Uptown Chicago Resources
Vintage postcard of the Norman Hotel. Image courtesy CRCC collection.
Uptown Chicago: Norman Hotel
Wilson Avenue at Beacon Street
The 12-story Norman Hotel was built as a residential hotel in 1929. It was designed by Albert S. Hecht, who was known for his hotels and apartments as well as his exquisite use of terra cotta. The Norman is the only highrise building west of Broadway in Uptown and has unobstructed views of both the Chicago skyline and Graceland Cemetery. In 1988, it was acquired by Holsten Property Rehab Corporation; it was their first million-dollar rehabilitation project. The Norman was converted from a transient apartment hotel to a fully rehabbed building with 153 units for low-income tenants.
The back of the postcard pictured here reads:
The Norman Hotel: Corner of Wilson Avenue and Beacon Street, Heart of Uptown Chicago’s only residential section. Near exclusive shops, department stores, theatres, and churches. Unexcelled transportation—Uptown Elevated Station, Broadway, Clark, Montrose, and Lawrence surface lines about two blocks. Busses No. 53 & 56 pass the door.
