Chicago architecture

As we have gone on walks to explore different neighborhoods, I have tried really hard to capture the different types of architecture that are around Chicago. There are several trends no matter where you live including:
1) Most if not all houses are tall and skinny and go back a whole block of a street worth. This provides room still for living but also allows streets to pack in more houses. More houses = more people
2) Everything is unique. Now neighborhoods all have their "feel" to them just like any other city, but Chicago strives really hard to make sure that house, buildings, skyscrapers, hospitals whatever are unique and different. For this I am grateful because there are so many houses that it would get boring to look at the same thing over and over again.
3) New is mixed in with the old. There aren't nice and not nice neighborhoods. All neighborhoods have their pockets. The only thing that really divides the city is safe and not safe and again those things tend to not mix.
4) A lot of street names have honorary names. Like a lot! You might be on Clark, but under the Clark sign is a sign that says, "Honorary Ohio street" I'm sure there is a reason, but I don't know what that is.
5) Pretty much no one has a yard unless you have the big bucks to buy multiple lots. Because of this, there are parks everywhere. They are all fenced, they all have that squishy foam ground stuff that is awesome, most have splash pads, and they are all complete with swings and slides. The parks here rock!
6) Most houses are surrounded by gates. 
7) BRICK!!! Everything is made of brick. EVERYTHING!!!

On to pictures...

 Neighborhoods all blend together but they show their colors boldly. They have a feel about them so much so that you can tell when you have left one and are in another sometimes.

Flags are a big deal letting you know where you are

 Here is an okay glimpse of the fences around houses

 An honorary street sign and we have speed humps not speed bumps. They do the same thing

 

 There are several styles of homes here

I call this the "home" style because it reminds me most of where I grew up. Not the yard part, but they look like the little homes down by the river.

 Tall and skinny, but all unique. Also brand new next to old

 Tall by short

 Old and new and both very different from each other. Both out of brick however

 I found this random pocket and thought it was so weird. They are all short homes and all look the exact same. Like 7 of them in a row. Super random and weird for these parts

 A basic non- sky rise apartment building

 

These two pictures are very similar. the house itself is very tall, but there is a porch built for each individual apartment. This is a very Ukrainian village look .

 Super common to have an apartment under a house. Its like a basement apartment in Provo. Something I never hope to live in as long as I live!

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 There will be pockets where the homes all have stairs leading up to the front door. There won't be a gate but a beautiful staircase up to the door.

 These next two homes, were so unique that they made me stop and take a picture. I have not place for them. They look so Provo to me that it was weird.

 

 

 Some homes do have a garage under it (most are behind if at all) but very few homes have that luxury.

 This was in Rosco and the neighborhood totally reminded me of Daybreak

 This was my favorite apartment complex. Their porches all face each other. Good luck if you hate your neighbors right!?

 There are several different "normals" when it comes to entering your apartment

Side by side doors: one to the main level, and one to go up

Gate, no gate

                                                                                   A door right on the sidewalk.

 A double door right on the side walk

 Up a flight of stairs

The white stairs are also leading up to an apartment

 Then the classic movie entrance to an apartment building: the buzzer

 Then like ours walking through someone's front "yard" to get to the door

The biggest difference for me has been the idea of a yard here. People try really hard to work with what they've got, but no one really has much. 

 Between the sidewalk and the road is a strip of land that almost everyone uses as their front yard extended. A lot of pride goes into this tiny strip of earth. Here are two classic examples. Notice the little fences and the plants or grass.

 Here are two homes that have purchased the lots next to them to create yards. When you see this you can't help but stare. Its so beautiful to see a YARD!

This home is the end of the street so they had an extended yard and made a funky patio thing. I've never seen this before but it was really creative and cool

 This might be the most typical. You walk through the gate, into a grass patch or a patio, and then you are at the front door.

 You pretty much park on the street. Some neighborhoods require a parking pass to allow their neighborhood the best parking, but most outside of the city don't require a pass. It's just first come first serve: unless its street cleaning day and then everyone moves their car from one side of the street to the other. I haven't missed that yet so I am still ticket free. Here's to the rest of the summer. Anyway, there are a few other options if you don't want to park on the street.

All streets end in an alley and a lot of the locals have garages back behind their homes. In fact that is where our land lord parks especially in the winter.

 Some of the wealthier homes have garages under their houses.

 And those who have bought multiple lots have garages AND a driveway! Which PS if you are driving your car to the end of drive way or the end of an alley you honk your horn so peds know that you are coming. Cool right?! In the city all the parking garages have flashing lights at the top of them so people know when to stop walking to let cars out.

 

There are like a million old churches in this city but our neighborhood has a particularly large amount. 

 

Kelsey calls this one the temple

 

 Not a church but a really cool hospital

 Chicago has so many things that are very unique compared to everywhere else I have ever lived. Its been such an adventure to get the hang of it. I'm slowly learning and slowly becoming a fan.