The Top 5 of Everything 2010

Once again, Newcity ends its year with lists that compile the best, mostly, of the year that was, in the arts, the city, pop culture and the slightly offbeat, more than seventy in all. See you in 2011!

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: City Life and Pop Culture

Top 5 People Who Passed Away That You Thought Were Already Dead
Art Linkletter, 97, TV-show host and ad-lib interviewer (“Kids Say the Darndest Things”)
Mitch Miller, 99, recording artist and 1960s TV-show host (“Sing Along with Mitch; follow the bouncing ball”)
Patricia Neal, 84, Oscar-winning actress (“Hud,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still”)
Teddy Pendergrass, 59, R&B soul singer (severely paralyzed in 1982)
Art Clokey, 88, animator (creator of “Gumby”)
—Sarah Louise Klose

Top 5 Sports Moments That Make You Say “Huh?”
Blackhawks nab Stanley Cup, dismantle championship team
Cubs attendance dips in 2010, ticket prices rise in 2011
Wrigley Field hosts Northwestern vs. Illinois football, only one end zone used for both teams
Evan Lysacek wins Olympic gold medal, loses “Dancing with the Stars”
LeBron James teases Cavs, runs with Bulls and takes the Heat
—Sarah Louise Klose

Top 5 Local Bike Stories
Emanuele Bianchi proposes Chicago Velo Campus velodrome complex at former U.S. Steel site
Drunk drivers who intentionally strike cyclists in Brookfield get a slap on the wrist
Rising popularity of the zany Chicago Cross Cup cyclocross racing series
Active Transportation Alliance launches Crash Support Hotline
Daley’s impending retirement has cyclists hoping for a bike-friendly new mayor
—John Greenfield

Top 5 Chicago Park District Stories
Lush, twenty-seven-acre Palmisano (aka Stearns Quarry) Park dedicated in Bridgeport
Legendary commissioner Margaret Burroughs, founder of DuSable Museum, dies at 95
Park District and “starchitect” Jeanne Gang unveil the Northerly Island Framework Plan
Pristine new 41st Street Beach opens with breathtaking views of the Loop
City Council approves $41 million in TIF money for 2011 Park District capital projects
—John Greenfield

Top 5 Chicago Transit Authority Stories
CTA uses Homeland Security funds to install 3,000 new security cameras system-wide
A civilian dons a driver’s uniform and steals a bus from the 103rd Street garage
New 5000-series prototype rail cars with NYC-style aisle-facing seats debut
CTA pilots the long-awaited Train Tracker system
Study shows that five percent of Free Rides for Seniors passes now in use belong to dead people
—John Greenfield

Top 5 Annoying Things the Government did to Save or Make Money
Traditional July 3 fireworks in Grant Park are cancelled.
Annual Outdoor Film Festival in Butler Field gets canned.
Taste of Chicago hours are trimmed. Number of entrances is reduced.
Lap pass for swimming at Park District pools jumps from $20 to $40.
License plate sticker renewal fee increases from $79 to $99.
—Sarah Louise Klose

Top 5 Future City Cash-Grabs
Extra charge for tire “boot” with your favorite team’s logo
Friday happy hour special: Two-for-one on all contracts. Saturdays:
Ladies get in free.
Slip on the ice, pay a fine
Instead of trying to deliver mail, just go ahead and set it on fire
Rahm Emanuel swear jar
—Emerson Dameron

Top 5 Cubs Moments to Remember
Ron Santo heads to Cubbie heaven.
Billy Williams earns a statue.
Derrek Lee slams his 300th home run.
Carlos Zambrano checks in for therapy.
Lou Piniella hits the dusty trail.
—Sarah Louise Klose

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: Art

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: Film

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: Lit

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: Music

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: Resto

The Top 5 of Everything 2010: Stage