November 2015

Continuing on with our 2015 Chicago Holiday Guide, today we’ll be featuring some of the hottest shows going on right now to get you in that festival holiday spirit. Along with all the world-class shopping and dining downtown Chicago has to offer, theatre in the Windy City is also among the best in the world, so whether you live here or are just visiting during the holidays, here’s a few live shows well worth checking out:

A Christmas Carol - Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

Showing November 14th to December 27th

Now in its 38th year at the Goodman, the classic Charles Dickens’ Christmas story never gets old, so its no surprise this one tops the lost.

The Nutcracker - The House Theatre, 1543 W. Division

Showing November 5th to December

While all the holiday lights, festivals, and various other seasonal events and activities help shape the holiday season in Chicago, few things relate more to this time of year than shopping. And given we’re lucky enough to live in one of the best shopping cities in the world, there’s certainly no shortage of options to find everybody on your gift-giving list the perfect present. But if you’re looking for some of the best places to begin all your holiday shopping, here are just a few of our favorite suggestions:

The Magnificent Mile


Easily Chicago’s most famous shopping district, if you can’t find a great gift on Michigan Avenue, chances are it doesn’t exist. From luxury retailers to some of the most recognizable brands in fashion, shopping

One of the many things that help define Chicago in the summertime are all the unique festivals that fill the neighborhood streets. Food vendors, arts and crafts dealers, and all kinds of live music and entertainment make for a pretty awesome scene at many of these local events, and although the weather isn’t quite as ideal in December, the holiday season in the Windy City is also loaded with all kinds of fun-filled festivals and events that help make winter just a little more tolerable.

So instead of being stuck indoors all month long, get out there and embrace what many consider the most wonderful time of the year by checking these and other great holiday festivals and markets happening all over town:

Christkindlemarket Chicago  - November 20th to

Nothing says brightens up the holiday season like festive holiday lights—literally. Starting around Thanksgiving time, cities all over the U.S. host any number of festivals, parades, and events that usually revolve around lighting up a Christmas Tree or putting on a festive light show to ring in the new holiday season, and here in Chicago, we take it to a whole new level.

As many of you know, this weekend is the annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, which of course is one of the Windy City’s most anticipated holiday events of the year, but along with that, there’s also plenty of places to check out some holiday lights and Christmas decorations, starting with these most-visited locations:

The Mag Mile Lights Festival - November 21

Although we

In many ways, it’s hard to believe the holiday season is once again upon us, but here we are, already halfway through November. Over the next couple weeks, we’re going to get you all caught up on what’s happening in Chicago during the 2015 holiday season and where to make the most of the most wonderful time of year.

To kick off our 2015 Chicago Holiday Guide, we’re going to feature all the best spots in the city to go ice skating this year, which truly is a favorite wintertime activity for Chicagoans near and far. And whether you’re quick on the ice or still a little dicey, these Chicago ice skating spots welcome anyone looking to have a little outdoor fun over the next few months:

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink  - Millennium Park

Probably Chicago’s

By now, most people have at least heard of 4 E. Elm and 9 W. Walton—two of the largest Gold Coast condo developments currently in the works. What some people may not be familiar with at this point, however, is 101 North, which seems to quietly be flying under the radar in a market that’s starving for new construction condos

Having been listed on the MLS now for just under a month, 101 North is a luxurious new boutique building that will stand 10 stories high once completed, while offering a location that puts residents just steps from where Chicago’s Gold Coast, Old Town, and Lincoln Park neighborhoods intersect.

With an elegant brick and limestone exterior, there’s no denying 101 North will blend seamlessly into the historic Gold Coast landscape. On

New construction around downtown Chicago has been on the rise for awhile now, especially when it comes to large-scale rental and apartment developments. Hundreds of high-end residences have been delivered all throughout the downtown area in 2015 and as we inch closer to the beginning of a new year, things don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

In fact, according to some reports, new construction in the entire Chicago metro area has seen constant progress over the past 12 months, with residential new construction at its highest level since the third quarter 2008. Recent statistics from MetroStudy—a Houston-based market leader in real estate stats and analysis—show developers in the Chicagoland region have started construction on 6,143 new residences