I grew up around that area 21st and Albany,22nd and Troy and 22nd and Whipple.
Here are my recollections from the 50s and 60s.
I had a paper route as a kid and delivered to some of those businesses.
As a teenager in the mid to late 60's I worked at a small picture frame factory on Sawyer at the alley just south of Cermak

Note these are only recollections, meaning these businesses were only what I remember and not that they were situated next to each other or existed at the same point in time.

The Cigar store was on the southwest corner of Kedzie/Cermak. Bought all my comic books there.
West of the cigar store was a Palestinian owned grocery.

I don't remember what was on the northwest corner but I recall the penny weight scale and the peanut machine at the Kedzie trolley bus stop.
West on Cermak North was a greasy spoon,then I think a bank. When it was demolished my boss's wife salvaged all the broken up marble
from the facade with the intent of using it for a patio.
Further west was the old Douglas theater . It was never opened when I was a kid,but the signage remained for a long time. I think
the building is still there but unrecognizable as a theater.

On the NE corner Kedzie/Cermak was a tavern.
East on Cermak North;
A Dressels branch (great ice cream cakes).
A Fountain type restaurant. I forgot the name.
A small National Tea grocery store.
A five and ten Neisner;s at the corner of Troy ,later to become a Community discount store.

On the NE Troy corner was the first R&S (Rosen & Shane) liquor store. (I remember when it opened).
A junk store ,owned by the mother of one of my sisters classmates.
A lamp store that was run by a very distinguished looking elderly lady (think Barbara Bush),curiously she never sold any lamps.
I found out much later she was a bookie.
An ice cream parlor that later became a dry cleaner was on the northwest corner of Albany.

On the SE Kedzie/Cermak corner
I don't recall the corner business
further east on Cermak south was a stationary/office supply store.
There was a bakery named Kostka, at one time Dohelsky, I hope someone else remembers this bakery ,they had a great Mocha cake
I think there was a hardware store or an industrial supplier at the southwest corner of Troy

On the Cermak/Troy southeast corner was Cooper hardware or plumbing supply that became the GREAT Del Campo pizzeria and restaurant.
Going east;
Piccardi's men's wear and tuxedo rental
A small music store. My sister took piano lessons there.
The Marshall Square Ballroom building. they had a tavern on the first floor and the ballroom was upstairs.
The Hart laundramat (I remember when it opened).
Another greasy spoons called Chucks ,it had replaced a Dollar store.
And a bar was on the Albany corner. The bar owner was rumored to be in the mob and was whacked.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2012 02:03AM by Jayg.