I was born in Elgin, 10 minutes before my twin brother, Tim. He has since made up for his tardiness in height, towering over me today by about 1 and 1/2 feet. He and I are tied for the youngest in the family—though I like to consider myself a middle child—and have two older brothers. I grew up on one of the last standing farms in what is now the well-developed area of Prairie View. For those who do not know the town, it is a northwest suburb of Chicago sandwiched in the middle of Long Grove, Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire. I moved to Minnesota to attend Winona State University, which is situated right on the Mississippi River. During my time there, I left for six months to study abroad in Granada, Spain, where I traveled throughout the provinces and even ran with the bulls in Pamplona. I returned to Illinois in June 2007 after graduating with a B.A. in Mass Communications: Journalism and Spanish. I wrote for The Daily Chronicle in DeKalb until June 2010. There, I covered education for about two years, crime for nearly one and during my home stretch, delved into issues centered on the governments of DeKalb County and the City of Sycamore.
Seven months after shutting down the No. 11 bus, many Lincoln Avenue businesses say they haven’t seen a drop in customers, but the negative effects may be forthcoming.
The ballpark upgrades, hotel, triangle plaza and more have all been given the green light, just one day after approval by the Zoning Committee.
The ballpark upgrades, hotel, triangle plaza and more have all been given the green light, just one day after approval by the Zoning Committee.
The ballpark upgrades, hotel, triangle plaza and more have all been given the green light, just one day after approval by the Zoning Committee.
Learn about the new features on Lincoln Park Patch and help us improve even more.
Learn about the new features on Bucktown-Wicker Park Patch and help us improve even more.
Learn about the new features on North Center-Roscoe Village Patch and help us improve even more.
The pedestrian bridge, hotel entrance and additional signage in the outfield are among the changes. Now City Council could vote as early as Wednesday.
Curious about the talk of the town? We'll tell you with our new daily feature, "Today in Bucktown, Wicker Park."
By today, the communities should nearly double their existing Divvy bike share stations, according to an announcement made on Tuesday. Read on and consult our map to learn where you'll find them.
Every year, Hockey Hall of Fame employees travel with the Stanley Cup to make sure it remains safe. Mike Bolt has been doing it for 14 years. He talked to Patch Tuesday about 2010 vs. 2013, and more.
Any chance you spotted Rahm Emanuel at this year's Taste of Chicago?
Eater's periodical restaurant list focuses on answering the question, "Can you recommend a restaurant?"
Curious about the talk of the town? We'll tell you with our new daily feature, "Today in Lincoln Park."
A designer of custom, eclectic jewelry is opening his first store slightly east of Bucktown's border near Clybourn and Ashland avenues. Read on for details.
A designer of custom, eclectic jewelry is opening his first store on Clybourn Avenue. Read on for details.
The pedestrian bridge, hotel entrance and additional signage in the outfield are among the changes. Now City Council could vote as early as Wednesday.
The pedestrian bridge, hotel entrance and additional signage in the outfield are among the changes. Now City Council could vote as early as Wednesday.
Friday night's Pearl Jam concert dipped into Saturday, as the band's frontman, Eddie Vedder, sang until the clock struck 2 a.m. Among the show's highlights was the performance of a song about the friendly confines. Watch it here on Patch.
Friday night's Pearl Jam concert dipped into Saturday, as the band's frontman, Eddie Vedder, sang until the clock struck 2 a.m. Among the show's highlights was the performance of a song about the friendly confines. Watch it here on Patch.