Peterson Avenue: A cynic might say it’s where Prairie style went to die, and I’d say, yes and an honorable death. The mid-century buildings on this commercial strip range from late moderne to proto-post modern, with lots of typical Mid Century Modern buildings in between, all showing a range of Prairie influences.
Peterson, from Western Avenue west to Central Park Avenue, is a case where economic stagnation (as opposed to decline) might be the best preservative for under-valued architecture. I doubt whether Peterson was ever a hot neighborhood, and it’s hardly hot now. But it’s also not falling apart. There may be vacancies, but there still seem to be plenty of professional buildings that contain tenants.
Unfortunately, buildings have been slowly disappearing, including a couple pictured below. Even if the pace is slow, redevelopment marches on. So enjoy it here, and if you are in the area, enjoy it directly while you can.
Read the Chicago Sun-Times editorial from December 2020: Preserve — don’t demolish — Peterson Avenue’s unique modernist streetscape