Category Archives: Commercial strips

Peterson Avenue Mid-Century Modernism, Part 1

Posted on August 6, 2012 by

My attention span is like the beam of a lighthouse – narrowly focused, always roving. I write about a topic; it’s out of my head and I’m on to the next thing, and the old topic is over and finished, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips, Midcentury Modernism, Peterson Avenue | 5 Comments

Mexican Grocery Store signs

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

They come in a rainbow of colors (mostly neon, entirely bright), and you can find them all across the city, from Pilsen and Little Village to Logan Square to Rogers Park. Near West Side Little VillageRogers Park Chicago has tons … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips, modern folk art | 3 Comments

Mixed Use Midcentury

Posted on November 29, 2010 by

New Urbanists like to make a fuss over the notion of a mixed-use building, touting it as a revival of a long-lost art. While the basic, common-sense notion of people living and working in close proximity certainly did fall out … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips, Midcentury Modernism | 5 Comments

Victims of the revolution

Posted on June 3, 2010 by

The behemoth that is O’Hare International Airport has been hungry for land. After a protracted legal battle, it seems its appetite will soon be satisfied, as a large chunk of suburban Bensonville is being torn down to make way for … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips, demolition | 5 Comments

A Lotta Terra Cotta

Posted on May 13, 2010 by

It was a random comment by a friend that made me realize concretely something that I was already dimly aware of: Andersonville is just loaded with great terra cotta. It is terra cottalectible. Terra cottalicious. It’s terrificotta. It’s terra cottacular. … Continue reading →

Posted in architectural ornament, Commercial strips | 3 Comments

Storefront losses

Posted on May 3, 2010 by

It’s not hard to walk the commercial streets of Chicago and find recently vacant storefronts, their former occupants victims of the Great Recession. The economy of the last few years has claimed several local and personal favorites. The little watch … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips | 6 Comments

Broadway Bank

Posted on March 17, 2010 by

Along the Edgewater stretch of Broadway stands a landmark building. This delightful Gothic revival structure was built for Riviera-Burnstine Motor Sales in 1925 (R. Bernard Kurzon, architect.) By 1951, the building held a furniture company, M.P. Masser, Inc; in 1966, … Continue reading →

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Howard Street

Posted on November 7, 2008 by

Howard Street marks most of Chicago’s northern-most limit, though the city line jumps a few blocks northward from Clark Street to the lake. Walking down Howard, though, you wouldn’t suspect you were on the farthest hinterland of the great metropolis. … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips, theaters | 5 Comments

Roseland’s South Michigan commercial district

Posted on November 6, 2008 by

Chicago’s far south side is a surreal land, where industrial hellpits alternate with charming small-town main streets. It is a place where strange things happen, such as Western Avenue becoming a one-way street. And it is home to random outcroppings … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips | 11 Comments

Third time’s a mystery

Posted on September 28, 2008 by

It’s already been explained to me that the gleaming while terra cotta buildings are former Jewel Grocers from the 1930s. But what could these have been?W. Belmont Avenue W. Bryn Mawr Avenue Devon Avenue They’re all variations on the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial strips | 6 Comments