Then and Now, Elston-Diversey

We are at one of Chicago’s famed triple intersections, where Elston cuts through the junction of Western and Diversey. Traffic was still light in 1916. Most people depended on streetcars to get around the city—one of them is visible coming up Elston. And check out the barber pole on the lower right corner of the photo.

In our time the Kennedy Expressway parallels Elston a few blocks to the west. With more Chicagoans driving their own cars, this stretch of Elston no longer has public transit, though there is talk of restoring buses on a trial basis. In any case, there will probably always be a few barber shops in the neighborhood.

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