Monthly Archives: August 2009

Former Jewel Food Stores

In the 1930s, during the height of the Art Deco craze, Jewel Food Stores constructed a series of identical stores all across Chicagoland. Many of these buildings, with their distinct glazed white facades, survive today. I’ve found six to date, … Continue reading

Posted in Art Deco | 11 Comments

The industrial wonders of northwest Indiana

Whiting. Hammond. East Chicago. Calumet City. Pullman. Harvey. Dixmoor. Blue Island. Gary. As I slowly become more familiar with the southern reaches of Chicagoland, these names gain more and more resonance for me. Each speaks of strange contrasts, lands of … Continue reading

Posted in industry, Northwest Indiana, The Infinite City | 9 Comments

Reese and Gropius – tomorrow at CAF

“Gropius in Chicago: A Legacy on the Brink” Come down to the Chicago Architecture Foundation tomorrow (Wednesday, August 26 at noon, free) for a lecture on the role that Walter Gropius had in shaping Chicago’s endangered Michael Reese Hospital complex. … Continue reading

Posted in Michael Reese Hospital | Leave a comment

Separated at birth?

Compare this breezeway apartment building on 95th Street with this trio of 3-flats on 79th Street. They have nearly the same decorative elements, just used differently! Meanwhile, here’s a distant cousin, up north on Western Avenue: If you’re like me, … Continue reading

Posted in Midcentury Modernism | 1 Comment

LATE Ride 2009

Scenes from the 2009 Chicago L.A.T.E. Ride: Many more at my Flickr account.

Posted in biking | 1 Comment

Be warned… this link may make you sick

SASAKI AND COLLINS PARKS AND LANDSCAPES DESTROYED The City of Chicago has destroyed countless trees, shrubs, and landscapes within the Michael Reese complex. The pictures are stunning. The City should be ashamed.

Posted in Michael Reese Hospital | 1 Comment