Saturday, September 12, 2009

Before Big Boxes...

... Jewel stores were tidy little Art Deco storefronts, all over Chicagoland. Made of white glazed tiles, they stressed hygiene and cleanliness. Quite a few of them still exist, including the Salvation Army resale store at 4315 N
SheridanBroadway. Rather ironically, it's right next to a big box Jewel Osco which could hold about five little white ceramic storefronts. Click here to read more about them and to see our "Salvation Army Jewel's" lookalike siblings in nearby neighborhoods.
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2009 at 8:57 AM

    There still are many old art deco store fronts I can see as I drive past them in our area. Everytime I see them they make me remember the old days. In my old neighborhood, 30th St. & Princeton, I enjoy sight seeing to view whats left. Too bad the new has to destroy the old as these type treasures can never be replaced....

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  2. UnknownSeptember 12, 2009 at 12:00 PM

    I'm glad so many of these interesting architectural buildings are still standing and being used! Although personally I also like the big boxes to a certain extent- I like being able to make one shopping trip and get all the household items, groceries, etc. that I need. Obviously Jewel-Osco isn't the only store I ever shop at... but it really is convenient.
    Great post!

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  3. gayleSeptember 13, 2009 at 9:55 AM

    Actually, I think the SA store is on Broadway, not Sheridan. I go there quite frequently to get "casual" clothing and the occasional book or video.

    Yes, there were/are a lot of "recycled" old supermarkets in the area. The karate studio on Damen near Montrose, for example, and the late, lamented Sounds Good record store on Ashland just north of Belmont. And did you know that the long-gone Library branch at Southport and Grace was part of the old National Food Stores chain?

    A couple weeks ago I had a real flash-back when driving by a vacant building in Park Ridge. The ghost of the old A & P logo was still visible! I thought A & P no longer existed, not just in Chicago but all over the US, until I saw their commercial as a sponsor of the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon on Labor Day.

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  4. UnknownSeptember 14, 2009 at 11:10 AM

    Yo. It is terra cotta.

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