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Chicago Magazine

A Little History

The People’s Muralist

Your Best Shots of Historic Buildings

Judgment Day • We have spent years dedicating ourselves to our art and formed the Chicago Black Drag Council to fight for change within the Chicago LGBTQIA+ community. Our trauma has consistently been glossed over. This article [“The Judgment of T Rex,” November] waters down the harm T Rex has caused. It is giving focus to one of the most toxic and violent white drag queens to walk North Halsted. Pass the mic and move on.

Talking Points • This month’s essential cocktail party fodder

Hospitals on Life Support • You’d think a global pandemic would be a boon for health systems. But while COVID beds are full, other patients are staying home.

House in Store • It looks like a Lincoln Park shop. It’s actually a $2.25 million contemporary home.

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Much More Than Just Boys • Devlyn Camp, host of the podcast A Queer Serial, explains why ditching the name Boystown matters.

ZooLights (at a Safe Distance) • Lincoln Park Zoo is plugging in the psychedelic light displays again this holiday season, pandemic and all. Here’s how it’s restructuring the annual favorite.

Twisted Toys • A local artist’s limited-edition action figures would make GI Joe blush.

Strange Brew • The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and his fashion designer partner, Chloe Mendel, reopen their beloved tea salon.

Gil Melott’s Lamp Fixer • The interior designer behind Studio 6F shares who keeps him lit.

Jacqulyn Hamilton • Activist, massage therapist, Hula-Hooper

Valley of the Indies • Thanks to a crop of upstart boutiques, the scenic Fox Valley is your new favorite, far-out holiday shopping hamlet.

Ask a Budtender

Skip the Fruitcake • The food lovers in your life deserve better! Try these great finds, from spices and sauces made by local chefs to a bottled craft cocktail for a winter’s evening.

Ginger Spice

Lucky Find • An unassuming Chinatown newcomer offers a nuanced take on Sichuan cooking.

The Chile con Queso at Lonesome Rose

The Hot List • 10 places everyone’s talking about (in order of heat)

From the Brush of Torkel Gundel • A chance purchase at a sidewalk sale leads to a curious obsession.

50 MOMENTS THAT SHAPED CHICAGO 1970–2020 • It’s been an epic half century. Mayors have toppled the status quo, championships have been won and lost (and won again), a blizzard paralyzed the city, protests rocked it, a pandemic galvanized it, and through it all Chicagoans have pressed on. This list — ranked in order of significance by the editors — looks back, drawing from Chicago’s own archives to mark this magazine’s 50th anniversary.

CHICAGOANS OF THE YEAR • In an unprecedented year, these six honorees — from the doctors who guided us through the bleakest days to the organizer who became the face of a revolution — showed us that humanity and hope persist.

Allison Arwady and Ngozi Ezike

Tanya Lozano

Aleta Clark

Aislinn Pulley

Erick Williams

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? • Thought Chicago was just a beer town? The city’s java scene is booming, with more choices than ever, from authentic Turkish kahve and Mexican café de olla to boldly favored lattes and canned cold brews.

THE ART OF INTERNATIONAL BREWS • A breakdown of three styles from around the world that you can try right here in Chicago

CLASH OF THE COLD BREWS • Chicago dining editor...