Relocating/removing the people and buildings which sat where today's Oz Park is was probably one of the more shameful/embarrassing moments of urban renewal in Chicago. An early move to gentrify that part of the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Sox fans ... over a certain age ... always talk about Comiskey Park. I worked as an Andy Frain usher at games, one or two years.
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I attended John Peter Altgeld Elementary School in West Engelwood and graduated 8th grade in 1963. There was no lunchroom and students had to leave the building during lunch. We were expected to return home to eat. There was no such thing as breakfasts in school, but we did receive a carton of milk for which we paid something. We had our "milk money." There was no air conditioning an
Forum: General Discussion

Yes, along the corridor of 69th St. between Ada St. and Ashland Avenue, where we lived in several apartments and also with my grandmother at 69th & Justine ... I remember, in the 1950s and early-1960s, a 'rag man', a man who sold vegetables from his truck (oftentimes from an alley location), the Home Juice delivery, the Pine Crest Dairy milk man, a knife sharpener, someone selling soda pop (do
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As a pre-teen in the late-50s and early 60s, and then when I entered high school in the 60s, I would often eat at the 17 on a weekend night or weeknight in the summer. I'd visit the Central Library, or go to a movie Downtown, and then stop at the 17 for an Olive Burger and a piece of apple pie with ice cream. I have fond memories of that restaurant and the great waitresses who worked there.
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There was a St. Sebastian RC Church at the NW corner of N. Halsted and W. Wellington. The church and school were demolished in the 1970s and the property sold to Illinois Masonic Hospital which constructed a couple of buildings on the site.
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As a kid on the southside, we skated at a rink at 76th & S. Racine AVe. I think it was called the "Planet," or some such similar name.
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Fahey Flynn. PJ Hoff. Channel 2. He wasn't much of a watherman, but, rather, a good illustrator.
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Yes, I remember Wells St. from the mid-late 1960s forward. It was a more interesting neighborhood then, than now. Dr. Scholls. Oscar Meyer. Piper's Alley. And all the rest.
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I have no recollection of "DeMays" barber shop on Loomis, nor of any other barber shop on Loomis. We went to a barber shop located on the south side of 69th St., between Justine St. and Ashland Ave.
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Swede, yes, LeMay's Bakery was next to the firehouse; between the firehouse and Marvin Ray's butcher shop/grocery store. My grandmother had a house behind the bakery/firehouse at 6914 S. Justine, St.; across the alley, and we would wake-up (when we lived with her) to the smell of fresh baked sweet rolls/bread. Armand's ValueLand did have a mechanical horse, and also an X-Ray machine to examine y
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Swede, I don't recall a "Robert Tracy." My memory isn't as good as it once was! Michael Kirby's was THE place to go as a kid on Winter evenings.
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I worked at Delco's, on the NE corner of 69th & Ashland, part of the time when I was in high school (post-1963). I worked overnight. There was a bar attached, in the storefront to the east. At the time I worked there it was past the heyday of the place. Two guys, Greek I'm thinking, owned the place. I handled the soda fountain and liquor sales (even though I was a minor), and the two owne
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Swede, "Longford" is a online "handle" for this forum; it's not part of my name. I went to Harper only 1/2 year before transferring to Carl Sandberg in Orland Park. I actually went to 4 high schools. 2 my freshman year: Harper and Carl Sandberg. Oak Lawn for my Sophmore, Junior and part of my Senior year. I graduated from Tilden in 1967. When I went to Altgeld I lived at
Forum: General Discussion

Swede, my step-father was Polish and, therefore, he went to St. Joseph's at 48th & Wood, instead of attending mass at St. Michael's. He and my mother were married at St. Joseph's late 1960s (even though she was not Roman Catholic). WE lived above a dress shop on the south side of 47th St., just west of Wood St. Next to Syrena's Polish Restaurant.
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When I was a kid (in the late 50s/early 60s) we skated at the Michael Kirby rink at 74th and Loomis (might have been Racine, but I think it was Loomis). It was a great rink, adjacent to the rail tracks. Somebody played the organ, and most of my friends and fellow students from Altgeld Elementary, nearby, skated there at least a couple of days a week during the Winter.
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As a kid, one of my prized possessons was a High Low Flyer red wagon. Miss Rooney, quite a woman (as owner of HLF).
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In the late-1960s, one of my first jobs out of high school was as the quality control inspector at the then new Canfield bottling plant on the SE side of Chicago. One of the soft drinks we canned was Green River. I had the opportunity to drink as much of the soft drinks as I could tolerate. It was a great job, for tasting, for about 2 months ... after which I never wanted to drink pop again!
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My maternal grandfather, a Chicago Policeman, died at Southtown Hospital.
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Until the mid-1960s, my family lived at various apartments near 69th & Justine St., east of Ashland Ave. I was very familiar with the Italian neighborhood you speak of. Ambrosino's and Casio's grocery stores, Naples Bakery, Pinecrest Dairy, Louie Georges Restaurant, St. Mary of Mt. Carmel, etc. It was a great neighborhood and I have fond memories.
Forum: General Discussion

Until the mid-1960s I lived in the vicinity (several apartments) of 69th & Justine. We weren't/aren't Roman Catholic, but I attended the annual carnival/festival at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel and my Boy Scout troop met at the church.
Forum: General Discussion

My step-father lived across from St. Michael the Archangel rectory on Damen Ave. at 48th for decades, until the 1970s. In the 198os, 90s and until several years ago, a friend of mine was Pastor at St. Michael's. I lived east of the church, at 47th & Wood ... in the late-1960s.
Forum: General Discussion

I remember, as a kid in the 50's and 60s, going to the IA to see the International Livestock Show. I'd also go for the circus, and later to watch the Chicago Bulls play there. I graduated from Tilden High School, nearby, and would often pass the IA (until the late 1960s).
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The last year of high school (1967), we lived at 47th & Wood, in the Back of the Yards. We lived above a dress shop on 47th St., west of Wood St. Next door to where we lived was a pizza parlor which used reconstituted Polish-grown mushrooms on their pizzas. I loved those cheese & mushroom pizzas and have never since found one to recreate the sensation I felt when eating those mushrooms.
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My grandmother lived across the alley from Engine 101 and Ambulance 14, at 69th & Justine in West Englewood and, on and off, we lived with her when I was in grade school. The firehouse has long ago been demolished. I was a "Jr. Firefighter" and because my dad had died when I was just 5 the firehouse sort of adopted me and, in the Summer months, I'd spend many nights sleeping at the
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I attended John Peter Altgeld grammar school. I graduated (to Harper High School) in 1963. We lived at 69th & Ada and later at 69th & Justine (and several other addresses in between). Pete's on 69th St. was our "go to" for Pizza. We attended Atonement Lutheran Church at 70th & Laflin. My father, Roman Catholic, attended St. Brendan.
Forum: General Discussion