This house is located in the scenic community of Bunker Hill Village, Texas. The address is 12020 Tall Oaks Street. It was built in 1954. It was commissioned by William Thaxton an insurance executive.

This restaurant is located at 4597 Pine Island Rd. Matlacha, Florida

  This historic hotel is located at 701 N. Michigan Ave.  It opened in 1924.  Construction costs were 4 million. The architects were Mergatroyd and Ogden from New York. Style was northern Italian Renaissance.  It was built by the Allerton Hotel Company.  Originally it was built as a club hotel for men.  Over the years this changed.  The hotel has undergone multiple renovations.  It was purchased by Warwick.Hotels and Resorts.

Washington Park Square Square Chicago, Il  Fountain

     Washington Square Park is located at 901 N. Clark Street Chicago.  This 3 acre park dates back to 1842.  James Fitch, Orasmua Bushnell, and Charles Butler of the America Land Company donated the land for a park that would be named Washington Square Park.  Eventually fine residences and churches sprung up around the park.

     In 1869, the park was improved with lawn, trees and bisect ing walkways.  In the 1890’s, a Victorian fountain was installed.    Unfortunately, it only lasted a decade.

     In 1906, Alderman McCormick donated his salary to improve the park.   He also paid for a new fountain.  City spent. $ 10,000 for improvements.  The park was landscaped by Jens Jensen.

     By the 1910, the neighborhood became diverse.  Surrounding mansions were converted to flop houses. The park was known by residents as Big House Square.  The area became a forum for amateur orators.

    In 1959, the city transferred the park to the Chicago Park District.  The McCormick fountain was removed in the 1970’s.

    The park was improved in the 1990’s.  A new fountain was installed.  Period lighting was added.  Peripheral fencing was installed. There was also added landscaping.

     Gino’s East is a chain of pizzerias located predominantly in the metropolitan Chicago area.  The first restaurant was founded by George Bartoli, Sam Levine and George Loverde.  They were all cab drivers.  Their specialty was deep dish pizza. This restaurant was located on 162 E. Superior Street.  It was at this location that the customers were allowed into write on the walls.

      This first restaurant closed in 2000.  They relocated to 600 N. Wells and it was located here until 2006.  At that time they relocated to a new building at their original location 162 E. Superior Street.   It transferred to 633 N. Wells and then back to Superior Street.

     Over the years the Gino’s East organization set up many franchises in the metropolitan Chicago area and even in out of state locations.

     The historic Victor F. Lawson House is a  former YMCA building which is located at 30 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Il.  It was built in 1931. It is a 24 story Art Deco Building. It was named after Victor Lawson, a newspaper man and a generous donor to the YMCA.  The architects were Perkins, Chatten and Hammond.

     Starting in the Depression, the YMCA used the building to provide affordable housing, community services and family programs.  The YMCA moved its headquarters to the near west side in 2013.

     In 2014, the building was sold to Hasten Real Estate Development Company for one dollar.  This was with the proviso that the building was to be used for affordable housing for the next 50 years.  Since the sale,an extensive renovation has been undertaken.

     The Lawson House Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 5/8/2017

     Club Lucky is an Italian restaurant in Chicago located at the corner of Wabansia and Honore.   The co-owners are Jim Higgins and and Robert Paladino.  They purchased a Polish corner bar and an adjacent abandoned community center. In one year,  in 1990 they transformed the two buildings into what is now known as Club Lucky.  Apparently, during Prohibition there was a speak easy at this site.

     Bar area is a replica of the original room as in 1938.  The dining room seats.140.

• 

• 

•