Leigh Giangreco

I wrote about why Joe Biden is dominating online dating profiles for The Washington Post’s Style section. My piece went viral and got picked up by Sirius XM, People Magazine and Good Morning America

Credit: The Washington Post illustration

For The Washington Post’s travel section, we tried to fit Ferris’ busy itinerary into one day.

I spoke with CBC Radio and City Cast Chicago about my story.

For The Washington Post’s By the Way travel section, I wrote about how the McCallister’s fictional home has become a real tourist attraction in the Chicago suburbs.

Photo credit: Youngrae Kim for The Washington Post

Shermann “Dilla” Thomas has gone viral as Chicago’s TikTok historian. As a Black man who has spun his online success into a real-life tour business, Thomas stands out in a travel industry that predominantly centers the White experience.

For Washington Post Magazine, I wrote about a dinner series that’s trying to restore civil, cross-party dialogue.

Illustration credit: Egle Kazdailyte/For The Washington Post

For Washington Post Magazine, I wrote about how candidates are grappling with the repercussions of losing physical contact with voters in the face of coronavirus.

Photo Credit: AP Photo

For Washington Post Magazine’s “Date Lab,” I wrote about two LA residents who courted each other during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo credit Amy Kaufman.

I profiled Howard University’s band director for Washington Post Magazine. Photo credit: André Chung/For The Washington Post

I reviewed Ryan Swanson’s book, “The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete,” for The Washington Post. I’ve read several books about T.R. as part of a Teddy Roosevelt book club that I started in Washington, D.C.

Credit: AP Photo

I interviewed transgender activist Sarah McBride about her book, “Tomorrow Will Be Different,” for The Washington Post’s Outlook section.

For The Washington Post, I wrote about why I believe D.C. is the most romantic city in America.

Chicago’s mayoral election could serve as a bellwether for how voters think about public safety as they choose between duelling approaches

I profiled the progressive candidate for Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson.

Google is set to give architect Helmut Jahn’s dazzling but troubled Thompson Center a corporate makeover. The building’s fans want its postmodern soul preserved, too.

Some riders fear the Democratic National Convention will strain the city’s trains and buses, but transit leaders see an opportunity to show off new services and stations. 

Climate and geography mean that Western New York gets routinely buried in intense lake effect snow. Here’s how residents and city officials have learned to live with it.

Photo credit: Leigh Giangreco

To keep their social hubs open, veterans service organizations like the Legion and VFW are hosting karaoke, comedy nights and pro wrestling events.

The Lollapalooza festival is back, but many venue owners remain cautious about reopening because of relief funding delays and Covid-19 delta variant fears.

Scores of US cities are trying to muffle the seasonal din of gas-powered leaf blowers. But the new regulations and fines are generating resistance, too.  

Photo credit: Leigh Giangreco

Despite lockdown orders and economic uncertainty, people are still selling and buying homes, thanks to virtual house showings and no-contact contract signings.

Lifeguarding had already become a less popular summer job option for teens. After the pandemic, shortages are enough to keep public pools closed in many U.S. cities.

Featured in The Atlantic’s Citylab: Washington, D.C., is home to a huge concentration of reporters. Why do they miss the stories happening in their own city?

Featured in The Atlantic’s Citylab: Why did George Washington’s house leave the current president so unimpressed? Maybe because this practical-minded mansion was made to convey humility.

For Politico Magazine, I wrote about an indicted congressman from western New York who labeled his hometown paper as “the fake Buffalo News.”

For Politico Magazine, I went to Charleston to talk to West Virginia coal miners as they lobbied for a state black lung fund that would pay as much as $5,000 per year to miners who suffer from the crippling illness.

Photos by Roger May.

For Politico Magazine’s “What Works” section, I explored how Chicago’s plastic bag tax has changed shoppers’ habits.

Attempts to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety on busy state roads within urban areas often meet strong headwinds from state transportation departments, whose raison d’être is moving cars quickly and efficiently. 

Above: Alderman Matt Martin, who represents the 47th Ward in Chicago, points to the spot in a four-lane state road where a driver killed a local resident.

Photo credit: Leigh Giangreco

In 2017, 275 nature preschools operated in the United States, according to a report from the Natural Start Alliance, a nature preschool advocacy organization within the nonprofit North American Association for Environmental Education. By 2020, that number more than doubled to 585 programs.

The trend — along with studies showing the benefits of outdoor playtime — has inspired state officials to examine how to license such schools, a move that could unlock state funding to help children and programs in underserved communities.

Above:
Emma Donnelly shows one of her students a bird guide at the Chicago Botanic Garden Nature Preschool in Glencoe, Ill. As many parents embrace the idea of preschools being outside, some states have begun considering ways to regulate the programs. (Photo credit: Leigh Giangreco)

Most cannabis dispensaries are cash-only businesses, constantly at risk of being robbed. Indoor growing facilities use harsh lighting, and plants get sprayed with pesticides.

Those conditions can create daily hazards for cannabis workers, which is why labor organizers are trying to unionize them as legalization spreads and the marijuana workforce grows.

Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine didn’t mince words last month when he weighed in on a legislative plan to increase speed limits on certain Ohio highways: He was a no.

“Every expert that you talk to can tell you that the data clearly shows that if we increase the speed limit, even only by five miles per hour, there will be people who will die in Ohio that would not have died if we kept the speed limit where it is today,” DeWine told reporters.

Ohio lawmakers abandoned the speed limit proposal. But in at least five other states — Indiana, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota and West Virginia — state legislators have pushed similar speed limit hikes this year, even as traffic fatalities have climbed to their highest level in nearly two decades. 

In the past two years, 19 states have banned or restricted gender-affirming care for minors, and another 12 states are considering it — a tidal wave of policy change that has emboldened many Republicans on the far right while terrifying transgender youth and their families.

The pipes are playing for the old Irish machine. In December, the federal government nailed former Ald. Ed Burke after a jury found him guilty on 13 counts of racketeering, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and promoting bribery, official misconduct and extortion. Next up to bat at the Dirksen Federal Building is former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, whose corruption trial is delayed until October. Former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, the scion of Richard J. Daley, was sentenced in 2022 to four months in prison for tax fraud.

The downfall of Irish politicians in Illinois could just as much be attributed to a change in demographics as the indictments — and, for some later, convictions — of those men.

“The old Irish ward boss seems to be going by the wayside, but (for) cities, particularly Chicago, it’s the story of immigrants,” said Elmhurst University political science professor Connie Mixon, who also testified at Ed Burke’s trial last year.

At CTA President Dorval Carter’s City Council appearance in February, transit advocates pointed to friends who had abandoned the CTA and become first-time car owners since COVID hit. In interviews with lapsed riders, Crain’s found that reliability stood out as the main reason for leaving the system, though other issues, including safety and cleanliness, played major roles for their exits.

Some civic leaders are calling for the city to re-examine its do-not-hire list practices after another former staffer in the mayor’s office said they were placed on the list in retaliation for complaints they made in the office.

Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration fired another employee in the mayor’s office and placed them on the city’s do-not-hire list late this summer, raising questions over whether the administration has gone too far in its use of the authority. 

The episode marks the fourth reported incident of the Johnson administration wielding the do-not-hire list on holdovers from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s term, following a Chicago Tribune story that identified three Lightfoot staffers who transitioned to the Johnson team and were later fired after complaining about alleged mistreatment by top officials in the mayor’s office.

The fourth government worker, who spoke with Crain’s on condition of anonymity, had started their tenure under Lightfoot and successfully appealed their placement on the list with the city’s Department of Human Resources, according to documents obtained by Crain’s. 

"Madigan henchman," "Vader" and “polite prince of darkness.” Those are just some of the monikers attached to the lawyer behind the real estate industry’s attack on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposal to tweak real estate transfer taxes to fund homelessness programs.

Sickness keeps derailing the trial of former Ald. Edward Burke.

First it was COVID. Then it was dog vomit.

Judge Virginia Kendall’s Bernese Mountain Dog, Birdie, roams the Dirksen Federal Courthouse as a therapy canine comforting witnesses, defendants and attorneys. But on Monday, Birdie's bout of indigestion interrupted otherwise sleepy testimony about allegations that Burke had threatened Field Museum employees after the museum had not given a summer internship to his goddaughter. Kendall told the room that a “well-intentioned juror” brought a bag of treats, of which Birdie had consumed the entirety and returned to the courtroom carpet late that afternoon.

The failure of "Bring Chicago Home" upended conventional wisdom that a low-turnout race would benefit progressives with a strong ground game. Its defeat is less stunning when you consider the confusion that a protracted legal battle over the ballot initiative’s existence might have sowed among voters.

Whether by police force or university leadership, the pro-Palestinian encampments that cropped up across college campuses in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs have folded. But as students pack up their signs and head home, other demonstrators in Chicago are huddling with lawyers ahead of the biggest protest target this summer: the Democratic National Convention.

I helped put together WBEZ’s 2023 Summer Guide. I assembled a list of over 200 cultural events, workouts and neighborhood festivals throughout Chicago, complete with short descriptions of each event and accessibility options.

Jackie Birov, a first-generation Ukrainian American and Wicker Park resident, has helped people flee Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. She's also raising money for body armor for Ukrainians.

Photo credit: Leigh Giangreco

St. Clement’s, a Catholic church near Chicago’s gay neighborhood of Boystown, has long supported the local queer community. During the height of the AIDS crisis, its parishioners would volunteer to help patients who were otherwise isolated. Today, St. Clement’s is still building bridges between Catholics and the LGBTQ community in Chicago.

Advocates for the simple, late 19th-century homes hope the recently passed anti-gentrification ordinance will limit teardowns and encourage preservation.

I put together Forbes’ inaugural 30 Under 30 Local for Chicago. I found four judges for the competition, including the president of the MacArthur Foundation, and sought out dozens of candidates. The four-month process included background checks for the final 60 candidates and writing short biographies.

Comfort foods, like tacos and pizzas, were supposedly immune to the effects of the pandemic as they’re carryout-friendly. Many new taquerias popped up across Chicago and the country as investors felt more confident in America’s appetite for tacos.

But the rising costs of meat show no restaurant is safe.

Employees accuse the coffee company of union busting after workers ratified a contract in October

Do the Jean Banchet awards have the same impact on Chicago’s culinary scene as they did when they were introduced 20 years ago? I spoke with chefs, food writers and industry insiders for Eater Chicago.

The city projects the increase, which Mayor Brandon Johnson called “modest,” would generate $10.6 million in revenue

Thanks in part to efforts in Washington and California, other states are working on legislation to ban workplace nondisclosure agreement.

You could see them all the way from Humboldt Boulevard. An army clad in white T-shirts and blue aprons lined up for inspection in front of a crowd of hundreds stretching across the big hill in Humboldt Park.

The crowd was hungry and only one thing could satiate them: a hot chef.

Specifically, the hot chef from FX’s series The Bear, as portrayed by the actor Jeremy Allen White. On November 16, over 60 Jeremy Allen White lookalikes and hundreds of spectators assembled in Humboldt Park for Chicago’s very own lookalike contest.

One doesn’t have to be a restaurant industry insider to enjoy director Rebecca Halpern’s documentary Love, Charlie. Instead, Chicago’s buzzing restaurant scene in the 90s serves as the pressure cooker that finally breaks a man who is fueled and blinded by his ambition. 

For Washingtonian, I spoke with experts about panda diplomacy and whether the Smithsonian National Zoo’s pandas will leave as a result of the trade war with China.

Photo courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo

I shot photos and covered election night in D.C.

I investigated allegations of racial discrimination at a local dance company in D.C.

For first-time mothers, pregnancy is already a strange, unprecedented event that ushers in bizarre physical changes, mental stress, and social isolation. Many of the lifelines that physicians and therapists recommend, like regular exercise or gathering with other new moms, have disappeared in the new era of social distancing.

Novice Bakers Are Clearing Out Local Bakeries’ Supplies Of Flour, Yeast, And Sourdough Starter

Is the Eaton Hotel truly a unique space for local art and social good to thrive in D.C., or is it just another trendy hotel?

I shot photos and wrote about the 32nd annual 17th street High Heel Race in Washington for DCist.

I spoke with two men who bring their music to Columbia Heights and have become local legends in the Northwest D.C. neighborhood.

Photo credit: Leigh Giangreco

A report by NPR’s Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union found that network management has fallen short of meeting a majority of the union’s demands for measures to address diversity, equity and inclusion at the network.

In September 2020, the union’s DEI committee gave management a list of over a dozen demands focused on issues faced by employees of color. During NPR’s February board meeting, union members shared with management a progress report on those demands. Among their findings, a January survey of the union’s 500-plus members revealed that they see supporting and retaining employees of color as a crucial challenge for management.

From their first day on the job, "it was just glaringly evident to me that personal bias clouds judgment in this workplace,” Kline said about SDPB.

Public radio jazz stations have been catering to the traditional tastes of loyal listeners for many years, says Carol Handley of KNKX. The three-year grant program gives them room, and resources, to pivot toward what's happening in jazz right now.

For Postindustrial Magazine, I wrote about the new hope that Afghan refugees find in Buffalo and how the influx of new immigrants has buoyed the beleaguered, Rust Belt city.

Photos by Libby March

For The Buffalo News, I profiled Western New York expat and Georgetown butcher, Jamie Stachowski, about his Soup Nazi-esque corner market in Washington, D.C.

I host the Humanities Matter Podcast by Brill Publishing. We interview experts in the field of humanities and social sciences.

I went on Press Pool with Julie Mason to talk about why Joe Biden is all over Tinder.

I spoke with KPBS about my dot.LA profile of California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and her fight against Big Tech. Listen at the 10 minute mark.

Growing up Catholic in Buffalo, New York, I often visited the Carmelite monastery after school. As a child, I wondered how the cloistered nuns lived in total isolation. As an adult living under the stay-at-home order during the coronavirus pandemic, I found myself looking to the Carmelites once again for advice. Read more in my interview with two Carmelite nuns for Medium’s GEN Magazine.

Illustration by Daniel Zender

For Medium’s Gen Mag, I talked to the vice commander of the U.S. military’s newest branch about satellites, space junk and whether those new uniforms will include capes.

When Dwight Eisenhower was president, he traveled in style. Now a team is restoring his airplane to presidential perfection.

I visited the Columbine II in Virginia and wrote about its restoration for Air & Space Magazine.

Photo credit Ramón C Purcell / Boneyard Safari

For Smithsonian Magazine, I wrote about a mysterious, Nazi aircraft: the Horten Ho 229 V3.

Photo credit: Tobias Hutzler

For Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine, I wrote about restorer Tom Reilly’s latest undertaking: a North American XP-82, the U.S. Army Air Corps’ Twin Mustang. Invented by Edgar Schmued and greenlit by General Hap Arnold in 1943, the Twin Mustang is unique: It mates two North American P-51 fuselages. Reilly’s is one of five remaining and the only surviving prototype.

Thousands are expected to march for a range of progressive causes at this year’s Democratic National Convention. We asked legal and medical experts how to stay safe and know your legal rights when protesting.