Little Village
Best of the South Side 2009: Southwest Side
The story of Chicago’s Southwest Side is a classically American one. Immigrants—Poles, Lithuanians, Italians, Germans, Czechs—flocked to the area in the early 20th century after the extension of streetcar lines made it an easy commute. Railroads and stockyards—including the famous Union Stock Yard portrayed in Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle”—brought an abundance of jobs... »
Social Justice High School: Little Village and Lawndale’s experimental high school, four years after the hunger strike
It was two days after a racial melee outside Little Village Lawndale High School led to arrests when an English teacher at the school’s Social Justice High School campus asked her students a question: “What gives you hope?” The most common answer: “Nothing.” Not the success of a 19-day hunger strike in 2001 that... »
Punk’s Not Dead
The Black Hole, located near the corner of Sacramento and 26th Street, is billed as a “family entertainment center.” Paintings on the windows depict the wholesome entertainment to be had within: a dignified and mustachioed man plays pool with his son, while mom and sis face off on the next table. Sportsmanship permeates the... »
Little Village’s Art Festival
Chicago’s Little Village is brimming with artistic talent. For a time, however, the medium of choice was spray paint and the canvas, a wall. Last weekend’s Little Village Arts Fest is part of the community’s effort to find new places to display artwork and bring exposure to its burgeoning art scene. For the past... »
