Here is a detailed real estate map of Lawrence Avenue, published in 1954 by the Chicago Real Estate Board and referenced in a comment on the Chicago Patterns website article about Albany Park. Click on the link to Ryerson & Burnham Archives to zoom in on the map.
Albany Park Cool Andy Romanoff’s 1960 photograph of bikers on Lawrence
Bob and Ikey’s Wedding Andy Romanoff tries to recall photographing an Albany Park wedding 50 years ago
Celebrate the Neighborhood at Max and Benny’s Albany Park Night May 19, 2018
Champions of Albany Park Albany Park Community Center Recognizes Deborah Boys Club Alumni Support
Everyone knew his name Ned Singer’s Sports was a Lawrence Avenue institution
A few things Wrapping the loose ends of blogging in 2011 (covers Albany Park and Hollywood Park)
Images of RHS in the 1960s Part 1
Images of RHS in the 1960s Part 2
Images of RHS in the 1960s Part 3
Images of RHS in the 1960s Part 4
A Heart as Big as Albany Park Manny Weincord shares his memories of growing up and working in Albany Park
Hot dogs and baseball: An Albany Park boyhood 1940s era memories of growing up in Albany Park
Jewish History Walking Tour Highlights (2018)
I Screamed, You Screamed, We All Screamed for Loree’s
A Legend Among Legends of Chicago Hot Dog Stands Maury’s
A Look Back at the Roosevelt High School LDFs
Major League memories: an Albany Park boyhood, part two A lifelong love of the Chicago Cubs got its start in Albany Park
Name that School Which Chicago public high school was memorialized in rock and roll history?
Nighthawks in Old Albany Park Recollections of Lawrence Avenue
The Purity Delicatessen of Albany Park
Proustian Memories of Chicago Hot Dog Stands A lot of the country’s hot dog stands trace their roots to Albany Park
Scenes from the End of the Line The Ravenswood “L” Terminal and other historical photographs of Albany Park
The Storyteller from Albany Park Syd Lieberman
This was how they rolled in Albany Park Motorcycle mystique in Albany Park
They were singing a different tune in Albany Park in the early 1950s A guest blogger responds to “This was how they rolled in Albany Park”
A Top Hat Looks Back Charles Bordo’s memories of Albany Park 1961-62.
Unsolved Mysteries: Albany Park Edition
Von Historians Club — A Guest Blogpost
Where are they now? The Roosevelt Jovens
IMAGES OF ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL IN THE 1960s (SERIES)
Photographs by Marc Klowden, Roosevelt Review photographer and Class of 1966.
DEBORAH BOYS CLUB
This was Deborah Looking back at the Albany Park community center
This was Deborah, part 2 The history of the Deborah Boys Club and its famous photographer
This was Deborah, part 3 Photographs from the 2005 Deborah Boys Club reunion
Member number one of the Albany Park Deborah Boys Club
SACs
Social Athletic Clubs Directory A listing of the clubs with members from Von Steuben, Roosevelt, Amundsen and Mather
A Funny Fellow Remembers Albany Park
Meet some Regular Fellas This SAC dates back to the late 1950s, with members coming from Von Steuben, Roosevelt and Amundsen
Meet the Top Hats One of the SAC’s at Roosevelt
For Hibbard Elementary school alums: check out this Hibbard group on facebook!
My Albany Park connection
I’m no expert on Albany Park. I never even lived there. So, why include Albany Park memories in a blog devoted to my life in Chicago?
Although we lived in Hollywood Park, part of the North Park community immediately north of Albany Park, much of my growing up during the 1960s–a wide range of formative experiences–took place within the boundaries of Albany Park.
Foster Avenue, then as now, was the clear-cut dividing line between Albany Park and North Park. At that time, however, it wasn’t so unusual to have a sense of dual citizenship in the two communities.
I’m not forgetting the differences between Albany Park and North Park during the 1960s, but I’m more interested in cross-connections. The same factors that gave me a sense of continuity between the communities may also have contributed to the area’s strength and relative well-being. Here are a few examples:
- Elementary schools from both communities fed into the same secondary school, Von Steuben High School
- One public library branch–Albany Park–served both communities. Its location on Foster, the fault line, made it more communal
- Deborah Boys Club drew kids from Albany Park, North Park, Hollywood Park and Peterson Park
- Max Strauss Jewish Community Center drew people from beyond Albany Park
- A community action group, the North River Commission, was founded in 1962 to represent interests of the participating communities and when necessary, “fight City Hall”
- Many families had relatives on both sides of Foster Avenue
Join me in remembering this area, and share your stories of Albany Park.
