Schedule and neighborhood descriptions
Sociology 3841, Urban Justice Tour, June 4-9, 2011I. Overall schedule.
Saturday: We arrive in Chicago at 4 and have a 20-25 minute walk to the hostel. After we get checked in and you settle into your rooms, we'll meet in the lobby to visit Chinatown, getting there via the Red Line (subway/elevated train aka "the el").I'll distributed CTA passes before we leave the hostel. We'll divide into groups for exploring Chinatown and getting dinnner. You may want to get off the subway at the Roosevelt exit on the way back and get some groceries at the nearby supermarket. Then get back on the subway going north and take the next exit. The hostel does have great kitchen facilities, including refrigerators and freezers. Mark your name on your groceries. .
Sunday morning let's gather in the meeting room on the second floor of the hostel at 8.30, so I can say a few things about the areas we'll be visiting that day. We'll be taking the Red Line south from Harrison to 47th to visit Bronzeville, Kenwood, and Hyde Park, ending up back at the hostel by 5 for a round robin discussion in the meeting room. We'll attend Kenwood United Church of Christ, a Black church whose pastor is Reverend Leroy Sanders (I have a story about Reverend Sanders' first week in this church.) . We'll pass within a block or two of President Obama's Chicago house. We'll eat in the Valois cafeteria, a cafeteria made famous in Mitchell Duneier's book, Slim's Table. 'll be including more detailed day by day instructions later in this document, but I want to start off with a brief review of the week.Monday: a free day for you to explore at least one neighborhood (see below) and just generally enjoy Chicago. In the evening you might want to go to the free concert at Millenium Park's Pritzger Pavilion (6.30) or to Second City (a famous comedy theater ;it's their "best of" day; shows start at 8 p.m. but be there early for good seating) or a White Six game or The Goodman Theater or.. . I'm leaning toward that concert and you may certainly join me. If you need directions for anything, check at the information desk on the second floor of the hostel.
Tuesday we'll be in the Cook County Courts, among the largest criminal court system in the country. Be in the hostel's second floor lobby by 9:15 Do not bring cameras, cell phones radios, or pocket knives and be sure you have a photo id. Somebody try to remind me to check before we leave. Remember to be very quiet as you enter the courtrooms; there are the usual rules about dress and behavior in the courts--no eating or talking--but in addition, you may be sitting next to family members of the accused or the victims. In the middle of the day, in small groups you'll explore Little Village, the biggest Mexican neighborhood in Chicago and get some lunch, perhaps returning to the courts for more observations in the afternoon. Be back at the hostel by 5 for a round robin discussion. Tuesday those with appropriate identification may want to join me for a visit to Buddy Guy's Jazz legends (YouTube link). Cover charge has typically been $10 but it's a new location so it could be more; in the past you could get in with no cover after about midnight.
Wednesday you're on your own, except that you do need to visit one more neighborhood (so that you've been to at least two, besides the ones we see together), and again, you should do it in a group (at least three, I'd say). This handout gives directions for quite a few neighborhoods, and if you want to do something else, you need to get my approval. There'll be a debriefing meeting Wednesday at five.
Thursday: Check out of your rooms in the morning (I think by 10, but I'll let you know for sure) ; I'll stay with luggage in the lounge, so you can continue to enjoy Chicago in the morning. Meet back at the hostel by noon. They want us at the train station pretty early. .
II. Guidelines for Neighborhood Visits.
In general, notice the following aspects of the neighborhoods you visit, and do take a few notes as you go, so you can remember later when you're writing your paper about this trip. Bring a small notebook.A. Physical Aspects. Is it residential/commercial/industrial or some combination of these? What are the buildings like (how old, how large, what syle, what condition)? What about the streets and parks? Are they clean, littered, covered with glass? What can you tell from the street signs and the names of businesses and buildings? Are there supermarkets? Banks? Schools? Churches? Can you tell anything about the ownership or clientele of restaurants or bars from the signage? Are there signs of more than one race/ethnic group (maybe over time)? What about social class? What kinds of automobiles do you see? Do people seem concerned about security with their cars, houses, or businesses? What about grass, plants, flowers, trees? Are the boulevards and yards well kept or overgrown?Are there kids at play.Is there graffiti? Murals? Gang signs? If there are condomiums or houses for sale or apartments for rent, what is the price range? Are people friendly, neutral, or hostile, and can you figure out why?
B. Institutions/organizations. What are the kinds of businesses, libraries, churches, synagogues, mosques, social service agencies, schools, restaurants, bars, etc are in the area? Is there a police presence in the neighborhood?. For the churches, what about size and denomination? Are they grand buildings or converted storefronts? You may be able to enter and explore religious buildings, or they may be locked up (that tells you something too). Go into some of the commercial establishments too; maybe eat a meal and notice the other customers.
C. People. Describe the people you see in this neighborhood, including age, gender, social class, race and ethnicity. Do you hear languages other than English being spoken? Are there lots of children or teens? Do people strike you as loud or quiet? What about the way people dress? Are there people hanging out? What age? Does anyone approach you? Challenge you? Offer you help?
D. Miscellaneous. What are the major activities in this neighborhood? Do you see it as a neighborhood in transition? Deteriorating? Fixing itself up (gentrifying?) What can you conclude about the history of this neighborhood, and what would you predict for its future? Did you feel safe in this neighborhood? Welcome? Why or why not? What about the people who live there: are there signs that they feel the neighborhood is dangerous? Do you think it is a high-crime area? How would you feel about living in this neighborhood.
E. Other. Would you recommend this neighborhood to members of future field trips as a good/interesting neighborhood to visit? Is there anything they should particularly look for? A restaurant where they should eat? Anything they should avoid.
You are doing a version of qualitative (field) research, and this means that you yourself are one of the instruments of research. Pay close attention to your own feelings, reactions, intuitions. They certainly aren't the last word; you could feel nervous in what would turn out on closer examination to be a very safe neighborhood. But your reactions are important to notice and a good starting point. Also be guided by your own comfort level in initiating conversation with the people you meet. People on this field trip in the past have often noted the general level of friendliness and helpfulness among Chicagoans, and I endorse that. Bus drivers, for example, are sometimes a gold mine of information. If several of you are going somewhere on the CTA, you might try splitting up where you sit, rather than sitting together. If you initiate conversation, perhaps mention that you're in Chicago for a week with a class, and ask for suggestions of places to visit and things to see and do. Or ask whether they live in Chicago, how long they've lived here, how they like it, what they like best (and perhaps worst).
Warning and Encouragement. These instructions are mostly good, but there could be a mistake or you could take a wrong turn. The people of Chicago are a lot like the people of Duluth, mostly friendly and helpful, so if you get lost, ask for help.
Saturday evening. . We'll pick up the Red Line near our hostel. Make a habit of bringing just the money you'll need for a particular day and a little. more. We may see panhandlers. I bring some dollar bills for that purpose but you should decide what you're going to do. Going south on the Red Line, we pass the Roosevelt exit and get off at Chinatown, where we'll break into small groups for exploration and dinner. As we cross the street from the CTA stop, Chinatown Square is on the right and might be a good place for a few pictures of our whole group on the first night. There are also several restaurants there for those who need food right away. Then cross Cermak through the Chinatown Gate. This is a pretty small area and we don't want our groups piling up together, so (OPTION 1)one or two groups should work their way down Wentworth to 24th (notice the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library at 24th and Wentworth--it has the highest circulation of any branch library in Chicago). Turn right (west) on W. 24th St. and work your way over one block to Princeton Avenue; take a right; go up a block to W 23rd Place; take a right; and so forth. Work your way back to the beginning, covering all the blocks in between. Stop into a few of the shops. OR OPTION B. The remaining group(s) should pass through the Chinatown Gate on Wentworth, go south one block, take a right on W. 22nd Place, a left on S. Princeton, a left on W. Alexander St, a right on Wentworth and so on down to 24th St. and the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public library. Take Wentworth back to the Chinatown gate and the Red Line. Somewhere along this exploration route, choose a restaurant (I'll provide a list of recommended spots, with addresses) and get some dinner. If you still have the energy on your ride back toward the downtown, get off at the Roosevelt exit and shop at the supermarket there. Then get back on the Red Line and return to where we started. . Store your food in the kitchen on the second floor; be sure to put your name on your bags.
Sunday : Bronzeville, Kenwood, Hyde Park. (I'll distribute a map to each group) Meet in the lobby at 8.30 a.m.. Dress "respectfully" as we'll be attending a black church this morning. We'll take the Red Line from State and Harrison, getting off at 47th and heading east into Bronzeville. Once we reach State Street, I'll point out where the Robert Taylor Homes were located (there were 28 buildings in all, each holding about a thousand people, the majority under 18) until their demolition the last few years, and we'll break into our small groups (so that we'll be a little less conspicuous.).We'll be exploring what was known as the Grand Boulevard part of Bronzeville (the northern part was Douglas and was the first to experience redevelopment--hospitals, a technical university, a convention center, and more recently, the central police headquarters)
Our general direction will be east, but as we make our way east, explore up and down the side streets, from 47th to 43rd. Notice the churches and schools. On Michigan, notice the Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments (also known as the Rosenwald Apartments): 4600 S. Michigan Avenue. They take up the whole block between 46th and 47th. Built in the 1930s with financial assistance from Sears president Julius Rosenwald, these apartments were aimed at the black upper-middle class. Remember that until the civil rights era in the 1960s, social classes were mixed together in the black community, because of the many barriers to living outside the ghetto. These apartments were built around a large courtyard on the inside (the "garden" part) and there were a number of shops also included. At 48th and Michigan is the Hall library and though there isn't anything to see when it's closed, you might note the role it played for black writers at in bygone days,including Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Wright. I recently read Wright's autobiography and got a vivid picture of what it was like to be desperately poor, talented and black in Chicago, at the depths of the Great Depression. Wright had a chance at a post office job (a good opportunity for African Americans, since it was one of the few employers that didn't discriminate), but he'd had so little to eat for so long that he couldn't meet the minimum weight requirement.
Be sure to notice the new buildings on Indiana between 44th and 45th. Notice the kinds of businesses located along 47th, and any clues to the ownership. Ownership by "outsiders" has been a persistent issue in the black community. In the 1930s and 1940s, ownership was often in Jewish hands. Who is it now? Also notice the transition in signage and appearance at Calumet, as you enter "the Chicago Blues District." (the real blues district was 2 blocks north, on 45th; 47th was actually the jazz district. At 47th and King Drive, notice the Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church (4622 King Drive).
Continue east on 47th, but again, exploring some of the side streets to the north, looking for signs of redevelopment. Notice some important new businesses along 47th (banks, supermarkets--the sort of thing you just don't see in poor neighborhoods--and remember that the area we've been exploring today was, by the 1960s, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago and the country). When your group gets to S. Greenwood Avenue (if you reach Woodland, you've gone a block too far), make your way to the Kenwood UCC Church at 4608 South Greenwood. The service starts at 11 but try to be there by about 10.30, and we'll talk about what we've seen and heard so far. After the church service, we may be able to talk with a church member about a bit of their history and the programs they offer in the neighborhood.
After the church service, as we continue east along 47th we reach a mosque at the corner of Woodlawn and 47th (Masjid Al-Faatir, built by one of the sons of Elijah Muhammad, founder of the Black Muslims, with financial support from the boxer, Muhammed Ali). The headquarters of the Black Muslims (Mosque Maryam) is not too far from here at 7351 S. Stony Island , although not convenient to our walking tour. As we make our way south on Woodlawn, notice the apartments or condominiums at E Madison Park, between 50th and 51st. Or jog over a block east to S. Greenwood and see the Obama home at 5046 S. Greenwood. There will probably be secret service security there, so don't try to get too close.
As we cross E. Hyde Park Boulevard (a continuation of E 51st), we enter Hyde Park, home to the University of Chicago. When you get to 53rd Street, turn left (east) and make your way to 1518 E. 53rd St. and the Valois Cafeteria, where we will have our lunch. If your group gets their first, go ahead and get your food and a table. (I haven't been there before; if there's a largish table or two, that would be great). After lunch, we will visit Rockefeller Chapel(1156 East 59th Street, at the corner of 59th and Woodlawn) and see the restoration of the Lorado Taft Fountain of Time(5900 South Cottage Grove) before catching the Green Line North at Cottage Grove and East 63rd (our exit downtown will be Adams). Notice how the neighborhood changes dramatically again as soon as we get south of the University. Many of the people displaced by the demolition of the housing projects have moved farther south. We will end our first whole day with a round-robin discussion back at the hostel at 5 p.m.
Monday. Each group is on its own, but be sure to visit at least one neighborhood from my list at the bottom of this handout (or get my approval for something else). I'd certainly recommend that some time during the day or evening you make your way east from the hostel and see Buckingham Fountain and then work your way north till you get to Millenium Park.
Tuesday: Cook County Courts and Little Village. We leave the hostel at 9.15 a.m. (sharp!) and catch the Pink Line south from just north of the Harold Washington library, exiting at California, where we'll catch a bus to the Cook County Courts Building, 26th and California We'll get an orientation to the court and then spend the morning there. .By 1 o'clock or so (depending on the timing of the case you're watching) leave the courts to explore Little Village in small groups and get some lunch. Afterwards, return to the courts or head back to the Loop (your choice) to explore on your own. To get back to the hostel, take a bus north along California, back toward Cermak; tell the driver you want to stop at the Pink line and s/he'll alert you when it's time. Take the Pink Line north, exiting where we got on in the morning. Again, we'll have a round-robin discussion at 5.
Little Village. This is the largest Mexican American community east of Los Angeles. Go west on 26th until you pass under the archway entrance to Little Village. Stop into the Supermercado and Tanqueria at 3555 W. 26th. Go left on S. Central Park Avenue; notice the St. Agnes of Bohemia School and Church at 2651 S. Central Park; go inside. Look at the schedule of Sunday masses. . (There's a clue here to dominant ethnicity before this became a Mexican neighborhood; see if you can figure it out. In fact, throughout you neighborhood explorations, look for signs of ethnic succession.) Across the street see if you can go into the Prince of Peace chapel. As you return to 26th, notice Los Cardiles Restaurant at 2624 Central Park; you might want to eat there or wait till you've done more walking, . After eating, go north on Millard. Notice State Representative Susana Mendoza's tiny office a 2500 S. Millard, the Salvation Army and Iglesia Centro Comunitario and the Lazaro Cardenas Public School at 24th and Millard, La Villita Community Church and a Missionary Baptist church at 23rd and Millard, and then the Light of the World Deliverance Ministry in the following block. When you get to Cermak, notice the racial transition. Go left a block and take Lawndale back to W 26h. Again, notice churches and schools. Back at 26th, you may want to eat at Nuevo Leon's (3657 W. 26th). Then go south a block to W. 27th and head east, back toward the courts. Notice the murals along this street. At Kedzie, turn left (north) a block and then go right (east) on 26th, under the arch and back to the courts. Remember that you need to be back at the hostel by 5 for a meeting. PS. students in 2008 also recommended a restaurant at 26th and Christiana, called "La Chisma," and in 2010 recommended a restaurant called Mi Tierra, on S. Kedzie between 25th and 26th St. As I looked up reviews, I also found a good plug for a restaurant called Antonitco (3916 W 26th St, between Hardin and Springfield, or discover a new one yourself to recommend to next year's group.
Wednesday. Neighborhood Visits. You need to make visit another neighborhood. . Here are my suggestions, with fairly detailed instructions. Feel free to diverge somewhat from what I'm suggesting, but in general, I've found it's good to have some structure for these visits.
1. Gold Coast. This is a neighborhood with the highest concentration of wealth in Chicago, so the one clever field strategy for this exploration is to dress up a little. To get here, you might take the Red Line to North/Clybourn and then make your way east toward the lake along North . The 151 bus along Michigan will also get you there with less walking; get off anywhere between Oak and North Avenue (there may be other buses that will also get you there; check with the information desk at the hostel) . The most impressive buildings are along Dearborn, State and Astor, between North and Division. . One of the most prestigious private schools in the city is Latin School , located at 59 West North Avenue; see if there's anything interesting you can conclude just from walking by or see if you can go in (being bold is part of doing fieldwork). You may want to have lunch at the Pump Room, in the Ambassador East Hotel (1301 North State Parkway). Alternatively, you may want to work your way south from Division Street along Michigan Avenue, checking out the fancy shops and also checking out some of the side streets (Elm, Cedar, Bellevue) and ending up at the Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Place. The Drake is famous for its "high tea" (finger sandwiches, scones, fruit bread, French pastries, and a pot of premium tea), served from 1.30-5 p.m. and this would be a good alternative to the Pump Room for lunch, if you could afford it ("high tea" is about $20 and you need a reservation, but you could consider it as research expense). . It also serves as the gateway to the Miracle Mile, the most fabulous shopping in Chicago (if you like expensive things). . Ironically, at this point you are not all that far from Cabrini Green, the notorious high rise housing projects once home to 15,000 poor people, now mostly demolished and being rebuilt under the federal government's Hope VI program as mixed income housing. It might be interesting to find out if anyone at the Drake can give you instructions to the old Cabrini Green (but don't actually go) If you don't do the high tea at the Drake, you may still want to spend some time there exploring. Here are some "Tips on doing a luxury hotel lobby," from A Native's Guide to Chicago. Casual dress and the admiration of art, architecture, and affluence is generally acceptable, but be prepared for the occasional question or questioning looks... "Just looking" usually suffices if someone offers to "help you with something." It's easier to wander in and out during the day, but the view and ambience are more spectacular at night. Once inside the lobby, feel free to explore. Climb staircases, follow hallways, and when possible, definitely peek in to the ballrooms. Stay away from the floors with the guests' rooms and you should be okay. And remember, thank the doorstaff when they get the door for you." (p. 16) This guide, by the way, calls the Drake "the choice of high society, celebrity, and heads of state since its opening in 1920."
2. Calumet Heights. WARNING: STUDENTS HAVE BEEN FINDING THIS ONE LESS INTERESTING . "IT'S JUST LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD BACK HOME,T HEY TELL ME; AND INDEED, THAT IS A MAJOR PART OF THE LESSON AND PERHAPS NOT NECESSARY TO CONFIRM IN PERSON. This area was inhabited mostly by white ethnics--Poles, Italians, Irish, Yugoslavians--until the 1960s, when African americans began to move in. By 1970, Calumet Heights was 45% black, and by 1980, more than 86% black. The majority of housing is single-family, owner-occupied, but the value of the homes is considerably less than it would be in a white neighborhood. The Chicago Times recently ran a series on Chicago's black middle class, and they compared homes in mostly black Avalon Heights (the community area just north of where you are going ) to homes in mostly white Portage Park in the northern part of the city. . Median income in both communities is almost identical (about $45,000), but home values in Avalon average $136,000, while those in Portage Park average $308,000. Take the Red Line south to 95th (the ridership will be mostly black) and after you exit, walk east on 95th. When you reach S. Calumet Avenue (you'll see Martin Luther King Drive and Chicago State University just a block ahead), turn right (south) and proceed to 98th St. Turn left (east) and proceed into the campus. Chicago State University enrolls about 5,000 mostly minoirty students. Explore the campus and explore a building or two; if anybody asks, just explain who you are and what you're doing. Exit the campus the same way you came, ,west on 98th St. across King Drive and back to Calumet Avenue., where you turn right. From this point, you're basically working your way north through the neighborhood of Calumet Heights to 89th or thereabouts, where you should cut over to King Drive and catch a bus back to the downtown. In more detail, you might go left on 93rd, right on on Dunbar, left on 92nd, right on Indiana, right on E. 90th Pl, left on Prairie, and right on 89th. Proceed two blocks to King Drive and take a bus north to the downtown. Ask the driver where to get off (our hostel is at Congress and State). .
3. Near West Side: Taylor Street and Henry Horner Homes. Another area which in the late 19th and early 20th century was a destination for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from southern and Eastern Europe and which over time has become a major destination for the second wave of black immigrants to Chicago who comprised the Great Migration. Ta ke the Blue Line South (either the Forest Park or the 54/Cermak train will be fine) and exit at UIC/Halsted. Take the long ramp out, so that you exit on Halsted and turn south. Proceed to the Hull House Museum , 800 S Halsted. This is one of two original buildings (from a complex of Hull House buildings that filled a square city block by the 1910s) that were saved when the University of Illinois developed its Chicago campus here in the 1960s. Hull House was arguably the first center of a specifically women's sociology that developed here beginning in the 1890s, when the neighborhood was an immigrant slum, with Russian/Polish Jews and Italian Catholics the two largest immigrant groups among 30 or more nationalities. Jane Addams and several of her colleagues called themselves sociologists and published regularly in the new American Journal of Sociology . Some of the faculty in the sociology department at the University of Chicago, which was founded in the later 1990s, lived at Hull House, although eventually it was Robert Park's vision and not the vision of the women of Hull House that would dominate American sociology for the next 70 years. Anyway, the Museum opens at 10, and you should spend 20 minutes or half an hour here. Look particularly for signs of what American sociology might have been like if Jane Addams' vision had come to predominate. When you leave Hull House, continue south on Halsted to Taylor Street, which cuts through the campus and continues west. You may see signs of a couple of housing projects along Taylor Street (ABLA-Addams-Loomis and Brook-Abbott), now vacant and perhaps even demolished. When these housing projects, and Henry Horner Homes, were fully occupied, the Near West Side was one of the 15 poorest neighborhoods in America. As you walk west along Taylor, look for signs of what was once a flourishing Italian community here. You might eat at Al's Italian Beef, 1079 West Taylor, followed by an Italian Ice at Mario's Lemonade Stand, 1068 W Taylor. Another good spot to eat would be the Pompei Bakery (1531 W. Taylor), which serves Italian baked goods and pizza, and is near the intersection of Taylor and Laflin, as you continue west. Continue west to Ashland and catch a bus north to West Washington (just past the stop on Madison). Go west on Washington;. If you happen to have read the book, There Are No Children Here (or seen the Oprah Winfrey movie) about two kids growing up in the Henry Horner Housing Projects, you'll pass the elementary school thatLafayette and Pharaoh attended. . Another block or two and and you should see the new Westhaven mixed income development, which has replaced Henry Horner (and provides housing to only a few of the poor families which once lived in Henry Horner). This is one of the new HOPE VI developments. Look for any signs of how well those buildings are filling up and who's moving in. Head south a couple of blocks to Madison and you should see the United Center (where the Bulls and Blackhawks play) at 1901 West Madison. Catch a bus 20 going east on Madison to get back to Michigan Avenue and then a bus south on Michigan to Congress and you're back at the hostel.
4. Near West Side: Pilsen Take the 54/Cermak Pink Line from the Library-State/Van Buren stop going south and exit at 18th.This is the older of the Mexican neighborhoods in Chicago; as in Little Village, pay close attention to murals, churches, and schools--and do look for signs of ethnic succession. Turn left on 18th as you leave the station and then take the first left at 18th and Paulina. Go over a block and take a right on 17th. Notice St. Adelbert's (and go in if it's open). Take a right on Ashland and a left on 18th. Again, there's a Cafe Leon (at 1515 W. 18th, if you're ready for lunch. Continue to 18th and Loomis. Notice the Rudy Luzano Branch Library(1805 S. Loomis).; go in if it's open. Then take Loomis back to W. 18th and take a left (going east). When you get to Allport, notice the big church (St. Procopius) at 1641 S. Allport; notice the schedule of masses and go in, if it's open. Then continue east on W 18th until Racine, where you should take a right. Go South on Racine until you take a right on W 19th, going west. When you get to Throop, go right a little ways to see Holy Trinity Croation Roman Catholic Church, and then go back to 19th and continue west. Notice the big church, St. Pius V, at Ashland and W. 19th, as well as the pentecostal church at 19th and Paulina. If you're feeling ambitious, stop in at The Resurrection Project, 1818 S. Paulina, and find out whether that organization might be a likely visit on future urban justice tours. Then back on 19th be sure to stop at the Mexican Fine Arts museum, at 1852 West 19th Street. This is a free museum and is the largest Mexican culture museum in the United States. Spend 30-45 minutes there and be sure to visit the permanent exhibit, including the red pickup that belonged to Cesar Chavez and the United Farmworkers Union. Sit on the bench and watch the video about the history and meaning of Mexican mural art. ("You don't just walk by a mural; you stay there and let the mural talk to you.") After the museum, take a right at Damen and then a right at W. 18th. Notice the mosaics on the public school at 1940 W. 19th and then continue back to the CTA station, where you catch the elevated train back to the downtown.
5. Logan Park/North Milwaukee. This was once a center of Scandinavian settlement in Chicago; later it became a Polish neighborhood (in the 1920s, they were the largest immigrant group in Chicago) and there's been another major Polish immigration since the fall of the Iron Curtain in the 1990s. It's also become a major Puerto Rican neighborhood, as working class Puerto Ricans have been pushed north by the rapid gentrication of Wicker Park/Bucktown further south on Milwaukee. Pick up the Blue Line at Congress and LaSalle(west from a hostel a couple of blocks) and take it to Logan Square. Take a close look at the red brick church, at 2614 N. Kedzie, which is a Norwegian Lutheran Church founded in 1896 ( Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke ). See if you can go in. Proceed north on Milwaukee. Notice the Norwegian American Hospital at 2844 N. Milwaukee and notice the names of the doctors. After you cross Diversey Avenue, turn left on W. Wolfram Street and after a few blocks, look for the big Catholic Church, St. Hyacinths, which has several masses each Sunday, some in Polish, serving thousands of worshippers. Circle the church and see if you can enter. (If anyone asks you about being there, just explain who you are.) Notice the memorial to Jerzy Popieluzko, as well as St. Hyacinth's school. Make your way back to Milwaukee, and continue north. You might get some food at the sausage shop/bakery at 2978 N Milwaukee, or go to Staropolska Restaurant at 3030 N. Milwaukee. When you're tired of exploring, take the bus south on Milwaukee to Logan Square(Kedzie) and then catch the Blue Line and exit at LaSalle (the next stop after Jackson). Go east (back toward the lake) to get to the hostel.
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS:
Bucktown/Wicker Park: This is a formerly Jewish/Polish neighborhood (it's where Public Defender Fred Friedman, who teaches in our department, grew up) and then a Puerto Rican neighborhood --now becoming a center for young hip artists and professionals. Pick up the Blue Line at Congress and LaSalle (west from the hostel a block or two); take the train going north, marked O'Hare, and take the Damen Exit (the next one after Division). This puts you at the intersection of Damen, North, and Milwaukee. Look for signs of gentrification, but also for the continuing Puerto Rican presence. Probably a good place to go in the evening.... ask for suggestions about bars or restaurants at the information desk in the hostel.
Lakeview/Wrigleyview/ "Boystown" Take the Red Line north to Belmont. It's best to explore this area later in the evening, as night life begins to pick up. Begin with Boystown, the first officially designated gay district in the country. Head east along Belmont to Broadway and then turn north. Explore some of the side streets to the east a little bit (be sure to take Hawthorne Place east to see the mansions along that street) but continue to make your way up Broadway to the intersection with Grace and Halsted; make your way south on Halsted. Consider eating at HB (stands for Hearty Boys), 3404 N. Halsted ($14-19), or at Ann Sather's Restaurant, 929 West Belmont(great cinnamon rolls and reasonably priced food). Maybe take a detour west on W. Waveland or W. Addison to the environs of Wrigley field and explore there. Then follow Halsted back to Belmont. Turn west a block to the corner of Belmont and Clark. Notice the City Suites Hotel, 933 West Belmont, which is one of three gay-popular boutique hotels marketed as "Neighborhood Inns of Chicago". You might want to go in and look around; if anyone asks what you are doing, "just looking" should suffice. Then follow Clark south to Diversey, again with some short side trips to get off the main business streets. Another of the "Neighborhood Inns" hotels is Willows Hotel at Diversey & Broadway From Diversey, take the Red Line South to get back to the hostel, exiting at Harrison.
West Rogers Park: Take the CTA Brown Line north at Adams and Wabash and get off at Western. Take the bus north to Devon and West Rogers Park (Bus 49B), and explore to the West along Devon. It takes nearly an hour from the time you leave the downtown, so be prepared for the time commitment. I explored this area in 2004, and an idea that struck me at the time was that you'd probably have an interesting experience getting your hair done here (I went by a shop that seemed to be serving mostly the Indian community). Of course, that's not a strategy that would work for me. This was at one time a mostly orthodox Jewish community, but recently there has been a large influx of Indian and Pakistani immigrants, who have opened many shops between California and Leavitt. About 40% white, 25% black, 20% Latino, and 10% Asian.
EXPLORATION BY BUS OR ELEVATED TRAIN: :
Division Street Bus. Catch a bus on LaSalle Street going north to Division Street, and then take the bus all the way to the end of Division Street. At the end of the line, you will have to get off and catch another bus back (ask the driver of your first bus). You will pass through a wide variety of ethnic neighborhoods and social classes, including Puerto Rican, African American, and Polish. Notice Roberto Clemente High School, a high rise high school attended by a mostly minority population. The time we took this route with our whole group, the bus driver advised us not to get off the bus in some of the "rougher" neighborhoods.
Western Avenue bus tour of Chicago north to south.Take the CTA Brown Line north at Adams and Wabash and get off at Western. Instead of going north (as for West Rogers Park above), take the bus south on Western Avenue and pay close attention to the changing scene as you travel all the way south to the beginning of the suburbs. USA Today describes this street, which is the longest in Chicago, as a "sociologist's dream." Some of the neighborhoods along the way are described in a Chicago Tribune article: "One Chicago Street Tells Census Story" . You can sample all the neighborhoods in passing, from the bus, in which case you should go all the way south to 111th and then come back north. Or you can stop at one of the neighborhoods along the way and explore it in depth. .
Bucktown/Wicker Park (See above description)
Ukrainian Village (Western and Chicago). Center of Ukrainian life but again, a gentrifying neighborhood. Check out Ann's Bakery on Chicago Avenue.
Rockwell Gardens (Western and Jackson). This was one of the city's most troubled high rise housing projects, and it may by now be entirely demolished. Be careful about this neighborhood. It's probably gentrifying now, but back in 2004 a group planning to stop here was headed off by the bus driver, who'd grown up there, and who had a lot of interesting observations to share.
Pilsen (Western and Cermak). See above description.
McKinley Park (Western and Pershing). Working class neighborhood where Latinos are replacing Poles and other East Europeans.
Beverly/Morgan Park (Western and 111th). Upper-middle class neighborhoods, nearly suburban in feel. Beverly is mostly Irish-American; Morgan-Park is about 60% black.