SE Corner of Lunt and Clark

Built: 1926
Converted and altered: 1944

I think I must have drawn this corner more than any other in Rogers Park. To me, it's the perfect representation of change in the neighborhood. On the Lunt side, it's still a limestone and granite bank, complete with columns. On the Clark side it's a terra cotta storefront from the 40s. In the background the bell towers of St. Jerome's watch over everything.  I've been looking for a photo of this building prior to the alterations, but all I've found is blurry microfilm scan in the Chicago Tribune archives.

We went to the Newberry Library book sale on Saturday. One of us would play with Felix in Washington Square Park while the other browsed the selection. The Bughouse Square Debates were going on too, but they're never as much fun as the book sale.

Oddly, there were about 5 or 6 people in the park painting with big portable easels. And most of them were painting trees. I would think that if you're painting in Chicago you could find something a bit more interesting than trees...

Civic Opera Entrance Detail

I walk past the Civic Opera Building twice a day. Once in the morning, when the sun is blasting in my eyes down Washington from the east, and once in the evening, when the sun is blasting in my eyes down Washington from the west. Don't they build grids on a diagonal anywhere?  Maybe Washington D.C.  Anyway, this is a detail from one of the cast iron door surrounds on Wacker Drive.  Nice stuff.

City Hall Grill Detail

I don't know why I bother to promptly scan and upload these into Photobucket when it takes me months to post them to this blog.


Anyway, this is from the ground floor of City Hall (bounded by LaSalle, Washington, Clark, and Randolph). Although I don't work in City Hall I'm over there several times a week to pick up or return rolls of permit drawings for landmarked buildings. We use a big plastic garbage can to transport everything from one building to the other. Although it never happened to me, people will sometimes toss bits of trash into the bucket. So much for dignity.

Clark and Touhy

Built: 1924

Here's something rare on Clark Street. The corner building and those to either side were all built at the same time with the same brick and terra cotta details. One is mixed use, one retail only, and one residential only. It makes a nice composition.

The central building houses the only combination Taqueria/Pizzeria I've seen. Maybe they're more common in other neighborhoods?

Clark and Estes

Built: 1922

Architect: Lowenburg

The beer sign really makes this image. But a nice corner building here. Our local AA chapter meets in one of the storefronts. I always see them smoking like crazy out front.