@chigeek.bsky.social
Architecture geek who also happens to be Louis Sullivan’s number one fan (he’s my dead architect boyfriend).
https://chicagolandarchitecture.substack.com/
https://chicagolandarchitecture.substack.com/
Reposted
tax bill of this vacant lot in downtown Chicago
2023: $292,593.15
2024: $70,386.00
change: $222,207.15 decrease is a 76% drop
the property owner lost every recent appeal at the Board of Review (the last one was 2020) so this is likely because property values have dropped a lot
2023: $292,593.15
2024: $70,386.00
change: $222,207.15 decrease is a 76% drop
the property owner lost every recent appeal at the Board of Review (the last one was 2020) so this is likely because property values have dropped a lot
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
tax bill of this vacant lot in downtown Chicago
2023: $292,593.15
2024: $70,386.00
change: $222,207.15 decrease is a 76% drop
the property owner lost every recent appeal at the Board of Review (the last one was 2020) so this is likely because property values have dropped a lot
2023: $292,593.15
2024: $70,386.00
change: $222,207.15 decrease is a 76% drop
the property owner lost every recent appeal at the Board of Review (the last one was 2020) so this is likely because property values have dropped a lot
Joseph L. Silsbee, born on this day in 1848, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright & other Chicago architects. Here’s his design, with assistance by George W. Maher, for the Chicago Telephone Company (1888) located at the NE corner of Washington & Franklin. Demolished in 1967 it’s now a parking garage.
November 25, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Joseph L. Silsbee, born on this day in 1848, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright & other Chicago architects. Here’s his design, with assistance by George W. Maher, for the Chicago Telephone Company (1888) located at the NE corner of Washington & Franklin. Demolished in 1967 it’s now a parking garage.
Yesterday’s sunset was pretty (darn cool). And yes, the left photo was taken while driving on the road next to O’Hare.
November 23, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Yesterday’s sunset was pretty (darn cool). And yes, the left photo was taken while driving on the road next to O’Hare.
My favorite book cover with my favorite outdated information: Chicago on Foot by Ira J. Bach, 1973.
Why not take a walk and see the foreign vessels docked at Navy Pier, go shopping at Sears, and conduct some astronomical research at Lindheimer Observatory?
Why not take a walk and see the foreign vessels docked at Navy Pier, go shopping at Sears, and conduct some astronomical research at Lindheimer Observatory?
November 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
My favorite book cover with my favorite outdated information: Chicago on Foot by Ira J. Bach, 1973.
Why not take a walk and see the foreign vessels docked at Navy Pier, go shopping at Sears, and conduct some astronomical research at Lindheimer Observatory?
Why not take a walk and see the foreign vessels docked at Navy Pier, go shopping at Sears, and conduct some astronomical research at Lindheimer Observatory?
Just found out that the Stahl House is for sale for the first time ever? Of course it won’t be torn down, but it’s sad that the home might end up in private hands and no longer be open for public tours.
www.wsj.com/style/design...
www.wsj.com/style/design...
The Stahl House: A Modest Home’s Visionary Modernism
Designed by Pierre Koenig for a middle-class couple and completed in 1960, the house in the Hollywood Hills is an elegant, structurally daring building that quickly became iconic.
www.wsj.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Just found out that the Stahl House is for sale for the first time ever? Of course it won’t be torn down, but it’s sad that the home might end up in private hands and no longer be open for public tours.
www.wsj.com/style/design...
www.wsj.com/style/design...
A reminder when it all started to go wrong in this country, setting the stage for where we are now. Seriously fuck this guy.
November 20, 2025 at 6:22 PM
A reminder when it all started to go wrong in this country, setting the stage for where we are now. Seriously fuck this guy.
My certified therapy dog is doing her part in promoting literacy by having school kids read to her this morning.
November 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM
My certified therapy dog is doing her part in promoting literacy by having school kids read to her this morning.
I missed that yesterday was the 100th birthday of Winnetka’s native son Roy Fitzgerald aka Rock Hudson who lived at various addresses in town w/his mom & stepdad (most have been torn down). In the mid-1930s they resided in an apartment at 809 Chestnut Court located just behind Winnetka Village Hall.
November 19, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I missed that yesterday was the 100th birthday of Winnetka’s native son Roy Fitzgerald aka Rock Hudson who lived at various addresses in town w/his mom & stepdad (most have been torn down). In the mid-1930s they resided in an apartment at 809 Chestnut Court located just behind Winnetka Village Hall.
It’s hard to pick a favorite Scorsese movie, so here are my Top 5, in no particular order, of his films I’ve probably watched the most times:
Goodfellas
Taxi Driver
The Age of Innocence
The Last Waltz
No Direction Home
Goodfellas
Taxi Driver
The Age of Innocence
The Last Waltz
No Direction Home
November 17, 2025 at 7:52 PM
It’s hard to pick a favorite Scorsese movie, so here are my Top 5, in no particular order, of his films I’ve probably watched the most times:
Goodfellas
Taxi Driver
The Age of Innocence
The Last Waltz
No Direction Home
Goodfellas
Taxi Driver
The Age of Innocence
The Last Waltz
No Direction Home
I had to take my stepdad to the doctor today. We are complete opposites. His blood pressure is 155 over 83, which means that if he doesn’t change his lifestyle soon, he’s probably gonna die. While my blood pressure is 88 over 52, which basically means I’m already dead. ☠️
November 17, 2025 at 12:25 AM
I had to take my stepdad to the doctor today. We are complete opposites. His blood pressure is 155 over 83, which means that if he doesn’t change his lifestyle soon, he’s probably gonna die. While my blood pressure is 88 over 52, which basically means I’m already dead. ☠️
Wasn’t it just snowing? Just saw a shirtless man jogging with his dog as one usually does on a 68 degree day in November.
November 15, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Wasn’t it just snowing? Just saw a shirtless man jogging with his dog as one usually does on a 68 degree day in November.
Why am I not surprised to find out that Nick Offerman, who played hyper-masculine Ron Swanson, loves Merchant & Ivory films as much as I do. And he’s right, Daniel Day-Lewis is so funny in A Room with a View.
youtu.be/Ti-nujcoKnk?...
youtu.be/Ti-nujcoKnk?...
Nick Offerman’s Closet Picks
YouTube video by CRITERION
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Why am I not surprised to find out that Nick Offerman, who played hyper-masculine Ron Swanson, loves Merchant & Ivory films as much as I do. And he’s right, Daniel Day-Lewis is so funny in A Room with a View.
youtu.be/Ti-nujcoKnk?...
youtu.be/Ti-nujcoKnk?...
Don’t worry, JoJo the Cyclops. Chicagoland has not forgotten ICE. We never will.
November 15, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Don’t worry, JoJo the Cyclops. Chicagoland has not forgotten ICE. We never will.
It’s always about private property rights, rather than recognizing that you own a unique piece of architecture and should act as a steward for the present and future community.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/11/h...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/11/h...
Critics accuse Highland Park of declawing preservation group: ‘I thought there was a process’
Some fear the historic character of the community could be at stake, as the city finds itself with few tools available to protect historic houses.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:27 PM
It’s always about private property rights, rather than recognizing that you own a unique piece of architecture and should act as a steward for the present and future community.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/11/h...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/11/h...
Livvy & Bobby = True Love
Did you hear that, Cheryl?
Did you hear that, Cheryl?
November 14, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Livvy & Bobby = True Love
Did you hear that, Cheryl?
Did you hear that, Cheryl?
I asked my stepdad, who is a teacher, what he thinks of “6-7”and he said he ignores it now, but when he first heard it, his response was “13?”
November 14, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I asked my stepdad, who is a teacher, what he thinks of “6-7”and he said he ignores it now, but when he first heard it, his response was “13?”
For Neil Young’s 80th birthday today, here are my favorite songs in no particular order:
Revolution Blues
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Razor Love
Winterlong
The Needle and the Damage Done
Helpless
Don’t Cry No Tears
Ohio
Pocahontas
Dreamin’ Man
Revolution Blues
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Razor Love
Winterlong
The Needle and the Damage Done
Helpless
Don’t Cry No Tears
Ohio
Pocahontas
Dreamin’ Man
November 13, 2025 at 12:51 AM
For Neil Young’s 80th birthday today, here are my favorite songs in no particular order:
Revolution Blues
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Razor Love
Winterlong
The Needle and the Damage Done
Helpless
Don’t Cry No Tears
Ohio
Pocahontas
Dreamin’ Man
Revolution Blues
Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Razor Love
Winterlong
The Needle and the Damage Done
Helpless
Don’t Cry No Tears
Ohio
Pocahontas
Dreamin’ Man
The Edith Rockefeller McCormick Mansion was originally designed by architect S.S. Beman for Nathaniel Jones. It was built in 1883 at the cost of $75,000 (that’s about $2.5 million today).
The 41-room residence was torn down in 1953 to make way for the high-rise at 1000 North Lake Shore Drive.
The 41-room residence was torn down in 1953 to make way for the high-rise at 1000 North Lake Shore Drive.
November 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The Edith Rockefeller McCormick Mansion was originally designed by architect S.S. Beman for Nathaniel Jones. It was built in 1883 at the cost of $75,000 (that’s about $2.5 million today).
The 41-room residence was torn down in 1953 to make way for the high-rise at 1000 North Lake Shore Drive.
The 41-room residence was torn down in 1953 to make way for the high-rise at 1000 North Lake Shore Drive.
I remember once walking in the Loop when tourists approached me and asked “Which way is the Magical Mile?”
Real estate developer Arthur Rubloff renamed a stretch of North Michigan Avenue in 1947 to revitalize the area. It’s been almost 80 years. Maybe now is the time for a new name? /s
Real estate developer Arthur Rubloff renamed a stretch of North Michigan Avenue in 1947 to revitalize the area. It’s been almost 80 years. Maybe now is the time for a new name? /s
November 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I remember once walking in the Loop when tourists approached me and asked “Which way is the Magical Mile?”
Real estate developer Arthur Rubloff renamed a stretch of North Michigan Avenue in 1947 to revitalize the area. It’s been almost 80 years. Maybe now is the time for a new name? /s
Real estate developer Arthur Rubloff renamed a stretch of North Michigan Avenue in 1947 to revitalize the area. It’s been almost 80 years. Maybe now is the time for a new name? /s
I’ve never seen an architect as committed to a specific type of roof as Don Erickson. His pagoda-like roofs are said to have been inspired by Jamaican architecture. Wood Dale, Park Ridge, Palatine, Barrington, Libertyville, Winnetka, Johnsburg, Kirkland & now Huntley.
www.redfin.com/IL/Huntley/6...
www.redfin.com/IL/Huntley/6...
6111 Ridgeview Dr, Huntley, IL 60142 - 5 beds/2 baths
(MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid) For Sale: 5 beds, 2 baths ∙ 3200 sq. ft. ∙ 6111 Ridgeview Dr, Huntley, IL 60142 ∙ $675,000 ∙ MLS# 12443979 ∙ You are buying both Lot #1 with the house and a barn and ...
www.redfin.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I’ve never seen an architect as committed to a specific type of roof as Don Erickson. His pagoda-like roofs are said to have been inspired by Jamaican architecture. Wood Dale, Park Ridge, Palatine, Barrington, Libertyville, Winnetka, Johnsburg, Kirkland & now Huntley.
www.redfin.com/IL/Huntley/6...
www.redfin.com/IL/Huntley/6...
Speaking of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” my mom once fell asleep at a Gordon Lightfoot concert in the ‘70s. I didn’t even think such a thing was possible but she said it was very boring. Sorry Gord!
November 10, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Speaking of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” my mom once fell asleep at a Gordon Lightfoot concert in the ‘70s. I didn’t even think such a thing was possible but she said it was very boring. Sorry Gord!
I feel bad for everyone who might not be able to visit family during the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season. But at the same time I can’t relate because I come from an unambitious Slavic people who all live within 30 miles from where they first landed in Chicago just over a 100 yrs ago.
November 9, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I feel bad for everyone who might not be able to visit family during the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season. But at the same time I can’t relate because I come from an unambitious Slavic people who all live within 30 miles from where they first landed in Chicago just over a 100 yrs ago.
Checked out some demolitions this morning. Green fencing already up at 1915 North Sheffield and what’s left of 2142 North Seminary (totally insane that a four-flat will be replaced by a SFH).
November 8, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Checked out some demolitions this morning. Green fencing already up at 1915 North Sheffield and what’s left of 2142 North Seminary (totally insane that a four-flat will be replaced by a SFH).
I remember when I was a kid & lost my step-grandmother’s beloved cockatiel. I spent the next 24 hrs going down alleys trying to find it, and sure enough, it was perched on top of a garage a block away on Seeley Avenue. A man took out his ladder & helped me get the bird. Now that’s community!
November 7, 2025 at 3:45 AM
I remember when I was a kid & lost my step-grandmother’s beloved cockatiel. I spent the next 24 hrs going down alleys trying to find it, and sure enough, it was perched on top of a garage a block away on Seeley Avenue. A man took out his ladder & helped me get the bird. Now that’s community!
It’s exactly sixteen years ago this week that I visited my friend in Berlin/Potsdam who was studying at the Max Planck Institute. What is time?
Back when I took photos with a real camera: Sanssouci Park, Cecilienhof Palace, Weißensee Cemetery, Sachsenhausen.
Back when I took photos with a real camera: Sanssouci Park, Cecilienhof Palace, Weißensee Cemetery, Sachsenhausen.
November 5, 2025 at 9:03 PM
It’s exactly sixteen years ago this week that I visited my friend in Berlin/Potsdam who was studying at the Max Planck Institute. What is time?
Back when I took photos with a real camera: Sanssouci Park, Cecilienhof Palace, Weißensee Cemetery, Sachsenhausen.
Back when I took photos with a real camera: Sanssouci Park, Cecilienhof Palace, Weißensee Cemetery, Sachsenhausen.