Neighborhood News: Uptown-Where “Chicago’s rich history and international diversity intersect”
Just six miles from downtown Chicago is an eclectic haven for social activists and advocates, immigrants and refugees, and artists. Every culture is represented, and as Explore Uptown describes it, “a microcosm of Chicago itself—a neighborhood of big shoulders and rich contrasts.”
Welcome to Uptown!
Demographics
Uptown’s boundaries, as reported by Wikipedia sources, are Foster Avenue to the north; Lake Michigan to the east; Montrose Avenue (Ravenswood Avenue to Clark Street), and Irving Park Road (Clark Street to Lake Michigan) to the south; Ravenswood Avenue (Foster Avenue to Montrose Avenue), and Clark Street (Montrose Avenue to Irving Park Road) to the west.
History
Settled in the 1830s, Uptown has a colorful history as a hotspot for arts and entertainment. Its growth as an entertainment and shopping mecca coincided with the extensions of Chicago’s elevated train system and Lake Shore Drive (now DuSable Lake Shore Drive).
To compete with the Loop and Woodlawn, the Central Uptown Chicago Association promoted the area’s shopping and recreational opportunities with images of New York City; the main thoroughfare became “Broadway” and the area, “Uptown,” according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago History
Uptown was a booming nightlife district in the 1920s and 1930s, with a thriving jazz scene that took off during Prohibition. The area’s modern renaissance has seen a number of its old-school movie houses and Art Deco buildings restored to their former glory, according to Choose Chicago.
The Encyclopedia also discussed Loren Miller’s department store (later Goldblatt’s), which anchored the shopping district. Additionally, Uptown revelers visited the Aragon Ballroom (1926), the Riviera Theater (1919), the Uptown Theater (1925), and the Marine Room of the tony Edgewater Beach Hotel (1916). Thousands of worshipers flocked to the People’s Church and tuned their radios to hear the sermons of Unitarian minister Preston Bradley. For a decade (1907–1917), Essanay Studios made Uptown the heart of the American film industry. Luxury apartment buildings and hotels appeared along Winthrop and Kenmore Avenues
Even today, no trip to Uptown is complete without a visit to The Green Mill on Broadway. The former speakeasy and favorite hotspot of Al Caponeis still going strong. The 100-year-old jazz club still has has the same sultry feel of its Prohibition heyday. His favorite seat was the booth at the end of the bar. It’s still there!
Asia on Argyle
The blocks around the Argyle “L” station are a distinct district within Uptown brimming with character and history, according to the Uptown Chamber of Commerce. Once a Jewish community, Chinese entrepreneurs in the 1970s, as well as refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia following the 1975 Fall of Saigon, transformed the area by opening restaurants, bakeries, pharmacies, and social service agencies.
Today, Asian-American entrepreneurs continue to be drawn here, with a spate of recent eateries and cafes that opened around the Argyle “L” station.
As Choose Chicago tells it, on Argyle Street and the surrounding blocks, you’ll find a treasure trove of Asian eateries, with restaurants serving up sushi, dim sum, banh mi, pho, and more. One local favorite is James Beard Award-winningSun Wah BBQ, where the Beijing duck dinner is an off-menu hit. Other can’t-miss spots include traditional Vietnamese dishes at Pho Viet and flavorful Thai in a cozy atmosphere at Immm Rice & Beyond.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year!
This Saturday, February 17, celebrate theYear of the Dragon as Uptown Chicago hosts the Lunar New Year Parade. Kick-off is at 1:00pm sharp at Argyle & Winthrop, and features 20+ local community groups, cultural institutions, dancers and performers.
In addition, a number of local organizations are planning pop-ups with family-friendly activities between 10:00am-4:00pm.
For more information about Uptown, its storied history, and upcoming events, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
