Category: Chicago history
Historical information about Chicago, its neighborhoods and its housing.
Another classic Chicago movie theater closing
Coinciding with the news today that yet another classic Chicago movie theater is closing--the Esquire on Oak Street in the Gold Coast--Chicago magazin [...]
The pros and cons of living in a landmark district in Chicago
How would you feel if the neighborhood you were living in became a landmark district? Has it happened to you? Does it affect property values? Do you [...]
Condo developer auctions old Stars Motel sign on eBay
The old low-rise motels along Lincoln Avenue are toppling like so many dominoes as the city tries to reinvigorate a stretch of Lincoln Avenue that, [...]
Preservation crisis on Stratford: the expanded version
At YoChicago, we take pride in being on top of things, even if we don't necessarily cover every angle of a story. Yo, after all, is a blog, and one of [...]
Waiting for the wrecker's ball, or maybe not
As reported here mere moments ago [at Yo, great minds are obviously on the same wavelength], you can find real-life examples of a famous New Yorker [...]
Preservation alert on Stratford Place
In the historic preservation arena, you've got to pick your battles. Invariably, you are fighting the forces of the real estate market and when ther [...]
Lunchtime music in Daley Plaza
I played music in Daley Plaza yesterday for their daily summertime concert series. We blasted out Irish jigs and reels, and rollicking songs with such [...]
Will condos replace 3 Penny Cinema in Lincoln Park?
Lincoln Park may be one of the cleanest neighborhoods in the city, but as of today it's lost a bit of its luster, with the closing of the 3 Penny Cine [...]
Are these homes Unkenilworthy?
We mentioned in a previous post that Kenilworth is on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of most endangered places.
It's curious tha [...]
Chicago Metro History Fair this Saturday
If you're curious about how Chicago neighborhoods evolved, maybe it's time for a history lesson. Stop by Harris Bank Auditorium, 111 W Monroe St, on M [...]
Millennium Park – the book hits shelves June 1
Can't wait to hit the grassy grounds of Millennium Park for a bit of outdoor reading this summer? Stop by your local bookstore first and pick up a cop [...]
Frank Lloyd Wright housewalk in OP-RF
That's right, it's time again for the Wright Plus benefit housewalk in Oak Park and River Forest. The 32nd annual walk is May 20, and features rare in [...]
As Joliet develops, is Nine Eleven Avenue next?
Don't quote me on this, but I've read that according to area, Joliet is the second-largest city in Illinois. In the population race Joliet lands somew [...]
Shopping for a new condo / cemetery? Graveyards of Chicago has you covered
We realize we're nowhere near Halloween, but it is a dreary old day out there, and we seem to be in a morbid mood at Yo, so to continue the cemetery [...]
Kenilworth and Doo Wop Motels
What does the Village of Kenilworth, Chicago's priciest North Shore community, have in common with Wildwood, New Jersey's Doo Wop Motels?
Well, a [...]
Where's the outrage in Wrigleyville?
You would have thought that the expanded bleachers at Wrigley Field, with high new prices and brazenly commercialized name, would have incensed fans [...]
Orchard Street's burgeoning Billionaire's Row
For a lot of the last hundred years, the area north of Willow between Halsted and Larrabee has been a kind of no man's land. The modest cottage-lined [...]
Olympia Centre Chicago's only kosher condo tower?
Olympia Centre was considered the height of luxury by many when it opened in 1986. It's long since been bumped in the ranks by other high-profile buil [...]
Designing your week: Booth Hansen on Shubert renovation
Looking forward to restoration efforts after Hurricane Katrina and looking back on the history of Chicago's first subsidized housing, it's a big week [...]
Details, divinity and architectural terra cotta
Yes, Mies van der Rohe's proclamation that "God is in the details" has become a tired cliche. Which doesn't mean it's not so. It's just suffered fro [...]