The August Issue Of Chicago Magazine

Sadly, the August issue of Chicago Magazine will be my last physical copy of that publication. The magazine has decided to stop subscriptions by mail and only distribute the publication via home delivery in conjunction with their parent company, the Chicago Tribune. An online copy is, of course, available, but it is really just not the same. In any case, this month's issue was pretty interesting. The cover story is titled The Best Seats in Town. At first I thought it would just be about seating in sports arenas, but it actually is about the best places to sit everywhere in Chicago, be it a window seat at Miller's Pub for peoplewatching, taking the 56 Milwaukee bus to get a tour of Chicago then and now, where to seat at Northwestern's Matin Stadium to get "sweeping views" of Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline, and many more wonderful spots to plant yourself in Chicago. It was very much like a guidebook to Chicago, and very informative. There was also an article about the 40th anniversary of The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, a two-hour live broadcast from the basement of Chicago's Lexington Hotel, Al Capone's headquarters, hosted by Geraldo Rivera. The vault turned out to be empty, but the ratings for the show were sky high and it paved the way, for better or worse, for reality television. There is also an article listing Chicago's Top 50 Restaurants, most of them pretty pricey but also some reasonably priced ones, too. Number 36 is Sanders BBQ Supply Co., located in the South Side Beverly neighborhood, just to the west of Brainerd, where I grew up. Another article discusses a new book about Chicago gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson. A very interesting issue indeed. And what the hell, maybe I will still continue to read Chicago Magazine online, although reluctantly so.