Latest news with #childhoodhome
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Pope Leo XIV's hometown reaches deal to buy his childhood home
Pope Leo XIV 's childhood home in Dolton, Chicago, has been sold to the village for $375,000, significantly exceeding its initial asking price. The modest two-story, three-bedroom house was originally listed for $219,000 in January before being pulled from the market after Prevost's election as pontiff. The property was subsequently sold via a luxury auction, with the village of Dolton securing the purchase for $375,000, well above the average house price in the area. The village intends to collaborate with the Archdiocese of Chicago to transform the property into a landmark, aiming to make it a valuable community asset. Local officials described the acquisition as a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to honor the pontiff's upbringing and draw new attention to the village.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Pope Leo's childhood home in Chicago sells for nearly double the asking price
Pope Leo XIV 's childhood home in Chicago has just sold – and for well over the initial asking price. Long before taking up residence in the Apostolic Palace this May, the pontiff – then known as Robert Prevost – grew up in a modest two-story, three-bedroom home in the south Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois. This week, the house on E. 142nd Place was sold to the village of Dolton at about 70 percent above the initial asking price, Steve Budzik, the agent representing the seller, told Bloomberg. The sale rounds off the home's journey since being placed on the market in January, months before Prevost, 69, emerged from the conclave as pope. The house was originally listed earlier this year for $219,000 after a local property developer bought it for $66,000 to renovate. After Leo stunned Americans and was elected pope on May 8, the seller pulled the home from the market and later announced a luxury auction, with a $250,000 opening bid. The village of Dolton ended up purchasing the property for $375,000, Budzik said. The average house price in Dolton is about $179,000, according to The village hopes to work with the Archdiocese of Chicago to turn the house into a landmark and 'a meaningful and valuable asset to our community.' 'I'm happy for the village,' Budzik said. 'I think they were the best buyer for that property, and it's great for win for them.' The village had previously considered using eminent domain to take ownership of Leo's former home before completing a deal to purchase the property this week. The Dolton board voted unanimously on July 1 to take control of the property with members calling it a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to do the home 'justice.' 'We can either seize this moment and move it forward, or we can let that moment go to an investor,' Dolton Mayor Jason House said at the board meeting. Photos from the village of Dolton's Facebook page last week show contractors doing work on the property's roof. 'The Pope's House continues to draw in people, bringing new energy and attention to our village,' the caption read. Leo's grounded demeanor is often traced back to his modest upbringing in the suburbs of Chicago's South Side. He spent his early years in Dalton living with his parents and his elder brothers, Louis and John, with his upbringing rooted in Catholic faith and Midwestern values. The world's most famous White Sox fan attended local schools and was heavily involved in his parish from a young age. Some of those who went to St. Rita High School with the pontiff affectionately refer to him as 'Father Bob.'
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Richard Gere slammed over broken promise to preserve home
Music legend Paul Simon's daughter has lashed out at Richard Gere for selling her childhood home to real estate developers — who are now demolishing the historic property. Singer Lulu Simon, 30, took to Instagram to share some strong words for the 'Pretty Woman' star. 'Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere – I do! 'He bought my childhood home, promised he would take care of the land as condition of his purchase proceeded to never actually move in & just sold it to a developer as 9 separate plots,' she claimed, according to People as reported by Fox News. 'Hate! Him!' Lulu concluded while attaching a screenshot of an article showing Gere's latest real estate venture. In a second Instagram story, Lulu wrote, 'I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness'. The text was written above a photo of Gere with photos of cats and dogs surrounding the 'Chicago' actor. According to records, Simon purchased the home in 2002 for $US16.5 million ($A25 million) — three years before he and his wife, Edie Brickell, welcomed daughter Lulu. The singer-songwriter first listed the property for a whopping $US13.9 million ($A21.1 million). Gere purchased the home in 2022 for $US10.8 million ($A16.4 million) and originally planned to turn a large portion of its expansive grounds into a farm. The Golden Globe winner and his wife, Alejandra Silva, sold the Simon property in October 2024 for $US10.75 million ($A16.4 million). In May, news surfaced that the home was scheduled for demolition to create room for the nine-plot real estate venture. The news of the reported demolition came after the Geres moved to Spain. Alejandra is from there and wished to be closer to family. 'For me, going to Madrid is going to be a great adventure because I have never lived full time outside the United States,' the 75-year-old told Vanity Fair Spain. 'And I think it will also be very interesting for my children. For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture. 'She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so I think it's fair that I give her at least six others living in hers. In any case, I love Spain and I think your lifestyle is fabulous. Also, your ability to live, transmitting joy and happiness. 'It is a beautiful place, the food is extraordinary and people exude sensitivity and generosity, as well as a strong will to laugh and enjoy. So I'm looking forward to going there.' After relocating at the end of 2024, Silva expressed an interest in returning to the US at the 2025 Gala: Carnaval in New York City. 'For a few years [we'll live in Spain], and then come back. But we're always coming back,' she said, referring to her sons Alexander, 5, and James, 4. 'We'll come back here in the summer because we have the kids at camp. We just have to balance our lives there and here,' she continued. After years of living in New York City, the couple decided to move to Spain. 'I'm with my family … I missed them a lot. But I miss the US So we come back and forth,' she told the outlet.
Bloomberg
10-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Pope Leo's Former Home Sells to Chicago Suburb at Premium
By Updated on Save The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV was sold to the village of Dolton, a south Chicago suburb, at a 70% premium to the initial asking price. The three-bedroom house about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of downtown Chicago was purchased for $375,000 in a deal this week, according to Steve Budzik, the agent representing the seller. Dolton plans to work the Archdiocese of Chicago to turn the property into a landmark.
Android Authority
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
The Game Boy of my dreams is finally back in stock for good
ModRetro Chromatic The ModRetro Chromatic is the ultimate Game Boy, with an enhanced but authentic screen and exquisite build quality. If you can stomach the price tag, it's the best way to play original GB and GBC carts. The Game Boy was my very first gaming device, and it has always held a special place in my heart. My parents actually bought two classic DMG Game Boys (one for me and one for my older sister), but they both ended up in my collection once she developed a social life and I retreated deeper into my digital shell. I'd continue the trend of picking up two of every Game Boy before moving on to the Nintendo DS. But since then, I've moved halfway across the world, and my Game Boy collection sits idly at my childhood home. Thankfully, emulation makes it easy to relive that era of my youth, but emulation can only get so close. So when the ModRetro Chromatic landed on my desk after being sold out for the better part of a year, I couldn't wait to dive in. After a few weeks with the device, there's no doubt in my mind that this is the ultimate Game Boy experience. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford two for my collection, but it's the first time in years I've felt the exact same spark of joy that started my gaming journey back in the early 90s. And even better, it will be permanently back in stock starting today with a few extra goodies. Editor's note: ModRetro was created by Palmer Luckey, a controversial billionaire with ties to weaponized drones and other military tech. ModRetro and the Chromatic aren't otherwise tied to those industries, but it does cast a shadow over an otherwise innocuous device. The ultimate Game Boy Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The most important thing to understand about the Chromatic is that it only plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. In other words, it's an FPGA device that replicates the original hardware as closely as possible. It's actually more cycle accurate than its competitors, most notably the Analogue Pocket, although you probably won't notice the difference. That made this review slightly complicated, since all of my original carts are thousands of miles away at my mother's house. Thankfully, the device comes with an updated version of Tetris in the box, and I was able to borrow a few carts from some nerdy neighbors. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority Of course, ModRetro itself also makes and sells cartridges with re-released and brand-new titles. They're fairly expensive, but opening the box and reading through the manuals really took me back to a simpler time. That feeling was present the entire time I was testing the Chromatic in a way I didn't entirely expect. I've gotten so used to playing games on emulators that I had forgotten the thrill of playing without save states and rewinds to fall back on. At first, it was a little frustrating and, frankly, humbling for a 30-something-year-old me. But the act of popping in a cartridge, flipping the switch, and hopping directly into a game is so smooth, so seamless, that I was immediately taken back to my first years of handheld gaming. The Chromatic took me right back to my first years of handheld gaming. Nostalgia-tinted glasses or not, it's easy to see that the Chromatic is much, much better than the original hardware. Just taking it out of the box, the build quality is excessively premium, with a magnesium frame that feels built to survive the apocalypse. In fact, ModRetro shows the Chromatic getting run over by a car in its marketing materials, although I wouldn't dare test that myself. I introduced my six-year-old daughter to Tetris on this machine, and when it slipped out of her hands it made a terrifyingly loud noise when it hit the floor. In the end, it was just batteries popping out of the back, but I'm not sure the cheap emulation handhelds I usually play with would have survived unscathed. Yes, this thing runs on three AA batteries, three of which are included in the box. There's a battery indicator in the firmware that goes well beyond a red light to indicate a pending replacement, plus a new rechargeable battery pack, which I'll get to in a moment. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The other major upgrade from the original hardware is the custom screen, which is the best possible mix of new and old. It's a backlit LCD panel with enough brightness to play outside in the full summer sun, but it maintains the same resolution, pixel density, and color profile as the Game Boy Color. No fancy upscaling or shaders, just a pure retro experience. The D-pad and buttons are also great, although I did notice that the face buttons are fairly loud. The start/select buttons also lose the rubbery finish of the originals, which is probably for the best. The mono speaker on the bottom of the device gets shockingly loud with the volume wheel maxed, but it still sounds great. There's also a headphone jack on the bottom with stereo sound for the games that support it. Nick Fernandez / Android Authority There's one extra button the side, and it opens the console's settings. The menu lets you change the screen brightness, turn on or off diagonals, check firmware, and more. It's just enough to enhance the Game Boy experience without overpowering it. Everything from the screen to the build is excessively premium. When all is said and done, it's clear that the Chromatic is the ultimate way to play Game Boy cartridges. It doesn't have any modern emulation niceties like save states or fast forward, but with the training wheels removed you really get to play these games the way they were meant to be played. What's old is new Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The bad news is that the Chromatic has been sold out for more than six months, with only the worst colorway available from GameStop. Today, that changes. ModRetro has now fully restocked every color of the Chromatic, and taken steps to ensure it stays in stock for the foreseeable future. All six of the original colorways — Inferno, Leaf, Bubblegum, V0lt, Wave, and Midnight — are back, with one more Cloud colorway added to the mix. There are also new accessories going on sale today: ModRetro Rechargeable Power Core ($29.99): A battery pack providing up to 16 hours of gameplay. ($29.99): A battery pack providing up to 16 hours of gameplay. ModRetro Link Cable ($14.99): A backwards-compatible link cable for multiplayer. ($14.99): A backwards-compatible link cable for multiplayer. ModRetro Mod Kit ($14.99): A kit with swappable parts and a one of a kind dual sided screwdriver. ($14.99): A kit with swappable parts and a one of a kind dual sided screwdriver. ModRetro Koss Porta Pro ($49.99): A color-matched retro headset. For my money, the Rechargeable Power Core is the most interesting, since it can charge while you play. Standard rechargeable AA batteries work just fine, but there's no passthrough charging. You'll need to remove them to recharge, although you don't have to turn the device off as long as you keep it plugged in. The Chromatic is now permanently back in stock, with new accessories and games. There are also a few new games available, as well as a new feature called Cart Clinic that lets you update your Chromatic cartridges to add new features. Note that this isn't the firmware on the device itself, but the actual cartridge. Saves might not be compabile between versions, but it's a really cool way to add new gameplay features or fixes to physical carts. ModRetro Chromatic review: Should you buy it? Nick Fernandez / Android Authority While I absolutely love the ModRetro Chromatic, its price makes it hard to recommend for anyone but diehard Game Boy fans. As part of the permanent restock, the price has also been adjusted. The premium version with a Sapphire Glass screen has now been bumped up to $299, with a new Gorilla Glass version at the initial $199 price point. That's a lot of money, especially when you can get a Game Boy-like emulation handheld like the Retroid Pocket Classic ($129.99 at Manufacturer site) for significantly less. That device doesn't feel as premium, but it can emulate not just Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and everything up to and including some PS2. For even less, you can pick up a Linux-based handheld like the TrimUI Brick ($84.99 at Amazon). But there's something truly special about playing games the way they were supposed to be played. It's a frictionless experience that's hard to emulate (no pun intended). It also plays your original carts without the need to dump them, which is a huge advantage for anyone with a sizeable collection. If you don't have any carts, you're obviously not going to get much out of the Chromatic without shelling out even more cash to build out your physical library. The Chromatic offers the ultimate Game Boy experience. When looking at other FPGA devices, the Analogue Pocket ($219.99 at Manufacturer site) is the obvious alternative. It looks more modern, but it's less cycle accurate, and the 3.5-inch 1600 x 1440 display is less faithful to the original look of the games. The upside is that it can also play Game Boy Advance cartridges out of the box, as well as Neo Geo Pocket Color, Game Gear, and others, if you buy the optional adapters. Another option is an FPGBC kit, which allows you to build a completely custom device that's the spitting image of the original Game Boy Color. All of the parts will run you about half the price of the Chromatic, but you'll have to put it together yourself and it won't feel nearly as premium. But if you want the ultimate Game Boy experience, it doesn't get any better than the ModRetro Chromatic. Dedicated collectors can easily justify the expense (or any expense, to be honest), and although I wish it were made by a company owned by a less controversial figure, I'm absolutely delighted that this device exists at all. ModRetro Chromatic Authentic experience • Exquisite build quality • Bright, beautiful screen MSRP: $199.99 The ultimate Game Boy. The ModRetro Chromatic modernizes the Game Boy experience in all the right ways. See price at Manufacturer site Positives Authentic experience Authentic experience Exquisite build quality Exquisite build quality Bright, beautiful screen Cons Expensive Expensive Less versatile than emulation Less versatile than emulation Controversial origins
