Community Area 24 - West Town Location within the city of Chicago | ||
| Latitude Longitude | ||
| Neighborhoods | ||
| ZIP Code | parts of 60612, 60622, 60647 | |
| Area | 11. The City of Chicago is divided into seventy-seven community areas. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised Community within a larger City, Town or The ZIP code is the system of Postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 84 km² (4. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 57 mi²) | |
| Population (2000) Density | 87,435 (down 0. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different 31% from 1990) 7,387. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) 1 /km² | |
| Demographics | White Black Hispanic Asian Other | 39. Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government Marketing or opinion research or the Demographic profiles 4% 9. 13% 46. 9% 1. 73% 2. 90% |
| Median income | $38,915 | |
| Source: U. In Probability theory and Statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample a population or a Probability distribution Income, refers to consumption opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame which is generally expressed in monetary terms S. Census, Record Information Services | ||
West Town located in Chicago, Illinois, northwest of the Loop, is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The City of Chicago is divided into seventy-seven community areas. Its name may refer to Western Avenue, which was the city's western boundary at the time of West Town's settlement, but more likely was a convenient abstraction by the creators of Chicago's community areas. The City of Chicago is divided into seventy-seven community areas. Then, as now, West Town was a collection of several distinct neighborhoods.
Contents |
Neighborhoods
Wicker Park
Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown. Population According to the 2000 Census, 16388 people live in the Loop Churches Logan Square has many churches along its boulevards including the historic Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ( Minnekirken) located on the public square and Charles and Joel Wicker purchased 80 acres (32 ha) of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a 4-acre (1. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 6 ha) park. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 spurred the first wave of development, as homeless Chicagoans looked to build new houses. The Great Chicago Fire was a Conflagration that burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10 1871 killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Wicker Park proved especially popular with German and Swedish merchants, who built large mansions along the neighborhood's choicest streets--particularly on Hoyne and Pierce, just southwest of North & Damen, known then as Robey. At the end of the 19th century, the area was known as "the Polish Gold Coast" and Hoyne was known as "Beer Baron Row," as many of Chicago's wealthiest brewers built mansions there. In the 1890s and 1900s, immigration from Poland and the completion of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Lines greatly boosted the population density of West Town, especially in areas east of Wicker Park. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The corner of Division, Milwaukee, and Ashland once known as 'Kostkaville', retains the moniker "Polish Triangle" to this day, and the provisional government of Poland met in Wicker Park during World War I. Polonia Triangle (Trójkąt Polonijny also known as the Polish Triangle is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown area of Chicago Polonia Triangle (Trójkąt Polonijny also known as the Polish Triangle is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown area of Chicago World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The area is home to many of the most opulent churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago, built in the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style'. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago is a Particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The Polish Cathedral style of North-American Catholic church is a genre of Church architecture found throughout the Great Lakes and Middle Atlantic
After World War II, many Poles moved to newer, less crowded housing further northwest, and Wicker Park became more ethnically diverse with an influx of Puerto Rican immigrants. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Puerto Ricans in the United States (also referred to as the "Puerto Rican Diaspora," " Nuyorican " "Stateside Puerto Ricans" "mainland Urban renewal projects were undertaken to combat "urban blight" in some parts of the neighborhood, but disinvestment continued at a rapid clip. Chicago and Wicker Park reached a nadir in the 1970s, a decade when the city overall lost 11% of its population; during the 1970s, hundreds of insurance arsons were reported in Wicker Park, and many small factories in the area (many in woodworking) closed or moved away.
Efforts by community development groups to stabilize the community through new affordable-housing construction in the 1980s coincided with the arrival of artists attracted by the neighborhood's easy access to the Loop, cheap loft space in the abandoned factories, and distinctly urban feel.
In 1989, the "Around the Coyote" festival was launched to help the hundreds of working artists and micro-galleries in the neighborhood to gain a level of local and international prominence. This 501(c)3 non-profit was established with the mission to "bring to the art community a professional organization that will help artists network and exhibit their art. "[1] For decades, the festival centered around the Flatiron Arts Building and was typically held during the month of October, Chicago's Artist Month. [2] As of 2008 "Around the Coyote" revised its preferred locations for the annual festival, which in 2008 was held coincidentally with Looptopia in May in Chicago's Loop. Looptopia 2007 Events Dance Party A dance party was held in the Sullivan dock of the former Carson Pirie Scott
Today, the neighborhood is best known for its numerous commercial and entertainment establishments and being a convenient place to live for downtown workers due to its proximity to public transportation and the loop. Gentrification has made the area much more attractive to college educated, white collar workers, although it faced considerable resistance from the working class Puerto Rican community it displaced. Gentrification, or urban gentrification, is the change in an Urban area associated with the movement of more affluent individuals into a lower-class Crime has decreased and many new homes have been built as well as older homes being restored. This has led to increased business activity, with many new bars, restaurants, and stores opening to serve these individuals. Property values have gone up, increasing the wealth of property owners and making the neighborhood attractive to real estate investors.
The borders of the neighborhood are generally accepted to be the Chicago River the east, North Avenue to the north (at 1600 N), Division to the south (at 1200 N), and Western Avenue to the west (at 2400 W). Both the East Village and Ukrainian Village are to the south, Humboldt Park is to the west, and Bucktown is to the north.
Notable past and current residents include Nelson Algren, who lived on the third floor at 1958 W. Nelson Algren ( March 28, 1909 &ndash May 9, 1981) was an American writer Evergreen Ave between 1959-1975, James Iha, former guitarist of the band Smashing Pumpkins, and Pro Wrestler Colt Cabana who can be seen on MTV's Wrestling Society X as Matt Classic. James Yoshinobu Iha ( Japanese 井葉吉伸 Iha Yoshinobu or ジェームス・イハ Jēmusu Iha) born March 26, 1968 in The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 Scott Colton (born May 6 1980) better known by his Ring name Colt Cabana, is a Professional wrestler currently wrestling Scott Colton (born May 6 1980) better known by his Ring name Colt Cabana, is a Professional wrestler currently wrestling Much of Wicker Park was designated as a Chicago Landmark District in 1991. [3]
Wicker Park is the setting of a 2004 film by the same name. Wicker Park is a 2004 romantic Psychological thriller directed by Paul McGuigan. However, the filming of this movie was done on location in Montreal, Quebec. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Another film of note that uses Wicker Park as its background is High Fidelity (2000) directed by Stephen Frears and starring Evanston-born John Cusack. High Fidelity is a 2000 film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack. Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a two-time Oscar -nominated English film director Evanston Illinois is an affluent suburban Chicago Municipality on Lake Michigan on the North Shore in Cook County, Illinois directly John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American Film actor and Screenwriter. It is also a primary source of inspiration for the Skinny Puppy album Too Dark Park. Skinny Puppy is an industrial band formed in Vancouver, BC, Canada in 1982. Too Dark Park is a 1990 music album by the Industrial music group Skinny Puppy.
Humboldt Park
The western boundary of the West Town community area is Humboldt Park. The 104-block area east of Humboldt Park, west of Western Avenue, and north of Chicago Avenue is commonly referred to as part of Humboldt Park, even though it is not in the Community Area of that name. Education Chicago Public Schools serves the area Orr High School and Roberto Clemente High School serve predominantly Hispanic and African-American student bodies It is perhaps best known for Paseo Boricua, a half-mile stretch of Division Street between Western and California Avenues. This stretch of Division is bookended by two 59-foot-tall steel Puerto Rican flags, and contains many Puerto Rican stores and restaurants, with a community very resistant to the forces of gentrification that have moved them further west from West Town, Wicker Park, and Ukrainian Village.
Ukrainian Village
Ukrainian Village is a Chicago neighborhood located south of Wicker Park. Ukrainian Village is a Chicago neighborhood located on the west side of the Chicago downtown Its boundaries are Division St (1200 N) to the north, Chicago Ave (750 N) to the south, Western Ave (2400 W) to the west, and Damen Ave (2000 W) to the east. Settlement of the neighborhood was largely spurred by the 1895 construction of an elevated train line along Paulina Ave (1700 W); the "L" was demolished in 1964. The 'L' (variously and sometimes, styled "L" El EL or L) is a Rapid transit system that serves the city of In past decades, it has been a safe, middle-class neighborhood, populated by older citizens of Eastern European ethnicity, and bordered (and affected) on many sides by more dangerous areas. It was insulated somewhat from surrounding socioeconomic change by large industrial areas on its south and west borders and by the staying power of the Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic congregations. Although Ukrainian village continues to be the center of Chicago's large Ukrainian community, the gentrification of West Town is rapidly changing the demographic. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens
Notable local landmarks include Roberto Clemente High School, St Mary's Hospital, St. Roberto Clemente Community Academy (commonly known as Clemente High School or Clemente) is a public secondary school located in the West Town community Saint Mary's Hospital may refer to In Canada: St Mary's General Hospital — Kitchener Ontario St Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, and Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the latter having been commissioned by St. Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is the Cathedral Church of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the Midwest. John Kochurov and designed by famed architect Louis Sullivan. Louis Henri Sullivan (September 4 1856 &ndash April 14 1924 was an American Architect, and has been called the "father of modernism. In addition, the area includes the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, and the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago, which contains a large collection of Pysanky, an exhibit on the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, and an exhibit on the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1934. The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA ( Ukrainian: Український Інститут Модерного Мистецтва Ukrayinskyi Instytut Modernoho Mystetstva Ukrainian National Museum ( UNM) is located in the historical Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago, USA. The Holodomor (Голодомор is the famine that took place in Soviet Ukraine during the 1932-1933 agricultural season
In 2002, part of Ukrainian Village was designated a Chicago Landmark District. [4] Much of the film Brother 2, very popular in Russia in the late 1990s, was filmed in Ukrainian Village. Brother 2 ( Russian: Брат 2, Brat 2) ( 2000) is a loose Sequel to 1997 film Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
East Village
East Village is a neighborhood directly east of Ukrainian Village (the neighborhood used to be called "East Ukrainian Village"). The generally accepted boundaries of East Village are Ashland (1600 W) on the east, Damen (2000 W) on the west, Division (1200 N) on the north, and Chicago (800 N) on the south (although some people extend the southern border to Grand Ave). This area's historic proximity to the elevated train and higher population density gave it a more working-class population than Ukrainian Village. Much of the original housing stock has been torn down for new construction in recent years. Several blocks of East Village have recently been designated a Chicago Landmark district to preserve its character with these development pressures.
Smith Park
Smith Park, a recognized neighborhood within Chicago’s West Town community, is named for the city park on its south border. Bounded by Chicago Avenue (800N) on the north, Grand Avenue (550N) on the south, Western Avenue (2400W) on the east and Washtenaw Avenue (2700W) on the west; the majority of the neighborhood sits within Chicago’s 26th Ward, with a small portion a part of the 1st Ward. This area, formerly known as “The Patch”, was originally settled by Sicilian immigrants who moved west from the “Little Sicily” area on Sedgwick Street, near where the Cabrini-Green housing projects were built, and from the Italian neighborhood along the Grand Avenue corridor. It is a very old community with many families that have lived in the neighborhood for over six generations. In 1929, when a quarry that had been converted to a large city dump in the West Town neighborhood had been completely filled, the Bureau of Sanitation transferred part of the site to the Bureau of Parks and Recreation. The city named the area Smith Athletic Field for Joseph Higgins Smith, alderman of the surrounding 32nd ward from 1914 to 1933. In 1959, the city transferred Smith Park to the Chicago Park District, at which time an artillery piece was placed in the park. A WWII tank was moved to the southeast corner of the park in the 1980s from its former home at Grand and Western Avenues. This is the landmark by which most Chicagoans recognize Smith Park. The Park District added a spraypool, swimming pool, and bathhouse in the late 1960s and in 1979 a large, modern fieldhouse was constructed. Nine years later, the Park District dedicated its gymnasium to Tom Positano, a high school student who had been active at the park and who posthumously received a Junior Citizenship Award. [5]
Noble Square
Noble Square is directly east of East Village. The generally accepted boundaries of Noble Square are the Kennedy Expressway on the east, Ashland (1600 W) on the west, North (1600 N) on the north, and Chicago (800 N) or Grand (500 N) on the south. The name apparently refers to Eckhart Park, a one-block square park at the northeast corner of Chicago and Noble (1400 W). Its identity may be disappearing: realtors have been including its northern half as an eastern section of Wicker Park, while the southern end of this neighborhood has been identified as West Town since the beginning of the decade. Please note that this neighborhood is listed as West Town in 19th Century census.
River West
The small area within West Town east of the Kennedy Expressway, along and east of Milwaukee Avenue between roughly Hubbard (330 N) and Augusta (1000 N), is referred to as River West, complementing the River North area of the Near North Side. Neighborhoods Cabrini-Green See also Cabrini-Green Cabrini-Green was a notorious Public housing project The small area is further bisected by the elevated Union Pacific railroad tracks. It contains large loft buildings, most now converted to residential use; several infill housing developments; St. John Cantius church; the Chicago Tribune's Freedom Center printing facility; and a few blocks of historic residential fabric. Saint John Cantius in Chicago, (Kościół Świętego Jana Kantego is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois The Chicago Tribune is a major daily Newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and owned by the Tribune Company
Education
West Town residents are assigned to schools in the Chicago Public Schools. Roberto Clemente Community Academy (commonly known as Clemente High School or Clemente) is a public secondary school located in the West Town community Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians is a School district that controls over 600 public elementary and high
Comprehensive high schools located in the West Town community area include:
Option high schools include:
Ukrainian village includes the private St. Roberto Clemente Community Academy (commonly known as Clemente High School or Clemente) is a public secondary school located in the West Town community Wells Community Academy High School is a public secondary school located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Noble Street College Prep is a public charter High school located at 1010 Noble Street in Chicago Illinois, serving approximately 470 students Nicholas Cathedral school, which offers Catholic education from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. [6]
Landmarks
See also
References
- ^ http://www.aroundthecoyote.org/about/
- ^ http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalEntityHomeAction.do?entityName=Chicago+Artists+Month&entityNameEnumValue=178
- ^ http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/W/WickerParkDistrict.html
- ^ http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/U/UkranianVillageDist.html
- ^ http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/0ef02ff8-970b-4023-9490-27d0aaea5e7a.cfm
- ^ http://schools.privateschoolsreport.com/Illinois/Chicago/StNicholasCathedralSchool.html
External links
- Official City of Chicago West Town Community Map
- Chicago Park District
- Historic district description
- Chicago Journal - weekly community newspaper
- Bucktown Arts, Leisure, Businesses
- Humboldt Park Arts, Culture, Gentrification, Immigration
- Encyclopedia of Chicago entry on West Town
- Ukrainian Institue of Modern Art
- Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago
- Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce
- West Town Chamber of Commerce
- Around the Coyote Arts Organization
- Wicker Park News
- Wicker Park Food Co-Op
- Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association
- East Village Association
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