Marc W

I have a friend whose lease has expired on her apartment but who needs to stay in Chicago another couple of months. I don't live there and she has no friends to stay with. How would she go about finding a two month lease in an apartment or condo somewhere in Chicago? Are there such things? She's looked into extended stay hotels but those are $80 a night - way too much.

I like how it looks, my fiancee thinks it's unfashionable. What do you think?

Why are there so few big trees in Phoenix, aside from near the Biltmore and along Central Avenue south of Northern? Why are the larger trees only in those locations, practically? Are they just less stable in the climate, or are the smaller trees going to get larger eventually?

With gas prices so high, do you think people will heavily use the light rail system? Will it help further development (restaurants, condo, parks, residents, things to do, etc.) in the "Copper Square" and downtown area?

I own a condo in a high rise in Chicago, and am moving several states away. I would like to rent out the condo, giving the difficulty selling it in the current market, but I'm concerned about being a landlord and taking care of any problems that arise from a thousand miles away.

Does anyone out there know if there management companies that I can hire to act as a "landlord by proxy," basically someone who would function as the landlord for me?

I teach ceramics and need to rent or use a kiln. Does anyone know of any art studios in the Chicagoland area that allow people to rent kilns for use?

I teach ceramics and need to rent or use a kiln. Does anyone know of any art studios in the Chicagoland area that allow people to rent kilns for use?

My fiancee and I plan to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We'd prefer to stay on one island and not island-hop.

Here's the problem. We like quiet beaches during the day, but a bit of nightlife at night, at least good restaurants and maybe music. Kauai seems better for that during the day, Oahu seems better for that at night. Also, we'd like to go horseback riding on the beach - but both islands appear to have that.

Essentially, would we bored in Kauai, or are the beaches/resorts there entertaining enough that we'd be OK for five days? Or should we pick Oahu, far enough from Waikiki to be quieter during the day, but close enough to entertain ourselves at night?

am able to function in most social situations - talking to people, even giving speeches, no problem. But if I'm placed in a situation with a lot going on - a concert, for example, with very loud music, people jostling and yelling, bright lights, and confusion - I get overwhelmed. I feel the need to leave.

My feeling is that this just means I'm better in quieter situations - plays, smaller concerts with not as loud music, movie theaters, etc. My fiancee, who dabbles in psychology, feels that it's agoraphobia without panic disorder (though I have had a panic attack in the past) and requires treatment with an SSRI. I'd prefer not to be on an SSRI.

Any advice? Is this normal, or agoraphobia?

Are there any stores in the Phoenix area similar to Filene's in Chicago and Boston, that sell recently discounted but nice merchandise?

I'm a fan of the mystery and thriller genre, but can't find a good web page that reviews recently published mysteries and thrillers. Any advice?

Has anyone been to the Riviera Theater in Chicago? Do you know if you can leave and enter again during a show? I may have to take a call in the middle of the show, unfortunately, and I want to make sure I can get back in. I've tried to contact the theater but can't reach anyone!

Is it typical for the temperature to remain as high as it's been during the evenings? When I was younger I seem to recall that it would drop down into the 80's in the evening during the summer, not stay at 95 to 100 degrees all night.

In looking for jobs as a physician, it seems like the further east you are - and the bigger the city - the more competitive it is, the lower the salaries, and the more difficult the call. For instance, New York seems a tough place to practice than Chicago, and Chicago seems like a tougher place to practice than Dallas, and Dallas seems like a tougher place to practice in than, say, Seattle.

Is that really the case, or am I seeing a big city / small city difference, or something else?

I own a condominium in downtown Chicago and may be moving within a year or two. I bought the condominium two years ago. It's in a very nice and developing area of Chicago.

If I move, does it make more sense to keep the condo as an investment and rent it out (thus dealing with the annoyances of being a landlord), keep it as a place to visit when I'm in Chicago (quite an expense), or sell it (after only a few years, when it won't have gained much in value?)

They're such different cities. One has a huge lake, the other is bone dry. One has a tremendous downtown, the other is a sprawling suburb. One is walkable, the other is not. One is flat, the other is mountainous. Yet there are so many Chicagoans who move there. What's the appeal?

I'm reasonably good at making friends with girls and having girlfriends, but one major problem I have is making friends with other guys. I usually have one or two guy friends, and as is the case now - when most of my guy friends have moved away - I don't have guys to hang out with, watch sports with, and so on. The guys at my work are mostly married and live in the suburbs. I know this sounds odd, but how does a guy meet other guys?

It seems like a lot of construction is going on downtown - but Phoenix is so sprawling, it's never really had a "downtown." Is creating a city like Chicago or New York possible in Phoenix?

I am considering moving from Chicago to Phoenix for career reasons. However, I really like Chicago's walkability, the downtown, and the nearby restaurants and shops and public transportation - and I know that Phoenix is far more spread out, with a "downtown" that's basically in development now. If I'm used to Chicago, am I not going to like Phoenix, or is it a nice enough city these days that I'll be OK?

I'm a fairly social person who enjoys talking to people, but whenever I'm at a bar, I shut down - something about the incredibly loud music, the smoke, all the party guys wearing the same thing, the women who won't talk to you, the expensive alcohol...I just don't like it there, don't feel comfortable. Which is weird, because I'm usually pretty social, and enjoy going out in smaller groups where I can actually talk to people. I used to enjoy bars more, but I'm in my mid-30's now, and I enjoy it less.

My girlfriend, however, loves the scene - enjoys being with friends, and is frustrated because I clearly am not enjoying myself there when she's with her friends, and that makes me look bad in the eyes of her friends (who all have boyfriends who seem to enjoy the bar scene!) It's not exactly a sticking point in the relationship, but it's clearly an awkward situation. Does anybody else have this reaction to bars? Is there anything I can do about this?