What I REALLY Look For When I'm Taking Photos: Abandoned Buildings

The Athenian Candle Company, Greektown

IT'S GREEKTOWN, JAKE. IT'S GREEKTOWN.

Billions...

AND TEN YEARS AFTER LEBOWSKI WROTE OUT THE CHECK FOR THE CARTON OF MILK...

FIRST FATHER'S DAY WITHOUT MY DAD

Some of my favorite photos of my father. Time marches on.

Charles Doesn't Understand Shit Fountain

and I don't blame him. The explanation by the sculptor was that he was tired of dogs shitting in his bushes. Good for him.So there you go, Mr. Gramlich, I guess we can all build our own shit fountains.

And here are some photos, still on Division Street, some you have to shake your head at, as with the famous mountain o'shit.

WHY, HIPSTERS? WHY???!!! SHIT FOUNTAIN: Augusta & Wolcott

Yes, this exists. Not far from the three-flat my mother grew up in during the 1930s. But artists and hipsters like to put whatever crap they want out on the street. As a writer, I can't get angry over anything Creative. Photos, poetry, art, sculptures. I just hate that this one thing shows that the real Polish neighborhood of my youth is gone.

PHYLLIS'S MUSICAL INN: FADED DREAMS ON DIVISION STREET

On the corner of Division and Hermitage you'll find Phyllis's Musical Inn, owned by Clement Jaskot. I wrote about this place, the now gone Bop Shop, and the now hipster Rainbo Room for PENTHOUSE in a Nightlife article "Faded Dreams on Division Street". I made $1,000 for my novel, THE HOLY TERROR. That same year, I made $2,500 for "Faded Dreams". A buck a word.

The Czar Bar was another Polish joint that I didn't include in my article, the Bop Shop I'll get to in a few days, but Phyllis's is still going strong.