I like to work in libraries sometimes. I'm looking for one with a relaxing atmosphere, private quiet rooms and easy parking. Any recommendations?

Saw this parked at the Hanover Park Train station today. Seems like they have people actively installing cameras.

Has anyone else heard about Mary Alice Love being killed by police in Mundelein during a mental health response? This happened back in May, why is this just going around now?

It is awesome and has a ton of stuff for the kids, but holy moly I don't think anyone considered the amount of static electricity the astroturf creates. My poor kid, I've zapped him HARD at least a dozen times helping him around the place. I got him in the face and he looked at me like WTF 🫪. I feel so bad. 😭

Hi, our air conditioning unit has been short cycling like crazy. We have a space pack system that wasn’t installed well (the unit is backwards in our attic!) and we are having trouble identifying the root cause of the short cycling. Trying to avoid our unit crashing out on us in the middle of summer. Does anyone have a recommendation for a company that specializes in this kind of system or issue? We’ve already had 3 come by and no solution yet.

Hello! My family and I are moving to Illinois early next year, and we're planning to move to Oak Park but I'm curious about River Forest. We have one child in grade school and two in daycare. I work remotely and my husband will be commuting to the West Loop.

We're really drawn to Oak Park because of the walkability, diversity, community feel, and things like the block parties and family events. That said, I've expanded my search a bit to start looking at River Forest. Our budget is around $800k and we're hoping to find a house that needs some updating. It seems like there are some homes in River Forest that fit our budget and come with slightly larger lots, which is definitely appealing. We also like the proximity to downtown Forest Park.

We visited both areas and walked around, and River Forest felt noticeably quieter—but it was also incredibly hot and humid that day and we only walked the part near Oak Park, so I'm not sure we got a fair impression.

For those of you who know both communities, what are the biggest pros and cons of each? I like the idea of larger yards in River Forest, and it also seems like parking might be a little easier, which would be nice since we often have family visiting (sometimes overnight). On the other hand, we're really looking for a strong sense of community, lots of kids, walkability, and an active neighborhood where it's easy to meet people. If that means giving up a little yard space for a better overall lifestyle, we're completely okay with that.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

I have a friend coming from out of country to stay in Chicago, and she plans on using the trains to get around and between the city and suburbs. Her phone, being on Mexican services, is unable to download the ventra app for one reason or another. I've only ever used the app to buy metra tickets and everything I see online says to get the app. I know at least for CTA she can buy the physical cards. Is there a way to ride metra without the app?

Hi, we are looking to do the Pokemon Go Fest raid make-up event on Sunday and were looking for some more recommendations for places in the northwestern suburbs area. We did Lincoln Park Zoo for the event two weekends ago and had a blast, but we don't want to go all the way into the city again so soon.

We have our long-standing favorite downtown areas in nearby cities in the far suburbs, but they are all outdoors and only moderately-dense with gyms.

We overheard that downtown Schaumburg (Town Center) is a really good spot, and on the maps it looks very dense with gyms and spins.

Woodfield Mall and Gurnee Mills are indoors, but weren't really that great for dense gyms / spins.

We would love to get some more recommendations for places to check out. Thank you in advance!

I'm relocating to the Schaumburg area this September for work. Since I'm not familiar with the area anymore, I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Here are my must-haves:

In-unit laundry

Central A/C

Garage (attached or covered preferred)

My budget is ideally under $2,300/month including utilities. Lower would obviously be ideal. 1bed or 2bed preferred.

Ideally, I’d like to be in Schaumburg but I’d be open to Hoffman Estates, Elk Grove Village, or Rolling Meadows if it’s within a 15-20 minute commute from Woodfield Mall.

If you've had a great experience with a particular apartment community (or know of any to avoid), I'd really appreciate your recommendations. Thanks in advance!

Eugene Lipov, MD, is hosting the inaugural Digital Toxicity Awareness Day event in Westmont on August 2.

The event will focus on smartphone overuse, doomscrolling, sleep, attention, and the possible biological effects constant phone use may have on the brain and body.

The idea behind “digital toxicity” is to create one clear umbrella term for the different problems associated with excessive smartphone use, including disrupted sleep, reduced focus, stress, brain fog, and mental exhaustion.

This is not about saying technology is bad. The goal is to have a practical, evidence-based discussion about how people can use technology without allowing it to take over their attention, sleep, and wellbeing.

Location:
Stella Mental Health
1 Oak Hill Dr, Suite 100
Westmont, IL

Date: August 2
Time: 12:00 PM Central Time
Cost: Free

There will also be a free YouTube Live option for anyone who cannot attend in person.

More information:
digitaltoxicityawareness.com

Do people in the area think this is a useful topic for a public event?

I'm curious what your favorite spots are along UP-N. I live in Rogers Park, Chicago near a UP-N train station and I realize I really haven't explored much of the North shore, north of Evanston. I am planning on taking a day to just ride the rail and check out the most interesting things I can find along the way. I'll probably bring my bike so your recommendations can extend a couple miles from a station, but probably not much more than that.

I'm interested in good restaurants, bars or breweries, museums, and oddball attractions.

What are your recommendations?

I am currently using Wheaton Orthodontics for my invisilign. Has anyone here (preferably an adult) used them? I am nervous about my progress so far. I am supposed to be done in two months and something does not feel right. I am worried I was pressured to use this business and it will have a poor outcome.

If it is helpful, I have straight teeth but an edge to edge bite.

Currently in chicago looking to move in the next few year. We have 1 child and plan to have another soon. Both would be 5 or under. One parent is an educator who would have to get a new job in this suburb or nearby. Other parent works off I-90 near hoffman estates. No pets. Politics don't matter much to us please no comments about red or blue. My parents live in CL which is why we want to be close so they can help with the kids. We live subdivisions or more rural but not too rural.... we don't really go out much or drink so that is not a factor. So far we like Algonquin, Huntley (although its a bit far). Any advice?