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Articles by Ryan Smith
12 luxury hotels that are always pre-booked by the British Royal Family
Often when researching luxury hotels online you may come across certain extravagant rooms with names like the “presidential” or “royal” suite, and while these may seem like the perfect fit for someone who is used to staying in posh accommodations, there’s nothing particularly notable about the guests who usually stay there. That is, of course, unless actual royalty books those rooms.
590 | Banished
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J.D. Energy releases information on insurance coverage buyer loyalty
Insurance coverage Information By Ryan Smith J.D. Energy has introduced the publication of its quarterly loyalty indicator and procuring tendencies (LIST) report. The report, performed in partnership with TransUnion, offers an outline of auto Insurance Coverage procuring and loyalty habits. The LIST report discovered {that a} slowdown in Insurance Coverage Procuring hit in December and lasted into January earlier than making a dramatic turnaround in February, rising from 11.6% to 12.6%.
This Couple Created a Dreamy DIY Playhouse Underneath Their Stairs | Hunker
Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Talk about building something out of nothing. The couple behind @thegibbyhome on TikTok built their daughter her very own playhouse inside of a blank wall underneath the stairs of their home. The couple began by cutting out the doors and windows, before hanging up drywall inside the raw space. Next, they added siding, roof shingles, and a Dutch door to the playhouse's exterior.
547 | Banished
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Urban heat seminar in Cairns advocates for more trees and carefully designed development
##MP## Cairns residents would be paid for planting trees on their properties under a set of policy priorities agreed to at a seminar about mitigating urban heat. Around 50 delegates representing architecture, landscaping, planning, building, conservation, medicine and social services attended the Cairns Urban Heat Seminar late last week.
Massachusetts banning disposal of textiles, mattresses and more organics in 2022
Dive Brief: Massachusetts is expanding its list of disposal bans, according to a new solid waste master plan from the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Starting in November 2022, disposal of certain textiles and mattresses, as well as organics from locations generating more than a half-ton per week, will be prohibited. The agency also plans to consider in 2025 whether to ban all organics from disposal by 2030.
Kelowna defends development record
Dear Editor: I hesitate to bore your readers with an overly detailed rebuttal of some ill-informed opinions, but I think your readers deserve some facts about how city planning actually works (“City Hall leaves taxpayers on the hook,” Letters, Jan. 19, by Richard Drinnan). For example, Drinnan has critical opinions about the city’s record on Official Community Plan compliance. The statistics on the number of land-use related OCP amendments, however, paint a different picture.
5555 S Everett Ave, Unit B34, Chicago, IL 60637
5555 S Everett Ave, Unit B34 Chicago, IL 60637 Located within a stones throw of the Science & Industry Museum as well as the lakefront, this stunning, duplex condo lives and feels more like a townhome than a condo with a floor plan unlike you have ever seen before! As you walk into the unit your jaw will drop with the dramatic two story living room that offers a fireplace, vaulted ceilings along with floor to ceiling windows with views of the Museum campus and lakefront! The home offers four...
Discover 10 Prairie School buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright disciples
Cafe Brauer was designed by architect Dwight Perkins in 1908. Getty Images Unique early-20th century churches, homes, a brewery, and more By Ryan Smith Feb 5, 2020, 1:02pm CST View as Map Cafe Brauer was designed by architect Dwight Perkins in 1908. | Getty Images By Ryan Smith Feb 5, 2020, 1:02pm CST The name Frank Lloyd Wright is all but synonymous with the Prairie School style of architecture.
Celebrate Black History Month by getting to know these 10 Chicago sites
Courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation/Jacob Hand Famous African-American churches, newspapers, and cultural sites By Ryan Smith Feb 4, 2020, 11:52am CST View as Map By Ryan Smith Feb 4, 2020, 11:52am CST Photo by Courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation/Jacob Hand Black history and Chicago history go all the way back to the city’s founding.
12 modernist buildings every Chicagoan should know
Getty Images Steel-and-glass midcentury masterpieces by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and other visionaries By Ryan Smith Feb 3, 2020, 12:09pm CST View as Map By Ryan Smith Feb 3, 2020, 12:09pm CST Getty Images Led by pioneer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, modernist architecture flourished in post World War II Chicago. Mies and his midcentury contemporaries rejected the ornamentation of the previous generation of structures in favor of clean lines and functional, yet elegant minimalism.
8 urban places to see wildlife in Chicago
Skokie Lagoons. Shutterstock Here’s where the wild things are By Ryan Smith Dec 23, 2019, 10:30am CST View as Map Skokie Lagoons. | Photo by Shutterstock By Ryan Smith Dec 23, 2019, 10:30am CST Here’s a surprising fact: Chicago’s human population has declined over the past several years but its coyote count is booming. According to a story published last month in National Geographic, there are now approximately 4,000 eastern coyotes living in Cook County.
5 cozy cottages perfect for an escape from Chicago
Let’s face it: Chicago can get bit a bleak during the winter months. From the slushy streets, salty sidewalks, and skyscraper-aided wind tunnels that blast you with cold air, to the chilly social vibes that come with the infamous tradition of parking “dibs”—sometimes you need an escape. Thankfully, there are plenty of charming cabins tucked away in the woods or quiet rural areas a short distance away that are perfect for quick hibernations or weekend getaways.
How Fulton Market lost the last of its grit
Tucked away in a back alley in Chicago’s hottest neighborhood lies the city’s least-known parcel of holy ground. The rear of the three-story brick warehouse on the 1100 block of West Fulton Market Street is the unlikely home of the Fulton Vortex, a swirling concentration of energy akin to the metaphysical phenomena that attracts new-age tourists to Sedona, Arizona. The vortex’s vibes provide positive, perhaps even healing powers to those who venture near it.
Vacant Wabash storefronts to get Bauhaus-inspired murals
The Chicago Loop Alliance believes that public art can help bring new business to empty downtown storefronts and they’re trying to prove it with “Wabash Windows.” During the first five days of December, four Chicago-area artists will paint colorful murals on the inside of windows of four vacant on Wabash between Lake Street and Monroe Street to help attract new tenants.
Auditorium Theatre: What you must know about the 130-year-old landmark
The Auditorium Theater is inviting everyone to its 130th birthday party next month. The venue—located at 50 Ida B. Wells Drive—is opening its doors to the public all day on December 9 for free tours and an open house. What you might know about this architectural feat is that it’s a National Historic Landmark designed by the iconic architects of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. Another famous architect worked on elements of the theater as well—Frank Lloyd Wright.
Can the world’s largest Starbucks perk up Chicago’s Mag Mile?
For those wanting a simple cup of hot coffee, consider somewhere other than Chicago’s new Starbucks Reserve Roastery. The new 35,000-square-foot Starbucks at 646 N. Michigan Avenue—the world’s largest—is like a theme park engineered for unique (and Instagram-friendly) experiences. For Friday’s 9 a.m. grand opening, Starbucks superfans traveled from as far as San Diego to stand in lines that wrapped around the block in hopes of getting a peek into the five-story superstore.
More public dollars must go to affordable housing not megadevelopment, aldermen say
The mayor isn’t required to increase property taxes or double the restaurant tax, although those are reliable ways to raise revenue for the city’s budget deficit. Chicago should have the political courage to tax the rich, at least that’s what a group of aldermen are calling on Lightfoot to do. This idea was the main talking point at a town hall in Pilsen Thursday night with 22nd Ward Alderman Mike Rodriguez and 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez.
Coworking gets cozy at the Hoxton hotel in Fulton Market
If the complimentary coffee can’t rouse you awake during a long workday, maybe a nap in a private room upstairs will. At Working From__Fulton Market—which opened this week at The Hoxton Chicago—the lines are blurred between coworking space and traditional hotel. The emphasis is on creating a “place that feels like home” for the laptop-and-Airpods class of freelancers and flexible small businesses looking for a fully-equipped communal space to work.
Gotham Greens opens a second greenhouse in rapidly redeveloping Pullman
Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood just got greener. This week, New York-based urban produce and food company Gotham Greens opened its second greenhouse on the Far South Side neighborhood. The 100,000 square-foot facility will be located in a section of the repurposed former Ryerson Steel site at 10636 S. Woodlawn Avenue.
Chicago’s largest food bank plans $50 expansion on Southwest Side
The Greater Chicago Food Depository has plans to build a new $50 million facility—one that will help them cook and deliver more meals to a coming boom of elderly baby boomers in their homes. The expansion will add on to its headquarters in Archer Heights. “It’s a major undertaking but we’ve looked at census projections and it shows a growing number of lower-income older adults—as much as 48 percent by 2030,” said Greg Trotter, a spokesman for the Food Depository.
Mayor Lightfoot’s "Plan B" budget includes a property tax hike and spending cuts
With Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s real estate transfer tax on thin ice, a “Plan B” option to help close the city’s $838 million budget deficit—one that includes more property taxes—is becoming a likelier option. Lightfoot left Springfield on Tuesday without approval for her proposed $50 million hike in the real-estate transfer tax.
16 iconic signs that define Chicago
Wrigley Field marquee From neon church crosses, flashing theater names, and the red Wrigley marquee By Ryan Smith Updated Feb 13, 2020, 3:27pm CST View as Map Wrigley Field marquee By Ryan Smith Updated Feb 13, 2020, 3:27pm CST Chicago may be best known for its skyscraper-filled skyline, but it’s distinctive signs that decorate the tops and sides of buildings and advertise businesses arguably rank a close second.
Century-old historic suburban Georgian mansion lists for $800K
Built just shy of a century ago, a stately Georgian mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places is now available in west suburban West Dundee. The 6,100 square-foot brick structure sits on nearly half an acre of land a few blocks west of the Fox River. It was designed by Childs and Smith in 1921—architects credited for work on Northwestern University’s 1920’s-era buildings in Evanston. The mansion’s original owner was William F.
A historic church in Bronzeville with civil rights legacy could get landmark protection
Designed by the notable architect Alfred Samuel Alschuler, a neoclassical revival-style church complex built in 1912 could soon become the next official Chicago landmark. Last week, the Chicago Commission on Landmarks voted to grant preliminary landmark status to the Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church Complex at 4600 S. Martin Luther King Drive in Bronzeville—which consists of the former synagogue and social settlement house connected by a common wing.
Early November snow freezes commutes, delays trains, cancels more than 800 flights
A blast of unseasonably cold and snowy winter-like weather has made navigating Chicago extremely hazardous this morning. The snow was unexpected as the city had street sweepers scheduled up until late Sunday night when it was clear salt spreader trucks and snow plows would be required. About 200 salt trucks were deployed early Sunday.
More money for arts in neighborhoods will be ‘powerful,’ Mayor Lightfoot says
Mayor Lightfoot calls for $1 million in additional arts funding Arts funding for neighborhoods will Mayor Lightfoot says $1 million in funding for artists on South, West sides will be ‘ Mayor Lightfoot says ‘arts More money for arts in neighborhoods will be ‘powerful,’ Lightfoot says Mayor Lightfoot: $1 million boost for arts in neighborhoods will be ‘powerful,’ The city’s arts funding may get a significant boost under Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Unwrapping the 106-year history of Chicago’s Christmas tree lighting tradition
Hark! The lighting ceremony of Chicago’s official Christmas tree is coming soon. A single 55-foot blue spruce donated by Gene Nelson of Elgin will be lit during an Nov. 22 event that starts at 6 p.m. in Millennium Park and involves South African singer-songwriter Jonathan Butler, a nine-member Latino Mariachi band, and—yes—rapping elves. It’s a city tradition that has evolved greatly over the last century.
Historic hotel project may become landmark while facing a few preservation challenges
An 115 year-old building in the Loop being redeveloped as a Hilton hotel may earn landmark status and a $20 million property tax break over 12 years. Despite some concerns about the destruction of certain architectural elements, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks gave preliminary approval for a landmark designation to the former headquarters of Chicago & North Western Railway at 226 W. Jackson Boulevard and a Class L tax incentive for the developers.
A Queen Anne built in 1892 recommended for landmark status in Irving Park
A stately Irving Park home built by investment banking magnate John Nuveen is on its way to becoming a protected site. On Thursday, the Chicago Commission on Landmarks voted to recommend a landmarks designation to the 19th century Queen Anne style house at 3916 N. Tripp Avenue in Irving Park. The structure was built in 1892 by then 28-year-old salesman Nuveen in a neighborhood that was considered a burgeoning “railroad suburb” on the outskirts of the city.
As the weather heats up, so does the fishing!
Summer is quickly approaching – warmer and longer days are in the near future. November is going to be an excellent month for a variety of species in the southern bay, which include a large number of flathead and bream cruising the flats! Flathead have been in good numbers recently and have been caught on the last half of the run-out tide around draining flats and creek mouths. Soft plastics have been nailing the flathead and anything around 3-5” will work a treat.
Chicago is a top city for bike share and scooters, study says
Chicago trails only Honolulu, New Orleans, and Nashville among U.S. cities that could benefit the most from micromobility transit options. Shared bikes, e-bikes, and electric scooters have the potential to reduce Chicago car trips by more than half, according to a new report from INRIX—a Washington state-based transportation data and analytics company.
A new Chicago ordinance slows down condo-to-rental deconversion trend
A new ordinance pumps the brakes on a recent flurry of condo-to-rental deconversion deals in Chicago. The legislation, which increased the percentage of owners required to approve a sale of a condo building to developers, was approved by City Council on Wednesday, September 18. The threshold was raised to 85 percent because of the ordinance originally introduced by 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly and 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman.
Explore Tadao Ando’s famous museums and gallery designs at new exhibit in Lincoln Park
In connection with the third edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Wrightwood 659 is re-opening an exhibition highlighting Tadao Ando’s celebrated work designing museums and galleries. The second floor of the art space, which opened at 659 W. Wrightwood in Lincoln Park last October, will be devoted to the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s most famous public works from October 3 through December 14.
10 beginner bike rides in Chicago
The 606. Shutterstock Here are some low-stress routes to get you started on two-wheels in the city By Ryan Smith Sep 6, 2019, 12:16pm CDT View as Map The 606. | Photo by Shutterstock By Ryan Smith Sep 6, 2019, 12:16pm CDT The thought of cars and buses whizzing by while pedaling in a narrow bike lane can make urban biking in Chicago a frightening prospect for newbies.
Massive Starbucks preserves architectural details of Mag Mile Crate & Barrel store
More than 32 years and 130-plus new locations since Starbucks first opened its doors in Chicago in 1987, the Seattle-based coffee giant has set a fall opening date for its biggest retail space yet. A massive four-story, 43,000-square-foot Starbucks Reserve Roastery is scheduled to open Friday, November 15 at 646 N. Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile, according to the Chicago Tribune. The mega-Starbucks is replacing the flagship Crate & Barrel store that closed last year.
Five facts about the Chicago Water Tower you probably didn’t know
The Chicago Water Tower is turning 150 this month and the city is celebrating its sesquicentennial in style. A day-long festival at the Near North Side neighborhood around the 150-year-old structure at 806 N. Michigan Avenue is set for Saturday, September 14 and more than 25 five-foot custom replicas are being temporarily installed along North Michigan Avenue.
Gold Coast apartment tower proposed for Barnes & Noble site rejected
A plan to replace a Barnes & Noble bookstore in the Gold Coast with a 39-story apartment tower set has been withdrawn. In April, Chicago developer Newcastle Ltd. revealed their plan to build the high-rise at 1130 N. State Street, but 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins nixed it according to the Chicago Tribune, because of its disproportionately large size and less-than-ideal design.
Dickens Avenue Greenway bike path divides Lincoln Park residents
A proposed greenway and bike route in Lincoln Park along Dickens Avenue hasn’t been a slam dunk so far. The Dickens Avenue Greenway project aims to create a “contra-flow” bike lane on the one-way westbound street to establish an east/west bike route between Clybourn Avenue and the Lincoln Park Zoo. It would also lower the speed limit to 20 miles per hour, add speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and sidewalk extensions. Advocates say it’s goal is to make the street safer and more comfortable for all.
Historic Cook County Hospital rehab project gets $3 million in state tax credits
The Cook County Hospital Administration Building rehabilitation plan has been awarded $3 million in historic state tax credits. The 345,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts structure at 1835 W. Harrison St. was among four statewide projects to receive a total of $9.75 million in tax credits in the first round of funding from the Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program (SHTC), which was signed into law in June 2018.
What’s happening with The 78, a massive South Loop megadevelopment
The story so far Contributors: Ryan Smith, Jay Koziarz, and Benjamin Van Loon The $7 billion development known as The 78 aims to transform 62-acres of long-vacant waterfront land along the south branch of the Chicago River into a massive, mixed-use campus. Chicago currently has 77 designated community areas, and this ambitious project seeks to grow the number by one as it essentially creates an entire neighborhood from scratch.
Tour the site of the Great Pullman Strike on its 125th anniversary
Labor history tends to get short shrift in history books. The Pullman National Monument Preservation Society, created by Barack Obama’s presidential proclamation in 2015, is trying to change that. During the Great Pullman Strike’s 125th anniversary, the group is giving guided tours each month through October.
Chicago-to-Cleveland hyperloop gets funding from U.S. House
The idea of zipping from the Loop to O’Hare in 12 minutes though Elon Musk’s subterranean tunnel is all but dead in the water. But Cleveland-Chicago in under a half-an-hour through high-speed tubes? That futuristic plan is very much alive.
What Gov. Pritzker’s $45B capital plan means for Chicago transportation
Chicago transportation projects are a major part of the $45 billion capital spending plan signed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker on Friday. The plan, dubbed Rebuild Illinois, allocates a total of $33.2 billion for transportation projects statewide over the next six years, including $25.3 billion of state, federal, and local funds for roads and bridges; $4.5 billion for mass transit, $1.1 for rail projects, and $50 million in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects.
City’s oldest fish wholesaler demolished for new Fulton Market office tower
Don’t let the name on the side of the half-demolished building at the corner of Halsted Street and Fulton Market fool you. The former Isaacson & Stein Fish Company at 800 W. Fulton Market is in the process of coming down thanks to New York-based developer Thor Equities, not a member of The Avengers. The large brick structure—along with the John R. Morreale Meat warehouse at 820 W. Fulton Market and the former home of the The Mid nightclub at 306 N.
Tribune Tower condos will sell for between $700K and $7M
You’ll likely need Michael Ferro money to afford the luxury condos coming to the former home of the Chicago Tribune. A one bedroom residence in the Tribune Tower at 435 N. Michigan Avenue starts at $700,000 while a four-bedroom condo reaches $7 million-plus, according to the Tower’s new website. The site is very light on details about the updated interiors and amenities of the revamped neo-Gothic skyscraper that housed the Chicago Tribune and its parent company for almost a century.
The battle over bikes on the Chicago Riverwalk gets personal
The public feud between an alderman and journalist over the issue of biking on the Chicago Riverwalk keeps heating up. On Tuesday, Alderman Brendan Reilly tweeted that John Greenfield “needs a tinfoil cap & an editor” for the Streetsblog Chicago editor’s assertion that Alderman Reilly had something to do with Google Maps potentially altering its biking directions algorithm to steer cyclists clear of the Riverwalk.
Scooter-related accidents and injuries are on the rise in Chicago
Reports of scooter-related accidents and injuries in Chicago are mounting. At least ten people went to emergency rooms in the first six days of the city’s dockless electric scooter pilot, according to Streetsblog. The most severe accident so far was a hit-and-run on Thursday in which a scooter user on the wrong side of the road crashed into a bicyclist in Wicker Park, leaving the cyclist unconscious and badly injured, reported Block Club.
A Landmark District may not save Pilsen’s historic churches
The effort to add Pilsen’s churches to the neighborhood’s proposed historic district took on new urgency this week. On Sunday, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that St. Adalbert Parish—which has been listed for sale by SVN Commerical Chicago since last fall—will hold its final mass on July 14. Now the fate of the 100,000 square-foot complex, which includes the Renaissance Revival church building designed by notable architect Henry J. Schlacks in 1912, is uncertain.
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