Chicago Community Area #13 - North Park

The boards covering the windows at the building on the northwest corner of Foster and Kezdie, near North Park University, were recently painted with silhouttes indicative of the diversity of the neighborhood.

Community Area #15 - Portage Park

On my way home from the Villa District in Irving Park on Friday, I passed through the Portage Park community area. I rode up (northwest) Milwaukee Ave from the Six Corners intersection of Irving Park Rd, Cicero and Milwaukee. As you look up the street, just before it bends, the Portage Theater is a striking sight. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit the interior of the theater on this visit, but I understand it's beautiful. It was built in 1920 and underwent several remodelling efforts until 2001 when it was closed down. It was restored and renovated and reopened in 2006. The interior was used extensively for filming of the upcoming movie Public Enemies.

Community Area #16 - Irving Park

On Friday, I rode down to the Villa District in Irving Park. This is a very nice area of bungalows and bungalow-style homes which were built on wide lots between 1907 and 1925.






The area is only 4 blocks wide from east to west (Hamlin, Avers, Springfield and Harding) and roughly triangular, with Addison bordering to the south, Pulaski to the west and the Metra train tracks and Avondale Ave slicing it from NW to SE. Avers and Harding both have a parkway running down the middle of the street, separating traffic flow in two directions. Hamlin and Springfield streets are normal widths.

There are decorative square stone pillars on all corners within the neighborhood. Each pillar says "Villa" on each side and has a planter on top.

Community Area #24 - West Town

West Town includes several sub-neighborhoods, including Wicker Park, Humboldt Park and Ukranian Village.

I took a ride out to Wicker Park yesterday specifically to see the mural in the auditorium of the Pulaski Park fieldhouse. I had been to the park last year, but since it was a Sunday when I visited, the fieldhouse was closed. This time, the fieldhouse was open, but I couldn't find the auditorium. It's a big building! I went searching around and finally found the attendant who knew about the mural and was willing to show it to me. He opened up the auditorium and turned the lights on for me. I had to take pictures without flash and since it was close to sunset, there wasn't much natural light, so my photos didn't turn out as good as I had hoped. In any case, the mural is in fantastic condition and it's very beautiful. It underwent restoration by the Chicago Conservation Center in 2006. Here's the description from Explore Chicago:

Completed in 1914, Pulaski Park was designed by architect William Carbys Zimmerman and renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen. In 1919, Jensen met with officials at the Art Institute of Chicago to discuss the idea of a competition for art students to paint a mural on the semi-circular proscenium above the stage in the field house auditorium. The West Park Commissioners provided the prizes of $100, $50, and $25 and instructors at the School of the Art Institute selected the winners. The first prize went to James G. Gilbert, who received $200 for materials as well as the $100 prize. In 1920, Gilbert painted his mural composed of a dramatic series of allegorical figures. Gilbert graduated from the School of the Art Institute and went on to teach painting at the University of Chicago. The Chicago Conservation Center fully restored this exquisite mural in 2007.

A second mural, hidden in the upper tower room of the Pulaski Park field house portrays Polish themes. A Chicago Park District arts and crafts class created this painting in the late 1930s.

I didn't know about that second mural, so it looks like I'll be going out to Pulaski Park again. :)

Chicago Community Area #8 - Near North Side

On my way to West Town yesterday, I decided to take the lakefront path south and then cut west through on Division Street and pass through the Near North Side community area, including the Gold Coast. At Division and Clybourn, I came across Seward Park. The sun was starting to set and cast a beautiful ray on the clocktower and the downtown buildings (especially Trump Tower) that I was leaving behind.

Community Area #76 - O'Hare

According to the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC, map), there were originally 75 community areas which were delineated for the 1930 census. The O'Hare community area was added for the 1960 census due to the annexation around the airport in the 1950's.

Other than the airport, this area is almost exclusively residential. Therefore, my attention turned to the airport itself. I recalled the controversy regarding the expansion of O'Hare and the relocation of not only many homes, but also a small cemetery which is close to the airport. When I looked on Google Maps, I found out just how close this cemetery is: It's practically in the middle of the airport!

I wasn't sure if the relocation of the cemetery had started yet, so I decided to ride out and investigate. It was a long ride out west to the airport - about 14 miles. The last few miles, I was riding on a wide shoulder of the street where the speed limit is 55 mph. Passing trucks were scary! I took a wrong turn into the airport on Cargo Road, and ended up in the wrong area. The guard at the guard post told me to go out on Irving Park Rd again and go further west past the railroad tracks until I saw a construction access road on the right. His directions were right on target.

I went down the access road, over a ravine and down a hill and I finally found the cemetery. In fact, I found two of them! I was looking for St John's Cemetery, but I came upon Resthaven first.

St John's is further down the road. Many of the gravestones have been replaced with wooden crosses. I'm guessing, but I think those are the graves which have been exhumed and moved to a different location.

On my way back from the airport, I stopped to watch the planes take off. If you're in a car, there's no place to pull over (other than the shoulder) to watch the planes, but since I was on my bike, it was easy to jump off and sit and watch these big birds take off. Another day, when the wind is coming from the north, I'll have to come back and watch them land.

Chicago Community Area #41 - Hyde Park

On Sunday's bike ride to the south side, I rode down 53rd street in the heart of Hyde Park and was awed by the Hyde Park Bank building at the corner of Harper & 53rd which stands out from the crowd of low-rise buildings as one of the few tall buildings in the area (11 floors). The building was built in 1928 and its architect was Karl Vitzhum.

Unfortunately, the building was not open and I wasn't able to enjoy the recently renovated interior which won a 2005 AIA Honor Award for Interior Architecture which Blair Kamin wrote about in Architectural Record.