I worked at Toffenetti restaurant on Randolph St. Between Dearborn & Clark. The main floor consisted of large U shaped counters...2nd floor was main dining room with white tablecloths....3rd floor was the Mens Grill. Ther were 2 or 3 other Toffenneti restaurants in downtown Chicago but do not know if they had a Mens Grill. Carson Pirie Scott's department store also had a Mens Grill. Maybe
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I was a TB patient in Winfield Sanitarium which was a small private one about a 2 hour drive from Chicago. This was in the 1950s and was a sister hospital of Michsel Reese Hospital in Chicago. There was another one in Hinsdale & still another in Forest Park. Maybe your relatives were not in Municipal? All closed by about 1960.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I learned to ice skate at the Midway Plaisance in Hyde Park. It belonged to the University of Chicago. .....they flooded the area every winter . There was a warming house on the Plaisance with a coal stove where we could change into our skates & warm up when we got too cold to stay out. This was in the late 1940s when I was 12 years old. Later I skated at Michael Kirby's indoor rink at 7
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

I lived near 63rd & Cottage Grove. We never crossed Cottage Grove to the west side. It was like a line that divided the area..Whites lived & shopped on the East side and the Blacks lived West of Cottage Grove. I lived in this area in the 1940s til 1951. The entire area from Cottage Grove to Jackson Park at 62nd & Stony Island consisted of well maintained apartment buildings. There
Forum: General Discussion

There was the Jackson Park elevated train. I know there was another train station maybe Illinois Central....but I know Jackson Park ran to the loop & was underground subway then.
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The Crown Lounge was on the Northeast corner of 63rd & Drexel in 1950". I see in WayOutWardell's photo it was later in the middle of the block. I lived on 6200 & Drexel block & passed this lounge every single day. The doors were on the corner & always open & music bursting out...plus the neon sign extended around the corner which lite up the entire area. We were happy a
Forum: General Discussion

The Crown Lounge was on the Northeast corner of 63rd & Drexel in 1950". I see in WayOutWardell's photo it was later in the middle of the block. I lived on 6200 & Drexel block & passed this lounge every single day. The doors were on the corner & always open & music bursting out...plus the neon sign extended around the corner which lite up the entire area. We were happy a
Forum: General Discussion

The Crown Lounge was on the Northeast corner of 63rd & Drexel in 1950". I see in WayOutWardell's photo it was later in the middle of the block. I lived on 6200 & Drexel block & passed this lounge every single day. The doors were on the corner & always open & music bursting out...plus the neon sign extended around the corner which lite up the entire area. We were happy a
Forum: General Discussion

Re: WayOutWardell. The dance hall you referred to was there many years after I left the area....however I recognize the upper facade. It was years before the Maryland building. The ground floor housed The Maryland Theater....upper floors housed Medicsl offices etc. it was actually at 63rd & Maryland not Drexel which was on the north side of 63rd street.
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Reference querencia.........The elevated train that ran from Stony Island to downtown Chicago was the Jackson Park train....which I road often as Jackson Park was right at .63rd & StonyIsland.
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The info about Oldest elevators is an error! I did not wish to find info on oldest elevators.
Forum: General Discussion

The info about Oldest elevators is an error!
Forum: General Discussion

Answer to WayOutArdell's comment regarding Canary Den restsurant just east of Cottage Grove on 63rd St. You are probably correct about the name. I lived just around the corner on 62nd & Drexel from 1940s to 1951. I wonder if you are the young boy I remembered whose Mother Marcella worked with my Mom at Woodlawn Hospital? It's worth questioning as not many remember this area who are still l
Forum: General Discussion

Answer to WayOutArdell's comment regarding Canary Den restsurant just east of Cottage Grove on 63rd St. You are probably correct about the name. I lived just around the corner on 62nd & Drexel from 1940s to 1951. I wonder if you are the young boy I remembered whose Mother Marcella worked with my Mom at Woodlawn Hospital? It's worth questioning as not many remember this area who are still l
Forum: General Discussion

Does anyone remember a small cafe just East of Cottage Grove called The Canary Inn It consisted mostly of a huge U shaped counter. The owners The Lambert family were our neighbors. Mrs Lambert cooked soups for the business in her small apt. Kitchen. Often when we took her daughter with us to the movies she packed us a huge paper bag with hamburgers & fries. These treats were really appreci
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There were three dime stores on 63rd St. between Cottage Grove & Dorchester. Namely Scots, Woolworths, & Kresges. My favorite was Woolworth as their Ice cream sodas were great. There was a great candy store plus ice-cream parlor on 63rd just east of Cottage Grove called Mary Lees. It was rather expensive but they piled ice-cream high with a spatula kind of utensil. My favorite was m
Forum: General Discussion

There were three dime stores on 63rd St. between Cottage Grove & Dorchester. Namely Scots, Woolworths, & Kresges. My favorite was Woolworth as their Ice cream sodas were great. There was a great candy store plus ice-cream parlor on 63rd just east of Cottage Grove called Mary Lees. It was rather expensive but they piled ice-cream high with a spatula kind of utensil. My favorite was m
Forum: General Discussion

There were three dime stores on 63rd St. between Cottage Grove & Dorchester. Namely Scots, Woolworths, & Kresges. My favorite was Woolworth as their Ice cream sodas were great. There was a great candy store plus ice-cream parlor on 63rd just east of Cottage Grove called Mary Lees. It was rather expensive but they piled ice-cream high with a spatula kind of utensil. My favorite was m
Forum: General Discussion

Someone asked if anyone remembered the grocery part of Sears store at 63rd & Halsted ...it was Hillmans. This grocery part of Sears boasted many delicacies not found in the average grocery. My parents actually made the trip to 63rd & Halsted just to shop there.
Forum: General Discussion

I worked at Toffenettis on Randolph street in the early 1950s as an elevator girl plus hostess. This restaurant had 3 floors...the main floor mostly large U shaped counters. The second floor was a real dining room with white table cloths....last came the third floor which was a Mens Grill. Yes this was allowed then & we were close to city hall so had many men who worked there as regulars.
Forum: General Discussion

I worked at Toffenettis on Randolph street in the early 1950s as an elevator girl plus hostess. This restaurant had 3 floors...the main floor mostly large U shaped counters. The second floor was a real dining room with white table cloths....last came the third floor which was a Mens Grill. Yes this was allowed then & we were close to city hall so had many men who worked there as regulars.
Forum: General Discussion

Someone mentioned about a dimestore on E. 63rd St. That his father owned near 63rd & Blackstone. I remember a very small old fashioned dimestore named Nisners. It was even old fashioned in the late 1940s as it didn't have a soda fountain like Woolworths & Kresgees so I didn't go there very often. However it was close to a hyde Park High School so I did pass it on way to school. I remem
Forum: General Discussion

I lived at 62nd Drexel in the late 1940s to early 1950s. There were 7 motion picture theaters between Cottage Grove & Stony Island namely: Tivoli...Maryland...Ark...Lex...Kimbark...Woodlawn...Tower. four dimestores, multiple clothing & jewelry stores, really anything you desired could usually be found on our great 63rd street. Occasionally we ventured to 63rd & Halstead for Chris
Forum: General Discussion