July 9, 2011

Lawrence and Kenmore, Uptown Chicago, 1959

I had to do a double take when I saw this image. It's the corner of Lawrence and Kenmore, currently occupied with a strip mall and the restaurant Dib. The old terracotta was stunning. Get the original image on eBay.


Here's the Google street view:


View Larger Map

4 comments:

  1. bill MattesonJuly 10, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Now thats a blast from the past, I lived on that side of Kenmore several doors south, The restaurant was known as SIR JAMES, In the 40's. It was upscale and no one from the neighborhood could afford to go there, as a kid, on the week ends we would watch, limos and taxis unload
    people there. Lots of fur coats and even some Tuxes. then came the southern migration and everything changed in 1952.
    the pix is the S.E. corner, the N.E. corner is the Lawrence house
    Kenmore Apts on the N.W. and the Wilton/Viceroy on on The S.W.

    ReplyDelete
  2. bill MattesonJuly 10, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    Joanne
    Now thats a great pix of Lawrence and Kenmore
    I fixed myself a cup of coffee and fired up the computer , saw the pix
    and I was instantly transported back in time. brought back a lot of memories
    the figure heads under the eaves, the cement scroll work under the balconies in the form of rope
    Hell even balconies are long gone
    There was another large Apt. building next to St James that is gone also.
    Mason Liquors used to be Masons delicatessen , I used to buy a quarters worth of baloney
    during the war, We would take cans of fat and redeem them for blue and red point chips.
    I still have a couple.
    Thank you
    Bill

    ReplyDelete
  3. JoanneJuly 10, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    Bill -- Glad it brought back memories. It's always great to hear your perspective, since you lived here when these buildings were still standing.

    I was pretty excited to see the picture. I had never seen a detailed photo of that part of the intersection; usually the focus is on the Viceroy or the New Lawrence.

    ReplyDelete
  4. bill MattesonJuly 12, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    Somewhere in the back of my memory I remember that there was more brick work that is shown in the Photo.
    I don't remember window's at all I think they were added later, when they changed from a nightclub to a Tavern
    The bricks ran from the doorway back on each side, to the end, the Sign was in much better condition.
    It was know as an upscale nightspot.

    ReplyDelete