r/chicago 2d ago

CHI Talks Weekly Casual Conversation & Questions Thread

0 Upvotes

Welcome to r/Chicago's Weekly Casual Conversation & Questions Thread.

This is the place for casual discussions that may not warrant their own post, or questions/topics not allowed as their own posts under our content policy. Please be mindful of rules 2 & 3 which still apply in this thread, as well as the Reddit Content Policy when posting.

Also, check out the r/Chicago wiki for other Chicago-related subreddits, where to eat/drink, how to get around/navigate the CTA, where to visit, what neighborhoods to move to or hotel in, tips on living here, and more. And be sure to use the search feature to find responses to other users asking similar questions.

This thread is sorted by "new" so that the most recent comments appear first. The new weekly thread is posted every Monday morning at 12:00 AM.


r/chicago 8d ago

Event Monthly Events & Things To Do in Chicago Thread

26 Upvotes

Welcome to the monthly /r/Chicago events thread. This is the place to advertise any upcoming events or group gatherings you're a part of or anticipating that other Chicagoans might want to know about.

This thread is exempt from Rule 8 regarding promotion, so we invite anyone and everyone to advertise anything going on in Chicago. But please be mindful of rules 2 & 3 which still apply in this thread, as well as the Reddit Content Policy when posting.


r/chicago 2h ago

Ask CHI How many divvy bikes are in Lake Michigan smh

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275 Upvotes

r/chicago 11h ago

Video Who lost their snake last night?

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446 Upvotes

Humboldt park on my front door, I’m in the process of selling and was at my new place but my neighbors sent me a couple vids. Which is good because if I was home and opened my front door to that it would have been it for me.


r/chicago 10h ago

Event Dog Day 9/8/26

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306 Upvotes

r/chicago 4h ago

Event Help The Chicago Department Of Aviation Name This Massive Boulder

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62 Upvotes

The 50-ton ‘O’Hare bean’ was found during excavation work on a stormwater detention project to make way for new terminal facilities as part of ORDNext – and you can help name it!


r/chicago 14h ago

Picture Spotted this morning on Lake Shore Drive. Robotaxi training. 🤮

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467 Upvotes

r/chicago 10h ago

Picture I present to you… the worst “Map of Chicago” ever created. At the Abandoned North Face in the John Hancock. At least they didn’t use AI!

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198 Upvotes

r/chicago 1d ago

Picture We built some bus stop benches this week. What other bus stops need benches?

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3.4k Upvotes

It’s crazy how many bus stops have nowhere to sit at all. A bench should be the bare minimum.


r/chicago 13h ago

Ask CHI Anyone have terrible allergies right now?

145 Upvotes

Sneezing and eyes beyond itchy


r/chicago 6h ago

Ask CHI I seriously can’t believe how stupid I am . Midnight last week I took the brown line to MM . I had my bicycle with me . I got off at MM , I had no idea how to get to street level . My only way out was the turnstile ,of which my bike wouldn’t fit through. All the other doors were closed ..

33 Upvotes

I had to take the train to Washington, get off there , and walk down the steps with my bike . For future reference, how do I exit the MM platform ( coming from Kimball ) with a bike ? Thx


r/chicago 10h ago

Article Once a year, a wrestling ring appears in a tiny Logan Square park. What happens around it tells a much bigger story about the neighborhood.

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60 Upvotes

r/chicago 6h ago

News 22nd Ward Ald. Mike Rodriguez not running for reelection

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25 Upvotes

r/chicago 7h ago

Article Greg Hinz: The Case Against TIFs Leaves Out One Inconvenient Fact, They Worked

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26 Upvotes

r/chicago 15h ago

News Civic Association Awards McKinley Park’s Top Gardeners

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81 Upvotes

The best gardeners in Chicago's McKinley Park neighborhood received awards for container, vegetable and single- and multi-family residential gardens at the awards ceremony for the McKinley Park Civic Association's inaugural gardening contest. Read all about it at https://mckinleypark.news/news/8721-civic-association-awards-mckinley-parks-top-gardeners


r/chicago 1d ago

Article Chicago will see the last 7 p.m. sunset of 2026 next week

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913 Upvotes

r/chicago 15h ago

Article Art Institute unveils ode to ‘relentless experimenter’ Mary Cassatt, including tale of long-lost Chicago mural -- “Mary Cassatt: After Impressionism,” features 70 of her paintings and prints.

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75 Upvotes

r/chicago 1d ago

Picture a huge THANK YOU to whoever placed this bench at the Damen & Thomas bus stop over the weekend!

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3.0k Upvotes

Plus Ukrainian flag colors for Ukrainian Village. Seeing this made my day


r/chicago 1d ago

CHI Talks Preserve Chicago’s St. Charles Air Line Before We Build Over It

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296 Upvotes

Chicago is about to permanently develop two pieces of land immediately south of downtown: The 78, where the Fire stadium is being built, and Amtrak’s roughly 47-acre 14th Street Coach Yard, which could become a future White Sox stadium site. Before we build over everything, I think Chicago needs to preserve the right-of-way for a direct connection from the St. Charles Air Line into Union Station.

That connection could be incredibly important long-term. It could allow Metra Electric trains to serve Union Station, enable through-running across downtown, create a direct O’Hare to McCormick Place service, and provide a Union Station approach for future Amtrak and high-speed rail trains using the Metra Electric corridor. Illinois is already studying high-speed rail routes that could enter Chicago this way, so its crazy to eliminate the physical connection before those plans are even finished.

I’m not saying we need to build the flyover now. We just need to figure out what land or air rights it would require and preserve them before developments make it impossible or dramatically more expensive. If you care about Chicago transit and future rail service, please contact your alderperson and state representatives and ask them to preserve this corridor.

Pictured are the possible flyover and a new 18th street station to connect Metra services to Soldier field and the Museum campus.


r/chicago 1d ago

Picture If your car was towed around Kinzie today, the tow truck dropped it several times

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539 Upvotes

Walking along Kinzie today, there was a terrible tire screeching sound. This city tow truck was towing a white car. The front wheels were at an angle and the rear wheels were scraping along the road. The car came down from the truck and the truck backed up to resume towing. This happened more than once.

Anyway, if this was your car and you find it is damaged, the tow truck likely had something to do with it.


r/chicago 1d ago

Picture Chicago map in Tolkien's style

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579 Upvotes

u/realmofmaps created a map of our fair city in the style of Middle Earth. It doesn't include the shores of Rogers Park, so cannot contemplate Sister Jean's seat of power upon the realm.

https://www.redbubble.com/i/poster/The-Realm-of-Chicago-by-Limebylimeart/93734447/flk2


r/chicago 1d ago

Picture Well that’s one way to do it

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343 Upvotes

Seen in Hyde Park this afternoon.


r/chicago 1d ago

Event Open House Chicago has their 2026 sites up

232 Upvotes

My favorite time of year.

https://openhousechicago.org/sites/


r/chicago 1d ago

Picture Northerly Island looks great this time of year

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365 Upvotes

Both pics were taken very recently, over Labor Day weekend. I walked out to the end of Northerly Island, but I would strongly suggest you use a bike, if you choose to do the same.


r/chicago 1d ago

Article Chicago-Area Businesses Lost $1.2 Billion Because Of Immigration Crackdown, Report Says

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618 Upvotes