Celebrating the Unique History and Culture of Chicago's Uptown Community
September 25, 2010
Demolition of the Edgewater Beach Hotel
Oh how depressing! I asked on our Facebook page last week if anyone had images of the demolition of the Edgewater Beach Hotel, and a fan pointed me toward this link on eBay:
2 comments:
Tom
said...
I think this is the summer of 1969. The demolition occurred very slowly, allowing us adventurous types to roam around inside. My first trip inside was at night, making our way over debris to the lobby area where we had to cross to a stairwell on the east side of the building. A climb to the top and to the center (for lack of a better description) balcony for the view of a lifetime. The braver ones, not I, climbed the mast. I returned several times over that summer, bringing my Instamatic camera with. And as the summer progressed, more of the building came down, making the climb more and more dangerous. Near the end, a lot of other adventurers vandalized the interior. There were initials spray painted on that center exterior that were photographed and put in the neighborhood paper. I've tried to find that picture for a long time and have had no luck. I'd like to share a picture I took on the roof with my three friends standing near the edge with Lake Michigan in the background. I don't facebook, so where can I e-mail it?
2 comments:
I think this is the summer of 1969. The demolition occurred very slowly, allowing us adventurous types to roam around inside. My first trip inside was at night, making our way over debris to the lobby area where we had to cross to a stairwell on the east side of the building. A climb to the top and to the center (for lack of a better description) balcony for the view of a lifetime. The braver ones, not I, climbed the mast.
I returned several times over that summer, bringing my Instamatic camera with. And as the summer progressed, more of the building came down, making the climb more and more dangerous. Near the end, a lot of other adventurers vandalized the interior. There were initials spray painted on that center exterior that were photographed and put in the neighborhood paper. I've tried to find that picture for a long time and have had no luck.
I'd like to share a picture I took on the roof with my three friends standing near the edge with Lake Michigan in the background. I don't facebook, so where can I e-mail it?
Tom, I would love to see any of your pictures from the demo. You can e-mail them to editor@compassrose.com
I can imagine it was a slow demolition; those buildings were meant to last centuries.
Thanks for sharing your memories. I'm with you--no way would I have climbed the mast.
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