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Felicia Dechter

Felicia Dechter is an award-winning columnist, journalist and photographer, born and raised in Chicago. She lives on the city’s North Side with her husband of …

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Oak Park family enjoys magazine honor

OAK PARK — When Diane and Chris Fascione moved to Oak Park 18 years ago from Chicago’s North Side, they wanted a place to live where “we had neighbors we had an affinity for and could easily talk about things important to us.” “We wanted …

Book reveals techniques to grow businesses

Oak Park resident Bruce Hodes’ favorite place in the world is on top of a mountain where he has a view of 1,500 feet in every direction. Hodes has climbed many mountains, literally and figuratively. His business, CMI (Crusading, Marauding Interveners), is a corporate team-building …

Oak Park seeking award-winning preservation

The hunt is on for nominations for the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission’s Historic Preservation Awards, so if you or anyone you know has done anything noteworthy, the deadline is Aug. 24 to enter. Nominations can be for work done to single-family homes; commercial and …

Oak Park remodeled home wins design awards

Those folks at the Hinsdale-based Normandy Remodeling sure know how to make a place gorgeous. A two-story, Oak Park home addition recently won Normandy designer Stephanie Bryant the 2011 Remodeling Excellence Award from National Association Remodeling Industry (NARI) of Greater Chicagoland. First place The first …

Wright great-grandson opens studio in Oak Park

S. Lloyd Natof may have bragging rights that he’s the great-grandson of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, yet he doesn’t toot his own horn or flaunt them. In fact, Natof is pretty low-key when it comes to discussing his family gene pool. But all it …

Grove housing project to start construction

Interfaith Housing Development Corporation (IHDC) and the Oak Park Housing Authority (OPHA), announced last week that they’ve secured sufficient funding to begin construction on a project they’ve partnered on. The proposed Grove Apartments is a 51-unit mixed-use commercial and residential building to be built on …

Bess Poulos is Oak Park area’s 2011 Realtor of the Year

Every time Bess Poulos sells a house, she rewards herself by buying a brand new hat. The Oak Park-based Realtor has been doing it for the last 45 years. “I go to the closing, I go buy a hat and don’t worry about it,” said …

Arts & Crafts show to  feature Wright-era deco

When Brian Smith was looking for a second location for his annual Arts and Crafts show held in St. Paul, Minn., he knew the event would be a great fit for the Oak Park and River Forest communities. With all the Frank Lloyd Wright and …

Oak Park cottage’s details date back to 1919

Caryn Kowalke has loved every minute of the dozen years she has lived in the circa-1919 Dr. Harry Bernhardt Cottage, 705 S. East Ave. in Oak Park. She bought the home in August 2000 and had planned on living at the quaint Craftsman bungalow long …

Mob house tour shows origins in Oak Park, River Forest

River Forest resident John Binder isn’t a gangster, but he sure knows a lot about the lives of some colorfully-named — and dead — local hoodlums, the mobsters who once lived in Oak Park and River Forest. Let’s see, there was Tony Accardo, Paul “the …

Kitchens that amaze — even their owners

Things will surely be cookin’ Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when Parenthesis Family Center holds its oh-so-popular 27th Annual Kitchen Walk in Oak Park and River Forest. My kitchen is my hangout place (although I admit, it needs a makeover and I wish …

Orthodontist embraces Earth Day

Earth Day, April 22, is a day we can all work to make the planet a better place. Yet for some people, like Dr. Darshana Novick, every day is Earth Day. Dr. Novick owns Novick Orthodontics, 7351 North Ave., in River Forest. She has made …

Trade show offers advice on real estate

If you’re looking for a vast amount of information about real estate — everything from renovation projects to ownership legalities — you should hit the Association of Condominium, Townhouse and Homeowners Associations, aka ACTHA, Spring Conference & Trade Show on April 21 at Drury Lane, …

Real estate insiders tap flat-fee MLS

Spring has sprung, and the real estate market is picking up. That’s why I thought it’d be a good time to let you know about a smart and affordable option for people wanting to sell their home on their own. It’s called a Flat Fee …

Proposed lead paint legislation could curb remodeling costs

Remodelers and construction workers may soon get what will surely be a much appreciated break because earlier this month, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced legislation that, if passed, would improve the lead paint rule for homeowners and remodelers. The rule currently states that for homes …

Bungalow owner goes green, sees savings

Janet Jaback is not the type to seek the spotlight, but the Elmwood Park resident is getting her 15 minutes of fame for making it easy to be green. Jaback, who lives in a circa-1927 bungalow, received the first Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Silver …

Workshop to offer tips on energy savings

Are you an Oak Parker who’d like save some bucks on your energy bills? If so, check out this free upcoming workshop. The event, which is for Oak Park residents only, is sponsored by Energy Impact Illinois (EI2), a public-private partnership working to help Northern …

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