Artist Colonies of Old Town on Chicago Sojourn

My hiatus of regular posting continues, but in the meantime, please check out this recent post By Robert Powers A Chicago Sojourn.

"Two remarkable enclaves of artistic thought, expression and craft thrived in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, starting in the 1920s and peaking in the 1950s. Both sprung from the artistic ambitions of prolific artist Edgar Miller, who spent decades carefully crafting his studio and the surrounding properties."

Powers manages to do for the entire city of Chicago what I struggle do for a single neighborhood, continue to provide interest content in a timely manner.  Give him a read and see for yourself.  He also provides a good collection of photographs.

Mother's Day In Old Town

In honor of Mother's day this Sunday, here are some lovely flowers courtesy of Old Town Garden's.  You can read me eariler piece about the Garden's here.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and don't forget to call your mothers! 

Old Town Gardens Inc.

A healthy relationship between residences and businesses plays a critical roll in sustaining the inviting culture of a functioning urban neighborhood.  In Old Town, no location better exemplifies this relationship than Old Town Gardens.  With its tiny city lots and many 3 and 4 story buildings, often built lot line to lot line, opportunities to enjoy the natural world are greatly appreciated within Old Town.


Old Town Gardens has been providing Old Town with beautiful flowers in the spring, fresh vegetables in the summer, and even a healthy selection of pumpkins come October.  Located at 1555 N Wells Street, immediately south of the busy North Ave. and Wells Street intersection, Old Town Gardens is a surprisingly calm and peaceful retreat.

The Old Town Gardens are happily placed between a 3 story brick building to the south, that provides adequate shade in the summer months, and the Galleria liqueurs to the north, which serves an excellent visual buffer between the Old Town Gardens and another 3 story brick building to the Galleria's immediate north.  This generous placement creates an intimate but not confining space for serious gardeners and "window" shoppers alike.










All of these photographs are from my recent visit to the gardens, as I prepared for early spring flower planting.  Currently the Old Town Gardens only has a small fraction of its future stock, but as you can see, a healthy selection of pansies are already in bloom.  I'll certainly be back for some young tomato plants in the upcoming weeks.

Filming in Old Town: The Color Of Money

Rather than do a single post of all the films shot in or immediately adjacent to Old Town, I've decided to break the subject down into individual posts to allow more room to explore both the film and the setting in detail.

In the 1986 film the Color of Money, directed by Martin Scorsese, Fast Eddie Felson (The iconic role which the late Paul Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor), an aged liquor dealer and former pool hustling, takes the young Vincent Lauria (played by a young Tom Cruise), a cocky but talented pool player with a "sledge hammer break" to a fictional restaurant and bar 'Sir Loin Inn' .  This was actually shot in O'brien's Steakhouse, at 1528 N. Wells Street in Old Town.    In the scene, Eddie hustles Vincent and his street smart girlfriend, Carmen (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) into picking up  the tab for dinner.  This scene occurs early in the film and is important in establishing the tenor and back and forth, hustle or be hustled dynamic that is explored several times throughout the story.  The Color of Money has several other scenes shots near Old Town, including local bars and pool halls.  tI is a gritty, character film with some excellent performances by Newman, Cruise, Mastrantonio and even has some nice appearances by a young John Turturro and as well as a young Forest Whitaker respectively.  This is isn't a movie review site, but if you'll give me the latitude, I'd recommend it, if for nothing else than the opening scene which believe it or not, uses a Phil Collin's song to incredible effect.

Obrien's Restaurant & Pub is a popular Old Town Mainstay on Wells Street .that "welcomes you to an atmosphere of casual dining with a Continental cuisine specializing in prime steak & fresh seafood."  Obrien's is especially popular during the warm spring, summer, and fall when they have an outdoor garden cafe for open air dining.  By virtue of its location it is especially convenient for people watching comedy shows at Zanies (at 1548 N. Wells.Street) or the Second City (at 1616 N.Wells Street).  Wells street has long been a popular strip for Old Town residents with its diverse restaurants such as Kamehachi, The Fireplace Inn, Topo Gigio, The Adobe Grill, Los Pinatas, and Club 33.  In addition to the many restaurants, Wells street is populated by interesting boutique shops, such as the Old Town Aquarium, The Spice House,The Twisted Baker, The Fudge Pot, and the Up Down Tobacco Shop. 

The Color of Money will always hold a special place for me, given that Paul Newman is my all time favorite actor.  Newman had an incredible screen presence and was a truly great humanitarian (having given over $250,000,000 in charitable donations through his Newman's Own food products, as well as many, many other large donations to various charities, causes and colleges.)

Charles T. Yerkes, Railroad Mogul, Philanthropist, Criminal and Astronomy Enthusiast

On March 26, 1888 the Wells Street line of the North Chicago Street Railroad Company's  cable car system opened for business.  In the late 19th century, cable cars ran up and down many of the thoroughfares of the city of Chicago and provided a much needed transit network for business and leisure travelers alike.  The North Chicago Street Railroad Company ran lines on Clark street, Wells street, Lincoln street and Clybourn (note that these last two were was not called Avenues at this time).  Aside from the North Chicago Street Railroad Company, other cable car lines were run throughout the city by companies such as the Chicago City Railway, Chicago West Division Railroad, and the West Chicago Street Railroad (Don't ever get those last two mixed up, they really hate that.)

Our story begins with Charles T. Yerkes (June 25, 1837 – December 29, 1905) from Philadelphia, PA. In the late 1850s and 1860s Yerkes amassed a large fortune first as broker in the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and later as a banker.  Unfortunately, Yerkes fortune was not to last.

"While serving as a financial agent for the City of Philadelphia's treasurer Joseph Marcer, Yerkes risked public money in a colossal stock speculation. Unfortunately for Yerkes, this speculation ended calamitously when the Great Chicago Fire sparked a financial panic. Left insolvent and unable to make payment to the City of Philadelphia, Yerkes was convicted of larceny and sentenced to thirty-three months in the dreaded Eastern State Penitentiary, notorious for its system of solitary confinement. Scheming to remain out of prison, he attempted to blackmail two influential Pennsylvania politicians. The plan failed. However, the damaging information on these politicians was eventually made public and political leaders like President Ulysses Grant feared that the revelations might harm their prospects in the upcoming elections. Yerkes was promised a pardon if he would deny the accusations he had made. He agreed to these terms and was released after seven months in the Eastern State Penitentiary. Yerkes spent the next ten years rebuilding his fortune." - Wikipedia Charles T. Yerkes