Ariel Parrella

Less than 3 months ago, Vox Media was celebrating Eater for having nabbed 6 nominations at the James Beard Media Awards!

Ashok Selvam received the 2025 Local Voice Award for his work at Eater Chicago. He was laid off today.

Artist Aims To Honor Revolutionary Puerto Rican Women With Paseo Boricua Portraits Melissa DuPrey is trying to raise about $1,000 by Thursday night so she can take a first step in her Las Flores project to showcase Puerto Rican women in Humboldt Park.

Humboldt Park actor, comic and performer Melissa DuPrey is trying to raise a tad over $1,000 by Thursday night so she can take a first step in her Las Flores project to showcase historical Puerto Rican women in Humboldt Park. Learn more about the project: blockclubchi.co/4mebe1e

CTA faces "drastic service cuts" if state funding doesn’t come through, an agency head says. blockclubchi.co/46wbF2w

Why Is It So Expensive To Build Affordable Housing In Chicago? One recent West Side development clocked in at $884,000 per unit. While the city says it's working to address red tape that drives up expenses, advocates say more must be done to rein in "crazy" costs...

Why Is It So Expensive To Build Affordable Housing In Chicago?

For @blockclubchi.bsky.social with @arielparrella.bsky.social
blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/28/w...

Why Is It So Expensive To Build Affordable Housing In Chicago? One recent West Side development clocked in at $884,000 per unit. While the city says it's working to address red tape that drives up expenses, advocates say more must be done to rein in "crazy" costs...

Impact for Equity Director of Housing @danielkayhertz.bsky.social recently spoke to @blockclubchi.bsky.social's @arielparrella.bsky.social and @michaeljliptrot.bsky.social about the costs of building affordable housing: blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/28/w...

Appreciate this nuanced article on an important issue!

Rosa's Lounge Launches Independent Record Label To Spotlight Chicago's 'Unrecorded' Talent Rosa's Lounge Records is a joint venture between the founders and artists, who will retain their music rights and license them to the record label so they have control over their intellectual property.

Blues club Rosa’s Lounge is ready to start its next chapter: a record label. Club owner Tony Mangiullo and his wife, Marni Willenson, started Rosa’s Lounge Records to reach a new generation of music lovers and appeal to younger crowds who find music on social media. blockclubchi.co/3IGkehm

Because you needed a video of a group of cute otters chasing a butterfly... 😊

Jussie Smollett Claims Netflix Doc Footage Will Show Attack Wasn't Staged: 'It'll Make Sense When Ya'll Watch It' The actor announced the Netflix documentary while touring West and South side organizations to which he’s donated, telling Block Club the film will clear the hate crime hoax controversy that’s followe...

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jussie Smollett Claims Netflix Doc Footage Will Show Attack Wasn’t Staged

I spent the Monday with Smollett as he toured organizations he donated to as part of his settlement with the city. blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/22/j...

Good story here by Maxwell!

Family Wants Justice After Bodycam Footage Shows Police Fatally Shoot 19-Year-Old In Back Of Head The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released video showing police fatally shooting Nathaniel "Nate" Fejerang's. Police have said Fejerang had a gun and that a gun went off, but watchdog offic...

ICYMI: The family of Nathaniel “Nate” Fejerang is calling for the prosecution of the Chicago police officer who fatally shot the teen in his head — while it remains unclear who fired an initial shot that led to police killing Fejerang in West Humboldt Park. blockclubchi.co/4eOMwCk

Scientists have released the closest images ever taken near the sun, captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe flying 3.8 million miles above the solar surface.

See more images of solar eruptions on the sun: wapo.st/3Irm3P3

Could Humboldt Park Get Its 1st Cannabis Dispensary? Weigh In At Community Meeting The dispensary proposal is for a corner storefront at North and Fairfield avenues that's been vacant for over a decade.

A vacant Humboldt Park building could be turned into a cannabis dispensary under a new retail development proposal. There's a meeting tonight for folks to weigh in. blockclubchi.co/4lmSqwS

Delores Campbell poses for a portrait in her home in the Austin neighborhood on June 23, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Delores Campbell shows off the cracks in the walls of her home in the Austin neighborhood on June 23, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Delores Campbell pulls the light switch in her home in the Austin neighborhood on June 23, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Delores Campbell shows family photos in her home in the Austin neighborhood on June 23, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

After halting a program that served older Chicagoans, the city has received thousands of calls from homeowners seeking repair assistance, but officials say they can only serve a few hundred.
Grateful to have made the pics for this story w/ @tatiwm.bsky.social
blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/14/a...

Constant Agitation Film Lab Opens 1st Storefront In Logan Square The new location allows the woman- and Latina-owned photo lab to add a retail space, photo studio and darkroom and increase its film development capacity.

Photographer @colinbphoto.bsky.social and I visited the new home of Constant Agitation Film Lab, an independent lab and studio sliding into Logan Square after gaining popularity and a steady stream of clientele since launching in 2022. It opens tomorrow! blockclubchi.co/4kiFqHo

Edward Boyle, lab technician, and Sophie Gomez, founder, pose for a portrait at Constant Agitation Film Lab, 3501 W. Armitage Ave., on June 23, 2025 ahead of their opening in Logan Square. The photo was made on Portra 800 film with a medium format film camera. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Sophie Gomez, founder, poses for a portrait at Constant Agitation Film Lab, 3501 W. Armitage Ave., on June 23, 2025 ahead of their opening in Logan Square. The photo was made on Portra 800 film with a medium format film camera. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Sophie Gomez, founder, poses for a portrait at Constant Agitation Film Lab, 3501 W. Armitage Ave., on June 23, 2025 ahead of their opening in Logan Square. The photo was made on Portra 800 film with a medium format film camera. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

It's not every day you get to make your photos for work on medium format film! Loved working on this story with @arielparrella.bsky.social / @blockclubchi.bsky.social!

STORY: Constant Agitation Film Lab Opens 1st Storefront In Logan Square blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/27/c...

These new charges come after former Loretto COO Anosh Ahmed had previously been charged w/ stealing millions from the safety-net hospital after @blockclubchi.bsky.social's reporting led to his resignation + subsequent FBI investigations.

S/O @bauerjournalism.bsky.social

Ex-Loretto Hospital Exec Stole $300 Million Through COVID Testing Schemes: Prosecutors Former Loretto COO Anosh Ahmed took information about Loretto patients and used it to submit fake COVID-19 testing claims, trying to get $900 million from the government, prosecutors say.

BREAKING: Ex-Loretto Hospital exec Anosh Ahmed stole $300 million from the gov't through COVID-19 testing schemes, prosecutors say.

Ahmed took information about Loretto's patients and used that to submit fake COVID-19 testing claims, feds say.

blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/17/e...

You love to see it 🍻🍻🍻

Big Congrats to Lake Effect Brewing!

Lake Effect Brewing's Avondale Taproom And Beer Garden Opens After Years Of Delays The brewery raised $115,000 last year to help fund construction and bring it across the finish line.

This is exciting! Lake Effect Brewing Company’s taproom and beer garden is finally ready to welcome the community to its new home in Avondale after six years in the making.
blockclubchi.co/4jX64p4

Chicago’s Ultimate 2025 Rooftop Guide🍹☀️

We rounded up 70+ open-air bars, lounges and restaurants around the city where you can bask in the sunshine while eating, drinking and more: blockclubchi.co/4e2UYxg

Former 90 Miles Cuban Cafe Spot In Logan Square Is For Sale — Could Another Restaurant Take Over? The longstanding restaurant closed in December after an electrical fire and a series of financial and legal challenges.

The former Logan Square home of 90 Miles Cuban Cafe is on the market, and hopes are high for another restaurant to move in.
blockclubchi.co/43I1176

7 years ago today, laid-off DNAinfo journalists launched @blockclubchi.bsky.social.

Since then, we've told nearly 28,000 stories.

We’ve grown from 8 to nearly 40 full-time staffers.

And our reporting has changed laws, led to criminal charges + uplifted our city.

Thank you, Chicago. 🙏

For @blockclubchi.bsky.social's 7th birthday, we're debuting a new "Democracy Requires A Free Press" shirt.

It's inspired by a reader who put our mission into a 5-word note.

2 ways to get it:
Subscribe at $100: blockclubchicago.org/birthday-sub...
Donate $100: blockclubchicago.org/happy-7th-bi...

Chicago's Youngest Alderman, Anthony Quezada, Isn't Even 30 Yet Born and raised in Logan Square, Quezada was appointed this spring and aims to focus on transit, affordable housing and local business support as alderman. "Young people need to see themselves in gove...

I caught up with Logan Square and Avondale’s new alderman, Anthony Quezada. We toured some of the ward, checked out construction and met some business owners. I picked his brain on what his priorities are for the ward and got to learn more about him outside of public office. blockclubchi.co/3Zm5p9f

Supporters form a barricade around library entrance to prevent protestors from interfering with the event. Credit: Layla Brown-Clark/Block Club Chicago

Federal agents force people back as they detain several people at the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, 2245 S. Michigan Ave., in South Loop on June 4, 2025. Credit: Sebastián Hidalgo for Block Club Chicago

Teddy Wachholz looks down to the new shuffleboard court at the Senior Citizen Memorial Park in Chicago on Saturday, May 24, 2025. Credit: Addison Annis/Block Club Chicago

Sylvelia Pittman, a 20-year teacher, speaks to her grandson Cahari at Nash Elementary School, 4837 W. Erie St., in Austin on June 3, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

It's been an incredibly busy week, and the @blockclubchi.bsky.social team did an amazing job documenting it all. Please take a look at our photos:

This Week In Photos: ICE Arrests Spark Chaos, Bilingual Education Programs Fall Short And More
blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/06/t...

Humboldt Park Bathrooms To Reopen This Month After Years Of Neighbor Complaints, Advocacy The public bathrooms near the eastern basketball courts south of Luis Munoz Marin Drive are set to open mid-June, while the Boathouse bathrooms reopened Monday.

Some good news you can (hopefully) use soon. This public bathroom is set to reopen this month after years of advocacy and neighbor complaints. The Boathouse bathrooms reopened this week. blockclubchi.co/4kreuGh

Happy Wednesday! Here’s your midweek moment of zen. 😴 #wolfconservation #ambassadorwolf

Family Of West Humboldt Park Man Killed By Police Asks For Justice, Help With Funeral Costs Nate Fejerang's family and loved ones want videos of the shooting to be released and for the officer who killed him to be held accountable.

Nate Fejerang’s family and loved ones want videos of the shooting to be released and for the officer who killed him to be held accountable. blockclubchi.co/43tGpzm

Activists rally outside Federal Plaza in Chicago on Sunday, May 25, 2025, to mark the fifth anniversary of police murdering George Floyd. Credit: Abra Richardson/Block Club Chicago

Artist Sentrock — Joseph Anthony Perez — dons the Mexican Heritage jersey that he designed at Wrigley Field on May 2, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Shakira headlines during the first day of Sueños Music Festival in Grant Park on May 24, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

The artists whose works chosen for display along 53rd and 55th street viaducts in Hyde Park celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the refreshed “viaduct galleries” during an outdoor ceremony on May 22, 2025. In the background is Kayla Mahaffey’s “Head in the Clouds.” Credit: Maxwell Evans/Block Club Chicago

We weren't short of any strong photos during this abbreviated work week! See what the @blockclubchi.bsky.social team was photographing:
This Week In Photos: Shakira Wows At Sueños, 5 Years Since George Floyd Murder And Much More blockclubchicago.org/2025/05/30/t...