CALUMET 412

Looking south on Rush from Delaware, 1957, Chicago.

Navy dirigible flying north over Oak Street Beach, 1930, Chicago.

Looking south on Rush from Cedar, 1973, Chicago. Lee Balterman

1869 Gold Coast map showing the Catholic Cemetery, just north of Banks St and east of State Street. The occupants of the cemetery would be eventually moved to other locations, including Graceland.

It is still very common, during construction in the area, to uncover pre-Civil War era burial sites.

Note the shoreline and the existence what we now call the Viagra Triangle at Rush and State.

via Hidden Truths

Crossing Walton at Michigan Ave, 1944, Chicago.

Unfortunately, Chicago police officers have different priorities today…

Prom at the Playboy Towers disco (the Knickerbocker Hotel), 163 E Walton, 1979, Chicago. Rene Burri

A night out at Mr. Kelly’s, Rush and Bellevue (now Gibson’s), 1967, Chicago

Looking north on Dearborn from what is now Delaware, 1867, Chicago.

The church on the right is the Scottish Rite Temple, which still stands;the park on the left is Washington Square, which of course is still enjoyed by residents and visitors to the Gold Coast.

I don’t often interject personal opinion into my posts, but I feel compelled to express disappointment in a recent development that has permanently changed one of my favorite “secret” areas of the city.

Connors Park, the small triangle park bordered by Delaware, Rush, Wabash and Chestnut, is one of the city’s oldest. It has been a designated park since 1848.

Until last year, and as I work in the neighborhood, I would often enjoy having my lunch here in the months which permit. There was a beautiful pergola and a small little fountain, surrounded by grand trees which would provide much appreciated shade from the heat.

Well, this is all gone. Two years ago, the park district privatized the park to Argo Teas in a 15 year deal where Argo will handle all up keep, in addition to what is being called a “tea shack” in the middle of the park.

I agree that the park needed some help, but bulldozing the century-plus-old trees, taking away the elements that made this space special and commercializing it, seems too easy an answer.

http://arcchicago.blogspot.com/2011/08/destroying-park-to-save-it-tea-house.html

Untitled, 1970, Chicago. Wayne Sorce

Undoubtedly, the Imperial House had to invoke Tom Jones to compete with the Playboy Club, which was in the same block.

The Whisky-A-Go-Go, corner of Rush and Chestnut, 1963, Chicago.

Known as America’s first real disco, the Chicago Whisky would spawn a chain of bars, including the famous one in Los Angeles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky_a_Go_Go

Untitled (Mr. Kelly’s, corner of Rush and Bellevue, now Gibson’s), 1967, Chicago. Vivian Maier

Michigan Ave at Chicago Ave, 1974, Chicago. Charles H. Traub

Hancock Tower construction, 1968, Chicago. Ezra Stoller

Tape box cover from the Universal Recording Studios, Walton and Rush, 1960, Chicago.

The Bertrand Goldberg designed building still stands. We know it today as an Urban Outfitters.

via Wayout Wardell

Posts tagged gold coast