Greetings from Immersive Week in Chicago
When many people talk about the city of Chicago they might think of two things: skyscrapers or corrupt politics. And while both of those subjects are valid thoughts, this city has proven to be so much more. In total there are 77 neighborhoods that are established throughout the city. This past week I was able to discover 13 of these beautiful neighborhoods. Each holding a unique history of their own. We began the adventure from a birds eye, seeing the city in a different perspective helped lay out a bigger picture of the neighborhoods throughout Chicago.
As I left the John Hancock building into the streets of Chicago I noticed the “busy” environment that was established throughout the gold coast area. People on their way to work, runners preparing for marathons, and the rest of chicagoans going about their business. It was extremely noticeable this neighborhood was an establishment of expensive buildings sitting there to look pretty rather than being a close knit-community. A quality that was historically found in Bronzeville, a neighborhood we later visited in the week. The community was culturally built together through music, literature, and the civil rights movement. The feeling that something important happened throughout the streets of this neighborhood is lively. Something that I loved was the history the community continues to share. A group of museum employees had told my group the story of the building they were standing in front of and how a famous writer had lived there. The monuments, artifacts, and plaques are well taken care of by the members of the community; whom are in high hopes of making the neighborhood an official historic district.
As we continued to explore these different neighborhoods they all held different traits that made them unique. Wicker Park held a quality of young spirited 20 year olds discovering their purposes, Humboldt Park was filled with friends and families creating memories much like other surrounding neighborhoods. Each neighborhood signified their own purpose whether it was money oriented, family communities, or historical dedication; they all had something in common. They were built by people who needed a community. People stood hand in hand together throughout history to create a future for Chicago residents, these places we have the privilege to visit and discover were built in hope for a better tomorrow. So when the topic of gentrification of erasing this hard earned work throughout history it is concerning. New buildings, restaurants, and trends push the culture of these neighborhoods aside. The mural “Fight to Stay’’ created by Hector Durante and Gabriel Villa in Pilsen best represents the history of building a community and how gentrification can ruin it.
In conclusion, there is a lot more to learn about the communities that build up the city of Chicago. But, for now one thing I have started to understand is that cherishing the history of this city is an important part of keeping these neighborhoods unique and respected.
