Lower West Side, Chicago
Lower West Side
Pilsen, Heart of Chicago | ||
---|---|---|
Neighborhoods | ||
Area | ||
• Total | 2.80 sq mi (7.25 km2) | |
Elevation ZIP Codes | parts of 60608 and 60616 | |
Median household income | $52,104[2] | |
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services |
Lower West Side is a
History
In the late 19th century, Pilsen was inhabited by
Although there was some increase in the
In the 1980s, the Mexican-origin population grew. During that decade 95% of the people in Pilsen had some Mexican descent, and 80% of the overall population of Pilsen were first or second generation immigrants from Mexico and Mexican-Americans. Mexican growth continued into the 1990s. During that decade 40% of the Mexican-origin population in Pilsen had migrated directly there from Mexico, and about 33% of the Mexican-origin population in the Chicago area lived in Pilsen.[7]
As of 2005, many of the newer residents of the neighborhood were not Latino, and it is projected that the neighborhood will continue to become more diversified in the years ahead.
The
Neighborhoods and sub-areas
The Lower West Side includes two neighborhoods; Pilsen and Heart of Chicago. It also contains several areas considered to have historic significance including the Schoenhofen Brewery Historic District, part of the Cermak Road Bridge Historic District, and part of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Historic District, and the South Water Market.[10][11]
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Historic District
The
Cermak Road Bridge Historic District
The Cermak Road Bridge Historic District was added to the N.R.H.P. in May 2012. It consists of Cermak Road and the South Branch of the Chicago River.
Heart of Chicago
According to the results of a 1978 survey which asked residents the name of their neighborhood and its boundaries, the approximate borders for the Heart of Chicago neighborhood are the BNSF Railway to the north, South Ashland Avenue to the east, Interstate 55 to the south, and South Western Avenue to the west.[12] Along Oakley Boulevard, from 24th Street to 25th Street, is found a group of restaurants which remain as a residue of a previously large pocket of Northern Italians. In 1890, the McCormick Reaper factory at Western Avenue and the south branch of the river recruited skilled machine operators from Northern Provinces of Italy (Tuscany, Torino, Milano), offering them salaries twice that available in Italy and a paid transatlantic ship ticket. The community grew as workers paid for relatives to join them. St. Michael's parish on 25th street was their community center. The archdiocese closed that parish in 2000.[13] Restaurants opened by these families that remain, as of 2019, include on Oakley Boulevard: Bruna's (1933), Bacchanalia's (1971), La Fontanella (closed in 2020), Ignotz's (1999) and on Western Avenue Il Vicinato (1983).
Pilsen
The Pilsen neighborhood is a historically working class, residential neighborhood and gateway for immigrants coming to the City of Chicago. The area was initially settled by
Schoenhofen Brewery District
The
South Water Market
The South Water Market relocated to the Lower West Side in 1925. As of 2014, the five block facility had been redeveloped into the University Commons condominiums.[10]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 66,198 | — | |
1940 | 57,908 | −12.5% | |
1950 | 53,991 | −6.8% | |
1960 | 48,448 | −10.3% | |
1970 | 44,535 | −8.1% | |
1980 | 44,951 | 0.9% | |
1990 | 45,654 | 1.6% | |
2000 | 44,031 | −3.6% | |
2010 | 35,769 | −18.8% | |
2020 | 33,751 | −5.6% | |
[2][16] |
According to a 2015 analysis by the
Figures from the United States Census Bureau demonstrate a level of gentrification from 2000 to 2010. The Mexican American population, constant between 1970 and 1999, decreased significantly from 2000 to 2010. This loss was primarily in the Pilsen neighborhood. This change corresponded with a simultaneous decline of families and an increase in one person households. Families decreased by 20.4% and families with children decreased 40.9%. During the same period, single person households increased 17.8%[18]
Layout
The east side of the neighborhood, along
Pilsen is home to a multitude of murals and other forms of street art. With an initiative from the Chicago Urban Art Society and support from the National Museum of Mexican Art artists have been able to construct murals around the Pilsen neighborhood, adding to the history, culture, and community of the area.[19][20]
West 18th Street is an active commercial corridor, with Mexican bakeries, restaurants, and groceries, though the principal district for Mexican shopping is W 26th Street in Little Village, Chicago's other formerly majority Pan-Slavic community.
The United States Postal Service operates the Pilsen Post Office on 1859 S Ashland Avenue.[21]
The National Museum of Mexican Art is located in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Podmajersky incorporated is a major property owner in the Pilsen area[citation needed].
Street art
The Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago has become a hub for muralists and street artists to convey their identity, passion, and activism. Murals are historically connected to
Mario Castillo painted Peace or Metafisico in 1968. This piece was the first Mexican and anti-Vietnam War murals in Pilsen. In 1969, he painted The Wall of Brotherhood which was inspired by an artwork located in the Bronzeville neighborhood.[22]
Some murals have remained the same or have been updated throughout the years and others have been modified to portray current events. In 1980, Marcos Raya created Fallen Dictator which portrays an anti-war and anti-imperialist message. This particular mural has been redone three times. The most recent update has images of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton drawn as snakes and battling each other.[22]
In 2016, Sam Kirk and Sandra Atongiori created Weaving Cultures to highlight women of different backgrounds. The mural paints five different women, including a transgender Latina, with the goal of representing women of all demographics and promote acceptance of others.[22]
Cuisine
Transportation
Public transit on the Lower West Side is provided by the
The Stevenson Expressway has exits at Damen Avenue and Ashland Avenue on the Lower West Side. The Canal Street railroad bridge, a Chicago landmark, is located on the Lower West Side. There are also bikeways on Blue Island Avenue, 18th, and Halsted Streets.[24]
Politics
In the
In the United States House of Representatives, the Lower West Side is located in Illinois's 4th congressional district represented by Democrat Chuy García. In the Illinois General Assembly, the Lower West Side is in the 1st Legislative District, represented by Democrat Tony Munoz in the Illinois Senate, and the 2nd House district, represented by Democrat Theresa Mah in the Illinois House of Representatives.[30]
Education
Residents are zoned to
Lower West Side is home to the following educational institutions:
- Josiah L. Pickard Elementary School
- Jungman Elementary School
- Irma C. Ruiz Elementary School
- Jose Clemente Orozco Community Academy
- Peter Cooper Duo Language Academy
- Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – private, Jesuit 9-12 school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
- Gads Hill Center – nonprofit youth and adult education center
- Rudy Lozano Library – Chicago Public Library branch
- Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy – charter high school
- Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy – alternative high school
- St. Ann School - Catholic, pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school
- St. Pius V School - Catholic, pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school
- St. Procopius School – Catholic, dual language elementary school
- Whittier Dual Language Community School – pre-kindergarten through 8 school
- John A. Walsh Elementary School
History of education
Prior to the 1970s, Pilsen residents attended Jungman Elementary School for grades 1–6; Cooper School, adjacent to Jungman, for grades 7–8; Froebel School for grades 9-10, and
Jungman opened in 1903. In 1914 an addition was installed. The building was converted into a junior high school in 1933 due to a decision by the Chicago Board of Education. It later became a branch of Harrison Tech, and then in 1947 a branch of Walsh Elementary.[32]
Froebel served as a branch for Harrison Tech due to overcrowding on the main campus; it was originally an elementary school.[32]
Notable residents
- Anton Cermak, 34th Mayor of Chicago (1931–1933)[34]
- Stuart Dybek, short fiction writer and poet.[34]
- I.S.I.L. He lived in Pilsen while attending the Medill School of Journalism.[35]
- George Halas, coach and owner of the Chicago Bears. He was raised in Pilsen and attended Peter Cooper School.[34]
- James Chico Hernandez, First sambo champion to be featured on a box of Wheaties Energy Crunch.[36] He was raised in Pilsen.
- Otto Kerner Jr., 33rd Governor of Illinois (1961–1968). He was raised in Pilsen.[34]
- Otto Kerner Sr., 28th Illinois Attorney General (1932–1938) and Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He resided in Pilsen.[34]
- Abigail Beasley
- Jake Allex Mandusich (1887–1959), soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his service in the United States Army during World War I. In 1951, he resided at 1915 South Loomis Avenue.[37]
- Daniel Solis, member of the Chicago City Council from the 25th ward (1996–2019). He resides on the Lower West Side.[38]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Lower West Side". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 15 May 1997.
- ^ a b c d "Community Data Snapshot - Lower West Side" (PDF). cmap.illinois.gov. MetroPulse. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ a b "History of Pilsen". WTTW Chicago Public Media - Television and Interactive. April 12, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ "Pilsen". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Journal of Illinois History. 17 (1): 83.
- ^ Arredondo, Gabriela F.; Vaillant, Derek. "Mexicans". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
- ^ Journal of Illinois History. 17 (1): 84.
- University of Illinois at Chicago. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- JSTOR i40006201.
- ^ ISBN 978-1626196124.
- ISBN 978-0226428833.
- ^ a b "Chicago Neighborhoods Passed by City Council in 1993". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. 1993. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ source: oral history of Franco the owner of La Fontanella, age ~75, taken 2019
- Historic American Engineering Record. Library of Congress. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ "National Register Information System – Schoenhofen Brewery Historic District (#78001128)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Paral, Rob. "Chicago Community Areas Historical Data". Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ Hallas, Jon, ed. (June 30, 2017). "Community Demographic Snapshot: Lower West Side" (PDF). Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- University of Illinois at Chicago.
- ^ "On the Grid | Pilsen Murals". On the Grid. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "Street Art in Pilsen: Murals in Chicago's Mexican Neighborhood | Frugal Frolicker". Frugal Frolicker. 2014-09-07. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "PILSEN Post Office Location". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Pilsen Murals Blend Art and Activism". WTTW. April 17, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ Walsh, Robb (October 26, 2000). "The Authenticity Myth: The Mex Mex Issue". Houston Press. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
- City of Chicago. Archived from the originalon June 13, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- DNAinfo.com. Archived from the originalon March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- DNAinfo.com. Archived from the originalon March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ^ Connolly, Colleen (February 6, 2015). "Get to Know Your Ward: 10th Ward". Ward Room. WMAQ-TV. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ^ "25th Ward Regular Democratic Organization Political Party Committee". Illinois Sunshine. March 31, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ "25th Ward Republican Committee Political Party Committee". Illinois Sunshine. March 31, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 1" (PDF). May 18, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "West/Central/South High Schools" (). Chicago Public Schools. May 17, 2013. Retrieved on May 25, 2015.
- ^ Journal of Illinois History. 17 (1): 88.
- ^ "How Pilsen's Founding Mothers Built a High School". WTTW Chicago Public Media - Television and Interactive. October 13, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Pero, Peter N. (2011). Chicago's Pilsen Neighborhood. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 25. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "James Foley, Slain by ISIS, Honored With Pilsen Mural". DNAinfo Chicago. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ Dahms, Jon. "Army Reservist selected as Wheaties Everyday Champion". army.mil. Public Affairs and Liaison Directorate Office, Army Reserve. Archived from the original on 12 August 2002. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "SLATE 4 HOUR NIGHT PAGEANT FOR M'ARTHUR: Hero Will Be Center of Spectacle". Chicago Tribune. April 25, 1951 – via ProQuest subscription at Chicago Public Library.
- ISBN 9781137558534. Retrieved June 25, 2018.