Having A Ball in Chicago
I suppose that every city offers up unexpected surprises, and Chicago has been jam
packed with one surprise after another.
While exploring old neighborhood stomping grounds (and old haunts!) we came upon a
delightful building that holds many memories for me, the old Aragon Ballroom. I was happy to see that the Aragon was still standing, and by all appearances from the exterior,it looked to be thriving.
My grandparents went there in the "good old days," to dance to the live band sounds of the
1920s, 30s and 40s. I went there in the 1980s to listen to an entirely different kind of sound, and danced till the sun was up. I had some great times there.
The ballroom was built in 1926 by the Karzas brothers in a Spanish inspired motif. Aragon
is a region of Spain and the interior decoration, along with the terra-cotta details and brick pattern of the exterior, come from 500 years of Spanish design, from the Moorish to the Baroque. The Aragon was following in the great tradition of those 1920s movie palaces, like the Uptown Theater, which is still standing just around the corner, though just barely from the looks of things. And, from all outward appearances it looked like things were still hopping at the Riviera Theater.
The intersection of Lawrence and Broadway, where these buildings are clustered, was a
nightlife hot spot in 1920s Chicago. It morphed into another kind of nightlife hot spot during my party days in the 80s and early 90s; some would say much to the detriment of the neighborhood. I was back there on a Saturday morning, and happy to see that with all the changes the neighborhood has endured during the last 80 years, the Aragon still had those smiling jesters high up on the building facade. I smiled right along with them.
Posted by designslinger at 5/5/2009 4:30 AM 
Categories: Cities, Architecture, History, Preservation
Tags: terra-cotta Spanish Revival architecture ballrooms movie palaces
Categories: Cities, Architecture, History, Preservation
Tags: terra-cotta Spanish Revival architecture ballrooms movie palaces
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