Playlist Chicago
Chicago
Bus Tour Encourages Chicagoans to "Disrupt Segregation" By Visiting All Neighborhoods
Daniel HautzingerMay 15, 2023
“You can understand another person’s perspective when you see their neighborhood and what it’s like to live there,” says Tonika Lewis Johnson, the founder of the Folded Map Project, who is organizing tours in partnership with the city and popular historian Shermann "Dilla" Thomas.
Geoffrey Baer on His Upcoming Special 'The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago'
Daniel HautzingerFebruary 27, 2023
In his newest special, Geoffrey Baer explores The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago, from gilded lobbies to verdant parks and eye-bending skyscrapers to glorious sacred spaces. He discusses the project, and what he loves about Chicago.
Why America Is the Only Country That Embraced the Lie Detector—and Chicago’s Role in Its Rise
Daniel HautzingerJanuary 3, 2023
The technology behind the lie detector is basic and available around the world, but only America has used it extensively over the decades, thanks in part to pioneering work in forensics in Chicago that attempted to address the city's notorious crime.
Revisiting the Biting Articles That Branded Chicago the "Second City"
Daniel HautzingerDecember 15, 2022
Seventy years ago, the New Yorker writer and New York City native A.J. Liebling published a series of articles about Chicago that saw the city as a "not-quite-metropolis" imbued with a "collective sense of disappointment." Was he right?
The Foods of Chicago's Christkindlmarket
Jack X. LiDecember 14, 2022
Roasted nuts and other festive foods have been drawing visitors to the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza for 27 years. The Chicago photographer Jack X. Li recently visited to document the snacks—and people’s delight in them.
Ten of Chicago's Most Iconic Restaurants, Past and Present
Daniel HautzingerJune 21, 2022
As iconic signs like Dinkel's and Orange Garden's disappear from Chicago, celebrate some of Chicago's most memorable restaurants, past and present, the kind of places where the surroundings are an inextricable part of the experience.
Architect Brian Lee Brings the Expertise Required for Skyscrapers to Neighborhood Buildings
Daniel HautzingerJune 9, 2022
Brian Lee has designed one of the tallest buildings in the world as well as neighborhood-level buildings such as three libraries in Chicago. "To be able to reinforce and maybe enhance a neighborhood with a building—I think that’s a great positive goal of architecture and urban design,” he says.
Some Oft-Overlooked Contributions of Black Architects to Chicagoland
Lee BeyFebruary 28, 2022
Black people’s contributions to Chicago's historic architectural legacy have been a story less told for too long. Architecture photographer and writer Lee Bey celebrates a few of them around Chicagoland.
Meet Chicago's James Beard Awards 2022 Semifinalists
Daniel HautzingerFebruary 24, 2022
The list of semifinalists for the James Beard Awards has been released, and fifteen Chicago people and places in the food industry are on it. Meet them here.
Why There's Food in Nearly Every Scene of Chicago Native Mia P. Manansala's New Mystery
Daniel HautzingerFebruary 4, 2022
Chicago native Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery Series is packed full of lovingly described food—as well as engrossing mystery. Manansala believes a character's approach to food reveals a lot about them, and wants to expose people to Filipino culture.
Geoffrey Baer Explores Polish Chicago
Geoffrey BaerOctober 26, 2021
October is Polish Heritage Month, the perfect time to explore Polonia, or Polish Chicago. Geoffrey Baer takes you on a tour of some sites that evoke the community's rich and influential continuing history in Chicago.
As Blair Kamin Leaves the 'Chicago Tribune,' Revisit His Favorite Place in Chicago
Daniel HautzingerJanuary 12, 2021
Blair Kamin has announced he is leaving the Chicago Tribune after 33 years, 28 as its architecture critic. A frequent guest on Chicago Tonight, he once shared his favorite place in Chicago and a story about his first review. Revisit it now.
Recovering a Beloved Chicago Candy and the Story of the Family Business Behind It
Daniel HautzingerDecember 10, 2020
Lanzi Candy's Cashew Nut and Rice Crunch was once sold internationally and on American Airlines, all while made out of a small family-owned factory in Chicago. A documentary follows the business's story and a quest to recreate its most popular treat.
How the Failure of Public Housing Is Linked to Gun Violence in Chicago
Daniel HautzingerNovember 11, 2020
The documentary Chicago at the Crossroad shows how the failure of public housing has contributed to gun violence in the city today. "Your housing will dictate every other aspect of your life, from school to food to violence exposure to your percentage of the possibility of actually committing a crime,” says the producer.
How Abner Mikva Inspired People to Believe in Government's Power for Good
Daniel HautzingerOctober 15, 2020
Attending college on the G.I. Bill changed Abner Mikva's life. As a congressman, judge, and mentor to Barack Obama, Elena Kagan, and numerous young people, Mikva tried to show that government could be a force for good in people's lives.
