Chicago Off the Beaten Path Tips by deecat

Seneca Playlot Park is not a "hot spot" in the city of Chicago; however, for people who enjoy small parks, a shady place to relax, and observing children at play, this is, indeed, a fun place to visit.

It is located just west of the historic Water Tower Pumping Station. Even though Seneca Park is tiny as far as parks go, it is such a delightful and quiet "oasis" from its bustling surroundings. I discovered that the Chicago Park District leases the park property from the City of Chicago Water Fund. At one time this park was part of a nearby park called Lake Shore Playground. But, the State of Illinois built an armory between Senect and Lake Shore Parks; thus, permanently separating them.

Seneca Park has a medium-sized lawn with shaded walkways, and it also has a double playlot.
As Allan and I sat in the shade on nice benches between the two playlots, we observed a memorial to Eli Schulman who died in 1988. He is a well-known restauranteur in Chicago who was also active in promoting activities for children. [The playgrounds are named for Schulman].

The whole park is named after an adjacent Seneca Street which was named for the Iroquois tribe of upstate New York.

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Imperative to Click on Photo to see the details

When I recently visited Navy Pier to see the Chicago Flower and Garden Show 2005, I was delighted that a "bonus" to the long walk from the entrance to the exhibit hall (10-minute walk) was being able to see part of the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows.
It is located along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. The hall exhibit of stained glass pieces extends from Entrance 1 to Entrance 2.

One of the really remarkable things about this special museum is that it is FREE! It is open daily during regular Navy Pier operating hours. Also, you can take a free tour with Museum curator, Rolf Achilles on Friday afternoons. You need to go to the west entrance of the Museum near Navy Pier's Entrance .

You are able to watch an informational video about the history and making of stained glass windows. Afterward, you are able, at your leisure, to see the windows. They are divided into categories:

Victorian, Art Nouveau, Tiffany, 1893 Chicago World's Fair, German-American Religious, Tiffany & Contemporaries, American Religious, Modern Religious, Contemporary, Synagogues, Lamps, Chicago Bungalow & Prairie, Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie, Richard Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass Windows.

It's worth a trip to Navy Pier just to see this grand public collection of stained glass, one of the best in the United States. More than half of the windows were originally installed somewhere in the Chicago area. It's interesting to see the influence of the European immigrants through the Religious windows. It's just as wonderful to see the secular windows as a history of decorative arts styles. What a fortunate free experience this turned out to be!

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Phone: (312) 595-5024
Website: www.navypier.com & click on the "Attractions" link
Other Contact: 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago

Today, August 12, 2005, Allan and I visited Berwyn, Illinois for the first time. We went there to check out a neighborhood and house that a friend of ours just purchased.

We had such a good time just walking around the neighborhoods and visiting the southern part of the city. After all that walking, we decided to eat lunch and make it our meal of the day.

We did not know anything about the restaurants in the area, so we asked a gentleman that we met on the sidewalk. He suggested Arnie Salerno's Restaurant & Pizzeria We took him up on it, and decided to give it a try. It's the NEW Arnie Salerno's Restaurant, and Arnie is one of the original owners and founder of Salerno's Restaurant. It was first opened in 1966.

Salerno's is a typical southern Italian restaurant that uses lots of red sauce and serves large portions. It is a great place inside with a large bar, TV's for sport's fans, and a smoking and non-smoking area.

The menu includes specialties of the house, Veal dishes, Ribs, Seafood, Chicken dishes, Sandwiches, and Pizza.

Allan ordered the Chicken Cacciatore and was quite pleased. It was a huge order; thus, he brought home 1/2 of it. I ordered Baked Mostaccioli and asked for a smaller order. I was not too pleased. It was unlike any other baked Mostaccioli I've ever had. We both ordered the house salad, which was quite good because of the delicious Italian dressing [homemade].

If I ever go again, I'll probably try the pizza. It's supposed to be good.

We then went to the next town, Oak Park, which we both really loved.

Open Monday through Thursday from ten until eleven at night.
Friday and Saturday ten to midnight.
Sunday from Noon to ten at night.

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Phone: (847)484-3400
Other Contact: 3248 S. Grove, Berwyn, Illinois

I did not know where to place this tip. It's a little-known building so I decided to choose "Off the Beaten Path".

This particular building is especially designed for large, full-floor tenants. It's located on an "ideal" site facing the open corridor of the Chicago River.

191 North Wacker Drive is a tall, silver-blue glass box slaab on its western facade. Theis tall box is separated from the rear section by a notch that is about five feet wide and two feet deep. This eastern section contains mechanical systems that are enclosed in transparent glass.
I especially admire the open "grid work" at the top.

It's wonderful how other buildings are reflected in the "glass skin" at 191 North Wacker Drive.

The same architectural firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox designed three office towers in a row: 333 West Wacker Drive; 225 West Wacker Drive; and 191 North Wacker Drive.

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When Erie on the Park Condominiums opened, many people were shocked because of the"industrial look.
The architect, Lucien Lagrange, usually did not do this kind of work; however, he was interested in the use of "powerful steel structural expression".

Most critics feel that Lagrange did a great job using the steel structure here at Erie on the Park.
His choice to use steel instead of concrete framing was good because it better addressed stresses, especially wind, on this narrow parallelogram-shaped site. Using steel required fewer columns which offers flexibility to "maximize residential layouts, unit heights, and balcony options".

Look at the photograph, and you will see that the use of the exposed exterior bracing lead the eye upward to the open steel frame at the top. I personally like the blue-tinted glass and bands of steel. It's especially good for city dwellers who enjoy a contemporary look.

I took the photo from the architectual tour boat. I'm not sure of the exact address.

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"I wish I could go to America if only to see that Chicago!"
Otto Von Bismarck, German Chancellor, 1870

I love Lincoln Square, and it's not just because my daughter lives in that area! I love the old wood-frame Victorians, the Chicago bungalows, the greystone apartment buildings, and the quaint shops of the area. But, of all the beautiful places in Lincoln Square, the one that is the most beautiful example of Chicago architecture is The Museum oof Decorative Arts Building, the last project of the famous Louis Sullivan. Louis Sullivan is most famous for such Chicago landmarks as the Auditorium Theatre, the Carson Pirie Scott building on State Street, and the old Chicago Stock Exchange.
William P. Krause wanted to build a music store in about 1920, and with the help of Sullivan, Krause's builder created this ornate little place for a music store with Krause's apartment above it. The facade of this building is hard to miss. It has built-in lights as well as white & black & grey tiles. There is also an ornamental letter K at the top of the facade (which you can see in the photo) that represents William Krause.
Unfortunately, the music shop was only in business for about seven years. After the music store, there was a funeral home there for several years, and today, it is the home of the Museum of Decorative Arts which boasts a collection of decorative arts & objects which date from 1870 until 1930. It's more than just a museum; there are items available for sale from several eras: Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, & Arts & Crafts movements.
When in Lincoln Square, be sure to drop in for a "look-see" and maybe a purchase!

It's located on North Lincoln Avenue kind of across from the Davis Theatre.

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On one of my jaunts in Chicago while waiting for a VT Meeting/Dinner to begin, I spent time in the Lincoln Square area checking out the beautiful, huge Conrad Sulzer Regional Branch Library.
This Lincoln Square neighborhood library was once located down the street in the art deco building that now houses the Old Town School of Folk Music. At that time, it was called the Hild Library. Demand grew; thus, the neighborhood outgrew the Hild Library. The architecture firm called Hammond, Beeby & Babka designed the new building which has become a central attraction for Chicago's North Side as a Regional Branch. Incidently, it is one of the largest neighborhood branches in the Chicago Public Library System. It houses more than 250,000 books and takes up almost an entire block!
The architecture is interesting. The architects themselves called it "hybrid Mies van der Rohe and Schinckel"! What I really like about this particular library is all of the light that pours through the multitude of windows. Another unique feature of the Conrad Sulzer Library is the custom-made furniture that has design themes that are based on German mythology!
The architects who built this library went on to build the famed Harold Washington Library in the Loop in 1993.
The Conrad Sulzer Library is located on North Lincoln Avenue just south of the business area and across from the Park.

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The Pullman Historic District is located in southeast Chicago, approximately 14 miles from the downtown area.
You can take the Metra Train from downtown Chicago from the Randolph Street Station. Take the Metra Electric Line to the Pullman Station (111th street). Then, walk east (left) on 111th for about a block to the Hotel Florence. It takes under 30 minutes by train.
Built in 1880-94 for Pullman's Palace Car Company, Pullman was one of America's first planned model industrial towns. Pullman was designed by architect Solon S. Beman and landscape architect Nathan F. Barrett. These two combined the town's architecture with its parks, streets, and amenities to try to create an ideal working and living environment. In 1972 it was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Today, nearly 1,000 of the the town's original rowhouses and several major buildings and spaces are still intact or being restored.
George M. Pullman was the founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company. He purchased nearly 4,000 acres just west of Lake Calumet and surrounding the Illinois Central Railroad to build his town. The center of town was the railroad car business. A clock tower dominated the large industrial complex.
This town was quite modern for the times because they had indoor plumbing, sewage, and a gas works. An Arcade building and a Market were also built which rented space to PRIVATE BUSINESSES. In 1896, Pullman was given an award for the "World's Most Perfect Town". It was prosperous for 14 years until the depression of 1893-94. To keep his business open, Pullman reduced wages and hours which led to the famed Pullman Strike. After Pullman's death, the housing was sold and has been privately owned since then. Chicago annexed the town of Pullman in 1889. Today, 100's of Pullman houses undergo privately funded interior and exterior renovation and restoration.
It's a delight to walk the streets or to take a tour. Every October the famous Historic Pullman House Tour is made available when all the houses are open to the public.

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Phone: Tour information: 773-785-8901

Some people think that visiting a cemetery is weird; however, I find it to be a great history lesson. Rosehill Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Chicago, and its entrance was done by the same architect that did the Old Chicago Water Tower. You can tell that; it is a rare Midwestern example of castellated Gothic architecture.
If you visit Rosehill Cemetery, you will notice a tall Obelisk in the northeast corner. It belongs to Mayor "Long John" Wentworth who had an ego to match his size ( he was six feet six inches tall and weighed 300 pounds). He served as Mayor from 1857-58 and in 1860-61. Historians say that Wentworth once "crossed out every line in a history of the city that did not pertain to him"!
Before his death in 1888, he thought that this memorial would be "the loftiest tombstone in the West".He bought a huge obelisk.
The cost of this obelisk, including shipping from Maine, was estimated to be about $40,000. Today that would equal $260,000.The momument is a 70-foot-tall obelisk that weighs 50 tons. His lot is over 2/3 of an acre. It's quite ironic that Wentworth is virtually forgotten, but his memorial remains one of the largest of its kind in all of America!
It's also interesting to note that Vice President Charles G. Dawes is also buried in Rosehill. In addition, Rosehill served as a burial site for Union Civil War casualties. Just inside the gate is the soldiers' monument with each side representing the calvary, artillery, infantry, and the navy. There are long, straight rows of low headstones of more than 200 soldiers buried here.

Note: picture from Chicago Magazine

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Other Contact: 5800 N. Ravenswood Avenue

For years, Chicagoans have gone to Ravinia Festival in the North Shore Suburb of Highland Park to picnic and enjoy listening to music which ranges from classical and jazz, to folk and pop.
Most people bring a picnic and spread out on the lawn for an entrance fee under $10.00. There are lawn chairs available for rental.
Once the music begins, a hush comes over the crowd. Hearing is not a problem because of the state-of-the-art sound system throughout Ravinia. For those who prefer to be more up close, they can purchase reserved seats in the open-air Pavilion for a slightly higher fee.
If you don't want to bring a picnic, Ravini has dining options.
Next year starts the 69th season for Ravinia!
Such performers as The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Neville Brothers, Gordon Lighfoot, Ella Jenkins, Randy Newman, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary have performed here.
The park is located at the Intersection of Lake-Cook and Green Bay Roads.

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Other Contact: RAVINIA