STUNNING SCENES FROM CHICAGO IN THE 1970s

1. Apparel Center under construction, 1976
2. Argyle Street and Winthrop Avenue, 1975
3. Brunswick-Balke-Collender Building, 1978
4. Calder sculpture, Chicago Federal Center, 1973
5. Chicago Avenue from N. Michigan Avenue, 1976
6. Chicago Fire Department station, West Illinois Street, 1978
7. East Erie Street at Rush Street, 1976
8. East Ohio Street between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue, 1976
9. Gino's East pizzeria sign and parking lot, 1976
10. Hanley Dawson Cadillac and Lawry's restaurant, 1976
11. N Michigan Avenue at Chicago Avenue, 1976
12. N Paulina Street just north of Howard Street, 1975
13. N Sedgwick Street from south of the CTA elevated train tracks, 1971
14. Pedestrians crossing North Michigan Avenue at the intersection with East Chicago Avenue, in front of the Chicago Water Tower, 1976
15. Restaurants on Rush Street, 1976
16. Residential neighborhood at North Halsted and Blackhawk Streets, 1976
17. Shopping mall, East 55th Street, 1978
18. South Commercial Avenue and Immaculate Conception Church, 1972
19. State Street at Madison Street, 1976
20. View across East Walton Street towards the entrance to The Drake Hotel, 1976
21. Touhy Avenue and elevated train tracks, 1971
22. View along the west side of North State Street, looking north from West Ontario Street, 1976
23. View looking East along Grand Avenue from Michigan Avenue toward the high rise Time Life Building, 1971
24. Looking across N Michigan Avenue towards the high-rise buildings located on the west side of the street south of the intersection with East Superior Street, 1976
25. View looking E along Ohio Street towards the Time-Life Building, 1971
26. View looking E along the sidewalk on the north side of East Chicago Avenue towards North Rush Street, 1976
27. View looking Ealong the sidewalk on the north side of East Huron Street from east of Rush Street, 1976
28. View looking E along West 95th Street, 1974
29. View looking N along a thriving commercial strip on South Michigan Avenue, 1972
30. View looking N along the east side of South Kinzie Avenue, 1977
31. View looking NE along North Franklin Street, from the intersection with West Erie Street, 1978
32. View looking NE along South Champlain Avenue, a residential street in Pullman lined with brick duplex row houses, 1974
33. View looking NE at the front of the Greenstone Church, 1972
34. View looking northwest along North Kingsbury Street, from south of the intersection with West Eastman Street, 1976
35. View looking NW at the Jackson Park station, at the end of the CTA Jackson Park line, 1977
36. View looking northwest from Calumet Marina, located along the east bank of the Calumet River at East 136th Street and South Torrence Avenue, 1972
37. View looking northwest from the intersection of South State Street and Congress Parkway, 1978
38. View looking south along Michigan Avenue from the northern end of the N Michigan Avenue bridge, 1972
39. View looking south along North Franklin Street towards the intersection with West Kinzie Street and the Merchandise Mart, 1978
40. View looking southeast from the Kennedy Expressway on-ramp towards industrial buildings along N Orleans Street, 1976
41. View looking southwest along South Archer Avenue, 1978
42. View looking west along East Huron Street, 1976
43. View looking west along East Illinois Street, from east of the intersection with North Rush Street, 1976
44. View looking west along East Oak Street from North Michigan Avenue, 1976
45. View of boats in the Diversey Harbor, located within Lincoln Park, 1971
46. View of Harper Court, a development project that included clusters of small businesses and artisan shops, located on South Harper Avenue between 53rd and 52nd Streets, 1978
47. View of pedestrians walking in Grant Park with the Loop skyline in the distance, 1970
48. View of the Auditorium building and Congress Hotel along Michigan Avenue, 1972
49. View of the Chicago skyline in winter, , 1972
50. View of the Germano-Millgate Apartments, a public housing complex , 1974
51. View of the Newberry Plaza condominium tower during construction, looking west along Bellevue Place, 1972
52. View of the Reliance building, 1977
53. View of the Standard Oil Building under construction, 1978
View of the Standard Oil Building under construction, 1973
55. View of 2 and 3 storey buildings along the north side of W. Chicago Avenue, with businesses on the ground floor and apartments above, 1970
56. View to north from West Kinzie Street, 1972
57. View west from N State Street to the block of N Dearborn Street between West Ohio and West Ontario Streets, with a large parking lot in the foreground, 1976
58. Warehouse demolition, North Pier Terminal, and McClurg Court Center apartments, 1973

[@augustmosco]

This was great, thanks. Thanks for the captions, also. They make the video comprehensive.

[@adamk1520]

What a gift, life is. Our past is filled with infinite amounts of beauty and charm.

[@mmfmmf332]

Thank you for the memories! (I grew up on the West and North sides of Chicago from '68 to '92). 😃

[@samsungtablet9155]

Thank you for this I was born and raised in Chicago in 1951 Theres no place like home

[@highwaymaintainer]

I loved the 1970's..........honestly......now its but a moment in time

[@johnlackner1193]

I'm glad somebody put up photos of what Chicago REALLY looked like.

[@stephenmoerlein8470]

Thanks for posting this historical content. Despite the modern high-rise construction apparent in these photos, 1970s Chicago had a distinct industrial grit to it that is not as prominent today.

[@beverlyledbetter4906]

1971 was my favorite year from the seventies!😶‍🌫️

[@mrs.morris5506]

Born and raised in the Chi.... That skyline has come a long way. Thanks for the upload! 👍🏽☺️

[@bobzwol]

Thank you so very much. I grew up in Chicago [1955-1979]. I fondly remember all of these scenes.

[@keyshawnscott12]

Are you still in Chicago

[@bobzwol]

@@keyshawnscott12 No. I moved to Los Angeles way back in 1979. Chicago will always be home nonetheless. I've since retired in Palm Springs a few years ago.

[@keyshawnscott12]

@@bobzwol I'm here now I'm 21 born and raised you should come visit see the Sox new park the new buildings in the loop ride the new trains and stuff but outside of that alot is still the same

[@bobzwol]

@@keyshawnscott12 I used to fly in every quarter to visit my mom on the far NW side and cousins in Gurnee and Warrenville. My mom passed 2 years ago at age 104, so I won't be coming in as often. I was born at Grand & Ashland (1955-1959) Then moved to Belmont & Central (1959-1977) then had a few apartments in uptown when it was a hellhole (1977-1979)

[@keyshawnscott12]

@@bobzwol sorry to hear about your lost may she rest in peace also you should try to visit once I think you would be in a little shock with some of the modern stuff we got now

[@galechicago325]

8:00 My first apartment after college. The glamorous McClurg Court: “a city within a city.”

[@blackthorne1497]

Oddly I have become homesick only three years after going back home to Chicago. I spent a week driving all over town (I still don't know what I was looking for then). That shot of Harpers Court brought back memories. We used to go the Chances R and enjoy the burgers and play pong, the first video game we ever saw.

[@michaelfrankel8082]

Thow the peanut shells on the floor. ❤

[@brianglade848]

Could get your balls licked in the back after 10pm most nights

[@antonioperez2623]

It was my once beautiful city. Started 9th grade in 1976. I had a great childhood in South Chicago represented at 2:23 and 6:51. Very sad to see what it's become.

[@brianglade848]

Yeah.....yeahyeahyeahyeah

[@joefranks4235]

I was born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago by Midway Airport. It's really gone downhill. I do get a chance every now and then to visit Chicago to visit my parent's graves at Resurrection Cemetery. Man, this city has really tanked.

[@brianglade848]

@@joefranks4235 I was too Joe, 55th and McVicker, and you're right

[@BullCricket75]

Southsider, '75 model...Holy Cow! This calls upon the waaay back memories. I love it! Thank you.

[@BBrown_Chicago]

Great memories from childhood cruising with parents!!!

[@pvlvq]

This last picture is a parking building located in North Av close to wells interseccion

[@mikehughes4969]

My Dad had a boat in Montrose Harbor in the 70s. I remember so much of this. I wasn't in any of these pictures, but I could have been. I live in Florida now, but whenever I think of home, I think of Chicago. Home sweet home.

[@mikehughes4969]

Extra Facts thanks for the love my friend.

[@alexzais1935]

What happened to his boat?

[@mikehughes4969]

@@alexzais1935 He sold it in 1979.

[@charlesandrews2360]

Those were difficult times for a lot of people in the city. We were in a very bad recession and America's industrial belt began to rust.

[@patrickhawkinson8399]

Oh, but how can that be? The comment section clearly declares that any decade before the current one was the best of times. Just an absolute slice of heaven on earth those good ol' days were.

[@charlesandrews2360]

@@patrickhawkinson8399 Not true. The 1980s was the worst decade since the 1930s. The Teens was horrific and the 2020s is shaping up to be a real nightmare but looking at all aspects of American society the 1980s was really bad. We peaked in '73, around the time that Watergate broke.

[@patrickhawkinson8399]

@charlesandrews2360 The 1980's? I thought that was the decade of optimism? Morning in America. Poppy music, hairspray, and drums with lots of reverb. How can that be bad? It was so much fun.

[@galechicago325]

5:47 My old neighborhood! My car- 68 Olds Cutlass! Parked alongside the Woolworths that used to be there.

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

Memories

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

Amazing photographs

[@thecawdsquad875]

No shots of Cabrini-Green. The '70s were its most infamous time. (Even JJ lived there.)

[@chrisd.x3276]

Man it's great how technology is so advanced that they can put these great colors in old photos. It was like I was really there and I was born in the 80s. Seeing that Walgreens on the Chicago Ave and Michigan Ave photo makes me smile because I'm always around there, along with state St and Madison Ave photo, and also along with about 5 more photos!!

[@skubz81]

Haha I'm not sure how old you are but by the 70's most photos were produced in color.

[@cordneyperkins8648]

I love my city

[@andrewhoyle1521]

I do to, the city looks a lil "run down" rusty and I love it. There's another one on here. Seeing downtown state st have those porno shows. And obviously selling prostitution. Every big city had that. Were only rust belt that is still swimming in gold

[@mikehughes4969]

You and me both my friend.

[@vikctorrkreedd6418]

It doesn't love you.

[@InvestAndGrow2020]

Love the classic cars

[@daviddoyle543]

After seeing these photos I realized I had been all around the city. I lived on East Delaware and would walk everywhere. I'd hoof it all the way to Roosevelt and back.

[@trevorsutherland5263]

Holy cow! I literally could have been in Harper's Court the day that photo was taken, having a burger with my Dad at Chances R restaurant!

[@d.l.l.6578]

Yeah, Chicago looks like that. What is so stunning?

[@chitownmedia101]

It makes me happy and sad to watch this video. I just wish I could just jump in and live those times.

[@brianglade848]

Come to our house, hasn't changed in here since 1975.....

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

Where?

[@brianglade848]

@@ExtraHistoryYT Garfield Ridge, 58th and Austin

[@tonylambardo8250]

I’m surprised they didn’t show construction of the Sears tower

[@frankdel5115]

Growng up in Chicago in the 1970s these photos give a good feel on how dead it was back then and slow and economic depression of the times.

[@workingtheworld68]

Sort of like the Titanic. The iceberg hit in the mid-60's, but the ship sank very slowly

[@BlownMacTruck]

It’s crazy how people were literally streaming out of the city at the time. That changed significantly from the late 80s into the aughts. It ebbs and flows I suppose.

[@MrSoldierperson]

My Beautiful Chicago ❤

[@thpass]

Thanks for posting these, Slide 61 is actually the parking garage at Old Town next to the old Piper's Alley theater on North ave west of Wells (about 236 w. North Ave). It's a very distinctive structure with the 1970s styled oval portholes and round light fixtures (long since removed). Also, the slide at 53 just before the Standard Oil (Aon) looks to be an unnamed alleyway possiblynear Cermak at the old RR Donnelly warehouse. Thanks a gain for posting these. subscribed.

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

Thanks 👍

[@ksf8325]

I remember Piper’s Alley. Chicago of my youth. Subscribed as well.

[@kenkunz1428]

Man, a lot of those buildings are gone now.

[@merkury06]

I was just a tyke back then. But that's how I remember Chicago even now that it has changed.

[@maureencora1]

1970s I was 13 - 23. Northside, Westside, Southside & Downtown.

[@Helloiswhat]

Absolutely fantastic pictures! Thank you for sharing!

[@brianglade848]

Back in the 70s, one could step in dog crap and walk right thru an office building smearing it all over the carpet, and no one would notice, now that's Chicago in the 70s

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

😂

[@mrserious55]

real autos....born and raised there love it thx for sharing

[@boataxe4605]

Yep, real autos that were done at 100,000 miles. My Honda is going strong at 180K.

[@patkay5036]

Thank you

[@paulj6756]

#34 Amazing how Kingsbury Street looks nothing like that anymore.

[@chargermaster586]

Kingsbury Was home to Hwavy Industry and Manufacturting now home to upscale commercial strips and multimillion dollar homes General Iron recently shut down irs operation at 1909 N Clifton on Kingsbury

[@bobdanis9040]

I grew up in Chicago and it's sad for what it was to what it is today. I moved away and will never go back it's turn into something I don't even recognize.

[@thomasbrown3356]

Judging from the photos, it looked pretty grimy, then. When was it supposed to be so great? 1955?

[@commonsense3921]

What are you talking about? It’s look better today.

[@ChiGuy1837]

Lmao Chicago looks jus fine

[@imhim8831]

Drama Queen😂 Chicago looks much more vibrant from what it did in the 70s. Yeah it has problems, but what major city doesn’t?

[@patrickhawkinson8399]

For starters no place you grow up in ever stays the same, so get over it. That said, I've been to today's Chicago many times and have never had an experience that has made me not want to make a return trip other than the cost of travel to get there and back.

[@derricklangford4725]

Hey I live about a block and a half from the second picture on Argyle, that photo was taken the year I was born, you can see the old AON insurance Bldg in the background 🙂

[@PRHILL9696]

Very nice, thank you!

[@susanfey4727]

This sound is so relaxing 👍

[@jimfischer63]

Maybe others have already mentioned this, but slide 53 is a view of an unidentified alley presumably somewhere on the North Side. It is mislabeled as being the Standard Oil Building under construction. That description is actually applicable to the next slide, number 54. Don't get me wrong - this is a fine video with many provocative images. The slide descriptions are very accurate and really quite helpful.

[@skubz81]

Slide 56, that parking lot on Kinzie is between the north branch of the Chicago river and Kingsbury st. That lot is now where the East Bank Club now sits, built in 1980, I worked there for 18 years and I know that entire area like the back of my hand, you can see the Grand ave bridge in the background and the big red building on the right side of the screen is the Sexton building, from what I was told they manufactured office equipment though by the time I was running around that area it was turned into lofts.

[@hondotoo]

nice pictures, i live on the southeast side...

[@michaelreed4744]

I was born in Chicago, in 1976.

[@musclecarfan74]

Great video

[@butt5810]

drive up and down pulaski...still looks like the 70s

[@jamescook9661]

Grew up in Kankakee an hour south and would accompany my parents on business. How many kids can say they sat in a window booth of a submarine shop and watched the sears tower get built?

[@TheUgams]

Slide #30 is mislabeled It actually is a picture - looking north on Kedzie (NOT Kinze) at 55th street. Talman S&L was located on the SE corner of 55th & Kedzie. Otherwise... Very nice shots - Thanks for posting

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

Thanks for the info

[@sooziesonhiem1833]

You’re right .. 55th and Kedzie..,lived in the area for almost 50 yrs ..,I miss Chicago..,not the weather though ..,lol

[@edgetaker]

I figured someone would catch #30 label error. I lived at 54th & California from 1969-1983, watched Talman grow from just the corner building to almost a block-long institution. St. Gall was across Kedzie from it; the Colonial Restaurant was across 55th street from it (I think that was the name of it).

[@fratzogmopars]

@@edgetakerAnd the Colony Theater 59th and Kedzie, Gerties Ice cream shop, Yankee Doodle Dandys south of 59 th street. Old days.

[@Diogenes-ty9yy]

I remember Talman way back when, IIRC, the bank was sold and the building torn down. An era when there were independent banks in the neighborhoods.

[@Rickswars]

This video shows almost the whole city unlike the media with their video of scared tatics and fake news. Chicago is 3rd or 4th largest city in N.America and has more beautiful buildings than most other cities. I visited every year since the early 60s. The ghettos came from the Government's failed programs and drugs. Some People don't know truth. Hoosiers, Hillbillies, buckeyes always admired Chicago and many visit often. We all have a city we admire outside of our own city, and the Midwest picked Chicago!

[@thomasbrown3356]

Ghettos existed before Government programs. You must have skipped Economics 101. I didn't.

[@bjsteinhoff9810]

Many thanks for the reminder of when Chicago was still Chicago...

[@skubz81]

Facts. This city is unrecognizable now... It's not just the skyline and the buildings that have changed, it's the people. Too many out of towners moved in a d changed the culture of the city for the worst.

[@r.pres.4121]

Chicago isn’t alone in that transformation. Other big major cities like Boston, New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles all underwent that same negative transition. They are now all very expensive and corporate.

[@brianglade848]

Yep, can sit in an alley off the Edens and get your balls licked and buy a bag of peanuts

[@wilshiregreen5746]

It seems like only yetserday that I saw these cars on the streets. More than anything, it seems that automobiles really freeze a picture in time like nothing else in Human history.

[@blackhawksstrong9330]

it's nice to see photos without people holding cell phones! Technically is great, but anything overdone tends to taste like shit

[@johntorres4573]

I work the Gino’s season 1976 thinking about dropping out of high school read it

[@galechicago325]

3:57 Gately’s Peoples Store!

[@jamesgreen880]

Roseland!!!

[@chargermaster586]

Kingsbury st once home to heavy industry and Manufacturting now upscale commercial strips and multimillion dollar homes General Iron just shut its scrap yard on Kingsbury and Clifton and was considered the last of its kind on Kingsbury

[@raycontreras422]

30. Is NOT Kinzie, that is 55th and KEDZIE.

[@111danish111]

1:27 Such a clean picture of Michigan and Chicago streetscape wise no clutter . The Walgreens is still there . 8:35 State Street before the Harold Washington Library . 7:08 There seems to be a church steeple like structure in the background . Has it been demolished ?

[@raydemos1181]

I am surprised I survived dodging all those huge, framed vehicles on the streets of Chicago growing up, then came along Unibody. constructed ones that hit the market. and it was a little safer, also crash dummies. helped out

[@joefranks4235]

#30 that's Kedzie not Kinzie avenue.

[@gaguy1967]

I can do without the Japanese Garden Music. Afterall it is Chicago, not Japan

[@paul2019.]

It’s so weird seeing a black walgreens

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

You even got a 1970’s Dominick’s in here, now they don’t even exist anymore. Thanks Mariano’s.

[@boataxe4605]

Well,Mr Dominick sold the chain to Safeway and they ran it into the ground. Mr. Mariano was Mr.Dominick’s right hand man, and he didn’t like what Safeway was doing so he quit and started his own chain. Mariano’s is much closer in quality to how Dominick’s was when Mr. Dominick ran it.

[@joefranks4235]

I use to go to Dominick's on Archer and Central Avenues. They had bulk gummies. I had worked for Certified Grocers just down Central on 47th street. That was a pleasant time of my life. Now both Dominik's and Certified Grocers are gone. I moved out of Chicago in 2005.

[@joefranks4235]

That's Kedzie not Kinzie. And it's on the southwest side for Talman.

[@denali9449]

Not one shot of the Sears Tower, or did I miss it?

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

No, some of the photos it wasn’t built yet. It was completed in 1974.

[@denali9449]

@@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79 No back at ya. It opened in May 1973. Tenant work continued into '74. What prompted the query was that there are many other pictures from the mid and late 70's.

[@brianglade848]

Back then, they said in every picture, behind closed doors, someone was getting porked

[@marquitapalmer9426]

1982 cabrini green strangers with arsenals too many moves on turf.

[@devoradamaris]

Beautiful🫂Chicago

[@BBrown_Chicago]

How about slide 57... where portillos stands today infront of 76 gas station..... empty state street..... to go back......

[@royamac1844]

rocsi julissa

[@drpoundsign]

Not much on the "Baddest" parts of town.

[@royamac1844]

next door

[@lucianene7741]

Rare car at 02:40: Bricklin SV-1

[@boataxe4605]

Yeah, it was a real piece of shit.

[@royamac1844]

stacey

[@royamac1844]

strahan

[@JenniferDrake-pn7ns]

𝒮𝑜 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓅𝑜𝒾𝑔𝓃𝒶𝓃𝓉✨💫🌟

[@royamac1844]

markie vince

[@chihickman4836]

I'm wondering why y'all keep saying these buildings don't look nothing like this today or most of the buildings are gone. Duhhhhh the video is labeled 70s photos! Some of these pictures are 50 years old. Which one of y'all still look the same or have all your teeth and hair from 50 years ago🤔

[@keyshawnscott12]

Bro I'm 21 and recognize most of these streets ant much changed lmao except some modern glass buildings in the loop

[@royamac1844]

walgreens allowance

[@munsters2]

What's with the screwy space odyssey music?

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

😂🤣😄

[@royamac1844]

sasha adrienne

[@royamac1844]

jose abreu mvp

[@royamac1844]

ismael marvin

[@royamac1844]

joe cat mickey

[@Vintage-Bob]

#30 Should say Kedzie, not Kinzie. Way off!

[@ExtraHistoryYT]

Thanks

[@siegfried2584]

Great vid, damn shame about the commie commercials attached to it.