//
Photo: Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A massive 1910 Prairie School masterpiece by Dwight Perkins, possibly the biggest example of the architectural style, and still a working high school. It's an impressive sight.
Carl Schurz High School is a public four-year high school located in the Irving Park neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school is named after German–American Carl Schurz, a statesman, soldier, and advocate of democracy in Germany. The school building, which represents a combination of the Chicago and Prairie schools of architecture, was designed in 1910 by Dwight H. Perkins and designated a Chicago Landmark on December 7, 1979. It is considered one of "150 great places in Illinois" by the American Institute of Architects. The AIA has described the school as Perkins's masterpiece, "an important example of early-twentieth century architecture, utilizing elements of both the Chicago and Prairie schools." In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, Carl Schurz High School was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
It has been closed by owner Eddie Carranza while in a battle for a liquor and entertainment license. A beautiful old movie palace in Portage Park, built in 1920 with a whopping 1,938 seats. It's only open for special events and festivals like the Silent Summer Festival and scary movies around Halloween. The Empty Bottle in Ukrainian Village sometimes hosts shows here.
The other monumental religious edifice that dominates the Avondale skyline, it is considered to be "one of the best examples of the fusion of Art Deco stylings with medieval European architecture in the city of Chicago." Although the historic church is a stop for many of the tourists visiting the landmark Villa District, this majestic Romanesque-Art Deco hybrid is actually a few blocks south of the district's formal boundaries.
Another of Chicago's gorgeous Polish Cathedrals, the three towers of St. Hyacinth's Basilica are a landmark of the Avondale neighborhood. The paintings and stained glass windows inside are very much worth a look.
A Polish Cultural Center in Jefferson Park, housed in the old Gateway Theater movie palace. They host community events and classes throughout the year; highlights include the Taste of Polonia in September.