Some of the most redeeming physical features of Chicago’s North Shore suburban enclaves—I mean, besides expansive views of Lake Michigan, the splendiferous Ravinia Festival, wide open green spaces, network of scenic bike paths, world-class Botanic Gardens and densely wooded ravines and forest preserves—are its magnificent mid-century modern homes, or what remains of them, lodged like precious stones between the faux Tudors, ungepatchked Georgians, Heinz 57s, and, in all fairness, real pre-war mansions, that line Sheridan Road and its arteries from Green Bay Road to the cliffs above the shore.

I say what remains of them out of fear that many of these architectural treasures have been torn down in recent years to make way for a whole lot-o-lot-line-to-lot-line hooey. It’s a shame.

These well-planned, organically-built homes (vintage 1945-65) are more or less an extension of Frank Lloyd Wright’s site-specific Prairies, combined with International (Scandinavian) and Bauhaus influences. They are stylistically pretty simple, usually small-d democratic in scale, and decidedly more fun and modern than the standard issue tract home in which I grew up in Southern California. (Ironically, mid-century is often referred to as California Modern.) Huge windows, open floor plans, a functional flow, and, sometimes, state-of-the-art energy efficiency are also characteristic of this breed.

I believe it’s precisely because mid-century modern homes were conceived so thoughtfully that their staying power has been so great. Still, there are those among us that have no interest in living in one, or joining Preserve L.A. or the Atomic Age Alliance or one of many other preservation groups. You know what? They probably don’t share our passion for all things modern and contemporary either.

And they’re certainly not reading this.