Who remembers, in the 1950's, 63rd Street just south of Hyde Park, between Cottage Grove and Stony Island? Recently I was there and just about fainted to see nothing but brand new houses and grassy open land. I remember it very congested, jammed with stores and commerce, and with a spur of the EL running overhead. You could get on the Red Line at 63rd and University to go downtown to the Loop. 63rd had a big Kroger's, dime stores, hardware stores, all kinds of stores, a Hi-Lo supermarket, and a great Chinese restaurant, Tai Sam Yon. We lived in Hyde Park from 1953 to 1960. In our time 63rd was iffy but not that dangerous---when occasionally we visited later and would go to Tai Sam Yon for dinner, the area was clearly deteriorating. Later it looked bombed out. Now it's like another planet. BTW down around the east end of 63rd on Stony Island there was a very early McDonald's, must have been about the second or third anywhere. Hamburgers were regularly 15 cents but for their opening special were 12 cents. That was 1954 or 1955 I believe.

Even in the mid-80's it was still somewhat bustling if run down. Daley Jr really did a number on the city in some respects - he demolished a lot of building which could have been restored. Arthur Brazier also has a lot to answer for along E. 63rd Street.

I think had the old phone company building be rehabbed successfully in the 80's the street would have turned out very differently today.