Doorways Of Chicago

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Doorways Of Chicago Photography lets me paint a picture, tell a story, deliver a message, and strike a chord.

So fun taking my grandson Oscar to the new last night and snagging a Dumbledore wand for him! What a great store!
19/07/2025

So fun taking my grandson Oscar to the new last night and snagging a Dumbledore wand for him! What a great store!

Happy Heavenly 97th birthday, Dad…whatcha doin’ up there?…really miss you!
18/07/2025

Happy Heavenly 97th birthday, Dad…whatcha doin’ up there?…really miss you!

Wicker Park Walking Tour This Saturday July 19 at 11 am.❗️Almost sold out❗️3 spots left.🗣️ You can catch all of these ar...
18/07/2025

Wicker Park Walking Tour This Saturday July 19 at 11 am.

❗️Almost sold out❗️3 spots left.

🗣️ You can catch all of these architectural gems
—and hear the wild, wonderful stories behind them—on my Wicker Park Walking Tour! We stroll right past Beer Baron Row and so much more, with plenty of time for photos, design talk, and juicy backstories.

🔗 Book your spot at the link in my bio or visit doorwaysofchicago.com
📅 Multiple dates available and also new evening tour times!

Come for the architecture, stay for the drama. Trust me—this is one tour you don’t want to miss.
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Carl Street StudiosW. Burton Place – Oldtowncirca 1927–1930Tucked behind custom-designed iron gates on a quiet stretch ...
13/07/2025

Carl Street Studios
W. Burton Place – Oldtown
circa 1927–1930

Tucked behind custom-designed iron gates on a quiet stretch of West Burton Place sits one of Chicago’s most magical architectural ensembles. Originally a three-story Victorian mansion, the home was reimagined in the late 1920s by artist Edgar Miller and architect Andrew Rebori—brought to life through the vision and backing of developer Sol Kogen.

Together, they transformed it into Carl Street Studios, an artists’ enclave defined by imagination, experimentation, and meticulous handcrafting. Miller led a team of artisans, including the talented Jesús Torres, to create a space where no two doorways, windows, or walls were alike.

Each doorway was hand-carved, with custom-designed handles, lock plates, and mailboxes that turned everyday elements into sculptural delights. Hand-fired ceramic and mosaic tiles weren’t limited to the interiors—they spilled onto the sidewalk, offering a vivid preview of the artistry inside.

Wood was salvaged, iron repurposed, tile cut and set by hand. Arched passageways, curving staircases, stained glass, and carved reliefs blended influences—from Old World folk traditions to Chicago’s own Art Deco and Arts and Crafts movements—into a space that feels more organic than planned.

Carl Street Studios wasn’t meant to be mass-produced. It was a place where artists lived inside their work.

A century later, its private courtyards and expressive façades remain one of Chicago’s most enduring testaments to collaborative creativity and handcrafted design—an architectural love letter, hidden away and daring you to find it.

Wicker Park Walking Tour Sunday 7/13 at 11 am.❗️Almost sold out❗️4 spots left.🗣️ You can catch all of these architectura...
11/07/2025

Wicker Park Walking Tour Sunday 7/13 at 11 am.
❗️Almost sold out❗️4 spots left.

🗣️ You can catch all of these architectural gems
—and hear the wild, wonderful stories behind them—on my Wicker Park Walking Tour! We stroll right past Beer Baron Row and so much more, with plenty of time for photos, design talk, and juicy backstories.

🔗 Book your spot at the link in my bio or visit doorwaysofchicago.com
📅 Multiple dates available and also new evening tours!

Come for the architecture, stay for the drama. Trust me—this is one tour you don’t want to miss.
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*
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Twin blue doors with gargoyle-ish figures on either side…gotta love some fab Gothic architecture! And there aren’t that...
08/07/2025

Twin blue doors with gargoyle-ish figures on either side…gotta love some fab Gothic architecture! And there aren’t that many colorful doorways in Chicago so when I find some I am delighted!

👯TWIN TUESDAY👯
📍N. Wells - Oldtown
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Heritage Hill in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of the largest urban historic districts in the entire United States. Thr...
05/07/2025

Heritage Hill in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of the largest urban historic districts in the entire United States. Threatened with destruction by the city’s various urban renewal plans of the 1960s, residents successfully fought to save their neighborhood.

The result was the preservation of Michigan’s largest and finest collection of 19th and early 20th-century houses. Nearly every style of American architecture, from Greek Revival to Prairie, is represented in the 1,300 buildings that date from 1844.

✈️🏖🚗🚊
➕WEEKEND WANDERING➕
🌏travel edition🌏
📍Heritage Hill Historic District




Address

MI

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 05:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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+12484700808

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The Doorways Of Chicago Story

In February of 2017, I took a short work trip to London and Plymouth, England. When we arrived in Plymouth it was cold, windy and rainy. Out of the rain-drenched bus window, I spotted a tiny bright blue door in the wall of the Royal Citadel. This bright blue portal stood out like a sore thumb because the massive stone wall was very tall and had a prison-like appearance. While my colleagues went to their rooms to nap from the jet lag, I braved the wind and freezing rain to walk back to the citadel. While juggling the umbrella, which at this point turned inside out, I frantically dug my phone out of my pocket and managed to snap a few pictures. The thought crossed my mind that I must be OUT OF MY MIND to be doing this. I never got my nap...but I got the blue door picture!

I returned home from England and as early spring arrived in my own city I started taking walks as I often do to enjoy the beautiful architecture of Chicago. One day on my lunch hour, I stumbled upon a red door at the St. James Cathedral in River North. I took a picture of it. Now I had two door photos - one blue & one red. Then I started snapping pics of gorgeous doorways in Chicago and posting them on my personal Instagram feed. A few months later, having assembled a hefty collection of doors photos, I decided to start my own Instagram doorway account and @doorwaysofchicago was born.

Doorways are portals into a more peaceful and meditative state, a delightfully enlightened place of "no thinking". In essence, that means I'm OUT OF MY MIND, which is a good thing because I've learned I am so much more than my mind. Always make sure you find the time to do what you love. Becoming enlightened, living in the moment and training your mind to stop its constant chattering is such a wonderful thing to achieve! It takes some practice but it is SO worth it and becomes easier the more you do it. Free your mind. See clearly. Start living!