Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Bike Tour of Irving Park to Highlight Architectural Gems

By Patty Wetli | April 18, 2014 8:00am
 Schurz High School will be among the highlights of a bike tour of Irving Park.
Schurz High School will be among the highlights of a bike tour of Irving Park.
View Full Caption
Flickr/Eric Allix Rogers

IRVING PARK — Pedal through history on a bike tour of Irving Park, as the neighborhood's story is told not through its people, but its buildings.

The route begins Saturday at Horner Park, 2741 W. Montrose Ave., and will wind its way through The Villa, a registered National and City Historic Landmark, and Independence Park, while passing architectural gems such as Carl Schurz High School, designed by Dwight Perkins, the architect responsible for many of Chicago's most memorable public buildings.

Originally a suburb of Chicago, Irving Park was exempt from the post-Chicago Fire ban on wood-frame construction, resulting in some of the oldest surviving construction in the city.

The tour will be led by Lee Diamond, who's been organizing bike tours of Chicago's neighborhoods since 2008. Diamond takes a leisurely approach to his rides, with the 16-mile tour expected to last from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cost is $9 per person, with registration available in advance.

Participants must wear a helmet and sign a waiver at the start of the ride.