Good morning, Chicago.
To paint a picture of the Chicago-area housing market, visit an open house and look for the pile of shoes at the front door. That’s where potential buyers — who frequently remove their shoes before walking through the home — start sizing up the competition.
Real estate agents and brokers say the Chicagoland market continues to be defined by intense buyer demand for a limited number of homes for sale. It’s a market where homes are sometimes listed and then sold within days, if not hours, and where potential buyers often need to make offers that are above the asking price in order to be successful.
Tommy Choi, co-founder and realtor at Keller Williams ONEChicago, says the Chicago housing market was unusually “aggressive,” in the first half of the year. And agents say home prices — and competition — are expected to heat up even further this summer.
While the national housing market shows signs of cooling, the Chicago area, by all accounts, appears to be defying gravity.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including this week’s Chicago Media Report, the future of NASCAR end up in Chicago and Joliet and our guide for the best spots to eat and drink outside across Chicago this summer.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to release voter records sought by conservative activist
The Wisconsin Supreme Court yesterday rejected an attempt by a conservative activist to obtain guardianship records in an effort to find ineligible voters in the presidential battleground state.
The case has been wending its way through the courts for years and stems from attempts by conservatives to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin over President Donald Trump in 2020.
Mayor Brandon Johnson says aldermen’s provisions in budget $130 million short
Mayor Brandon Johnson took an early jab at budget opponents yesterday, revealing a set of revenues backed by what he dubbed the “corporate caucus” in this year’s budget have so far come up $130 million short.
Illinois among states seeing cases of cyclosporiasis, an illness that can cause explosive diarrhea
Some Illinois residents might find themselves running to the bathroom more often than usual this summer, amid higher numbers of cases of cyclosporiasis — an intestinal illness that can cause explosive diarrhea.
Chicago Media Report: Bob Stroud signs off at The Drive, iHeart layoffs and another Fox 32 exit
For nearly five decades, classic rock jock Bob Stroud has been guiding Chicago radio listeners on a journey from obscure one-hit wonders — Crabby Appleton, anyone? — to the iconic anthems embedded deep in the collective unconscious of baby boomers everywhere.
Last week, Stroud delivered his final “Ten at 10” on WDRV-FM 97.1, The Drive, his radio home for 25 years. It was a poignant swan song for the “Stroud Crowd” — his legion of loyal listeners built across a half-dozen stations.
‘The stench is putrid’: Nearly full Thornton reservoir brings sewage stink, increased flood risk
With the Thornton Composite Reservoir near capacity for the first time in its history, south suburban residents are fearful of more flooding and some are sickened by the stench of sewage.
After the round of pouring rain that swept the suburbs over the weekend, the Thornton Composite Reservoir reached 94% capacity, the fullest it has been since becoming operational in 2015, according to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
As of 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, the water level had receded slightly from that high to 93% capacity, or 7.3 billion gallons, according to the district’s website. The highest the reservoir has ever been before was in 2019, when it hit 54.5% capacity.
With billions of gallons of sewer water sitting open to the air, nearby residents have to deal with the stench.
After putting the street race on hold, could NASCAR end up in Chicago and Joliet next summer?
With a successful return to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet over July Fourth weekend in the rearview mirror, NASCAR is already mapping out its course for next summer.
Chicago may figure prominently in those plans.
While nothing is set, NASCAR is not only hoping to bring back the Chicago Street Race after a one-year hiatus, but perhaps add the long-dormant southwest suburban track to its regular schedule as well.
“It could be both,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s chief operating officer and great-grandson of the family-owned racing organization’s founder. “It’s a market that’s strong enough that absolutely we could have two events there in the future.”
Another US loss in World Cup’s round of 16 shows how far the national team still has to go
For all the growth in American soccer over the past quarter-century, the U.S. men’s national team remains stagnant.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie fared no better at the World Cup in 2022 and 2026 than Tim Howard, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore did in 2010 and 2014.
More World Cup coverage:
Patio guide: 22 spots to eat and drink outside across Chicago this summer
The start of summer this year has seen chaotic weather, from sunny skies one day to tornado warnings the next. But as we finally settle into the warm summer heat, it’s easier to plan a night out to enjoy the season that reminds many of us why we love this city so much.
For this year’s patio guide, we take a look at recently opened spots on the Northwest Side, patios along the historic Route 66, places to enjoy brunch or live music and patios to totally escape the bustling city.
Column: ‘Cash Only’ exhibit mixes booze and art and makes community
The definition of “dive bar” has changed over the generations, moving from dangerously down-and-dirty to charmingly unpretentious.
Art City’s promotional material refers to such places as “neon-lit institutions, sticky floors, jukeboxes, photobooths, and neighborhood taverns that have quietly served as Chicago’s unofficial community centers for generations.
Read ‘The Odyssey’ with Mary Beard, not with Elon Musk
As you progress through your summer reading, ask yourself: Do I really want to tackle “The Odyssey”? The Christopher Nolan-directed, star-jammed adaptation of the Greek epic arrives in movie theaters on July 17. And yet, do you want to lug Homer out to the beach this summer?
In need of some encouragement?
The ideal person for that job is Mary Beard, the professor emerita of classics at the University of Cambridge, and certainly the best-known ancient classicist in the world. She was in Evanston recently for a Chicago Humanities Festival talk at Northwestern University.
