Archive for the 'Business Local' Category

Chicago Drinks new bar reviews site from the Chicago Reader

I got an email announcing the launch of the new Chicago Drinks site with bar and restaurant reviews from the Chicago Reader and wanted to post about it since there are always new bars, restaurants and clubs opening in the city every week. I find it hard to keep up with all the new places opening […]

Don’t Consider Chicago for the 2016 Olympic Games

I think Chicago is a bad choice for the 2016 Olympic Games. I know that I am in the minority with that opinion, so I wanted to make my opinion points (and those of others like me) visible online. Just to be clear, it isn’t that I am not a fan of the Olympics. I actually […]

IO Theater - Chicago Improv Comedy Shows

Chicago’s IO Theater has been a local school and proving ground for improv and comedy royalty for decades. These are the shows currently running at IO Theater in Chicago and my thoughts on the shows and actors I have seen. Most of the time when I go to IO, the improvisers surprise and enlighten me […]

Taste of Chicago - Grant Park Schedule Map - Best Food Fest in the USA

I have lived in Chicago all my life and during that time not only has the Taste of Chicago been a huge event known for great food, music and entertainment, it has gotten larger every year and keeps on growing. Taste of Chicago features some of the best food in the city as well as […]

Michigan Avenue Chicago XXI (Forever 21) Store Opens

I was alerted that the former Virgin Megastore Music Store on Michigan Avenue has been silently changed into a hip young teen clothing store called XXI. And even though these are the roman numerals for 21, they don’t pronounce it Twenty One. They said “Hello Welcome to X-X-I”. Literally. I guess I am not the […]

Free Shoreline Chicago River Commuter Taxi Boat Rides through April 25

Last week I wrote about the yellow Chicago River Taxi that I see every day on the Chicago River because one of my coworkers uses it to commute to work every day and raves about the convenience of traveling by river and not by bus or auto taxi. Then I got an email from a second […]

WGN TV Channel 9 in Chicago Celebrates 60 Years of Broadcasting

WGN Channel 9 in Chicago is a local TV station that is owned by the Tribune company. I grew up here and it has always been a part of Chicago’s news and entertainment on television for my family. I heard on their newscast that WGN is celebrating 60 years of Broadcasting this year and while […]

Chicago Water Taxi Boat Downtown is Back

The bright yellow Chicago Water Taxi suprised everyone last year by showing up on the Chicago River in the spring to ferry people back and forth from the Wrigley Building (by the Windella boat tour dock) to the Metra Station at Union Station. The problem with Union Station which serves the major north and west suburbs […]

Chicago Area Cook County and DuPage Sales Tax Increase

On April 1, 2008 the sales tax increased 0.25% (1/4%) in Cook County and Chicago, IL. It also increased 0.50% (1/2%) in DuPage County and the other collar counties in Illinois. The retail sales tax in Cook County and Chicago is now 9.25% (although qualifying food and drugs are only taxed at 2.5%) and DuPage County is at 7.25% […]

Wrigley Field Name for sale or change? Chicago Cubs, Tribune, Money and Sam Zell

Times are tough for the Tribune company, so tough that 19% profit margin on everything they sell isn’t enough anymore. So, the latest plan hatched by the new quirky Tribune owner Sam Zell is to sell the naming rights to Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field to the highest bidder. Will we see Ebay Field? Amazon Wrigley Field? Google Field? Kraft […]