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Chicago magazine

Matcho Man

Voice Coach

Brandon Begins • I wish Brandon Johnson well, as I do every mayor [“The Crusader,” June/July]. I might not agree with him, but it’s a huge lift, hard job, and I hope he can do what is needed. There is a lot of balance that he needs to put into his policies to get buy-in and make them work for everyone.

CITY OF BIG QUESTIONS

Talking Points • This month’s conversation starters

Office Complex • As companies flee big headquarters and office parks, suburbs are scrambling to reinvent those spaces — and themselves.

The Peacemaker • For Vaughn Bryant, an architect of antiviolence initiatives, making Chicago safer means playing the long game.

Wicker Man

Quiet, Fest! • Riot Fest, one of the city’s leading alternative music events, has a history of getting on its neighbors’ nerves.

Born Again • An up-to-date Kenwood townhouse was once part of a church.

MY NEIGHBORHOOD AUSTIN • CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION MENTOR AND COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER TARA STAMPS RECOMMENDS THREE THINGS TO SEE IN HER HOOD.

Carlos Gaytán • Chef, city runner, ocean diver, breakfast avoider

Cellar’s Market • Kokandy Productions has made a Wicker Park basement a destination for inventive musical theater.

AGENDA • Top 10 reasons to fill up your calendar this month

“Spice Garden of India” • At the buzzy Thattu, Margaret Pak focuses on the food of Kerala, her husband’s homeland.

A Command Performance • With a constantly changing menu and zero ego, Warlord is the city’s most exciting new place to eat.

Flavor Slices

California Dreaming

Here Comes the Sunchoke

The Hot List • 10 places everyone’s talking about (in order of heat)

Rebirth of Cool • A ground-up construction in Lake Bluff emphasizes texture over color.

The Well-Styled Shelf • Don’t think of it as just a storage compartment. Turn shelving into a mini showcase. Interior designer Jessica Lagrange explains how.

Super Soakers • Showering is out. Leisurely bath time is in. Make your tub the showpiece of your bathroom with any of these six stunners.

EVERYONE TELLS ME I HAVE A GREAT VOICE • You might think that’s all it takes. But Chicago’s voice-over actors know that making a career out of talking isn’t as simple as it sounds.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE • From cruising Route 66 to scuba diving in Cabo, these 12 trips are led by Chicago experts who will help you get the most out of your excursion.

Rule Breakers • Forget what you thought you knew about fashion. This fall, looking your best means ignoring conventional wisdom.

Time Machines • Chicago watchmaker Oak & Oscar keeps tradition ticking.

Boho Appeal • Stack up bangles, earrings, and more at a beloved brand’s first physical store — in the Southport corridor.

CHICAGO …at your fingertips

Nancy Villafranca-Guzman • Even in her shopping, the public arts administrator finds culture throughout the city.

avery r. young • Chicago’s poet laureate, 49, on hidden art, anger management, and poems that don’t rhyme