Parking in the Lakeview area has been variously described as “a nightmare,” “the worst thing this side of torture,” “a pain in the ever-lovin’ . . . ” and other terms not suited for a family newspaper.
Parking in Lakeview has never been described, until one recent Sunday afternoon, as “an artistic experience.”
This came from a 58-year-old lawyer named Hal Halberton, who was wheeling his black Cadillac into a most unusual and beautiful garage near the corner of Belmont Avenue and Sheridan Road.
The garage is in what was originally The Belmont Hotel, and is now, after a short time as a residence for retirees, the Belmont House, an upscale rental apartment building.
The garage, which can be entered through doors on Sheridan just south of Belmont, was once the hotel’s 5,000-square-foot ballroom.
The ceiling, with its blue sky and puffy white clouds, has been painted over now, but you can still see its bas-relief figures: parrots, leaves, bare-breasted ladies.
“It’s a lovely thing,” said 61-year-old Sally Berhens, parking her gray Mercedes. “I remember dancing in this room.”
There are a lot of memories surrounding the place. When it opened in 1924, it was among the city’s most luxurious buildings. It was a stop for out-of-town celebrities. It was, for a time, the home of the late Clara Peller, she of the “Where’s the beef?” commercials for Wendy’s.
There is a long waiting list for monthly parking, which will set you back $180.
Grandeur comes and goes. But a decent parking place is always hard to find.
