Sheridan Plaza Hotel, Street View, 1940s

I bought this one at auction not too long ago; it shows a small group of people in front of the Sheridan Plaza Hotel some time in the 1940s. The Chelsea Hotel, a.k.a. the Friendly Tours, can be seen in the background.

If you have similar photos to share, e-mail me at blog(a)compassrose.com.

Uptown (Chicago) Polishs Its Gems...

Editor's Note: We attended the Uptown United and Business Partners dinner last week, held at the historic Saddle and Cycle Club, and had the honor of accepting an award on behalf of Graceland Cemetery for best "free and fun" spot in Uptown. Local journalist Lorraine Swanson wrote an article on the event for the News-Star:

Community leaders, merchants and residents turned out in force for the Uptown United and Business Partners, the Chamber for Uptown annual dinner last week at the Saddle and Cycle Club.The dinner celebrated the chamber's 85th anniversary and reflected on Uptown's current revival, evidenced by the new businesses moving into the neighborhood, development and restoration of vintage buildings. But the highlight of the evening was the first "Uptown Gems Awards" to community leaders and institutions which have had an impact on the neighborhood.

More than 100 different businesses and places were nominated for such categories as the most inspiring place or space, free and fun, and the best long-time or up and coming business...

More can be found here.

Thank you, Lorraine, for covering the event!

Ginger Rogers Worked at the Uptown Theatre, Chicago

I stumbled across this brief excerpt in Ginger: My Story, by Ginger Rogers. She provides a brief look at how the movies and stage shows operated back when she worked the B&K circuit.

At the age of fourteen, I was on a tight performance schedule in motion picture presentation theatres. In St. Louis, there were two: the Ambassador and the Missouri; in Chicago, there were seven: the Oriental, the Uptown, the Chicago, the Tivoli, the North Shore, the Roosevelt, and the Central Park.

All of the Chicago theatres were operated by Balaban & Katz. Each theatre opened at 10:30 in the morning and showed a combination of film and live entertainment. The movie began running at 11:00. During the film, show performers would straggle in through the stage door to prepare themselves for the first performance of the day. On the way to our dressing rooms, we'd peek from the wings into the darkened theatre to see if anyone was out there. Amazingly, even at that hour, there was always someone...After the movie was shown, the ruby velvet curtains would part to reveal a small set which contained the bandstand. The small set made the large stage space look more intimate and friendly. In the center stood the master of ceremonies, swinging a baton. He was usually a local "heart throb," the personality whom audiences came to see. The stage show lasted for about an hour, and would be followed by the movie and then the show again. There were usually three or four shows a day, and I did them all...

The Hotel of Irrevocable Acts by Carl Watson, Uptown Chicago

Every once in a while we feature Uptown-related books at Uptown Chicago History, and I just spotted a new one for you: The Hotel of Irrevocable Acts by Carl Watson.

Here's the summary:

In the warped underworld of Uptown Chicago, two petty thieves, Jack and Vince--Dostoevskyan in their criminal use of philosophy, exalting in the stealing of art as the highest human act--meet their target, their nemesis and their double: Madame Little-Ease, a Satanic Grandma Moses, who paints on refuse with polluted blood...

Have you read this one yet? Let me know your thoughts.

Greetings from Edgewater Chicago

This one features the Saddle and Cycle Club, Epworth Methodist Church, Sheridan Road, Edgewater Country Club, Lake Michigan, and the Seventh Church of Christ Scientist--all the hot spots of Edgewater a century ago!

Image courtesy John C.

Leland from Clarendon, Uptown Chicago

How's this for a big ol' shocker. Here's Leland Avenue looking west from Clarendon. Yup. that's right. Leland. The roads haven't even been paved yet.

Here's what it looks like today. A great big bunch of empty. And according to Uptown Update, it looks like it will be staying that way for a while.

Top image courtesy John Chuckman. Bottom image courtesy Google Maps.

The Shenandoah, Sunnyside and Kenmore Avenues

I'm not sure about the vantage point in this postcard image--which corner of Sunnyside and Kenmore are we looking at? I wonder if this stood on what is now the parking lot next to Graeme Stewart Elementary, on the northeast corner.


Top image courtesy John Chuckman. Middle image courtesy Google. Bottom image courtesy ChicagoPC.info.

Sheridan Plaza Hotel, Uptown, Chicago, circa 1960

We've featured images of the Sheridan Plaza Hotel before, but this is a later image and one that is interesting because it says "Uptown" on the front.

Image courtesy John Chuckman.

Tropicana Motel, 5440 Sheridan, Edgewater; a.k.a. Lakeside Motel

Across the street from the former Edgewater Beach Hotel stood this more humble cousin, the Tropicana. It was later known as the Lakeside Motel, and was torn down in 2005. You can see photos of this former hip hotel and its demolition here, and here.

I love these old hotels from the fifties and sixties. There's a whole stretch of them along Lincoln Avenue as you head north. I've been meaning to photograph them before they all disappear. Luckily, someone already has documented a few of them at Hooker Motels, but there are more.

Winona at Evanston Avenue (now Broadway), circa 1910

What a difference a hundred years makes! Before the L Tracks stretched this far north, Winona was a pleasant residential street. This view is taken looking eastward from Evanston Avenue, which we all know today as Broadway. Here's the same intersection below, courtesy of Google.

Ravenswood Manor to Be Designated Historic District

Editor's Note: Nearby neighborhood Ravenswood Manor (between Lawrence and Montrose, from the river west to Sacramento) is a favorite of mine. I will occasionally go out of my way to be able to drive down some of its streets. Congratulations on this designation!

Ravenswood Manor to be designated historic district
Residents may be entitled to significant benefits

by Jessica Pupovac

Gary Smith says that the first time he drove through Ravenswood Manor, "it was like the clouds opened, the birds started singing, all the colors came in."

Twenty-some years later, Smith says his enchantment with the neighborhood, which he has called home since 1989, continues to this day.

Ravenswood Manor, centered upon the intersection of Kimball and Lawrence avenues, is a dense commercial and residential district was built along the Northwestern Elevated Railroad's Ravenswood Branch just a few years after that line was completed in 1907. It stretches from Sacramento Avenue in the west to the North Branch of the Chicago River in the east, and runs between Lawrence and Montrose avenues...

For complete story, go here.