Uptown, Chicago
Uptown | ||
---|---|---|
ZIP Codes parts of 60613, 60640 | ||
Median household income 2019[1] | $55,109 | |
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services |
Uptown is one of
History
Early years
The historical, cultural, and commercial center of Uptown is
The Uptown neighborhood boundary once extended farther to the North, to Hollywood Avenue.[6] Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, just after the World's Columbian Exposition, the entire area had experienced a housing construction boom. In the mid-1920s, construction of large and luxurious entertainment venues resulted in many of the ornate and historic Uptown Square buildings which exist today. The craftsmanship and artistry of those Uptown Square buildings reflects the ornate pavilions of the Exposition.
For over a century, Uptown has been a popular Chicago entertainment district, playing a significant role in ushering in the
Postwar era
By the 1950s, the middle class was leaving Uptown for more distant suburbs, as commuter rail and elevated train lines were extended. Uptown's housing stock was aging, and old mansions were subdivided. Residential hotels which had housed wives of sailors attached to the
21st century
Most recently, since 2000,
In 2008, a group of residents sued the City of Chicago over its designation of the Wilson Yards lot as a Tax Increment Financing ("TIF") district.[10][11][12]
In December 2009, a
Historical records
Historical images of Uptown can be found in Explore Chicago Collections, a digital repository made available by Chicago Collections archives, libraries and other cultural institutions in the city.[14]
Neighborhoods
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 67,699 | — | |
1940 | 77,677 | 14.7% | |
1950 | 84,462 | 8.7% | |
1960 | 76,103 | −9.9% | |
1970 | 74,838 | −1.7% | |
1980 | 64,414 | −13.9% | |
1990 | 63,839 | −0.9% | |
2000 | 63,568 | −0.4% | |
2010 | 56,362 | −11.3% | |
2020 | 57,182 | 1.5% | |
[1] |
Buena Park
Buena Park is a neighborhood bounded by Montrose Avenue, Irving Park Road, Graceland Cemetery and Lake Shore Drive. At the core of the neighborhood is the Hutchinson Street Historic District, a tree-lined stretch several blocks long featuring mansions that make up "one of the best collections of Prairie-style architecture in the city."
Robert A. Waller developed Buena Park starting in 1887 by subdividing his property. The site of the original Waller home now holds St. Mary of the Lake church (built in 1917). Buena Park pre-dates the remainder of Uptown by a number of years. Buena Park is also home to one of the most active neighborhood organizations in Chicago: Buena Park Neighbors.[17]
"The Delectable Ballad of the Waller Lot" by Chicago poet Eugene Field:
Up yonder in Buena Park
There is a famous spot,
In legend and in history
(Known as) the Waller lot.
Sheridan Park
Sheridan Park is a neighborhood roughly bounded by Lawrence Avenue on the north, Clark Street on the west, Montrose on the south, and Broadway on the east. It is mostly residential, containing six-flats, single family homes, and courtyard apartment buildings. There is a growing business district along Wilson Avenue, which bisects Sheridan Park. Truman College, one of the
In 1985, the Sheridan Park Historic District (a National Landmark District) was established to protect the unique single-family and smaller multi-family architecture of the area. According to the National Park Service, the district is roughly bounded by Lawrence Avenue on the north, Clark Street on the west, Montrose on the south, and Racine on the east.[18] Some structures of Uptown Square were also added as contributing structures.
In December 2007, the Chicago City Council approved the Dover Street Historic District in Sheridan Park. This designation covered the three northern blocks of Dover Street and four single-family homes on the west side of adjacent Beacon Street just south of Lawrence Avenue. Unlike federal Landmark District status, City landmark status limits the demolition and modification of properties without the approval of the Chicago Landmarks Commission.[19][20]
Argyle Street
More recently known as "Asia on Argyle," but also known as "Little Saigon", and "Little Vietnam", this neighborhood was mostly populated by residents of Vietnamese and Cambodian nationality. However, many, if not most, were from ethnic Chinese minorities, and for that reason became refugees during the Sino-Vietnamese War of the late 1970s. Many ethnic residents continue to migrate to other neighborhoods and to the suburbs while keeping their businesses in the span of just a few city blocks. Argyle Square hosts Asian grocery stores as well as ethnic Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, and Chinese restaurants.
The neighborhood should not be confused with
The neighborhood is served by the
Margate Park
Margate Park is situated in the northeast corner of the Uptown community, nestled between the recently rejuvenated strip of new construction on Sheridan Road and the pleasantries of the northern reaches of Lincoln Park. It is bound by Lincoln Park and Sheridan Road to its east and west, and Foster Avenue and Lawrence Avenue to its north and south, respectively.
Its tree-lined streets, historic mansions, and gilded mid-rises reflect the area's development in the bustle of Uptown's entertainment industry from the early 1900s, now undergoing a burgeoning revitalization. The diverse housing also includes ornate, imposing terracotta clad buildings, immortalized in the movies of early twentieth century Chicago as apartment hotels and boarding houses. Some of these 1920s, Jazz-Age hotels have since been converted to high-end condos and co-ops, adding to the tremendously diverse population of the area. The Margate Park community, as well as much of the Uptown neighborhood of which it is a part, is a popular and thriving home to many of the city's LGBT residents. On Margate Park's western edge is also one of the city's longest running gay bars, Big Chicks, owned and operated for the past 30 years. Designed in 1937 by architect Charles Kristen, its asymmetrical facade, clearly influenced by the 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, features dazzling decoration, with yellow vertical piers on a backdrop of cobalt blue, as well as splashes of aqua. The building itself is architecturally significant for its deco facade.[citation needed]
Margate Park contains a Lake Shore Drive underpass near Argyle Avenue adjacent to the Margate Playground, just east of Marine Drive, which permits pedestrians and bikers easy access to the lakefront path and the Foster and Lawrence Avenue beaches.
Many of the houses here were built from the 1890s to the 1920s. Although it has remained a mostly white and wealthy area throughout the 20th century, it is a fairly integrated community. In 1940 some blacks who lived as domestic workers resided in a single block of houses in close proximity to their employers. Those houses were described by Jacalyn D. Harden, author of Double Cross: Japanese Americans in Black and White Chicago, as being "modest".[21]
At 5000 North Marine Drive is
Landmarks
Uptown Entertainment District
Historically a very popular tourist destination, the Uptown Entertainment District is home to various music venues, nightclubs, restaurants and shops. The Uptown Entertainment District is now experiencing a revival, with new restaurants and shops opening every year. Uptown Square, at the center of the Uptown Entertainment District, was designated as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Uptown is also a stop for Chicago Gangster tours, with many locations tied to infamous gangsters such as John Dillinger, Al Capone, Machine Gun Jack McGurn, Roger Touhy ("Terrible Touhy") and others.
Aragon Ballroom
The
The Aragon Ballroom is located at the intersection of Lawrence and Winthrop Avenues, just adjacent to the
Riviera Theater
The
Uptown Theatre
The Uptown Theatre is a large, ornate movie palace with almost 4,500 seats. The largest in Chicago, this architectural gem is on several Landmark Registers. The Uptown Theatre was designed by famous movie palace architects, Rapp and Rapp, who also designed the Chicago Theatre in the Chicago Loop. It was managed by the Balaban and Katz Company.[25]
The Uptown Theatre as of 2018 will begin renovation, after numerous attempts, by Friends of the Uptown Theatre and other local groups to restore and reopen the theater with $75 million renaissance plan. Progress was stymied for years by various legal issues, including disputes by multiple mortgage holders and city liens. However, on August 18, 2008, the Uptown Theatre was sold to Jam Productions Ltd, a Chicago-based music promoter who has committed to bringing a spectacular entertainment venue comparable to the Chicago Theatre in the Loop's Theatre District downtown. In November 2019, the Chicago Tribune reported that the start of the renovation was still stalled due to slow private fundraising needed for the project.[26] Development plans, within blocks, call for renovation of the former AON Insurance building to luxury mixed use retail and apartments already in progress, new high-rise apartment/retail building at Broadway and Winona Street, new parking structure on Lawrence at the Redline, and plans for a new high-rise luxury hotel.[27]
A 2006 documentary,
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge is located at 4802 N. Broadway in Chicago, on the site of a much bigger Green Mill Gardens complex, which was an outdoor music gardens fashioned after The
Baton Show Lounge and Double Door
In late 2018, it was announced that two established Chicago entertainment venues were moving to Uptown. The Baton Show Lounge which opened in 1969, has hosted many celebrities, and presents
Former venues
The Rainbo
The Rainbo, at 4812 N. Clark Street, was purchased in 2002 and torn down to make way for a new condo and townhouse development. At one point, however, it was a very popular outdoor music garden, fashioned after the Moulin Rouge Gardens in Paris, which is the original namesake for what was then called "Moulin Rouge Gardens."[31]
Investors bought the Moulin Rouge Gardens property and spent one-million dollars to expand the facility. Opened in 1921, Mann's Million Dollar Rainbo Room, named after Fred Mann's wartime service in the U.S. Army's 42nd Infantry or "Rainbow" Division, was said to be the largest nightclub in America, featuring some of the biggest names in
In 1927, during prohibition, it was converted to a major casino and sports venue, called the Rainbo Fronton.
In 1934, during the Chicago World's Fair (Century of Progress), it became French Casino. The French Casino is where John Dillinger spent his birthday, June 22, 1934, a month before he was shot.
In 1939, it became
In 1957, The Theater Cafe was converted to an ice skating rink, called Rainbo Arena, which was a practice rink for the Chicago Blackhawks including the year they won the 1961 Stanley Cup. The Rainbo Arena was also a training rink for several Olympic figure skaters, and during much of the 1960s was the only indoor hockey rink in the Chicago area open to the public. Several hockey leagues were headquartered at Rainbo, and particularly on weekends, hockey-playing groups would rent the ice at all hours of the day and night.
The south end of the building housed a pro bowling alley in the 1960s which was converted in 1968 into the original Electric Theatre/Kinetic Playground music venue.
In the 1970s and thereafter, Rainbo was a popular late night roller rink until it was torn down for a new housing development called Rainbo Village. When the building was being demolished in 2003, an assortment of human bones and tennis shoes were discovered in what had been the building's basement.[33] How the bones and shoes ended up there has remained unresolved.
Arcadia Ballroom
The Arcadia Ballroom, at 4444 N. Broadway was one of the first Dance Halls in Chicago. Promoter
5100 Club
The 5100 Club, at 5100 N. Broadway, was a nightclub that hosted comedy performances before the advent of television. One regular headliner was
Argyle Street Asian restaurants and shops
Argyle Street, from Sheridan to Broadway and spilling onto Broadway, features Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, French Vietnamese and Cambodian ethnic restaurants and bakeries. There are also many Asian groceries, shops and trading companies that sell unique Asian merchandise. This area is locally called by many different names, including New Chinatown, North Chinatown, Little Chinatown, Little Saigon, New Saigon, Little Cambodia, Vietnamese Town, Little Vietnam, or by many in the Asian community simply as "Argyle". The surrounding neighborhood, which has attracted Asian immigrants and refugees for the past several decades, is listed on the
One block east of the Argyle 'L' stop, at the corner of Argyle and Winthrop is The Roots of Argyle mural, a community-produced painting depicting 100 years of immigration and daily life on Argyle Street.[36][37]
Graceland Cemetery
In southwestern Uptown is historic
Winthrop Family Historical Garden
The Winthrop Family Historical Garden was established in 2009 as a community greenspace on the 4600 block of Winthrop. It was renovated in 2022 through a City of Chicago Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) grant.
Amenities
Parks, beaches and boating
Chicago's
One park, which is an inland part of lakefront Lincoln Park, is located just west of Lake Shore Drive, called Clarendon Park, and the Margate Field House in North Lincoln Park both feature athletic fields, children's playgrounds and indoor sports facilities.[43][44] Chase Park, located on the west side of Clark Street at Leland Avenue, has indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, as well as an outdoor pool and tennis courts.[45]
Hospitals
- Chicago Lakeshore Hospital
- Methodist Hospital of Chicago
- Thorek Memorial Hospital
- Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital
Schools
Chicago Public Schools operates district public schools:[46]
- Brennemann Elementary School
- William C. Goudy Elementary School
- McCutcheon Elementary School
- McPherson Elementary School
- Ravenswood Elementary School
- Stockton Elementary School
- Courtenay Language Arts Center
Most residents are zoned to Senn High School while those west of Ashland are zoned to Amundsen High School.[48]
CPS magnet schools:
- Walt Disney Magnet School
Private schools:
- Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School (closed 2004)[49]
- St. Mary of the Lake Elementary School
- St. Thomas of Canterbury Elementary School
The previous campus of the Lycée Français de Chicago was located in Uptown Chicago.[46][50]
Colleges and universities:
- Harry S Truman College
- St. Augustine College
- American Islamic College
Libraries
- Bezazian Branch - Began operations on January 26, 1957.[51]
- Uptown Branch - Began operations on June 5, 1993.[52]
Cultural
- The Haitian American Museum of Chicago
- The American Indian Center was located for decades in Uptown and moved to nearby Albany Park in 2017
Politics and government
United States Congress
Most of Uptown is located in Illinois's 9th congressional district, and some of the westernmost part of the community area is located in the 5th congressional district.
District | Representative | Took Office |
---|---|---|
9th congressional district | Jan Schakowsky | 1999 |
5th congressional district | Mike Quigley
|
2009 |
Politics
Uptown has supported the Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 23,815 votes, 85.6% over Republican Donald Trump’s 2,481 votes, or 8.9%. In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden won 27,009 votes, 88.0%, and Trump received 3,154 votes, 10.3%.
Chicago City Council
Uptown is divided into multiple wards, which are the districts from which
Ward | Alderperson | Took office |
---|---|---|
46th ward | Angela Clay | 2023 |
48th ward | Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth | 2023 |
40th ward | Andre Vasquez | 2019 |
47th ward | Matt Martin | 2019 |
Transportation
Uptown is served by the
Notable people
- Eric Gunnar Gibson (1919–1944), soldier in the United States Army and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II. He was a childhood resident of Uptown and lived at 4040 North Broadway.[54]
- Harold Ernest Goettler (1890–1918), aviator in the United States Army Air Service awarded the Medal of Honor for valor during the search for the Lost Battalion. He was raised at 4630 North Dover Street.[55]
- NBA player.[56]
- Governor of West Virginia. After his time as Governor, he lived at a YMCA at 1725 West Wilson Avenue from 1961 to 1965 while working as a taxi cab driver and recovering from alcoholism.[57]
- George R. R. Martin (born 1948), novelist and short story writer best known for A Song of Ice and Fire. He lived in Uptown while performing alternative service work as a VISTA volunteer attached to the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation.[58][59]
- Ayanna Pressley (born 1974), member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 7th congressional district since 2019. Pressley was a childhood resident of Uptown, moving to attend college at Boston University.[60]
- The Zero Hour radio show. Toguri lived in a three-flat in Uptown after the War.[61]
Notes
- ^ a b c d "Community Data Snapshot Uptown" (PDF). Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ "Map of Uptown" (PDF). City of Chicago. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
- ^ "Natural Areas | Chicago Park District". www.chicagoparkdistrict.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ Stacewicz and McNeill, "Uptown" (1990)
- ISBN 9781608190928.
Uptown chicago entertainment.
- Chicago Historical Museum. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
- ^ Roger Guy, From Diversity to Unity (Lexington Books, 2007).
- ^ Todd Gitlin and Nanci Hollander, Uptown (Harper & Row, 1970)
- ^ "5 pockets stand out in city makeover" (http://www.bluesmatters.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1981).
- ^ "Fix Wilson Yard". Retrieved January 8, 2009.
- ^ Joravsky, Ben (December 11, 2008). "The Right Fight". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
- ^ "Chicago Residents Sue City Over Alleged Misuse of TIF Funds". Chicago Public Radio. December 4, 2008. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
- ^ Marx, Gary; Jackson, David (December 1, 2009). "Chicago nursing homes: slaying of nursing home resident in nearby motel shows how violence can spill into neighborhoods". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Long, Elizabeth. "A Single Portal to Chicago's History". The University of Chicago News. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Explore Chicago. "Hutchinson Street". Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ^ "Property Information Report". gis.hpa.state.il.us. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Chicago Tribune, Buena Park: Tucked away next to everything, August 21, 2009.
- ^ "Asset Detail". npgallery.nps.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "Landmark Districts | City of Chicago | Data Portal". data.cityofchicago.org. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ "2-120-740 Alteration, relocation or demolition of landmarks - Permit review requirements". codelibrary.amlegal.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ISBN 0816640432, 9780816640430.
- ^ "The Aquitania - 5000 Marine Drive Corporation". www.5000marine.com. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Aragon Ballroom-History". Jazz Age Chicago. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ "Rivera Theater History". Jazz Age Chicago. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ "Uptown Theater History". Jazz Age Chicago. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ Jones, Chris (November 7, 2019). "Column: Uptown Theatre restoration has stalled, it needs a kickstart from our new mayor". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
- ^ Swanson, Lorraine. "Uptown Theatre a done deal". Chicago Journal. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
- ^ "Green Mill Gardens". Jazz Age Chicago. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ Kelly, Brianna (December 5, 2018). "Storied Baton Show Lounge moving to Uptown". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Roti, Jessi (December 3, 2018). "Double Door to reopen in old Wilson Avenue Theater in Uptown". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Newmann, Scott A. (2000). "Rainbo Gardens". Jazz Age Chicago: Urban Leisure from 1893 to 1945. Scott A. Newman. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
- ^ "Tom Gootee's History of WMAQ Radio-Chapter 11". Samuels. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ "Dog finds skeletal remains at northwest Indiana demolition site". CBS Chicago. October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ "Arcadia Ballroom History". Jazz Age Chicago. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
- ^ "The Museum of Broadcast Communications - Encyclopedia of Television - Thomas, Danny". Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Roots of Argyle Mural". Uptown United. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ Motice, Zack (November 29, 2016). "Argyle Street Gives Back". Landscape Architecture Magazine. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ "Winthrop Family Historical Garden: City of Chicago Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) Grant 2022". Uptown United & the Uptown Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ISBN 9798379235413.
- ^ Reddy, Gayatri (November 2, 2021). "Winthrop Family and Black Resilience on the North Side of Chicago". The Chicago Reporter. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ "Montrose Beach". Chicago Park District. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ "Montrose Harbor". Chicago Harbors. Westrec Marinas. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
- ^ "Margate Park Fieldhouse". Chicago Park District. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ "Clarendon Park Community Center". Chicago Park District. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ "Chase Park". Chicago Park District. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ a b "Uptown" (map). City of Chicago. Retrieved on December 24, 2016.
- ^ "Elem North" (). Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved on September 30, 2016.
- ^ "HS North/Near North." Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved on September 30, 2016.
- ^ "Our History". Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ Home page. Lycée Français de Chicago. Retrieved on December 24, 2016. "613 West Bittersweet Place Chicago, IL 60613"
- ^ "About Bezazian Branch". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "About Uptown Branch". Chicago Public Library. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "City of Chicago :: Ward Maps". www.chicago.gov. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "HERO'S HONORS PAID FIGHTING CHICAGO COOK: Anzio Feat Costs Life of Swedish Youth". Chicago Tribune. September 13, 1944.
- Chicago Daily Tribune. December 19, 1919.
- ^ "How Iowa State landed Simeon's Talen Horton-Tucker to finish a huge Chicagoland recruiting haul | RSN". October 26, 2017.
- ^ Halvorsen, David (March 13, 1965). "W. Virgina's Governor A Cabbie Here Explains the Change: 'I Got Drunk'". Chicago Tribune. p. 2.
- ^ Freund, Sara (August 21, 2019). "George R.R. Martin's former Uptown apartment lists for $354,900". Curbed. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ D'Mmassa, Don "Martin, George" pages 388-390 from St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers edited by David Pringle, Detroit: St. James Press, 19978 p. 388.
- ^ Sweet, Lynn (November 2, 2021). "Boston mayoral winner Michelle Wu: Raised in Barrington, ran tea house on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Jensen, Trevor (September 28, 2006). "Iva Toguri: 1916 - 2006". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
References
- Balaban, David (2006). The Chicago Movie Palaces of Balaban and Katz. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3986-4.
- Gitlin, Todd; Hollander, Nanci (1970). Uptown: Poor Whites in Chicago. Evanston: Harper & Row. OCLC 96088.
- Guy, Roger (2007). From Diversity to Unity: Southern and Appalachian Migrants to Chicago, 1950-1970. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-1833-7.
- Stacewicz, Richard; McNeill, Robert (1995). "Uptown". Local community fact book : Chicago metropolitan area, 1990. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. ISBN 0-914091-60-3.
External links
- Official City of Chicago Uptown Community Map
- Lakeside Community Development Corporation
- Business Partners- The Chamber for Uptown
- Uptown Chicago Commission
- Buena Park Neighbors
- Magnolia Malden Neighbors
- Compass Rose Cultural Crossroads Collection of articles, some of which relate to Uptown history
- Uptown History Blog Blog with images from Uptown's past.
- Uptown Update News and Commentary from the 46th Ward of Chicago
- SeeClickFix Report non-emergency issues in the Uptown neighborhood