstarter campaigns.
Entrepreneur Eric Moneypenny needs your help to buy New York based coundsourcing incubator Kickstarter. On March 19 a listing for Moneypenny to buy Kickstarter went live on Kickstarter. Moneypenny values the hot company at $19 billion. Backer rewards include a pizza party with Moneypenny at Kickstarter HQ. (Take a look at our curated page to see some local projects that actually have a chance in hell of succeeding.)
The Donald visited his namesake tower this week and talked about the strength of the River North neighborhood and what's going on with all that empty retail space in his building. In other Trump Tower news, Derrick Rose is its newest resident.
Wanting to make itself attractive to a new buyer, The Reader will be laying off staffers and reducing salaries, as explained in a memo this week from publisher Alison Draper and CFO Tammy Bailey. UPDATE: No layoffs have been announced; the original linked story at Poynter has been corrected.
The head of the NATO event welcoming committee recently met with business owners to provide a new level of details about planning and clearly asked for people to head downtown during the NATO meeting.
Groupon rolled out its VIP program in Chicago and five other cities this week. For $30 a year, you get first dibs on deals, access to closed deals and more.
Tomorrow is your last chance to enter the City Treasurer's Small Business Online Marketing Contest. If you did something cool online for your small business, you could win up to $2500.
Levine said she opened a Bucktown store because "there were just too many gunshots in the cakes" at the Humboldt bakery, and named a pastry the "Humboldt crack bar" because police officers would knock on the bakery door late at night asking for "crack."
In addition to the protestors, Yelpers have been heaping scorn on Levine for her comments, leaving dozens of one-star reviews on the bakery's listing.
Crain's reports that Ferrara Pan is in talks to be purchased by Farley's & Sathers Candy Co., with Salvatore Ferrara II becoming the CEO of the merged company. Ferrara's father and company chairman, Nello Ferrara, passed away earlier this month.
The newest installment of our documentary series The Grid examines how The Plant -- Chicago's vertical farm and food business incubator -- has been represented in the media.
Empire Today bought Luna Carpet. No word yet on whether the catchy phone number will remain. The companies will continue to be run separately, so Luna's famous jingle will continue to echo in your brain.
Luna Carpet was founded in 1958. Empire Today was founded in 1959 as Empire Plastic Covers, and got into carpet in 1965. Details of the purchase were not disclosed; both companies are privately held.
In 2007, NBC 5 did a story on Luna's company history and its memorable jingle:
The newest building featured in To be Demolished is a frame residence located at 1340 W. George St. The owner's address is identical to the owner's address for the first demolished building in the project, 3549 N. Reta Ave.
Literally. The Chicago-based company got flak in the U.K. for trying to sell a discount on a "'Wrinkle Killer Snake Serum" whose health claims were unsubstantiated. You don't say?
Groupon is starting to roll out touchscreen kiosks around the city, which will feature regular deals as well as Groupon Now! offers for businesses in the machine's area. The kiosks will have a few other features (CTA tracker, news, 911), and we can expect to see around 100 pop up over the next three months.
Speaking of workforce development, the Public Media Institute is launching the Small Manufacturing Alliance (SMALL), and they want you to join. SMALL will promote and support local companies and individuals who make stuff: bikes, clothing, food, media, whatever. The first public event will be the SMALL Showroom, which will feature member products in the Co-Prosperity Sphere throughout May.
A small collection of family friendly photos from Playboy Enterprises Inc., that will be closing its Chicago headquarters and moving its employees to Los Angeles this April.
The new Walgreens flagship store opened at 6:30am this morning at 151 N. State St. It's decidedly upscale compared to your typical pharmacy, replete with sushi counter, fine wine and microbrews, and even luxury cosmetics.
Starting tomorrow, shoppers, pedestrians and die-hard drugstore fans can check out the new "flagship" Walgreens at 200 N. State. Features include manicures, fresh sushi, smoothies, a barista and a humidor.
The major retailer has released an initial list of 79 stores to close within the next year that excludes any mention of closings in the city and saves them from the same fate of the now, Willis Tower.
Sears Holdings plans to close more than 100 Sears and KMart stores after dismal holiday sales. Makes you wonder if the tax rebate was to keep them in the state or keep them in business.
"Punk rock pastry" purveyor Bleeding Heart Bakery recently announced that the Roscoe Village location is moving down Belmont to a new spot beside Schubas, but they can't quite take everything with them. Bid high on eBay and you can be the owner of the shop's 16-foot neon sign (local pickup only).
You might have spotted Bellyflop iPad terminals at certain shops around town, but the customer loyalty program made its official debut today, under a new name: just Belly.
Citing, among other things, an "inability to operationally meet the seasonal needs of our customers," Rolf's Patisserie is closed. Effective immediately. (Maybe it's because, thanks to last year's food poisoning outbreak, the at-a-glance Google details are, um, less than appetizing.)
Give the gift of live music this year (maybe even to yourself) with the first ever FOB (Friends of the Bottle) year-long passes to the Empty Bottle. For $150 you can get into most shows (any under $10) for all of 2012 with a FOB Pass. Upgrade to the FOB GOLD Pass for $500, and get into each and every show. Buyers also get special perks including no line waiting, a t-shirt, discounts on food and drink, and more.
The City of Chicago has began to back microloans -- small sums of money lent for business initiatives that would have trouble being financed by regular banks. The idea has helped millions in third world countries over the past few decades, andEmanuel hopes to help over 250 with the $1 million currently allocated.
The USPS plans to close 252 mail processing centers, including its Irving Park processing and distribution center near O'Hare Airport and eight others in Illinois. The Trib claims that the closures will mostly affect minority workers. (No word yet whether any of the endangered post offices will close.)
Congratulations Chicago, you've been paying over three dollars a gallon for gas for a full year now, with the highest area average in May of $4.469, according to AAA.
The 2011 Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40 class has been announced. The list includes some literally and figuratively related inductees: brothers Jerrod and RJ Melman, GrubHub's two co-founders and the three co-founders of Akira.
Local First Chicago would like to encourage you to Unwrap Chicago by shopping at local, independently owned businesses this holiday season. (Incidentally, we're one of those.)
The Illinois Attorney General's Office also released its safe shopping guide [PDF] this week, alerting consumers to recalled toys that may still be found in some stores or resale shops.
The first of these experimental Apple-inspired retail outlets is set to open in the Northwest suburbs, complete with a Learning Center, Solutions Center, Small Business Center, and, God willing, a chewy chocolate-covered center.
Saturday, Nov. 5 is Bank Transfer Day, a movement to switch from the major national banks to credit unions and local banks. I Know Chicago shares some resources for you to make the switch.
Matador Records has a keen blog piece gushing about the emergence of awesome indie record stores while others are sadly closing. They give some love to Chicago-area stores Saki (Chicago-Logan Square), Cyklopx (Forest Park), and to Permanent Records' expansion out west from Chicago.
What better way to start off the holiday season than with a pumpkin and yam facial? Mitchell Dental Spa is offering 50 percent off the treatment for the entire month of November.
Groupon teamed up with ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin to produce that Ferris Buehler screening at Wrigley, tonight's Umphrey's McGee show at Lincoln Hall and another event in November. Crain's talked with Chamberlin about the partnership.
World Business Chicago now offers a "site selector" map to help businesses identify good spots to be in the city. Seems sort of like Walk Score for industry.
The company's track record gets worse. COO Margo Georgiadis' resignation was recently announced; she is returning to her former employer, Google, after five short months at Groupon.
Apartment site Domu's ads have met with amusement and derision -- and now you can be part of the fun. Apply to be a "Domulebrity" and you can become a part of the 2012 ad campaign. [via]
In the latest twist in Groupon's IPO saga, WSJ reports the company has canceled its investor roadshow and is reevaluating its IPO date "on a week by week basis" due to the market's volatility.
New trouble for hometown giant Groupon, this time self-inflicted. According to a report in The New York Times, Groupon chief executive Andrew Mason may have broken SEC rules preventing a company from attempting to "condition the market by hyping its stock" by issuing an internal memo recently. In it, he defends against media reports about the company's numbers, a balance sheet that will no doubt be adversely affected if Groupon's IPO is put on hold.
Only after two months on the job, the head of PR for Groupon has left the company, reportedly due to a clash over a leaked internal memo that Yoga-loving CEO Andrew Mason wrote that responded to critics of the company and claims that Groupon had far less money than believed. The company's sales chief was replaced last week; their former COO quit in March.
If you have a piece of used furniture you'd like to part with, or if you're looking to furnish your new (holy moving season, Batman!) place, check out local used furniture site Furnishly. Their site is far more visually attractive and helpful than Craigslist and has just the details you care about. And if you're looking to sell, they've got some great posting tips on their blog.
Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky are reportedly considering purchasing the Wrigley Building to house Groupon and the other companies they run. Meanwhile, the pre-IPO backlash against Groupon continues apace. UPDATE: WSJ reports there's no plan for Groupon to move into the Wrigley Building.
Wheaton hosts an all-night flea market tomorrow, with a bevy of odd celebrities scheduled to be in attendance (Lou Ferrigno, the guy who played the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld, etc.).
Libertyville based Motorola Mobility, the split handset division of Motorola, is being acquired by Google for about $12.5 billion, mostly in an effort to gain patents in order to compete with rival Apples iPhone. Google plans to run Motorola Mobility as a separate company and plans to keep its Android platform open.
When you shop for jeans do you find the following options available? $60 jeans that are poorly made, wear quickly, and need tailoring to fit properly? $150+ jeans that are better made, wear well, and still need tailoring to fit properly? You're not alone. But for a $60 donation to a Kickstarter you'll get a pair of custom-fit jeans made right here in Chicago. Try getting that at The Gap. [via]
Amazon is creeping into Groupon's backyard: AmazonLocal -- basically a reskinning of LivingSocial, which the company part-owns -- quietly launched this week in Chicago.
The League of Courteous Cyclists, that is. Today's the last day to pre-order a discounted t-shirt designed by local artist (and cyclist) SarahBecan promoting bike etiquette. (We interviewed Sarah in Bookclub last year.)
Evidently Chicago is the least friendly city for teleworking, according to a Microsoft survey. We can take solace in the fact that San Francisco and New York are on the list, too. [via]
The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust has launched a new store in the Rookery, and are celebrating with a Champagne and shopping event July 21. RSVP by the 19th. [via]
Chicago-based startup ParkWhiz is competing in American Express OPEN's Big Break for Small Business contest to win a Facebook makeover and $20,000, and have until Saturday to get as many votes as they can. (There are two other Chicagoland competitors, too, from Gary and Dixon.)
Zipments, a service that allows you to post a delivery job (picking up something at your office and taking it to your accountant's, for instance), launched in Chicago yesterday.
Walgreens is piloting a "web pickup" service at many of its Chicago area stores. Basically, you place your order online and then they collect everything for you, although some locations will also offer curbside service.
The A.V. Club's new series Cogs In The Machine will shed some light on what's being manufactured in Chicago. The first edition details the processing of material for fancy shoes and footballs by Horween Leather at the intersection of Ashland, Armitage and Elston.
Grub Street reports that the Grasstoots Collaborative is holding a bake sale in front of the Mercantile Exchange (20 South Wacker) today to benefit the CME Group, the parent company of the Merc who is threatening to leave the state unless Gov. Quinn gives them some special tax considerations.
The month of May saw 54,000 jobs created in the United States. According to Mother Jones, up to 30,000 of them were created by Chicago-based McDonald's. I wonder if they'll have summer recession McSpecials for the people they didn't hire?
Remember a couple years ago some guys tried to crowdsource the purchase of Pabst Brewing Company? They got slapped with a cease-and-desist order by the SEC, some months after shutting down the attempt. [via]
Bad news for Bucktown coffee drinkers: Local favoriteIpsento (2035 N. Western) closed suddenly yesterday after an Illinois Department of Revenue official showed up to revoke its business license because of unpaid taxes. Store owners said today they're "working hard" to right the ship and reopen soon.
Here's the explanation they posted on their Facebook page:
Ipsento is temporarily closed. In 2010, we mistakenly overlooked the filing and paying of nine months of sales tax. We have been current with this years sales tax. However, to date, we have been unable to pay the lump some [sic] we fell behind. For this reason, the state revoked our business license yesterday. We are working hard to get the license back...and have been told by our tax expert lawyers that this shouldn't be a problem. We originally thought we could turn this around right away. But that's not how the Department of Revenue works. Our hope is to re-open next Monday afternoon. We'll keep you informed as we find out more. We REALLY appreciate how supportive you all have been!
The Plastic Bag Solution aims to kill two birds with one stone: provide stores and restaurants with an ecological alternative to plastic bags, and give advertisers another surface upon which to print their message.
Fantasy Costumes already has a Rahm Emanuel rubber mask, available for $39.99 online. Shop employees told the Trib the store's owner figured Emanuel would win the mayoral election and got a jump on designing the mask.
Proving they're willing to willing to take a step in the wrong direction in more than just publishing, the folks behind The Printed Blog have launched Kumbuya, which rolls the Groupon concept back to when it was a spinoff of The Point.
Groupon is celebrating the launch of Groupon Now with a bunch of $1 deals around the city this Friday -- available, naturally, only through the new service.
The WSJ reports the CEO of now bankrupt Giordano's had to be threatened with sheriff action before he and his family members would vacate the company's headquarters yesterday.
While far from comprehensive, the descriptions of thrift stores written by the stylish men of The MidwestStyle is a great basic overview of some of the better thrift stores in Chicago. They shop and write about other places, too.
Groupon just launched a new way to get in on deals nearby — Groupon Now. It lets you search online (at a computer or via your smartphone) for deals near your address or zipcode (currently only in Chicago). Once you buy the deal, you'll only have a narrow window of hours that day (displayed on the deal before purchase) in which to use it. Want to find a place with a dining bargain near the art museum, or a deal on a guided tour to distract, er, entertain the in-laws? This might be a great on-the-go solution for the last-minute planner.
Shawn Smith of Shawnimals fame is the featured interview this week on the Constant Contact "Office Hours" podcast. In it, Shawn shares his experiences with reaching out to his customers with a range of social media — a task made harder when lacking a brick and mortar storefront.
After their wildly successful Groupons for North Coast Music Festival passes (last summer as well as this past April), it was just a matter of time until the community-sourced deals site broke even more new ground with live show ticketing. To be launched in time for users to snag tickets for summer music festivals, GrouponLive will be a new live event collaboration between Groupon and Live Nation.
A new Walter E. Smithe commercial pays tribute to the outgoing mayor. It features TV anchors, Bears players, actors, even former President George W. Bush -- and, oddly, Mayor Daley himself.
The NY Times recently reported on a developer in far north suburban Richmond who's giving away cars with his homes. Grist's Sarah Goodyear couldn't help but note the irony of enticing folks with a car for the 50-mile commute when gas is so expensive.
Good news for low-income Illinois residents who use LINK cards — Chicago farmers markets doubled the number of sites where they now accept the card as payment for fresh produce. Especially important in an area hampered by food deserts, this expanding service hopefully will get healthy food into more homes. There are also participating markets around the state. Chicago farmers markets open on May 12, 2011.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing a local business, accusing it of running fake news sites in order to promote açai berries and other dubiously effective weight loss products.
Today we release the second feature in GB's short film series, The Grid. "Textile Discount Outlet" roams the aisles in the Pilsen fabric destination. As fabric cutter Chris says, "Bring some trail mix and a bottle of water."
Daily deal site YouSwoop is launching SwooperMarket, a place to swap deals you can't or don't want to use for some reason. It'll also offer some "expired" deals at slightly higher prices for people who miss out on the first round.
As a consumer, you've probably shopped for a credit card and you know it is a pain. But it is even more of a pain for people who want to accept credit cards. Thanks to FeeFighters.com, that process is now a lot simpler. Which makes it possible for business owners without a degree in economics to get the best deal.
Citing the company's need for a "much different type of operator to take it to the next level" to handle its rapid growth, Groupon COO and President Rob Solomon is leaving the company.
West Loop-based green furniture company Strand Design recently launched an online store. Now you can buy new furniture while you sit on your old furniture. In your underwear.
Mayor Daley isn't spending his last months in office just sitting around. He's headed to China to try to draw new business to Chicago, and is still lobbying for his high-speed train to O'Hare.
Jim Tyree, chairman and CEO of Mesirow Financial and chairman of the Sun-Times Media Group, died yesterday after a battle with stomach cancer. The Sun-Times has multiple stories, including tributes from Obama, Daley and others; Tribune offered a substantial obituary; and Ron May eulogizes him as a champion for Chicago's tech and media community.
Local plush maker Steff Bomb's created a soft-yet-deadly Han Solo blaster, so well-made any intrepid hero would be proud to have it at their side. Pick up one of these limited edition stuffed sidearms this weekend at C2E2: 2301 South Lake Shore Drive, Booth #1026, 2pm-3pm. Did I mention it comes with a holster?
Bernardo Hees, CEO of Burger King, said during a recent visit to U of C, "The food is terrible and the women are not very attractive [in England]. Here in Chicago the food is good, and you are known for good-looking women." Not surprisingly, the Brits are pissed.
Rolling Meadows-based Ajilitee offered $25,000 worth of IT consulting for half off on Groupon; it sold out this morning. Fast Company gets the backstory.
Meet suburban-based Kraft's "Meal Planning Solution," a kiosk that will be able to recognize your face and give you shopping suggestions based on your shopping history. In the process, it'll also provide recipes, free samples ... and "anonymously" collect data.
Columbia College students took a look at who received money from TIFs between 2000 and 2010, and found that nearly half ended up benefiting corporations rather than helping economically blighted areas. A searchable map of TIF projects is online here. And Chicago mag's Whet Moser puts into further context.
Groupon may have caught a lot of flak for its Super Bowl commercials, but it reaped major spikes in web traffic. Whether those extra visits translate into new customers is another question altogether.
So Groupon rejected an application from local female-friendly sex shop Early to Bed. Then they called them to offer a new program, and rejected them again for being an adult business. At least we won't be seeing any g-spot related commercials from Groupon any time soon.
Urban Offer takes a different tack from the many group deal sites popping up: make an offer for how much you're willing to pay for a service (currently limited to salons and body care businesses, it seems) and see which business takes you up on it.
Bowing to pressure, Groupon has pulled its Tibet ad from television, although it still appears on the SaveTheMoney website -- and you can still donate to The Tibet Fund.
Groupon caughtawholelot of flack for its Super Bowl commercials playing philanthropy (for deforestation, saving the whales and the plight of Tibet) for laughs in connection to group deals. The company launched a subsite to make donations to those causes, but at least on Sunday, neither the ads nor Groupon's main site include a link to it. UPDATE: Groupon CEO Andrew Mason responds to the criticism.
According to NYT coverage of the fashion industry's criticism of the red Alexander McQueen dress that Michelle Obama wore to the January 19 state dinner, the First Lady is reportedly no longer working with stylist Ikram Goldman.
Chicago native Noel Ross, who invented the EZstringer, was featured in an episode of "Pitchmen" that aired Tuesday night on the Discovery Channel. Ross's invention, which restrings drawstrings, first caught show producer's attention last year at the International Housewares Show in Chicago.
Considering Groupon's meteoric rise, it's not surprising to see Andrew Mason sit at number two on Under30CEO's list of the most influential CEOs under 30 years old.
Chicago-based Bare Deal is a novel twist on the deal site: take the weekly offer and they mail you a scratch-off card with a discount of up to 100 percent.
Erlene Howard's burgeoning green business helps those who can't compost for themselves. For under $11 a week, she'll take northsiders' compostables and put them to good use (not a landfill).
The jewelry store C.D. Peacock was founded the same year Chicago was incorporated. You may be familiar with the ornate doors to its State Street store.
Would a (confidence-boosting) scale help you keep those healthy resolutions? Stop by Union Station on your way home Tuesday between 3 and 6pm for a complimentary box of Special K Red Berries and an opportunity to learn more about weight loss benefits. It's all a part of their nationwide "What will you gain when you lose?" tour. RSVP on Facebook.
If you've been thinking about starting a business, lawyer Coco Soodek's Profit & Laws blog might help you decide what type of business to form. And her new book, Birth to Buyout, gives you pointers on every step of the life cycle of your business.
Playboy magazine has once again become a privately owned company after owner Hugh Hefner did some financial wrangling to avoid rival Penthouse from taking over existing shares.
If the City approves the single bid to privatize our summer festivals, we may get some really great lineups and well-run events, but at a potentially steep cost, Jim DeRogatis reports.
Not to be outdone by Groupon (and the gajillion other Groupon-esque sites out there), The Reader has launched its own daily deal program, focusing on local merchants.
Do something kind for a foster child: check out the Northern Stars Holiday Giving Program. You can select a male or female child from age 4 to 17 and buy something (or everything) off their wish list. Sure, you'll find the usual Christmas gift wishes: Barbies, scooters, iPods. But there are also some real heart-breakers: Different colored string. A nightgown. Snow boots. A warm comforter. (If you don't have time to get to the store, you can choose your kid, then click a link that allows you to shop through Amazon and have your gift sent to the collection site.)
In honor of their iPhone app's second incarnation, online cultural guide Flavorpill is hosting a city scavenger hunt, where you answer Chicago trivia questions to win some presents.
The Transmission staff has compiled their picks for the best holiday gifts for that discerning Chicago music lover. Whether you want to spend $5 or $300, we've got you covered.
In April, residents of Albany Park were so excited about a new gym opening in their neighborhood they purchased memberships before it even opened. Months have since passed without much progress on the gym's construction. Now credit card charges for a membership at an unopened gym, conflicting statements and additional research into the matter are raising more questions than answers.
Groupon's board is meeting today to discuss Google's purchase offer, which is officially official now, I guess. Should the deal go down, Henry Blodget has some suggestions for Google on how not to screw it up.
The Illinois House passed legislation yesterday that could clear the way for a massive synthetic gas facility to be constructed along the Calumet River. It would burn refinery waste and coal to produce the fuel, which People's Gas argues would lead to considerable cost increases for Chicago users. Next up: the Senate.
Rumors are swirling that Google has purchased Groupon for $2.5 billion. No official announcements so far, but vague Twitter exchanges are being pointed to as evidence. UPDATE 11/30: Google's offer is reportedly $5.3 billion. Still no official word from either company.
The always-handy Twitter feed @chigaragesale has the scoop on some great Black Friday deals, but they aren't at the department stores downtown. Print out a coupon to save $10 on a purchase of $25 or more at participating Unique thrift stores. And they've confirmed that the Brown Elephant stores will have everything discounted 50% off Friday-Sunday! And more!
Edgewater coffee shop, Kitchen Sink, is looking for local artists to display their work at the business in 2011. The cafe is located near the Berwyn Red Line stop. Details.
Colombina Candy Co., which has an outpost in Des Plaines, is recalling its Megapops line of lollipops, which were found to contain metal flakes. (And Nestle , which has several Illinois-based facilities, is recalling a bunch of Raisinets because they may contain peanuts.) Trick or nontoxic treat, anyone?
If you've ever thought that Chicago garage parking rates seem high, you're right. A new study shows that Chicago is the second most expensive U.S. city for first-hour parking rates and a top four member for other measures of cost.
The new Apple Store at North and Clybourn opens tomorrow at 10am, and the first 4,000 people will get a free t-shirt. One of the benefits of the new store? A renovated Red Line station that includes new public space.
Chicago-based glassware company By the Glass has been getting some attention lately for their tasteful lines of drinking glasses inspired by several cities around the world. Maybe I'm biased, but I like the Chicago line.
Local mobile advertising firm Vibes Media and the Blackhawks get shout-outs in a NY Times piece about the blossoming market for sports themed mobile device applications.
Vendor Cheikh Fall opened a store in Harlem after selling his wares on the street for years. He named the store "Ob'Prama -- an amalgam of Obama and Oprah, two people who, he said, have inspired him." [via]
In A/C, J.R. Williams tells the story of the nebulous gentrification of a colorful strip in Ukrainian Village, through interviews with its small business owners.
Northbrook-based teachbook.com is being sued by facebook because facebook claims it has the unique ability to use "book" in relation to any social networking website.
Did you know that Potbelly Sandwiches had never signed a franchise deal until this week? Apparently the Lincoln Park store has held out for more than a decade, despite expanding into 40 cities and receiving some 6,000 hopeful franchise inquiries.
A couple of new local discount sites debuted this week: Daily Deal Chicago and DealsNear.Me, which is more of a meta-discount site -- it aggregates discounts from a number of places.
The Reader profiles Sarah Kavage, creator of Industrial Harvest, an "experiment to discover how an abstract 'wheat futures' contract connects to real wheat, real food and real people."
Starting tomorrow at 12:01am, the entire state gets a tax holiday through August 15 in order to pay less for school supplies; Illinois retailers will lower their normal sales tax charge by 5% for qualifying items [pdf]. Everyone can take advantage of the tax benefit, which is good for those of you looking to get a new athletic supporter.
Coudal has created another charming film, this time featuring the sights and sounds of the Monona County Fair in Iowa where the team was peddling their new Field Notes County Fair edition.
In more wedding news ('tis the season), the "Running of the Brides" event, in which hundreds of brides-to-be bum-rush the Filene's Basement on State St. looking for a drastically marked-down designer bridal gown, will take place on July 23. Be there with elbows out at the 8 a.m. opening time to snag your own dress, or just to watch the mayhem unfold.
Three Chicago natives and ex-Orbitz employees created BonVoyou, a new travel discount site that donates a portion of each sale to charity. Their current charity of choice is Bear Necessities, benefitting children and families affected by pediatric cancer. Sign up here to become a member.
Adding to the long list of Pitchfork guides is this one, from the New York Times' T Magazine, geared more towards out-of-towners looking for places to eat and shop.
No one will argue that weddings aren't expensive. But local entrepreneurs Amanda Sudimack and Tina Thomure found a way to help couples save money before they share nuptials. They created Wed•OBO (that's "Or Best Offer" for you non-shoppers) to be a sort of Groupon-like site to help people planning weddings connect with smaller business owners. The current offer is an amazing deal for wedding invitations from Girl Metro.
Today marks the start of Andersonville's Green Week, with seven days of cool and informative activities for residents and shoppers. Events include t-shirt recycling, shopping discounts, LEED home tours, eco-storybook making, free stuff, and more.
The Wall Street Journal profiles Chicago futures trader Ryan Carlson and his efforts to preserve the history of hand signals used in pit trading on his web site tradingpithistory.com. [via]
What's the difference between a lemonade stand that charges a nickel a glass and one that gives its drinks away for free? Everything, according to Terry Savage.
Starting this fall, Starbucks will pilot a program in Chicago to recycle as many of its paper cups as it can get its hand on. The cups will be made into napkins at a Wisconsin paper mill.
It's getting hard to keep track of all the daily deal sites; at least 3o'clockClub.com differentiates by time -- its deals change at 3pm, rather than midnight.
Coudal Partners' Field Notes just launched a "county fair" edition, which means you can pick up notebooks with a bunch of interesting facts about Illinois or some other random state.
Chicago's beloved mobile street entertainment known to one and all as Puppet Bike will offer up a little piece of itself on eBay starting next week. Owner/Creator Jason Trusty is "retiring" several older puppets and you can take them home, if you're the highest bidder.
Chicago blog Strange Closets takes a close look at the charming and beautiful all around us. Similar to Apartment Therapy, but 100% local, the blog features shopping, interior design, and architecture you'll love looking at.
Brad Flora, founder of WindyCitizen, is one of this year's Knight News Challenge winners. He received $250,000 to develop his Twitter-connected "real-time ads" into a full-fledged ad platform, NowSpots.
The Bike Lane, a new bike shop in Logan Square, offers a handy service: if you get a flat tire between Addison and Chicago, Kedzie and Halsted, call the shop and they'll send someone out to fix it for you.
Those guys with the new locks will be disappointed to know that in Illinois, a homeowner can continue to live in a foreclosed house -- even after it is sold -- until a judge determines when the homeowner needs to move out.
The Wall Street Journal reports that investor C. Dean Metropoulos has purchased Woodridge-based Pabst, makers of PBR, Schlitz, Old Style and plenty other "old man" beers. His sons, Evan (29) and Daren (26) are expected to have a role. Here's a bit of background on the Metropoulos boys.
On June 9, Ald. Scott Waguespack plans to introduce an ordinance allowing food trucks of the sort that roam LA and New York. He made the announcement at a National Restaurant Association panel discussing food truck culture.
The rumor that a "fat finger trade" by someone in Chicago caused the 1,000-point drop in the stock market last week is apparently not true; unfortunately, nobody's sure what happened. Meanwhile, the head of the CME Group pointed out that the
futures market here worked fine.
Ald. Anthony Beale claims Wal-Mart is the only major retailer interested in coming to his ward. Hunter Clauss checked with Jewel-Osco, Dominick's, Target, Costco and Ikea -- and most of them say nobody ever asked them.
Speaking of company stores, if planned industrial communities pique your interest, you'll love CAF's upcoming guided tour of Pullman and the "industrial Shangri-La" of Marktown. The tour costs $50 but includes a guide, all transportation and a box lunch.
As expected, United and Continental airlines announced plans to merge today. If it passes federal review, new airline will be named United but the planes will look a lot like Continental's. Meanwhile, layoffs and strikes are expected. Watch UAL and Continental's stock prices today.
Educational supply store The Learning Tree is going out of business, and it's liquidating its store in Ravenswood. Stop by before April 25 to get some deals on everything including the shelves.
A fun and funky new vintage shop opened its doors today in West Town. Seek Vintage, on the hip strip of West Chicago Avenue that's home to Lush Wine, Beauty Bar, and Relax Lounge, might be your new go-to spot for analog radios and kitschy aprons. Opening festivities continue until 8pm tonight.
With Wrigley Field and its surroundings in the news so much recently, perhaps it's worth remembering what the Sheffield Avenue rooftops looked like in 1987 compared to what they look like now.
Local artist and designer Greg Dressel recently, um, designed a new Chicago themed t-shirt which you can buy right now in a variety of colors. Of course, if you're feeling the Chicago fabric love, don't forget GB's very own t-shirts.
Ever watch the Amazing Race and think you could do it -- if it weren't for the jetlag? Take part in the River North Sleep Around Challenge, and you won't even need to leave the 312 area code. The Challenge Starts at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza and ends up at Martini Park. Along the way, there are stops at seven hotels that will provide challenges and refreshments. Lots of prizes will be offered. Tickets available from the River North Business Association.
...Not from it. Heat Armor bullet-proofs -- and, increasingly, IED-proofs -- vehicles for clients around the world from a compound not far from Midway.
Apparently Chicago is a hotbed for mobile web expense trackers. Joining TextHog in that market is ProOnGo, which lets you auto-fill your expense reports.
The Shoreland Hotel, once housing for University of Chicago students, is now set to become apartments. The developer that bought the historic building in 2008 for $16 million has hired Jeanne Gang, the same architect behind Aqua, for the apartment conversion.
Thirteen thousand five hundred homes, 800,000 square feet of retail, and tons of non-toxic slag... what's not to love? The Sun Times discusses a rezoning possibility for the former site of U.S. Steel's South Works plant.
Milwaukee-based grocery chain Roundy's plans to open a grocery store in the Loop next year. It'll be called Mariano's, after the company's CEO -- who used to run Dominick's before it was purchased by Safeway.
An early morning fire has destroyed the building that houses Cakegirls bakery at 2207 W. Belmont Ave. A residential fire started on the second floor at about 5:30am and was brought under control by 7:00am but the Chicago Fire Department judge the building a total loss.
This just in: The iconic sign for Let's Pet Puppies has been taken down. A call to the store reveals that it's gone in preparation for a move. "We're downsizing due to the economy; that store is just too big," says owner "Susan." They've yet to find a new location, but promise that the sign will go back up.
Start up tech companies may have a helping hand from a local success story. Lightbank, a new investment fund, was recently set up by Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, the brains behind "collective buying" deal-of-the-day site Groupon, to funnel as much as $10 million annually into early-stage tech entrepreneurial ventures.
Two New Yorkers visited Andersonville and shared ideas for shopping for cool thrift store finds, antiques, and DIY make-overs that won't break the bank. (via)
The Trib reviews recent research on the disparities in compensation, working conditions and demographic characteristics for those who work in the front of the restaurant compared to those who work in the back.
Walgreens is buying NYC pharmacy chain Duane Reade, avenging the death of Marshall Field's at the hands of Macy's... except that they're keeping the Duane Reede name. Dammit.
Drinks Over Dearborn is trying to raise money to stay open with an interesting proposal; if you're likely to spend $100 on booze or mixology classes in the next few months, why not pay it in advance? [via]
Designer Maria Pinto, who rose to fame for clothing Michelle Obama and Oprah, is closing her West Loop boutique and filing for bankruptcy, citing "soft buying trends at the top end of the apparel market."
The Chicago Association of Realtors is accepting nominations for its annual Good Neighbor Awards, by which it actually means properties or developments that have bettered the neighborhood. Nominations are due by Feb. 22.
A Fresh Squeeze, a guide to "healthy clean living" in Chicago, has launched the Squeeze Card, which gets you discounts on sustainable products and services. It's just $10 for the year.
The north-south leg of Wacker Drive will get an overhaul over the next three years, after which automotive and pedestrian traffic should move more efficiently. The state estimates 4,000 jobs will be created by the project.
On the verge of the Illinois primary elections, Broadway Bank, owned by the family of state treasurer and senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, is facing increased scrutiny from regulators. UPDATE: Chicago Current has a response from Giannoulias.
The good news: Ford will add 1200 new jobs at its South Side factory as it ramps up production of its new Explorer SUV. The bad news: Most of those jobs will be at a much lower wage with fewer benefits than before.
...which translates to "Many Hands Make the Load Lighter." It's a new t-shirt from Threadless, and 100 percent of its proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross, up to $100,000.
For those creatively inclined Valentine's Day lovers, Andersonville and Lakeview card and frame shops Foursided and Twosided want to see your best handmade Valentine's cards. Winner gets $50 gift certificate. Deadline 2/7. Details and rules.
If you have to choose between fun and donating to Haiti, you may be able to do both. We posted earlier about restaurants donating to relief. Helping in the Wake of the Quake was organized mostly through Twitter to donate to Heartland Alliance. And Crain's Chicago Business has another round-up of local businesses donating when you shop with them.
Last week, Sears announced that it would launch an "online marketplace" that would allow third parties, including rivals, to sell products on its website. Turns out it's not the only new web strategy Sears has up its sleeve.
Just-launched Fashion Heist focuses on "making fashion attainable." Become their friend on Facebook and/or Twitter and get a deal on your first order. [via]
The mayor floats and idea sure to be as popular as the parking meter privatization deal. Hopefully we'll get a chance to discuss it a little longer than that one.
If you count Caterpillar as a Chicago area company, Chicago comes in even on this list of the 50 best and 50 worst companies to work for in 2009 according to Glassdoor.com, a job-hunting site. On the best list: Kraft (#12), CareerBuilder (#26) and CAT (#35). On the worst: United (#2), KMart (#15) and Panduit (#17).
If so, you're in luck if you want to pick up some handmade goodies for gifts. The Indie Arts Market will take place on Saturday at Schuba's Tavern and Christkindlmarket runs until Christmas Eve. But after that? You may be stuck buying gift cards at the grocery store.
If these gift guides didn't grab you, perhaps you'd like to surprise the art lover in your life by adopting one of the dots in "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte." The Art Institute is celebrating that painting's 125th birthday with this unique fundraiser. They'll send you a commemorative button in the color of your dot and a description of its location on the painting. Order your dot with this PDF form.
About 30 of the city's greatest makers of handmade goods will be gathering this Saturday at Empty Bottle for another Handmade Market. The sellers will help you you pick out a few gifts for others, or yourself. And one of the best parts of this show is that you get to sip a tall frosty something while you peruse fantastic products. If you don't leave with full shopping bags, you may leave inspired, or at least a little tipsy.
Super-cheap travel purveyor Megabus is currently offering free fares for the first 100,000 people to book trips between Jan. 6 and March 10, 2010, using promotional code "GETAWAY." Even with a 50 cent booking fee, you could get across the country for less than a CTA ride. [via]
The Bean, a 5MP carabiner camera made by suburban-based Argus, fits the adage "the best camera is the one that's with you." Its little cousin, the BeanSprout, is just $14.99 on Target.com in either yellow or red.
The New York Times picks up on the troubled existence and continuing saga of the Block 37 project, despite the recent opening of the Puma flagship store there.
Animal Kingdom, an eccentric pet store and animal rental business in Hermosa that once supplied many of the trained animals for local TV shows, is closing in December. Stop by for a blast from the past (and a sale on all pets in the shop).
To entice shoppers to Andersonville this holiday season, the Chamber of Commerce is offering reimbursements for parking or CTA rides up to the neighborhood if you spend $20 in a local store. Details online.
So many opportunities to do your holiday shopping hand-made/local/independent this weekend! Come say hi to Gapers Block at the DIY Trunk Show this Saturday; pick up cool student art at SAIC's annual holiday show; or peruse the Modern Vintage Holiday Market for neat vintage stuff.
It seems Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (AKA McPier) is struggling to keep high revenue-generating conventions in Chicago, with the Society of Plastics Industry and the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society moving their conventions to less costly locations. Dennis Byrne at Chicago Now has an idea of who's to blame. Meanwhile McPier, which manages conventions and trade shows at McCormick Place and Navy Pier, isn't doing so well themselves.
The holidays are coming, and what better way to show your spirit for the season and the city with these charming Chicago Flag Snowflake cards from local paper good entrepreneurs 16 Sparrows.
Mayor Daley tried to answer calls for comprehensive snow removal through private bidding on side street clearance, but that didn't work. He promises overtime and some creative responses will get the job done.
The eBay Mobile Boutique will be at the Wrigley Building, 400 N. Michigan Ave., on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 10-11, from 11am to 6pm. Folks'll be on hand to help you search, shop and ship for the holidays.
Or just throw it on the couch. With pillows like these from local crafter Beth Cummings of Diffraction Fiber, you can lie on your city pride. These pillows are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles so they're extra great. So are some of these other ones she'll be selling at the DIY Trunk Show on November 21st.
While demolition preparation continues for nearly all of the Michael Reese campus, the city is considering keeping one Gropius building, the Singer Pavilion.
The Sears Tower is the centerpiece of this magnificent commercial rendering. Enjoy. (P.S. Call it what you will, but I'm sticking with "Sears Tower" for now.)
In Mechanics, Sheila Burt talks with author Kari Lyderson about her new book on the takeover of the Republic Windows and Doors factory by laid off workers and its place in labor rights history.
Whether you're a fashionable diva who occasionally takes a Sunday bike ride for joy, or a professional dame who commutes to work, you'll find the work of Maria and Emily who co-own Po Campo tres magnifique. Beautifully stylish bags for attaching to your bike handlebars or rack and available at a dozen local shops. Designed and manufactured right here in Chicago to help you buy local.
Steppenwolf isn't just a good place to see a show -- it's apparently also a great place to work. The Wall Street Journal named the theater one of this year's Top Small Workplaces. Radio Flyer made the list as well. [via]
Looking to snap up some cheap property? Or maybe just get a glimpse of just how much of a discount nearby units are going for? CondoShark has your answer.
It's hard to believe, but there's a new catch in the parking meter deal: When parking meters are removed or their hours reduced, somebody has to make up for the loss.
Freitag bags are pretty cool, but they're also pretty expensive. Check out Defy bags instead: besides being local, you can customize the flap with whatever you can come up with and send to them as a jpg.
Two Chicago designers will debut their Spring 2010 collections tomorrow at Fashion Week in NYC. Maria Pinto will show at Banchet Flowers from 6-9 pm and Lara Miller's work will appear at King of Greene St at 11 am as part of a two-day event showcasing sustainable fashion.
Say what you will about what the recent Oprahpalooza on Michigan Ave. did to your morning commute, some of the retailers in the area are saying that having Ms. Winfrey on their street worked out well for their bottom line.
Then you may want to consider buying Al Capone's Wisconsin retreat. It has "407 secluded acres with a 37-acre private lake, an eight-car garage and a guard tower."
One of the greatest things about living in a big city like Chicago is that if you've got a niche interest, there's probably a store for you. Such as Robot City Workshop, your source for anything and everything robot.
A new study from researchers at UIC and elsewhere confirms that, among other problems, 25% of workers earn below minimum wage, 70% don't get the meal breaks they should, and half of bosses illegally retaliate when complaints are made.
Speaking of shopping, if you're thinking about spending time on Michigan Avenue from Wacker Drive to Ohio Street anytime between Monday and Wednesday morning, the street will be closed to vehicular traffic in order to tape Oprah's new season kickoff. If you want to get in on the O action, the show will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday and will be free and open to all. You can scope out the best seats ahead of time by reviewing this map [pdf] of the event.
Midwest Generation, LLC, the Edison International subsidiary that runs the Fisk and Crawford coal-burning power plants on the South Side (and four others in Illinois), is being sued by the state and U.S. EPA for allegedly upgrading systems without meeting current Clean Air Act controls.
Daley's estimate of that the Olympics will provide $22.5 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits to the Chicago region is being greeted with signifiant skepticism.
No Manches is a t-shirt company specializing in designs with cultural relevance to Latin Americans -- but I think just about Chicagoan can get behind this shirt.
Want to get to know the Near North a bit better? The Local Tourist is hosting a meet & greet on Sept. 1, and you're invited. Pay a little extra for the swag bag and help out two great causes.
The Spire is drilling its way back into the headlines with a new lawsuit brought by Bank of America against Shelbourne Development for its failure to repay $4.9 million.
"O'Hare Staging Area #10," by Dmitry Samarov, is the first in a series of five works to be featured during Chicago Week, a collaboration between GB and Wall Blank. Each print will be available for one week through Wall Blank, with 10% of the proceeds benefiting Chicago Artists' Coalition. Check A/C every day this week for a new piece by and interview with a Chicago artist.
The Fineprint has some neat t-shirts for showing Chicago pride. Case in point: this shirt featuring a takeoff of Harold's Chicken Shack's famous "dude chasing after a chicken with a meat cleaver" logo. [via]
As a stroll down any major street will tell you, Chicago is "heavily overbanked." Fortunately, that probably means we won't be getting many more banks anytime soon. Oh, and there's a bonus unrelated article at the end of the piece too.
The latest version of the Ford Taurus has workers at a South Side auto plant keeping their fingers crossed that it becomes a hit. If it's a success with the public, it could mean more jobs at the Torrance Ave. factory.
If you run a small business, you might want to give yourself a long lunch and visit the City Treasurer's Small Business Expo today. It's free, and runs till 3:30.
When the weather forecast is too vague, institutions from the city to universities are calling on private meteorologists to take some of the uncertainty out of the day.
The Illinois minimum wage will inch up 25¢ tomorrow to $8, 75¢ more than the new national minimum wage that goes into effect in July. For full-time minimum wage employees, that means an additional $520 a year in earnings.
Chicago is really making a name for itself in financial fraud. Last year there was Wextrust, and these days we have the Webio scandal and a recently exposed $300M ponzi scheme at one Lake Shore Asset Management. If this keeps up it may even rival our sterling political record.
After failing to sell the former main post office over the Eisenhower, the U.S. Postal Service is auctioning it off. The suggested opening bid is $300,000, although there is no minimum. That's right, you can potentially own 2.5 million-square-feet of historic space for a little more than Chicago's median home price.
Launched today, RIPT Apparel is a Chicago-based t-shirt retailer selling one-of-a-kind shirts designed by a community of artists. The beauty is that a single design is sold over a 24-hour period only; it is then retired, replaced and the cycle repeats.
Speaking of pizza (see below), the Pizza Executive Summit '09 is currently taking place here in Chicago. With a name like that, it sounds ominous...ominously delicious.
Iconic international football (soccer) franchise Manchester United has tabbed Chicago-based insurance company Aon as their new principal sponsor. Let's hope there's no curse associated with the honor, considering the fate that befell their old sponsor, a little company called AIG.
A deserted Sears parking lot on the West Side has become a training ground for Chicago's next generation of entrepreneurs. Their stock in trade: honey-producing beehives.
Well-loved vinyl toy, clothing and sneaker boutique and art gallery A.Okay Official will be open for the last time this Saturday. Come by for DJs, refreshments, and a blowout sale.
Besides providing crazy-cool t-shirts, Chicago's Threadless evidently also provides a killer place to work. TravelChannel.com named Threadless an "extreme workplace," citing their 25,000-square-foot warehouse and production space where employees play Wii, bring it in intense ping-pong championships, and even rock out on an indoor skate ramp. Chicago photo blogger Joe M500 is interviewed about his recent photographic journey of the warehouse (and confirms its coolness) here.
CouponTweet, a site by former GB officemates PerkSpot, went into public beta yesterday, allowing you to search for coupon codes and special offers in the Twitter stream.
If you were to guess what the the CEO of Caterpillar might want from the federal government, where do you think more construction funding would rank on the list?
Toghaus, maker of CTA stop t-shirts, is closing up shop May 2. Get your Damen stop hoodie now! (You can still get an El Boton button to go with it, for now.) You might also be interested in That's My Stop's shirt designs.
Target is opening a "Bullseye Bazaar" pop-up store in the Tribune Tower space previously occupied by the McCormick Freedom Museum. The store will only be open May 7-9, and will feature products from designers that will be appearing in Target nationwide later in the year.
When the soaring Blackhawks hit the ice tonight in the third game of their best-of-seven playoff series against Calgary, it'll be one more boost to their ever-growing fan base. Crain's Chicago Business' Ed Sherman explains.
Chicago has decided to not offer another extension to the group that was planning to lease Midway Airport for $2.5 billion, the consequence being the plan will not come to fruition.
This Saturday, keep a keen eye open for these adorable bunny boxes from Chicago t-shirt shop Threadless. They'll be placed in random locations and they're filled with something better than chocolate: gift certificates!
Those possibly questionable (but somewhat intriguing?) Barack Obama-head Chia Pets have been pulled from the shelves of local Walgreens stores after a "few complaints", despite the "nervous" customer surveying done by the company's owner. Bam! Instant collectors items.
A new report from Brookings demonstrates that the Chicago metropolitan area has the second highest decentralization of jobs in the U.S., with 68.7% of all jobs located more than ten miles from the central business district. Only Detroit is ahead of us, with a whopping 77.4%.
From Morton Salt's beginnings in 1848, the company has always been headquartered in Chicago. Hopefully that will still be the case as its acquisition by the German K+S Group is finalized.
If you missed it this weekend, it's worth listening to the most recent episode of This American Life, which offers "scenes from a recession" and includes a look at the limbo some Rogers Park condo owners are in, with half their building in foreclosure and the developer nowhere to be found.
A major financier of the redevelopment of the largest "open" land in the city, the former U.S. Steel South Works, has dropped out of the plan. To give you a sense of scale of the project, the other partners are continuing preparations to build "17,000 housing units, a million square feet of retail space and a 1,500-slip marina on the site."
The Sun-Times is on the shortlist of newspapers that Time has predicted will either fold or go digital in the near future. Sun-Times tweets that they "don't buy it."
Can My Boss Do That?, a new website from Interfaith Workers Justice, answers the question with resources and information regarding hiring and firing practices, health insurance and other benefits, safety regulations and more.
According to this somewhat confusing graph, Chicago is the world's third most innovative hub, behind only Silicon Valley and Tokyo, in terms of the number diversity of separate companies developing new patents. [via]
Serious Materials' purchase of the Republic Windows factory has been approved. The agreement will allow at least some of the workers to retain their jobs, with a plan in place to bring others back as "production demand increases."
Where I've Been is a new site that allows you to track and share your travels on a variety of social networks. They're hosting a Facebook Developers Garage tonight if you're interested.
Table Fifty-Two has been swamped with reservation requests since word leaked about the Obamas' Valentine's Day dinner there. As of Monday afternoon, Saturdays were booked through the end of March. I wonder if they'd have the same effect at any restaurant they visited...
What happens when you get a dozen fabulous female cyclists together in Chicago, introduce some introspection and give one of them a camera? The Thought You Knew Us Pinup Calendar, of course. Twelve Chicago cyclists, ranging from road warriors to bike messengers to everyday saddle lovers got together to explore public perception of women cyclists and to raise money for the Chicago Women's Health Center which keeps many of them on the road. Learn more, including where you can get your own here.
The Trib's Mark Caro raises questions for Chicago radio stations, particularly Clear Channel's KISS FM, regarding whether or not they should play Chris Brown songs following the singer's domestic violence arrest.
Chicago-based video game developer Midway Games filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today after a nearly five-year battle with their finances. The Mortal Kombat creator recently laid off 25% of their local workforce in an unsuccessful attempt to stay afloat.
The New York Times takes a look at the involvement and influence of Chicago boutique owner Ikram Goldman's in the sartorial choices of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Yep, those new dolls from Ty that were coincidentally named after the two kids in the First Family were taken out of circulation after the company received complains about their using the Obama daughters' names. Of course, it could have been just another coincidence that the complaint came just as they were retiring the dolls....
If you have a small business or are thinking of opening one, the Jane Adams Hull House is offering 3 different programs in February that you maybe interested in attending. And because they care about you, the programs are free.
Uptown Update, the highly popular blog that has become a thorn in the side of Ald. Helen Shiller, particularly over the fate of the Wilson Yard Project, has been brought into that case by the attorney for the yard's developer, Peter Holsten. The attorney is subpoening records from Google about the ownership of that blog and another (apparently defunct blog) called "What The Helen".
Horse.com (which should probably know about these things) reports that the unique Noble Horse Stable might be closing its doors after 138 (yes, 138) years of operation. The facility, which in addition to providing downtown carriage rides also houses a horse-themed theater, is a victim of too much competition, says the owner.
Chicago real estate firm The John Buck Company may soon add Boston's Hancock Tower to its portfolio, which includes a good chunk of the Chicago region.
OK, how about some news that's NOT about the goings-on in Washington, D.C.? WaMu is set to close 57 Chicago-area bank branches. On second thought, that probably does have a lot to do with Washington, D.C.
Need a little extra help? Chicago Anytime Assistants can give a hand by picking up laundry, waiting for the cable guy, do a little shopping, whatever. As a special to GB readers, they're offering your first hour of service for free -- just mention you saw it on Gapers Block.*
*Of course, it goes without saying, don't abuse this deal. Offer may be canceled at any time, without notice. GB is not responsible, yadda yadda, etc., etc.
The Post Family and One Design have opened a coworking space called COOP, appropriately enough. If a full-on office is too much, though, you might also be interested in Jelly.
Bernard Madoff's $50 billion fraud is having a trickle-down effect in Chicago: Many Palm Beach millionaires have been forced to sell their jewelry, so they've turned to House of Kahn Estate Jewelers for assistance. Some of the pieces have found their way to House of Kahn's Chicago location, where you might be able to purchase them at a 50-60% discount. Of course, in the world of high-end jewelry, that means they're now priced anywhere from $20,000-$100,000.
A bankruptcy judge denied a motion by creditors of Reader publisher Creative Loafing to take control of the company, despite a creditor's statement that CL "is really way under water." Yikes.
Like zombies from a George Romero movie, the good people at Wal-Mart keep coming back. They're going to try one more time to open their second store in Chicago.
This weekend Facets Multimedia is having another one of its periodic video sales, where it sells off rare and out-of-print titles on VHS and DVD. A perfect opportunity to do your holiday shopping for all the cinephiles on your list! Details in Slowdown.
The AP and Bloomberg are reporting that Bank of America has agreed to offer Republic Windows & Doors additional credit to pay its workers, now in their fifth day of sit-in. Of course, it won't matter if Republic doesn't take the offer.
April Reed Cake Design is selling a gingerbread version of Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House. The original, located in Plano, Illinois, was sold to local preservationists in December 2003 for $7.5 million. This edible treat sells for $4,320 - 15% of proceeds pays for repairs to the real house. [via]
Christie Hefner, chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., will be stepping down in 2009. Update: Hefner spoke to the Tribune about her decision to leave Playboy. Read the interview here.
Stumped on what to get that hypochondriac on your Christmas list? How about a giant, plush microbe, created by University of Chicago law school grad Drew Oliver. Choose from The Common Cold, E. coli or Black Death. Hours of fun...
Reason To Give has the perfect solution for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list. The Chicago nonprofit's new webstore offers an innovative alternative to traditional holiday gift exchange and a sweet chance to help out the Humboldt Park community. It's like Extreme Makeover Home Edition meets Amazon.com!
Still haven't figured out what to dress up as for that costume party this weekend? Here are a couple last-minute resources:
• Hit one of Chicago Costume's locations for an off-the-shelf "sexy ___" outfit.
• Hit Clark & Belmont and troll through Ragstock, Hollywood Mirror and the like for something zany.
• Try places like American Science & Surplus or Uncle Fun for random bits and pieces.
• Fantasy Costumes in Jefferson Park is open 24 hours through Halloween for your absolute-last-minute shopping needs.
Actually, MillerCoors time, the mash-up of two of the biggest brewers in the country. The company has tabbed downtown Chicago as the site of its new headquarters.
Fashion blog Mrs. O is all about what Michelle Obama has been wearing on the campaign trail. Mrs. O finally visited Chicago to do some more digging, and had nothing but lovelythings to say about the city's fashionable finds.
Sorry, that's the punchline to a bad lawyer joke. But the reality is that two Chicago law firms have laid off a significant number of their staff, a result of the current economic crunch.
The Sun-Times reports on the store's implementation of "My Macy's", which aims to reach out to Chicago shoppers by localizing store design and merchandising. Changes to be implemented include the expansion of offerings from local designers. "Macy's and other retailers are struggling to attract shoppers in what is expected to be worst holiday retail season in six or seven years."
Walgreens has removed one set of political toys familiar to the drug store's customers. I suppose the "Property of Barack Obama" sweatshirt and oversized "Obamaniac" buttons will need to find new places to hang.
If the Fuel question for today has gotten you thinking about your lunchtime eating options, consider that Potbelly has unveiled a new sandwich to complete with the piled-high-with-meat options at Quizno's and Subway.
Mr. Clean actor House Peters died recently at the age of 92. In case you didn't know, Mr. Clean was created here in Chicago by Harry Barnhart and Ernie Allen at the Tatham-Laird & Kudner ad agency. The hairless, obsessive compulsive, controversial, and sexually ambiguous corporate mascot's first name is Veritably, by the way, and he's known as Mr. Proper in England and Don Limpio in Spain. There you go: more than you ever wanted to know about Mr. Clean.
Want to show some love to your favorite El stop (and if you have favorite El stop that might be a sign of something altogether different)? The CTA unveils its new online gift shop with items featuring various city stations. And who doesn't need a train system shower curtain?
Cameesa has a lot in common with Threadless: it's based in Chicago, makes user-submitted designer t-shirts and all web2.0-y. The difference is, Cameesa's shirts only get printed if they're pre-sold above a certain threshold within 31 days.
Well this should make Ben Joravsky happy. Due to lack of support from the governor we all love to hate, Daley and friends have decided to shut down the central loop TIF only a year and a half after its original expiration date. So we can actually see where some of our money is going? Amazing.
Something called the U.S. Chocolate Academy, created by the Barry Callebaut company, is coming to Chicago. It's the first one in the US.; the other is in Russia. Sweet.
Open Produce, a produce store opening in Hyde Park tomorrow, is modeled after the open source movement. As such, the owners will disclose price mark-ups, wages and other information typically kept out of the public sphere. Read about their travails testing for lead paint, visiting their wholesaler and other start-up business chaos on their blog.
Organic food may be all the rage these days, but according to the Chicago Reporter, the pesticide-free food is hard to come by in minority communities, for various reasons.
With the temps dropping, I've been itching to start knitting again. If you find yourself with the urge, but no supplies, try calling on Knit Map to locate the LYS (local yarn store) nearest you. It's especially handy when you're stuck somewhere unfamiliar (suburbs) and you need some yarn distraction (awkward family gathering). There's even an iPhone version.
An enterprising Chicagoan realized the Kentucky sales tax on a pack of cigarettes is 30 cents, while the Chicago tax is $3.66 and the New York tax is $4.25. Unfortunately for him, taking advantage of that difference isn't legal.
If you're so green, you don't even use paper made from trees, than you're either carving grocery lists on stones, or you're using Ultra Green Film made right here in Chicago.
Fans of adult toys (no, not those kind) will be geeked to find out that Kidrobot is opening its first-ever Chicago-based pirate store here next month. The purveyor of vinyl art toys and apparel will open the store in Wicker Park from October 4 through December.
As The Mighty Starbucks Empire begins a withdrawal of sorts, closing 600 outlets including 18 in Chicago, stalwart Dunkin' Donuts is moving in to fill the gap with plans for four drive-thrus in locations previously earmaked for Starbucks.
Thinking about sprucing up your home? You might consider going more eco-conscious with your choices. Greenmaker Supply Company is a great resource for low-VOC paint, recycled building products and more. Or, if you've got the budget, you might get in touch with Green Home Chicago for the full design treatment. The Center for Green Technology is another good resource.
Jam Productions has acquired the long-shuttered Uptown Theater for $3.2 mil in a foreclosure sale, as reported by Crain's. (Thanks to Uptown Update for the tip.)
Deal hunters, start your browsing! The Waldenbooks at 900 N. Michigan Ave. is closing as of this Friday, 7/25 and its entire stock is 40% off (bargain books are 75% off). Now you can get that oversized book about Peru for mere pennies!
It's no CHI-TONW, but Jade Dragon's done it again, this time misspelling "tomorrow" on a customer. The tattoo artist insists the word was misspelled by the client. A trial will sort it all out.
The new beer giant MillerCoors has decided to call Chicago home.
According to the Sun-Times, the company has considered a number of
downtown locations for its headquarters, including the Sun-Times’
home at 350 N. Orleans. The deal may have also been brokered with
substantial tax incentives from Gov. Blagojevich.
We're not the only ones who stand to benefit economically from getting the nod for the 2016 Olympics. According to a report, the cities surrounding Chicago might get to stand on the winner's platform too.
The Cusp Conference looks promising, but save your pennies or get your boss to pay for it: full price tickets are $1500 'til July 31, $1750 thereafter for the Sept. 10-11 conference.
Possibly one of the best business names ever. Without a Trace will miraculously mend cigarette burns, small rips, holes from moths, etc. in your favorite garments that you just can't bear to discard. Their Before and After Gallery is quite impresive.
Sam and Willy's, the pet boutique near the currently closed Paulina Brown Line stop, celebrates its 5th anniversary with a special Cinco de Sam & Willy's discount shopping evening. Tonight from 6:00 to 9:00 you can get money off of your non-food item purchases ($25 off every $100 spent). If you can't make it this evening, there'll be discounts and specials at the store all this weekend. So stop by and get your pet a treat!
Got an idea for a tech startup? You've got till Friday to apply for IL-Celerate, a 12-week program to get you up and running. You don't even need a business plan.
The State's bid to buy Wrigley Field from the Tribune failed to make it out of the infield in a clash over how to finance the deal. Does this open the door for Mark Cuban to buy the team and stadium lock, stock and barrel?
Well, it really began on Saturday, but if you're a Monday-Friday commuter, now's your time to shine. Get information about bicycle commuter stations and events at the Chicago Bicycle Federation's website.
Business Week TV profiles Optimo Hats, the company behind the hats Tom Hanks wore in Road to Perdition and Johnny Depp is wearing in that movie we're all aware is filming in Chicago.
Leo J. Shapiro, who holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Chicago, has started WhoSpends.com as a way to support or debunk many of the purchasing myths that reside in popular media when talking about spending habits. He has more economy predictions available at 8Sages.com as well.
Hip Spanish clothing store Zara is finally coming to the Chicago area (Old Orchard to be exact). It also plans to open locations on North Michigan Ave. in Block 37, areas where its main rival, H&M, already has stores.
The Oprah Store has opened in West Town. Buy all her favorite things. Wear her cast-off clothing. Pretend a studio audience is with you at all times. It's healthy.
Nau, the environmentally conscious clothing company with an outpost on Halsted, is closing due to limited investment capital. Head by the store today to say "goodbye" and receive 50% off of all merchandise.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Mars, Inc. (makers of Snickers and M&Ms) and Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett's company) have made a $22 billion bid for the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (If only we could get them to buy the Cubs along with it.)
Carfree Chicago has launched a new line of L Stop buttons for fashionistas who are interested in displaying neighborhood pride, support for public transit, or both. The buttons' bright, bold colors are perfect for springtime.
No idea how this slipped by our notice, but today is Record Store Day. And with the plethora of great indie record stores in this fine city, you can put down the iTunes gift card for just one day and go crate-digging.
When it becomes official, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange'sdeal to buy Nymex (the New York energy exchange) for $9.4 billion will make the Merc the the largest financial exchange in the world, according to the Financial Times.
Just in time for Earth Day and Arbor Day, local sustainability company Live It Green, LLC has gotten Gerber Bars to offer the Treetini -- a martini for the environmentally conscious -- during the month of April at Whiskey Blue, Whiskey Sky bars and Mexx Kitchen at the Whiskey. Every Treetini sold results in a tree planted in India.
Starting on April 22, Earth Day, one will be able to purchase organic Frango mints at 70 Macy's locations, as well as online. Bonus: the Trib apparently believes the news to be so big it printed the last paragraph twice.
Two Northbrook men are among seven arrested in a bust of counterfeit art rings that sold thousands of counterfeit pieces to art buyers around the world.
Those ubiquitous Sonic hamburger commericals may finally have some relevance to the Chicago area when the company opens their first regional outlet in Aurora. All of which mean the two guys in the commercials, Chicago improv giants TJ Jagodowski and Peter Grosz, may finally be able to purchase some of the food they've been shilling.
Given that the Chicago Spire is a speculative building, there's the question of how to raise the funds. Apparently one way is to host exhibitions in a variety of cities, such as Dublin, Hong Kong and Singapore, about which this release was written.
Outdoor apparel giant L.L.Bean is moving to the Midwest region and has picked the Chicago area (actually Barrington) as the site of its first area store. The clothing will be perfect for hiking the local mountains: Mount Prospect, Mount Greenwood...
... Not "Caffeine-Free." With Starbucks shutting down all of its stores nationwide for three hours today due to a staff training sesh, Dunkin' Donuts is offering Chicagoans small lattes, cappuccinos and espressos for free between 1-10 p.m. Drink up!
What do you get your dog-owner friend who has everything, including a tendency to get lost? This tote bag for carrying dog toys, dog treats, and doggie bags to the dog park.
Looking for some new furniture? Want something cool, not too expensive, environmentally friendly? Do you want your money to benefit families in need instead of corporate execs in greed? Then head to Carol Stream on Fridays or Saturdays to visit Jubilee Furniture Company. They sell used furniture to raise money to support Outreach Community Ministries. And unlike many used furniture stores, they've got some wicked, cool stuff. Thanks,
From the creators of Midwest-born Formula Werks comes Freshly Dipped, a site where you can find local art, wearables, and more. Right now, you'll find stuff for sale from local street artists Artillery, The Grocer and more.
You read that right. The evil grip of T-Mobile will be broken this Spring. Starbucks says it will start giving customers who buy stuff with a Starbucks purchase card two hours of free wireless access per day. Executives at Panera must be crying in the bread bowls right about now.
Through Feb. 29, recycled fashion hot-spot Buffalo Exchange offers a $5 discount off your next purchase of $20 or more at its Wicker Park (1478 N. Milwaukee) and Lakeview (2875 N. Broadway) locations. Stock up on those vintage threads.
The legendary Swap-o-Rama-Rama -- part swap meet, part political statement, part DIY Project Runway -- finally hies itself to Chicago on March 29 at the AV-aerie, 2000 W. Fulton. Bring $20 and a bag of your cast-off clothes, linens, and other goodies, then raid other people's stuff and gussy it up with the sewing machines, silkscreens, and other supplies on the premises. There will also be workshops and a fashion show. What is Swap-o-Rama-Rama, you ask? Watch this.
Sex toy boutique owner Searah Deysach comes clean: She was a grad school dropout. Now she pulls in nearly $500,000 a year in total sales from her business, Early To Bed. There is a lesson in there for all of us.
Starting April 22 (that's Earth Day), Whole Foods storeswill no longer give you the plastic bag option with your groceries. They'll still provide free paper bags, and you can purchase a cloth one from them for $.99, or, of course, you can byob (that's Bring Your Own Bag) from home.
That hot game you've been looking for? Chicago-based Dawdle can help you find it. It'll also help find that obscure Activision cartridge you remember playing in 1983.
Two long years after the CTA tore down Belmont Army Surplus, the store has finally reopened in a shiny new building down the block. If you've been saving up for a new Ben Sherman, big stompy boots or a secondhand German military rain poncho, head on over to the new four-floor store at 855 W. Belmont.
Roscoe Village's Hard Boiled Records and Video is dropping the "and video" part of its name to make room for more vinyl. All DVDs are priced to move, which means tons of last-minute holiday gifts for your loved ones who love indie films, foreign flicks, obscure TV series, and super-bloody Asian cinema. Nothing says Christmas cheer like Hong Kong action!
The New York Times ran an article about the popular DIY-crafting movement and mentioned the Chicago folks behind Circa Ceramics as a shining example of DIY-style success. There's still time to Pledge Handmade and buy gifts from them or one of the other Etsy sellers in Chicago.
The St. Lucia Festival of Lights procession will highlight the "Late-er Night Andersonville" celebration Thursday, Dec. 13, beginning at 3pm. In addition to the carole-filled walk down the Clark Street, there will be live music, tours and gift-wrapping demonstrations. There's also PDF schedule and a coupon you can print and clip for store discounts.
Local bedding designers Robert Segal and Alicia Rosauer, a.k.a. Unison, are in the latest edition of the uber-hip fashion/culture mag Metropop. Their graphics-heavy linens are reminiscent of Marimekko, where they used to design. Get them online or at CB2 stores.
Dread the thought of giving another George Foreman Grill this Christmas? Hit the ninth annual Bucktown Holiday Art Show to buy one-of-a-kind gifts and original art for the folks on your list... or yourself. The event takes places this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8 and 9, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Holstein Park Fieldhouse, 2200 N. Oakley Ave.
Andersonville shopping just got a little more indie. The Andersonville Galleria puts a bunch of micro-retailers under one roof, each with its own stall.
Having trouble buying that Christmas gift online this morning (when you should be working)? Get in line... literally. A study shows that many major retailers are having trouble handing the traffic coming to their websites by holiday slackers trying to avoid the malls.
I admit to having a huge soft spot in my heart for groups and organizations that work to empower groups that are traditionally underrepresented in positions of power. Since Chicago has the third largest Latino population in the country, you'd think we'd have more Latinos in positions of power. To help make that happen, the Metropolitan Leadership Institute was created to provide the skills necessary for taking charge of the business, political, or entrepreneurial worlds. Any group that can get a closed door, anything goes session with Mayor Daley is all right in my book.
The DIY Trunk Show, now in its fifth year, will play host to over 70 vendors of handmade goods and items. Gapers Block will be there up on the stage at Pulaski Park Auditorium, so feel free to stop by and say hello. We may even have some other goods on hand aside from the usual in the GB Shop.
Nina, a yarn shop in Wicker Park, is celebrating it's third anniversary with a store-wide sale. If you've got your holiday knitting hat on, and get inspired by what you see at the DIY Trunk Show this weekend, head to Nina for 20 percent off everything in the store 11/17-11/18. Plus, there'll be prizes. And snacks. (Who doesn't like snacks?)
Congratulations are in order for Genevieve Thiers, founder of Chicago based Sittercity.com. The company, which allows parents and pet owners to research and hire sitters, won first place in the UPS Best "Out-of-the-Box" Small Business Contest.
Chicago Business posted a
video profile of the Threadlessretail store
and included a mention of its "loose plan" to have stores in at least 11 cities by 2009.
Nau, the outdoor atelier whose clothes are eco-friendly is hosting a Film & Fashion Night in the South Loop on Tuesday, November 7th from 8pm to midnight. There's going to be BMX Ballet, food and drink (first drink free or so we hear) and other festivities. Learn about sustainable economy! It's free if you download, print and bring this ticket. More details in Slowdown.
Hard Boiled Records turns 11 years old on 11/1/07. So for the next 11 days everything in the store is 11% off the sticker price. Treat yourself to some discounted records, CDs, DVDs, comics, and zines at 2010 W. Roscoe in beautiful Roscoe Village.
When Threadless built their store, they did it the same way they developed their website -- they winged it. Crain's Entrepreneurs in Action feature covers the store and the company's plans for expansion.
Fashion Focus Chicago kicks off today and features a slew of events, including runway shows, shopping tours, free business development seminars for local designers, and fashion-oriented exhibits throughout the week. Click here for a complete schedule.
Noon Solar makes bags and purses with solar panels built in to charge your cellphone, ipod or whatever -- very cool. It's one of a couple companies mentioned in this article on the increasing number of women in DePaul's Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. [via]
Local software startup Humanized released a set of beta products yesterday. Beta products are small, free apps for Windows that do things like control your music player without actually looking at it, or perform search, language translation or mathematical typesetting wherever you need it.
Do you spend a lot of time scouring calendars looking to see which stores are having trunk shows and sales? Are you likely to plan a shopping day in Chicago? Then you just might be interested in Chicago Destination Shopping Club. After you become a member you can choose to either follow your favorite shops, or find out what is going on during any given day for you, your girlfriend, your bored male companion, or your antsy children in one of a handful of neighborhoods.
Apple's new iPod releases include an interesting partnership with Starbucks that will hit Chicago in March 2008. When you walk into a megalocoffee shop, you'll be able to see information about each song that's playing in the store as it plays and, of course, buy it and other iTunes songs. If you're interested in more information about the program, most pages on Apple's site currently list the wrong URL, so go here instead.
Hey, score some brownie points at work and tell your boss that you want to attend the Blog Business Summit in Chicago this September 17-19. Check out the complete schedule for more info.
Batavia's doing well in IKEA's Small Businesses, Big Dreams contest, in which cities compete for having up to ten small businesses remodeled by the company. Check out their entry, vote for them and help them do even better.
The Threadless store is FINALLY opening on September 14. To celebrate, the Chicago-based t-shirt concern will also be throwing a party at Metro featuring Hey Mercedes, White Hot Knife, DJ Mother Hubbard and more. To get show tix, stop by the Threadless store starting September 10. More details in Transmission.
The Cubs are for sale, and Ernie Banks wants in. Mr. Cub made an offer last year, before the Cubbies were available, and has talked to three of the investment teams getting ready to bid.
A new Whole Foods store is scheduled to open today at the corner of Addison and Halsted, in the Center on Halsted building, which is a community center for GLBT persons. According to an article in the Tribune, the Center is happy to have Whole Foods as a tenant, as it will not only act as a grocery store, but will also serve as a vehicle for promoting the Center's activities. Sounds warm and fuzzy, right?
The article went creepy on me, however, when it started talking about how "mainstream corporate America is increasing its efforts to woo gay and lesbian consumers," and cited heaps of statistics and anecdotes about how placing a business in the GLBT community can be a gold mine. Positive attention for the new store also comes at a good time for Whole Foods, given their (anti-Union) CEO's internet adventures, which have gotten the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Monitoring corporate press releases so you don't have to: The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and the National Basketball Association today announced a relationship that makes Wrigley's brands, Big Red, Juicy Fruit, Winterfresh, Doublemint and Wrigley's Spearmint the "Official Chewing Gum(s) of the NBA." Best quote: "'For years chewing Wrigley's has been as commonplace among NBA players as much as the crossover dribble,' said Mark Tatum, NBA Senior Vice President of Marketing Partnerships."
This Op-Ed piece in the Sun-Times makes a good argument for a quick resolution to the public trans funding debate, pointing out that a good rail system is important for any city's, and by default the state's, economy, a realization already come to in other global financial centers.
Once you're done poking around in Architectural Artifacts, head over to Urban Remains, which specializes in salvaged items from the turn of the century to the 1930s, primarily in Chicagoland. (Photography fans should check out this page.)
Accounting fraud is nothing new. I mean everyone knows its soooo turn of the millennium. Still this instance of a misrepresented hedge fund is notable for two reasons. One, the shear dollar amount missing, half a billion bucks, and two, the fund is run by the former chairman of the Merc.
Jack Flash, singer-guitarist for the local band Bang! Bang!, has been wearing thrift-store ties cut into lightning bolts for some time -- and now you can too. Bang Bang Ties are professionally tailored (not by Flash) and are available online and at Strange Cargo. [via]
If you live in a condo building, you might be interested in CondoPerks, a new service that lets condo association members earn money for the association by shopping online. Help defray that landscaping bill bit by bit!
A billboard for a spa in Glenview diagramming a woman's physical flaws (and their cosmetic solutions) is drawing fire from local women. "I don't want to sound like a chauvinistic pig, but this is a man's world," the spa owner said, refusing to take the ad down.
This Father's Day, give dad something different -- like a comfy Cozy Blanket from Wilmette-based Nice'n Cozy. It makes a great gift for someone with arthritis or physical limitations, a dad recovering from surgery, or an avid reader. (It has handy arm slits so you can cover up and still hang on to books, remotes, beer, whatever.) It also functions as a nice travel blanket -- in place of those "who knows when they were last cleaned" airline blankets.
Onion-esque story on ChicagoBusiness.com re: new resealable bacon packaging from Kraft Foods. Snip: "We listened to people's concerns about traditional bacon packaging and designed the Stay-Fresh Reclosable Tray to help solve those issues," Beth Goeddel, Oscar Mayer senior brand manager, said in a release. "We think our new packaging is the 'best thing since sliced bacon' and are thrilled to provide an innovative and practical solution that sets the standard for bacon product packaging."
The nice people at OutoftheBallpark, an online offering with tons of tips outside the ordinary Wrigleyville joints, are offering tasty discounts from local businesses. Just go to the 'Valuable Discounts' section and check out the tremendous savings at many of your favorite area shops and restaurants, and be sure to sign up to receive coupons, as well as new offers as they become available.
Hubwear has redesigned, and boy does it look good. Time to pick up a new travel t-shirt. (And speaking of t-shirts, Threadless is having another big sale this week.)
Wickes Furnitureopens its first downtown store this morning at 2606 N. Elston, around the corner from Target. Go check out the "urban innovations" furniture displays by WNUA and LITE-FM deejays and other noted hip, fashionable people.
Urban Source, a hip walk-in retail design studio offering fabrics and finishes formerly available only to the trade, is celebrating their two-year anniversary - and you're getting the gifts! Starting May 29, Urban Source will be giving away five free one-hour design consultations. Grab an entry at their showroom starting May 22.
On the heels of the news that the Uptown Borders is looking to bail, the Virgin Megastore on Michigan is also about to shut down. The store will close in July and be replaced by the saucy styles of a really, really big Forever 21.
Man, we were all set to tell you about the awesome Jay Ryan poster that went on sale yesterday over in Coudal.com's Swap Meat, but they sold out before morning. So instead, go check out the equally awesome Brendan Dawes C-prints of 2001: A Space Odyssey and all the other cool stuff.
Chicago Public Radio documents a town with more than 50% of its residents in the United States, many of whom are in Chicago. With the help of a Hometown Club (founded by a Chicago immigrant), for every migrant dollar donated, local, state and federal governments donate a dollar each. In this way, dollars from the United States fund town projects and are hoped to curb out-migration.
The Nettelhorst French Market opens this Saturday, April 28th, from 8am to 2pm.
Go for farm-grown fruits and veggies, flowers so fresh they'll last way into next week, yummy pastries and breads, handmade crafts and other assorted goodies. It's at 3252 N. Broadway (at Melrose) and runs every Saturday through the first week in November.
As reported previously on GB, the fantastic guidebook & travel gear store The Savvy Traveller is losing its lease. This week, signs have appeared in the shop's window that say they're closing up at the end of this month. They're currently selling off their entire stock at deep discounts; today you can get 40% off your purchases, and if you wait until Friday, everything in the store is 50% off. This is your final chance to stop by the corner of Jackson & Michigan to stock up on all your travelling needs, so please stop by, do some shopping and wish them bon voyage!
And onto this new web site: Out of the Ballpark is "the everything that's close to Wrigley Field guide" that boasts info on dining "beyond peanuts," a handy shopping guide for folks who aren't looking just for jerseys and ballcaps, maps and travel guides and more. Great for out-of-towners and locals alike.
The $21 billion sale of LaSalle Bank to Bank of America is a relatively small part of one of the largest financial mergers ever by LaSalle's soon-to-be-former parent company. Global implications, yadda yadda. I'm more concerned with speculating how the deal will affect our civic life: will BoA close some superfluous branches, thereby freeing up some storefronts for businesses that are actually useful and enjoyable? Seriously, Chicago is drowning in bank branches. And what's the fate of the LaSalle Bank Cinema, or the only-christened-last-May LaSalle Bank Theatre? "Bank of America Theatre"? Gross.
Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 for wearing an unsanctioned hat during an NFL event. I wonder how much additional advertising this fine will provide for the brand in question.
The uber-hot outdoor clothing company Nau, which focuses on sustainable and ethical clothing and a new business model as well, is now open in Chicago. Not to mention the fact that their clothes don't look like the neo-hippie earth tones of typical outdoor equipment manufacturers — this stuff can be worn to a club after you're done climbing that rock face. The Chicago retail store (one of four across the country) opened this morning. Where are they? 2118 North Halsted.
From FoGB Jim Coudal: "We need some help with Swap Meat, Jewelboxing and some other projects this summer. We need an intern. We pay interns and we expect a lot from them. If you're the one, [email info@coudal.com] with the phrase "C'est Moi" in the subject line, and send us something to prove it."
The WLUW Record Fair & Other Delights is next weekend, and there are still a couple booths available should you want to unload some of your music -- or posters, crafts, clothes, whatever. Get on it now!
Now that Easter and Passover are almost here, the New York Times offers twofeatures on Chiappetti Lamb and Veal. NOTE: The first link is a TimesSelect article, so if you aren't enrolled in the program, you can either sign up or start a free trial. If you are a student or faculty member with a .edu email address, you can get a full account for free right now.
Now that our hometown airline, United, isn't so far in the red, it's time for all the execs to take their cut. CEO Glenn Tilton got a cool $23.8 million, CFO Jake Brace got $10.4, COO Pete McDonald got $13.2 and so on. The head of the Association of Flight Attendants said that her stews got $40. Each. For the year. It gets complicated when you consider the contracts each party struck with the company, but man! Tilty's got this round.
Bloomberg News is quoting sources close to the Tribune Co. auction as saying Tribune will probably accept the $8 billion takeover offer from native Chicagoan Sam Zell by the end of the week.
Solo Cup officially abandoned its new factory plans and will sell its portion of the former U.S. Steel South Works site. The new owner, Southworks Development LLC will fold the new property into its existing holdings and create a multi-use development. To put the project into context, the development area, including adjoining parkland, is bigger than the Loop.
That huge Borders in Uptown that was supposed to save the neighborhood three years ago by bringing retail and luxury condos to the area? Yeah, it's probably gonna close, along with the one on Clark & Diversey, one on North Ave., and one in Hyde Park. Because once The Man starts losing money, he no longer cares for your precious "community." Or so I've heard.
Are you a crafty business owner looking to learn better ways of doing things? Have you found the better way and you're hoping to find people to listen? The Chicago Craft Mafia would love you to join them at their 2nd Craft Racket, a networking event geared toward small business owners (especially those that are crafty). Details in Slowdown, or course.
The merger of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange may be derailed by a newoffer from Atlanta's Intercontinental Exchange. The good news for Chicago is the Atlanta folks want to come to us, so the city will retain the CBOT, regardless.
Once you've had your fill of green beer (or better yet, beforehand), head over to the Empty Bottle for this month's Handmade Market, where you'll find everything from soaps to jewelry to accessories made of recycled bike tires. Details in Slowdown.
You're probably overwhelmed by articles about Barack Obama by now, but if you're still interested in learning about his local roots, you may want to check out the Hyde Park Herald's special Obama issue. The entire 24-page issue is Obama-centric, including a lengthy article about his wife, Michelle.
Tap.tv, a Burr Ridge-based technology company, has set up a YouTube-esque video jukeboxes at several area bars. To use LiveBar.net, you upload videos to the site, then text a code to the service when you're out at, say John Barleycorn or Moe's Cantina. The jukebox will then switch from whatever random video it was playing to yours, all for free. So far it's almost entirely commercials and "Family Guy" scenes.
With cranes and earth moving equipment working on Block 37, Chicago Magazine has a nice summary of current events. After you read up on the block, view what's going on now from the comfort of your computer.
Feeling not-so down with Cupid? Chicagoist and Apartment Therapy point us to a pop-up store from Altoids in Lincoln Park aiming to provide "the lovesick, lovelorn and Cupid-wary of Chicago ... a sanctuary from all the romantic overtures." Stop in between now and Valentine's Day and get free chocolate-dipped Altoids, coffee and cupcakes from Angel Food Bakery, anti-Valentine's cards and more. Yes, all for free. Open noon to 10pm at 912 W. Armitage Ave.
ZAP!, a company that specializes in designing alternative and fuel-efficient automotive systems, will release its electric XEBRA car at the Chicago Auto Show. Priced at $10,000 with an operating cost of one cent per mile, it could certainly be a high-value commuter car.
Another long-standing Chicago business is closing. This time it's The Savvy Traveller, the Michigan Avenue bookstore and gift shop that specializes in items for travellers. According to signs in the store's window, the business has lost its lease and is closing down after 22 years of business. If you find yourself near the corner of Michigan and Jackson sometime soon, don't forget to stop in for one last browse through the guide books, luggage, neck pillows and travel games.
January is the most popular time to get dumped, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Divorce lawyers and dating services count this period--right after the holidays and before Valentine's Day--as as the busiest time of year, as many find it the right moment to shake an unwanted relationship loose and move on. Among the dating services flooded with applicants at the moment are the Eight on Eight Dinner Club and Gourmet Dating.
Humanized, a local software start-up, just launched their premier product, and did it with a bang: the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg wrote a favorable review of Enso today. If you're on Windows, it's worth checking out. (Disclosure: I'm their PR guy, but I still thinks it's cool. Can't say that about all my clients.)
The Green Exchange, Logan Square's proposed "green merchandise mart" has launched its website. Dedicated towards green living, the site offers building plans, an FAQ and a forum to discuss the building and issues surrounding its development. [Hat tip: Craig]
Those wacky Sun-Times staffers are at it again with this year's monkey stock market picks. As you'd expect, "Mr. Adam Monk," the primate in question, has beaten the major indices for the last four years. After you take in the monkey madness, pull a stock out of a hat and enter their contest for most appreciating stock.
The February issue of Outside magazine (with Shaun White on the cover) has a great article about Portland-based start-up outdoor clothing company Nau, which is about to open stores online and nation-wide this spring (including a Chicago spot). This isn't your standard jacket and ski goggle venture, however.
Not willing to add to the petroleum-based synthetic fibers that are at the core of most outdoor clothing, they've spent millions creating breathable, beautiful and strong fabrics from unusual sources. They've got gorgeous jackets made from recycled soda bottles and silky base layers made from corn (no, really!). Look to buy online at the end of January, or in person at their Chicago store (one of only a four total to open this spring) which is due to open in mid-April in Lincoln Park, at 2118 N. Halsted.
If you're just not finding a card that says it all for you, then why not fill in your own words? Loaded Blanks are a series of cards created by two Chicagoans: cartoonist Ezra Claytan Daniels and punk rocker Heather Kortan and drawn by young cartoonists where you can fill in the speech bubbles for the characters and items depicted on the front and inside.
Themes range from a spelunking Santa to a Hanukkah journey to that one card perfect for the Apocalypse. You can find them at Chicago stores Chicago Comics, Quimby's Books and Women and Children First as well as online.
As their catalog and network of designers and friends increases, so too the public profile of Chicago-based Threadless. On today's "Morning Edition," NPR ran a business profile of the online company's success and popularity.
I miss its old location on Southport, and I wish it still carried more real restaurant china instead of reproductions, but I still love P.O.S.H. Where else in the city can you find a cat butt plateand a vintage Italian army belt?
Now you can shop for Chicago skyline ornaments, calendars and El map neckties from the warm comfort of your computer. Three City of Chicago stores have gone online to bring you Chicago-themed holiday items, apparel, audio and video, and even some relics from the city's past including wares from the Cultural Center, Gallery 37 and the City of Chicago store on Pearson. Proceeds from sales support the Department of Cultural Affairs, free public programming and the programs of Gallery 37.
Seriously! There are a craftload of shows and sales this weekend. So, um, why are you going to the mall? Local First Chicago might be able to tell you exactly why buying local is buying better.
It's that time of year again when our pocket books decrease and our closets get filled with gifts for giving. So, why not this year steer clear of big guys in brand names, and head for the individual artisan, and you can find them all under a single roof at the DEPART-ment. It's one-stop shopping — the crafty way. Items such as clothing, wallets, art and more are for sale, and are displayed on familiar racks and wall-hangings so you can still sift through the mad-holiday rush.
Note to shoppers: this is cash only joint, so put the plastic away this time. If you forget your green, ATMs are located inside the building. Crafty shopping commences Dec. 1st.
Happy Black Friday, "the busiest shopping day of the year." The Tribune and Sun-Times both assure readers that Chicagoans are, believe it or not, out shopping. If you're just waking from a tryptophan coma, you've probably missed out on PS3s and $474 52" HD TVs, so shop smarter, not harder. (You don't even have toleave your desk.)
In a competition over who's on first, KFC and McDonald's Corporation have announced cutbacks in the use of trans fats in their products. KFC has proposed using low linolenic soybean oil in some foods, while their biscuits and mashed potatoes would still contain the stuff. Oak Brook-based McDonald's, which promised in 2002 to remove trans fats from its menu completely, is still in the process of becoming trans-free.
According to Crain's, Lakeview residents are very close to getting a new Dominick's to replace the one that burned down two summers ago. Three floors of condos are proposed to top the store at 3012 N. Broadway. It's a nice idea, but I'd probably still be too lazy to get milk.
If you're looking for that perfect pair of eyeglasses, the dudes at the Lakeview and Bucktown Eye Spy Optical stores can totally hook you up. All this month, Eye Spy is holding exclusive trunk shows for a range of eyewear designers. Check out their site for a complete calendar.
Man, the crew down at Rotofugi are rockin' Chicago with some great upcoming events and artist appearances, including Nathan Jurevicius, MAD, Sket One and more. Check out their site for a full list of dates and times.
This morning, while reading my issue of Time Out Chicago on the 'L', this Critics' Pick item caught my eye. Lover is an adorable and pricey clothing line from Australia, which after months of anticipation has finally hit Chicago, landing at Hejfina. Among other chic brands, the upscale boutique in Wicker Parker carries Les Prairies des Paris--the kind of clothes Audrey Hepburn would wear. By the way, I applaud Steve Johnson, who recently wrote a letter to the Gap demanding they give us our Audrey back.
The Chicago Defender has a nice profile of the Afrocentric Bookstore. First "opened 16 years ago at the back of a beauty supply store" on South Wabash, the independent bookstore is now located on South King Drive near 47th Street in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. As the Defender writes, "Afrocentric Bookstore has all the ingredients to warrant second and third helpings: friendly and knowledgeable staff, a wide selection of books and a desire to help you find what you came looking for."
While the big-box issue may currently be at an impasse, living wage concerns will not soon go away. We've asked your opinion in the past; today, the Wall Street Journal's Econoblog solicits the competing counsel of two experts.
Got some room on your game shelf next to the Chicago Monopoly,the Chicago Bears Monopoly, and the White Sox Monopoly? Then you'll be needing Monopoly: Here and Now Edition, which includes among its contemporary properties to purchase two Chicago landmarks: Wrigley Field ($3 million to purchase, but a mere $260,000 to rent); and O'Hare Airport (the board game designers, in updating the game to the present day, have replaced the original game's railroads with airports). Monopoly: Here and Now, which has on its board the most popular US properties as voted on by Monopoly fans, goes on sale tomorrow.
With global warming getting a lot of press recently, it's interesting to note that Chicago hosts North America's first market for trading contracts for CO2 emissions at the Chicago Climate Exchange.
The Columbia Journalism Review Daily takes the city's mainstream media to task for its "uncritical coverage" of the losses of Field's and Carson's. CJR thinks the press could use a little more healthy skepticism about the evolution of State Street; instead, they say, "the coverage has been strangely uncritical, bordering even on the boosterish." What's more, in the stories about the department stores' handovers, the opposing quotes have come largely from the superannuated. Given the strong opinions proffered here in Fuel and the many younger faces at Saturday's anti-Macy's demonstration, I wonder if the dailies really weren't trying hard enough.
You know your business has made it when you're on CNN. Local t-shirt design competition gurus Jake and Jacob of Skinny Corp and Threadless fame were on Anderson Cooper 360 this week. I bet it was Zach Braff who tipped Cooper about it. [via Coudal]
Local purveyor of cute pickle-and-meat-themed cuddlersMr. Pickles is sponsoring a contest to name two of its characters: the Scurvy Friends. Declaring September as Scurvy Prevention Month, they've got their new calendar ready for download, along with the details for the contest on their website. (Also look for their table at next week's Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park.)
It's not quite that egregious, but reader Mike noticed today that the new Macy's information maps installed inside the erstwhile Marshall Field's show Wabash Street, Washington Avenue and Randolph Avenue. That'll make a Chicagoan used to Wabash Avenue and Washington and Randolph Streets twitch. Not exactly getting off on the right foot, Macy's.
If you want some furniture but would prefer it free from umlauts (ie, IKEA), then you might want to try the Marshall Field's Furniture Outlet at Diversey and Pulaski. They're only open on the weekend, but you have a couple of huge floors to look through their nice stuff that might have a knick or a scratch. And unlike most furniture shopping, you can get it on short notice, not the typical 6-8 weeks most new furniture requires.
If you're concerned about the super nasty chemicals that are typically used for home renovations, you should stop by Chicago's Greenmaker on Pulaski near Fullerton. They offer products for people who are chemically sensitive as well as those wishing to use environmentally-friendly products, such as natural wool carpets, sustainably-harvested wood floors, eco-friendly household cleaners and much more. (We purchased a corn-based paint stripper and loved it.)
If you're the owner of a small business, crafty or not, who has been looking to meet other small business owners to share advice, information, and commiseration, but you don't like stuffy and boring networking events, the mafia is on your side. The Chicago Craft Mafia that is. The Craft Racket premiers Wednesday August 30th at Uncommon Ground with the hopes of uniting all those crafty business owners in-the-know with all those folks who need-to-know. It's a free event and more info is in Slowdown.
Love to shop? Feeling generous? The Lupus Foundation of America, Illinois Chapter (LFAI) and Bloomingdale's are teaming up to raise some cash. Purchase $10 tickets to The Shopping Benefit, and LFAI gets every penny; turn your ticket in at one of Bloomingdale's four Chicagoland locations on August 30 and the store will donate an additional $5 to the cause.
Using "White Hen" as a convenience store reference won't be a Chicagoism much longer. So speculates the Tribune, anyway. After all that effort to rebrand by removing "Pantry" from their signage, franchisees look to replace the chain's name altogether with that of its new owner, 7-Eleven.
Apparently Marshall Field's loyalists are disgruntled over the current transition from Fields to Macy's already taking place at the flagship store at 111 State Street. An article in today's Sun-Times discusses the skeptical response to Macy's merchandise, now rolling into the store. Commentary, in which Macy's clothing is criticized as "tacky" and "geared towards a younger crowd," is finding a voice in a blog, created by fans of the 138-year-old establishment. In an effort to retain the Marshall Field's customer base, Macy's is constructing a Frango kitchen (where you can view Frango chocolates being hand-dipped) on the 7th floor next to the Frango cafe, and they are also building a private entranceway for the exclusive women's couture 28 shop. The official switchover, in which the Marshall Field's name will bite the dust forever, is to be completed on September 9.
This year, the Magnificent Mile seems to be getting made over into a High-Tech Alley. Following the lead of Nokia and Motorola, navigational gear group Garmin has announced plans for a Michigan Avenue flagship, its first foray into retail. Conveniently, or perhaps temptingly, the store should be open in time for holiday shopping.
Fans of Val's halla Records, the historic Oak Park record store that's been selling all kinds of music for over 30 years, will no doubt be aware that the store has been under threat of closing for the last year. Well, here's some good news: Val's will re-open in a different Oak Park location, and they're moving this weekend. To celebrate the move (and to lighten the load for the movers) Val's is having a huge record sale this weekend: details are in Slowdown. Stop by, pick up some cheap LPs or CDs, and wish Val good luck in the new location.
If you didn't already know Chicago's gaining a reputation for Web2.0 innovation, this week's news should make it clear: 37signals announced yesterday that Jeff Bezos (of Amazon.com fame) has made a personal investment in the company. And on Monday Feedburner (who produces our feeds) announced it had bought blog stats company Blogbeat. (Anyone interested in throwing a little dough our way?)
So, this guy Mark goes to Naperville Toyota to buy a Prius. The salesguy is totally sleazy and sets up a fraudulent financing deal. The deal goes down and Mark drives away, but has second thoughts and tries to return the car. Instead he gets an earful from the dealership and harrassing phone calls -- for four months. There's now a warrant out for the salesman's arrest; read the whole sordid tale (and an update here) at The Consumerist. (Thanks, Brenda!)
Target officials have apparently told south side aldermen that they might cancel plans for three new stores if the city's proposed big-box minimum wage ordinance is passed. Ald. Joe Moore, lead sponsor of the ordinance, called Target's move "bullying tactics." The city council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance on July 26th.
For all of you folk fanatics and alt country fans, new at Quimby's this week is Pioneers of Country Music, a set of 40 trading cards illustrated by R. Crumb. Brief bios on the back of each card give the histories of Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers, Uncle Dan Macon and His Fruit-Jar Drinkers, Al Hopkins and his Buckle Busters and other whimsically named bands. Two earlier series, Early Jazz Greats and Heroes of the Blues, also feature art by R. Crumb.
Now I've seen some cool freaking quilts, and I've seen some awful, awful quilts as well. But I figured it would be a silent day on Halsted before I'd ever see a quilt shop open there. Quiltology, 2625 N. Halsted (between Fullerton and Diversey) is now open. They claim to combine technology and quilting, offer classes for all skill levels, and have great fabrics that are otherwise hard to get. Good-bye knitting on the train? Hello, lap-piecing? Thanks, Carolyn.
July 1 marks the application deadline for the Renegade Craft Fair. Organizers Sue and Kathleen got back recently from their second show in Brooklyn and now they're ready to devote their time to making the Chicago show awesome. They may have gotten the local craft scene kicked in the pants, but they're not the only ones in the game. The DIY Trunk Show is accepting applications through July 15th. The Rockwell Art Crossing is taking applications through June 30th. The Artzilla Craftzuki show at Schuba's on June 3rd was enough of a success that there will be another every month beginning on August 27th. And to give proper credit to the woman who started monthly craft shows, The Handmade Market at The Empty Bottle has been gaining in popularity since last year.
Business Week takes a look at the new Nokia flagship store on Michigan Avenue over the weekend. Probably the coolest thing about it is you can buy any phone totally unlocked, so it can be used with whichever cellular carrier you want. The downside is there's no carrier subsidy, so you're going to pay full price for that 8801. (Incidentally, those interested in Motorola's new Q have but a short walk to check it out.)
Friend of GB, George Aye has just unleashed his latest idea which I find frickin' cool. It's called Hubwear. Hubwear are t-shirts with airport codes printed on them: the front is first part of the trip while the back is your return leg of the journey.
Pabst Blue Ribbon beer (which won five medals at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, wouldn't you know it) is pulling up stakes in San Antonio and moving to suburban Woodridge. Apparently, Illinois is Pabst's largest market (I'd be willing to bet that the intersection of Damen and Division is the eye of that particular storm).
We told you back in February about the chance to get some free copies of those retro Illinois tourism posters, and I hope you listened, cause now you'll have to pay. The folks at EnjoyIllinois.com have opened up a Cafepress store where you can buy images of Jane the T-Rex, the Collinsville catsup bottle, and Metropolis' Superman on mugs, shirts, totes, and (yup) posters. No word on why the car kabob isn't among the ranks, but we've got our fingers crossed. [Thanks, Katherine]
A few weeks ago, the Tribune reported on opposition to proposed ordinances requiring "big box" retailers to pay workers a higher minimum wage ($10/hr, with an additional $3/hr for benefits). Now, according to today's Times, over three-fifths of the City Council has signed on to the idea. If passed -- a vote could come within the month -- Chicago would be the first US municipality to take such a step.
Drunken Bee on the perils of shopping Division Street. (How many thieving transvestites on the prowl for Fred Perry are you going to encounter on Michigan Avenue?)
We told you awhile back that Goose Island was in negotiations with Anheuser Busch; Crain's has an update on the story. Looks like Busch could own 35 percent of Goose Island and would take over distribution.
The Sun-Times reports that September 7 will be the start of a "launch weekend" set to celebrate the renaming of Marshall Field's stores to Macy's. The weekend-long celebration will include loads of activities and events at the State Street store, such as a fashion competition for local designers and "mother-daughter beauty events".
The newest Chicago edition of Lucky Magazine (the one with Tyra on the cover) has a few pages of Chicago stores and designers that they like, but interestingly enough, local card and stationary designers Snow & Graham's new candles series made it into Lucky's broader national picks. Blogger k-fresh also recently picked up on the new line of lovely candles that the local company is putting out. You can find them (eventually) on the duo's website, or in person at stores like Greer Chicago. While you're waiting for a new S&G website to arrive, you can read an interview with them on urbanStyle from 2001.
From the Times: "By wrapping its arms and famous big shoulders around its Latin motto -- Urbs in Horto (City in a Garden) -- Chicago has become a global model for how a metropolis can pursue environmental goals to achieve economic success."
This Thursday, I Have An Idea is hosting its fourth annual Portfolio Night, an opportunity for those who hope to get into the advertising industry to show off their work to top creative folk in the field. Could be your chance of a lifetime, but you gotta pay to play: tickets are $35.
Wish you could trade that heavy BioChem book you never read for something truly valuable like the collected works of Freud or maybe the Pirates of the Caribbean dvd? Thanks to SwapSimple, you can. Started by a couple of local college grads as an attempt to stick it to the publishing man, it's been going and growing online for about a year. The coolest thing is that the recipient of your BioChem book pays for that shipping and you pay for dvd shipping. Rumor has it they're servers at a local restaraunt so the $2 per order charge obviously isn't making them rich, but I bet they'd accept tips.
Somehow we've managed not to write about it, but Yelp. Founded in 2004 in San Francisco, Yelp has been helping Chicagoans find good places to eat and drink for quite a while now. It now covers dentists, hairstylists and other professions, too — all reviewed and rated by regular people.
Since neither Andrew nor Naz has mentioned it, I'll do it for them: they've ventured into buttons. Or botons, as it were. Check out their limited edition tribute to the 'L', and look for more sets in future.
Let's all cross fingers that we can ditch the anoraks, coats, jackets, blazers, sweaters and various other forms of outerwear for at least a few months. It's 78 degrees, and that's cause for celebration. Still, the anonymous female blogger behind Make Love, Not Debt is struggling to find a black shirt that'll meet her Chicago springtime needs (and there are several of them). Ladies, if you've got recommendations, be nice and pass 'em on.
If you've got a blog, be proud and wear it (literally) on your sleeve. Local t-shirt biz Threadless has a snappy new shirt for sale that spells out the word for all to see. They've also recently upped the prize money for their latest contest "Red Cross Loves Threadless" to $2,000. That's quite a lot in diet cokes (oh, and, down the road, money for the Red Cross). Detailsahoy.
In an effort to placate those concerned about Wal-Mart stores being introduced in their neighborhood, the company has declared it feels its opponents' pain. Ours is an area the Wal has struggled to enter; no coincidence, then, that its CEO chose Chicago to announce the "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zones" Initiative, the first zone of which will be on the city's West Side. Lest you think the company's gone soft with altruism, the Times reports that a confidential internal memo blames community criticism for crippling expansion, and Wal-Mart is all about expansion. (Prior coverage in the GB archives.)
After local t-shirt purveyors Threadlessraised over $100,000 to help the Red Cross aid Katrina victims, they made a few friends over there. The Red Cross has now tapped Threadless to sponsor a design competition in honor of their 125th birthday. Design your tee around the themes of Hope, Humanity & Compassion (along with some other very special guidelines) and submit it by April 21. When the winning tees are chosen and sold, Threadless will donate $5 per shirt to the Red Cross.
Did your boyfriend pull a High Fidelity-style break-up and you've got all his records? Sell them at the WLUW Record Fair taking place April 8th and 9th at Pulaski Park Fieldhouse. Or maybe you're a fantastic zine maker, small publisher, poster maker, t-shirt printer, crafter, or general diy maven with something to sell. If so, call Shawn Campbell at WLUW (773-508-8072) ASAP. There are still a few slots open.
After less than six months, Brooklyn-based personalized t-shirt slingers Neighborhoodies has closed its Wicker Park store (its first in Chicago). The cryptic word from the biz is that they've put a "pause on the store" because the "store personnel wasn't being very independent[ly] minded" (whatever that means). But, they're not through with us yet! Keep an eye peeled in the future for "chicago part II".
Oh c'mon, I know you have some formal gowns hanging in the back of your closet that you would *love* to give to The Glass Slipper Project this year. They are collecting donations of dresses, shoes, jewelry and other prom-garb until March 24. Check out this list for donation locations (and also, check out Slowdown).
We told you it might happen in our Top 10 headlines we'd like to see in 2006, and now it's starting to come true. Staples Inc. is adding to its already quite visible Chicago presence, while Itasca-based OfficeMax is having some hard times at keeping its stores open. What will come true next: more funding for public schools? One can only hope.
Knitting is fun, but yarn can be expensive. It's going to be slightly less expensive this weekend at the Knitting Workshop, 2218 N. Lincoln. Their Winter sale is running through Sunday, which means all winter yarns are 40-50% off. Hey, it's not going to get warm for another 3 months, so you may as well stock up and get to it.
Macy's has hired Chicago advertising agency JWT to work on the company's national brand launch. As early as Fall, 350 new Macy's will open in stores acquired from May Co., raising the total number of Macy's in America to over 800. No telling if this love Macy's has thrown towards the city will make Chicagoans not feel like this.
Why wait till the last minute to pick out a gift for your Valentine? Get it done early at the Chicago Craft Mafia's 2nd annual St. Valentine's Day MassCraftsacre. Pick out a one-of-a-kind piece ("It's an original, honey. Just like you.") from 13 different Mafia members and "friends of the family," get some handmade chocolates, and help 826CHI raise some much needed cash — 20% of the proceeds from all sales as well as funds raised in a raffle will be used to finish building "The Boring Store."
V-day is fast approaching, and unless you want to hit the rack at the 7-11 night of, here are just a few local artists and their original Valentines all set for the mailing. Funny? Try Mr. Pickles. Witty? Check Girl Metro. Elegant? Snow & Graham has beautiful blank notes. Shop in person for these and others at local stationers like Greer Chicago, Paper Boy and Fly Paper.
If you've ever wished to get a sneak-peek at what the finest local and national up-and-coming indie designers are making while getting a goodie bag and drinking cocktails at Union Station, then you're in luck. Girls Night Out is coming to Chicago on April 6th. Unique! Tres chic!
For the next week, Daily Candy is marking year's end by revisiting some of its 2005 favorites. As no wrap-up of the year that was would be complete without some mention of Angelina Jolie, today's installment is dedicated to achieving those signature lips. Perfect, perhaps, for that New Year's Eve kiss. (As for Brad, well, you're on your own.)
On the last shopping day before Christmas, the Times looks at the last stand of the nation's regional department stores that'll acquire the Macy's name in the coming year. While disappointment around the country seems largely overshadowed by ambivalence, there's apparently "one notable exception": Marshall Field's.
Know someone who deserves special recognition this holiday season? Send'em a leg lamp — you know, like the one the old man won in A Christmas Story. It's the perfect centerpiece for any large window. And it's made in Naperville.
There's a rumor brewing that Anheuser-Busch is considering taking an ownership stake in Goose Island Brewery. The Trib has the story, with Goose Island president John Hall confirming that the companies are "in talks" but claiming they're about distribution, not acquisition.
In this week before the big X that is X-mas, crowded stores and unimpressive sales abound. Thank goodness for espace at 1205 N. Milwaukee. Today, and for the next six days, espace is holding a 30% off "insane denim sale" which includes brands like Antik, Taverniti SO, Hudson and AereA. Of course, if you're looking for other ideas, we've put together a holiday gift guide (as has Chicagoist).
West North can always be counted on for interesting info about urban planning and affairs. I'd seen signage with the logo, but it's there I got the scoop on the Local First Chicago cause. As you do your holiday shopping, chains may have their place, but think about patronizing locally owned businesses like these founding members, well, first.
On Wednesday, R. J. Reynolds opened the Marshall McGearty Tobacco Lounge in Chicago. The private smoke shop features tobacconists, luxurious couches, custom cigarettes ($8/pack) and an intense air-ventilation system. The store opening showcased R.J.'s new "super-premium" Marshall McGearty Tobacco Artisans brand which is only available for purchase at the new Chicago store.
It's that time of year when schmaltzy, obvious "helping out your fellow (wo)man" stories tend to inspire either bitter or sentimental responses. But here's a story that tugs at my heart-strings and my wallet strings as well. Natalia Wilson, wonderful proprietress of Evil Eye Emporium is helping out her friend with massive medical bills by selling ornaments to help her raise money. She's donating 100% of her proceeds on this item to her friend. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. I'm making my list and checking it twice, how 'bout you?
Through the holiday season, hip shoe store eSpace (1205 N. Milwaukee Ave., at Division St. 773-252-6994) has declared Sundays "mimosa days!" As if it couldn't get any better, eSpace will also offer you an automatic 15% off on anything you buy for yourself (if you're shopping for someone else).
Since today is supposedly "Cyber Monday," it's probably the best day to point out that Threadless is currently running a holiday sale. Literally every t-shirt in stock is currently $10.
Amidst brisk State Street winds, Marshall Field's opened its doors at 6am this morning with warm, welcoming arms of Frango Mint Chocolates, Thomas Pink oxfords and Christian Louboutin pumps. The Sun-Times reported today that during this holiday season the average American will spend $780 on gifts, while the average Chicagoan just $686. What's cuter than a thrifty city? A city with heart. We budget a nationwide high $311 on charitable contributions.
If you've ever worked retail, you probably called the Friday after Thanksgiving "Black Friday", or maybe you have heard it called "Buy Nothing Day". Well I'd love to see the friday after Thanksgiving be called "Buy Local Day". I could rant about why it's better to give your money to a local business, artist, crafter, bread-maker but instead I'll just encourage you to go to MINT on Friday and give some of your hard-earned cash to Tammy Terwelp. She only buys items from local artists, crafters, designers and she has a keen eye for finding the best stuff. You'll get to shop (there's free coffee and treats), you'll save up to 40% off select items, and you'll know that you're keeping Chicago in business without supporting any evil empires.
Citizens of Chicago that is. And not everyone wants to see their friends with children fade off into suburbia. But if your friends with tykes are discussing the merits of larger yards and being closer to a mall, maybe you should buy their kid this shirt.
Right. So, like Lagerfeld before her, Stella McCartney recently designed some stuff for H&M. The Guardian called the clothes "the most eagerly anticipated collection of the year," and the Times described her fandom as a "cult." Think any of that is exaggeration? Read the Drunken Bee account of the line's local launch (and subsequent sell-out) today, and, well, you're apt to think again.
If you're a non-Washington Mutual customer who's been inclined to seek out WaMu ATMs because they don't charge you a fee, be warned that the honeymoon is over. Crain's reports that WaMu will begin charging non-customers $2 a pop just like every other bank, starting November 17.
We're not generally fans of American Girl Place, but there's one good reason to applaud the creepy doll manufacturer: they're standing up to nutty right-to-lifers. The Pro-Life Action League of Chicago and other groups have organized a boycott of American Girl because of a fundraising bracelet that benefits Girls Inc. (formerly Girls Clubs of America), which supports abortion rights and homosexuality. PLALC is supposedly planning a protest at the Chicago Avenue store around Thanksgiving; expect a nice counter-protest to further gum up traffic.
Chicago shopping can be as magnificent (and pricey) as the mile, until the weekends, that is. To the fashion (and budget) savvy Saturday and Sunday are sample sale days. This Sunday, check out another big bad Beta Boutique Sample Sale at Equinox Fitness Club, Chicago's newest upscale gym with in-house full service spa. Equinox will offer a special 3-day, all-access pass to Beta Boutique shoppers. Beta will have on hand its usual array of designer apparel, including Three Dot, Ambre Babzoe and Beaumenay Joannet and Margaret O'Leary.
Get a jump-start on holiday shopping this weekend by hitting the DIY Trunk Show. Running from 10am to 4pm Saturday at the Pulaski Park Auditorium, 1419 W. Blackhawk, the show features more than 80 local crafters and artisans offering their wares. We'll be there with a booth, so stop by and say hi!
Saks Inc. announced today that it has sold Carson Pirie Scott (and a bunch of other department stores) to Bon-Ton Stores. No word yet on whether the Carson's name will go away, but one would hope the Macy's/Marshall Field's brouhaha would discourage a name change.
Yesterday, luxury skin and hair care product pusher Kiehl's opened the doors to their first Chicago location at 907 W Armitage. Kiehl's is commonly referred to as a cult pharmacy; Forbes used the term "cult devotion" in a story including the company's products on a list of "50 of America's Best." If your tiny bank account threatens to keep you from indulging in Kiehl's lush lotions, take note: Kiehl's sampling program gives away over 12 million trial-size packets and tubes a year.
If you thought the Crabtree & Evelyn, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, and Body Shop at Water Tower Place were inadequate for your cleaning and pampering needs, there are a couple of recent additions to the downtown behemoth that might sate you.
Lush, whose organic and natural products proved so popular that Americans used to have them shipped in from England, opened a kiosk in Marshall Field’s cosmetics department recently. An institution in New York, an outpost of C.O. Bigelow’s Apothecaries is opening at WTP today; you can even pick up some product samples if you show up by 4pm. Water Tower Place is located at 835 N. Michigan.
Short portrait of the beloved North Side apothecary, Merz, in the New York Times today. The article explains some background on how their website, smallflower.com, got its name.
Yesterday's Oprah was definitely one to exercise the TiVo slo-mo feature. Chicago's first lady welcomed Michael Jordan and special handsome guest Charles Barkley to the show. Air Jordan joked with Chuck and Oprah, all in the service of introducing Brand Jordan's new line of ladies clothing. Oprah waxed philosophical about wearing her Jordan duds shopping on Oak Street. Jordan's line pays J-Lo style homage to his Bulls with these signature color velour sweatsuits.
While we can't claim the Neighborhoodie as our own Chi-town child, we will soon be able to shop and create our own, live and in person at the company's forthcoming Wicker Park store. The first Chicago location, the shop will let you pick out your favorite tees, bags, and, yes, hoodies of all shapes and sizes, then personalize them with different fonts of letters and symbols. You can pledge your love for your 'hood, your hobbies, or maybe your favorite website. You might even be able to get hired. The store officially opens at 1300 N. Milwaukee Ave. on November 1, but look for a party on the October 29th.
Taking bag cues from Miss Jessica Simpson just got easier for Chicagoans. Luxe Italian bag and accessory line Furla is now open for business at 106 E. Oak St. The Gold Coast locale is Furla's first Midwestern store. Furla's offerings include a
handknit wool miniwrap in delicious fall colors (coffee, pumpkin, onyx, pomegranate or ivory) -- an exclusive to Chicago's Furla.
Sure, H&M can be great, but if you feel that little twinge of guilt when you drop some bucks at a chain store, yet can't handle the chaos of a craft fair, DEPART-ment might be for you. Set up like a real store, with clerks, check-out stations and organized racks, DEPART-ment offers hand-made goods by independent artists and designers. Open this Friday through Sunday at Open End Gallery, 2000 W. Fulton. You know you can learn more over at Slowdown.
OPI Products announced a new color collection for nails and lips for the Fall/Winter 2005 season:The Chicago Collection. Get your own bottle or stick of "O'Hare & Nails Look Great," "Marooned on the Magnificent Mile," or "Lincoln Park After Dark." Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI's Executive Vice President & Artistic Director predicts, "You're in the mood for Chicago!"
"Someone like Marshall Field or John Wanamaker - or even a Bill Gates or Steve Jobs - all became fabulously rich as a side effect of devoting their lives to creating something really new and unique. The approach of a number-cruncher like Lundgren is much more parasitical. It's less about creating something great than squeezing out value from an existing asset without ever really doing anything to replenish it." If you missed this essay by architecture critic Lynn Becker, read it now. It is simply the best essay I've read on the Marshall Field's debacle and the death of department stores.
Add another stellar t-shirt maker out of Chicago: [Im]perfect Articles are brought to you by a variety of chosen artists, featuring one of my faves, Cody Hudson. And wihout a doubt, his t-shirt (as modelled by friend George Aye) is my favourite as well. You might also enjoy George's little story about wearing Hudson's t-shirt.
The 4.2 million-square- foot Merchandise Mart remains the world’s largest commercial building, though it was built in 1930. It primarily houses wholesale showrooms, which is why—unless you’re an interior decorator—you probably haven’t had much occasion to go there. The Merchandise Mart Design Center Sample Sale, this Saturday, offers an excuse to stop by and explore. Details in Slowdown.
If you've accumulated nothing from past Chicago winters but a closet packed with winter coats, this promotion is for you. Bucktown boutique p45 is asking for donations of outerwear for Deborah's Place, a shelter for women who are or were homeless. Until the end of the month, in exchange for a gently used coat, p45 is extending a 15% discount on selected jackets from their Winter 2005 collection. p45 will provide in-kind donation forms on request.
Growing up, my mom had a sign over the microwave that said "No TUPPERWARE!!!" She'd lost quite a bit of her collection due to us nuking spaghetti or chili for longer than necessary. In an attempt to turn Tupperware into Tupperwear, local fashionista Cynthia Rowley worked with the makers of fine plastic-ware to create headbands and shoes, turning them into plastic-wear. While I doubt I'll plunk down the $300 her shoes will cost, I think Mom might get something from Tupperware's cool new line since my brothers and I ignored that sign.
It's time to start shopping for fall and winter clothes, and NewCity has a nice overview of boutique clothing stores around the city for those of us who don't like malls.
Here's a chance to wear the change you want to see in the world: skinnyCorp's Threadless t-shirt outfit has introduced a new style, the Regrowth tee. The shirt sets you back a mere $10; that gets generously doubled, and 20 bucks goes to the relief effort, up to 50 grand. Nice. Update: People are snapping those suckers up. Threadless reports raising $25k in 24 hours and says stocks are low but they're working on it. In other words, patience, grasshopper.