Francisco Ramirez Pinedo

1 month ago | southsideweekly.com | Francisco Ramirez Pinedo

An East Side building that once housed tax preparation services and a pet grooming salon will now host the neighborhood’s only locally-owned coffee shop after more than a year of menu work, furniture carpentry, and license haggling. Colibrí Coffee—named after the Spanish word for hummingbird—soft-opened last Friday and is preparing for an official grand opening on Saturday, March 29.

Jan 16, 2025 | southsideweekly.com | Francisco Ramirez Pinedo

It’s October 26 and a steady stream of people is trickling in and out of Pilsen’s inconspicuous Low Pressure gallery. Well-known street artists like Afrokilla and local brands like Uprise are selling their wares. Taco trucks are selling to a swelling crowd of smokers and skaters outside. Inside, someone is selling beers in Solo cups tapped from a keg, near a half-pipe painted like a pack of Newports. Once the crowd has gotten fed and buzzed, Woes takes the stage.

Oct 26, 2023 | southsideweekly.com | Francisco Ramirez Pinedo

As part of its 2024 budget proposal, Metra is envisioning a new way to use its service, including a simplified fare structure. Since June, Metra officials have been asking for community input on a plan to change their current ten-zone fare structure to a more streamlined four-zone structure. Now, with Metra’s 2024 budget proposal available for public comment and up for ratification later this year, that plan is much closer to reality.

Sep 11, 2023 | southsideweekly.com | Francisco Ramirez Pinedo

It’s a warm Friday night in July, and Everardo Sánchez and Alejandra Switala are setting the scene. They’re laying out a charcuterie board, filling a cooler with La Croix in the backyard, and putting out the final touches on what is to be their stage for the night—a basement apartment with acoustically convenient windows that allow sound to drift into passersby’s ears. There is a personalized cello case and a book about Pablo Casals on the coffee table.

Oct 6, 2022 | southsideweekly.com | Francisco Ramirez Pinedo