About a week ago, I was strolling down N. Lincoln Avenue when I came across a building that made me wonder if I had just transported back in time. The building was Krause Music Store and it can move even the most stubborn modernist to dream of a time when buildings were intricate and beautiful.

Picture courtesy of Time Out magazine.

Picture courtesy of Time Out magazine.

Here are some details about Krause Music Store which can be found both on a plaque outside the building and on the City of Chicago’s Chicago Landmarks page.

Address: 4611 N. Lincoln Ave.
Year Built: 1922
Architects: William Presto and Louis H. Sullivan (his last commission!)

In attempt to describe to you exactly what it looks like (I love the Time Out picture, but it simply does not do the store front justice), I wrote the following description:

Upon first glance, in broad daylight, Krause Music Store looks like a tiny opera house. The ornate terracotta façade is so perfectly symmetrical and elaborately designed that, despite its actual depth, it looks flat from across the street, even propped up from behind, like something out of a Hollywood set. The building also stands out because of its whitewashed colour. Surrounded by square buildings made of simple red brick, it is like a flash of obsidian among a pile of rocks. At night, the yellow bulbs glowing in the wide, inviting entryway give the clay surface a golden tint.

You really must see this building at night, so I am going to suggest the following itinerary, so you can fit it in after having dinner.

First, grab a pint at Huettenbar (4721 N. Lincoln) in honour of Oktoberfest. This bar is one of the last authentic Germanic bars in Lincoln Square and comes complete with a German staff, long wooden bar and many a German beer on draught.

After you say auf wiedersehen to your bartender, turn left out the arched, wooden doors and look for Krause Music store on your left. If it is still daylight, the lights will have not turned on yet, and you can marvel at the animal carvings in the terra cotta. Then cross the street and head over to Bistro Campagne (4518 N. Lincoln) to tuck yourself into French food served in a luxuriously French countryside atmosphere.

I will be headed to Bistro Campagne tonight and will let you know how it is!!!!

Once you have polished off your dinner, go back to Krause and admire it some more!
Dev xx