What are some neighborhoods that used to be nice.....

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

I never play CDs now, everything is on a server. I spin LPs once in awhile but more as something to do rather than for better sound; I think my SACDs of my Mercury Living Presence and RCA Shaded Dog Living Stereo recordings sound as good as the LPs. And I use a very revealing hi-fi; moving coil cartridge, tube amplifier, electrostatic speakers. Of course it's really nice to have LPs of Reiner and the CSO just as things but I don't value Pop records, most of which IMO sound lousy regardless of the format used. Of course those old RCA Elvis records sounded great, and Ricky Nelson too; Travellin' Man sounds amazing, like Nelson and James Burton are in the room with you.

I have a lot on a server (~20,000 songs), but have a number of CDs and vinyl. I enjoy CDs and Vinyl because they're tangible objects, but I know my limits (have you seen the collections that have gotten carried away with over 250,000 vinyl records? That's way too insane. A few thousand is fine by me).

There are a lot of great and lousy recordings out there in all types of media. What I really want is the Laser Vinyl reader. My friends, as a joke, contacted the company who manufactures it and told them I was interested. The CEO then overnighted me, from Japan, a bunch of materials. I have heard some samples and it is insane for some good recordings - the difference between this and a needle. Too bad it costs so much money. A lot of great recordings encoded on CD as well of course.

The ELP Laser Turntable - Explore Laser Turntable from ELP Japan

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by marothisu

There are a lot of great and lousy recordings out there in all types of media. What I really want is the Laser Vinyl reader. My friends, as a joke, contacted the company who manufactures it and told them I was interested. The CEO then overnighted me, from Japan, a bunch of materials. I have heard some samples and it is insane for some good recordings - the difference between this and a needle. Too bad it costs so much money. A lot of great recordings encoded on CD as well of course.

I understand archivists like that player because there's no wear to the record. It's said the records must be VERY clean, that small amounts of dirt a stylus can sweep aside without noise will cause a pop with the laser player. As I recall that player was originally designed and built in The United States.

As for cost, it's not so bad, I have pals who'll spend $5000 on a phono cartridge alone. Regular guys too, not swells. Money some guys spend on motorcycles, bassboats, guns etc. is money audiophiles spend on gear.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

I understand archivists like that player because there's no wear to the record. It's said the records must be VERY clean, that small amounts of dirt a stylus can sweep aside without noise will cause a pop with the laser player. As I recall that player was originally designed and built in The United States.

I think you are thinking of another player as I thought this was purely a Japanese product. The dust thing is a drawback but I think there have been improvements made in the last handful of years for that.

As for cost, it's not so bad, I have pals who'll spend $5000 on a phono cartridge alone. Regular guys too, not swells. Money some guys spend on motorcycles, bassboats, guns etc. is money audiophiles spend on gear.

Very true. People who make an OK living do have their hobbies they spend a lot of money on sometimes. My now ex girlfriend's father in Malaysia has a $100,000 stereo system, or something like that. I forget the company but some Japanese one.. and some $10,000 TV from Bang and Olufsen (I think one of the BeoVisions). So you are right - $5000-$12,000 for a piece of equipment to some people who are big into this is nothing.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

Some people tell me that even Lincoln Park was distressed in the 1950s and 1960s but I am too young to remember that. I'd welcome feedback on that recollection.

Very true. In the mid 1960's the area was a bit seedy where Old Town ran into Lincoln Park (the park) around Armitage and Clark. This was in the early days after Sandberg Village was built, which displaced the poorer renters who were then pushed northward. Up until the late 60's there was another odd and now forgotten street at that intersection: Ogden Avenue, which came right up to Clark. It was a very handy shortcut to the Loop, running southwest diagonally and had its own bridge across the river; the locals loved it, but a diagonal street confused most Chicagoans (a not-joke joke, LOL). The area was nevertheless rundown enough to qualify for urban renewal. Ogden was closed off, and pushed a little at a time (the land was increasingly valuable) all the way back past the river to Chicago Avenue. Here's an old map and a wiki notation:

http://forgottenchicago.com/maps/38/north_bottom_lg.jpg
Ogden Avenue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, having gone to Waller HS (now Lincoln Park HS), all the way down Armitage and all the streets around the school were low rent 3 flats, with some small businesses on Armitage left over from the 1950's. There was even a record store that had the 50's style glass booths where you could try out a record on the turntable (it's the only one I actually saw not in a movie). This was in 1964. Crimewise, nobody ever went alone in the Lincoln Park area at night, especially west of Halsted, for fear of gangs. The area was almost all poor white and some hispanic, in keeping with the unofficial segregation of the times. And nobody walked down Clark next to the park at night. Lincoln Park West was really pushing your luck.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Very true. In the mid 1960's the area was a bit seedy where Old Town ran into Lincoln Park (the park) around Armitage and Clark. This was in the early days after Sandberg Village was built, which displaced the poorer renters who were then pushed northward. Up until the late 60's there was another odd and now forgotten street at that intersection: Ogden Avenue, which came right up to Clark. It was a very handy shortcut to the Loop, running southwest diagonally and had its own bridge across the river; the locals loved it, but a diagonal street confused most Chicagoans (a not-joke joke, LOL). The area was nevertheless rundown enough to qualify for urban renewal. Ogden was closed off, and pushed a little at a time (the land was increasingly valuable) all the way back past the river to Chicago Avenue. Here's an old map and a wiki notation:

http://forgottenchicago.com/maps/38/north_bottom_lg.jpg
Ogden Avenue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, having gone to Waller HS (now Lincoln Park HS), all the way down Armitage and all the streets around the school were low rent 3 flats, with some small businesses on Armitage left over from the 1950's. There was even a record store that had the 50's style glass booths where you could try out a record on the turntable (it's the only one I actually saw not in a movie). This was in 1964. Crimewise, nobody ever went alone in the Lincoln Park area at night, especially west of Halsted, for fear of gangs. The area was almost all poor white and some hispanic, in keeping with the unofficial segregation of the times. And nobody walked down Clark next to the park at night. Lincoln Park West was really pushing your luck.

The good old days!

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Very true. In the mid 1960's the area was a bit seedy where Old Town ran into Lincoln Park (the park) around Armitage and Clark. This was in the early days after Sandberg Village was built, which displaced the poorer renters who were then pushed northward. Up until the late 60's there was another odd and now forgotten street at that intersection: Ogden Avenue, which came right up to Clark. It was a very handy shortcut to the Loop, running southwest diagonally and had its own bridge across the river; the locals loved it, but a diagonal street confused most Chicagoans (a not-joke joke, LOL). The area was nevertheless rundown enough to qualify for urban renewal. Ogden was closed off, and pushed a little at a time (the land was increasingly valuable) all the way back past the river to Chicago Avenue. Here's an old map and a wiki notation:

http://forgottenchicago.com/maps/38/north_bottom_lg.jpg
Ogden Avenue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, having gone to Waller HS (now Lincoln Park HS), all the way down Armitage and all the streets around the school were low rent 3 flats, with some small businesses on Armitage left over from the 1950's. There was even a record store that had the 50's style glass booths where you could try out a record on the turntable (it's the only one I actually saw not in a movie). This was in 1964. Crimewise, nobody ever went alone in the Lincoln Park area at night, especially west of Halsted, for fear of gangs. The area was almost all poor white and some hispanic, in keeping with the unofficial segregation of the times. And nobody walked down Clark next to the park at night. Lincoln Park West was really pushing your luck.

Thanks for the information. I got here in 1971, when Lincoln Park had started to improve considerably, but west of Halsted was still dicey. The Old Town School at Armitage and Burling was about as far west as I went.

The remains of Odgen Avenue through the Old Town Triangle can still be seen - it lives on as a series of small open spaces. Trying Google Mapping it.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

The remains of Odgen Avenue through the Old Town Triangle can still be seen - it lives on as a series of small open spaces. Trying Google Mapping it.

Hey, thanks! I mapped it on Google satellite and was surprised to see 1 remaining block of Ogden north of the river by Division! It is nevertheless stunning how much the area has filled in over Ogden in the past 45 years.

Spoke with a friend last night who reminded me that there was a horse stable on the corner of Clark and Webster up until the late 60's. It backed onto the park. Here's an article about it:

http://trib.in/187TJbY

Chicago changes its "look" so frequently, relatively speaking.