Judy Sutton Taylor

Sheboygan, WisconsinThe drive: 2.5 hours
Sheboygan has long been known as the home of the bratwurst (and more recently as the go-to spot for Vera Pizza Napoletana–certified wood-fired pizzas at one of my favorite restaurants, Il Ritrovo). But what I love most about this small city halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay is its lesser-known claim to fame as the Malibu of the Midwest. Thanks to a shoreline that juts into Lake Michigan, exposing it to wind from several directions, Sheboygan is a...

Shanghai Inn
“This old-school Chinese restaurant was my grandmother’s favorite. My family makes a point to get together here on her birthday. My go-to order is the Sichuan tofu.” 4723 N. Damen Ave.
Western Brown Line Stop
“It contains a piece of the Berlin Wall. The East German side is clean and the West German is all graffitied. I love this connection to the neighborhood’s German roots.” 4648 N. Western Ave.
Laurie’s Planet of Sound
“When my nonmusician friends say, ‘Let’s hang out,’ I sugge...

A mix of chutzpah and attention to detail has enabled founder and co-owner Ryan Martin to attract top-tier standups to the 302-seat Den Theatre in Wicker Park. For example: John Mulaney, who’s had multidate gigs at the United Center, played the Den in February; Tom Segura was there in October; Maria Bamford will return in December. “I’m pretty bold when it comes to going after big things,” says Martin. “But we also worked hard to create an environment that feels good for both our customers an...

Once consumers and their elected officials learn about puppy mills, “they want nothing to do with them,” says Melanie Kahn of the Humane Society of the United States.
How much is that doggy in the window?
Thanks to a growing number of laws passed by municipalities across the United States banning pet stores from selling animals from commercial breeders, the more appropriate question for consumers hoping to add to their families might be "What's the adoption fee for that doggy from the shelter...

YES Weekly Shopping Guide

Chicago Magazine gift guides and product round-ups

By Judy Sutton Taylor
10 expert tips for stress-free holiday entertaining, whether you’re hosting a cookie swap, cocktails, dinner, or an all-out soiree
1. Plan ahead to get your house in tiptop shape
If you’re thinking of hiring a preparty cleaning service, schedule a month ahead for coveted time slots like Fridays, suggests Kimberly Monesinos, owner of Crystal Klear Cleaning in Naperville (crystalklearcleaning.net). “If your home has not been thoroughly cleaned in a while, begin with a deep...

The Friday Morning Swimmers

Photography by Sandro

It started with a simple idea: Let’s jump in the lake. At Nicole Novotny’s urging, she and a small group of friends, including Andrew Glatt, would get together on Thursday nights in 2021 near Belmont Harbor to swim and socialize. Soon enough, Glatt started swimming on Friday mornings at the ledge near Montrose Harbor. Novotny joined him, bringing coffee for their post-dip hangs, followed by a few more friends, a group of eight swimmers that qu...

“I was heartbroken thinking that my favorite Chicago consignment store, the Xchange, had shuttered in 2020. I assumed it was a COVID casualty. In my 20 years of wearing an exclusively secondhand wardrobe, the Edgewater store was where I purchased half the threads I’d donned at the Green Mill for Machete shows in recent years. Dressing myself without the help of the Xchange’s famously friendly proprietor, Amir Ali, seemed vexing. So, learning Ali had moved to a new store in Lake View East, thr...

Adrianne Hawthorne started painting in 2018 as a way to unwind. After selling pieces at a show in her home, the artist — who works remotely as a designer for Google — saw there was a market for her work. She began selling at art fairs, from the backs of trucks — anywhere and everywhere. “But I wanted a space of my own,” she says. “I wanted to stop playing by someone else’s rules.”
That space is Ponnopozz, a one-of-a-kind color explosion of a boutique that moved from a tiny studio to a Damen A...

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A lot of people are interested in doing good while on vacation, but aren’t ready to dedicate their whole trip to volunteering—and that’s okay! If you’re interested in adding a Travel For Good component on your next trip, the following opportunities promise to leave you feeling good, knowing that your travels have made a positive difference in the world.
Be a Flight Volunteer for an Animal Rescue Group
International rescue groups in the Caribbean, Asia and Central America export dogs to homes ...

At Brown Elephant Resale Shops, you’ll find furniture, vintage fashion, additions to your vinyl collection … pretty much anything and everything you need (or didn’t know you needed). Long considered secondhand meccas by local thrifters for their well-organized and well-edited selections, the three locations in Lake View, Andersonville, and Oak Park stock donated treasures that run the gamut from kitsch (Mr. T Chia planter, anyone?) to serious scores (Gucci kitten heels, an original Keith Hari...

As a teenager, Devanchey Bell commuted from his home in West Garfield Park to Gordon Tech High School (now DePaul College Prep) in Lake View. “I couldn’t believe these two worlds were just a few miles apart,” says Bell, now 27. “But I saw so many parallels in people from both places, and that intrigued me.”
Bell launched the good-vibes-focused streetwear brand Goodsinners in 2018 to combine his love of fashion with his desire to bring people together. “Ideas like ‘Give More Love’ and ‘Peace’ ...