Chicago Episodes

In Episode 146 of The Chicagoland Guide, Aaron Masliansky sits down with Cate Slighton of the 57th Street Art Fair to explore the history, culture, and community that have made Hyde Park one of Chicago’s most distinctive neighborhoods. As the fair prepares for its 79th year, Cate shares the story of how a small gathering of local artists evolved into the oldest juried art fair in the Midwest. The conversation also dives into Hyde Park’s artist colonies, the legacy of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, urban renewal, the influence of the University of Chicago, the Obama Presidential Center, and the role that art and public spaces play in creating vibrant communities. Whether you’re a longtime Chicagoan or discovering Hyde Park for the first time, this episode offers a fascinating look at one of the city’s most unique and enduring cultural destinations.In Episode 146 of The Chicagoland Guide, Aaron Masliansky sits down with Cate Sleighton of the 57th Street Art Fair to explore the h…

In this episode of The Chicagoland Guide, Aaron Masliansky sits down with Adrian Brizulea of CoStar to unpack the Chicago real estate outlook for 2026.

In one of the most forward-looking episodes of The Chicagoland Guide to date, host Aaron Masliansky sits down with Kyle Schulz, Deputy of Strategic Advancement at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). This conversation breaks down where Chicagoland is heading over the next decade, and what it will take to stay globally competitive.

Aaron and Kyle originally connected through the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Global Council, and they pick up right where their first conversation left off: the opportunities, risks, and transformational forces shaping the region.

Licensed clinical professional counselor and board-certified dance/movement therapist Erica Hornthal (“The Therapist Who Moves You”) joins Aaron to explain how changing the way we move changes the way we feel. Recorded on November 3, 2025, the conversation grounds movement therapy in the realities of Chicagoland life: financial pressure, screen-driven immobility, community trauma in Highland Park, and heightened anxiety around recent ICE activity across the North Shore. Erica shares practical, accessible ways to regulate the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and communicate nonverbally when words are not enough.

Chef Mona Sang of Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining joins host Aaron Masliansky to share the powerful story behind one of Chicago’s most unique culinary destinations. In this heartfelt episode, Mona discusses her mother’s survival of the Cambodian genocide, how food became a bridge between trauma and healing, and the journey of building Khmai into a James Beard-nominated restaurant. Learn how traditional Cambodian flavors, family history, and cultural pride are served in every dish. For more stories like this, visit The Chicagoland Guide.

In this episode of The Chicagoland Guide, host Aaron Masliansky interviews Karla Koziura, co-owner and Marketing Director of FRÍO Gelato, an Argentinian-style gelato company with storefronts in Evanston, Navy Pier, and Wilmette.

n this episode of The Chicagoland Guide, Aaron Masliansky is joined by Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist and Director of Real Estate Research at the National Association of Realtors®. They explore how global trade dynamics, tariffs, and macroeconomic shifts are impacting the U.S. housing market — and what that means for Chicagoland.