[nkrisc]

I don't know if this was during the same time period or not, but in some parts of the city (mostly residential or smaller commercial areas) they didn't bother raising the buildings, they just built the streets up higher and added flying walkways from the new sidewalk height to the new front entrances on the second story of the houses. Many of them had stairs that went down to the old ground level and I think in most of them they had been converted to separate apartments.

My dad's small commercial building in Pilsen looked normal, but if you peeked into the holes in the sidewalk out front you could see a vaulted space underneath where the old sidewalk used to be, which was kind of unnerving when you realized the sidewalk was crumbling. You could even access it from the basement of his building (which I suppose used to be the ground level?), but he never let me go down there as a kid.

I also know of one or two old homes from around this time period in the neighborhood I grew up in (which wasn't part of Chicago at this time) that were later moved off what became the main avenue through the area to new locations about a block away. I think that happened much later though.

[joezydeco]

My family is originally from the Pilsen neighborhood, you can see examples all over the place of houses lower than the street.

Example: https://maps.app.goo.gl/F39JxUPZoobGMgiq9

[nkrisc]

I know between Division and North there’s some remaining blocks like that too: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NHriGdh1cvL193487

Though so many are gone now and replaced with new construction.

[phil21]

New construction will generally follow the old footprint as well.

My house was built in 1994 and the lower level is roughly 4ft or so below street/sidewalk/alley grade.

We call ours the basement, but in a 3 flat building in the same footprint it would typically be called a garden apartment as it opens to the same level as my backyard and front 'patio' area.

My garage is built to street grade, so my backyard is sunken about 4ft from the street to the alley. This holds true for all my neighbors on the block, thus water retention isn't quite as horrific as it might sound during heavy rains. Lots of sump pumps on the block that are 100% required during storms, but strangely mine had none installed and it's been fine.

Utilities (sewer) run about 1 foot or so under my foundation to the street, where they are about 5-6ft deep under the street if they need to do work.

New construction (tear downs) will typically build below street grade as well since you get an extra floor (4 stories vs. 3) for your new home while remaining under the zoning height restrictions for the neighborhood.

[selectodude]

It’s a lot broader than that. Goes at least to Fullerton.

[joezydeco]

I had a relative that lived in this house in Ukranian Village. It's kind of cute how it resisted any change for 100+ years.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jUL4G1DJXfqEggoz8

[nkrisc]

I love houses like that. There are (or were, when I was in high school), quite a few like that in Logan Square and a shrinking number in Lakeview as well that I remember fondly from decades ago. There were even a few like that on an Irving near Damen that I think finally went away, sandwiched between the standard brick and limestone condos. There’s lots of houses like that all over city but those in the gentrifying neighborhoods that I spent a lot of time in stand out to me.