North Riverfront Hole

I snapped this picture of a utilities excavation on Cass if I remember correctly. I was hoping that more of the strata of the city's past in one of the oldest parts of the city would be visible, but alas, there are only the remnants of bricks and debris mixed in with the soil.

Fourteenth Street Mall Before Renovation

It's hard to believe how much work has been done on the 14th Street Mall already, considering the shape it was in earlier this year, or late last year, I can't remember.

Chicago Loop Church

I've noticed this church several times in the Loop in Chicago, and I finally snapped a picture this time from across the street. It's weird, but the figure of Christ seems much more anthropomorphic in this image than in person.

Clark Street, Chicago Loop

These certainly are odd buildings; I wonder if they were reskinned back in the 1960's.

Strange Industrial Building

What is this octagonal structure on top of this building? See it from the air here.

North Side Updates

Two North St. Louis institutions continue to fade from the streetscape of the city. Below, the demolition (which is probably more advanced now) of St. Stanislaus's structurally sound school building continues.Also, it looks like there's been a little more collapse on the chapel at the Clemens Mansion. The plaster work inside must be completely destroyed by now by the elements.

Michigan Avenue Bridge Control Tower, Chicago

Much to my surprise, the Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River has a museum in it now, well at least in the control tower on the southwest corner.Inside, you can see the gears that hoist the bridge open and closed.Well, at least once you turn the flash off so the light doesn't bounce off the chicken wire.


The best thing about the tour is being able to take snapshots out the windows up and down the river, and Michigan Avenue. For $3, it's a great deal to learn about the history of Chicago's rivers.

Mold-A-Rama

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago

This sculpture is just wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

The Family Farm, Deer Creek, Illinois

I like how the sun shines through the clouds like you see on church bulletin covers.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York

Bellefontaine Cemetery

Not a Cloud in the Sky

LaSalle Street, Chicago

Union Station, Chicago

Chicago's Union Station is an impressive building, in a city full of train stations.The stairs where the climactic shootout in the Untouchables occurred.OK, it might have been the other set of stairs, but they're both identical.

Michigan Avenue Bridge Sculpture

Take that you red-skinned devil!

Jefferson Arms

Downtown Streamline

New Website

It's almost here! The shameless rip-off of several other sites that I have been working on for much of the last year is just about up and running. Stayed tuned.

Shaw's Garden

Tower Grove House in the Botanical Gardens is one of those great examples of Italianate architecture in the middle of the city. Above is what I consider one of the iconic images of the garden, looking through the gates of the oldest portion of the institution.The entire house is surrounded and framed by various trees species.The Linnean House is the oldest greenhouse west of the Mississippi, so they say.Above is Shaw's city house, moved out from Downtown and expanded. Below is a reconstructed bellevue.The bellevue looks down on the hedge maze, which is too easy in my opinion. You can't actually get lost in it.The library, viewed from behind, is never open, which I don't like; it's a great example of early St. Louis architecture.Here is the front, viewed from the old gate of the gardens facing Tower Grove Avenue. Below is his mausoleum; a strange edifice in the middle of the garden.