Roeser’s Bakery: A Sweet Slice of Chicago History

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Roeser's Bakery with the #72 bus going by. John Morris/Chicago Patterns

Roeser’s Bakery with the #72 bus going by. John Morris/Chicago Patterns

Roeser’s Bakery, a fourth-generation family business that started in 1911, sits near the corner of North and Kedzie in Humboldt Park. The oldest family-owned bakery in the city continues to thrive,  due in large part to its commitment to quality and customer service, the Roeser family says.

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Barber Shop of the Week: The Hair Force

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The Hair Force, located at 4415 N Sheridan Road in Uptown, is a bustling barber shop that continues the legacy of the current owner’s uncle, a Chicago barber who began his career in 1948. The storefront beckons with cheerful hand-painted signage. The atmosphere inside is evocative of the great tradition of urban barber shops as anchors of community, and places where one’s personal barber can be trusted with any honest opinion or secret.

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A Glimpse of the Golden Age of Auto Showrooms: Richard’s Body Shop in Albany Park

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Richard’s Body Shop in Albany Park

The 1920s were the heyday of magnificent auto showrooms, many of which drew from the same stylistic inspirations as the movie palaces being built in this decade.

The current home of Richard’s Body Shop began its life as an opulent auto showroom. When traveling on Lawrence Avenue in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, it is likely that this building at 3041 W. Lawrence Ave will catch your eye.

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Barber Shop of the Week: Corner Barber Shop

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Corner Barber Shop

The building at 2929 N. Clark Street in Lake View was built in 1897, and  has a barber shop in its corner storefront. The current owner believes there has been a barbershop there for most of the years the building has existed, quite possibly over 100 years.

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