The Wizard of Oz was one of the first movies I ever remember as a kid. To this day it remains one of my favorites. It was based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and has roots in my hometown, Chicago.
© Jack Keenan
Chicago is honoring those roots by installing a yellow brick road in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Baum resided in the near-northwest neighborhood while writing his book in 1899. The yellow brick road will span 70 linear feet and eventually be accompanied by a 5-foot-tall, 11-foot-long Oz-themed mural created by Chicago artist Hector Duarte.
Born in New York, Baum moved to Chicago in 1891. He was inspired by children playing in nearby Oz Park.
Along with the yellow brick road, nonprofit developer Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation recently rehabbed nine units of affordable housing on the block, one of which sits exactly on the site of Baum’s former residence at 1667 N. Humboldt Blvd. Bickerdike CEO Joy Aruguete said Baum’s message of “there’s no place like home” is an important theme for the neighborhood.
© Jack Keenan
The Oz tribute is getting a huge and positive reaction from area residents and all over social media. It is quickly becoming an attraction for visiting travelers and Chicagoans, including me. I even followed the yellow brick road down the block to Humboldt Park, where I was happy to see children playing despite chilly temperatures.
To me, there really is no place like Chicago. “There is no place like home!”
— John Wroblewski, online writer
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