Orientation
Daniel Burnham, the great architect and urban planner of the early 20th century, was responsible for the plan of the city of Chicago. He designed a network of streets and avenues all parallel or perpendicular, forming a large grid where it is very easy to find your way around. The centre of the whole system is the intersection of State Street and Madison Street in the Loop district. This is the zero point, where the numbering of the houses and the north, south, east and west orientation of the streets begin. The farther you go from this point, the more the numbers grow, according to a simple scheme: 800 numbering corresponds to 1 mile (1.6 km). Chicago Avenue runs parallel to Madison Avenue and is located at 800 North, so the intersection of Chicago Avenue and State Street is 1 mile from ground zero to the north. Large avenues cross the city every half mile.
In order, perpendicular to the lake and to the north are Chicago Avenue (800 North), Division Street (1200 North), North Avenue (1600 North), Armitage Avenue (2000 North), Fullerton Avenue (2400 North), Diversey Avenue (2800 North), Belmont Avenue (3200 North). Westward, parallel to the lake, Halsted Avenue (800 West), Racine Avenue (1200 West), Ashland Avenue (1600 West), Damen Avenue (2000 West), Western Avenue (2400 West), California Avenue (2800 West). When you are at the intersection of Damen Avenue and Fullerton Avenue, you are at 2000 West and 2400 North, which is 3 miles north and 2.5 miles east of the two reference avenues. It's a bit like playing Battleship, and finding an address becomes child's play. Chicago's northern boundary is at 7600 North; to the west, beyond 8400, and to the south, at 13800. To the east, of course, Lake Michigan is quickly encountered.The Loop
The Loop. Strictly speaking, the Loop refers to the part of downtown bounded by the aerial subway line that circles the center. The Loop refers more broadly to the entire downtown area, bounded on the north and west by the Chicago River, on the south by Roosevelt Avenue and on the east by Grant Park and Lake Michigan.
It is the financial district of Chicago, with its dozens of skyscrapers and dark canyon-like streets. All architectural styles are represented in this small neighborhood, from the oldest Beaux-Arts-style masonry skyscrapers to modern buildings like the arched structure of 333 West Wacker Drive or the Willis Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, behind, among others, the One World Trade Center in New York and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. For fans of American street scenes, with the yellow cabs, the bustling population and the impression of a city that never sleeps, the Loop is certainly a very interesting attraction. On the other hand, the area is empty by 5pm, and on weekends, it's empty! As soon as the population of bankers, lawyers, and financiers leave the area, only the impressive carcass of skyscrapers remains, patiently waiting for the return of Monday to start living again. So it's best to come and walk around the Loop during the daytime hours when the activity is in full swing. It's also a good destination for restaurants; you'll find many excellent establishments, from American fare, like the very good Morton's steakhouse on Lake Street, to international fare like Berghoff's (German) or the Italian Village (Italian, of course). The Randolph Street theater district attracts a crowd of tourists and locals every night to the Chicago Theatre, the Goodman, the Cadillac Palace, all of which are very famous.
Architecturally, the Loop has the greatest concentration of architectural wonders in the city and in the entire United States. Old meets new, and some forgotten styles are found in newer buildings: it's a great lesson in life-size architecture. The Fisher Building, the Monadnock Building, the Willis Tower, the Chicago Temple, the Federal Center by Mies van der Rohe, the Arc at Old Colony Building, the Manhattan Building, the Chicago Board of Trade, the Thompson Center, the Santa Fe Building, the Sullivan Auditorium Building, the Carbon and Carbide Building, the Cultural Center... the list goes on.
East of the Loop lies the largest park in downtown, Grant Park. Grant Park was built on the pile of debris thrown into the lake after the 1871 fire. Prior to that time, the waves of Lake Michigan came to rest just off Michigan Avenue. Today, Grant Park is an extremely lively place in the summer; it is the site of many festivals, such as the Taste of Chicago and outdoor music festivals.
It is also where you can visit the Art Institute, one of Chicago's finest museums. Since 2004, Grant Park has been home to Millennium Park on its northwest side, across from the Chicago Cultural Center. International architects and artists such as Frank Gehry and Anish Kapoor have participated in the development of Chicago's new playground, which in one fell swoop revitalizes this portion of Grant Park that was previously just a vacant lot.
Printer's Row or South Loop. This is the southern part of the Loop, between Congress Parkway and Polk Street.
Originally, this part of the city was the center of the printing industry, just after the Great Chicago Fire. The proximity to the Dearborn Street station attracted printers who concentrated in the area. The buildings, which required maximum natural light, were built by the best architects of the day, including Holabird and Roche. In the 1960s, the printers relocated and the buildings were reused as beautiful apartments, most of them occupied by students from nearby universities.
Near North, Old Town and Gold Coast
Near North is made up of several areas: Michigan Avenue known as the Magnificent Mile; Streeterville to the east of the avenue, also known as River East; River North to the west of Michigan Avenue; and The Gold Coast and Old Town to the north.
Michigan Avenue. Mag Mile stretches from the north to the south of Chicago on the east side of the city. When we refer to Michigan Avenue, we are actually referring to the portion of it that runs from the Chicago River north to Oak Street.
It's a shopper's mecca, a clothing freak's paradise, a blue card playground. The Magnificent Mile, which should have been called the Magnificent Kilometer since it is only one kilometer long, is constantly being stormed by hordes of tourists and Americans who come from all over the Midwest to visit the avenue decorated with trees and multicolored flowers and lined with the biggest brands: Niketown, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Disney Store, Ralph Lauren, etc. The avenue is lined with luxury hotels such as the Intercontinental Hotel, the Marriott and the Drake Hotel, the crowned heads' hotel that culminates at the north end of Michigan Avenue, facing Oak Beach.
Michigan Avenue was not always the best known avenue in Chicago. Before the 1920s, it was called Pine Street, and warehouses and factories abounded, along with stately stone houses, all built to the same design. It was Daniel Burnham and his 1909 Plan of Chicago that began the radical change of Pine Street to Michigan Avenue. The southern part of Michigan Avenue, south of the Chicago River, needed to be expanded to accommodate the growing car traffic. The Michigan Avenue Bascule Bridge, built in 1920 on the model of the Alexandre III Bridge in Paris, provided the impetus for the creation of the northern part of Michigan Avenue. Numerous buildings were soon constructed: the Drake Hotel and the Wrigley Building in 1920, followed by the Tribune Tower in 1925 and the Medinah Athletic Club (now the Intercontinental Hotel). In 1947, when the avenue had become a prime piece of real estate construction, an entrepreneur named it the Magnificent Mile. The term has stuck ever since; it was even registered in 2001 as a registered design and now has its own little ®. Another real estate boom occurred in the late 1960s with the construction of the Hancock Center on the north side of the avenue, which in turn led to the opening of many shopping centers such as Water Tower Place, a tower containing more than 100 stores. Today, this tower accounts for over 80% of the sales of the entire Mag Mile! The last evolution took place in the 1980s with the arrival of the 900 North Michigan Avenue shopping center. The Mag Mile is the gateway to the beautiful Museum of Contemporary Art, which moved to its new location on the east side of the avenue in 1997.
However, the main attraction remains the old Water Tower, one of the only buildings to have resisted the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, and which stands in the center of the Mag Mile. Completely anachronistic, it looks like a miniature castle lost in the middle of the forest of high towers. It was almost destroyed several times: in 1906, in 1918 and in 1948, but clever defenders did everything to keep it. The city of Chicago couldn't part with it today because it has become the symbol of the city.
Streeterville. The Streeterville neighborhood is located north of the Chicago River. It is bounded on the west by Michigan Avenue, on the east by the lake and on the north by Oak Beach. River East is the southern part of the Streeterville neighborhood along the Chicago River. Captain George Wellington Streeter, a Civil War veteran, was returning from the Mississippi River in 1886 when his boat ran aground on a sandbar not far from East Superior Street. Streeter, unable to unseal his boat, declared that he had thus created the "independent district of Lake Michigan," also independent of the laws of the State of Illinois. Gradually, a levee formed between the mainland and his boat, and the newly created neighborhood became a haven for prostitutes, the forgotten and the poor. Following physical and legal battles, Captain Streeter was imprisoned in 1894, and the Streeterville neighborhood became the property of the City of Chicago. Today, the neighborhood is home to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Hancock Center, Northwestern University - rated the 9th best university in the U.S., no less - and the luxurious Water Tower Place shopping center.
River East. This small, newly redeveloped neighborhood runs along the Chicago River. Beautiful apartments overlooking the river have sprung up here in recent years, and the value of this neighborhood is rising by the day. To the east, Navy Pier juts out into the lake, with its shops, boat cruises, children's playgrounds, and museums. In 2004, the River East Center opened its doors, a beautiful building remodeled into art galleries and apartments. The River Walk has also been redeveloped: you can walk from Michigan Avenue to Navy Pier along the riverfront and past the Centennial Fountain, built in 1989 to commemorate the centennial of the Chicago River Water Committee.
River North. River North is surrounded on the south and west by the Chicago River, on the north by Chicago Avenue and on the east by Michigan Avenue.
It is one of Chicago's most upscale neighborhoods, with real estate development in its western part. The old warehouses have been transformed into luxurious lofts, the riverfront is being maintained, and we are witnessing a real "gentrification", a rise in the standard of living of the neighborhood that is replacing the poor population with a more affluent population. In its central part, River North is home to the largest concentration of artists' galleries after New York City. The intersection of Superior and Franklin Street is the heart of this artistic lung; galleries can be found everywhere, on every floor of the renovated buildings. In all, there are more than seventy galleries.
There is an impressive concentration of restaurants in the neighborhood, from steakhouses to fine Mexican restaurants to more whimsical places. You can find absolutely everything, from morning to night.
Gold Coast. The Gold Coast neighborhood stretches from Chicago Avenue to North Avenue, and from Lake Michigan to Orleans Avenue north of the Chicago River.
In the 19th century, wealthy Chicago residents who had made their fortunes in the railroad and cattle industries left the noisy, overdeveloped downtown area to seek refuge along the lake in a quieter neighborhood. Beautiful homes were built in a Beaux-Arts style, stone, stately, with small private gardens overlooking the street. The neighborhood hasn't changed much; it's still home to some of the most beautiful homes in Chicago, and 80% of the purchasing power of the city's entire population. Walking under the tree canopy of Astor Street is like traveling back in time. Not far from the beautiful, quiet streets, the intersection of Rush Street and Division Street looks like a boisterous child with its restaurants, stores, and bars: it's an area that moves a lot, day and night. The Rush Street triangle is particularly active: tourists and locals alike crowd the terraces, which are packed from 6pm until the end of the night. The place is very touristy. From the Gold Coast neighborhood, you can easily access the small Oak Beach, inside the curve of Lake Shore Drive, in front of the Drake Hotel and the Hancock Center.
Old Town. Between Lincoln Park and Gold Coast, bounded on the north by Armitage Street and on the south by Division Avenue, the main street being Wells Street.
It was one of the first neighborhoods in Chicago to be renovated. Its southern entrance, at Wells and Division Streets, is marked by a wrought-iron arch that reads Old Town. Wells Street, the center of the neighborhood, is full of art galleries and interior designers. The neighborhood is home to a few Victorian-style buildings that survived the great fire of 1871. Good restaurants are not to be outdone, and neither are popular performance venues: the Second City Theatre, which launched the career of, among others, Mike Myers - interpreter of Austin Powers, English voice of Shrek - is located here. The population is very heterogeneous, between tourists and locals on the go. The neighborhood is accessible on foot or by "L" at the Clark/Division stop on the Red Line.
Lincoln Park, Andersonville and the North
In this section, we bring together the Lincoln Park neighborhood, as well as its neighborhood stretching north: Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Boystown, Andersonville and Evanston.
Lincoln Park. The name includes the park that gave the neighborhood its name, and the neighborhood south of Diversey and north of North Avenue.
This is an upscale neighborhood in the north of the Gold Coast inhabited by young couples, families, and students from the city's universities or recently graduated. Very popular, the neighborhood is divided between an urban part west of Clark Street and a large park, Lincoln Park between Clark Street and Lake Michigan. The urban part is home to many stores, theaters, cinemas, good restaurants, and is much more authentic than the shopping street of North Michigan Avenue.
The large park, Lincoln Park, is home to the world's largest free zoo, small lakes overlooking the center's towers, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, a canal for rowing races, a great cafe (Brauer Cafe) and a restaurant on the small lake, the North Pond. In summer, the park is constantly used by joggers and sports teams who come here to train. On the south side of the neighborhood, the famous Steppenwolf Theater features plays by some of the biggest names, including John Malkovich, who also co-founded the theater.
Lakeview / Wrigleyville / Boystown. Framed by Diversey Parkway to the south, Irving Park Road to the north, Lake Michigan to the east and Ashland Avenue to the west.
Lakeview was originally a suburb of Chicago and served as a vacation home for wealthy Chicagoans. Today, the neighborhood is divided into several very upscale sub-neighborhoods, such as Boystown - a gay neighborhood with a very developed nightlife, which is concentrated around Halsted Street, Southport Avenue with its ethnic restaurants and fashion boutiques, and of course, Wrigleyville, a very alternative and young neighborhood, populated by students who live in small apartments of two or three floors. Wrigleyville is also one of the centers of Chicago's sports life. This is where Wrigley Field, the Cubs' baseball stadium, was built. On game days, the streets of Wrigleyville are packed with fans in "L" trains, and the dozens of bars on the outskirts of Wrigleyville are all packed. Very good place to spend the evening if you are in the 20-25 age group. The Lakeview neighborhood can be reached by the Red Line at Addison and Belmont or by the Brown Line at Belmont/Southport/Paulina.
Andersonville. On the north side of Chicago, at the Berwyn stop on the Red Line, along Clark Street. The center of the neighborhood is at the intersection of Clark Street and Berwyn Avenue.
This neighborhood was for a long time the stronghold of Scandinavian immigrants who came straight from Ellis Island. During the 1950s, the neighborhood lost almost all of its Swedish population, before regaining its vitality in the mid-1970s. Today, the neighborhood is very lively and pleasant to live in. Shops have sprung up on both sides of Berwyn Street, along Clark Street, and ethnic restaurants have sprung up, both Scandinavian and Mediterranean. The Swedish Museum of Chicago, a tribute to the pioneer populations that came to the area, and Ann Sather's Swedish Restaurant, famous for its breakfast, are located here.
Evanston. Located 12 miles north of the Loop, on the Purple Line, Davis stop. The main street, Sherman Avenue, brings together the shops, while the lakefront brings together the points of interest.
Evanston was founded by a Methodist, John Evans, in the 1850s. At that time, the city was organized around the university, Northwestern University, which had been established a few years earlier. Today, the city retains a student atmosphere mixed with an undeniable historical significance. Along the lake - where six beaches are located - there are beautiful Victorian homes to discover.
Logan Square, Wicker Park and the Near West Side
The Near West Side is made up of several neighbourhoods in the west, close to the Loop and with a strong identity: from north to south, Logan Square, Wicker Park and Bucktown, West Loop and Greek Town.
LoganSquare. Located west of the Chicago River and north of Bucktown, the Logan Square neighborhood is mainly concentrated around the "L" Logan Square stop on the Blue Line.
Populated mostly by a Spanish-speaking population, Logan Square is not a tourist area, but is a good example of the life of an authentic Chicago neighborhood, without museums or attractions. Located on the Grands Boulevards system designed by Burnham at the beginning of the 20th century, the neighborhood, in the middle of a real estate boom, is home to more and more small restaurants for newcomers. Still few in number compared to Chicago's more eastern neighborhoods, most of them are located near the Blue Line stop. However, the neighborhood is booming, and in addition to the traditional Mexican and Puerto Rican restaurants of the Hispanic community, many bars and restaurants are gradually being added to cater to a young and trendy clientele. Gentrification has done its job, and Logan Square has taken over from Wicker Park as the new hot spot for hipsters and other hipsters. The Logan Square stop can be reached in 15 minutes from "L".
Wicker Park - Bucktown. Around the stop of "L" Damen. Wicker Park is home to the largest community of artists in Chicago. But it wasn't always so. Before the arrival of Europeans in the area, Milwaukee Avenue was a trail used by Native Americans. In the 19th century, residents of the Bucktown neighborhood north of Wicker Park raised goats and billy goats (hence the neighborhood's name, "buck" for goat), then the neighborhood was populated by Germans and Poles after the Great Chicago Fire, followed by a wave of immigration of Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in the 1960s and 1970s. Eventually, the neighborhood evolved into a chic and upscale arts center, attracting like-minded shops, fashion stores, good restaurants, and sidewalk bars. Wicker Park and Bucktown are two perfect examples of "gentrification", the replacement of the poor population by more affluent populations. Although it is now very fashionable to spend an evening in these neighbourhoods, the trendy good chic of most residents is nevertheless mitigated by the mass of artists and art galleries that attract a less appearance-oriented population. A name to know: "Yuppies", meaning Young Urban Professionals, perfect to describe the population of Wicker Park - Bucktown. In addition to the bars and restaurants, Wicker Park is also known for shopping lovers. There are many independent shops, which is quite nice in a city where even the smallest restaurants/stores are often actually owned by chains. Clothes, shoes, souvenirs, decorative objects, books... you can spend the day there without any problem! Accessible within ten minutes of "L" from the center of Chicago, the center of Wicker Park is the very recognizable Coyote Building, the Art Deco building that looks like a big iron. The Coyote Building gave its name to the Damen Avenue artist's gallery, located in the Flat Iron Building. Damen and Division are the two main axes of this district.
West Loop. West of the Chicago River, west of the Loop neighborhood.
Formerly an industrial district, the centre of the Meatpacking District, currently undergoing major conversion, the warehouses are being transformed into large lofts that accommodate wealthy couples and well-to-do families, a young and active population. Fortunately, the Bloomer Chocolate Factory allows the entire northern part of the district to breathe in the good smells of chocolate. Amazing! Depending on the winds, you can really feel like you're bathing in a good hot chocolate. Still in the north of the district, many restaurants are installed on Randolph Street, a place impossible to circumvent of the gastronomy in Chicago. On the other hand, there are not many museums or tourist attractions: it is especially a place where you come in the evening to spend the evening in a good restaurant. Superb view of the Loop district.
Greektown. The Greektown district stretches along Halsted Street between Madison and Van Buren. It is located on the other side of the highway that separates it from the West Loop.
This neighbourhood grew rapidly in the 19th century. The Greek community was one of the largest in the United States until the 20th century. Although the Greek community is less predominant today, due to its proximity to the Loop, the neighborhood retains its own traditions and festivals. Greek pavilions (such as the six-column pavilion at the intersection of Halsted and Monroe Street), the bronze statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon at the intersection of Halsted and Van Buren Street, as well as the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center are all testaments to this Greek heritage. In this neighbourhood, residential houses are located next to offices and sports clubs. There are many authentic Greek shops, as well as bars and restaurants.
West Side and Oak Park
Oak Park.
Fifteen kilometers west of Chicago, Oak Park is a small, peaceful village with tree-lined streets and well-kept gardens. Twenty minutes of L-shaped drive separates Oak Park from downtown Chicago.As soon as you get off the train to the center of the village (not a neighborhood here), you notice a crowd of quietly walking passers-by with a map in one hand and a camera in the other: this is where Frank Lloyd Wright built his Home and Studio Complex, the architectural laboratory from which he began his career.
Over the twenty years he spent here, he designed 120 houses and built 25 for his clients in Oak Park, in a style radically different from the Victorian houses of the time, with horizontal lines and a great fluidity of form and interior space. Architecture lovers, as well as the curious or people passing through Chicago, come from all over the world to admire the twenty-five houses and visit Frank Lloyd Wright's studio. Walking in the streets is a real lesson in life-size architecture. Oak Park is also the birthplace of the author of For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. You can therefore visit the Ernest Hemingway Museum and his childhood home, both located in the same pretty street lined with old trees that form plant arches. Although a little far from the centre, Oak Park is really worth the detour; on the way, you can also take the opportunity to visit Garfield Park Conservatory, a few stops from "L" before Oak Park.Hyde Park, Bronzeville and the South
The South Side includes Chinatown and Pilsen, south of the South Loop, as well as Hyde Park and Bronzeville.
Chinatown
. South of the Loop, accessible in "L" shape by the Red Line, Cermak stop. Small Chinese district of Chicago - nothing to do with the Chinatown of New York City or that of San Francisco - where one goes only for Chinese restaurants and shops. Accessible in 5 minutes by "L". One of the first waves of Chinese immigration took place around 1860-1870, when the Chinese left their country because of famine. Many were hired for a pittance to build the first transcontinental railway in the west. When construction was completed, a few hundred Chinese came to Chicago, opening restaurants and traditional shops. Political events and the civil war in China in the 1950s were the reasons for a new wave of immigration to the United States, increasing Chicago's Chinese community at the same time. Today, more than 90,000 people live in the neighborhood.Pilsen
. West of Chinatown, southwest of downtown Chicago. The "L" 18th Street stop, to the northwest, is the heart of the neighborhood.This is the Mexican quarter of Chicago. In the 19th century, the neighborhood was inhabited by Czechs attracted by jobs in the Union Stock Yards, Chicago's large slaughterhouses. They named the neighborhood after a city in their homeland, Pilsen. Then they were replaced by the Germans, who in turn were replaced by the Irish and the Poles. In the early 1950s, the neighborhood became Mexican, and today it is home to the largest concentration of Mexicans in Chicago. The signs are all Mexican, from bakeries to restaurants and even some cinemas. Residents of the neighborhood meet regularly to try to avoid "gentrification" (replacement of the poor population by a more affluent one) as in the Wicker Park neighborhood, and to preserve the identity of the neighborhood, some even going as far as vandalism. This is where the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum is located.
Kenwood
. North of Hyde Park, it is accessed by Metra, stop 47th Street.It is a mainly residential area, known for its beautiful houses built in the 19th century at the request of industrial magnates. In fact, you can see houses built by Wright and Sullivan (George Blossom House - 4858 South Kenwood Avenue and Warren McArthur House - 4852 South Kenwood Avenue). Several American celebrities also took up residence there, starting with Mohammed Ali (who wanted to get closer to the Louis Farrakhan Home, 4855 South Woodlawn Avenue, leader of the Nation of Islam). But the most famous house of all remains the one that long belonged to Barack Obama, 5046 South Greenwood Avenue.
Hyde Park
. Framed to the north by 47th Street, to the south by 61st Street, to the east by Jackson Park, and to the west by Washington Park. South of downtown.Originally, the boundaries of this neighbourhood extended to 100th Street south of Chicago, but as the south became too industrial, they were brought back to their present boundaries of 61st Street and now include only residential areas. In 1892, the University of Chicago opened its doors on land donated by Marshall Field - the famous owner of the stores bearing his name - and in 1893, the Colombian Exposition was held in Jackson Park, near Lake Michigan. At this exhibition, which attracted more than twenty-seven million visitors, the "City Beautiful" architectural movement was launched, and great monuments such as the Palace of Fine Arts were built. Although most of these superb works of art were destroyed, the Palace of Fine Arts is still standing; it is now called the Museum of Science and Industry and is one of the most visited museums in Chicago. Many houses were also built at the time of the World's Fair to house the workers, but also to encourage them to stay in Chicago. Hyde Park is therefore also growing in population. Frank Lloyd Wright had his famous Robie House built there. In the 1950s, Hyde Park experienced an economic decline due to the larger crisis in the entire southern part of the city. It was the University of Chicago that came to the rescue of the neighborhood by promoting the urban and social reorganization of Hyde Park: By the 1960s, average wages in the neighborhood had risen 70 percent, but 30 percent of the black population had left. However, the area remains an example of social integration. A visit usually takes a good day, between the Museum of Science and Industry, the University of Chicago campus and Robie House.
Bronzeville
. In the south of the city, it can be reached via the Green Line at the 35/Bronzeville/IIT stop.Long considered the most influential black neighborhood in the United States, "Little Harlem" attracted black people fleeing the cotton fields of the South after the abolition of slavery in 1865, 87 percent of which were African Americans. From the beginning of the 20th century until after World War II, the majority of the population was employed, businesses opened in large numbers, the local press was powerful, and blues clubs and churches drew crowds.
Today, Bronzeville is a predominantly working-class neighbourhood, which some consider dangerous at night. The closure of Chicago's metal plants and large slaughterhouses has left thousands of residents unemployed; drugs and violence have surfaced, and middle-income households have left the neighborhood, which has become one of the poorest in the United States. Half of the young people do not go to school. And yet, when you walk down the streets, you can feel the old power of this neighborhood: along King Drive, the main avenue that runs through Bronzeville, beautiful late 19th-century stone houses still stand, the grand boulevard retains its presence, and the neighborhood is very well positioned in relation to the beautiful Loop neighborhoods. Like Hyde Park with the University of Chicago, Bronzeville experienced a certain revival thanks to the construction of the Illinois Institute of Technology in the 1950s by Mies van der Rohe. Bronzeville was also the object of a large urban plan which established many social housing units.
