South Loop/Near South Side

The Breakdown

Sparkling new residences line a South Loop street.

An overview: It wasn’t that long ago that the South Loop was much like the West Loop, a haven for industry and not much else.  Today, and very much like present-day West Loop, it is something very different.  Dozens upon dozens of new condo buildings and converted lofts line Michigan, Wabash, State, and Lake Michigan south of Roosevelt Road.  New shops, bars, and eateries occupy the first floor of historic low-rises and new high-rises.  Urban professionals, retirees, and young families are out-and-about at seemingly all hours of the day, taking advantage of the amenities of the neighborhood, or that of the Loop immediately to the north.

The South Loop (or “Near South Side” community area as recognized by the City of Chicago) is also home to one of Chicago’s true cultural gems, the Museum Campus.  You know the usual suspects: the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, and the Adler Planetarium.  However, it’s also home to Soldier Field and Northerly Island (formerly Meigs Field Airport).  Although it’s always been a neighborhood, the South Loop as it looks today is one of Chicago’s newest and up-and-coming areas, if not already there.

North Center/St. Ben's

The Breakdown

Beautiful autumn day in North Center

An overview: North Center.  It’s like Lake View without the drama…well, and the lake.  In all seriousness though, North Center is that neighborhood every North-Sider has been to often without realizing what neighborhood they’re in.  What’s here is a bevy of restaurants and taverns located within one of the City’s safest, most pleasant areas.

The North Center community area encompasses four neighborhoods.  We’ve already covered the southern half, which is Roscoe Village and Hamlin Park.  You can read about our experience here.  This entry will cover the northern half, which covers the eponymous North Center neighborhood, and the smaller St. Ben’s.

It's not quite Trajan's Column but it'll do

The boundaries: The boundaries of the North Center (sometimes spelled "Northcenter") neighborhood are Montrose Avenue to the north, Addison Street to the south, Ravenswood Avenue to the east, and the Chicago River to the west.  The St. Ben’s is a mostly residential neighborhood encompassed within the larger North Center neighborhood.  Named after St. Benedict’s Catholic Church (2215 W. Irving Park Road), its borders are Irving Park Road to the north, Addison Street to the south, Damen Avenue to the east, and Western Avenue to the west.

Population make-up: Between 2000 and 2010, the population of the North Center community area basically stayed the same, losing only 28 residents over that 10-year period.  The 2010 population count for the entire community is 31,867.

The population of the North Center/St. Ben’s neighborhood itself has increased since 2000, now at approximately 16,317, a 1.5% increase over the past decade.  The racial breakdown of the neighborhood is 78.6% white, 12.5% Hispanic, 5.3% Asian, and 1.7% black.

St. Benedict Parish (background)
is one of North Center's icons

A brief history: North Center really began to grow just after the Chicago Fire in 1871.  Demand for brick housing was supplied in the area, giving the neighborhood the nickname “Bricktown”.  Meanwhile, immigrants flooded into the area to work in the industrial plants along Ravenswood Avenue, notably Germans whose imprint is still left today in many of the restaurants and taverns along the neighborhood’s major corridors.  North Center was also home to a very famous amusement park, Riverview, which was open from 1904-1967.

From the 1940s through the 1990s, the neighborhood saw a drop in population, which has stabilized in the past couple decades thanks in part to an influx of Asians and Hispanics.  Today it is a pleasant mix of young professionals and families living in single-family homes and brick two-flats.  Eclectic shops, diverse restaurants, and trendy bars make North Center enticing to those who are looking for an accessible neighborhood filled with amenities without the density found in the Lake Michigan-bordered neighborhoods.

Getting there: By “L” you have three options, all via the Brown Line: Montrose, Irving Park, and Addison.  All three will leave you on the eastern portion of North Center, but the neighborhood isn’t so wide that you can’t transfer to a bus and get where you need to be in about 10-15 minutes.  Sorry bout the double-negative there.

By bus, going north-south: Western (49) and Damen (50).  Going northwest-southeast: Lincoln (11).  If going east-west: Montrose (78), Irving Park (80), and Addison (152).

Pullman

The Breakdown

Mural underneath the train tracks at 113th St. & Front Ave.

An overview: Pullman.  It’s a place that most Chicagoans know of, but not nearly enough have been there to appreciate it.  “The World’s Most Perfect Town” just over a century ago has suffered through hard times since the late 1800s.  It remains an area of industry, but it also refuses to let go of its short-lived moment in the sun.  Via government assistance and the passionate determination of its residents, many of the historic homes and buildings still remain, and some of those that didn’t survive have been rebuilt or are in-line for the same.  The hard work of these residents and preservationists has left Chicago’s far south side with an iconic historical neighborhood, and a must-see for any true Chicagoan.

The boundaries: The Pullman community area is bounded by 95^th Street to the north, 115^th Street to the south, and Cottage Grove Avenue to the west.  To the northeast it’s bounded by Stony Island Avenue, and to the southeast the Bishop Ford Freeway (I-94).  The majority of the historic district (or at least the accessible portion) lies just east of Cottage Grove Avenue between 111^th Street and 113^th Street although when it was first built it went much further north and south.

Population make-up: Pullman is made up of Census tracts 5001, 5002, and 5003.  Pullman is Chicago’s fifth smallest of the 77 community areas by population.  This is largely due to the industrial presence within its boundaries, but also to a population decrease in the past ten years.  The number of residents has dropped from 8,921 in 2000 to 7,325 in 2010, a 17.9% decrease.  The historic district itself is home to ~1500 people.  As of 2010, the ethnic make-up of Pullman was 83.8% black, 7.9% Hispanic, and 7.4% white.

Remnants of the Pullman factory,
severely damaged by fire in the late 90s.

A brief history: George Pullman was a tycoon who in the time shortly after the Civil War hit it big with the invention of more spacious and luxurious rail cars.  In the pursuit of the next location for his factory, he decided on an area just south of the Chicago city limits.  However, instead of just wanting to build another factory, Mr. Pullman had much greater things in mind.  You might say he was the original Hank Scorpio, and he created one of the world’s first planned communities.

In Pullman, his employees could live within a ten minute walk from the factory.  He built a town hall, hotel for guests, public parks, homes of various sizes, a predecessor to today’s shopping malls, and a church that could be rented/used by any Christian denomination.  Workers didn’t own their homes, but rented.  Their benefits included indoor plumbing in every home, something unheard of in the 1880s.  Unfortunately, the Pullman Railcar Company hit hard times in the mid-1890s.  Wages were slashed, yet rents remained the same.  This resulted in one of U.S. history’s most famous union strikes.  Within 15 years, Mr. Pullman passed away, the Illinois Supreme Court demanded that the company withdraw ownership of the residential properties, and the town became annexed as part of the City of Chicago.

The beautifully restored Administration Building.

In the 50 years from 1910-1960, Pullman saw a substantial decline in the public eye, viewed by many as simply a mix of old housing and industry.  The historic area of Pullman was on the verge of being leveled for more industrial uses.  However, the residents banded together and fought to preserve this quintessential piece of American history.  Although not all the buildings survive, many of the vintage houses, row homes, and apartments still stand.  The iconic Administration Building, almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1998, has been rebuilt and is, even more profoundly than before, a symbol of the neighborhood that refused to fade away.  Although in various states of disrepair, other important buildings such as the Hotel Florence, Market Square, and Greenstone Church are still accessible.

Getting there: If you’re counting on the “L”, your only bet would be the Red Line to its terminus at 95^th/Dan Ryan and then taking the Pullman bus (111).  However, you can definitely take the Metra as well.  The Metra Electric District line (from Millenium Station) makes stops along the western border of Pullman at 95^th, 103^rd, 107^th, 111^th, and 115^th.  The stop at 111^th Street will drop you right off at the historic district.

By bus your east-west options are: 95^th Street/Jeffery Manor Express (100), 103^rd Street (106), and Pullman/111^th/115^th (111).  Bus route 111 is also your only north-south option, as it covers Cottage Grove Avenue as well.

Noble Square/Polish Triangle

The Breakdown

Downtown isn't far from Noble Square.

An overview: Noble Square is one of the many different smaller neighborhoods located within the West Town community area.  Immediately to its north, is what is often referred as the Polonia Triangle (or “Polish Triangle) at the three-way intersection of Ashland, Division, and Milwaukee.  The Polish Triangle isn’t its own neighborhood per-se, and is usually considered part of either Wicker Park or Pulaski Park.  However, since it is adjacent to Noble Square, and has its own unique identity, we felt it was worth sharing an entry.

The boundaries: Noble Square’s boundaries are normally considered the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) to the east, Ashland Avenue to the west, Division Street to the north, and Grand Avenue to the south.

The Polish Triangle is a commercial corridor that is bounded by Ashland Avenue to the west, Division Street to the south, and Milwaukee Avenue to the northeast.  It is surrounded by four different neighborhoods: Pulaski Park to the northeast, Wicker Park to the northwest, East Village to the southwest, and Noble Square to the southeast.

Population make-up: OK, let’s try something here.  West Town is far too large and diverse for each neighborhood to share the same demographic characteristics, so we’re going to turn to the census tracts.  The great majority of Noble Square is located within census tracts 2420, 2433, and 2434.  The Polish Triangle makes up the southwest corner of census tract 2416.

In the census tract in which the Polish Triangle belongs, 2010 census figures list the population as 3,477.  White residents make up 60% of the area, and 30% is Hispanic.  The remaining 10% is split up among Asian (5%), Black (3%), and other races (2%).

In Noble Square’s census tracts the 2010 population was 9,952.  It’s a relatively diverse neighborhood.  The population was 52% White, 32% Hispanic, 11% Black, 3% Asian, and 2% from other races.  Currently there is no income data available.

As a whole, West Town has seen an increase in its White and Asian populations, while seeing decreases in its Black and Hispanic populations, between 2000 and 2010.  In the past ten years, the West Town community area’s population has dropped nearly 6%, from 87,435 (2000) to 82,236 (2010).

The Polish Triangle.
Where Ashland, Division and Milwaukee meet.

A brief history: Noble Square doesn’t get nearly the attention that its neighbors to the west get.  In West Town, most people think of Wicker Park and Ukranian Village.  However, Noble Square has a lot to offer.  Its major commercial corridor is Chicago Avenue, home to many restaurants and boutiques.  Two of Chicago’s newest highly acclaimed restaurants, Ruxbin Kitchen and Leopold, call Noble Square its home, as does legendary vegetarian fine dining establishment Green Zebra.  The neighborhood has beautiful older architecture, with over half of the housing units dating back over a century.

The Polish influence in Chicago is everywhere.  That influence still exists in places like Avondale and Archer Heights.  General knowledge has it that Chicago has the world’s second-largest Polish population, behind only Warsaw.  The Polonia Triangle however, is considered the city’s original “Polish Downtown”.  In the late 1800s, multiple Polish organizations located at the three-street intersection, and stunning Polish Cathedral style churches (St. Stanislaus Kostka and Holy Trinity Church) were erected just down the street.  Although the Polish influence on the neighborhood is far less than 100 (or even 50) years ago, it still lingers in several establishments, two of which we’ll cover in this entry.  Currently there is a movement to improve the visual appeal of the Polish Triangle, perhaps formally designating it as Wicker Park’s southern gateway.  Still, day or night, it doesn’t lack for activity.

Getting there: By elevated train, the Blue Line will take you there.  The Division stop drops you right off at the Polish Triangle and Noble Square’s northern boundary.  To access Noble Square’s Chicago Avenue commercial corridor, take the Blue Line to Chicago and it’s about a five-minute walk west, just over the Kennedy Expressway.

By bus there are a few options as well.  Going east-west: Division (70), Chicago (66), and Grand (65).  Going north-south you’ll need to take the Ashland bus (9).  Going northwest-southeast you can also take the Milwaukee bus (56).

Roscoe Village/Hamlin Park

The Breakdown

Eastward down Roscoe Street.

The boundaries: Roscoe Village and Hamlin Park are two of four neighborhoods located within the North Center community area, and make up its southern half.  The commonly accepted boundaries for Roscoe Village are the Chicago River to the west, Ravenswood Avenue to the east, Addison Street to the north, and Belmont Avenue to the south.  Hamlin Parks abuts Roscoe Village to the immediate south.  Its boundaries are Belmont Avenue to the north, Diversey Avenue to the south, the Chicago River to the west, and Ravenswood Avenue to the east.  For an image of the North Center community area, please see the map at the end of this post.

Population make-up: Since Roscoe Village and Hamlin Park only make up half the geography of the North Center community area, it’s not an exact science.  As a whole, North Center is pretty average in terms of population, size, and therefore density as well.  However, it does rank 12^th in terms of median income, this despite its historical reputation as a working class area of Chicago.  In terms of ethnic make-up, North Center (according to the 2000 Census) is about three-quarters white, approximately 20% Hispanic, and the remainder a mix of other ethnicities.

Boutiques line Roscoe Street in the heart of Roscoe Village.

A brief history: Like much of Chicago, when the North Center area was established, it was heavily populated by immigrants, living there due to its proximity to jobs near manufacturing along the Chicago River.  Also like much of Chicago, the area suffered from post-World War II “urban flight”.  Crime increased and there was a severe reduction in much of the neighborhood’s property value.  However, the 1990s brought about a renewed interest in the area with substantial redevelopment and an influx of wealthy residents.  Roscoe Village, has become one Chicago’s most popular (and upscale) living destinations, especially for young families.

Getting there: Public transit is definitely doable, just fairly limited.  By train, your best bet is the Paulina brown-line stop.  Although it’s technically in Lakeview, it’s on Roscoe Street and is only a couple blocks east of the main business district.  The Paulina station is only two stops from the Belmont stop, which means an easy transfer to/from the Red and Purple lines.  The Addison brown line stop will also put you in the neighborhood’s northeast corner.

There are also a couple options by bus.  Going east-west are the Belmont Avenue bus (77) and the Addison Street bus (152).  If traveling north-south, one can take the Western Avenue bus (49), or the Damen Avenue bus (50) which takes you pretty much to the heart of Roscoe Village (intersection of Damen and Roscoe Street).