Kate Rockwood - Lifestyle

How We Compare

katerock — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:21:26 -0500

Not too many years ago, an experienced linguist could listen to a local news broadcast and guess by the announcer's accent where the show originated. That's probably unlikely today. The relentless mobility of Americans and the booming mass media, among other things, have scoured many of the regional distinctions across the country. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to see how the nation's five biggest cities compared across a range of business, social, and cultural categories...

Originally published February 2006, Chicago magazine

Out of the Past

katerock — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:43:47 -0400

December 7, 1941, may be a date that has lived in infamy, but for many Japanese-Americans it’s no more important than February 19, 1942. On that day President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, forcibly relocating 120,000 Japanese immigrants and their American-born children to internment camps in remote parts of interior states like Idaho and Arkansas...

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Originally published March 8, 2007, Time Out Chicago

Out of the Ashes

katerock — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:00:16 -0400

For years, artist Dan Peterman had labored to make something of the building at 6100 South Blackstone Avenue. In the mid-’80s, he joined a group that ran different ventures at the site, including arts studios and a recycling center. But he saw that the structure—which took up about a quarter of a city block—was falling into a state of disrepair: “It was in need of some serious attention,” he says. So, in the mid-1990s, Peterman began the process of buying the building and clearing out the recycling detritus that filled it...

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Originally published October 12, 2006, Time Out Chicago

Culture Compass

katerock — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:30:12 -0500

Midwest Current's picks for this spring's must-visit events.

The Duluth Home Grown Music Festival began as a birthday party, with a handful of bands and a few cases of beer. Nine years later, it's grown into a massive annual showcase of "rock and/or roll devil music." Duluth, April 27-May 4.

Originally published January 2008, Midwest Current

Triple Whammies

katerock — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:38:38 -0500

Forget waiting for the weekend. In a city where winter spills into April, Chicagoans know how to savor every moment of the day - whether it's on lunch break or Sunday morning at Maxwell Street Market (the Veronica Lake Band starts playing at 9:30 a.m.). So head outdoors for one of these triple whammies of sunshine, good food, and great music...

Originally published July 2007, Chicago magazine

Wright Tours Done Right

katerock — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:44:18 -0400

The only thing worse than figuring out what to get a family member for his or her birthday is figuring out what you should do with your family to celebrate your own birthday. With a sister who only eats hot dogs and grilled cheese, and a dad who'd rather get a tooth extracted than mosey through a museum, I was at a loss about how to celebrate the big 2-5 with my suburban-dwelling family...

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Originally published August 13, 2007, Centerstage Chicago

Salaries: Who Makes What?

katerock — Wed, 09 May 2007 09:49:39 -0400

A stenographer who makes more than Barack Obama. A doctor who makes less than a dog walker. And who knew personal shoppers could make more than twice as much as first-year public defenders? Our survey of annual salaries in Chicago gave us a few surprises - and reams of interesting conversations...

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Originally published April 2006, Chicago magazine

Thoroughly Modern Mies

katerock — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 23:46:21 -0400

Between living and working on the North Side and zipping down to the South Side to visit friends, I can go months without actually setting foot in the Loop. Good news if the thought of the financial district makes you itchy; bad news if you happen to love scoping out clusters of drop-dead gorgeous buildings...

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Originally published February 12, 2007, Centerstage Chicago

Public Art, Personal Favorites

katerock — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:06:38 -0500

Next time you nix the idea of spending $12 to check out the Art Institute, think outside the box (literally). Kevin Nance, who's been writing about art for 20 years, invites you to spend ten minutes (and no money) basking in the beauty of the public art that dots the city's streetscape. This North Carolina-native moved to Chicago in 2004 to become the arts and architecture critic for the Chicago Sun Times. He was immediately struck by the specific character of public art in Chicago and its tangled relationship to the architecture that surrounds it...

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Originally published January 24, 2007, Centerstage Chicago

Cool as Ice

katerock — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 23:30:20 -0500

Winter doesn't have to mean non-stop hibernation—nor does it mean you have to trade running by the lake for monotonous sessions on a treadmill. The next time you're torn between burrowing under blankets and braving the cold air, grab a few friends and head to one of these awesome ice rinks, where ice skating and hot chocolate will keep you warm and toasty while you have a blast and break a sweat...or play it extra warm and head to an indoor rink to practice this outdoor sport...

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Originally published November 27, 2006, Centerstage Chicago