Dear Anonymous

Regarding the anonymous comment posted today on my Lake & Walnut entry--well, its NOT posted, as I don't post anything by someone who can't at least pretend to have a real name, and I'm not being mean-spirited, because there's always the chance of spam--but here you go. I did NOT grow up in the St. Denis neighborhood. I grew up on Crystal Street, in Humboldt Park, a block from Division and California, and I walked up Washtenaw to St. Fidelus.

In 1966, my dad was transferred to the 8th District and the photo above is the block I lived on, near Dawes grade school, not even close (by walking standards) to St. Denis. So I'm not pretending to say I grew up in Humboldt Park, before it was all fucked up by hipsters and their town homes.

For everyone else (and Anonymous), there is a new post below this one.

Ravenswood At Dusk

I was walking up Lincoln when I took these shots, right when the tracks leave Fullerton. I walked down Montana and ended up under the tracks. A half block up, I saw this apartment complex I've seen from the el for years, the train curves a bit around a tennis court. I climbed this really shitty fire escape just high enough to get the first shot. When I walked back to Lincoln, on the opposite side of the street, I saw Lill. This is only about a block and a half east-west, and I always remember that street because of a cop killing, a domestic call on Mother's Day, back in the 90s. Cops hate domestic calls. And here's the lion on the Red Lion with a cool shot of the upstairs room with the red interior. I really do miss the place.