Project: LOOP

If you travel north on Lincoln Avenue, past Foster (around 5000 N and above) you will notice the strange plethora of motels dotting the side of the road. Not hotels, or even “modern” motels, like Best Westerns or Motel 6s, but genuine independently-owned motels built in the 50s and 60s.

I discovered “Motel Row,” as it’s called, by accident. I was trying to find some store in Skokie and inadvertently drove down N. Lincoln. I became fascinated with the hidden strip of motels that seemed to recall a bygone era, with their partially burnt-out neon signs and 50s style architecture, and names like The Diplomat, The Patio, and The Apache. So I decided to do a little research and found out some pretty interesting stuff.

Motel Row is a relic of the era when Lincoln Avenue — also known as U.S. Route 41 — was the main artery from Chicago to Milwaukee. After the 1951 opening of the Edens Expressway, middle-class travelers eventually migrated to the big motel chains near the interstate.

The Spa Motel (which is now torn down) was one of the most well-known and became a legendary lodging place for musicians and bands passing trough Chicago while on tour. The Spa Motel stood at 5414 N. Lincoln and hosted everyone from TheRamones to Anthrax to Paul Revere and the Raiders.

In recent years the motels along North Lincoln Avenue have garnered a reputation as havens for drug dealing and prostitution, earning the area the nickname of Sin Strip. As a result, the city has slowing been acquiring each one and tearing them down, making way for condos and offices. However, there are a few still standing (if only for a little while), including the Patio Motel, located at 6250 N Lincoln. They charge $65.00 per day, or $32.00 for three hours (don’t think I need to explain that one).

So if you’re feeling like experiencing a nostalgic (yet admittedly creepy) trip into the past, take a drive up Lincoln Avenue and visit “Motel Row.” Here’s a map.