OTL: Episode #465- The future of affordable housing in Chicago, Petcoke’s presence on the South Side, Chicago’s best novels by neighborhood

Mike Stephen talks with:   CityLab staff writer Brentin Mock about the future of affordable housing in Chicago;   Southeast Side Coalition to Ban Petcoke member Jim Kinney about how a toxic byproduct of petroleum processing is affecting city residents; and   Local author/lecturer/screenwriter Adam Morgan about the “Best Chicago Novels by Neighborhood” (via Gapers Block).   This week’s local music is provided by Low Swans.   OTL host Mike Stephen practices for the show each week in a studio much like this one in a top-secret underground bunker.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #464- The Parking Ticket Geek on local traffic issues, The Secret History of Chicago’s Brevity, Retiring baby boomers’ impact on Chicago architecture

Mike Stephen talks with:   The Expired Meter blogger The Parking Ticket Geek about new traffic patterns in Chicago and a recent red light camera lawsuit;   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about ambitious early-’70s proto power poppers Brevity for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music; and   Chicago Architecture Foundation Senior Director of Program Strategy Michael Wood about how retiring baby boomers are impacting Chicago architecture and infrastructure as detailed in the upcoming Design Dialogues: Tick Tick Boom talk.   Meanwhile, we discover that Chicago is the friendliest US city for tourists… at least according to Twitter.   This week’s local music is provided by The Tarts.   OTL host Mike Stephen III explains the new Chicago traffic patterns to Mike Stephen IV. Don’t drive angry!   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #463- How The 606 affects affordable housing, Chicago Baseball fights for its rights outside of Wrigley, 16-year-old Reade Wildman jams in studio

Mike Stephen talks with:   Voorhees Center economic development planner Lauren Nolan about affordable housing issues along The 606 elevated park;   Chicago Baseball editor/publisher Matt Smerge about his magazine’s fight against the city to stay alive; and   Reade Wildman, a 16-year-old guitarist and Chicago Academy for the Arts student, who hung out to play live for the hour! Check out his new record Syzygy.   Reade Widman poses with Mike Stephen at the halfway point of rocking the soundtrack for OTL #463.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.   Reade Widman jams a tune from his new Syzygy record on a rainy Chicago Saturday morning.

OTL: Episode #462- Getting to the bottom of the Ventra story, Scarlet Architect’s Secret History of Chicago Music, A LEGO artist builds Chicago

Mike Stephen talks with:   Culture Bore freelance journalist Jason Prechtel about his FOIA lawsuit against the CTA to find out how and why we have the Ventra fare system;   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about early-’80s all-synth techno-pop band Scarlet Architect for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music; and   IIT College of Architecture student Rocco Buttliere about his to-scale LEGO model of downtown Chicago.   Meanwhile, we have some fun with Chicago Architecture Info’s “A Field Guide To Chicago NIMBYs.”   This week’s local music is provided by Local Motive.   OTL host Mike Stephen realizes a life-long dream by visiting Rocco Buttliere’s to-scale LEGO model of downtown Chicago.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.