The Streets Where We Live
Many neighborhoods in many cities have a smorgasbord of names. A variety of
governmental agencies may designate the same area with different titles. Real estate agents may have a wide selection of other names which can be used to make a sale more attractive. We live in a Chicago community called Uptown, but since we live at the southern edge, our neighborhood is also called
Buena Park.
[Uptown Theatre marquee and entrance facade, Chicago, June 20, 2009 /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
Not far from our apartment stands the Uptown Theatre, a reminder of the glory days of
this stretch of street which served as one of the city's premiere entertainment districts. Once gleaming, and exploding with ornamentation, today the 4,000 seat movie palace sits rather forlorn and sad looking. Apparently, there have been a number of attempts at restoring and re-opening the majestic building, but it looks to be in worse shape than when we filmed a portion of the movie Home Alone 2 in the theater's stunning lobby, in 1991.
[Wilson Avenue Station, CTA Red Line; Uptown Bank Building, entry detail /Images & Artwork: designslinger]
The Wilson Avenue el station looks a litle worse for wear, but it still has its original 1920s
facade announcing to the world that you may have arrived at Wilson, but you are standing in Uptown. The ornate bank building up the street is now the home of Broadview Bank, but the terra-cotta inscription over the door still declares Uptown, as in Uptown National Bank.
[Uptown, June 20, 2009 /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
And though the area is worn around the edges, and honestly a little unnerving at times,
there is evidence that a new Uptown is emerging. Like so much of Chicago, I've returned after a long absence to find that much has stayed the same, and much has changed. I just hope that however many years we spend in the city, one change that I will see, are the lights shining brightly once again on the Uptown's marquee.
governmental agencies may designate the same area with different titles. Real estate agents may have a wide selection of other names which can be used to make a sale more attractive. We live in a Chicago community called Uptown, but since we live at the southern edge, our neighborhood is also called
Buena Park.
Not far from our apartment stands the Uptown Theatre, a reminder of the glory days of
this stretch of street which served as one of the city's premiere entertainment districts. Once gleaming, and exploding with ornamentation, today the 4,000 seat movie palace sits rather forlorn and sad looking. Apparently, there have been a number of attempts at restoring and re-opening the majestic building, but it looks to be in worse shape than when we filmed a portion of the movie Home Alone 2 in the theater's stunning lobby, in 1991.
The Wilson Avenue el station looks a litle worse for wear, but it still has its original 1920s
facade announcing to the world that you may have arrived at Wilson, but you are standing in Uptown. The ornate bank building up the street is now the home of Broadview Bank, but the terra-cotta inscription over the door still declares Uptown, as in Uptown National Bank.
And though the area is worn around the edges, and honestly a little unnerving at times,
there is evidence that a new Uptown is emerging. Like so much of Chicago, I've returned after a long absence to find that much has stayed the same, and much has changed. I just hope that however many years we spend in the city, one change that I will see, are the lights shining brightly once again on the Uptown's marquee.
Posted by designslinger at 6/23/2009 2:15 AM 
Categories: Cities,Architecture,History
Tags: neighborhoods Uptown Chicago Buena Park Uptown Theatre
Categories: Cities,Architecture,History
Tags: neighborhoods Uptown Chicago Buena Park Uptown Theatre
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