In Chicago Austin
Austin (Chicago)
According to Wikipedia Austin is one of the 77 Chicago neighborhoods and is located on the far west side of the city. Bordering on the west is Oak Park (south of North Avenue) and Elmwood Park (north of North Avenue) and Cicero borders to the south.
Austin Town Hall (National Registry of Historic Places, 2006) was modeled after Philadelphia’s Independence Hall along with its park and also Columbus Park are found within its borders.
The street borders are, roughly:
- East: The Belt Railway, mainly east of Kenton
- South: Roosevelt Road
- West: Mason (from Roosevelt on the south to North Avenue) and then west past Neva
- North: Goes along the Milwaukee District Belt Line, irregularly north along Bloomingdale, Galewood, Homer, and then at an angle north of Shakespeare and Belden
This first contribution to Growing Up In Chicago’s Austin neighborhood was contributed by Rhonda Steinlauf, who also promises more! If you would like to add you comments or submit pictures for inclusion (we will scan, digitalize, enhance if we can and furnish you with a complimentary file), please contact us. Learn more about Rhonda on our Authors and Guests page.
December 22, 2011
I truly believe
Auntie Libbie (right) with friend Blanche
that I had one of the best experiences life has to offer by growing up in Austin, on the west side of Chicago. Our elementary school was Robert Emmet and high school was Austin High.
We grew up so independent; we could and did so much by ourselves. No need to car pool; we walked! We walked to school, we walked to Hebrew School, we walked to the Lake Street El, and we walked to the Madison Street bus. We walked! We walked at night, we walked in the morning. We went downtown on the el at age 11. We took the bus to the Marbro Theater on Madison near Crawford (Pulaski Road).
But, let’s start at the beginning. Family was everything. I grew up sleeping in the same bedroom as my maiden aunt, Libbie. She was a big part of my youth. My grandmother lived with us and she needed her own room. Big brother had bedroom number 3 and Mom and Dad had bedroom number 4. Yes, it was a big house. So big that we had our ping pong table set up in the attic. So big that we had a wine room in the basement.
Bubbie In The Kitchen On Long Avenue
Yes, you read correctly, a wine room where my Bubbie made wine. Once a year my dad would bring home baskets and baskets of grapes and my Bubbie would make her wine and then sell it. All proceeds went to Israel which became the State of Israel shortly before. When she died not much was left. But I still have about 6 ounces of this wine which is over 50 years old.
Rhonda (very young!)
Of course our home was kosher. No fires on the stove were lit on the Sabbath. However, before sundown, one burner was lit and a stove top type oven was placed over it, so that the one burner could be used. All meat was kosher and we had so many sets of dishes I don’t know where my mom put them all!
My biggest recollection was “koshering” the beef liver after it was delivered and before it was frozen. It was koshered right on the stove on a wired, slotted, grate. Yuk! What a mess! But it had to be done.
My Bubbie died when I was 11 and then things changed slightly. Our home wasn’t quite as rigid, but it was still kosher. Another memory was going through the pantry with a feather to clean all that was left of the chometz, the night before Pesach.
I want to talk more about my youth, so next I’ll fill you in about the 9 years I spent at Emmet.
- [Admin: Rhonda narrates a slide show I put together on her Part I on YouTube and a blog article Growing Up In Austin, Narration by Rhonda.]
Robert Emmet Grade School and AJCC
January 27, 2012
Mikey's Class at Robert Emmet School
To continue my story about growing up in Austin. I remember meeting a family that lived across the alley from us. I was about 4 at the time. Their youngest son was about my age; their middle daughter a couple of years older. We played together constantly until they built a home in Elmhurst, and off they went. Not to give my age away, I used to admit to a 50 year friendship with my friend, Joann, but I have recently upped it to 55 years+. Give me time; eventually I will tell the truth.
I don’t remember much about kindergarten, but I do remember that my first grade teacher, Mrs. Wasserman, pulled me aside one day. I was wearing a grey felt poodle skirt and she wanted to know where my mom bought it because she wanted to get one just like it for her granddaughter. Wow, what a memory.
Our days at Emmet flew by. I remember going to Austin Jewish Community Center for Hebrew School. AJCC was a traditional temple and we knew it. Our classes were from Monday thru Thursday, for two hours after school. On Shabbos we were required to be at services and on Sunday we also had 2 hours of class. But we also had fun.
Our principal’s wife, Mrs. Jordani, was the social director. We learned holiday songs, acted in plays, and gave concerts. I especially remember my older brother, Mike, dressing up as Queen Esther for a Purim costume contest. No one knew he was a boy until someone spotted his shoes under his dress! We had a choir and, therefore, in addition to class, we also had choir practice. What a busy schedule at the age of eleven! This went on for four and a half years. They pushed me up a half year to get me out of Hebrew School. I guess I was one of the troublemakers, but I really don’t remember that (yeah, right!).
7th & 8th Grade Dances, Ditching Hebrew School and More
Match 9, 2012
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
I remember quite well seventh and eighth grade. That’s when boys came into the picture. We were aware of the opposite sex. We had social dances in the basement of the Hebrew School building (which was a separate building) and I remember dancing the afternoon away. That was quite a break after studying all day long. After all, those were the days of American Bandstand and Chicago Bandstand. Such memories!
Eight grade was fun; ditching Hebrew School, making angels in the snow, boys, going downtown to the movies, boys, and getting ready to go to Austin High School. And an everyday part of our lives at Emmet, Mr. Deutsch. Yes, Gene Deutsch! Our elementary Phys Ed teacher and always our mentor. What a wonderful man. So many of us knew him years later when we sent our own children to his day camp, Decoma. And in between those times he was my peer when I began my teaching career at Emmet. He always watched out for me. He was always available.
Around 3 blocks from where I lived, there was a hang out corner. Still a little young to participate, I believe I was a little jealous of the the fun they had on the corner of Madison and Central. But, I, too got to be one of them shortly after eighth grade graduation.
You can also listen to Rhonda’s audio version of this segment: Growing Up In Chicago Austin – Jr. High School Dances, etc.
to be continued….
December 24th, 2011 at 10:15 am
Wonderful insight into how you spent your youth. Wish I knew you then so we could “hang” together. I saw a lot of my own childhood in your writing. I very much look forward to reading more…..
December 24th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Brings back so many memories of our youth in Austin. What a wonderful place to grow up. So many great memories.
December 24th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Thanks for your comments, ladies.
December 24th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
I graduated from Spencer School. Went to Austin High School (class of “63. There was no better place to grow up. I still have great friends from the old neighborhood.
December 24th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
That is wonderful! Do you have any stories you would like to share? We would love to see any pictures you might have also!
December 27th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Reminds me of my childhood I lived near Chicago and Homan, Went to Lucy Flower and took the ACT at Austin HS in 1964. Took the Lake St, EL to Oak Park to work at Walgreens. A great time and so much freedom.
December 27th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Yes, wasn’t transportation with the Lake Street El fantastic! Even got around during the great snow storm of 1967. Although getting there was a pain…..
January 4th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Austin was a great neighborhood to have grown up in.
I worked at Mesirow Drugs from age 13 through college. I believe that I knew almost everyone in the surrounding neighborhood. We had a great soda fountain at Mesirow. The corner was the meeting place for the AZA guys, along with many others. Randalls Restaurant, Carls, Austin Theatre, Diamond Bakery, Cinderella Bowling, etc. Great memories…
January 4th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
We’ll second that thought and Rhonda’s second installment will delve a little deeper into some of her remembrances of her special locations as well. I remember lots of good times with Sherman Levine AZA and the rivalry with the other groups in the area.
Do you have any pictures of these old stompin’ grounds by chance?
Michael
January 5th, 2012 at 6:03 am
Love it..Columbus park was a large part of my life where you had girl scout mtgs, hot house that kept you warm when you ice skated and an older man made you free hot chocolate and helped you lace your skates. Many sport activities in the building. Lawn bowling with the seniors and of course we knew we were home when we saw Lorreta Hospital from the Congress expressway.
January 5th, 2012 at 8:20 am
I too have fond memories of Columbus Park…getting together and playing 16″ softball in the summers was the fondest along with Columbus Park Day Camp! When there were not enough players for a full softball game we played line ball on the tennis courts. Even after graduating high school and college then later working in the Austin area, I would sometimes play tennis with a co-worker on the courts at Adams and Central.
Michael
January 7th, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Renee Langer Abrams
Great neighborhood to grow up in. Diamond Bakery, Burny Bros Bakery, Robert Krinn Dime Store were my stops after school. Cinderella’s for grocery shopping, Diamonds shoe store and of course Bunny’s for hamburgers even though the owner Harold was stingy with the potato chips!
January 8th, 2012 at 6:33 am
Thanks for your updates Renee.
January 18th, 2012 at 2:35 am
This brings back so many wonderful memories. Girl Scouts and drama classes met at Columbus Park, arts and crafts met at Austin Town Hall. I even took swimming lessons at the “Y” on Central. I can still picture the stores that everyone has mentioned on Madison Street
) .
January 18th, 2012 at 6:58 am
No body has mentioned the drug sore on the corner of Madison and Central. What was the name?
January 18th, 2012 at 9:12 am
Mesirow Drugs on the southwest corner of Madison & Central. Had a Soda Fountain in the store.
Across the street on the northwest corner was Stineway Drugs.
January 18th, 2012 at 9:47 am
Thanks Sheldon.
January 27th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Columbus Park Day Camp! I remember an annual hunt for glass pieces in the park. We were cleaning the park up, and having a great time. It was followed by everyone getting a slice of watermelon. Can you imagine the reaction of the community today if kids were asked to pick up pieces of broken glass? I don’t remember anyone getting cut, but it must have happened!
January 27th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Thanks Marianne. I don’t remember picking up glass but I surely remember summers spent at the day camp. Especially the tuna fish rolls our mother made, which took hours. She cut off the ends of the white bread, rolled the pieces flat with a rolling pin, put the tuna on, rolled them up and secured them with tooth picks. She froze them and they thawed for us to eat by the time lunch time rolled around.
Michael
January 28th, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Growing up in Austin was the happiest time of my life as I look back. Went to Emmet, B’nai Israel for Hebrew School and then Austin High, but just for 2 years before we moved north. Boy, was I angry to leave all my friends behind. I will never forget Miss Crunican for 8th grade. To this day I can still recite the 53 prepositions we had to memorize. Would love to reconnect with old friends from that time…
January 28th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
My, oh my, Sharon. Do you remember Miss Bailey and the first accelerated class in the City of Chicago Public School System? Who did you stand next to in your home room picture? (Hint: No, not Helene.)
February 21st, 2012 at 2:07 pm
My uncle, Benny Fagel, had a butcher shop in Austin – no idea where it was or even the name of it. When we lived in Budlong Woods in the late forties and early fifties,once every couple of months my Dad, my sister and I would take a ride out there, and Uncle Benny would send us home with all sorts of meaty goodies. My sister and I loved to play in the sawdust on the floor and go into the big meat locker for a moment or two. One item my Dad often brought home was pickled tongue which I absolutely hated – but in those days you had to eat whatever was put on your plate.
February 21st, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Perhaps someone out there will be able to answer your question Barb.
February 21st, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Barb, the only butcher shop in Austin that I remember was on Central Ave next to an alley and directly across the st. from the Emmett playground. It was called Fine’s Meats. It was next door to “Joe the Shoemaker which was a repair shop. Could this have been your uncle”s? I think a Mr. Fine had two son’s that worked there with him. My mom used to send me there to buy skirt steak. It was really cheap! I believe it was around $.39 lb.
February 22nd, 2012 at 8:38 am
There was a butcher shop on Central between Congress and Jackson across from Columbus Park. I remember this for sure because he was the person who reported me smoking to my mom. His meat was good and I still liked him.
February 22nd, 2012 at 9:56 am
Probably not, I don’t think 3 other men worked there. I will have to go over my research some more. He was my great uncle. I’m not even sure the shop actually was in Austin, though I thought it was. He did have a shop in the 20′s on 1500 Roosevelt Rd. – so I don’t know if that was the same location as his place in the 50′s or not. I do know he lived in Austin in the 40′s and 50′s, as did Al and Bette Jacobson, my aunt and uncle. Thanks for the follow up.
March 1st, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Finkelman’s was the drugstore at the corner of Madison and Lotus. I really feel old remembering that 5 cents bought a coke or a chocolate phosphate at the counter.
March 10th, 2012 at 2:44 am
I remember Mr. Deutsch vividly. Many years later when I volunteered in Northbrook I stopped at Decoma and had a wonderful time going down memory lane with him. I was absolutely amazed that he remembered me and many of my classmates! I laughed out loud when I read Sharon’s comments about the 53 prepositions … in alphabetical order. Once memorized I don’t think it’s possible to forget them.
March 10th, 2012 at 9:45 am
I went to Decoma for 2 or 3 years – about 1953. I have a great photo of my group. I also remember “Uncle Gene” (and “Uncle Miltie”) very well – he was a friend of my dad’s growing up, probably went to Roosevelt with him. Decoma was a great camp, I still see their buses around here in the summer.
March 10th, 2012 at 10:00 am
Perhaps you could share your photo with us Barb….
March 10th, 2012 at 10:33 am
I will try. First I have to dig it out of a box and scan it. I hope to do that in the next couple of days.
March 10th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
If you cannot scan it, we certainly can. And I can furnish a digital file…
March 10th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
What a wonderful walk down memory lane. I’m not Jewish but I grew up on Adams by Lotus in the late 50s to late 60s. To this day I still have almost all Jewish friends. There was something magical about growing up there. Columbus Park was so special and I loved the day camp. I remember Red Devils, Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers, Green Hornets and don’t remember what the blue group was called. I remember Burny Bros. and Finkelman’s and a dime store on Madison by Lotus. I remember walking everywhere day and night as well. I went to Emmet for kindergarten and then transferred to Resurrection. I’m surprised no one mentioned Rambam School where a lot of my friends went. I think it was in a house. I could go on and on. I’m kind of obsessed with Austin because I don’t think it’s possible to visit now. I was told by a policeman not to go there. I would give anything to visit my childhood home and walk around Columbus Park. Thanks, Rhonda, for sharing your story and thanks to all who left comments. Loved the broken glass story. That would never happen today.
March 10th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Thank you for your comments. If you want to submit information about Rambam School or contribute in any other way, please feel free to contact us or call (847) 634-6535.
We do have a contribution on a sub page about Leslie Lewis Elementary School.
March 10th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Michael, I just found this book online that includes a discussion of Austin and the Rambam Day School on page 212.
http://books.google.com/books?id=85k85NhemBgC&pg=PA212&lpg=PA212&dq=rambam+school+austin+neighborhood+chicago&source=bl&ots=OwNz1-KKyo&sig=LpUaaZmgH6iQJDdS2tnUuDYe0YE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4OpbT63FHofaiQK1nZSnCw&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=austin&f=false
March 11th, 2012 at 10:54 am
Thanks Cara. This is actually the online version of Irving Cutler’s book: “The Jews of Chicago….” from Google Books. I have a borrowed version in the house but this is an excellent resource. Unfortunately Cutler does not go into much depth about Rambam or Austin from the excerpts I have read thus far.
March 11th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Hi Michael,
This document refers to Rambam as the Austin Jewish Community Center’s Hebrew School.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:NOL8ME_mpLMJ:chicagojewishhistory.org/pdf/2009/cjh_2009_2.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjRElwWYYzZaHho3UWGBbBkSF7dvdCktUno2ECy-t0xdHvrMVLfkiTEdsvRREyEQ1mHLeeGqKTUe4XNSIytM6Gr2f2iA-IKLTffz-Qp4z0QMvOyewtSzJFCx-aQd__xLLDeVs_w&sig=AHIEtbTm51RiWj8T7VUr0HPXw1GXjPSi-w
He says it was in an old mansion on Adams Street that was converted to classrooms. That’s exactly what I remember. We all called it Rambam.
March 12th, 2012 at 11:58 am
I’m back!
When I referred to the “separate” building for Hebrew School, that was the building. It was an old, old house and classes for Rambam were there during the day. After school it was the AJCC Hebrew School. We were the Emmet kids and we really didn’t know the day school kids. And when I referred to social dancing, it was in the basement of that same building!
March 12th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
If I remember correctly, they were called “coke & jean parties”, every Tuesday or Thursday nights for just a couple of hours.
March 12th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
The AZAs and BBGs had dances there.
March 17th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
I’m very excited to find this site. So many great comments leading to so many great memories. Lived on Lotus and Monroe. Know all fo the places mentioned: Carl’s, Diamond Bakery, Cinderella foods (plus the bowling alley upstairs). Remember Charette’s and Pal Joey’s, both on Madison? Went to Rambam when it was on Adams and then for its final year on Jackson. Does anyone have access to photos of the old mansion on Adams where Rambam was? I once spoke to the publisher of the Austin News, who told me that a lot of the archives were somehow destroyed before they could be digitized. Does this group ever meet in person to share Austin stories? I will always miss it. A truly fantastic neighborhood.
March 19th, 2012 at 10:40 am
Austin was the best!
March 24th, 2012 at 10:55 am
No we don’t meet as of yet. Any suggestions?
March 25th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Wow this is great. I grew up on Quincy and Lotus, went to Emmett and Bnai Isreal. In the article you mentioned Mr Deutsch. He was my gym teacher and I also went to Decoma. It’s still there I pass it often but it’s now Nortbrook and back then it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere in the woods. Thanks
March 25th, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Cannot believe I have found this thread. I lived in Austin from 1958 (year of birth) through 1969. Resided on Adams between Lotus and Lockwood. Wish for nothing more than to be able to go back, which is unfortunately not really possible these days. Have found photos of my block via Cook County Assessor’s site, which I guess is the next best thing. Love reading the comments mentioning the places that only Austin people would remember, e.g., Diamond Bakery, Mesirow, Carl’s, State Theater, Cinderella, etc. And a special mention to Pal Joey’s (nee Dolly’s Beef House) and Charette’s. @Richard Gold: I also went to Rambam (1962-1968), but your name is not familiar to me. Have been searching for photos of the original school (the aforementioned mansion) but no luck. Very little online re: images and info on the southwest section of Austin, which is strange and frustrating. Richard’s idea of some kind of get-together is interesting. Am guessing that we all live in disparate areas of the city and suburbs – and beyond. Question: Does Spertus have a photo archive section (featuring west side/Austin) that is available to the public? Anyway, thank you all for the comments – really makes me happy to read them. And to echo the sentiment, Austin was one of a kind and amazing.
April 4th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Weren’t we the lucky ones to have grown up in such a remarkable community!
Happy Passover to all!