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Though it now ends at Morgan Street, the neighborhood of Little Italy once continued east along Taylor Street all the way to Canal Street. The neighborhood was much larger until most of its eastern half was demolished for UIC and the Dan Ryan Expressway. This half, bounded by Halsted, Roosevelt, Canal, and Harrison Streets, has long been interspersed with commercial and industrial buidings. Today, it is dominated by them.
A single residential structure remains in the area, a three-flat near the corner of Polk and Clinton Streets. The ground floor of the building houses the Polk Street Pub which, like its neighbor Scarlett's Gentelman's Club, never appears to actually be open. The building itself probably fit into its surroundings very well when it was built. Any ornament it would have had has long been removed, most notably the cornice. The ground floor is painted in color scheme reminiscent of an avocado. We have not found any data regarding the age of the building, nor do we know if the upper floors are inhabited.
 Two views of the corner of Taylor and Desplaines. The area has a deserted industrial park feel. The large brick building in the right of the right image is the Chicago Fire Academy, built on the location where the great Chicago Fire began. 
 Cabrini and Jefferson, two views as well. Most of this area is zoned Downtown Service and contains many city buildings, substations, and warehouses, in addition to a new retail development at Canal and Roosevelt. 
 Left: Desplaines Street facing north with the Presidential Towers in the background. Right: Through this area, the Dan Ryan Expressway runs in between Halsted and Desplaines streets. Attractive, as you can see. Keep in mind, this used to be a neighborhood.
 Left: Some nice belgian block paving on Vernon Park behind the new county courthouse. We wonder if the wall surrounding the parking lot was formerly a building. Right: A fading sign for an asbestos company. Do you think they made asbestos cloth? 
 Left: If I find a business to be objectionable, I have no qualms about mentioning it here. The repair shop in this image tried to rip this author off. This is the corner of Polk and Jefferson, the old main post office is commanding from this vantage point. Right: Speaking of the old post office, it was being used as a set for a new Batman movie at the time these images were taken. The empty lot that used to be Dante school was being used to house a number of classic vehicles, undoubtedly for Batman as well. 
 Polk at Desplaines, looking west and east respectively. 
 The little house in question. This area used to be filled with 'em. 
 The little whorehouse in question. The fact that they advertise as an "Adult Cabaret & Grill" is amusing. Would anyone go here simply to eat lunch? To grab a burger? Even though these places are shady, they are becoming a rare breed. I don't even think this one is open anymore. Maybe this will be the subject of its own page..."The Little Whorehouse That Could'nt?"
Written by Serhii Chrucky. 
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Some priceless images from the area taken by Charles Cushman in 1949. The house on the left side of the top image stood at 558 DeKoven Street, where the great Chicago Fire started. This is obviously not Mrs. O'Leary's barn, but a mansard roofed three-flat probably built in the late 1870's. It is barely visible, but I think there is a plaque on the house indicating the site's historical importance.
At left is St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, built in 1865. Though it was at ground zero of the Great Fire, Desplaines and DeKoven, it survived. However, it did not survive Daley's demolition machine.