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UNDERSTAND ITS HISTORY, ENJOY ITS REVIVAL
Rainbo Village takes its name from the Rainbo Gardens, which occupied the North Clark Street site
after the end of World War I. Rainbo Gardens was most recently used as a roller rink, but during its
history served as a turn-of-the-19th century roadhouse, a picnic grove, speakeasy, pleasure garden
and rock-n-roll venue. |
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| The different sections of Rainbo Village pay homage to these earlier uses. |
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THE ROUGE GARDEN RESIDENCES
These homes reflect the location’s distant past as the Moulin Rouge Gardens, a roadhouse cateing to late nineteenth and early twentieth century travelers. In the early days, the roadhouse featured
a restaurant, tavern, picnic grove and hitching posts. Later, the owners added a two-story beer
hall, bowling alley, live entertainment and an outdoor dance floor. |
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THE KINETIC LOFTS
The sounds of the 1960s were played at the Kinetic Playground, which sat where these lofts will
stand. From the Rolling Stones to the Who and Led Zeppelin, the
Kinetic Playground was the premier underground venue for the flower power generation. For a short time, the venue was also known as
the Electric Theatre. |
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THE RAINBO TOWNHOMES
For much of the 20th century, the Rainbo Gardens was one of Chicago’s leading entertainment
venues. After World War I, owners Fred and Al Mann lured visitors with a lively mix of
vaudeville, jazz, sports, dance and drinks. The Rainbo survived Prohibition and the Depression, but was
severely neglected in its later years. A terra cotta arch preserved from the façade will stand at the
center of Rainbo Village. |
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