I am in my late 30s and have a good relationship with my parents. We speak on the phone weekly. Last Sunday, my mother informed me that they gave my sister a chunk of money to help with a down payment on a house. She told me I wouldn’t receive a matching sum because my husband and I already own a house and his parents gave us a generous gift when we were buying it. My parents aren’t wealthy, so I understand their decision. Still, it stings! I think my parents are making assumptions about my financial position. I also believe their choice to give money to my younger sister is a declaration of greater love for her. Should I bring this up again? SARAH You should definitely bring it up if this gift is going to interfere with your relationship with your parents or your sister. (I can’t tell if this is a passing sting or one that may lead to lasting resentment.) Before you do, though, consider a few points to make the conversation more productive. Our parents’ money is theirs. Whether … [Read more...]

In a penthouse suite at the Gramercy Park Hotel on a cloudy fall day not long ago, the actress Gabrielle Union was stretching her body out on a chartreuse velvet couch: resting her long legs with ease, a red pillow propped up behind her, saying absolutely nothing. Though the tiny room was filled with half a dozen people — Ms. Union’s publicist, a photographer clicking away, the photographer’s assistant, Ms. Union’s stylist, her makeup artist, her hairdresser and this reporter, who slunk quietly into a corner — the space was silent. The silence went on for a few minutes. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere one might expect around someone like Ms. Union, who, at least on social media, appears to be a natural extrovert. And who, as an advocate of sexual-assault victims for over 20 years, feels a deep need to be emotionally available, open and talking. After a few minutes, once she was comfortable, Ms. Union asked for some music. “Tina on shuffle?” her … [Read more...]

In a season of over-the-top future-baroque influences, designers have found their muse in a classically trained German operatic countertenor who fell to earth with white face paint and Dadaesque ensembles. Klaus Nomi’s out-of-this-world look — an androgynous amalgam of intergalactic wanderer and dejected punk clown — could be seen in collections as diverse as Boudicca (stiff triangular skirts), Givenchy (New Wave splashes of red over white) and Paco Rabanne (space-age jackets with important shoulders). It’s only natural that Nomi’s artificial life form should resonate in fashion — his affect was entirely self-created. When Klaus Sperber crash-landed in New York in the early 1970’s, he could have been mistaken for a stylistically challenged exchange student. Fortunately, outsiders were in. Upon meeting the performance artist Ann Magnuson, he belted out an impromptu aria, and she recruited him for Irving Plaza’s New Wave Vaudeville show, where freakishness was de rigueur: a flier from … [Read more...]

0 This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own. Arts & Entertainment NEW FOLK concert program will take place at 8 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 18 in Naperville and at 7:30 p.m. on Mon., Sept. 20 in Chicago. Natalia Dagenhart Community Contributor Posted Reply This concert program will feature award-winning violinist Tessa Lark, who is considered to be one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time. Chicago Sinfonietta By Natalia Dagenhart "So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it," said American composer Aaron Copland. It's an absolute truth, and nothing can change it. Music has existed from the beginning of times and it will live forever. The musicians from Chicago Sinfonietta are happy to support this message by bringing their live concerts back on stage. … [Read more...]

0 Real Estate The 2001-built blufftop estate includes one of the North Shore's largest private beaches. Jonah Meadows Patch Staff Posted | Updated Reply WINNETKA, IL — More than five and a half years and 37 price cuts after it was first listed for sale, a lakefront mansion last week sold for $5.5 million — just 56 percent of its original asking price. Built in 2001, the blufftop French Provincial-style property became the third Winnetka home in less than two months to sell for more than $5 million, according to Redfin. The home's single owner put it up for sale in February 2016 with a $9.75 million asking price, placing it among the most expensive listings in the suburbs at the time. The six-bedroom home includes eight balconies facing the lake and about 150 feet of lakefront, one of the largest private beaches on the North Shore, according to the listing. "It is one of the largest private beaches … [Read more...]

0 Business The taproom's menu includes Oktoberfest brews, ciders and other beers on tap, as well as Malört. Press Release Desk News Partner Posted Reply Press release from Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce: September 13, 2021 The taproom's menu includes Oktoberfest brews, ciders and other beers on tap, as well as Malört. by Alex V. Hernandez / Block Club Chicago / September 10, 2021 LINCOLN SQUARE — After months of renovations, the former Huettenbar reopened Thursday as the Lincoln Square Taproom. The bar at 4721 N. Lincoln Ave. offers neighbors Märzen-style beers from local breweries, like Maplewood and Old Irving Brewing, just in time for Oktoberfest. Huettenbar closed late last year. Lincoln Square Taproom owner Andrew Pillman overhauled the space to make it more modern while preserving as much of Huettenbar's old-world charm. The taproom's menu includes a traditional cider from Eris … [Read more...]