Avondale, Chicago
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2017) |
Avondale | ||
---|---|---|
Neighborhoods | ||
Area | ||
• Total | 2.00 sq mi (5.18 km2) | |
Population (2020) | ||
• Total | 36,257 | |
• Density | 18,000/sq mi (7,000/km2) | |
ZIP Codes | 60618 | |
Median household income | $60,000[1] | |
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services |
Avondale (
History
The first European settler in Avondale was Abraham Harris who settled the area three years after its 1850 incorporation into
Factories and other industries sprang up around the start of the 20th century due to the Chicago River and Avondale's dense network of transportation corridors that were built in the 1870s and improved after its annexation into Chicago including replacement of cable cars with electric powered streetcars. The resulting jobs in the area were responsible for drawing the initial wave of European immigrants.[5]
Avondale was the site of one of Chicago's "Seven Lost Wonders", the Olson Park and Waterfall complex at Diversey and Pulaski.[6]
Beginning in the 1980s,
Starting in the mid-2000s, gentrification began to take hold in the Avondale area as it had in neighboring Wicker Park, Logan Square and Bucktown.[7][8]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 48,433 | — | |
1940 | 47,684 | −1.5% | |
1950 | 45,313 | −5.0% | |
1960 | 39,748 | −12.3% | |
1970 | 35,714 | −10.1% | |
1980 | 33,527 | −6.1% | |
1990 | 35,579 | 6.1% | |
2000 | 43,085 | 21.1% | |
2010 | 39,262 | −8.9% | |
2020 | 36,257 | −7.7% | |
[1] |
Avondale has traditionally had a large Polish population, with patches of German, Scandinavian, and Italians settlement as well.
Transportation
Avondale is served by the
Avondale is also accessible by a number of bus routes run by the CTA.
- Running Northwest/ Southeast:
- Running North/ South:
49 Western
52 Kedzie/California
53 Pulaski
82 Kimball-Homan
- Running East/ West:
76 Diversey
- 77 Belmont
152 Addison
Neighborhoods
Polish Village
The Polish Village or Jackowo
The Polish communities of Jackowo and Wacławowo appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Polish settlement spread further northwest along
A distinct flowering of
Just to the north of Jackowo is Wacławowo and the parish of
Belmont Gardens
Belmont Gardens spans the
Most of the land between
Belmont Gardens's first urban development began thanks to Homer Pennock, who founded the industrial village of Pennock, Illinois. Centered on Wrightwood Avenue, which was originally laid out as "Pennock Boulevard", was planned to be a hefty industrial and residential district. The development was so renowned that the village was highlighted in a "History of Cook County, Illinois" authored by Weston Arthur Goodspeed and Daniel David Healy. Thwarted by circumstances as well as the decline of Homer Pennock's fortune, this district declined to the point that the
While Homer Pennock's
Belmont Gardens offered more than just a less congested setting for its new residents. Due to its proximity to rail along the
Kosciuszko Park
Kosciuszko Park spans the
The boundaries of Kosciuszko Park are generally held to be Central Park Avenue to the East, Pulaski Road to the West, George Street to the North, and Altgeld to the South.
Most of the land between
Kosciuszko Park's first urban development began thanks to Homer Pennock, who founded the industrial village of Pennock, Illinois. Centered on Wrightwood Avenue, which was originally laid out as "Pennock Boulevard", was planned to be a hefty industrial and residential district. The development was so renowned that the village was highlighted in a "History of Cook County, Illinois" authored by Weston Arthur Goodspeed and Daniel David Healy. Thwarted by circumstances as well as the decline of Homer Pennock's fortune, this district declined to the point that the Chicago Tribune wrote about the neighborhood in an article titled "A Deserted Village in Chicago" in 1903.
While Homer Pennock's industrial suburb failed, Chicago's rapid expansion transformed the area's farms into clusters of factories and homes. At the start of the 20th century as settlement was booming, Kosciuszko Park and Avondale were at the Northwestern edge of the Milwaukee Avenue "Polish Corridor"- a contiguous stretch of Polish settlement which spanned this thoroughfare all the way from Polonia Triangle at Milwaukee, Division and Ashland to Irving Park Road.
Kosciuszko Park offered more than just a less congested setting for its new residents. Due to its proximity to rail along the
Adjacent to Kosciuszko Park's border with Avondale proper near the intersection of George Street and Lawndale Avenue is
It was the park of Kosciuszko Park however that weaved together the disparate subdivisions and people into one community. Dedicated in 1916, Kosciuszko Park owes its name to the Polish patriot
The green space afforded by the park quickly became the backdrop for community gatherings. Residents utilized the grounds at Kosciuszko Park for bonfires, festivals and neighborhood celebrations, and for a time, even an ice skating rink that would be set up every winter. Summertime brought the opportunity for outdoor festivities, peppered with sports and amateur shows featuring softball games, social dancing, a music appreciation hour, and the occasional visit by the city's "mobile zoo".
Today "The Land of Koz" is a diverse neighborhood, and becoming even more so as gentrification advances further northwest. New people are entering Kosciuszko Park and joining earlier residents whose roots trace back to Latin America and Poland. Yet the park that lent the neighborhood its name still serves its residents, where through play, performance, and even the occasional outdoor film screening it functions as the venue where the community can come together.
Economy
In 1937, Dad's Root Beer was founded in Avondale by Ely Klapman and Barney Berns. The company operated a bottling plant in the community before the company moved operations. The factory has since been converted into condominiums.[20]
As of 2014, the top 5 employing industry sectors in Avondale are retail trade (20.9%), manufacturing (14.8%), utilities (12.4%), accommodation and food service (9.8%), and finance (7.4%). Over half of these workers come from outside of Chicago and 45.5% come from outside of Avondale within the city. The top 5 employing industry sectors of community residents are accommodation and food service (11.5%), healthcare (11%), professional (10.1%), retail trade (9.6%), and administration (8.3%).[1]
Education
Avondale residents are served by
Carl Von Linne School, 3221 N. Sacramento, on Sacramento between Belmont and School is a neighborhood school. The school features a comprehensive gifted program and a dual language program. There is an emphasis on fine arts including visual arts, ceramic, music, dance, digital arts, and culinary arts. The school has a "sprouting teens garden" on the east side of the building and a "kitchen community culinary garden" in the main playground.
The United Neighborhood Organization operates the Carlos Fuentes School in Avondale.[21]
Public libraries
The Chicago Public Library operates no branches located in the Avondale community area. Although the branch in nearby Kosciuszko Park was one of the system's most utilized branches, it was closed by the 1950s. Branches are available nearby in adjacent neighborhoods, such as Logan Square, Irving Park, and Belmont Cragin.
Politics
The Avondale community area has supported the
Parks
Avondale was cited by the Chicago Tribune as being in the top tier of Chicago's "park poor" neighborhoods.[24] This situation was further aggravated when Avondale Park was reduced to just over one acre in size during the building of the Kennedy Expressway, taking over most of its green space, including the park's playfield, separate boys' and girls' playgrounds, a wading pool, a sand box and tennis courts while leaving the fieldhouse designed by Clarence Hatzfeld intact.[25]
The substantial green spaces in the Avondale community area are Brands Park, followed by Avondale Park. Parks adjacent to Avondale such as Kosciuszko Park, Athletic Field Park and Ken-Well Park are heavily utilized by residents as well. Additionally, there are playlots under the supervision of other parks such as Grape Playlot, Park-view Playlot, Nelson Playlot, Elston Playlot, and Sacramento Playlot, found within Avondale.
Culture
Avondale has a number of strong and simultaneously diverse cultural centers.
Notable people
- Vivian Maier, photographer who achieved posthumous fame. A resident of various neighborhoods including Rogers Park, she took photos in Chicago's Polish Village.[26]
- Lucy Parsons, labor organizer and founder of Industrial Workers of the World. She perished in a fire in Avondale in 1942.[27]
- Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, member of the Chicago City Council representing the 26th ward and the first openly gay, Latino alderman. He is a resident of Avondale.[28]
- Louise Schaaf (1906-2020), supercentenarian notable for being, at the time of her death, the oldest person in Illinois and the oldest known person born in Germany. She resided near Belmont and California in Avondale until 1959 when she moved to the Norwood Park neighborhood.[29]
See also
- Polish Cathedral style
- Polish American
References
- ^ a b c d e "Community Demographic Snapshot: Avondale" (PDF). Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. June 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-1626196124.
- ^ "Community Area: Avondale" (PDF). City of Chicago. June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Keating, Ann Durkin (2005). "Jefferson Township". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Solzman, David M. (2005). "Avondale". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Grossman, Ron. "Chicago's Seven Lost Wonders". Chicago Tribune.
- Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "Holiday in Avondale - Forgotten Chicago - History, Architecture, and Infrastructure". Forgottenchicago.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "VIA Times". VIA Times. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "chicagoareahousing.org". Chicagoareahousing.org. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Estimates of Chicago Population Change Based on The 2000 Census And The American Community Survey 5‐Year Estimates (2005/2009)" (PDF). Robparal.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ a b "How Chicago's Neighborhoods Got Their Names". Mentalfloss.com. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "chicago pol-mex fusion". Urbanarchives.wordpress.com. 6 September 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Strona główna - Polishnews.com". Polishnews.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Vivian Maier - Vivian Maier Photographer". Vivianmaier.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Holiday in Avondale - Forgotten Chicago - History, Architecture, and Infrastructure". Forgottenchicago.com. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "September 18, 2014". Ask Geoffrey. September 18, 2014. WTTW. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ "UNO Charter Schools Archived 2012-04-30 at the Wayback Machine." United Neighborhood Organization. Retrieved on June 16, 2012.
- DNAInfo. Archived from the originalon September 24, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- DNAInfo. Archived from the originalon February 3, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ "Cramped Chicago: Half of the city's 2.7 million people live in park-poor areas; lakefront's parkland disguises severe shortage in many inland neighborhoods". Chicago Tribune. 9 October 2011.
- ^ "Chicago Park District: Avondale Park". Archived from the original on 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
- ISBN 9781467111188. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
Mrs. Lucy Parsons 80-year-old blind anarchist whose first hus band, Albert Parsons, died on the gallows as a result of the Haymarket riot,...
- Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ O'Donnell, Maureen (June 5, 2020). "Louise Schaaf, dead at 113, was Illinois' oldest resident, oldest known immigrant to the U.S." Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
External links
- Official City of Chicago Avondale Community Map
- Avondale, Chicago Webliography
- The History of Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village
- Holiday in Avondale, Forgotten Chicago's take on Avondale
- Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village in the newsletter of the Northwest Chicago Historical Society Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
- Avondale Neighborhood Association