Miss my bungalow

[Curious George]

Growing up we called it Proska Park, but later we found out it was pronounced Proksa Park.  "Its a German word that means: whales va****", oh sorry wrong park.

[Boris]

The Park was named after Grzegorz Proksa, a Polish middleweight champion.



http://www.britishboxing.net/boxers_64987-Grzegorz-Proksa.html

[jqpublic]

The Park was named after Grzegorz Proksa, a Polish middleweight champion.

Actually it was named after Joe Proksa, he was the park's superintendent way back when.

[Bonster]

The Park was named after Grzegorz Proksa, a Polish middleweight champion.

Actually it was named after Joe Proksa, he was the park's superintendent way back when.

Actually it was named after Gertrude Proksa, who was murdered in the park. 
Occasionally you'll see her hitching rides on the side streets, disappearing after getting into your car, a la Resurrection Mary.

[tony la]

We even get realtors spelling Proksa wrong.  I must say at one time I used to spell it wrong until Schoops corrected me.   Thanks Schoops.  Resident spelling DICK.

[renovatorbear]

Thanks Schoops.  Resident spelling DICK.

I also learned the correct spelling and pronunciation as a result of my membership here.  Happily, I gleaned the information by reading and not by being grammar dicked.   

[berwynson]

Actually, actually, my Dad worked for a Tool & Die shop during the 1940's named "Eveready Tool and Die"; the owner's name was JOHN PROKSA.

Unknown if he had any connection to Berwyn.

Now, please enlighten me as to where Proksa Park is located? I remember Berwyn Park and Janura.

Thanks.  Berwynson

[jqpublic]

Proksa was Berwyn Park.

http://tinyurl.com/28mewq

[berwynson]

Ah, thank you, jq!  Berwynson

[Shoops]

We even get realtors spelling Proksa wrong.  I must say at one time I used to spell it wrong until Schoops corrected me.   Thanks Schoops.  Resident spelling DICK.

Hey Tony...If I can just get you to spell my screen name here right we'll be doing just fine. I do appreciate you staying on the Proksa spelling wagon. I don't have a phone book handy, but they use to spell it wrong in the phone book also...lol...

[Bonster]

Wait a minute...getting back to the original topic...

16th and Wenonah...tgoddess, any of this ring true by you?

That's also the block hosting this great structure, from the Dormers Gone Bad thread.

[tgoddess]

There's a pretty hideous dormer added onto an English on 18th and Home.  And I know EXACTLY which one on 16th and Wenonah you're talking about.  It's simply GHASTLY.  Whenever I go past it, it's like "What were they thinking?"  It's on top of a Yellow bungalow and the "doublewide" on top is grey.  UGH.  It's got to be one of the LARGEST/UGLIEST ones I've ever seen on a bungalow.    

For the record, I wouldn't mind seeing some preservation ordinances in place.

However, we don't have ANY bungalows on the block of 16th and Home at all; they're all Georgians, Englishes, 3-flats and one "modern" (down on the south corner).   So my particular block is pretty "remuddle-free" or at least they're ones with additions off the back like mine (a 3d bedroom was added and the kitchen was enlarged back in the 60s or so), but at least it's at the back, so it's not ugly/noticeable from the street side.

[Bonster]

I was really wondering more about what she was talking about with respect to her neighbors, which forced her to move.

Or was it you who forced her out by breeding them pitbulls and dumping poopy in her trash bin!?

[tgoddess]

Well, as I've stated before, I've got some serious kick-@ss nice neighbors.  And while I don't know ALL of them on the block (I don't really know anyone from across the street except for one older couple who own one of the three-flats), since, by nature, renters are just more transient, my neighbors are a big part of the reason I'm staying (for now) in Funkytown.  It makes me sad that Alexa felt that she was forced out of a home she loved but scumbags, though, though if I had little kids, I might do the same.  Since it's just me, I tend to be a little more ballsy and willing to be the "crabby old lady" on the block when necessary.

No pits at my house, since they'd eat my little sweetie for a snack.  And my well-mannered little doggy poops only in her OWN yard before we go for any walks to minimize the risk of her having an accident while we're out. (Though I always take plastic bags anyway!)

[littlealexa]

Heehee, you've made me laugh.  Even though I sold my bungalow and moved to the DD, I still have roots in Funkytown (or as some realtors refer to that area as the Gold Coast).  Hubby lived a long time on 2100 Kenilworth.  Since we married, that is now my property too, I assume.  So we still have a 2 flat + garden apt. in the area, which we constantly check up on, we aren't letting go of it, it has charm.  We couldn't move there cause it was all tenant occupied when we sold our house.  Didn't want to kick anyone out, we have great great tenants, so we tend to bend over backwards for them.

In terms of the pitbulls, glad tgoddess has a little dog like mine; mine also would have been a live snack for the pits. 

I recall a young professional couple with 1 little girl sold their house shortly after we moved in, they had a garage sale and they told us they were moving.  Looked nervous and the like, apparently lived there for less than 2 years, were going to be renting in Chicago until they found something better.  Not sure if by better they meant "better neighbors, schools or what".  Red flag there huh, they moved and then we moved.  Go figure...perhaps I could have tolerated it with a "hear nothing see nothing attitude".

Anyways, tgoddess continue to patrol your street and make sure your street doesn't go to the thugs.

[tgoddess]

Alexa, if I can have ANYTHING to do with it, the "thugs" aren't going to take over MY block.  I can be quite a MEAN crabby old lady when I wanna be!!!   

[Bonster]

littlealexa, that is such a sad, sad story for such a nice block!  And getting sadder with your anecdote about the couple moving out when you moved in!!!  Think about that for a second...it sounds like a few really bad apples ruined the area for the rest, and a nice area at that (minus that nasty dormer, of course).  That sickens me to no end.  It's also quite interesting how the story can change from one half block to another. 

Thankfully, that's an easier situation to deliver a bright future to considering the homes on that block, if I recall.  Continued gentrification, rise in taxes, and some ordinance enforcement and that's back to being desirable for folks like littlealexa and her ex-neighbors.

bleh.

[~LL~]

Alexa, if I can have ANYTHING to do with it, the "thugs" aren't going to take over MY block.  I can be quite a MEAN crabby old lady when I wanna be!!!   

You go, girl!  (And, thanks -- I very much appreciate your kind of 'crabbiness'!)

[berwynson]

The Park was named after Grzegorz Proksa, a Polish middleweight champion.



http://www.britishboxing.net/boxers_64987-Grzegorz-Proksa.html

Can you tell me the process to post a larger than itty-bitty picture? I would like to show a few of the things I do, but the pics are too small to even recognize.  Thanks.  Berwynson

[OakParkSpartan]

Use something  like photobucket.com  or Flickr.com,  and post a link.

All of the messages here are stored in a DB, and attaching photos starts chewing up capacity pretty fast.

Cheers,
Brian