Money Transfers and Check Cashing on Clark

I had never seen these businesses before I moved to Chicago. Cash transfers are everywhere in Rogers Park. A large percentage of wages made in Chicago are sent back to families in Mexico and South America. I understand this is a huge source of cash for Mexico, and that the current downturn has choked off many of the transfers.

These businesses aren't regulated as closely as banks, and I always suspect that they take advantage of low income workers, especially the undocumented. Not sure this one can get any more signs on this building.

Clark and Schreiber, northwest corner

Do you remember the "literals" craze in the 1980s? Bags labeled "Brown Bag" and mugs labeled "Mug"? Did you know they did the same thing with buildings? The Rogers Park police station is living proof. In huge lowercase letters it reads, "police" on the wall nearest Clark. As if that could make up for the aggressively unattractive design. Maybe worse of all, it creates a huge windswept plaza along the most auto-dominated stretch of Clark. Optimistically there's a single bench. And what kind of trees were chosen for the plaza? Locust trees, whose most admirable quality is resistance to pollution.

Clark and Farwell, northeast corner

The Rogers Park Library is one of the few new buildings in the neighborhood that I really admire. Designed by Antunovich and Associates, it was built in 1999 and is aging comfortably. This is apparently the new model for Chicago libraries, and similar versions can be found in Bucktown and Edgebrook. Thankfully they stopped building those awful blue cinder block libraries. If you're in the neighborhood go up to the second floor and admire the hanging sculpture. Public buildings of this quality make me glad to live in Chicago.

Clark and Pratt, southwest corner

So McDonald's has started to replace their old 1980s mansard-style outlets with something a little more sensitive to the street Sure, they'll still surrounded by parking lots and driveways, but they're faced with brick, they're typically built with one wall right on the street, they have decent storefronts, and the interiors are better designed and more comfortable. Say what you will about McDonald's, but I'm impressed that they periodically reinvent themselves.

We took Felix to the Museum of Science and Industry on Saturday. If we hadn't felt a crazy need to see everything we would have just stared at the amazing model train exhibit for hours. They basically created the Loop, complete with working CTA trains. Wow.

On Sunday we took Felix to get his hair cut. At the end of the haircut the woman said, "Oops, I nicked his ear. Free haircut." Sure enough, there was a tiny cut on the top of his ear which Felix barely noticed. We were left conferring on what to do. Should we just leave? Should we give a tip anyway, since we already saved $20? Should you tip someone who just cut you son's ear? We grabbed a lollipop and shuffled out awkwardly.

43rd and Cottage Grove

OK, I've ventured out of Rogers Park for this drawing. This is kind of on the edge of Bronzeville on the south side. Had it been a bit warmer it would've been a great area to explore better. There's a historic district (Oakland) near the east terminus of 43rd, and I was intent on making a site visit without a car. One advantage is that you can meander a bit on the way back to the El. This sign is still in front of a furniture store, although probably not the original tenant that put it up.

Clark and Lunt, northeast corner- 1890s through 2008

Our corner is on the far right. At this point (1890s) it was a post office.

Who doesn't love an old timey bus? Here's the first Philip's Bank. c. 1915?

Here's the upgrade of Philip's Bank in the 1920s.

And here's the triumphant replacement. I believe it was built in 1997, two years after I moved to Chicago.

Clark and Devon, northeast corner- 1910 and 2009

Apartments and Retail, c.1910

Devon-Clark Hardware, 2009

I'm fairly certain that this demolished apartment building explains the strangely shaped parking lot west of Devon-Clark Hardware. Still trying to figure out the map chronology, which is somewhat vague for this area.

Clark and Touhy, northeast corner

7201 N. Clark
Built: 1955 (this is probably a rebuild)

This gas station was out of business when I started this project. But here it is, triumphant in its reopening.

The past few weeks we've lived through some of the coldest Chicago weather I've ever experienced. We're all getting over various stages of colds, but otherwise fine. Last weekend we went to Winterfest at Warren Park, where Felix bounced on an inflatable trampoline for an hour, had a spider painted on his hand, and took home a tiger balloon animal. We attended the grand opening of a new firehouse on Clark (Mayor Daley gave a speech, but at least there were donuts). And we've pioneered the sport of toddler sledding as a practical form of neighborhood transport.

Columbia and Clark, northwest corner

6733-37 N. Clark
Built: 1927
Architect: C.B. Kohn
Contractor: H.C. Wolf & Son
Cost: $17,000


This is a nice little liquor store that won some sort of award for its new storefront and awning. Maybe it participated in the facade rebate program before it ran out of money...

Anyway, its cold out. Not yet Chicago cold, but darn cold. As usual, when it gets cold we head out to the Botanic Gardens for some reason. We ran around the gardens and walked through numerous greenhouses. Not bad for a Sunday.

Clark and Arthur, northwest corner

6501 N. Clark
Built: 1925
Architect: Standard Oil
Contractor: Wm. Socom Bldg Co.
Cost: $2,500

If this isn't the same building it's at least constructed on the same footprint as the original gas station.

I keep finding myself more interested in the exposed side of the apartment building next to this auto repair business. But I have to give it credit for nearly landscaping itself out of existence.

Felix's birthday party went really well, and the auditorium room at Indian Boundary Park was great. We played Pin the Tail on the Monster (monster poster courtesy of Angela) and everyone ate cupcakes and drank cider. Best of all the weather held, and afterwards everyone went outside to the playground. My parents were in town, which was a nice bonus.

Felix went trick-or-treating last week as the cutest little red devil you could imagine. It'll be my new profile photo, if I ever get around to it.

Clark and Lunt, northwest corner

7000-16 N. Clark
Built: c.1900
 
It's been a while since I've posted. What's happened lately?

-I went to the Traditional Building Conference over at Navy Pier last month.
-My old high school friend was in town briefly and came up to Rogers Park to visit.
-My great aunt Marion had her 90th birthday party.
-Chicago is laying off employees right and left.

Last weekend we drove to the Indiana Dunes where we saw the modern homes relocated there (via lake barge) after the 1933 World's Fair. We also visited a historic homestead and farm within the Dunes State Park. We stayed overnight at a very nice hotel, and went apple picking Monday morning. Felix enjoyed it, and we ended up with 10 lbs of apples and plenty of mosquito bites. Not a bad Columbus Day. I suppose now it's okay if it becomes rainy and cold.

The biggest news is that today is Felix's third birthday. Angela made a special snack for his class, and we're going to have a small party next weekend. Hard to believe it's been 3 years since he came to complicate and enrich our lives. Some of the time I feel like we invented him entirely, and he only exists as a part of ourselves. Other times I feel like he's the most unique and unpredictable being on the planet. Sometimes when I'm away from him I feel this strange ache, and I suddenly know why parents fill their offices with photographs and keepsakes. I suppose everyone has to invent parenthood for themselves, even if it seems trite and sentimental. It's okay to be trite and sentimental now and again, right?

Clark and Touhy, southwest corner

7136 N. Clark
Built:1928

This building is in the process of converting from a used car lot to a fast food chicken restaurant. It's only natural. Originally this was a Standard Oil gas and service station. To the left is the old section, made out of common brick and clay tile. 

On Saturday we drove out to Marseilles, Illinois (Mar-sales, in the midwest lingo) to visit a farm. Once a week we pick up a box of vegetables and split it with our friends Carrie and Euan. Much of it comes from this farm, and everyone who subscribes was invited to come out for a tour/festival. We figured this was a good excuse to get out of Chicago for a couple days and show Felix his first farm. He seemed to like it. He kept waving a stick and yelling, "Go 'way, chickens!" We picked raspberries and saw some amazingly huge yellow and black spiders. Orb spiders, apparently. We even met up with Angela's friend, who moved to Marseilles with her family last year.

After a night at a hotel in Ottawa with an awesome (overheated) pool we went hiking at Starved Rock Park Sunday morning and were back in Chicago by 12:30. Not a bad weekend.

Clark and Pratt, northwest corner detail

6800 N. Clark
Car repair

Well, we had a nice holiday weekend, with just a few setbacks.


On Saturday we went to Lunt Avenue beach and splashed around for a while. We made a discovery a few weekends ago- if we take Felix to the beach, let him run around like a crazy toddler for an hour or so, stuff him with snacks and plop him in the stroller he'll usually fall asleep for an hour or two. Then we can go out for a leisurely, adult-style lunch while he dozes peacefully next to the table. So on Saturday we decided to go to Carmen's near Loyola, which has a great lunchtime pizza deal. After 45 minutes our waitress came to our table and said, "Can I get you any dessert, or just the check?" Um....how about our pizza? After an hour she admitted that the order was never put into the kitchen and offers to give us one of our lunches for free. Not enough, bad waitress. Meanwhile, Felix begins to stir. So we left, without our pizza. It wasn't like the place was crowded, either. Carmen's sucks. They still owe me for a piece of cheesecake that I paid for but never arrived in our delivery order.

So later that night Felix develops a fever and we spend Sunday watching cartoon movies and feeling very claustrophobic. In the evening we met our friends at the only taqueria in Rogers Park that has an outdoor patio, La Cazuela, just across the street from the library. Too bad it took us 8 years to find this place.

On Monday we took Felix to a super cool water park near Armitage and Clybourn (Adams Park). Highly recommended. Later that night, the fever returned, so everyone was up at 2 a.m. Just in time for the return of the work week.

But still, not a bad weekend. An inconvenience or two does not equal a trip to the emergency room.

Farwell and Clark, northwest corner detail

6900 N. Clark
Lawyer's offices

Well, we made it back to Ohio for Anthony's wedding a few weeks back. We left Chicago at 8 p.m. and arrived in Lorain at 3 a.m. I only started hallucinating near the end, when I imagined the road being swallowed by a huge tiger in the distance. But the wedding was very well organized, and everything was close to our hotel. We even had some down time on Saturday morning, and made it to the Cleveland Zoo. Felix was on his best behavior, although he did spend most of the reception rolling around on the dance floor in his tiny tuxedo. I don't think anyone minded. And we had a day and a half in Lorain with my parents, which was nice.


We spent the following weekend at Lunt and Foster beaches, swimming and watching the air and water show. Chicago has great beaches, but the water doesn't really warm up until August. This past weekend we all went to the WTTW Fun and Run, where Felix had his picture taken with Cookie Monster. We would have waited for Elmo, but the line was crazy long. We also went to Fred and Sarah's apartment warming, where Felix was licked by a big dog and ate too many grapes. I'll miss the summer when it's gone.

Clark and Morse, southeast corner

1703-07 W. Morse
Built: 2005

Above is a very handsome New Field elementary school, complete with a central court and clock tower.  This angle probably doesn't do it justice.  Previously there was a post office and apartment building here.  East on Morse there were a number of single family homes.  Still, not a bad addition to the neighborhood and desperately needed.

On Saturday I was a guest on a local radio show, "Live from the Heartland," on the Loyola station, WLUW. Normally it's broadcast from the Hearland Cafe, but there were technical difficulties. Three of us piled into a pickup truck and raced down to the Loyola campus, where the show went out from their studio. Goodbye free coffee. Anyway, we talked about Ultra Local Geography, and it was fun, even if very few people were listening. My parents actually listened from Lorain through the online broadcast.  Or so they claimed.

Clark and Howard, east corners

7545 N. Clark

Built: 1928

Architect: J.A. Scanlon

Cost: $350,000

This building is one of the few to survive the Gateway complex constructed to the south and east.  It's a good building, although the renovation could have been better.  Bank on the first floor, and condos above.  If they sell.

Tonight we walked over to Charmers Cafe on Jarvis and Greenview for steamed bagels and Italian sodas. They had a 2 for 1 special on bagel sandwiches, which was awesome. Charmers Bar is gone, but not before giving rise to Charmers Cafe and a bagel shop. Very sensibly, the owner decided to combine the two. Dagel and Beli is somehow related to Bagel and Deli back in Oxford, Ohio where I was an undergraduate. While we were eating in an old circular booth Felix dozed in his stroller. I had the realization that I live in a pretty cool neighborhood. If only that used book store on the opposite corner was still in business...

Clark and Greenleaf, northeaste corner detail

7047 N. Clark
Rocky's Taqueria

Glazed white brick always looks good. This building has terracotta accents with glazed green insets. Maybe it's not in the best condition, but its probably the best commercial building on the block. Although the old laundromat around the corner is pretty awesome, with Sullivanesque column capitals...

Busy at work. I didn't get to go to lunch until 3:00. Tomorrow will be worse. How come everyone isn't on vacation? It's late July! Everyone go on vacation! Bastards.

We met Becky and Amy for breakfast at the Heartland on Sunday. I don't think they've seen Felix since he turned 1. It was good to catch-up, even though we had to alternate turns chasing after Felix. He spent much of his time hiding in the photo booth, spinning on the stool.

Clark and Wallen, northeast corner detail

6635 N. Clark
Las Islas Maria Taqueria

Yet again, here's a glimpse of my favorite fiberglass crayfish on Clark. By the time this project is done I'll have six different images of this massive segmented advertisement. You know what would be great? If they painted the crayfish for all the big holidays. Red white and blue for the 4th of July, green for St. Patrick's Day, etc. Heck, put a Harry Potter hat on it for Halloween.  Is there such as thing as a Harry Potter hat?

Clark and Rogers, northwest corner detail

7374 N. Clark
Insurance place (now out of business)

Last weekend we bought a tiny tuxedo for Felix on Clark Street. Amazingly, there are enough places that sell children's formal wear in our neighborhood to comparison shop. Rogers Park must be a huge market for weddings and formal birthdays.

It wasn't that we thought Felix should look spiffier in general, but we're going to the wedding of Angela's brother in August. Wedding related trips have pretty much eaten up our vacation time this year...

I saw the new batman movie with Fred and Sarah on Sunday. Good, but not as much fun as the first one. Chicago looked great. It was fun to watch a helicopter whip by the Rookery Building.

Clark and Greenleaf, northwest corner detail

7044 N. Clark
Dollar store

The sheet metal eagle is even more awkward looking than my sketch. This building used to house the Rogers Park Post Office, so it was more patriotic than typical.

Tomorrow is the great Clark Street Festival between Morse and Touhy. It's been limited to one day this summer, which is probably for the best. We'll be there, if only for the fried dough topped with ice cream. You can't throw a stone in Chicago during the summer and fail to miss a festival or two.