Meeting commuters at the Belmont ‘L’ station, Republican gubernatorial contender Darren Bailey framed his platform around public transit safety, cost-of-living relief, and bridging the divide between Chicago and downstate Illinois.
A Cook County judge upheld city approval of a Streeterville cannabis dispensary, rejecting conflict-of-interest claims against a zoning official and declaring a Montessori school a “commercial daycare” to bypass a mandatory 500-foot buffer.
Property owners battered by runaway insurance rates now have a state referee empowered to challenge hikes, but whether landmark consumer laws will actually lower bills or spark an industry retreat remains an open question.
Squeezed by double-digit property tax hikes and new City Hall regulations, Chicago landlords are sounding the alarm—with many questioning if owning rental housing here is still worth the cost and liability.
The 150-year-old Wacker House at 1838 North Lincoln Park West, an iconic Swiss chalet Victorian landmark, is undergoing severe alterations that have drawn outrage from preservationists and neighborhood leaders.
A 25-year prison sentence for a gunman who fired at a fleeing resident and a swift parole revocation for his co-defendant have brought finality to the prosecution of an armed hold-up inside a River North parking garage.
North Side homebuyers face a brutally competitive market as median prices hit a record $500,000 in Q2 2026. With inventory down nearly 23 percent, frantic bidding wars are forcing buyers to act fast and pay well over asking price to secure a home.
Driven by nearly $700M in real estate investment, steadying office vacancies, and a $395M boost from arts and culture, the Loop’s economy gained momentum in Q2 2026, according to a new report from the Chicago Loop Alliance.
While the slow-moving creep of gentrification across Chicago can disrupt apartment renters, it also serves as a vital wealth-building tool for working-class homeowners—a complex reality now clashing with a wave of strict new city housing ordinances.
City officials say bike lanes aren’t hurting local business, but for shopkeepers losing street parking and drivers negotiating narrowed roads, Chicago’s transit shift feels less like progress and more like a high-speed squeeze.
