Gabriel X. Michael/Chicago Patterns

Douglas Park is one of Chicago’s most scenic city parks in the heart of the west side of Chicago. Spread across 174 acres in the North Lawndale community area, it is located between West Roosevelt Road and West 19th Street to the north and south (respectively), and South California Avenue and South Albany Avenue to the east and west.

Established in 1869 as the southern park of the West Park System, along with Humboldt (formerly “North”) and Garfield (formerly “Central”) Parks, the park exhibits the design talents of multiple renowned architects including William LeBaron Jenney, Oscar F. Dubuis, and Jens Jensen, along with locally-notable designers Michaelsen & Rognstad.

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Small Gothic commercial/residential building on North near Kimball in Humboldt Park, built ca. 1909.

Our Lady of Sorrows interior. John Morris/Chicago Patterns

At Jackson and Albany in East Garfield Park is Our Lady of Sorrows, one of three basilicas in the city. Like many churches and places of worship, the real effort in design and implementation went toward the inside rather than the outside of the structure.

The interior has one of the most spectacular displays of color, geometry, depth, and detail I’ve seen in a building.

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The Neoclassical greystone board up at Spaulding and Ogden was built in 1906.