• A Breathtaking Find

    In the winter of 2007, John Maloof, a 26-year-old realtor who was co-writing a book on his Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, stumbled upon a box of negatives at an auction house. He paid $400, hoping it might hold some vintage photos of his neighborhood. He stuffed the box in a closet. There the images sat for a couple of …

  • ‘Tis the Season

    The holiday season has arrived in Glenbrook Valley.  Neighbors scurry about, hanging lights from the eaves and trees and anything else they can find. In the Northeast quadrant, there’s a singing Santa on Santa Elena across from a sago palm turned Christmas tree decked with with glossy metallic balls.  Further down the street are a Blow Mold …

  • friday night movies

    Stranded at the drive-in. Branded a fool. What will they say Monday at school? Ahh, the days of youth and cooler climates. As a kid growing up in Wisconsin, after milking cows and making cheese, our parents would occasionally treat us to a movie at the drive-in. It was fun to load up the car …