Did you know… ? April, 2022
Surprise! I’m talking about Chicago bungalows! Bungalows may not have originated in Chicago, but the Chicago Bungalow is rather unique! Features include being made of brick, accommodating for the slender lot sizes, and having the gables parallel to the streets.Read more… Did you know I do residential sales and leasing, and I can help you […]
Did you know… ? March, 2022
Surprise! I’m talking about the actual raising of Chicago! That kind of uplifting! Back in the plank road days, street level was barely above Lake Michigan itself. And yes, Chicago is built on a lot of swamp land that just kept growing and expanding – in size and population. Needless to say, things were getting […]
Did you know… ? February, 2022
Surprise! I’m talking about Chicago’s fascinating history with tied houses, which, interestingly enough, is partly responsible for Prohibition! We all know various stories about gangsters from a hundred years ago, many romanticized, but what led up to it isn’t as often discussed. I feel it’s important to examine the whys when it comes to history […]
Did you know… ? January, 2022
Surprise! I’m talking about Garfield Park, of course! But it wasn’t always named after the president – it was originally named Central Park (yes, like the one in New York City). The surrounding neighborhood with its namesake has some beautiful architecture (who doesn’t love a graystone?), and public transportation, including the Green Line, makes it […]
Did you know… ? December, 2021
Surprise! I’m talking about Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, of course! He was born right here in Chicago at the Montgomery Ward complex (way before it was Groupon’s headquarters, though that may be changing). Just about anyone who grew up in the United States, at any point since the late 40s, knows of the most famous […]
Did you know… ? November, 2021
Surprise! I’m talking about Ogden Ave, one of the diagonal streets that were originally trails used by Native Americans. (But yeah, Twisted Spoke that’s also behind me does make a noteworthy burger!) And I specifically mentioned Ogden, as it was the first trail to become a plank road (which then became a street). I’ve talked […]
Did you know… ? October, 2021
Surprise! And welcome again to my sPoOkY eDiTiOn of Did you know… ? I’m talking about the legend of Resurrection Mary – a ghost story that’s escaped past the knowledge of locals through song, film, and numerous published stories. And it’s just that – a story – a really good one at that, albeit a […]
Did you know… ? September, 2021
Surprise! I’m talking about the University of Chicago, specifically what happened beneath Stag Field, where they produced the world’s first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction! Yes, the Manhattan Project, as in the bombs that hit Japan and ended World War 2. Now when I said great power, yes, there’s the obvious in reference to nuclear power. […]
Did you know… ? August, 2021
Surprise! I really am talking about the so-called “Fountain of Youth” that you can find in the south section of Schiller Woods – on Irving Park Road just west of Cumberland. You’ll be able to easily find it, since people have been lining up for decades since the pump was installed back in the 40s. […]
Did you know… ? July, 2021
Surprise! I’m talking about “The Bean” of course, but its actual name is Cloud Gate! Millennium Park, where its located, also features the Crown Fountain, where many of the people featured are already lost to time. And when I say already, I mean that today is the park’s 17th anniversary. But wait a minute – […]