Quantcast
Channel: The Chicago Neighborhoods
Viewing all 23 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Chrysler Village

September 6, 2012, 6:13 am
$
0
0
Chrysler Village, a tiny neighborhood in the Clearing community area, is, in some ways, a small-scale former company town that is mainly made up of "sturdy brick single family, duplex and townhouse homes." These homes were built during World War II to house Chrysler Defense Plant workers that were building engines for B29 Bombers at a plant just to the south of the neighborhood. The plant, which later housed the Ford Aircraft Engine Division, was located on the land that is now occupied by the Ford City Mall.
↧
Search

Austin

September 14, 2012, 6:08 am
$
0
0
Austin, first established as a 280-acre subdivision in 1865, has grown into one of Chicago's largest community areas, in both size and population. Originally home to the government seat of the Township of Cicero, Austin became a part of the city in 1899 after "people from other parts of Cicero Township resented the influence and the dominance of Austinites and began an election to have" it annexed into Chicago. Residents of the neighborhood didn't like this, and they fought to maintain an independent identity after annexation. One example of this was the 1929 construction of Austin Town Hall, which was modeled on Philadelphia's Independence Hall. Aided by the presence of street railways and the Lake Street "L" (now the Green Line), Austin was one of the "best-served commuter areas" in the city by 1920. "Commerce in Austin followed transit lines" and the population exploded. The community had more than 130,000 residents living within its borders by 1930, and the area transformed from a village filled with large frame homes into a densely populated area that featured "brick two-flats, small frame houses, and the ubiquitous brick story-and-a-half bungalow." Austin's "nineteenth-century village" feel is not completely gone, though. The "residential core is still visible in the Midway Park area," and it boasts "stately neoclassical and Queen Anne–style homes, many designed by architect Frederick Schock, as well as several structures by Frank Lloyd Wright and his students." One of Austin's other "crown jewels" is Columbus Park, which was designed by Jens Jensen in 1920, and includes "a lagoon, a golf course, winding paths and an imposing refectory overlooking the lagoon. "
↧
↧

Palmer Square

September 20, 2012, 6:11 am
$
0
0
Part of the larger Logan Square community area, Palmer Square is a small neighborhood that shares its name with the park that sits near its western edge. This seven acre park, which is "lined with large, beautiful homes in a variety of architectural styles," is part of Chicago's boulevard system and provides a green link between Humboldt Park to the south and Logan Boulevard to the north.
↧

Fulton River District

October 10, 2012, 5:05 am
$
0
0
"Originally dominated by industry, warehousing and transportation, the Fulton River District became increasingly residential in the early 2000s. Now one of the city's fastest growing neighborhoods, the area has "a unique Chicago vibe–industrial, artistic and residential," and is filled with numerous "functioning meatpacking warehouses that stand side-by-side with newly renovated loft apartments and condos." The neighborhood is also home to one of the city's newest and most vibrant dining scenes. "Many of Chicago’s best and most creative restaurants" came to the area seeking lower rents and "found the unique warehouse and industrial buildings particularly enticing." Some people also refer to the neighborhood as Fulton market. Because of that, I created this alternate version:
↧

Auburn Gresham

November 9, 2012, 5:08 am
$
0
0
The recent history of Auburn Gresham is somewhat similar to that of the areas that surround it: once predominantly Irish Catholic, the racial makeup of the neighborhood quickly changed in the the 1960s and 1970s when African Americans began moving into the area from surrounding communities. Where this neighborhood differs from many others, though, is the fact that the transition was aided by strong community leadership and churches in the neighborhood, most notably St. Sabina. The community was able to make the transition "more peaceful" than in surrounding areas because of this support and leadership, and it had "less of a destructive effect on property values and a less embittering experience for many."
↧
↧

Buy Prints!

November 12, 2012, 5:53 pm
$
0
0
You can now hang your love for your neighborhood on the walls of your home! These fine art prints are made one at a time and are printed on Aurora White Matte paper with highest-quality archival inks. To make it easy, I'm offering these 8" x 8" prints in black, gray, red, blue and green, but please contact me if you'd like a different color or size, and I'll most likely be able to accomodate your request. Have any other questions? Check out the FAQs! *The images below are for illustration purposes only. And sadly, the frame isn't included! ___________________________________________________________________ 8" x 8" Print (Black) – $15 Select Your Neighborhoods (Black Print) Albany Park Andersonville Archer Heights Armour Square Auburn Gresham Austin Avalon Park Avondale Back of the Yards Belmont Cragin Beverly Bowmanville Bridgeport Brighton Park Bronzeville Bucktown Burnside Calumet Heights Canaryville Chatham Chinatown Chrysler Village Clearing Dunning East Garfield Park East Side Edgebrook Edgewater Edison Park Englewood Forest Glen Fuller Park Fulton River District Gage Park Galewood Garfield Ridge Gold Coast Goose Island Greater Grand Crossing Greektown Hegewisch Hermosa Humboldt Park Hyde Park Jackson Park Highlands Jefferson Park Kenwood Lake View Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Little Italy Little Village Logan Square Marquette Park Marynook Mayfair McKinley Park Montclare Morgan Park Mount Greenwood new City Noble Square North Lawndale Northcenter Norwood Park O'Hare Oakland Old Irving Oriole Park Palmer Square Pill Hill Pilsen Portage Park Printers Row Pullman Ravenswood Ravenswood Manor River North Riverdale Rogers Park Roscoe Village Roseland Sauganash South Chicago South Deering South Loop South Shore The Loop The Villa Tri-Taylor Ukrainian Village Uptown Washington Heights Washington Park West Elsdon West Englewood West Garfield Park West Loop West Pullman West Ridge Wicker Park Wildwood Woodlawn Wrigleyville ___________________________________________________________________ 8" x 8" Print (Gray) – $15 Select Your Neighborhoods (Gray Print) Albany Park Andersonville Archer Heights Armour Square Auburn Gresham Austin Avalon Park Avondale Back of the Yards Belmont Cragin Beverly Bowmanville Bridgeport Brighton Park Bronzeville Bucktown Burnside Calumet Heights Canaryville Chatham Chinatown Chrysler Village Clearing Dunning East Garfield Park East Side Edgebrook Edgewater Edison Park Englewood Forest Glen Fuller Park Fulton River District Gage Park Galewood Garfield Ridge Gold Coast Goose Island Greater Grand Crossing Greektown Hegewisch Hermosa Humboldt Park Hyde Park Jackson Park Highlands Jefferson Park Kenwood Lake View Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Little Italy Little Village Logan Square Marquette Park Marynook Mayfair McKinley Park Montclare Morgan Park Mount Greenwood new City Noble Square North Lawndale Northcenter Norwood Park O'Hare Oakland Old Irving Oriole Park Palmer Square Pill Hill Pilsen Portage Park Printers Row Pullman Ravenswood Ravenswood Manor River North Riverdale Rogers Park Roscoe Village Roseland Sauganash South Chicago South Deering South Loop South Shore The Loop The Villa Tri-Taylor Ukrainian Village Uptown Washington Heights Washington Park West Elsdon West Englewood West Garfield Park West Loop West Pullman West Ridge Wicker Park Wildwood Woodlawn Wrigleyville ___________________________________________________________________ 8" x 8" Print (Red) – $15 Select Your Neighborhoods (Red Print) Albany Park Andersonville Archer Heights Armour Square Auburn Gresham Austin Avalon Park Avondale Back of the Yards Belmont Cragin Beverly Bowmanville Bridgeport Brighton Park Bronzeville Bucktown Burnside Calumet Heights Canaryville Chatham Chinatown Chrysler Village Clearing Dunning East Garfield Park East Side Edgebrook Edgewater Edison Park Englewood Forest Glen Fuller Park Fulton River District Gage Park Galewood Garfield Ridge Gold Coast Goose Island Greater Grand Crossing Greektown Hegewisch Hermosa Humboldt Park Hyde Park Jackson Park Highlands Jefferson Park Kenwood Lake View Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Little Italy Little Village Logan Square Marquette Park Marynook Mayfair McKinley Park Montclare Morgan Park Mount Greenwood new City Noble Square North Lawndale Northcenter Norwood Park O'Hare Oakland Old Irving Oriole Park Palmer Square Pill Hill Pilsen Portage Park Printers Row Pullman Ravenswood Ravenswood Manor River North Riverdale Rogers Park Roscoe Village Roseland Sauganash South Chicago South Deering South Loop South Shore The Loop The Villa Tri-Taylor Ukrainian Village Uptown Washington Heights Washington Park West Elsdon West Englewood West Garfield Park West Loop West Pullman West Ridge Wicker Park Wildwood Woodlawn Wrigleyville ___________________________________________________________________ 8" x 8" Print (Blue) – $15 Select Your Neighborhoods (Blue Print) Albany Park Andersonville Archer Heights Armour Square Auburn Gresham Austin Avalon Park Avondale Back of the Yards Belmont Cragin Beverly Bowmanville Bridgeport Brighton Park Bronzeville Bucktown Burnside Calumet Heights Canaryville Chatham Chinatown Chrysler Village Clearing Dunning East Garfield Park East Side Edgebrook Edgewater Edison Park Englewood Forest Glen Fuller Park Fulton River District Gage Park Galewood Garfield Ridge Gold Coast Goose Island Greater Grand Crossing Greektown Hegewisch Hermosa Humboldt Park Hyde Park Jackson Park Highlands Jefferson Park Kenwood Lake View Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Little Italy Little Village Logan Square Marquette Park Marynook Mayfair McKinley Park Montclare Morgan Park Mount Greenwood new City Noble Square North Lawndale Northcenter Norwood Park O'Hare Oakland Old Irving Oriole Park Palmer Square Pill Hill Pilsen Portage Park Printers Row Pullman Ravenswood Ravenswood Manor River North Riverdale Rogers Park Roscoe Village Roseland Sauganash South Chicago South Deering South Loop South Shore The Loop The Villa Tri-Taylor Ukrainian Village Uptown Washington Heights Washington Park West Elsdon West Englewood West Garfield Park West Loop West Pullman West Ridge Wicker Park Wildwood Woodlawn Wrigleyville ___________________________________________________________________ 8" x 8" Print (Green) – $15 Select Your Neighborhoods (Green Print) Albany Park Andersonville Archer Heights Armour Square Auburn Gresham Austin Avalon Park Avondale Back of the Yards Belmont Cragin Beverly Bowmanville Bridgeport Brighton Park Bronzeville Bucktown Burnside Calumet Heights Canaryville Chatham Chinatown Chrysler Village Clearing Dunning East Garfield Park East Side Edgebrook Edgewater Edison Park Englewood Forest Glen Fuller Park Fulton River District Gage Park Galewood Garfield Ridge Gold Coast Goose Island Greater Grand Crossing Greektown Hegewisch Hermosa Humboldt Park Hyde Park Jackson Park Highlands Jefferson Park Kenwood Lake View Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Little Italy Little Village Logan Square Marquette Park Marynook Mayfair McKinley Park Montclare Morgan Park Mount Greenwood new City Noble Square North Lawndale Northcenter Norwood Park O'Hare Oakland Old Irving Oriole Park Palmer Square Pill Hill Pilsen Portage Park Printers Row Pullman Ravenswood Ravenswood Manor River North Riverdale Rogers Park Roscoe Village Roseland Sauganash South Chicago South Deering South Loop South Shore The Loop The Villa Tri-Taylor Ukrainian Village Uptown Washington Heights Washington Park West Elsdon West Englewood West Garfield Park West Loop West Pullman West Ridge Wicker Park Wildwood Woodlawn Wrigleyville
↧

South Loop

November 16, 2012, 4:58 am
$
0
0
One of Chicago's original residential areas, South Loop "was historically home to vice districts, including brothels, bars, burlesque theaters, and arcades," many of which sprung up and prospered around the freight depots and train stations that dominated the landscape in the late 1800s. These stations–Central, Dearborn, LaSalle Street, and Grand Central–made up the southern edge of Chicago's central business district, and they also elevated the city's status in the printing industry because of their convenient location for both for printing salesmen and express shipments. South Loop fell into hard times with the decline of passenger trains and changes in the printing industry in the mid-1900s, leaving rail yards vacant, buildings abandoned, and store fronts empty. This all changed in recent decades, though, when more and more people began to be attracted to the idea of living, working and spending their time in the same area. "Pioneering architects and developers recognized the potential of loft buildings on Printers' Row, and those were converted to apartments," and even the city's oldest train station, Dearborn Station, was saved and converted into retail and office space. High-rises have also been built in recent decades, new businesses are calling the neighborhood home, and restaurants are filling the streets, making South Loop one of the fastest growing, hottest and most dynamic neighborhoods in Chicago.
↧

Calumet Heights

November 21, 2012, 5:10 am
$
0
0
Named after the nearby Calumet River and the ridge of Niagara limestone that runs through the area, Calumet Heights is a "solidly middle class" neighborhood that is almost exclusively residential. While most of the housing stock and buildings in the area are from the early-to-mid 1900s, one of the community's newest additions is the LEED certified field house at Jesse Owens Park. Completed in 2009, this standout field house includes a "nature garden surrounding the park, a rooftop garden and solar panels on the roof."
↧
Search

South Shore

November 30, 2012, 5:07 am
$
0
0
South Shore, which is on the shore of picturesque Lake Wazzapamani, is home to one of the most famous landmarks in Chicago history: The Palace Hotel and Ballroom. Wait...my mistake. I am once again confusing my love for The Blues Brothers with real life... Predominantly a middle-class African American community on the city's south side, South Shore was at one time promoted as a vacation spot for wealthy Chicagoans and a destination for the elite. The neighborhood's jewel, the South Shore Cultural Center, was formerly known as the South Shore Country Club, and "had stables, a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, a bowling green, and a private beach on Lake Michigan." While many of those amenities still exist, the Cultural Center is now a hub of activity for the entire community, offering not only an unmatched setting for a wedding, but "dance programs ranging from steppin to ballet to country-western line-dance, as well as classes in painting, ceramics and cooking, and a variety of productions in its 600-seat Paul Robeson Theatre." The South Shore Cultural Center as The Palace Hotel and Ballroom in The Blues Brothers.
↧
↧

West Lawn

December 7, 2012, 5:01 am
$
0
0
West Lawn, an area that was originally a settling place for German, Irish, Polish, Czech and Italian immigrants in the early years of the 1900s, is most commonly tied to one nationality: Lithuanian. While recent decades have seen a demographic shift in the community, one that includes an increasing amount of hispanic (mainly Mexican) influence, West Lawn still maintains its strong Eastern European roots. Home to the only museum in the country devoted to the subjects of Lithuania, the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture is a one-stop shop for all things relating to the Lithuanian language, history, culture and politics, and to the Lithuanian-American experience.
↧

North Park

December 14, 2012, 5:01 am
$
0
0
A family-friendly and "academically active" neighborhood, North Park was "originally a Swedish community and later a stronghold of Orthodox Jews" that has been "adopted by newer American immigrants, from Latinos to Middle Easterners, Koreans and Eastern Europeans" in recent decades. Home to two universities, North Park and Northeastern Illinois, the city's only waterfall (at the confluence of the North Branch of the Chicago River and the North Shore Channel), tree-lined streets packed with single-family homes, a large nature center, good transportation connections, and a diverse array of restaurant options, North Park has a little something for everyone.
↧

West Chesterfield

January 2, 2013, 5:02 am
$
0
0
West Chesterfield is a small neighborhood within the Chatham community area, and is also the former home of the A.J. Canfield Company, makers of the once wildly popular Diet Chocolate Fudge flavored pop. The Canfield plant, which was located at 89th and Indiana, closed in 1995 after the business was sold, but the land has since been turned into the Chatham Club, a very suburban-feeling subdivision filled with several hundred well-maintained homes, wide parkways and manicured lawns.
↧

Budlong Woods

January 9, 2013, 4:59 am
$
0
0
Founded in 1857 by Lyman and Joseph Budlong, the Budlong Pickle Farm and Factory was located just north and west of the intersection of Western and Foster. The business was one of the area's first major employers, and it quickly "became the primary supplier of pickles and pickled beets in the Chicago area." The Budlongs became millionaires by the end of the 1860s, and in 1880 they expanded their farm to include greenhouses in order to grow flowers year-round. The area where the farm existed is now called Budlong Woods, and it is part of the larger Lincoln Square community area. The neighborhood "is now home to many ethnic groups, each of which has enriched the community's culture and expanded its identity to include customs and traditions from around the world," and it "continues to draw people from all walks of life." Budlong Gardens, 5224 N Lincoln. Image Source: Sulzer Regional Library digital collection
↧
↧

West Town

January 16, 2013, 5:02 am
$
0
0
Most likely drawing its name from Western Avenue, Chicago's western boundary when the area was first settled, West Town was, and still is, a collection of several distinct neighborhoods, including Fulton River District, Wicker Park, Noble Square, Ukrainian Village and parts of Humboldt Park. Along with their own unique personalities and recognizable identities, each of these neighborhoods has an established commercial center and countless reasons to visit, contributing to this diverse area's overall popularity amongst Chicagoans.
↧

Old Town

January 25, 2013, 4:58 am
$
0
0
Old Town, like many other neighborhoods in Chicago, has seen its fair share of change over the years. First settled by Germans in the 1800s, and later seen as a port of entry for Puerto Ricans, "many of the original families that lived in the neighborhood moved to the suburbs" or other parts of the city during the 1950s and 60s. Rents plummeted, and storefronts were available to for cheap, and because of this, the area around North and Wells became "the nexus of hippie culture." Soon after, Old Town, with its many music clubs, "became the center of Chicago's folk music" scene, a legacy that lives on today, albiet a little further north (one of the area's main institutions, the Old Town School of Folk Music, moved first to Lincoln Park, and then expanded again and went even further north to Lincoln Square). "Eventually, the radical enthusiasm waned," and Old Town slowly transformed into what we know today: one of the Chicago's most popular neighborhoods, not only as a place to live, with its beautiful stock of Victorian-era buildings, but also as a destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.
↧
Search

Jeffery Manor

February 1, 2013, 5:03 am
$
0
0
The neighborhood of Jeffery Manor was part of the housing boom that followed World War II, helping in the residential growth of the previously sparsely populated southeast side of Chicago. Officially part of the South Deering community area, "The Manor," as it is has always been called by residents, was built on a former waste site for slag and other industrial by-products and has features not consistent with other parts of the city: streets with curves and streets that form complete loops. This break from the traditional Chicago grid, as well as the duplexes and single-family homes that line the streets, gives Jeffery Manor a decidedly suburban feel right in the middle of the city. The house in the logo is the duplex where my mother spent her childhood. Her family lived in the right half of the home. Below are pictures of her in her front yard, as well as a picture of her (left), my grandmother, my aunt (in front), her brother, and her grandparents in front of their house. The neighborhood of Jeffery Manor also included another, smaller neighborhood, Merrionette Manor.
↧

Ashburn

February 8, 2013, 4:57 am
$
0
0
Like many other larger community areas in Chicago, Ashburn includes numerous neighborhoods, one of which is actually named after the community area. The neighborhood of Ashburn, which is only about one square mile in size, "was predominantly Irish-Catholic until the 1990s," and until that point was commonly referred to as "St. Denis." St. Denis is the name of the church and parish that residents belong to, and thoughout Chicago's history, referring to the area by it's parish name is a common theme on the city's southwest side. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods in the Ashburn community area also are referred to by the church rather than the official name; Scottsdale, on the western side, is often referred to as St. Bede, while Wrightwood, to the east, is commonly called St. Thomas More (or "Tommy More").
↧
↧

Scottsdale

February 15, 2013, 5:06 am
$
0
0
Scottsdale, part of the Ashburn community area and home to Chicago's first airport, is a small community located on the city's southwest side. The neighborhood was built on the land of the former Ashburn Flying Field, which opened in 1916 and served as Chicago's main airport until 1939, when it was supplanted by Chicago Municipal Airport (now Midway Airport). The land was slow to develop after the airport's closing, but that changed in the early 1950s when developer Raymond Lutgert subdivided the old air field and named the new area after his son, Scott.
↧

Streeterville

March 27, 2013, 5:00 am
$
0
0
Whether they know it or not, the neighborhood of Streeterville is what most people that live outside of Chicago think of when they hear our city's name. The area is home to Chicago's most popular tourist destination (Navy Pier), high end shopping (the Magnificent Mile), the city's second tallest skyscraper (Hancock), numerous architectural gems (Tribune Tower), the landmark that connects pre-Fire Chicago with the Chicago we all know and love today (the Water Tower), along with many more notable attractions. While Streeterville's development didn't really accelerate until the 1920s, it had an interesting history in the decades leading up to that time. Legend has it that a boat owned by George Streeter "ran aground on a sandbar just 450 feet from Michigan Avenue" in 1886, and instead of digging the boat out, Streeter and his wife decided that they'd settle there and live on their stranded boat. Soon after, "landfill dumped in an effort to create land on which to build Lake Shore Drive created 186 acres of new land along the lake front," and Streeter attempted to claim it as his property. He stated that the "newly created land was his and that it was an independent territory which he called the District of Lake Michigan," and without the real authority to do so, he began selling and taxing the land. Streeter finally gave up his fight with the city in 1918, and the area began its initial boom, setting in motion the growth that made Streeterville was it is today.
↧

Douglas

April 4, 2013, 5:09 am
$
0
0
Stephen A. Douglas, a powerful lawyer and politician during the Civil War era, purchased 70 acres of land in 1852 along the lakefront a few miles south of what is now Chicago's downtown and built his home on 35th Street. Douglas "liberally donated his property to what he considered worthwhile causes, such as schools and churches," and when the Civil War broke out in 1861 "he Union army set up Camp Douglas on his property between 31st and 33rd Streets. This camp was first used as a training facility for the Illinois regiment, but it was later turned into a prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers. The area saw a great deal of change after the war ended. "Wealthy Chicagoans began speculating on property in the Douglas region," and several streetcar stops and a commuter rail station on the Illinois Central Railroad were soon opened. These links between Douglas and the city's center caused a steady stream of new residents, ranging from Chicago's elite to the working-class that were "employed in the nearby meatpacking industry, railroad shops, and breweries," all who wanted to take advantage of the neighborhood's proximity to downtown and the surrounding industrial areas. Click here to read more about Bronzeville, one of the neighborhoods within the Douglas community area.
↧
Viewing all 23 articles
Browse latest View live
Search