In the late 1800s, a restaurant opened up in this formerly German and Irish neighborhood called “At the City of Plzen,” in honor of the second largest city in West Bohemia (the modern-day Czech Republic). But with World War I came vast labor shortages, which attracted a variety of immigrant groups, most notably the Mexican population that so dominates and defines the neighborhood today. But while it may be known primarily as Chicago’s Mexican neighborhood, Pilsen has also recently built up a reputation as a veritable hotspot of up-and-coming artists who have only added to the area’s prosperity and points of interest. The second Friday of each month (appropriately titled Second Fridays) boasts new offerings from many of the galleries that dot Halsted around 18th Street, which are worth checking out for much more than just the free wine. Add in exciting contemporary artwork and cheap, authentic Mexican eats, and you’ll understand why Pilsen is perennially pegged as “up and coming.” Read the rest of this entry »

In some ways, Grand Crossing and adjacent Chatham are like a case study in urban history. Both were originally settled by European immigrants working on the railroads and, later on, in factories. Both neighborhoods prospered during the first half of the 20th century. And starting in the 1950s, both were integrated; but here is where the two diverge. Grand Crossing saw a typical case of white flight, blockbusting by corrupt realtors, and subsequent economic stagnation. Chatham, on the other hand, integrated slightly later and learned from the mistakes of other neighborhoods. The whites still left, but their institutions and community groups were peacefully turned over to the new black residents. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Chatham “has the distinction of being perhaps the only neighborhood in Chicago that developed from a European American middle-class community into one composed of middle-class African Americans.” To this day Chatham is more comfortable, while Grand Crossing is less well-off. Read the rest of this entry »

South Shore has spent much of its history as a solidly middle-class neighborhood—which is not to say that the area has remained unchanged the entire time. Like many South Side neighborhoods, it saw an outburst of growth with the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and continued prosperity through the 1920s and ’30s, followed by white flight in the ’50s and an influx of lower income residents over the next few decades. Today, though, the area has rebounded from its economic hardship, with a middle- to upper-middle class African-American community fostering cafes, a cultural center, a beautiful beach and other locales and lively developments. Read the rest of this entry »

Often overlooked due to its distance from the nearest CTA stop and its location straddling 100th Street, hanging over into the triple digits, Beverly is a quiet and at times suburban neighborhood on the southwestern edge of the city. It was annexed to the city along with most of the South Side in 1889, but large parts of it remained sparsely populated prairie until at least the 1950s. The neighborhood’s two most prominent physical features are a glacial ridge (the highest point in Chicago) and the limestone castle built on top of it in 1886, which has served as a home, an all-girls school, and a reportedly haunted Unitarian church. Don’t be intimidated by the hike from the southernmost stop on the Red Line; two Metra lines run through or near Beverly. Read the rest of this entry »

Between the prairie and the lake, fate and happenstance, Chicago was built by the twin American tastes for the freedom of the wild frontier and the promise of the metropolis. The historic South Side of the city has been witness to the result: the grit and the glitz, industry and commerce, social injustice and community activism, the lonely places in merry crowds. This is the community we are proud to call home. In this issue, we offer quirky and different takes on the “best” of the South Side as a prelude to our big sister Newcity’s “Best of Chicago.” Our designations are not meant as formal titles but as general indicators, way points for the places and things that dot our memories as we claim our share of the American dream. Between the prairie and the lake, fate and happenstance.

To speak of Hyde Park is to inevitably talk about the University of Chicago. As the University’s home for the last 115 years, Hyde Park bears all the influence of having a major intellectual and cultural institution in its midst, and that influence from this brainy school is very particular: There are more bookstores per capita in Hyde Park than in any other neighborhood in Chicago. The relationship between the neighborhood and the school has not always been pleasant, especially during an urban renewal effort in the ‘50s and ‘60s that destroyed homes and leveled—quite literally—the club scene on 55th Street. Today, however, Hyde Park is at the forefront of the South Side’s renaissance. While Bronzeville rebounds and Bridgeport explodes, Hyde Park and the University of Chicago are pooling their resources to make this the intellectual and cultural heart of the city. Read the rest of this entry »

When you’re bored of pizza or the fine eateries on Michigan Avenue have maxed out your credit card, it’s time to hop on the Red Line and head to Chinatown. Walking down the main drag takes you past restaurant after restaurant, grocery stores favoring ingredients not typically found at Jewel-Osco, bakeries, and gift shops. While the décor does tend to cater to the tourist ideal of the Far East, the cuisine is authentic and the price is right. Large tables in most of the restaurants encourage large groups and family-style dining. Joy Yee’s is a popular favorite, though the lesser-known spots are just as tasty and often far less crowded. A typical, tasty night in the area might include dinner at one of the many restaurants, bubble tea for an after-dinner stroll, and a pastry for dessert. There are also shops, karaoke, and a park for those who can’t or won’t eat any more. A real taste of China without the annoying 20-hour plane ride—what more could we ask for? Read the rest of this entry »

Beverly is a community that boasts a solid, middle-class society, Irish pride, and a haunted castle that has been in the area since 1886. The neighborhood is often referred to as Beverly Hills not for an eponymous area in California but for the glacial ridge that is a prominent feature and also the highest point in the otherwise generally flat expanse Chicago. Though WASPs swarmed to the area at its founding, Beverly has since attracted a large Irish Catholic population. The haunted castle is a replica from Ireland that now serves as a Unitarian church. Like Hyde Park, Beverly is now a racially-integrated community, with Black/African Americans making up 32% of the population in 2000, according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago. It is one of the southern-most communities within the bounds of Chicago, but it is well worth the trek away from the better-known Michigan Avenue to experience Beverly’s shops and restaurants and, of course, the castle. Read the rest of this entry »