architecture / decay — 2 comments
16
Aug 09
The author of the blog One Step Up, which covers public housing in Chicago, invited me to join her in taking photos of 6th Presbyterian, the ruined old church at 36th & Vincennes. Apparently it’s slated for demolition soon. I’d been meaning to visit it, so I jumped at the opportunity.
Of course, I also enjoyed seeing a few other sites in the area, which is constantly changing as it’s redeveloped.
The church in question was built in 1879 as the Sixth Presbyterian Church. In 1969, Sixth merged with Grace Presbyterian, a black congregation, to form Sixth Grace Presbyterian, which is still located at 35th & Cottage Grove.
The building has been used by at least one congregation since, but has clearly been empty for a while. It has begun deteriorating very rapidly.
Some traces of its former beauty remain, but not for long.
Perhaps most exciting, I was able to get a few shots inside, despite the very effective board-up of the building.
See a few more of my photos here, or see Megan’s here (including some action shots of yours truly).
Update: Here is Megan’s post on the church.
Social Biking — Comments Off
05
Aug 09
After a hiatus of several months, I rode in the July Critical Mass ride, which is typically the largest and most boisterous ride each year.
The route was a joy to ride, especially Michigan Avenue, where we were a big hit with the throngs of shoppers on the Mag Mile.
But there was something else going on, too: a long detour to the end of Upper Wacker led the entire mass to… a marriage proposal?
In case you’re wondering – she said yes!
(This story and photo got picked up by Gapers Block.)
Social Biking — Comments Off
04
Aug 09
On Sunday, July 26 – the day of my 24th birthday! – Lee Diamond guided another of his acclaimed Chicago Neighborhood Bike Tours, this one venturing to the South Side for the first time: Hyde Park.
There was a huge turnout assembled at the start in Washington Park.
The tour wove through Hyde Park, passing many local landmarks and sites of interest. The tour group was a bit too large and unwieldy to make many stops, and I am temporarily without a camera strap, so I got relatively few photos. (But I didn’t really need any more photos of Hyde Park, anyway.)
Check out a few more pictures here, and keep an eye out for future tours – they’re well worth your time!
