We’re both 40!
BEN: As one way to commemorate my 40th birthday, I wanted to celebrate the meaningful practices we’ve built as as family, including our exploration of Chicago through the lens of libraries. Some Googling revealed a library branch that was also born in 1985 – Sulzer Regional, in the North side neighborhood of Ravenswood, making it a perfect destination.
Sulzer Regional was born a few months before me, in September of 1985 and was originally was slated to be named after Frederick H. Hild, the second head librarian of CPL. A concerted neighborhood advocacy campaign succeeded in instead honoring Conrad Sulzer, an early settler of the Ravenswood area in Lake View Township who hailed from Switzerland.
Ravenswood itself started out as a commuter suburb of Lake View Township (before being annexed by Chicago) with large lots intended for wealthy buyers. The name seems to originate from a wooded area that was home to a population of ravens. (Quoth they, “nevermore?” I’m not sure…there weren’t any ravens around to chat with…)
To the library!
NATHAN: Sooo where’s the entrance? So let’s see here there’s basically 2 ways to enter (The first entrance you’ll see in the parking lot is for the staff) Oh my gosh lets totally go through that entrance😄ok so you have to go…… AROUND THE BUILDING Who likes that?
So let’s review …..
The first entrance in the parking lot ❌
The second entrance to the building ✅
So you just have to follow these simple rules and you’ll be fine 👍
I’ll give you a .. 4/6, not bad
BEN: Librarian Chris was kind enough to fill us in on what makes Sulzer unique:
- Sulzer is the home of the Northside Neighborhood History Collection, which lives on a mezzanine above the library’s upper floor, and spans 125 years. This is the biggest local history collection outside of the Harold Washington headquarters branch downtown.
- Conspicuous throughout the second floor is a collection hand-painted traditional German furniture, commemorating the largely German population that settled the larger Lake View region in the mid-19th century. (It’s amazing how well these pieces have held up over 4 decades!)
- The teen/YouMedia space features an impressive terrarium/aquarium setup visible from the children’s department, along with materials and supplies for creating and painting Dungeons and Dragons figurines and models – a gallery of figures adorns one wall of the space.
- When Nathan asked Chris if any artwork in the library inspires him, Chris pointed to a painting of a tranquil Chicago alley in winter, looking largely the same as it would today. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
- Speaking of artwork, Chris told the tale of the library auditorum’s controversial artwork, a massive fresco from Irene Siegel depicting scenes from the Aeneid, described at the time as “crude, grotesque and improper for children.” The Tribune tells the story from 40 years ago, and the Sun-Times revisited the controversy in 2020.
Daniel and I played a quick game of chess with a giant paper mache set (the kid won, as usual) while Nathan took a shot at solving a Rubik’s Cube from the game and puzzle shelf. Daniel also discovered an old-school way to find information on his favorite topic – the Chicago Transit Authority – in a hard copy encyclopedia. (I’m amazed they still have these on the shelf!)
What about transit?
DANIEL: This massive library has some massive ways to get to it (I mean a lot of them). First off, CTA buses, with routes 49, X49, 50, and 78 all stopping near the library. Not only that, Western station on the Brown Line also serves the Western routes (49, X49, 49B) and routes 11 and 81. Western station is 0.4 miles from the library. Metra is also pretty close, with the Ravenswood stop on the UP-N only 0.7 miles from the library. I’m just going to assume the closest Pace connection is either at Howard or at Jefferson Park, both over 4 miles from library, so unless you were like me and wanted to take a very long transit route for virtually no reason, taking Pace has almost no benefit (unless you wanted to film transit b-roll instead of visiting the library). You can park in the back, and there are plenty of bike racks.
CTA Bus: ✅
CTA Train: ✅
Metra: ✅
Pace: ❌
Parking: ✅
4/5! Not too shabby!
BEN: Thanks for helping us celebrate my 40th, Sulzer Regional!
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