If State Street sets the bar high, Astor Street (generally regarded as the defining street of the Gold Coast) has some catching up to do, although I did find some nice touches:
click photos for larger view
The trio of trees is on Astor Street, full and plush. The saplings are in front of an apartment building on Dearborn--young and vigorous. They embody the nature of their streets if you ask me.
This nutcracker is on a side street, and I almost missed him, tucked into the porch corner:
A very nicely appointed urn on Astor:
I think maybe this home is just starting to get things ready:
The stunning ironwork fencing of this home on Astor Street is unadorned, but the garden area has a wonderful japanese maple dressed with enormous green baubles:
Palm Court, as I think this building is called, lives up to its moniker with live palm trees flanking an entrance. How they survive Chicago winter, I don't know. This building is always over the top, as are the interiors which I spied one night while walking home:
The enthusiasm with which the front of this home is decorated is so great and energetic that it almost wins me over, but it seems truly out of place on Astor Street:
I particularly like the front wreath:
This home on Scott Street is a corner lot, always nicely appointed. I've always loved the red door color but it looks a little muddled next to the winterberry. As Diane Vreeland is famous to acknowledge, red is a difficult color to choose:
This high-rise on Dearborn is an exception to the rule, they've gone all-out, even overboard. At night, I'm sure the lights can be seen from space.
From a distance I saw these purple orbs and thought I wasn't going to like the decorations. Up close, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite, just beautifully done:
This is the home with the lifesize butler (though a gruesome one) standing at the front door during Halloween. For this holiday season they've cheered us with delightful penguins:
A different angle to the penguin home front:
And this home of Dearborn is an understated winner:
An anchor of decoration on Dearborn is always this home; this past Halloween it hosted the fifteen foot Frankenstein, today we have a nutcracker and glorious tree:
The blue pansies are a hope of spring, maybe?
This festive holiday urn greets me upon my arrival home:
5 comments:
Very pretty and very tasteful; they mostly run to giant inflatable Santas and snowmen around here...shudder.
LJB
LJB, I remember when the inflatables first came out, and I loved them. I still sort of do. We don't really have all that much space here in the city though, and the noise would probably drive your neighbor to unsocial behavior--much like a leaf blower. Not that I would know anything about that.
beautiful! I love the multicolored decorations, not just plain old green and red.
And it looks so sunny up there!
Jason, thanks. Yes, we had two very nice sunny days but today a slow rain gray has returned. But it's Christmas season, so that's fine. Could be snow! Fingers crossed for snow!
Joseph, I think that there's a very good chance that you'll get snow in Chicago - fingers crossed or not.
I really like the colored nutcracker but haven't decided if I like the varnished wood one. I miss American Christmas decorations. French ones are nice but American ones are better. They're more festive.
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