Chicago has always been a city defined by its architecture. It's famous for its skyline, neighborhoods, and rich history. But beyond the iconic buildings and skyline, there is another level of detail that is often overlooked.

Doorways of Chicago offers a new and colorful perspective of Chicago through one of those overlooked details: its doorways. In this collection of more than 100 photographs, Ronnie Frey, photographer and creator of the popular instagram account @doorwaysofchicago, captures doorways, cornices, arches, and façades that help quietly shape Chicago's visual identity. 

Including more than 40 neighborhoods including Bronzeville, Uptown, Lincoln Park, and Gold Coast, as well as ten stories behind some of the city's most iconic doorways, Doorways of Chicago offers a unique perspective on Chicago's design and history, leaving readers inspired to appreciate the quiet beauty throughout the city. 

Meet Ronnie Frey

Ronnie Frey is the creative visionary behind the popular Instagram account @doorwaysofchicago, a visual archive that elevates the mundane into the magnificent. With a keen eye for detail and a deep love for Chicago’s layered architectural history, Ronnie captures more than just doors and buildings—he captures atmosphere, memory, and soul. From the gritty to the pretty, nothing is too ordinary to catch his attention. 

What began as a spontaneous photograph of a small, bright blue door in the UK has grown into a full-fledged artistic journey. On his first trip to England, a vivid door in a prison-like stone wall near the Royal Citadel in Plymouth stopped him cold. Despite jet lag and rain, he returned alone, umbrella flipping inside out, determined to capture it. That photo wasn’t just a moment. It was a calling. 

Back in Chicago, he began seeing the city differently. On lunch breaks, he wandered historic neighborhoods, snapping doorways, cornices, arches, and façades—details many overlook. Within a few months, @doorwaysofchicago was born. 

Doorways of Chicago began with a single photograph of a bright blue door in England. What was it about that moment that stayed with you and changed how you started seeing doorways around you?

I had been following the Instagram account @doorwaysofparis for a while (my original inspiration) and was completely drawn to how bold and colorful the doors felt. Chicago, by contrast, is much more restrained. Brick, stone, heavy surrounds. So, on this trip to Plymouth, UK, when I spotted a bright blue doorway set into the Royal Citadel, a very austere, almost prison-like structure, it stopped me cold. That contrast made me want to see things differently.

After returning to Chicago, you began photographing doorways during lunch breaks while walking through different neighborhoods. What did you start noticing about the city once you began looking at these details more closely?  

I was struck by just how different and magnificent Chicago’s doorways were. Every neighborhood seemed to have its own signature style. But almost every exploration trip also revealed something quirky or unexpected that would stop me in my tracks.

Essanay Studios - Uptown. Photo taken by Ronnie Frey.

One of the most memorable was the doorway at the old Essanay Studios in Uptown. The first time I saw it, I remember thinking, “What the hell is that?!” It was so unusual compared to everything around it. Years later, I learned the Chicago movie history behind it.  That discovery eventually made its way into my Oldtown walking tour when I realized one of the studio’s founders had lived on N. Crilly Court in that neighborhood. It ended up feeling like a perfect full-circle moment.

Your photographs capture much more than doors… they include arches, cornices, façades, and other architectural details. What draws you to these overlooked elements of buildings?

First of all, it was a super fun way for me to recall all the knowledge I gained during architectural history courses I took while studying interior design in college. What I quickly noticed was that Chicago doorways are rarely delicate. Limestone, brick, and terra cotta all do the work of both structure and storytelling. They feel grounded, engineered, and intentional, even when they are ornate.

You see it in the deep reveals, the thick surrounds, and the way the doorway feels carved out of the building rather than applied to it. There is a sense of permanence that reflects the city itself. Even when there is decorative flourish, it is usually anchored by solid materials and strong proportions.

University of Chicago - Hyde Park. Photo taken by Ronnie Frey.

That combination of toughness and beauty feels uniquely Chicago to me. These doorways were built to last, to withstand weather, time…and fires! And yet they still manage to be expressive. They do not just invite you in. They firmly stand their ground.

Through your Instagram account @doorwaysofchicago, you’ve built a community around noticing something beautiful hiding in plain sight. What has surprised you most about how people respond to these images?

I am always delightfully surprised by the myriad of stories that people tell when they are looking through my images. That is the real icing on the cake for me is that my photography allows me to paint a picture, tell a story, deliver a message, and strike a chord. It can spark emotions, bring back memories, and even act as inspiration to see things differently.

In addition to photographing Chicago, you also lead walking tours that share the stories behind many of these places. How does storytelling influence the way you photograph a doorway?

This may not be what you would expect to hear, but for me, it almost always starts visually. I notice a doorway because something about it stops me. It might be extravagant or grand. It might be quirky. It might be the patina, the scale, or a detail that feels slightly off in the best way. That initial pull is purely visual. The historical layer comes later. Once I am home editing, I start looking up addresses, digging into archives, and learning the stories behind what I photographed. 

So, while I do love history and storytelling, the photograph itself is almost always driven by instinct and aesthetics first. The history deepens the image afterward, but it rarely dictates the shot.

Garfield Park Fieldhouse - Garfield Park. Photo taken by Ronnie Frey.

What do you hope readers see or feel when they encounter a doorway in their own neighborhood?

Doorways resonate for me because they sit right at the threshold between public and private life. They mark a pause. A moment of transition. For me, doorways carry a double meaning. They are literal entrances into buildings, but they are also portals into another chapter of life, another mood, or even meditation and a different way of seeing.

Residential - Oldtown. Photo taken by Ronnie Frey.

So, when I lead tours, I tell people that my hope for them is to find the “off button” to their minds. To set aside thoughts about the past or the future and be fully present for what they are going to learn and discover…to meditate, so to speak. Doorways naturally invite that kind of presence. You stop. You notice. You linger for just a second longer than you normally would.

I think that is why the work connects with so many people. A doorway asks you to slow down and imagine what is on the other side, but also to fully experience where you are standing right now and that moment. That combination of curiosity and mindfulness is something people seem to crave, whether they realize it or not.

Doorways of Chicago will be available May 5th. Pre-order your copy today.