Check out Chicago in its' Prime (Washington, Washington Park: employment, neighborhoods, theater)

[Feeling Brackish]

Wow, this video was great! Thanks so much for sharing.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

This is what our cities were like before the Federal government decided to subsidize their abandonment.

Are you joking? I didn't see a single significant thing in that video that is gone today except the stockyards (and I don't think anyone here really misses those). Everything there still exists and is surrounded by newer things, many of which are just as grand or even grander than the older structures.

I liked see this old video, but I like living in modern Chicago far more than I would ever want to live in that old Chicago.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by emathias

Are you joking? I didn't see a single significant thing in that video that is gone today except the stockyards (and I don't think anyone here really misses those). Everything there still exists and is surrounded by newer things, many of which are just as grand or even grander than the older structures.

I liked see this old video, but I like living in modern Chicago far more than I would ever want to live in that old Chicago.

Well, I see people aren't able to read my mind. When I saw the video I thought to myself "This kind of vibrant downtown used to be fairly common. Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, etc all had lively downtowns with the department store and theater district, etc. In the midwest, only Chicago remains." Obviously I wasn't able to convey that in my post.

[mas23]

cool video. Nice too see what old school chicago was like

[87vertgt]

AT1, you rock my friend....you are ok in my book.....

[Chicagoland60426]

Thanks for the video share

Funny how Chicago downtown is much bigger today, but back then there were 700,000 more people in the city.

[snoylekim]

Really cool..especially the technicolor from 1948 ..has a similiar snap to Kodachrome ( RIP) ..What I'd really like to find is color footage of some of the same neighborhoods where the Cushman collection stills were shot ( pre UR Hyde Park, the old neighborhood around DeKoven, Polk that has been razed) ... North Clark and West Madison ... That would definitely show an older Chicago long since gone...

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by emathias

Are you joking? I didn't see a single significant thing in that video that is gone today except the stockyards (and I don't think anyone here really misses those). Everything there still exists and is surrounded by newer things, many of which are just as grand or even grander than the older structures.

I liked see this old video, but I like living in modern Chicago far more than I would ever want to live in that old Chicago.

Edgewater Beach Hotel no longer exists and it would be MUCH better to have it still than the ugly high rises that replaced it.

[It'sAutomatic]

It's crazy how much less downtown was built up (especially around the water tower) back when there were almost 3.7 million people here! I would very much like a neighborhood tour from that time period... I can only imagine how some areas that are now decayed or razed over once were vibrant neighborhoods.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by emathias

Are you joking? I didn't see a single significant thing in that video that is gone today except the stockyards (and I don't think anyone here really misses those). Everything there still exists and is surrounded by newer things, many of which are just as grand or even grander than the older structures.

I liked see this old video, but I like living in modern Chicago far more than I would ever want to live in that old Chicago.

That's because you are probably only considering the downtown and some well-off north side areas, which I agree are the best they have ever been. Back in those days most of the city was full of stable middle-class neighborhoods, many of which have degenerated into a slum-like existence that you will find them in today. This video was taken just before white flight kicked into high gear.