essanaydoorway
I'm trying something new this year, possible for the first time because of Google Maps recently adding RSS feeds to every customized map made there; I call it a "placeblog," consisting of photos and write-ups of various random locations around Chicago I visit on my bicycle this summer and fall, only instead of presented by date they're all plotted on a city map, so that you search and browse by location instead of age. I'm originally uploading the photos here at Flickr, so that people can check them out in a normal fashion if they want; and then you can <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2009bikeblog">click here</a> for the actual placeblog/map, or <a href="http://www.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&output=georss&msid=112356573111939317036.000469d4bd545c821ff53">click here</a> for the RSS feed, or simply stop by the main headquarters for all my Chicago bicycle maps at [<a href="http://www.jasonpettus.com/maps/">jasonpettus.com/maps</a>].
Here: One of the still-existing gateways of the old Essanay Studios, pretty much the most famous movie studio Chicago had, back befor the movie industry was based out of Hollywood. Believe it or not, from 1908 to 1915 this nondescript area of Uptown was where hundreds of America's first feature-length films were shot (back when this was little more than rural wilderness), including all the early films of Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, and Bronco Billy. The studio even built a luxury hotel down the street to house all these studio people, a shot of which can also be found in this 2009 bike blog; simply check out the placemark directly to the right (east) of this one.
