Uptown

Uptown Building-detail, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

One of two matching Indian Chiefs on the facade of a small storefront in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. This whole building-which is quite narrow and only has two storefronts-has some beautiful stonework. Checkerboard pattern tile, some nice bas relief (you can see a bit on the left and right), some nice fluting above the windows, and those Chiefs.

I have no idea what this place originally was-I've been told it might have been a cigar store or tobacconist, although by 1929 it was the Economy Cleaners and the SS Math Army Goods shop.

Foremost Liquors

Foremost Liquors neon sign, originally uploaded by William 74.

Foremost Liquors was/is a chain of liquor stores that at one time had outlets in 17 states, although now I only see them in the Chicago area. The brainchild of a guy named Irving Robins, Foremost was set up as a sort of co-op for liquor store owners, giving them a unified name and better advertising to help compete against the big guys. It worked, and Foremost is still well known, at least in the Chicago area, for it's dancing liquor bottle mascot.

This sign is on Chicago's far north side, in or around the Uptown/Edgewater area (I forget which side of the boundary this falls on). But there are several more in the city, and at least two out in Aurora as well. All of them seem to have one thing in common-really old signs. I kinda like 'em more for it.

The Majestic Store

The Majestic Store-Uptown, Chicago, IL, originally uploaded by William 74.

The Majestic Store (Everything for Men!) is-or was-a clothing store located in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. It's right underneath the L tracks, and has been there for years and years. I never saw it open for business when I lived in the neighborhood, although there were some clothes in the windows. My understanding was that the store closed down either because the owner owed a ton of back rent, or because the roof was leaking. I don't believe it's reopened since.

Although the sign is clearly a sixties or seventies item, the building itself dates to the 1920's, and features some really nice terra cotta details.