Philadelphia Church

Philadelphia Church #3-Chicago, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

We've visited the Philadelphia Church in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood before. Just thought I'd share another view of this classic old sign.

Philadelphia Church

Philadelphia Church neon sign, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Another neon church sign in Chicago. This one's on Clark in the Andersonville neighborhood. According to their website, the Philadelphia Church has been serving the neighborhood for 86 years, and has an active calendar of programs as well as several overseas mission programs.

They also mention this sign! It's obviously a source of some pride for the church, as they keep it pretty well maintained and functional.

Protected by the Pinkertons

Pinkerton's sign-Chicago, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Pinkerton Agency is probably the world's most famous detective agency. They had offices everywhere in the U.S., and were involved in all manner of security work as well as investigations.

This vintage porcelain sign was on the door at the former Erickson Jewelers shop in Andersonville, a neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. The shop's neon sign hung there for quite some time after the shop closed as well. The space has since been turned into a restaurant, and I don't know if this little sign is still there. I rather doubt it.

Little Sweden

Simon's-Chicago, IL, originally uploaded by William 74.

Andersonville is a neighborhood in the Edgewater area of Chicago's north side, and was once a sleepy little village with a large Swedish immigrant population. That history is alive and well today, as Andersonville is home to the Swedish American Museum, as well as several Swedish delis and bakeries. It's a really cool neighborhood, with a very diverse population and an awesome mix of restaurants and shops in it's commercial district. In fact, the commercial district along Clark Street is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Simon's is an Andersonville institution, a classic bar that-naturally-features a few Swedish favorites like Pripp's Lager, aquavit, glogg, and of course, Schlitz beer. It's been there since the 30's and features decor inspired by the S.S. Normandie-it's said that most of the clientele of Simon's couldn't afford to sail on the famed liner, so the bar was styled to allow patrons the feeling of being onboard. It's an excellent tavern, very homey.

And, this being Neon Friday, it has an awesome sign hanging out front, in blue and yellow of course. Oh, and the fish with the Martini? Pickled herring. Geddit?