New Space

After five years of providing Lincoln Park with sand, indoor bags games and a venue in which to chug an entire fishbowl of brightly colored booze, Uncle Fatty's Rum Resort will close its doors May 4. Co-owner Brian Galati today announced that he and his partners will expand next-door Headquarters Beercade , which they also run, into the space currently occupied by Uncle Fatty's. "It was near and dear to our hearts," Galati said. "[Uncle Fatty's] was a concept everybody counted out in the beginning and here we are five years later.

After five years of providing Lincoln Park with sand, indoor bags games and a venue in which to chug an entire fishbowl of brightly colored booze, Uncle Fatty's Rum Resort will close its doors May 4. Co-owner Brian Galati today announced that he and his partners will expand next-door Headquarters Beercade , which they also run, into the space currently occupied by Uncle Fatty's. "It was near and dear to our hearts," Galati said. "[Uncle Fatty's] was a concept everybody counted out in the beginning and here we are five years later.

Northwestern University has already raised $55 million, more than a quarter of its $220 million goal, to build a brand new athletic complex on the north end of its main Evanston campus. University President Morton Schapiro and Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips made the fundraising announcement Sunday, two days before Northwestern's football team beat Mississippi in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. The win was the university's first bowl victory in 64 years.

Northwestern University has already raised $55 million, more than a quarter of its $220 million goal, to build a brand new athletic complex on the north end of its main Evanston campus. University President Morton Schapiro and Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips made the fundraising announcement Sunday, two days before Northwestern's football team beat Mississippi in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. The win was the university's first bowl victory in 64 years.

Chicagoans are really good at complaining about three things: the weather, sports and parking. Currently, I have no gripes about the first two, but the third, that one is a doozy. To make up for the rats in my kitchen and the crime rate, my new neighborhood has the luxury of free street parking - that is, if you can find a spot. By the time my lease expires, I'm sure I will have spent several days worth of my life driving around Rogers Park in search of parking. There are a few secrets (the lot at the end of my street that is free overnight)

Name a comedian - any comedian - and chances are that performer either passed through the doors of the famed Second City in Old Town or worked with someone who has. From Bill Murray to Tina Fey, the alumni list from the improv club boasts more big names than an issue of People magazine and more stars than the Oscars telecast. The Second City celebrated its 50th anniversary a couple of years ago, and the list of those who turned up included Jim Belushi, Steve Carell, Bob Odenkirk, Harold Ramis, Stephen Colbert, Catherine O'Hara, George Wendt, Martin Short - if you've seen a comedy (or a...

Suburban Mediterranean eatery Naf Naf Grill plans to add a fourth location downtown this September to will cater to the Loop lunch crowd with additional grab-and-go items. Naf Naf, which has locations in Naperville, Aurora and Niles, is currently renovating its new space at 309 W. Washington St., previously inhabited by Billy Goat Tavern. (The original Billy Goat, at 430 N. Michigan Ave., is still open.) According to Naf Naf manager Sabina Kastanova, the Loop location's to-be-determined menu will include some notable Naf Naf favorites, such as the eatery's...

Syfy's new space Western "Defiance" premieres April 15, but you can see almost 15 minutes of the post apocalyptic series right here! The show is set in a near-future Earth that has been destroyed by warring alien races, but then rebuilt and shared by those races and humans. The show stars Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Jaime Murray, Graham Greene, Tony Curran and Stephanie Leonidas as residents of the border town called Defiance, which has risen from the remnants of St. Louis. The series is part of a two-fer entertainment package that also includes Trion...

EAT $3.14 Pi Day Pizza Tuscany 1014 W. Taylor St. 312-829-1990 Whether or not you're a math whiz, you can observe National Pi Day with a dine-in deal on four signature pizzas - margherita, speck (gorgonzola, smoked prosciutto, mozzarella), salmino piccante (spicy salami, mozzarella, oregano, tomatoes) and fiorentina (sea salt flatbread, salad, heirloom tomatoes, shaved parmigiano) for $3.14 each. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. DRINK Grand Opening The Dog's Bollox 3210 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-860-9620 Patrick Eberle - formerly of...

After a lengthy battle with the city over regulation and permit issues, the Logan Square Kitchen has announced that its business is no longer economically viable and that it will permanently close its doors on June 28. The Logan Square Kitchen is a shared-use kitchen, which currently hosts about 20 active businesses, all of whom will need to find a new kitchen in order to keep their businesses operating. Ed Kraft, owner of The Baked Escape , said he is concerned that he may not be able to find a new home for his baked goods...

Name a comedian - any comedian - and chances are that performer either passed through the doors of the famed Second City in Old Town or worked with someone who has. From Bill Murray to Tina Fey, the alumni list from the improv club boasts more big names than an issue of People magazine and more stars than the Oscars telecast. The Second City celebrated its 50th anniversary a couple of years ago, and the list of those who turned up included Jim Belushi, Steve Carell, Bob Odenkirk, Harold Ramis, Stephen Colbert, Catherine O'Hara, George Wendt, Martin Short - if you've seen a comedy (or a drama, really)

Chicagoans are really good at complaining about three things: the weather, sports and parking. Currently, I have no gripes about the first two, but the third, that one is a doozy. To make up for the rats in my kitchen and the crime rate, my new neighborhood has the luxury of free street parking - that is, if you can find a spot. By the time my lease expires, I'm sure I will have spent several days worth of my life driving around Rogers Park in search of parking. There are a few secrets (the lot at the end of my street that is free overnight)

Not many Chicagoans say they live on the "eastside," unless they live in a house boat on Lake Michigan or sleep under the rafters of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at night. But in recent years, the number of people that call East Chicago home is growing, thanks to a blooming neighborhood being dubbed the New Eastside. "It's like a real village within the city," said Vanessa Casciano, community relations director for a 28-acre property development called Lakeshore East. "I think it's one of the hottest new neighborhoods in town.