Historic Train Station and Water Tower, Riverside, IL
Well here we go and not a moment too soon. At the beginning of the year, when we decided to set off on this treasure hunt of creativity in our backyard and beyond, we were very interested in the idea of exploring the real world and sharing it in this online journal. Unfortunately, it was not as easy as just strapping on the old snow shoes, grabbing a camera and heading out into the frigid landscape. Nope, we had to actually first build a virtual world where the stories and pictures of local creative people and places could live.
Happy to say the main geeky work is complete and now we are off. Please join us after the jump for a quick trip through historic Riverside, IL!
Anyone who's been to Riverside knows it is not the most lively place this side of the Des Plaines River. It's a lovely but quiet town just west of Chicago and the very first planned community in the US. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture, the village is a designated historical landmark. All that history however does not guarantee bountiful art and creativity! I did not hold out a lot of hope. After all, I know this place a bit. It is where we live and run our landscape garden design studio.
I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by what I found on this first trek.
The photos above are of the historic landmark Arcade Building in the center of Riverside along the tracks. The building was closed for renovation several years ago and has gone through a couple of owners since which has delayed the building work. The center picture shows the corner where Grumpy's Coffee & Ice Cream Cafe was located for many years until they were forced to move because of the construction.
Vintage photographs of Riverside, Illinois village center. There seems to be snow everywhere I turn! The Arcade Building can be seen towards the center of the bottom photo. It appears to be under construction. Historic photos are courtesy of Grumpy's.
Above top are the new townhouses that were built several years ago on the site pictured in the vintage photo at the bottom. They did a good job capturing the style of the Arcade Building and village center. It's a shame though that they haven't been able to sell many of the units because of the recession.
Having discovered the downtown area I drive through almost daily, I journeyed on. Not far, even on snow and ice, is another local landmark. The Tomek House is one of the most famous homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright who lived and worked in Oak Park, Illinois. He was a legendary creative but I'm hoping to find artists living and working currently. I moved on.
On the way back into town I passed this handsome Victorian and a good example of some of the beautiful old homes in Riverside. It is just across the boulevard from the Tomek house so must have really irritated Lloyd Wright while he was working in the area because he did not appreciate the showy Victorian style at all.
At this point, rather than art and design, what I really needed by was a hot drink. So I headed to Grumpy's new location. I have not been to the coffee shop much since their move. It is sort of the wrong side of town for me. Owner David Moreau is pictured here in warmer days. While sampling a tasty latte, I noticed that since moving from his old location by the train station, David has filled his place with art and crafts for sale. He has quite a variety including things like greeting cards, jewelery and hand-knitted items. He's done a great job finding attractive handmade products. Grumpy's serves sandwiches & pastries and is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in town.
Grumpy's Coffee & Ice Cream Cafe, 35 East Burlington Street, Riverside, IL 60546, Phone: 708-443-5603
ADDED TO ITINERARY:
Grumpy's also has many interesting pictures hanging on the walls. Some are for sale. I spotted paintings by two local artists I'm not familiar with but who appear to do excellent work. Their names are Walter Monastyretsky and Susan Hong-Sammons. I will be taking a closer look into their artwork and hopefully sharing what I find here in future posts.
Let us know of any local artists, craftsmen, people or places you know that should be included in our ongoing search and please stop back soon to see where the journey takes us next.
