The annual pumpkin display at the entrance of Governor Pritzker’s personal residence on Astor Street. He is the pumpkin king. Illinois produces the most pumpkins, including canned, than any other state in the U.S., twice as many as the next five states combined.

I find this all amusing knowing that my mom, a 3-time cancer survivor who has undergone more than a dozen surgeries, was told by her doctors that Tylenol is the only medication that is safe for her to take.

I wrote about the School of the Art Institute of Chicago selling artist Roger Brown’s Home and Studio at 1926 N. Halsted in Lincoln Park, and the potential demolition of the historic property. chicagolandarchitecture.substack.com/p/the-future...

What movie do you consider "perfect"?

Somebody couldn’t wait until October. 💀

Putting this out into the void but does anyone know of or have connections to local resources for museum quality exhibit boards to print? This is for a non-profit organization btw.

This is a good time to remind everyone that September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. As people consider cutting streaming services & returning to physical media, library catalogs & consortiums offer everything you could possibly need. Also, forget Amazon & borrow from the Library of Things.

If I die in a car accident or am killed by a reckless driver while crossing the street, please make sure my obituary says that I think this country is completely insane for making its citizens dependent on cars made of LEGO parts instead of building dense, walkable, and *affordable* places to live.

Nobody on Jeopardy knew that the original Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The game show even provided one of the countries as a clue. Like, I know I’m a history person but come on, dude that was pretty easy.

Hinsdale is known for teardowns & new mega-sized McMansions. But it does have some protected landmarks, believe it or not, like "Owl Ridge," a Folk Victorian built in 1885. But as you can see from my photos taken a few yrs apart, the old home’s been ruined. I bet it’s black, white & grey inside. 🤮

What’s it like to be stuck in the 1980s thinking that we are still living in a Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan world? What is this shit about finding common ground and working with fascists? Fascinating stuff, Chuck. The Baileys are laughing at you.

Timeline cleanse: A squirrel teasing my dog during our walk today. “You can’t get me ha!”

Trump right now: “Robert Redford made 7 or 8 great movies. At one time he was the hottest.”

So happy to see that JOJO the one-eyed cyclops that lives inside Jewelz grocery store is ready for fall. 🎃

Yes, my mom was in Hoffman Estates today visiting a friend & she witnessed two unmarked cars pulling over a guy on the side of the road. They were masked & definitely included people from ICE and ERO. She was disturbed by the whole thing. “This shit needs to stop.” (her words)

Everybody should watch Somebody Somewhere. I’m not kidding. Just watch it. You will laugh and cry and feel lots of feelings.

Can the media stop talking about that Chuck guy and instead address what’s going on with crazy expensive groceries? I remember this time last year, that was all we heard about. Now complete radio silence.

For people of a certain age who remember life before the internet, it’s easy to take it for granted compared to younger generations. There are entire worlds I know nothing about (like groypers apparently), but I can at least recognize online speak & memes unlike my stepdad who still uses AOL email.

Just sharing something personal to remind everyone how trauma numbs you but also leaves you with lifelong anxiety. My dad drowned in front of my cousin, who still suffers from PTSD because of it. The way this country belittles yet exploits death, especially violent deaths, will always astound me.

also

Wow this is a wedding photo of newlyweds who are supposed to be happily married? I would think these were two estranged first cousins forced to pose together by their grandma. He’a always had a crush on his cousin and she’s, like, “Grandma I freakin’ hate you.”

I wish I could be as happy as the lady holding a tiger in the 1985 Spring/Summer Sears catalog.

Happy 55th to Neko Case today! Her memoir was definitely one of my favorite reads this year. I know everyone talks about Fox Confessor, but Blacklisted is definitely my favorite album of hers. I remember first listening to it with a friend on a random country road during a Wisconsin camping trip.

Chicago Bears fans should be studied. They are stuck in 1985. Every year it’s the same thing. The cult-like delusion of “Da Bears are going to the Super Bowl.” The McCaskeys love it because people will continue to waste their time & money on this team until the end of the time. Fascinating stuff.

Architect Louis Sullivan was born #onthisday in 1856. When he first arrived in Chicago in 1873, the city was still in ruins after the Great Fire w/miles of shanties. Yet he saw potential in its reinvention. “There was stir, an energy that made [me] tingle to be in the game…THIS IS THE PLACE FOR ME!”

Texas loaded busses with desperate migrants and dropped them off in Chicago like trash in the middle of winter. We welcomed them into our communities. Now Texas is sending its National Guard to terrorize them on our streets. In our neighborhoods. What the fuck.

Sorry I’ll be right back. I need to take something for this headache I got after looking at the photos of this 1970s home in Winnetka that is for sale for the first time. www.zillow.com/homedetails/...

Happy Labor Day! I’d like to think my great-grandfather, an immigrant from what’s now the Czech Republic, was able to have a decent life because he was in the sheet metal union. Workers unite!

Timeline cleanse: I took some photos today while exploring rural parts of Wisconsin. Rooster, ducks, goat, and butterflies oh my!

Did the Baileys tell you to post this on the Friday night of Labor Day weekend? Good job, Joe and Eileen! 👍

It’s been 20 yrs since Hurricane Katrina. I was living in the UK & watched the coverage at a friend’s home in Yorkshire. After seeing people stranded on roofs due to flooding, her 5-yr-old kid asked us: “Will they be ok?” My friend: “Don’t worry, the government will take care of them.” I laughed.

Architecture geek books sorted for a week of sitting by a body of water in Wisconsin and trying to chill the f*ck out. 👋

Congratulations on your engagement!

I’m rereading the book about the Family Secrets trial because my friend & I were discussing it recently. I immediately recognized some names, like this guy whose wife worked at my high school. One day she was there, then just like that she was gone. They had entered the Witness Protection Program.

This is America…

I’m quoted here but I really wish Dennis Rodkin had contacted me directly for this article. Some of my docents are not very happy. If it was up to a couple of them, Frank Lloyd Wright’s name should barely be mentioned at all when it comes to this house and its design. www.wbez.org/architecture...

Today was a perfect day. Even my dog was, like, this is pretty damn nice.

I’d like to think my Slavic ancestors once visited this place, considering they emigrated from what’s now the Czech Republic. My photo of a Czecho-Slovak American Hall (1925) at Lawrence & Lavergne.

“Look, there are bad parts of history. Slavery was a terrible thing. Everybody agrees. It was a disaster, it should never have happened. I’ve done more for Black Americans than almost any President. Other Countries have bad history. But not in this Country. America is perfect. It’s the Greatest.”

The Chicagoland Home Prize Competition was a post-WWII initiative sponsored by the Chicago Tribune to promote affordable, well-designed homes, such as this Lombard residence designed by architect Curtis Woolford Jr. It was open to the public in 1947 then given to a veteran & his family.

My aunt: “That mean, bald man is only 39!?! Are you sure about that? Something’s not right.”

Anyone come across interesting Chicagoland real estate listings lately? It’s kind of boring out there, tbh. 🥱

“And if there is something else beyond, he isn't scared Because it's bound to be less boring than today Bound to be less boring than tomorrow” It’s hard to think that far ahead but May 29th 2026 at Salt Shed is something to look forward to! pitchfork.com/news/belle-a...

If you’re interested in buying your own gaudy fireplace screen, I have good news for you! Wayfair has a 25% off sale right now on the Maitland-Smith Majestic 1 Panel Iron Fireplace Screen. What can we say about the Donald’s decorating style? Gilt-y as charged!

You know shit’s gotten really bad when my mom, a 3-time cancer survivor who usually has a positive attitude, says to me, “I fucking hate everything.”

So what is this? The AI version of The Office? Who are these people? That’s supposed to be Macron? Starmer? Sure, Jan. Like, seriously how hard is it to use real photos of real people?

One of my favorite residential buildings in Oak Park: In 1921, the architectural firm of Pond and Pond were commissioned by John Blatchford & his wife Esther Roberts to combine an existing squash court, hen house, and 1880s barn into a single-family home. This is the result. (More info in alt text)

If there is one positive to this stupid Air and Water Show, it is that trucks and cabs are not speeding down Schiller Street like they usually do. Nice.

The landscaped court of the Sun-Times Building (1958-2005), which architect Stanley Tigerman referred to as “that funny little f*cked-up building." (Inland Architect, 1959)