Maps are more convenient than ever for finding the shortest route to your dinner reservation, but what do they tell us about the history of our city and state?

The iconic Heartland Cafe, which for more than 40 years sat at the corner of Glenwood and Lunt avenues in Rogers Park, is being torn down. We look back at its history as a community hub.

Geoffrey Baer deposits some knowledge about buildings left behind by the banking panics of the Great Depression.

After 77 years, the founding company of Ebony and Jet magazines will soon cease to exist. We talk with two former writers and editors about the history and legacy of Johnson Publishing.

A semi-pro baseball team once bested the big leagues on the Northwest Side. Geoffrey Baer takes a swing at local baseball history and its “outlaw clubs.”

More than 2,800 streets make up Chicago’s famous grid, and city planners and developers drew the streets’ names from all sorts of people and places – including some of our own politicians.

Forty years ago, Chicago elected its first female mayor. We remember the historic victory of former Mayor Jane Byrne.

Preservation Chicago has released its annual list of Chicago’s most threatened historic buildings – and this year, it includes two return entries and an entire category of buildings that dot Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Just how did Chicago wind up with 50 wards and 50 aldermen? Geoffrey Baer does the math in this edition of Ask Geoffrey. And: five fast facts about Chicago mayors past.

For almost 50 years, 20th Century TV and Stereo has repaired stereos, tape decks, VCRs and more. But the mom-and-pop shop is fighting to remain relevant as technology continues to evolve.  

After decades of neglect and decay, Chicago’s historic Uptown Theater is finally being brought back to life. And some of the original light fixtures – painstakingly restored – will soon make their way back to the 1925 movie palace.

When walking through Chicago’s older neighborhoods, you can often find hints about the history of their buildings just by looking up. Geoffrey Baer looks back – and up – at some architectural gems.

A new book by Chicago-based author Greg Borzo explores the city’s bygone restaurants, from the high-end to the bizarre.

How a recently discovered film shot in Chicago more than 120 years ago still makes a powerful statement – without saying a word.

Books about Chicago and the city’s impact around the world are featured in the new book, “Chicago by the Book.” Why some made the cut – and others didn’t.

After more than four decades, a beloved Rogers Park restaurant is shutting down – possibly for good – at the end of the year.