Classic City

25 Surviving Treasures from Postwar Chicago—and Beyond

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House Party

With their tidy rows of bungalows, the tranquil streets of South Park Manor resemble scores of other Chicago neighborhoods-though with a twist. Because of generous rights of way put in place in 1869, the area's houses-many of them with their original clay tile roofs and decorative stained glass-sit 50 feet back from the street, making for a wider and lovelier prospect along the sidewalks. What's more, those houses, built primarily between 1915 and 1930, were the product of an uncharacteristically large number of builders and architects, and their varied designs make for a lively streetscape-a welcome reprieve from the monotony that can prevail elsewhere in the city's Bungalow Belt. Once home to a polyglot mix of European Americans, South Park Manor (bounded by Michigan and Calumet avenues) now has a mostly African American population, and they shop in the thriving retail strips along 75th and 79th streets, the area's northern and southern boundaries.

Jaws

On the Calumet River, in the shadow of the 95th Street Bridge-the same bridge jumped by the Bluesmobile in 1980's Blues Brothers-Calumet Fisheries serves up scrumptious, no-frills takeout fish. Some like it fried (shrimp, smelt, oysters, and catfish), but the smoked offerings-which can also include chub, salmon, and trout from the smokehouse out back-are the preferred fare. (3259 E. 95th St.; 773-933-9855)

Party Palace

Left: Raymond Trowbridge/Chicago Historical Society, Right: Matthew Gilson
The Aragon in 1926 (left), the year it opened; cars whiz by the ballroom in 2005 (right).

When the Aragon Ballroom opened its doors on July 15, 1926, the first person in line was Chicago mayor "Big Bill" Thompson. Another 8,000 people streamed in behind him, eager to see the nation's newest dance palace. They weren't disappointed. Inside, at a cost of nearly $2 million, William and Andrew Karzas had created an idealized vision of Spain-or was it Morocco, or the Orient?-that included silver minarets, plaster dragons, a cobalt blue sky accented with twinkling stars and drifting clouds, and an octagonal dance floor that floated on a cushion of felt, cork, and springs ("Beauty so exquisite that it transcends the loftiest imagery of the most poetic mind," gushed one ad). In 1927, WGN began near-nightly radio broadcasts from the Aragon, giving listeners around the country a chance to envision elegantly clad dancers-jackets and ties were obligatory for men, semiformal gowns for women-swaying to the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey and their orchestras. The party went on through the thirties, through World War II and the fifties. But attendance began to dip as enthusiasm for the big bands waned, and in 1964, William Karzas sold the Aragon to a couple of promoters who replaced ballroom dancing with ice skating and boxing and wrestling matches. A subsequent series of owners (including Hair's Michael Butler) introduced rock 'n' roll to the Aragon (which, in the guise of a psychedelic discothèque, was known briefly as the Cheetah Club), and today rock remains the music of choice at this four-story temple of faux Iberian glory. (1106 W. Lawrence Ave.; 773-561-9500)

Swing Shift

Its roots predate World War II, springing from such dances as the jitterbug and the lindy hop. In the 1950s it became the bop, and after a few refinements, perfected in Chicago's South and West Side clubs, it became known as "steppin'." An improvisational dance form based on an eight-count beat-and cool, colorful threads-Chicago steppin' achieved a more recent breakthrough following the release of the 1997 movie love jones (set here) and R. Kelly's 2003 single and music video "Step in the Name of Love." Interested in steppin' out? Beginners can take a lesson on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the South Shore Cultural Center (7059 S. South Shore Dr.; 312-259-1443) or Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at Sweet Geogia Brown (4167 W. 183rd St., Country Club Hills; 708-798-6333) before heading out to one of the local clubs.

This article appears in the December 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine.

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