Events
Of course, there is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a must-see Chicago event if you’ve never gone before. This year, it will start at noon on Saturday and runs through Grant Park on Columbus Drive between Balbo and Monroe Streets.

For a less traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebration, participate in the St. Paddy’s 5k Run/Walk and Leprechaun Leap on Sunday. With proceeds benefiting the Lake View Citizens’ Council, entry is $30 and includes a post-party at Trinity Bar & Grill.

For something off the beaten path of the usual St. Patrick’s Day weekend, see one of your favorite “brat-pack” movies come to life on the stage. pH Productions in Lakeview turns The Breakfast Club into a Broadway style musical this weekend; tickets are $10-$15.

Restaurants
You can catch dinner and some live entertainment at Dee’s Place, even though it hasn’t had its grand opening just yet. The comfort food joint will serve Southern classics like fried chicken, fried catfish and barbecue dishes, with sides such like mac and cheese and greens. You’ll also find jazz, blues and poetry performances to fit the 1940s Harlem decor and vibe in the new East Village eatery.

The 20th Francesca’s location in Chicago opened in February in the Seneca Hotel, a perfect location for owners of downtown Chicago condos. Francesca’s on Chesnut will seat 150 patrons and will serve up its lauded Northern Italian and Tuscan fare.

Movies
Last weekend saw the premier of Tim Burton’s latest remake: Alice in Wonderland. If you missed its trippy special effects and star-studded cast, check it out this weekend!

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland combines a classic story with cutting edge visual effects.

Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Wesley Snipes get gritty in the New York police action-drama Brooklyn’s Finest. Watch police officers in Brooklyn deal with ethical conflict as they navigate their lives and jobs in NYC.

For fans of rock and roll, check for a special screening of The White Stripes’ new documentary, Under Great White Northern Lights. Follow the band as they play concert halls both large and small on their first tour in Canada.

Events
If you live in a Chicago condo, there’s a large chance that you are also a Chicago Cubs fan (Sox fans, just skip to the next event!). Just a week or two before Spring Training begins, start getting into the Cubs’ spirit with an event at Rockit Bar & Grill in Wrigleyville! Local sports expert David Kaplan of WGN 720-AM, ChicagoNow.com, and the Chicago Tribune hosts Cubs-Aholics Anonymous, where you can connect with other fans and sports media. It happens every Thursday, and it sounds like a great way to start the weekend early to us!

If an artistic endeavor is more likely to interest you than an athletic one, stop by the Museum of Contemporary Art sometime this weekend. Friday is, of course, First Friday, where you can get museum admission, live entertainment, and complimentary Wolfgang Puck hors d’oeuvres for $16. Saturday, show up at 10 a.m. for Coffee and Art, an art history class like you never had in college. For $18 for nonmembers and $15 for MCA members, you can enjoy coffee and conversation led by an art expert. Also at the MCA on Saturday, join Chicago Public Radio for the Third Coast Festival– an audio festival celebrating storytelling, sound and the art of listening from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Ticket information here.

Restaurants
Take a look at a few pictures of the newly-opened Gilt Bar, courtesy of Metromix. And if you like what you see, give the new River North eatery a try. “No white tablecloths, no snooty staff and no dish topping $18–just simple comforts in the form of unfussy eats and classic cocktails.” Sounds like a perfectly relaxed evening!

Gilt Bar, a new restaurant in River North, is a great option for dinner or drinks this weekend.

See inside Gilt Bar and consider stepping out of your Chicago condo for a visit to the new eatery!

And for a pre-Oscar brunch, try a pancake joint new to the neighborhood- Elly’s Pancake House. On the border of Old Town and the Gold Coast, it’s a great brunch location for Near North Siders, Lincoln Park residents and downtown condo owners alike. You can eat your fill of pancakes and other classic greasy spoon grub, and you’ll definitely be back in the comfort of your own Chicago condo in time to see the celebs walk the Oscar red carpet!

Movies
And finally, what movies should you watch on Hollywood’s biggest weekend? Well, we’d recommend you check out some of the films nominated for Best Picture. Luckily, Chicago is one of the cities where you can watch all 10 nominated movies in a 24 hour marathon this Saturday! The Best Picture Showcase takes place at AMC River East, starts at midnight on Friday and runs until midnight on Saturday. What a way to spend a day!

However, if you’d like to check out just one or two of the honored movies from the comfort of your own Chicago condo, the nominees are:

• Avatar
• A Serious Man
• Up
• District 9
• Inglourious Basterds
• The Blind Side
• An Education
• Precious
• Up in the Air
• The Hurt Locker

No matter how you plan to celebrate the Oscars and this weekend, we hope you have a great time!

Events

Ever seen a rock opera? Well, this weekend you should check out the Apollo Theater and see Baby Wants Candy. The best part is that the script is partially based on audience suggestion, so you never know exactly what will happen during the show!  Tickets are $15, get the details here.

Bring the kids this weekend and have Snow Much Fun at the Children’s Museum at Navy Pier. Children can build fabric snowmen, have pom-pom snowball fights, and skate in your socks on a slippery linoleum rink.

Get in shape, learn the Tango, and have fun while doing it! Tango Chicago is offering 6 classes at various levels for $300.00. Each class is 3 hours and in each class you will learn rhythm, posture and partner communication. Sounds like fun!

Restaurants

Restaurant Week 2010 is not over yet! Save cooking at your luxury condo for another time and choose from more than 165 restaurants are offering three course lunches and dinner menus starting at just $22. Want to see if your favorite restaurant or one you have wanted to try made the list? Check here.

Rockin’ Taco just opened in Lakeview and not only is this restaurant fast but the cooks are using made-from-scratch marinades to prepare the steak and chipotle garlic chicken. Want something to do while you wait? Pick up an electric guitar, bongos or one of the other instruments hanging on the wall and rock out.

Movies

Are you feeling comedy or thriller this weekend? Well, we have both!

If you are looking for something funny, check out Cop Out, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. With these two, it has to be a good laugh.

As for horror, The Crazies opens this weekend. Here’s the synopsis of the movie: “Unknown toxin turns the peaceful citizens of Ogden Marsh into bloodthirsty lunatics.” Need we say more?

Whatever you decide to do have a fabulous and fun weekend!

Events

Although we don’t live in New Orleans, who’s to say that we can celebrate like they do? The Bead Quest 2010 Mardi Gras is happening this Saturday starting at 2pm. Come have fun and check out 9 different bars in Wrigleyville, including Murphy’s Bleachers and Sluggers.

The 101 Dalmatians was a huge favorite to so many of us in the early 90’s. Now, we can show our children the same classic in the Broadway adaption which is playing throughout this month at Cadillac Palace Theatre. Go to broadwayinchicago.com for more details.

Do something different this weekend, and explore the history of Chicago by visiting the first “modern” house in Chicago, the Charnley Persky House located in the Gold Coast. The tour opens at 10am on Saturdays and has 15 spots available. To see more information about this fascinating historic house, click here.

Restaurants

Save cooking in your luxury Chicago condo for another time and get ready for Restaurant Week 2010! More than 165 restaurants are offering three course lunch and dinner menus starting at just $22. Want to see if your favorite restaurant or one you have wanted to try made the list? Check here.

We already mentioned Bucktown/Wicker Park coffee house Filter, but now that we’ve visited it ourselves, we think you should get out of your downtown Chicago condo and head that way for breakfast!  There are lots of space to relax, drink coffee, chat with friends, or catch up on work. Filter features a variety of coffee drinks and food delicious for breakfast or lunch in a 195o’s setting.

Movies

You might have missed this movie over your actual Valentine’s Day weekend, but Valentine’s Day is still definitely one to check out. This movie is filled with tons of A-listers like Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, and Ashton Kutcher, just to name a few!

Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a suspense-drama by director Martin Scorsese. It premiers on Friday, so if you don’t want to see a romantic comedy, be sure to check this one out instead.

Whatever you decide to do have a fabulous and fun weekend!

Events

The Tony Award-winning musical Dream Girls is showing this January at the Cadillac Palace Theatre! If you want to watch it on stage instead of from the couch in your luxury Chicago, grab tickets today. They run from $18-$85.

Did you know that the Chicago Architecture Foundation has 85 unique tours? You can tour the best of Chicago’s amazing architecture by foot, bus, or even with a happy hour. If you’re getting restless  in your Chicago condo, do something different this weekend and explore your home city!

Want to attend a Las Vegas-style comedy show? You have to check out The Red Bar Comedy Club in River North. Come enjoy a great atmosphere and great comedy, and a have a great evening.

Restaurants

Newly opened Mediterranean-focused eatery on Michigan Avenue, The Purple Pig, seats 70 people and features unique shareable pork plates. With family-style dishes, go with some family or a big group of friends for a long dinner and some quality time!

This weekend enjoy some delicious deserts at Beard Papa’s, the cream puff bakery. This is the first in Chicago, but it’s popular all over the country with sweet treats filled with all-natural custard, whipped cream or ice cream.

Movies

Two romantic movies  to head to this weekend include romantic comedy When in Rome starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel, and Nicholas Sparks’s romantic drama Dear John. Either should be a great pre-Valentine’s choice!

Don’t let the cold keep you cooped up in your luxury Chicago condos this weekend, Chicagoans! Although they are a great place to come home to, you should definitely take advantage of everything the city has to offer. Whatever you decide to do,  have a fabulous and fun weekend!

Events
Spend the evening enjoying Dueling Pianos featuring Steve Kouba and Dave Roberts who will be playing all your requests starting at 9pm at LuxLounge.

Belushi Birthday Blowout Weekend, Friday and Saturday at Faith and Whiskey, includes $5 Jack Daniels shots and cocktails and live music from The Bluz Brothers Friday at 9pm!

Le Passage is hosting a Haitian benefit on Friday, January 22^nd and January 29^th from 7 – 10pm. All tips given to bartenders within those hours will be donated to the Red Cross, so tip generously.

Restaurants
Be the first to check out Longman & Eagle in Logan Square this weekend! This restaurant (which will also feature hotel rooms in March) was created to be reminiscent of a traditional Chicago Inn, where you can get your coffee in the mornings and grab a pint of beer after a long day.

Longman & Eagle opens this weekend in Chicago.

A new sushi spot, Macku on Clybourn in Lincoln Park, features traditional sushi along with their signature sashimi and nigiri topped with seasonal toppings.

Movies
Brendan Fraser is back on big screen next to Harrison Ford in Extraordinary Measures, a passionate drama about a man fighting for the life of his children diagnosed with a fatal disease.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Ashley Judd star in a family comedy about a man sentenced to serve time as the real Tooth Fairy.

Events

Chicago Blues Tour pub crawl goes to eight different blues lounges this Saturday starting at 8:30pm. $45 tickets include live music at each lounge and transportation.

Prefer a brewery tour to a pub crawl?Head to the Goose Island Brewery for their famous tour. You’ll see the entire process, sample six types of beer, and take home a Goose Island glass. The tour is only $5, and you might want to make reservations.

In honor of National Pizza Week, learn how to make stretch artisan dough at La Madia while enjoy wine pairings and receiving a pizza making kit. Impress your friends next time you entertain at your Chicago condo. RSVP to the class here.

Restaurants

Osteria Via Stato in River North is celebrating National Pizza Week with half-price of select pizzas. They will be offering pizza deals through Jan 29^th every day from 2:30 to 4:30pm.

Mmm, it's Pizza Week in Chicago!

Since it is National Pizza Week, why not celebrate even more by enjoying some delicious pizza at State Street Pizza Company? The new restaurant opened its doors this week and is located at State and Kenzie.

Movies

The Book of Eli, starring the amazing Denzel Washington, tells the story of a man hoping to bring the human race redemption, 30 years after a war made the world to a ruined wasteland. If you like post-apocalyptic thrillers, check it out!

Independent film Broken Embraces starring Penélope Cruz takes you on a journey of a woman in love, but in a difficult marriage, in the 50’s.

Well folks, if Pizza Week deals, pub crawls, and blockbusters aren’t enough to get you out of your Chicago condos this weekend, we don’t know what is! But we hope to seeing you out and about in our beautiful city before the snow returns!

Events

The Christmas and Winter Beer Tasting is happening this weekend. It’s in its 11^th year and is the largest of its kind in the US, so come join in the fun this Saturday, December 12^th from noon to 5pm. Ticket are $20 to enjoy tasting seasonal selections from Anchor, Sam Smith, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island, Summit, King & Barnes and more.

Have a fun night out and grab tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel at the Chicago Theatre. The show is a variety of slapstick comedy with choreographed tap and hip-hop.

Take the family to a Christmas classic play, A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater. Tickets start at just $25 and is playing at the theater till December 30^th.

Holiday Shopping Events

Bice Restaurant in the Gold Coast is hosting  Rock and Shop, a shopping event this Saturday and Sunday starting at noon. Come shop apparel and accessories from e.g. jewelry, Socks Appeal, JG Custom Designs and more while you listen to great music by DJ Earnest Streeter.

Come to Bucktown this weekend for the Bucktown Holiday Artshow to browse some great artwork for your Chicago condo. Featuring artwork from over 100 local artists, in its 11^th year and the largest of its kind– don’t miss this event.

Support local designers at the Pop-up Designer Holiday Boutique at The Shops at North Bridge, featuring designers 1154 Lill, Chic Gems, Etc., Kate Boggiano, Eclectica, See Jane Sparkle, Ootra and more.

Restaurants

There are two great restaurants in one spot at the new Elysian Hotel in the Gold Coast– Ria and Balsan.  Ria, an exclusive dinner-only restaurant,  features at great seasonal, globally influenced menu while Balsan is a more casual breakfast, lunch and dinner spot centered on artisanal comfort food. Both sound great for a Saturday date night or a Sunday Brunch.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, have a great one, and stay warm!

Events
This weekend get into the Christmas spirit and come see the tallest tree at the Hancock Center’s Winter Wonderland. Bring the kids because on the weekends, and they can enjoy organized kid’s activities such as face painting, cookie making, and even visits from Santa. Tickets are $15 for adults and kids get in free in December.

This weather predicts this weekend will be a cold one, so why not sled at Soldier Field? Well, not in the stadium but on the southeast side is Soldier Field’s official sledding hill. Even if there is no real snow, if it’s cold enough, the Park District staff ensures good sledding by creating artificial snow when needed.

Skip the crowds on Michigan Avenue and head to Division Street Wicker Park for some boutique Christmas Shopping. Click here to see what shops are participating.

Restaurants/Bars
Most of you probably have that ugly Christmas sweater that you swore you wouldn’t wear again. But for those of you brave enough to put it on just one more time, join some friends in Lakeview this Saturday at 1pm for the Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl.

Friends and family: that’s what is important during the holidays (and all year round, of course), right? Well, inspired by that thought, a new spot in Lincoln Park is called just that, Kith and Kin. The French eatery features “traditions of the season”… doesn’t that sounds warm and cozy?

Movies
Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire all star in Brothers . Looks like a stay-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of movie!

Inspired by a true story, this weekend go see Invictus starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. It’s getting great reviews, and plus Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman are always fantastic.

And of course, enjoy your weekend!

Events

Christkindlmarket is back and just opened this week. Located at The Daley Plaza and in its 14th year, the open-air, German-style market showcases handmade ornaments, clothing and gifts from more than 50 vendors. Also, nosh on German food such as potato pancakes, bratwurst, schnitzel, strudel, while enjoying beer and hot spiced wine.

More than two million lights will soon be lit up in Lincoln Park Zoo for their annual Zoolights, which opens November 27^th through January 3^rd. Make sure you follow their favorite snowman @HumphrySnowgart on Twitter, and also @lincolnparkzoo for more holiday fun and information.

While it’s not too cold, why not enjoy the outdoors and do some exploring of some of Chicago great neighborhoods? This weekend check out Lincoln Park block by block and visit the settings of infamous events like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the shooting of John Dillinger, the Great Chicago Fire and more. Tickets are $12-$14.

Restaurants

Yes, of course, you can cook bacon and eggs in your Chicago condo, but this new restaurant Bakin’ & Eggs just opened in Lakeview and has plenty of bacon on the menu like bacon bits in your waffle and pancake batter.

After a busy day of Black Friday shopping, feast at Rock Bottom Brewery’s sister restaurant RB Grille in River North, whose menu features steaks and seafood. The food is sure to fill you up, and it still has the same great beer.

Movies

If you haven’t seen The Twilight Saga: New Moon yet in theaters, this weekend might be great time to see it!

Also, The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock is playing and is getting really great reviews. With football for the men of the family and a heartwarming story for the ladies, it will certainly be a crowd pleaser!

Whatever you do this weekend, we hope you have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving weekend!