Events

May
17
Sat
Cycle tour of of South Loop and Lakeshore @ Meet at the Henry George School
May 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Guided by HGS instructor Bob Jene, this tour starts with a look at the City of Chicago amenities on the lakefront in Grant Park, and their effect on land values in neighboring private properties especially along Prairie and Indiana Avenues south of Roosevelt.  This is the museum campus area with a mixed style of housing.  We continue down to the Central Station Area where there are some vintage mansions on Prairie Avenue. We will stop to look at assessor’s data on the value of units, properties and parking spaces and how they relate to location.

Aug
19
Wed
People of the Abyss — at the Political Economy Book Club @ Henry George School
Aug 19 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
image from the 1903 edition, via Wikimedia
image from the 1903 edition, via Wikimedia

The People of the Abyss (1903) is a book by Jack London (1876-1916) about life in the East End of London in 1902. He wrote this first-hand account by living in the East End for several months, sometimes staying in workhouses or sleeping on the streets. The conditions he experienced and wrote about were the same as those endured by an estimated 500,000 of the contemporary London poor.  Decades later, this book inspired George Orwell to write Down and Out in Paris and London.

A bit late to be a contemporary of Henry George, Jack London lived mainly in northern California  and was a passionate advocate of workers’ rights. Both London and George were members of Bohemian Grove.

(source: Wikipedia)

The People of the Abyss is available free on line as text from Gutenberg, and as an audiobook from LibriVox, as well as in hardcopy from various libraries and book dealers.

Political Economy Book Club is open to everyone wishing to participate in the discussion, without charge altho donations are appreciated to help pay for rent and snacks. Convenor Bob Matter appreciates an RSVP from those planning to attend.

 

Feb
21
Thu
PRESENTATION CANCELLED Daniel Kay Hertz on The Battle of Lincoln Park: Urban Renewal and Gentrification in Chicago @ Signature Office
Feb 21 @ 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm

This presentation has been cancelled. We will let you know when it’s been rescheduled. There will be no presentation February 21, 2019.

The Battle of Lincoln Park tells the story of how people with clashing visions and values fought to determine the path gentrification would take before anyone was using that word. Calling on the power of private funds, public policy, moral appeals, and both nonviolent and violent protest, residents of Old Town and Lincoln Park struggled over the meaning of “desirable” homes, “neighborhood character”, and what kind of city Chicago should be. The outcomes set the tone for profound changes to the city that are still unfolding today.

Acclaimed author Daniel Kay Hertz has written extensively on subjects relating to gentrification, housing, urban demographics, and transportation. This is his first book.

Registration is required for this free event. Building security will print a badge for you to go upstairs.  If you plan to come, or are just considering the possibility, please let us know by email events@hgchicago.org or by phoning us at 312 362-9302.

Mar
7
Thu
PRESENTATION RESCHEDULED Daniel Kay Hertz on The Battle of Lincoln Park: Urban Renewal and Gentrification in Chicago @ Signature Office
Mar 7 @ 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm

This presentation has been rescheduled and will now take place Thursday, March 7, 2019, at 6:15 pm.

The Battle of Lincoln Park tells the story of how people with clashing visions and values fought to determine the path gentrification would take before anyone was using that word. Calling on the power of private funds, public policy, moral appeals, and both nonviolent and violent protest, residents of Old Town and Lincoln Park struggled over the meaning of “desirable” homes, “neighborhood character”, and what kind of city Chicago should be. The outcomes set the tone for profound changes to the city that are still unfolding today.

Acclaimed author Daniel Kay Hertz has written extensively on subjects relating to gentrification, housing, urban demographics, and transportation. This is his first book.

Registration is required for this free event. Building security will print a badge for you to go upstairs.  If you plan to come, or are just considering the possibility, please let us know by email events@hgchicago.org or by phoning us at 312 362-9302.

Jul
15
Thu
Suburban Living for Most of Us: Evolution of Residential Development in Chicago’s Western Suburbs @ Zoom Webinar
Jul 15 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Please register for this Zoom Webinar by clicking the green registration button.

David Wilson, author of the forthcoming book Towns Along the Q, will discuss the consequences of certain disastrous and discriminatory housing policies that he has become familiar with in the course of researching the topic, development of Chicago’s western suburbs along the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railway.

David A. Wilson
David A. Wilson