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

[Diogenis]

So Arianna, did you start your meal off with "saganaki"?

[druiD]

HuffPo NorCal.

I have worked the advertising, management and production side of newspapers since 1982. Currently advertising trafficking (online, print and niche) between our site and India. McClatchy's flagship.
Love, love, love your ideas.
Let me know if I can of assistance.
I would love to work with you guys.

Druid
aka: FrozenBee
aka: Suzanne

[FearlessFreep]

Do your local pages have to be limited to US cities? A Toronto page would certainly become regular reading for me.

[whatsthatsound]

If Chicago had L.A.'s weather, it would be the biggest city in the US, by a long shot. What's not to love about this kickin', jazzin', rockin' town?

[NTO08]

Chicago is a nice city, but the winter weather does suck...NY'­s isn't great, but at least it isn't as cold...my rule of thumb: never live in place colder than NY...

[Czoe]

Oh, but it's cold, right? You do have winter, right? Montana can get just as cold, but everyone seems to like it there. So, it really isn't the cold that bothers you - you're jealous, right?

[nellie]

Chicago's beautiful all right. But it would have to have LA's mountains, too, for me to move there. :-)

[Epijim]

Wow! Great idea as well as best pick of Chicago as first local version!

[Mikey5099]

Welcome to Chicago Huffpost! As Daniel Burnham so eloquently stated:

"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized."

First place Chicago Cubs! (Woo!) First place Chicago White Sox! (Boo!) Home of Barack! Future home of the 2016 Olympics! And best of all, the holy trinity of Chicago food--Italian beef, deep dish pizza and Chicago-style dogs!

[Czoe]

First Place Chicago White Sox...Woo, Cubs Booooooooo­oooooooooo­oooooo.

[solbro]

as an ex-south sider living in L.A. whenever the subject turns to baseball i say "I like two teams...th­e Sox and whoever is playing the Cubs." .

[SeanGardner]

Hey Arianna!!!!

You have come a long way since your first day, just over three years ago. I am very proud to say that I've been a reader since that very first day, and have seen many changes to this website - my favorite site by a mile!!!

So of course I am absolutely estatic that HUFFPOST is now going LOCAL, so to speak. Chicago is a great town. I have many friends there, and its a great starting point because its where Barack Obama spent three and half years as a community organizer, and 8 years as a state senator sponsoring 832 bills. And its the city where he delivered his infamous anti-Iraq War speech that predicted the full consequences of an invasion.

Beyond Chicago, please consider doing a LOCAL page on the Washington State twin cities of Seatlle-Tacoma. This is where I live. These twin cities are are the eqivalent of Dallas-Ft. Worth and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Indded, Seattle-Tacoma is a great area because its a uniquely progressive environment that has Rep. Adam Smith, Gov. Gregoire, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Also, this area is ground zero for coffee housesm with one literally on every corner, the way Atlanta (Georgia) has a church on every corner.

Also, Washington State has the dinstinction of electing America's only Asian-American Govenor, Gary Locke, who is a fourth generation Chinese American, and, coincidentally, an Obama surrogate.

Seattle-Tacoma should be next!!!!

[Diogenis]

Arianna, I suggest Astoria first!

[FogBelter]

Arianna, as "Tip" O'Neill once said "All Politics is Local", and this new wrinkle for Huffington Post is a perfect way to showcase the talent, ideas and evolving trends particular to certain areas of our diverse Nation. Hopefully, down the road, there will be a chance to expand internationally as well.

For now, I applaud Chicago in representing itself well with HuffPost Chicago! ... I await future HuffPost pages for New York, Los Angeles, DC, New Orleans, Boston ... and all the other unique American centers of insight, intellect, creativity, resistance, and vision.

Perhaps even we, of the humble, fog shrouded Barbary Coast ... the realm of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, will enjoy a page as well in time

[lafrance]

I live an hour out of chicago and it rocks. chicago is the best city in the US and so vibrant and interesting.

[Theda]

Please do a daily Huffpo for Los Angeles. It doesn't have to be "show biz" news, but we do have interesting and innovative political stories here on the "left coast."
And you live here too, Arianna! Los Angeles is a wonderful city.

[NTO08]

LA is fun...sure­ly deserves its own page...LA has developed into a fascinating polyglot from a mostly Anglo culture.

[lisaw]

Please... bring us a Portland, Oregon Huff Post!

[JoDeeVa]

Yayah!!..f­rom Eugene;}

[toosinbeymen]

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

When are your coming to New York City???

[coolmaiden]

Thank you, Arianna. Next time I drink a glass of Lakonikos with my horiatiki at the Greek Islands on Halsted I will think of you. We love our city and sure are glad you love it too!

[obeth1]

Thank you, we need it this kind of site in chicago for the longest time,best of luck and success,finnaly.

[tigs]

how about a tv channel , way to go huffpost.

[GeminiMoon]

I read the HuffingtonPost everyday and I think its a great idea to have a Chicago page. Chicago is a world class city with no ceiling on its possibilities. Its exciting to see all of the things happening there. In fact, I will be moving there in spring of 2009. Chicago is the city that MAKES NO SMALL PLANS.

[Nicotone]

This is a wonderful idea. I think the next city would have to be San Francisco, followed by Seattle. Both culturally significant cities on the West Coast with edge. Plus the Bay Area is a hotbed of politics and has a rich history of being the catalyst of the progressive movement; Berkeley, Mario Salvo, The Black Panthers, Tommy Smith and John Carlos, Cesar Chavez, et al.

Still in this day, San Francisco is continuously pushing for progress.