Le photographe japonais Satoki Nagata a récemment publié une série de clichés magnifiques en noir & blanc réalisée en se baladant dans la ville de Chicago où il réside. Des images splendides dans une série « Chicago Lights Photography » à découvrir sur son portfolio et dans la suite de l’article.
For a company that started with truck tarps and military-grade clasps, Chicago-based Defy Bags has taken an unexpected route toward making luxury goods. Founder Chris Tag’s emphasis has always been on apocalypse-ready gear for urban commuters, but that’s all changing with the new Luxe, a briefcase that’s ready for…
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Over the past three years Rebuilding Exchange (RX) has served designers, architects and builders in Chicago as a retail outlet for reclaimed building materials. Since the non-profit’s inception the warehouse has developed a strong reputation for promoting sustainable deconstruction practices and has grown to offer instructional design classes, job…
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E’ uscito il primo numero di The Chicagoan, una media-company no profit con l’intento di diffondere la cultura di Chicago e dintorni. La trovate qui.
Behind the scenes with the famous indie label and what to expect at their SXSW Showcase
In partnership with MasterCard, on 16 March 2012 we’ll be streaming the Sub Pop Showcase live from SXSW in Austin to parties in NYC, LA, DC, SF and Chicago. In anticipation of the showcase we shot this video at Sub Pop’s headquarters in Seattle to get to know the label a little better.
Visit Tap into Austin 2012 to catch the Sub Pop Showcase livestream on Friday night and learn more about what’s happening in Austin during SXSW.
From the beachside to the Big Apple, our choice locales and travel essentials of the past year
After yet another year of seemingly endless adventure, we look back on our favorite trips of 2011 and the items we bring when we take to the road. With the right gear and the right destination, a last-minute red-eye becomes a welcome surprise.
Hôtel Americano and GoToob
We loved the minimalist, Mexican style of this NYC hotel when it first opened, and it hasn’t lost any of its charm to date. To complement the no-fuss decor of the hotel and the collateral lack of counter space inherent to any Manhattan property, our accessory of choice is this highly functional suction cup fluid container for shower essentials.
The Tides Zihuatanejo and Patagonia Travel Duffle
The perfect accompaniment to the azure waters at Zihuatanejo is this colorful lightweight duffel from Patagonia. Easy packed away within its own pocket, this is the perfect bag-within-a-bag for the rugged luxury of this resort on Mexico’s Pacific shoreline. The pampered service at the Tides and endangered turtle breeding grounds nearby make this one spot we hope to return to in 2012.
Wanderlust Hotel and Lights-Out Sleep Mask
Our top choice for Singapore’s busy lifestyle, the Wanderlust Hotel is not without its share of neon lights and monochromatic furniture. To recover from rowdy nights out on the town—and survive what may be a long flight for readers in the West—we advise bringing along a sleeping mask, this one featuring a molded shape that helps induce uninterrupted REM sleep.
Public Hotel Chicago and Powerbag
As primarily practical travelers, we appreciated the Public Hotel’s commitment to deliver top-notch service at a manageable price. Taking advantage of their free wi-fi, the Powerbag delivers that extra bit of juice to our devices as we edit away in the hotel lobby.
Hotel du Marc and Pro Messenger AW Series
The old-world luxury of the Hotel du Marc—former residence of Madame Clicquot—calls for a traveler with camera in-hand. The Lowepro system marks our newly discovered favorite camera bag going into 2012, and certainly does the trick when snapping shots of something so grand as a French mansion-turned-hotel.
Low-cost luxury in a renovated Chicago landmark
Fed up with the overpriced minibars and underacheiving service standards that plague the American hotel industry, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager recently unrolled Public, an affordable luxury hotel in downtown Chicago. Schrager reclaimed the walls of the Ambassador East Hotel and its classic restaurant Pump Room, imbuing a shock of new life into the historic structure. With value and simplicity as the stated ethos, Public marries upscale luxury travel with almost unbelievably affordable prices.
I was a guest of the Public on a recent trip to Chicago and was immediately impressed by the hotel’s pared-down look and flawless service. With austere lighting and dark interiors, the new appearance is a departure from the glitz and glam of the Pump Room of bygone days, which hosted celebrities of all walks from the Queen of England to Richard Pryor. For the restaurant, Schrager kept the name, ditched the dress code and over-priced entrees, and brought in chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to head up the kitchen. Needless to say, the food is delicious.
The Public’s 285 rooms are individually furnished with an uber-clean, but still slightly eclectic aesthetic to appeal to people of varying tastes. The new direction for Schrager signals a change in demand from travelers, who are willing to trade terry-cloth complimentary robes for a more economical experience. The Public defines its own brand of luxury in the simplicity, efficiency and convenience that the hotel offers. The Public Express—a short menu of healthy meals crafted by Jean-Georges—was a high-speed version of room service that I enjoyed almost immediately upon arrival.
In addition to great suites and common spaces, the hotel also has a few more add-on amenities to boast about. The meeting spaces are ideal for creative workshops, a real boon considering Chicago’s centralized location that makes it a perfect meeting point for businesses. The downstairs library and coffee bar offers international java drinks, so you can have your pick of café con leche, caffé latte or café au lait depending on your European lean. The fitness room is located on the upper floors and features an amazing view of the Chicago skyline, something greatly appreciated by health-conscious frequent flyers tired of exercising in dismal hotel basements.
Public is open for reservations with rates starting at $135. The company has confirmed that their next location will be opening in NYC in 2012.
Dezeen Wire: 11 design teams including OMA, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Zaha Hadid, Grimshaw Architects and HOK have been shortlisted in a competition to redesign the public spaces at Chicago’s Navy Pier development.
The 11 candidates were chosen from over 50 entries by multidisciplinary teams consisting of landscape architects, urban, graphic and lighting designers, art curators and architects.
Steve Haemmerle, Executive Vice President of Navy Pier Inc. said: “We are looking for teams that have exhibited design leadership and an innovative approach to the design of passive landscapes, urban civic spaces and active commercial environments. The teams on our shortlist have a significant record of accomplishment and standing within the design community.”
The announcement of the winning design is set for February next year. Details of the shortlisted teams are included in a press release from the Navy Pier Inc, which you can see here.
Organic small-batch spirits entirely handcrafted in the heart of Chicago
Just a few blocks from Hollywood Beach in Andersonville is Koval, Chicago’s first boutique distillery since the days of prohibition. Robert and Sonat Birnecker, the husband-and-wife team behind Koval, handcraft vodka, whiskey, brandy and liqueurs entirely from scratch, drawing on Robert’s long lineage in the brewery business as well as the farm-fresh grains and produce the Midwest region has to offer.
Unlike many small-batch producers, Koval doesn’t start with a pre-made base. From mashing to bottling, they keep the entire process in-house, distilling their entirely organic spirits in a custom-built Kothe Destillationstechnik potstill from Germany. The still’s elongated whiskey helmet, designed specifically for grain spirits, allows a greater surface area for the liquor to develop a full aroma and distinct flavor.
Koval started out by producing five single-grain white whiskeys, which are more flavorful than vodka and slightly more intense than aged whiskey. With its powerful punch, white whiskeys make great mixed drinks. For sippers, they also distill regular and dark single-grain aged whiskeys, branded under the name Lion’s Pride. Like the white whiskeys, the Lion Pride varieties include rye, wheat, oat, spelt and millet, all matured in new American oak barrels sourced from The Barrel Mill in central Minnesota.
We tried a few of Koval’s spirits, finding that each style had a definitively different flavor. The Levant Spelt white whiskey tastes like a slightly bland moonshine, but would serve as a good base for a cocktail with heartier mixers, while the sweeter Lion’s Pride regular rye would work well in a Manhattan that’s easy on the vermouth. We enjoyed the Lion’s Pride dark millet as a sipping whiskey, and the rosehip liqueur would go great in a lavender martini or other floral drink.
Prices vary depending on type, but on average a 750-milliliter bottle of Koval whiskey runs around $40 and sells online from West Lakeview Liquors or from Koval’s brick-and-mortar shop.
From modern haberdasheries to hole-in-the-wall taquerias, our latest jumping-off points for navigating the Second City
Known alternately as the Windy City and Second City, Chicago may be more known for what it isn’t (New York), than what it is. Home to the third-largest South Asian, Mexican and Puerto Rican populations in the U.S., a just-announced bike-sharing program and a growing cast of restaurants serving up much more than just deep-dish, there’s plenty of reasons to check out the northerly metropolis. Get the rundown on what to do while you’re there in our newly-up-to-date CH Local guide, which includes the standout joints below.
Upstairs from Jack Spade’s Oak Street shop is Shrine Haberdashers, a well-edited boutique stocking handcrafted artisan accessories (pocket squares, rings, cuff links, etc.), leather goods, ties, hats and scarves. An excellent spot for sourcing hard-to-find accessories, gifts or other dapper duds, the Shrine and Spade combo is a great place for guys to pick up some classic threads.
Andersonville has become known for its eclectic mix of vintage furniture and housewares shops like Scout and Roost, but a newcomer arrived in 2010, adding a bit of edge to the Far North Side young professional enclave. Transistor, owned by husband-and-wife duo Andy Miles and Rani Woolpert, is a multi-use space. Framed photos of live music gigs and urban scenes grace the walls; letterpress stationary and cutting-edge turntables line the shelves; and hard-to-find music magazines and hardcover culture coffee table books abound. And, depending on the day, Transistor hosts live radio shows, comedy performances and film screenings.
Edging out Rick Bayless’ River North spot Xoco for down-and-dirty Mexican street food, Big Star (from the team behind Avec, Blackbird and the Violet Hour) is a must-hit for tacos al pastor, tacos de pollo and tacos de pescado. Dig in to the always-fresh guacamole, queso fundido and pickled vegetables, and wash it down with a super cheap beer or choose a shot of whiskey from their extensive list of Southern-inspired spirits. Take some tacos away from the walk-up window, or stake your claim on the sprawling patio in the summertime and soak up some rays.
Images of Big Star by Chris Tsuyuki
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
