HuffPost Goes Local: Introducing HuffPost Chicago

We are rolling out our first local version of The Huffington Post. We've decided to start with Chicago because it's always been a great news town -- offering a vibrant mix of politics, sports, business, music, food, and urban life.

Transferring The Huffington Post's blend of news, opinion, and community -- delivered with our familiar look and attitude -- to a local level, HuffPost Chicago is part local news source, part resource guide, and part virtual soap box -- featuring a collection of bloggers who know and love Chicago, and are looking to share their takes on everything from the Cubs to City Hall to the hot new local band to the best place for Greek food (and I can testify that there is a lot of that in Chicago!).

HuffPost Chicago also features a rotating at-a-glance roundup of local services -- with info and takes on the city's restaurants, clubs, real estate, sporting events, movies, plays, and other local happenings. Use it to read the latest crime stats, a nightclub's hours, or the places to find the lowest priced gas.

HuffPost Chicago is being edited by Ben Goldberger, a former staff reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times. He's put together a fun and useful collection of Chicago news, local gossip, buzzworthy stories, and Windy City-centric opinion. And, of course, a comments section that will allow Chicagoans a chance to sound off on anything and everything.

We plan to roll out local versions of HuffPost in dozens of cities. So check out HuffPost Chicago and use the comment section to let us know what you think, what you want more of, what you want less of, and what cities you think should be next.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[SHIVPANDE]

12:30 PM on 08/21/2008

SHIV PANDE :

Visited Chicago earlier this year , LOVED it hope you get the Olympics!!­! SHIV PANDE

ps great city you def. deserve iT!!!!!!!!

SHIV PANDE

[spottedlily]

12:18 PM on 08/22/2008

Chicago is a real city with all of the good and bad that can imply! It is alive and passionate­. It has a huge number of caring people and a positive do-it-your­self mentality. I found that spirit in a Chicago upstart company that prints up art magnets as quickly as the news breaks—one way to get your opinion on your car’s bumper as soon as you thought about it. I love the “Vote for Cleavage” magnet from www.mixita­ndstixit.c­om. Hilarious!

[wayoutleft]

02:11 PM on 08/20/2008

the thing i'm looking forward to is the local crime reporting and the measured, insightful comments on race relations that will follow.

[SirReal1]

12:36 PM on 08/18/2008

Arianna,

While I doubt that you will actually read the comments posted here, I hope perhaps one of your tech folks do and will work out a solution to this problem.

Chicago is a great city, no doubt, and I mean no offense to the city or its residents, but; I access the HuffPo through a national news portal and since the addition of your "Chicago section" my "top stories list" for HuffPo has been filled with Chicago Cubs updates, White Sox updates, Chicago crime stories, and today a very interestin­g story about a new Sonic Drive-in opening in the Chicago suburbs.

This isn't exactly the "NEWS" that I've come to HuffPo for.

It's fine to have a "Chicago" section, or any other city for that matter, but I would appreciate it if the "articles on Chicago" didn't end up in the "Latest News" section of HuffPo, and subsequent­ly on the "top stories" list on my National News Portal.

Sincerely,

Sirreal

[Thinkerton]

11:53 AM on 08/22/2008

Completely agree with this. Nothing against Chicago, but I check the HuffPo newswire all day, and it's now filled with Chicago news. Please give me a way to avoid this!

[kulenski]

01:10 AM on 08/17/2008

what, no Denver?

I mean, the DNC is only a week and half away!

[berrycooda]

07:48 PM on 08/16/2008

Hi from "near" Chicago...­.been there many times and it only gets better...

Except for the crime....h­ope they can get a hand on this soon....To­o many kids with guns.

[Czoe]

06:48 PM on 08/16/2008

What about Philadelph­ia? I don't know much about Philadelph­ia, but based on what little I've seen of the City, I think it is probably one of the most under-rate­d city in America. And chock full of history to boot.

.

[princessk]

06:09 PM on 08/16/2008

Please consider adding a Twin Cities page!!!! Maybe before the RNC???

[Saxton]

05:59 PM on 08/16/2008

I came across this on Truthdig and how the whole situation with Georgia may have been more of an "August surprise" to make McCain look good. McCain as president will be very dangerous for the US.
http://www­.truthdig.­com/report­/item/2008­0815_mccai­n_more_dan­gerous_tha­n_bush/
I hope the link works.

[maab76]

03:41 PM on 08/17/2008

McCain seems to verbalize the idea that his is the only point of view on any subject. We definitely need more than one point of view on all subjects. We do not have enough troups to polices the entire world and to keep everyone practicing the golden rule. McCain seems to have no idea what would constitute conflict resolution­. Maybe he would enroll in an elementary school that practices it in the classroom as well as on the playground­! His dogmatism displayed at the Faith confab certainly paints him as having no time for an opinion other than his own. Perhaps he would also participat­e in the exercise of consensus building which is practiced school starting with faculty, community and student bodies. If one does not protect the rights of others, how can he expect others to protect his rights?

[gage]

03:11 PM on 08/16/2008

I know this column was written several days ago, but events on the ground have really overtaken it. Obama's vacation assignment isn't going too well. The NYT is going after him for seeming out of touch on the Georgia invasion.

http://www­.nytimes.c­om/2008/08­/15/us/pol­itics/15ob­ama.html?r­ef=todaysp­aper&pagew­anted=prin­t

"McCain Displays Credential­s as Obama Relaxes"

[NotMcCain]

01:38 PM on 08/16/2008

He needs Clark to make the national security argument.

Clark's point--tha­t being a POW in itself doesn't give McCain any military or foreign policy expertise-­-was a good one, that was unfairly trashed by Repubs and their media friends.

Let Clark go at it again, but with a different focus. He has the guts--he has the credential­s--and he knows what he's talking about.

I hope they'll let Clark make this case to America (as if McCain's latest Georgia blunders aren't enough!) and this time....BA­CK HIM UP!!!!

Obama / Clark '08 would be excellent on both of McSame's weaknesses­--economy and foreign policy

[maab76]

03:41 PM on 08/17/2008

But didn't Clark have an attack of "Hoof-IN-M­outh" a short while back?

[aznurse]

11:54 PM on 08/15/2008

Do Apache Junction Arizona next.! We could use it when the stage is late.

[RichardMDaley]

06:11 PM on 08/15/2008

As mayor of this fine city, I commend you Arianna for giving the city of Chicago the national spotlight it deserves. Anytime you are in the windy city make sure to stop by my offices on Clark and Randolph and I'll be sure to treat you to one of Chicago's many smoke-free fine dining establishm­ents.

[larry278]

02:31 PM on 08/16/2008

Yr Honor it's a win-win situation for you, Chicago & HP. Chicago is said to have a growing population of literate people who want to keep up with things. Chicago never has ever had a reliable daily newspaper. Chicago now has an on-line, reliable, daily newspaper with HP. HP has access to Chicagolan­d's literate, but growing, minority & the money which literate people have.

[CHGORUNR]

05:56 PM on 08/15/2008

Hi, Arianna! Congrats on the expansion of The Huffington Post.

Welcome to Chicago. EXCELLENT CHOICE for the first HuffPost going local.

I am addicted to your blog and loved your latest book -- Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constituti­on, and Made Us All Less Safe. It should be required reading in all U.S. journalism schools.

Come to Chicago for a visit! You'll want to stay (May through the first week of October).

[BobOD]

05:47 PM on 08/15/2008

Arianna,
Two days in a row I came to the Chicago homepage of the Huffington­post and found a Chicago Cubs picture with story no coverage of the Chicago White Sox. For unbalanced baseball coverage I can read the Chicago Tribune I do not need a Huffington­post/Chica­go. BTW, Chicago's baseball teams are neither liberal or conservati­ve so I expect equal coverage of both 1st place teams.

[endtyranny]

05:10 PM on 08/15/2008

I am so glad huffpo decided to start their local coverage in Chicago. This is a big news year for us (some good and some bad), with the Cubs and Sox, not to mention Sen. Obama, the turmoil at the capital and in the county, as well as the economic and safety problems pervading the city recently. Plus, if you ask me, there's no better place in the world to see the best America has to offer; art, food, music, culture. Thanks Arianna!

[maab76]

03:52 PM on 08/17/2008

Yes. HP Chicago! This is an answer to an unvoiced prayer. We need some literate reporting of both local and national events. Now with a Presidenti­al candidate from Chicago, it is even more important to have reports of the good about Chicago as well as the shadier. Most large cities and their suburbs have many common problems with economics, education, racial tensions, crime of many descriptio­ns, and people helping people. Do hope we Chicagoans can continue to receive both th national and the local edition of this important source of news. Is there a special sign-up to do so?