Photo: Zagalejo, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This triangular behemoth was built in 1913 by the great Holabird & Roche, one of their few major products outside the Loop. The first floor is all retail, but the second and third floors have small art studios and galleries. Aside from the First Friday open hours (above), a few studios and galleries also have Saturday and Sunday afternoon hours.
The Flat Iron Building is located in the Wicker Park district of West Town, Chicago, Illinois. The building is located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, North Avenue, and Damen Avenue. Since the 1980s, it has served as an artists colony, and features visual artists and musicians of all disciplines.
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A great way to sample local comedy or catch up-and-coming acts. Each night features sets from three visiting guest groups and the house ensemble, The Crocodile Players. The show is free and the bar gives out free personal pizzas when you purchase a drink. Performers come from all over Chicago (including: Second City, iO, the Annoyance, ComedySportz and The Playground), but the mission is providing opportunities for young, independent and out of state groups.
Russian Orthodox church in Ukrainian Village, designed by Louis Sullivan in 1903. It was funded in part by Czar Nicholas II; today, it thrives as a neighborhood parish.
An experimental theater complex encompassing two stages, a cafe, and a gallery. Many works in translation from Eastern Europe have made their US debut here, although the theater keeps strong ties to Wicker Park and local history as well.
This building was designed as a bank by Whitney & Williams when it was built in 1920. The society houses non-profit art galleries which focus on promoting cultural communication between Europe and the United States. The society also hosts film festivals exploring European cinema, art exhibitions, and concerts.
No shortage of magnificent Ukrainian churches in this part of town — this soaring example was built in 1913 on the model of St Sophia's in Kyiv. The eye-catching thirteen onion domes stand for Christ and the 12 apostles. Most masses are in Ukrainian but there is one weekly English-language mass is at 11:30AM on Sundays.
This is a superb, lovingly curated collection of abstract and minimalist art by major Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American artists. The three permanent galleries represent not only Ukrainian heritage, but also one of Chicago's best and most underrated experiences for art lovers of any ethnicity.