This church at the corner of California and 38th Place (Now Our lady of Fatima) was quite the social center when I lived in the neighborhood in the '60's and '70's. The trouble is, it has been so long since I've been there my memories of the church and its activities may be misleading. Does anyone else here recall, for example, roller skating in the church basement? Were there not novena proce
Forum: General Discussion

The "Flight to Mars" ride was great--scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid, and I'm sure the people who ran the rides picked up the change that would fall from our pockets.
Forum: General Discussion

Anyone here know why all the big green toboggan slides have been dismantled? Any playgrounds where they still exist? I remember the great fun we had as Davis Elementary schoolkids pouring water down ours to create a serviceable sheen of ice we would then slide down on ON OUR FEET, leading to great fun as well as the occasional concussion. Ambulance-chasing lawsuits are probably the reason.
Forum: General Discussion

Way ta go, Berwyn Frank! Fascinating bit of neighborhood history!
Forum: General Discussion

There was also a Niesner's on Archer Ave. in Brighton Park, with a lunch counter. I remember they had pretty fair utility pizza--kind of a glorified frozen John's style that my brother and I enjoyed. We also had a blast in their photo booth and frequently bought 45 records there in the mid-late '60's. Alas, all that's left of them is the tiled entryway to some crummy store I forget the name of.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

OK you Brighton Park people--anyone remember "Gus's" on California between W. 39th Place and W. 40th St.? Fantastic burgers and, of course, the great greasy fries in the brown paper bags. Gus's wife (I believe her name was Mae or May) worked there as well.
Forum: General Discussion

222psm writes: "There was a corner store by my aunt's house, on the SW corner of w 38th Pl and S Francisco in Brighton park." This is my old 'hood (I lived a block south near the corner of Pershing and California), and I remember the store well, just not its name. It had a typical name like most such places, a lady's name, like "Jean's" or something like that. Natch, we wo
Forum: General Discussion

These are some great anecdotes; thank you all for these wonderful memories! Fall in the neighborhood was magic! This whole forum is a great meeting place for such exercises in nostalgia. Chicago really was a marvelous city to grow up in. Of course, it has had and still does have its ugly side, as do all major cities, but Once a Chicagoan, always a Chicagoan!
Forum: General Discussion

In Brighton Park there are 2 remaining corner stores that I am familiar with. The first, at the corner of W. Pershing and S. Sacramento is a store I knew as "John's" (now "Mario's"), where we all went before, during, and after school at Davis Elementary across Sacto. The other, at the corner of S. California and 39th Place is what I knew as "Alex's Grocerland." Bot
Forum: General Discussion

Steve B.-- "In the core of the Back of the Yards neighborhood, there was Pav's (Polish) Bakery on west 47th Street just west of Wood Street. Rytina's (Lithuanian) Bakery on 46th and Hermitage Street served both walk-ins and also distributed to restaurants and grocery stores. My uncle worked there in 1939. They changed their name to Baltic Bakery before the health department closed them down
Forum: General Discussion

Ah, the A. A. Big Store. Remember the soda machines--'50's models with the huge pointer-dials? Their basement held the toy/model department, I recall. I much preferred visiting there than going with Mom to get the yearly school clothes in the fall. It was our go-to dry goods place. Ah, 'tis gone, 'tis gone . . .
Forum: General Discussion

Davis Elementary cafeteria in the late '60's would always serve a slab of frozen fish fillet on Fridays, though it is a public school. I reckon this was in deference to our Catholic schoolmates, though I am sad to say it was about as appetizing as the rest of their menu the rest of the week!
Forum: General Discussion

I lived in Brighton Park in the 60's-70's and remember a Purple Martin at the expressway exit on California. Right across from the Police Station at Pershing and California was a Sinclair.
Forum: General Discussion