Block Club Chicago’s Director of Photography, Colin Boyle, returned from a brief trip and compiled a visual recap of the newsroom’s recent work. Over the past two weeks the team captured a wide range of stories that illustrate everyday life and challenges in Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Election coverage
Reporters documented long lines at polling places as voters faced ballot shortages, and highlighted newly elected officials seeking mayoral support.
Community and housing
Features included a 20‑year‑old backyard garden railroad, a pop‑up shop becoming permanent after a car crash, and efforts to protect housing affordability in Logan Square. Stories also covered a demolition for a new apartment building in Uptown and a new community art center slated to open next year.
Local businesses and culture
Readers saw a chef experimenting with a pop‑up inside the former Charlie Trotter’s space, a fabric shop bringing Italian textiles to Bucktown, and a street‑vendor ordinance rally for worker protections.
Public safety and activism
Coverage ranged from a hunger‑strike father in a Texas ICE facility whose family faces eviction, to workers demanding better pay at an Austin seat manufacturer, and Amtrak protesters targeting a developer at a charity conference.
Education and youth
Students have been using the Chicago River as a classroom for three decades, and a group of under‑age volunteers served as election judges on the West Side.
These photo essays offer a snapshot of the city’s vibrant civic life, from historic sites to emerging community initiatives.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
