Part of running any news outlet is paying attention to the impact coverage is having for our No. 1 priority: our audience. 

Although we've always followed general best practices for optimization and accessibility, we've never chased traffic, solicited outside promotion or gamed usage with fake users and padded engagement. 

We've also long abandoned Google Analytics -- along with all other Google services because  Google sucks -- and work from our own server logs instead. This tells the real story anyway, since anyone smart on the Internet is using a script blocker to keep hostile and dangerous surveillance at bay, as we recommend .

Our internal statistics show a fantastic jump in traffic and usage, with nearly 425,000 unique visitors reading the McKinley Park News in September 2025. The vast bulk of these visitors come from the U.S., and a majority of these are Chicago-area IP addresses.

This parallels our big jumps in membership and email newsletter subscribers, girded by new coverage and features like The Best of McKinley Park .

As shared in other missives here and in Letters from the Editor , we're continuing to work through the final throes of personal issue (contractor nightmare) to enable a return to the neighborhood full-time and even more coverage for McKinley Park. The jump in traffic is profoundly encouraging and heralds a great path toward sustainability and success.

Many thanks to our readers, members and subscribers. And to all the new folks engaging with our publication, welcome to the McKinley Park News!