Wildflower... I use to spend a couple of weeks each summer until I was 17 with my aunt in Chicago. She lived in Hegwisch, which is definitely South Side... I never worried a bit. Hung out in the neighborhood, rode the el or a bus pretty much anyplace I wanted to go. That would have been mid to late 60s, early 70s. Not sure I'd do that today... Things have changed. The city is mostly just a cesspool now.
I lived in Des Plaines during that time. Would take bus or train into NW Station and walk to the Loop. Went to the MEPS on Des Plaines and Van Buren (#32 in the last All American Lottery). Saw most of the spaghetti westerns and Shaft down there without problem. Use to go to Old Town when it was rather colorful. Again, Richard Daily was one of few Democrats that I respected who ran his town like a business. There were 24 different ethnic neighborhoods that had their own bars and eateries worth exploring. Now? A shooting gallery. What a shame that Chicago wants to be the next Detroit.
Hegwisch was a Greek neighborhood. My aunt married a Greek man named Mangos. A colorful character, for sure. They owned a "coffee shop" that didn't do much business, as I recall. I was always regaled with stories of what it was like during Prohibition and the Depression. I was always told that my Uncle Bill dealt cards for Al Capone and some of his cronies at the coffee shop. Wouldn't surprise me a bit. They use to build rail cars in Hegwisch. That was before my time, I think. I remember the neighborhood as being an interesting place, but kind of run down. The gal who rented the upstairs apartment from my aunt had a daughter my age and we ran together. I remember the record shops with rows and rows of cardboard boxes filled with albums. Going through those was great fun.
Yeah, can't have people shooting back, that would be dainjuruss ! Just call 911 and die like a good citizen sez Chicago City Hall.
ReplyDeletePretty much. Liberal La La Land, for sure...
ReplyDeleteanother city already that is " MAD MAX "
ReplyDeleteanother sign of American Decay that won't admit it is rotting away
Wildflower
Wildflower... I use to spend a couple of weeks each summer until I was 17 with my aunt in Chicago. She lived in Hegwisch, which is definitely South Side... I never worried a bit. Hung out in the neighborhood, rode the el or a bus pretty much anyplace I wanted to go. That would have been mid to late 60s, early 70s. Not sure I'd do that today... Things have changed. The city is mostly just a cesspool now.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Des Plaines during that time. Would take bus or train into NW Station and walk to the Loop. Went to the MEPS on Des Plaines and Van Buren (#32 in the last All American Lottery). Saw most of the spaghetti westerns and Shaft down there without problem. Use to go to Old Town when it was rather colorful. Again, Richard Daily was one of few Democrats that I respected who ran his town like a business. There were 24 different ethnic neighborhoods that had their own bars and eateries worth exploring. Now? A shooting gallery. What a shame that Chicago wants to be the next Detroit.
ReplyDeleteHegwisch was a Greek neighborhood. My aunt married a Greek man named Mangos. A colorful character, for sure. They owned a "coffee shop" that didn't do much business, as I recall. I was always regaled with stories of what it was like during Prohibition and the Depression. I was always told that my Uncle Bill dealt cards for Al Capone and some of his cronies at the coffee shop. Wouldn't surprise me a bit. They use to build rail cars in Hegwisch. That was before my time, I think. I remember the neighborhood as being an interesting place, but kind of run down. The gal who rented the upstairs apartment from my aunt had a daughter my age and we ran together. I remember the record shops with rows and rows of cardboard boxes filled with albums. Going through those was great fun.
ReplyDelete