Calumet Park, IL Business and More

Chicago entrepreneur turns empty downtown office space into vertical gardens

INSKEEP: (Laughter). INSKEEP: That'd be great, where the waiter can take your order in the NPR voice. In Chicago, an entrepreneur has some really creative ideas. Here is reporter Al Orendorff. AL ORENDORFF, BYLINE: I'm standing outside one of downtown Chicago's office towers. Ever since the post-COVID world made a...

publisher · 6.0K followers

WBEZ

Two-thirds of 2026 Taste of Chicago food vendors were flagged with health code violations

Overflowing garbage. Backed-up sinks. Food prepped in bushes. More than 800 pounds of food tossed due to improper temperatures. These are just a few examples of food safety problems city inspectors documented during one hot weekend in July when one of the city’s largest culinary events, Taste of Chicago, took place in Grant Park.

southportcorridorchicago.com

Former McGee’s Tavern Site at 950 W. Webster Could Become Five-Story Apartment Building

A familiar stretch of Webster Avenue near DePaul University could be getting a substantial makeover. A five-story mixed-use development is proposed for 950 W. Webster Avenue, the longtime home of McGee’s Tavern & Grille, and neighbors will have a chance to weigh in at a public meeting on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

publisher · 6.0K followers

WBEZ

Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright then wronged by neglect, South Park Terrace heads for auction

A picturesque 121-year-old South Side courtyard building inspired by an historic Frank Lloyd Wright design — and featured in a 1995 Halle Berry movie — is now scheduled for auction. South Park Terrace, a Prairie School-styled apartment building at 6116 S. King Drive, is set to be auctioned...

Chicago, IL · 10d

Publishers Weekly

Chicago’s Unabridged Bookstore Changes Hands After 46 Years

Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago, one of the country’s oldest gay-owned bookstores and a finalist for PW’s 2026 Bookstore of the Year award, is under new ownership. Ed Devereux, who founded Unabridged in 1980 in a neighborhood historically known as Boystown, sold the store on October 1 to its longtime manager and chief book buyer Shane Khosropour, who has worked there for more than 20 years.

depauliaonline.com

Chicago’s Pickled Prince passionately pickles to perfection

Spicy pickled perfection is how Brian Greene, founder of Pickled Prince, would describe his pickle business. Although he offers products from across the heat spectrum, Greene said, he has a spicy attitude about everything he makes. Greene and his fiancee Alex Skrzypczyk came up with the concept to sell different...

hoodline.com

South Loop School Building Sells for $70.6M, Keeping British International Campus Running

The three-story building that houses the British International School of Chicago, South Loop has traded hands for $70.6 million. The property sits at 161 W. 9th St. in the South Loop and has served as the school's campus since it opened in 2015. The deal was reported by The Real...

hoodline.com

Permit Issued for Eight-Unit Condo Building at 4447 N. Ashland

A construction permit was issued October 30 for a condominium building at 4447 N. Ashland Avenue, on a midblock lot between W. Sunnyside and W. Montrose avenues in Uptown. Chicago YIMBY reports that 4447 Ashland Corp’s permit application began August 20 and lists a project cost of $2.8 million. The site location and the applicant’s earlier plans for the property were described in an April report by Urbanize Chicago.

Daily Northwestern

Residents, councilmembers decry proposed tax levy increases at special Council meeting

Several residents demanded transparency over the 8.9% property tax levy increase included in the city’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget during a public hearing Monday evening. Monday’s special City Council meeting was scheduled under Illinois’ Truth in Taxation law, which requires municipalities to hold a public hearing when a...

Evanston, IL · 8d

depauliaonline.com

Merz Apothecary grows beyond its neighborhood roots

For 151 years, Merz Apothecary has served Chicago customers with products from around the world. The Lincoln Square store has expanded beyond its original pharmacy products to include skin care, cosmetics and fragrances. But Greta Honold, the apothecary’s Communications Director and DePaul Alumna, said focus on the community has remained consistent.

everafterinthewoods.com

Your Kids Can Milk A Real Jersey Cow At This Free 1930s Farm In Illinois

A Jersey cow here lets kids try milking her by hand, and the farm doesn’t even charge admission. That alone made me sit up and pay attention. The whole place runs like a 1930s working farm in northern Illinois. Goats, donkeys, sheep, chickens, and huge Belgian draft horses all live here, and wandering the farmyard costs nothing.

Illinois · 9d

Illinois Jobs Desk

user · 11 followers

Chicago community and social services jobs include case management, crisis response, recovery support, school social work and therapy

Chicago’s community and social services openings span direct client support in very different settings. The Salvation Army seeks a Case Manager focused on housing stability and family services in a lodge-based environment, while Thresholds’ part-time Peer Engagement Specialist joins a mobile crisis team responding to mental health emergencies on the city’s south side. Phoenix Recovery Support Services is hiring a Recovery Specialist for a structured recovery home serving adults with substance use disorder. North Lawndale College Prep needs a School Social Worker to support student well-being and school-based services, and Kaleidoscope is looking for an IPS Therapist to provide short-term, community-based clinical support for youth and families.

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

CBS Chicago

Open Books soon to close West Loop Chicago location

Open Books is closing its location in Chicago's West Loop, citing a decline in foot traffic and the rising cost of running a store in that community.

oakpark.com

OPRF finance committee gets new advisor

An experienced finance professional with expertise in startup investing has been appointed to the Oak Park and River Forest High School Community Finance Committee. On Oct. 8 the OPRF District 200 Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Rumi Morales to fill the vacancy on the CFC that was created when long-time CFC member Greg Kolar resigned to spend more time with his family as a new father. The CFC was created in 2021 and is an advisory committee to the school board on financial matters.

Oak Park, IL · 8d

connectcre.com

publisher · 55.1K followers

80-Unit Seniors Housing Development Opens in Suburban Chicago

Leyden Senior Apartments, a new four-story independent senior living development in Franklin Park, recently opened. Located at 2506 N. Mannheim Road, Leyden Senior Apartments offers one- and two-bedroom residences. The adjacent newly constructed Carl Fiorito Senior Center will be available to the entire community. Owned by Leyden Apartments LP, Leyden Senior Apartments was designed by Weese Langley Klein Architects with accessible floor plans, energy-efficient appliances and on-site amenities.

Franklin Park, IL · 12d

KCTV

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Rocket Day

chicagoagentmagazine.com

Social Media Influencer of the Year, Agent: Matt Laricy, Americorp

As a fourth-generation real estate professional and lifelong Chicagoan, Matt Laricy has a deep-rooted perspective on the market that few can match. Raised in the south suburbs, he possesses a strong understanding of the diverse communities that make up both the city and its surrounding suburbs. Matt attended Eastern Illinois University, where he built a solid foundation in business. Currently serving as the managing partner of Americorp and leading the award-winning LARICY Team, Matt has guided clients through every facet of real estate.

columbiachronicle.com

Inflation, rising cost of living weigh on the Latinos headed to the polls

Today, vendors along 26th Street $35 for a wholesale box of tomatoes. Two years ago, they reported paying up to $3. For street vendor Rocae Myndéz, that price increase determines whether or not he can keep his doors open. Heading into the midterm election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, residents...

hoodline.com