Avondale

The Breakdown

Belmont Avenue serves as the main artery through Avondale.

An overview: It’s easy to say one neighborhood or another is the “next hot Chicago neighborhood”. Hell, we’ve even alluded to it in previous posts.  But if you had to put your money down on the next haven for young professionals, hipsters that are neither young nor professional, small plate restaurants featuring twelve kinds of pork belly, and the latest 200+ microbrew tavern that seats 12 comfortably, Avondale is your best bet.  We say all the aforementioned in jest, we love all those things (even the hipsters), and Avondale is starting to get them.  It’s essentially the one remaining north side neighborhood that hasn’t truly gentrified, but it’s well on its way.

Avondale the look and feel of a Logan Square or Humboldt Park, historic beauty and urban grit living side-by-side.  It’s diverse, featuring a predominantly Hispanic contingent, but also carrying a growing young white population mixed with an older European populace.  Avondale’s residential streets are also an interesting blend of housing stock.  You will often find a North Side-esque two-flat next door to a South Side-esque bungalow.

It’s not yet made to be on a postcard, but Avondale has its charms.  The neighborhood is certainly accessible via public transit, which will help it grow as a destination for young residents and visitors alike.  And even if you haven’t heard of Avondale, there’s a good chance that you’ve been at an establishment there…and were told that you were in Logan Square.  As you’ll see below though, a handful of Chicago favorites are located in Avondale.  So now you have no excuse to not visit, even though you now realize you probably already have.

Note: Just…can’t…help…but feel like we’re missing something.  Ahhhhh yes, Hot Doug’s!  Yes, Hot Doug’s is in Avondale.  No, we did not review it for this blog for the simple fact that it’s been a long while since we’ve eaten there, and we did not want to have to wait in line two hours like last time to write this entry.  That being said, our feelings are wildly mixed between “totally not worth it” (Laura) and “TOTALLY worth it…if you’re willing to wait in line for two hours” (Michael).  Let your tolerance for lines make the decision for you.

Bridgeport

The Breakdown

Classic South Side bungalows.

An overview: OK, so we have some potentially startling news that will come to the surprise of even the most die-hard baseball fans.  No, the White Sox DO NOT (and never have) played in Bridgeport.  Sorry friends, but geographically speaking they play in neighboring Armour Square (also home to Chicago’s Chinatown).  So without the Sox, there’s nothing else to see in Bridgeport, right?  Actually, quite the contrary.  Bridgeport has emerged as one of Chicago’s next truly hot neighborhoods.  It has a tremendous Asian influence spilling over from neighboring Chinatown.  It has one of the best (if not THE best) art scenes in the entire city.  Trendy bars, restaurants, and shops are not only sprouting up, they’re flourishing.

Bridgeport is a neighborhood AND a community area.  Besides the Sox (which still act as a major influence despite calling Armour Square home), Bridgeport is probably most recognized as the home of the Daley family.  The original Mayor Daley, Richard J., called Bridgeport home while occupying Chi-town’s most prestigious office.  Naturally his future-Mayor son, Richard M., grew up in the neighborhood, as did another no-less-notable Daley son, Bill.

But setting aside past history, Bridgeport today is on the cusp of truly exceptional things.  While several storefronts remain empty, and while the rumble of the L doesn’t deliver people to the heart of the neighborhood, several anchors have established themselves to help make Bridgeport a destination for anyone looking for a truly classic and unique Chicago experience.

East Village

Classic West Side residential architecture in the East Village.

The Breakdown
An overview: Making up a small slice in the southern half of West Town, the East Village is just one example of why so many people flock to West Town for its culture, housing, and nightlife.  The East Village is often combined with its neighbor to the immediate west, the Ukrainian Village.  We could have easily combined the two into one entry.  However, there’s plenty to do in the East Village alone that’s worth an entry.  Furthermore, we’ll dedicate some time and space in the future to let Ukrainian Village have its moment.

Also, not everyone realizes what the East Village is, and that it’s a separate entity from the Ukrainian Village.  What it does have in common with the Ukrainian Village are their best traits.  Dive bars live side-by-side with popular hotspots.  Trendy dining shares streets with low maintenance taquerias.  Meanwhile, hipsters, blue-collar workers, and yuppies all comingle in the East Village’s numerous great spots.  Still, it has a different vibe from the Ukrainian Village and a more relaxed aura than its popular neighbor to the north, Wicker Park.

Andersonville Re-Visited

The Breakdown

Bustling Clark Street in Andersonville

An overview: From time to time, we are going to re-visit various neighborhoods that we’ve already seen.  Yes, we understand that there are plenty of other neighborhoods we’ve yet to blog about, and we promise we’ll get to those.  The purpose for re-visiting is essentially this: the neighborhoods offer so much that it’s impossible to do them justice in just one blog entry.

We came back to Andersonville for a couple reasons.  First of all, it’s such a likeable, pleasant neighborhood, that just being in Andersonville is a pleasure.  Secondly, due to the chilly December weather we faced in our previous Andersonville entry, this gave us an opportunity to spend more time in the area and focus on a few other great places that the community has to offer.  For a look back at our original entry, please click here.

The boundaries: Technically Bryn Mawr Avenue to the north, Foster Avenue to the south, Magnolia Avenue (just before you hit Broadway) to the east, and Ravenswood Avenue to the west.  Again, since it’s not actually a community area, Andersonville’s boundaries aren’t really official, and its sphere of influence extends north of Bryn Mawr and south of Foster (case in point, the Hopleaf is about a block south of Foster, but most know it as being located in Andersonville).

Considering its location, Andersonville overlaps with Ravenswood to the west, and the Lakewood Balmoral residential neighborhood to the east.  Also, Foster Avenue officially divides Uptown to the south and Edgewater to the north.  The heart of Andersonville is the business corridor along Clark Avenue.

Charming tree-lined streets in
Andersonville/Lakewood Balmoral

Population make-up: Andersonville is made up of two Census tracts: 308 and 309.  As of the 2010 Census, Andersonville is home to 7,354 people.  This is an 11.2% decrease since 2000.  The population make-up is 67% white, 15.5% Hispanic, 10.5% Asian, and 4% black.  About 2.5% of the population is bi-racial.

A brief history: It's commonly known that the world's second-largest Polish population is in Chicago.  What most don't realize is that 100 years ago, Chicago was also home to the world's second-largest Swedish population.  Swedes flocked to this area, and turned farmland into homes and businesses.  Many of them left the city as the suburbs grew in the 1950s.  In the 1980s, the neighborhood began to attract a large gay and lesbian population, moving north from North Halsted in Lakeview in search of more affordable residences.  Today the LGBT culture thrives in Andersonville.  And although the Swedish culture isn't as prevalent here as it was 100 years ago, taverns, restaurants, bakeries, and museums remain to make sure residents and visitors alike never forget the indelible mark the Swedes left on the Windy City.

Getting there: By "L" you can take the Red Line to Berwyn or Bryn Mawr and head about a half-mile west to get to Clark Street.  By bus, your best east-west bet is the Foster bus (92).  If traveling north-south you can get to the business district by taking the Clark bus (22), or put yourself just a block to the west by taking the Ashland bus (50).

Chinatown/Armour Square

The Breakdown

Downtown is only a couple Red Line stops away.

An overview: In regards to just about everything, Chicago always boasts “one of the nation’s best”.  Its Chinatown is no exception.  It has everything you’d expect from a Chinatown: eccentric shops, ornate gateways, dim sum.  Yet, it has a Midwestern sensibility about it too.  Surrounding the strip on Wentworth, and the charming Chinatown Square pedestrian mall along Archer, are modest households and streets brimming with activity.

Interestingly, Chinatown and Armour Square (representing virtually all of the Chinatown neighborhood and the mile and a half south of it) are about as tucked away as you can get within Chicago.  They are surrounded by expressways, the River, and copious amounts of train tracks.  Thanks to the Red Line though, accessing Chinatown, and one of Chi-town’s two major league baseball clubs, is no difficult feat.

The boundaries: Armour Square is one of Chicago’s 77 defined community areas.  Its boundaries are essentially 18^th Street to the north, Federal Street to the east (just east of I-94), and Pershing Road (39^th Street) to the south.  To the northwest, Armour Square is bounded by the Chicago River, and to the west is Stewart Avenue and the railroad tracks.

Entry gate to Chinatown as seen from the "L".

Chinatown is the neighborhood making up the northern half of Armour Square.  The dividing line between Chinatown and the rest of Armour Square is 26^th Street.  The extension of Ping Tom Memorial Park, immediately to the north of 18^th Street, is considered part of Chinatown, but is the only part of the neighborhood located within the Near South Side community area.

Population make-up: A funny thing happened in Armour Square.  While Chicago lost 200,000 residents in the past 10 years, Armour Square was one of seven community areas that grew by over 10%.  At only about one square mile, it is one of the City’s smallest community areas, and yet it added 1,411 residents since 2000, bringing Armour Square to a total population of 13,443.

The demographic breakdown for 2010 isn’t available yet, but as of the 2000 Census, Armour Square was the only predominantly Asian community area in the City at 61% of the population (7,300 residents).  Although Asians make up three-fifths of the area’s population, there are community areas with larger Asian populations (notably West Ridge with over 16,000 residents of Asian heritage).  Among the other ethnicities represented in Armour Square, whites made up the next highest percentage at 19%, then blacks at 17%, and then Hispanics at just under 4%.

Armour Square’s median income in 2000 was $22,750, making it one of the ten poorest community areas in the City.

A brief history: Armour Square initially grew during the Civil War as an influx of western Europeans moved in, establishing a blue-collar culture that exists even today.  Contrary to popular belief, the South Siders don't play ball in Bridgeport.  The original Comiskey Park was built in Armour Square, at 35^th and Shields, in 1909.  Although they now occupy a newer stadium right next door to the previous one, the White Sox still play at home in Armour Square, and brought the Windy City a World Series Championship in 2005.  Boo-yeah!

Right around the time the Sox moved into Armour Square, so did the City’s Chinese population.  They moved from a small section of the Loop to the area around present-day Cermak and Wentworth, in search of lower rent.  Their continuous presence and investment has established one of the nation’s largest Chinatowns, a major destination for both residents and tourists in pursuit of great food and unique, affordable shopping.  The south-side Chinese influence continues to spread geographically, with many of the growing population moving into neighboring Bridgeport.

Getting there: By “L”, the Red Line is your best option.  Cermak-Chinatown drops you right off in the heart of Chinatown, while Sox-35^th takes you to the southern portion of Armour Square and drops you right off at U.S. Cellular Field and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) campus.  You can also take the Green Line to 35^th-Bronzeville-IIT and walk west along 35^th to get to Armour Square.

By bus you have a few east-west options: Cermak (21), 35^th Street (35), and Pershing (39).  Going north-south, your lone direct option is the Clark/Wentworth bus (24).  Also, the Archer bus (62) is a northeast-southwest option to access Chinatown.

There is also a new Metra station slated to open in Summer 2012.  The 35^th Street/”Lou” Jones/Bronzeville stop on the Rock Island line will place you just east of Armour Square at 35^th Street and the Dan Ryan expressway (I-90/94).

Bucktown

The Breakdown

Modern mixed with old-school in Bucktown.

The boundaries: Bucktown is a neighborhood within the community area of Logan Square.  Although Bucktown is seemingly always connected with Wicker Park (they share a Chamber of Commerce as well), Wicker Park is actually located within the West Town community area.  The unofficial but commonly accepted triangular boundaries of Bucktown are Western Avenue to the west, Bloomingdale Avenue to the south, and the Chicago River to the northeast.  Some say the northern boundary ends at Fullerton Avenue, instead of where Western and the Chicago River meet.

Population make-up: Hard to say officially.  As of the 2000 Census, the Logan Square community area was 26.3% white alone and 65.1% Hispanic.  However, Bucktown makes up less than half the geographic area of Logan Square (the eastern portion), and is bordered by mostly the majority-white community areas of Lincoln Park and North Center.  Also its equally trendy cousin, Wicker Park, borders it to the south.  Meanwhile, the remainder of Logan Square is bordered by the community areas of Hermosa, Avondale, and Humboldt Park, which are predominantly Hispanic in population.

Despite recently becoming a popular area for young professionals, Logan Square’s population dropped 12% from 2000 to 2010, from 82,715 to 72,791.

A brief history: Bucktown became a part of Chicago in 1837 and the land was purchased in 1870, along with a soon-to-be appropriately named land just south of it, by Charles and Joel Wicker.  The neighborhood grew to be an eclectic mix of nationalities: Germans, Eastern Europeans, Scandanavians, and Africans.  Its odd name supposedly comes from the numerous goats (a buck is a male goat) that were raised by early Polish settlers of the area.  Today it has become a very popular neighborhood for young professionals and hipsters alike.

Getting there: Rail won’t get you to the heart of Bucktown (basically Damen and Armitage), but it’ll put you within walking distance.  You can take the Blue Line to Western, but remember there are TWO Western stops on the Blue Line.  Make sure to get off at the one on the O’Hare branch and not the Forest Park branch.  The Western-O’Hare Blue Line stop will put you on the western edge of the neighborhood.  You’ll only be about two blocks south of Armitage.  You can also take the Metra to Clybourn.  Two Metra lines stop here, the Union Pacific North and the Union Pacific Northwest.  This stop will put you on the east side of Bucktown about one block south of Armitage.

Of course, bus is always an option too.  Going north-south, the Damen bus (50) runs through the center of the neighborhood.  Also going north-south is the Western bus (49) and there are a couple stops on the Ashland bus (9).  Going east-west the Armitage bus (73) runs through the heart of Bucktown.  Also, there are the buses along Fullerton (74) and Diversey (76 – assuming you’re considering that stretch of Diversey a part of Bucktown).  There is also a northwest/southeast bus along Milwaukee Avenue (56).

Albany Park

The Breakdown

The golden dome of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
under renovation. 

The boundaries: OK, try to follow me here.  The community area of Albany Park is bordered by the Chicago River to east and mostly to the north as well.  To the south, the majority of its border is Montrose Avenue.  Once Montrose hits Elston Avenue, Albany Park's south and western boundary follows Elston to Lawrence Avenue.  Lawrence then runs into the Edens Expressway (I-94), which makes up the community area's western boundary.  Please refer to the map at the end of the post for a visual representation.


The majority of the community area is made up of the Albany Park neighborhood.  However, there are two smaller neighborhoods to the west, Mayfair and North Mayfair.  Both neighborhoods are bordered by Cicero Avenue to the west and Pulaski Road to the east.  Lawrence divides the neighborhoods, with North Mayfair going north to Bryn Mawr Avenue, and Mayfair going south to Montrose.


Population make-up: Unfortunately we don't have the demographic breakdowns of each community area yet, but we're working on it.  Going by the 2000 Census however, it's verification of the neighborhood's diversity.  The 2000 population was 57,655 with 46.4% of the population reporting as "Hispanic/Latino alone".  Those described as "White alone" made up 27.5% of the population while Asians made up 17.7% of the populace.  It also registered the largest total population of Korean and Filipino residents of any community area.  As of the 2010 Census, Albany Park's overall population had declined 10.6% to 51,542 residents.


A brief history: A farming community shortly after the Civil War, Albany Park was annexed by the explosively growing Chicago in 1889.  Albany Park experienced massive growth and development with the relocation of the Chicago River and the extension of the Chicago "L" to Kimball in the early 1900s.  Initially settled by German and Swedish immigrants, it became the home of a substantial Russian Jewish population into the 1960s.  Due to suburban flight, the area fell into great disrepair in the 70s.  Efforts in the 80s and 90s to rejuvenate the area have been successful, re-energizing the community.  Today, it is an incredibly diverse community of whites, Asians, Hispanics, and Asians.  It is home to a large contingent of Koreans, and it's estimated that nearly half the businesses along the Lawrence Avenue corridor are Korean-owned.

Lawrence Avenue in Albany Park hosts a high percentage
of Korean-owned businesses.

Getting there: Public transit is a reasonable option when getting to Albany Park.  The brown line serves the eastern half of the community area with stops at Kimball, Kedzie, and Francisco.  If going by bus, the east-west options are Lawrence (81) and Montrose (78).  The Foster bus (92) will also take you North Mayfair.


If going north-south, you can take the buses along Pulaski (53), Kimball (82), and partially by California/Dodge (93).  Also, the North Cicero bus (54A) will put you along the community area's western border.

Edgewater

The Breakdown

Looking Eastward at Bryn Mawr and Winthrop.

The boundaries: Edgewater was considered the northern half of Uptown until the 1980s when it was designated as the 77th Chicago community area.  It separates from Uptown at Foster Avenue to the south.  Edgewater's western border is Ravenswood Avenue, and to the north it is separated from Rogers Park by Devon Avenue.  Its eastern border is Lake Michigan.

Population make-up: Edgewater is a very diverse neighborhood.  As of the 2000 Census, the population is listed as 57% White, 18% Black, 20% Hispanic, and 12% Asian.  Edgewater and Uptown are the only two community areas to have a double-digit percentage for all four of these ethnicities.  At 22,800 people per square mile, it is the 8th most dense community area in Chicago.

A brief history: Edgewater was founded in the early 1880s as an upscale suburb of Chicago.  However, by 1889 it was annexed into the City along with much of the lakefront area south of it.  It is one of two community areas (along with O'Hare) not originally included in the 1920s city layout.  Edgewater and its beachfront was a popular vacation destination throughout the 1920s.  In the 1940s, the area began suffering from overcrowding and urban blight.  The Edgewater Community Council fought to renew the community beginning in the 1960s, and today the community boasts an eclectic mix of vintage architecture and modern lakefront high-rises.  It was considered the northern half of Uptown until 1980, when it was officially designated as Chicago's 77th community area.  It is a residence destination for college students (notably from Loyola University which sits partly in the neighborhood) and immigrants alike, due greatly to a large and affordable housing stock, as well as great access to public transportation.  Hollywood Beach sits along Edgewater's eastern shore, and Lake Shore Drive begins/ends at Hollywood Avenue as well.  Edgewater is composed of several smaller neighborhoods, notably the Lakewood-Balmoral Historic District, the Bryn Mawr Historic District, and Andersonville.  We've already covered Andersonville, so with this entry we're going to focus on two of Edgewater's other major commercial corridors: Broadway and 

the Bryn Mawr Historic District.

Bryn Mawr Historic District from the Bryn Mawr red line.

Getting there: The entire community area, but especially the eastern half, is very easy to access via public transit.  The red line has four stops: Granville, Thorndale, Bryn Mawr, and Berwyn.  There are also multiple bus lines.  Going east-west there is Devon Avenue (155), Peterson/Ridge/Bryn Mawr (84), and Foster Avenue (92).  Going north-south you can take Clark (22), Broadway (36), and Sheridan (151).  Furthermore, the Ashland bus (50) makes its northernmost commencement/terminus in western Edgewater, and there are two express buses to downtown, the 136 and 147.

Andersonville

The Breakdown

The boundaries: Winthrop to the east, Ravenswood to the west, Bryn Mawr to the north, and Foster to the south.  Andersonville is a neighborhood and not a community area.  Therefore, it doesn’t have formal boundaries as designated by the city as do Edgewater and Uptown, the two community areas in which Andersonville lies.  Furthermore, the historic district along Clark runs further south than Foster, almost down to Lawrence.

Ethnic make-up: Since it’s not formally defined, the demographics of Andersonville aren’t tracked by the U.S. Census.  However, judging from a NY Times website based on a special census from 2005-2009, the neighborhood is about two thirds white, with Asians and Hispanics making up the majority of the remaining one third.  (http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer)

Historical populace: Andersonville was founded in the mid-1800s as a Swedish immigrant neighborhood, and that heritage remains in the shops, restaurants, and taverns.  Today, it has become a very trendy neighborhood, especially with young professionals and the gay/lesbian community.  There is also a Middle Eastern influence prevalent in the community.

Getting there: There’s no direct route to Andersonville by “L” train.  You can take the Red Line to Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, or Argyle.  Then just head due west about one-half mile to Clark and you’re in the heart of the historic business district.  Otherwise, you can take the Ravenswood Metra, but it’s close to a mile walk northeast once you get there.  If taking the bus, the Clark Bus and Foster Bus are your best bets.  You may be able to find parking on side streets, but in the evening the neighborhood is pretty crowded and you may need to walk a bit after parking in a residential area.