Deena

The Grand Boulevard neighborhood includes M. L. King Drive from 39th Street/Pershing Road to 51st Street which is considered part of Bronzville. In the old days, the street was known as South Parkway and was lined with several huge mansions and 3-story brown and greystone apartment buildings. I actually lived on 42nd and Prairie for a few years as a young child. Still remember the rattling sound of the EL as it ran down the alley behind our building.

The area around the intersection of King Drive and 47th Street was a hotspot of jazz and blues clubs. 47th Street was the area’s primary commercial strip lined with several small to medium sized retail stores and restaurants. And on King Drive there was the famous and fabulous Regal Theater. In the 60s this neighborhood was a very cool place to be – even for a 10-year old kid like me! Of course, my biggest enjoyment was the annual Bud Billiken Day parade down King Drive. It was and still is one of the biggest and most spectacular parades in the United States.

Sadly, the decades have not been kind to the neighborhood as a whole. The economic decline is extremely evident on King Drive and even worse on the side streets. I had the opportunity last year to visit a friend who lives in the area. What an eye-opening experience that was, which I decided I would not repeat. It was too depressing. Too many vacant lots, crumbling and boarded-up houses and apartment buildings, too much poverty.

Despite the rebuilding, renovation, and restoration that local aldermen have been trying to jumpstart for at least the past 10 years, and Bronzeville’s status as a landmark district, the Grand Boulevard neighborhood is still only struggling. Although King Drive is still a "grand boulevard" with its many trees and grassy strips, I wouldn't call it a scenic thoroughfare any more. But it's still a great street for the Billiken Day parade! (WOW! I just realized the parade is this Saturday Aug 14th. I may just head down there! I DO love a good parade!)

Old Town

Boundaries: North – North Avenue (1600N), South – Division Street (1200N), East – Clark Street (100W), West – Halsted Street (800W).

Located just west of Chicago’s Gold Coast, this neighborhood has evolved from a “hippy culture” neighborhood (as I remember it from the early 70s) to one of urban eclecticism and gentrification. Years ago, the old Dr. Scholl’s factory was converted to condos and lofts, along with other abandoned warehouses. The “head shops” that lined both sides of Wells Street were replaced by funky boutiques and restaurants. The dance clubs were replaced by neighborhood pubs.

Despite its name, this area is not a “preserved” area, showing this area of Chicago as it was in the early days (circa 1850). Nevertheless, despite extensive gentrification, Old Town still boasts one of the few structures that survived the Great Fire of 1871 – St Michael’s Church, and several Victorian homes that were built in the ensuing years. Fast forward….

Old Town has been the home of Second City – the world-famous comedy club – since it opened in 1959. Its stellar alumni include Dan Akroyd, John and Jim Belushi, Tina Fey, Bonnie Hunt, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and hundreds of others. And it continues to thrive, and to attract new, upcoming talent, and to launch the careers of comedic stars and starlets.

Although the area has changed a lot since my few visits in the 70s, it still retains that funky, eclectic, vibrant neighborhood feel I remember. Yeah, in a way it IS still a piece of “Old Chicago”.

Boundaries
North: Kinzie Street (400N), South: I290/Eisenhower Expressway/Blue Line/Van Buren Street (400S), East: Chicago River/Wolf Point/Canal Street (500W), West: Rockwell Avenue (2600W).

Hot Spots
This neighborhood overlaps the western edge of the West Loop. The further west you go, the more residential it becomes. But there’s a LOT of activity to be found along the way!

Greektown is THE place in Chicago for authentic Greek/Mediterranean cuisine. Numerous restaurants line both sides of Halsted Street – the center of this area. They range from casual to fine dining, with several Gyros and fast food joints in between. Most of the original Greek residents moved out a long time ago, but many do still live in the area on the quieter, residential streets just west of Halsted. OPAAH!

Randolph Street has become the new antique market district, and fine dining hot spot (though I think it might be cooling off a bit). Various cuisine options include: Mediterranean, Japanese, Cajun, Bistro, and of course, American.

The Fulton Market district has evolved from a produce market area to a dense residential area of townhomes and high-rises. Old, abandoned warehouses were converted to multi-unit condos and lofts.

The Near West side’s “celebrities” include the United Center – home to the Bulls and Blackhawks, Michael Jordan’s OneSixty Blue fine dining restaurant, and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios where her talk shows are filmed.

River North is the largest of the “near north” neighborhoods, adjacent to Old Town, the Gold Coast, and the Magnificent Mile. It is THE place for artists, interior designers, and antiques. For the artist, Wells Street has the majority of boutique art galleries to serve every taste. The area surrounding the behemoth Merchandise Mart seems to have been built up specifically for the interior designer. The Mart itself is filled with several huge showrooms for designing any room in a home. River north is also the home of the annual Wells Street Art Fair which draws huge crowds from all over the city.

This eclectic neighborhood has quite a few vintage buildings that have been converted to condos, and restaurants. In recent years, more and more new development in the form of high-rise condos has been sprinkled in. But it still retains a neighborhood feel. Quite a few of the streets off the beaten path are tree-lined and grassy. You can still see many of the old vintage townhomes that have been upgraded to attract and accommodate the new generation of city-dwellers.

For nightlife, the legendary Division Street is only a short walk or taxi ride away. So is just about everything else you need: grocery store, restaurants, coffee shops; all the little perks that any city neighborhood should have.

The general area begins just north of the Chicago Loop and extends 2-3 miles north to North Avenue; and from the Kennedy Expressway to the west, all the way east to Lake Michigan. Hard to write a short review of this large chunk of real estate in the heart of Chicago. It is divided into several, smaller neighborhoods; each with its own distinctive feel and diversity of residents, shopping, culture, and attractions. Here’s a brief summary:

Magnificent Mile
High-end shopping, luxury hotels, fine dining, the Hancock Building and Observatory, vertical shopping malls, historic landmarks.

Gold Coast
One of the oldest residential neighborhoods in the heart of the city. Lots of old, urban mansions and vintage high-rise condos on quiet tree-lined, narrow streets. Includes the legendary night-life area of Rush Street – known as the “Viagra Triangle”.

Streeterville
Call it “Mag Mile East” – this neighborhood has exploded during the past 30+ years with high-rise condos for affluent urban professionals and suburban empty-nesters. Often congested with tourists going to and coming from Navy Pier.

Old Town
Located just west of the Gold Coast, this neighborhood has evolved from a “hippy culture” neighborhood to one of urban eclecticism. Old factories and warehouses have been converted to modern condos and rental units. But the original main streets – Division Street and Wells Street – retain much of their old flavor: Entertainment and Dining.

River North
Nestled between the Mag Mile and Old Town, this area has become THE place for small art galleries, antique shops, and interior design showrooms. Lots of small/intimate dining spots. Lots of conversions of old office buildings to condos, sprinkled with new high-rise developments.

The Near North area continues to evolve to retain and serve its current residents and to attract new ones.

One of many Loop/Downtown neighborhoods, Streeterville (a.k.a. River East) is located just east of the Magnificent Mile, between Oak Street to the north, The Chicago River to the south, and the Lake front to the east. Since the area includes Navy Pier, it is usually very congested with traffic to and from the Pier – especially in the summer.

Nevertheless, the neighborhood contains more than 30 high-rise communities of upscale apartments and condominiums. Plans for more are in the works, despite the sluggish economy. To support the growing number of residents, the number of restaurants and large grocery stores has also increased.

Besides Navy Pier (which attracts mostly tourists), the neighborhood includes a multi-plex of 21 movie theaters. And for a small dose of culture, there’s the Museum of Contemporary Art and the River East Art Center.

Except for the traffic and congestion around Navy Pier, I’d love to live in this neighborhood! Everything you want that isn’t within a few blocks is only a short walk, bus ride, or taxi ride away.

The Chicago “Loop” got its moniker for the elevated train lines that encircle the Central Business District, bounded by Lake Street on the north, Van Buren Street on the south, Wabash Avenue on the east, and Wells Street on the west. Within and adjacent to these boundaries you’ll find a mix of retail, business and government offices, healthy dose of culture, and a small but growing population of city-dwellers that call the Loop their home.

Shopping: State Street – that “Great Street” is where you’ll find some of the two largest and most well-know names in retail: Macy’s (formerly known as Marshall Field’s) and Sears. The smaller stores come and go with time, to cater to and ever-changing clientele. Other notables include Nordstrom Rack, and recent newcomers such as H&M, Forever 21, and A’Gaci which seem to attract the young and restless from the nearby ‘student housing’ district. One block east is Wabash Avenue and the “Jeweler’s Row” historic district.

Culture/Theater: Just a block west of State Street is where you’ll find the heart of the Theater District which includes Ford Center for the Performing Arts (formerly known as the Oriental Theater, Cadillac Palace, and the Goodman Theater. Other live performance theaters in the area include the Chicago Theater near State and Lake, and the Bank of America Theater (formerly known as the Shubert Theater) on Monroe Street. All but the Goodman were originally built in the early 1900s and have been preserved and restored to their original glory in the past twenty years. Not far away and to the east is the Chicago Cultural Center which manages to accommodate all forms of culture under one massive roof – the former home of Chicago’s first public library and the Grand Army of the Republic memorial hall.

Government: By far, the largest presence in the central Loop is its government properties: Daley Center and Plaza, City Hall/County Building, the Thompson Center (State of Illinois building), County Commissioners Building, and Federal Plaza. Residents include all levels of government officials, judges and courtrooms, related facilities that service the city’s residents like driver’s license renewal centers and tax payment centers.

Residential: To reclaim some of the abandoned office buildings of earlier times, attempts have been made to convert them to residential condominiums. Only a few have been completed so far, no doubt because of the current economy. Many have been converted to “office condominiums”. Another few have been converted to boutique hotels to serve the thousands of tourists who flock to the city year-round.

And oh yes – within the Loop’s boundaries you’ll find an abundance of places to eat! From casual dining spots like McDonald’s and Subway to elegant (and expensive) fine dining venues such as Petterino’s in the Goodman Theater building on Randolph.

I could probably write a book about all the features, finds, history, architecture, and anecdotes about this little city neighborhood. But this overview ,and the free walking tours of the area that I conduct in my spare time as a volunteer Chicago Greeter, will have to suffice!