i like old houses in urbana.  they are, literally, home to me.

before i was born, some of the best ones were knocked down to make way for garish apartment buildings.  during my lifetime, others were knocked down to make way for garish apartment buildings.

the city of urbana has recognized the mistakes of previous administrations, and takes a less eager approach to new apartments. 

carolyn baxley, dan folk et al urbana development group people are now in the business . . . well, the non-profit . . . of rehabing old urbana homes, so they don’t get knocked down and made into garish apartment buildings.

bravo to them.

Assembly hall is pretty big, but they’re planning on gutting that to make it better in the next year or two.

The coolest buildings are the ones that still have really cool stories attached to them.

The building that Pogo studios is in has some good back story to it. Apparently it was a Speakeasy back in the days of prohibition.
When the coppers would come by everyone would just poor into the alley and stand around causally.

I also like a lot of the old places in Urbana. The apartment I’m living in now has been owned by the same guy for the last 30 or 40 years and it’s actually been very well cared for. It’s got a really nice homey style to it that you just don’t get in some of those super modern sardine can apartments going up all over…

You gotta be kidding me guys—the Assembly Hall? Please.

Give me the Orpheum Theatre and the Virginia Theatre—the only masterpieces of architecture left in Champaign.

don’t have a favorite. urbana free library original building, historic lincoln (run down i know, but still worthy of comment), st. patrick’s church, holy cross church, the church next to the library and historic lincoln, courier cafe, all the old brick apartment buildings in both cities. oh yeah, and krannert center. UHS! UHS! i’m curious to know about people’s opinion on specific streets or blocks in both cities too. i also agree with everything everyone else said as well, except, while not an expert at all, i think we probably have a few more architectural masterpieces than two theatres. no offense Jamie. they are fine building though. peace.

The Sandwells building on Walnut St. in downtown Champaign. A former department store and now home to Cafe Kopi. I would imagine a few viewers of this site have attended a party or two in the apts on the upper floors. Not historically significant, but I sure got drunk there a hell of a lot.

Foellinger lit up on a summer night. It’s our little pantheon.

I also dig the House of ‘Paign (which is soon to get air conditioning! woo!).

For some reason I have always liked the church on the corner of Green and Matthews. It has this really sleek look to it, while still maintaining some classic cathedral characteristics.

maybe jamie likes only auditoria.  it happens.

but if that’s the case, why not smith music hall?  and how about the rialto?  it’s still in there, somewhere . . . i think.  prolly with some smoke damage, now.

interesting fact… Smith Music Hall has swastikas on the upper brick corners… although, it was built in 1917 - so there is no connection to the Nazis.

Another fun fact! The Assembly Hall was presented by Max to his architecture professor and he was told it would fail.

I love fun facts.

I no longer live in C-U, but keep up with things through various blogs. I visited a few weeks ago and was left with an empty feeling. There is so much that has been lost, replaced by faceless, out-of-scale monstrosities. Green Street and M2 are the most notable offenders, to say nothing of some recent university buildings.

This most recent fire breaks my heart. I hope the downtowns can hold onto as much as possible. The area risks becoming a slum of expensive mediocrity.

I love the little Italianate on Market Street, just north of Pogo.  I worry about it terribly.

401 California RIP