Only a mark would landmark The Villa

I spent some time yesterday in The Villa, a Chicago landmark district in Irving Park.

The Villa is bounded by Addison Ave (3600 N) on the south, Avondale Ave paralleling the Kennedy Expy on the north, and Pulaski Ave (4000 W).

The Villa, to my mind, is a completely unremarkable early 20th century subdivision, unredeemedly pedestrian in character. It’s good evidence, I think, that the landmark process slipped the bounds of reason at least as far back as 1983. See Yo’s The Villa photo album at Flickr, or view the images as a slideshow.

Debate this proposition, and other aspects of landmarking, in YoChicago’s newly-launched landmarks forum. You can use the comments, but the forum’s really a better place to carry on a discussion.