Belt’s Top Stories of 2021
Ten pieces our readers kept coming back to.
The Reinvention of Vogue Fabrics
The Evanston, Illinois-based fabrics giant is closing its flagship retail location, marking the end of an era (but not the company).
A Public Art Project Tackles Unceded Land in Chicago
'Whose Lakefront' marks the Indigenous history of the Lake Michigan coast.
Greening West Woodlawn
The West Woodlawn Arboretum, in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, reflects a "new narrative" of "joy and abundance."
The Bird Patrol
Chicago is the most dangerous city in the country for birds. Meet the people who want to change that.
Fire in Peshtigo
The deadliest fire in U.S. history happened one hundred and fifty years ago near Peshtigo, Wisconsin. You’ve probably never heard of it.
What Chicago’s Major Taylor Trail Could Be
Marshall Taylor was a cycling legend. Residents say the trail that bears his name is an asset in need of investment.
Jessica Hopper’s Regional Sensibility
The Chicago writer's "no bullshit" approach shines through in the revised edition of "The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic."
There Is This We
Portraits and reflections on the legacy of Black women artists and arts workers in Chicago.
My Summer of Steel
Before my junior year of college, in 1972, I worked at the manufacturing plant where my father was a foreman. It was an education.
Riding the Fort Wayne Line
A proposed Amtrak route would restore passenger service between Chicago, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. Can new federal investment make it happen?
The Legend of Baby Huey
After fifty years and hundreds of hip hop samples, the iconic Chicago musician’s only record remains urgent and imperative listening.