Playlist Chicago
Chicago
A Chance to Ride (or See) a Historic CTA Train Car
Daniel HautzingerIn celebration of the opening of Chicago's first subway transit line 75 years ago, the CTA is sending out two vintage train cars that ran from 1923 to 1973 and are the same model of car that was among the first to run on the State Street subway line.
Happy 90th Birthday to the Queen of the Blues
Daniel HautzingerKoko Taylor would have turned 90 today. The daughter of poor Tennessee sharecroppers, she eventually came to Chicago and cleaned North Shore homes before signing with Chess Records and becoming the Queen of the Blues in a male-dominated genre.
Chicago's Newest (and Biggest) Piece of Public Art
Daniel HautzingerWhat was once the world’s largest building will soon be the site of the world’s largest permanent digital art projection, when the Merchandise Mart's 2.5-acre facade becomes the screen for an enormous piece of public art called Art on theMART.
Where to Go During Open House Chicago
Daniel HautzingerDuring Open House Chicago, which is October 13 and 14, you can see things you've never seen before as more than 250 sites across Chicagoland open to the public for free. So many choices are overwhelming, so we've chosen a few highlights.
Working Towards a Fully Literate Society
Daniel HautzingerOne in six adults, or 35 million people, read below a fourth-grade level in the United States. The Chicago Literacy Alliance is working to change that, by bringing together organizations with similar goals and fostering collaboration amongst them.
Fascism in Chicago
Daniel HautzingerFrom the feted arrival of an Italian Fascist in Chicago during the Century of Progress World's Fair (commemorated with the renaming of a street and a monument donated by Mussolini) to the infamous controversy where neo-Nazis tried to march in Skokie, learn about fascist flare-ups in Chicago.
Tour the New Chicago Architecture Center
Daniel HautzingerTake a tour of the new Chicago Architecture Center and discover its new features, including an expanded and newly interactive Chicago model and a skyscraper gallery. The Center is located inside a Mies van der Rohe building with a vantage of some of Chicago's most famous buildings.
Even More of Chicago's Favorite Indie Bookstores
Daniel HautzingerDiscover the stories behind more of Chicago's favorite indie bookstores on the South Side, including a legendary, long-lived one that counts Barack and Michelle Obama amongst its fans.
More of Chicago's Beloved Independent Bookstores
Daniel HautzingerIndependent bookstores remain an irreplaceable asset, with their staff recommendations and sense of community. We've already featured three Chicago stalwarts, but here are the stories of a few more of the city's beloved indie bookstores.
What the Bahá’i Temple Reveals About the Bahá’i Faith
Daniel HautzingerThe Bahá’i House of Worship on the lakefront north of Chicago is sometimes called the "silent teacher" for the way that it illustrates principles of the faith, many of which are incorporated into the striking, innovative, ornate design, which took 50 years to realize.
Chicago's Independent Bookstores
Daniel HautzingerIf you love books, you probably also love bookstores, and independent bookstores remain irreplaceable gems, with their staff recommendations, unusual selections, and sense of community. Discover the stories behind a few of Chicago's beloved indie bookstores.
Haitians in Chicago
Daniel HautzingerWith chef Marcus Samuelsson visiting Miami's Little Haiti on No Passport Required, explore the history of Chicago’s Haitian community, which may stretch back to the founding of the city, touches the 1893 World’s Fair, and continues today in a time of uncertainty.
"The World Will Never Be the Same After This": 50 Years of the Special Olympics
Daniel HautzingerThe first Special Olympics were held 50 years ago in Chicago, thanks in part to the championing efforts of a Kennedy. A celebration of the Special Olympics will be held on their anniversary here in July.
Chicago, The "Vatican and Mecca" of Gospel Music
Daniel HautzingerGospel music's "Father," and "Mother," "Queen" and "King," all made their career or were born in Chicago, where the soul-stirring music was first developed and popularized. Discover the development of gospel and its main players in Chicago.
The Chinese Exclusion Act and Chicago
Daniel HautzingerWith the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned all Chinese immigration and naturalization, many Chinese immigrants began moving eastward to towns like Chicago, where they slowly cemented a presence despite the demographic restrictions of the Act.
