Truly a piece of history. These types of urban YMCA's provided housing opportunities for single adult males - a valuable, affordable, and vanishing commodity both in Chicago and across the nation. The fate of the Ravenswood YMCA & Residence is sadly similar to that of the Oak Park YMCA, LaGrange YMCA, Division Street YMCA, Roseland YMCA, Washington Park YMCA, Wabash YMCA, Homan YMCA, Loop YMCA and others. It is truly regratable that the YMCA organization is absondoning their housing mission and instead focusing on fitness centers aimed at up-scale or well-off community residents. As a not-for-profit, this places them in direct competition against taxable commercial ventures such as Bally's, Crunch, XSport, Lakeshore, East Bank, Golds, Lincoln Park AC and others.
It was the ONLY place to go swimming indoors all year before the city built the indoor pool at Welles Park. It was also a room to stay at when your old lady kicked you out of the house.
there were 2 swimming pools in the Uptown area that had swimming year around One was at the Sovereign Hotel and the other at the New Lawrence......... The swimming pool at the Wilson Ave YMCA was a dangerous place for young boys...we swam in the nude and the pool area was run by perverts,,,I know that in this day and age no one wants to hear that but they were there and ta the Boys Club
there were 2 swimming pools in the Uptown area that had swimming year around One was at the Sovereign Hotel and the other at the New Lawrence......... The swimming pool at the Wilson Ave YMCA was a dangerous place for young boys...we swam in the nude and the pool area was run by perverts,,,I know that in this day and age no one wants to hear that but they were there and ta the Boys Club
I have very fond memories of the LaGrange YMCA. My first job was at this Y and to this day I am so thankful I was mentored by it’s wonderful staff. We had a family membership and I started to work in 1965-66 in the youth section, locker room, gym and in the pool guarding and teaching lessons. Elle Donecke(sp?), Barabara Winters, Bob Brown and Rita Victor were the greatest staff under the directions of Chuck Stokes Excecutive Dir. The facility was amazing with its gyms, pool, health clubs cafeteria and 200+ resident rooms. There was a steady phasing out of the resident use all during my time working there until they were completely shut down as the YMCA focused in a new direction. I had 10+ years at this great building and job which I shall never forget.
I went to Wilson Av. YMCA many times as a kid, around 1978-80, near the end of it's life. I remember the old building looked cool but by that time I could tell it was in rough shape. I remember taking cold showers after swimming because the water heaters had broken down, and obvious neglect everywhere. Shortly afterward it closed and was torn down. My guess is too much to maintain or just needed too much work to keep it going.
Sad to read about the demise of the Ravenswood YMCA. It was on a route home from OLOL school. As a child in the late 50's-60's my father took me there to join. I learned to swim there. Welles park pool came later. Also received valuable instruction in archery. John R.
I grew up on Wilson Ave and was a member of both the "Y" and All Saints Episcopal Church. I graduated Ravenswood Grade School and Amundsen High School (was a member of Amundsen's Hi-Y Chapter ['48-49]. The "Y" provided physical education, swimming instruction and competition, and summer camping and outings throughout the Chicago area. Swimming provided awards from beginning "Minnow" to advanced "Shark" and access to the Red Cross Life Saver's Certificate. I became my USNTC Great Lakes Boot Camp Swim Instructor in 1951 because I held the Red Cross LSC. Our 1948 Intermediate Class basketball team won the City YMCA Championship with an undefeated record. During the late 1930s through the 1960s the Wilson Ave Y was a positive influence on the Uptown-Ravenswood neighborhoods (and beyond), and excellence was commonplace. As urban decay affected those areas the "Y" became an almost inevitable victim of such unfortunate change.
The Wilson Av. Y closed in 1980. Was there several times as a kid in the late '70s, mostly to swim. Sadly it was pretty run down by then. Paint peeling, dirty, cold showers. We always had fun there, but even as a kid I felt it's days were numbered. Sad to see, and I didn't understand as a kid at the time why they would just let it go and close down. Maybe it was the run down area around it, maybe maintenance was too much, or just that the Y didn't want to deal with rooming anymore. Sad loss.
Wilson Avenue Dept. Chicago Y.M.C.A., 1725 Wilson Avenue
12 comments:
Truly a piece of history. These types of urban YMCA's provided housing opportunities for single adult males - a valuable, affordable, and vanishing commodity both in Chicago and across the nation. The fate of the Ravenswood YMCA & Residence is sadly similar to that of the Oak Park YMCA, LaGrange YMCA, Division Street YMCA, Roseland YMCA, Washington Park YMCA, Wabash YMCA, Homan YMCA, Loop YMCA and others.
It is truly regratable that the YMCA organization is absondoning their housing mission and instead focusing on fitness centers aimed at up-scale or well-off community residents. As a not-for-profit, this places them in direct competition against taxable commercial ventures such as Bally's, Crunch, XSport, Lakeshore, East Bank, Golds, Lincoln Park AC and others.
It was the ONLY place to go swimming indoors all year before the city built the indoor pool at Welles Park. It was also a room to stay at when your old lady kicked you out of the house.
there were 2 swimming pools in the Uptown area that had swimming year around One was at the Sovereign Hotel and the other at the New Lawrence.........
The swimming pool at the Wilson Ave YMCA was a dangerous place for young boys...we swam in the nude and the pool area was run by perverts,,,I know that in this day and age no one wants to hear that but they were there and ta the Boys Club
there were 2 swimming pools in the Uptown area that had swimming year around One was at the Sovereign Hotel and the other at the New Lawrence.........
The swimming pool at the Wilson Ave YMCA was a dangerous place for young boys...we swam in the nude and the pool area was run by perverts,,,I know that in this day and age no one wants to hear that but they were there and ta the Boys Club
The problem with the other pools is that they were really pricey
I have very fond memories of the LaGrange YMCA. My first job was at this Y and to this day I am so thankful I was mentored by it’s wonderful staff. We had a family membership and I started to work in 1965-66 in the youth section, locker room, gym and in the pool guarding and teaching lessons. Elle Donecke(sp?), Barabara Winters, Bob Brown and Rita Victor were the greatest staff under the directions of Chuck Stokes Excecutive Dir. The facility was amazing with its gyms, pool, health clubs cafeteria and 200+ resident rooms. There was a steady phasing out of the resident use all during my time working there until they were completely shut down as the YMCA focused in a new direction. I had 10+ years at this great building and job which I shall never forget.
I went to Wilson Av. YMCA many times as a kid, around 1978-80, near the end of it's life. I remember the old building looked cool but by that time I could tell it was in rough shape. I remember taking cold showers after swimming because the water heaters had broken down, and obvious neglect everywhere. Shortly afterward it closed and was torn down. My guess is too much to maintain or just needed too much work to keep it going.
Sad to read about the demise of the Ravenswood YMCA. It was on a route home from OLOL school. As a child in the late 50's-60's my father took me there to join. I learned to swim there. Welles park pool came later. Also received valuable instruction in archery. John R.
I worked the counter in the youth center. It was a good place for kids to hang out.
I met a girl there, took her to see South Pacific at a downtown theatre. Our one and only date. She wouldn't go out with me again. I never knew why.
If you see this, let me know if you remember.
Gherry
I grew up on Wilson Ave and was a member of both the "Y" and All Saints Episcopal Church. I graduated Ravenswood Grade School and Amundsen High School (was a member of
Amundsen's Hi-Y Chapter ['48-49]. The "Y" provided physical education, swimming instruction and competition, and summer camping and outings throughout the Chicago area. Swimming provided awards from beginning "Minnow" to advanced "Shark" and access to the Red Cross Life Saver's Certificate. I became my USNTC Great Lakes Boot Camp Swim Instructor in 1951 because I held the Red Cross LSC. Our 1948 Intermediate Class basketball team won the City YMCA Championship with an undefeated record.
During the late 1930s through the 1960s the Wilson Ave Y was a positive influence on the Uptown-Ravenswood neighborhoods (and beyond), and excellence was commonplace. As urban decay affected those areas the "Y" became an almost inevitable victim of such unfortunate change.
The Wilson Av. Y closed in 1980. Was there several times as a kid in the late '70s, mostly to swim. Sadly it was pretty run down by then. Paint peeling, dirty, cold showers. We always had fun there, but even as a kid I felt it's days were numbered. Sad to see, and I didn't understand as a kid at the time why they would just let it go and close down. Maybe it was the run down area around it, maybe maintenance was too much, or just that the Y didn't want to deal with rooming anymore. Sad loss.
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