Avondale, Chicago
Encyclopedia
Avondale is one of 77 officially designated Chicago
, Illinois
community areas
. It is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Its main borders are the North Branch of the Chicago River
, Diversey Avenue, Addison Street
, Pulaski Road
and the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line; bisecting the community are Belmont
and Milwaukee Avenues
along with the Kennedy Expressway
(Interstate 90
/Interstate 94
). Located
directly north of the Logan Square
neighborhood, it is also accessible through the Belmont and Logan Square stations
of the CTA Blue Line
.
An early racially-integrated suburb now considered a neighborhood, Avondale became part of Chicago when the city annexed Jefferson Township in 1889. Factories that sprang up around the turn of the 20th century by the railroads were responsible for the initial wave of European immigrants, mostly Poles
, Scandinavia
ns and Germans
. This quiet, blue-collar neighborhood experienced an increase in the Hispanic population from 37.6% in 1990 to 62.0% in 2000., but this trend has reversed since then with Non-Latino Whites being the largest ethnic group thanks to gentrification along the Milwaukee Avenue
corridor.
Avondale was the site of one of Chicago's Seven Lost Wonders, the Olson Park and Waterfall
complex at Diversey
and Pulaski
.
The Polish Village or Jackowo j and Wacławowo w, together make up one of Chicago's largest and most vibrant Polish Patches. The neighborhoods derive their Polish names from the two contiguous Polish Roman Catholic parishes- Saint Hyacinth's Basilica
(Bazylika Św. Jacka) and St. Wenceslaus Church
(Kościół Świętego Wacława). Milwaukee Avenue
is the district's main commercial strip, which includes a number of sausage
shops, restaurant
s, and bakeries
. In English the area is usually referred to as the Polish Village - the name featured on signs hung on street lamps over the district. Pulaski Avenue
, named after the Polish
Revolutionary War
hero, runs through the area.
The Polish communities of Jackowo and Wacławowo appeared in the late 19th century and early 20th century as Polish settlement spread further northwest along Milwaukee Avenue
. The neighborhood experienced its heyday as the cultural nexus of Chicago
's Polonia
during the 1980s and 90's with the so-called Solidarity and Post-Solidarity waves of Polish migration to Chicago, including a number of political refugee
s. Until the recent installation of an automated system, on Sunday mornings the CTA driver would announce "Yats- koh- voh", signaling the stop for St. Hyacinth Basilica as Poles shuttled off the bus on their way to mass. Local landmarks and institutions increasingly became revitalized and renewed while taking on an increasingly ethnic hue by catering to these recent arrivals from Poland. The historic Milford Theatre
served as the central Polish cinema arts venue like Jefferson Park’s
Gateway Theater today, with locals giving it the nickname “Cinema Polski”.
A distinct flowering of Polish arts and culture took place here in Avondale, an environment where Poles could finally freely express themselves without worrying about incurring the wrath of government censors or political repression
. The events and activities organized here by Chicago's Polish community played a key role in shaping the chain of events that eventually resulted in the collapse of the Communist government in Poland
, bringing down the Iron Curtain
that had divided Europe since after World War II. A highly expressive and now unfortunately decaying mural in the McDonald's parking lot combining Polish patriotic and folkloric motifs by Caryl Yasko titled “Razem”, or together in Polish, was painted thanks in part to funds furnished by the Polish American Congress
in 1975. It now stands forsaken near the corners of Belmont
and Pulaski
in mute testament to this bygone renaissance.
Avondale's connection to Chicago Polonia has brought the vicinity some notable visitors who came to reach out to Chicago's Polish community. This has included General Józef Haller de Hallenburg
, Prime Minister Stanisław Mikołajczyk as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa
. Both former Premier Jarosław Kaczyński as well as his deceased twin brother President Lech Kaczyński
paid official visits through the area. Former mayor of Warsaw and current Member of the European Parliament
Paweł Piskorski while sampling the wares at Kurowski’s, one of the numerous Polish delicatessens in the area, declared that the sausage shop’s kielbasa was better than any he’d had in his own home city. Future Pope John Paul II
trekked to St. Hyacinth's several times as the Archbishop of Cracow and referred to his gatherings there during his 1979 pilgrimage to Chicago
. Avondale once served as the place for the political elites to publicly cavort for the support of the Polish American
electorate with politicians both local and national visiting the district. George H. W. Bush
attended mass at St. Hyacinth's as well as a meal at the former Orbit restaurant during his 1988 campaign. Purportedly violence almost broke out as supporters of Lyndon LaRouche
protesting outside the basilica were not looked at very kindly by local Poles, who had a reverence for the candidate they saw as the best hope against the loathed Communist regime in Poland
.
Although today much of the Polish diaspora
has moved out to more upscale neighborhoods and other immigrants from Latin America
or from the former Soviet Bloc, such as Ukrainians
and Czechs have moved in, the area still retains much of its Polish character. Like neighboring Logan Square
, the neighborhood is also experiencing gentrification
as artists and Yuppies move their way northwest along Milwaukee Avenue
.
The neighborhood is serviced by the Blue Line
's Belmont
station located on its northeastern edge next to the Kennedy Expressway
at the intersection of Kimball and Belmont
, less than three blocks away from St. Hyacinth's former mission of Our Lady of Fatima. Just to the north of Jackowo is Wacławowo and the parish of St. Wenceslaus
, with its impressive church. Housing stock there primarily consists of brick
two-flats built in the first half of the 20th century prior to World War II
, although there are a number of bungalows present in the area neighboring the Villa District
to the north.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
community areas
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
. It is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Its main borders are the North Branch of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
, Diversey Avenue, Addison Street
Addison Street
Addison Street is a major east west street on the north side of Chicago. It is most associated with Wrigley Field, located at 1060 West Addison Street, which is the home of the Chicago Cubs.- Chicago communities :From east to west:...
, Pulaski Road
Pulaski Road (Chicago)
Pulaski Road is a major north-south thoroughfare in the city of Chicago, at 4000 W., or exactly five miles west of State Street. It is named after revolutionary war hero Casimir Pulaski...
and the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line; bisecting the community are Belmont
Belmont Avenue (Chicago)
Belmont Avenue is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago. Belmont is a central commercial street in Lakeview and, west of the North Branch of the Chicago River, Avondale...
and Milwaukee Avenues
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
along with the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
/Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
). Located
directly north of the Logan Square
Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
neighborhood, it is also accessible through the Belmont and Logan Square stations
of the CTA Blue Line
Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
.
An early racially-integrated suburb now considered a neighborhood, Avondale became part of Chicago when the city annexed Jefferson Township in 1889. Factories that sprang up around the turn of the 20th century by the railroads were responsible for the initial wave of European immigrants, mostly Poles
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
ns and Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. This quiet, blue-collar neighborhood experienced an increase in the Hispanic population from 37.6% in 1990 to 62.0% in 2000., but this trend has reversed since then with Non-Latino Whites being the largest ethnic group thanks to gentrification along the Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
corridor.
Avondale was the site of one of Chicago's Seven Lost Wonders, the Olson Park and Waterfall
Olson Park and Waterfall
Olson Park and Waterfallwas a heavily visited park and waterfall complex that was located in the Avondale community area of Chicago. It was built by Walter E. Olson, the owner of the Olson Rug Company, next to his factory and headquarters on the northwest corner of Diversey and Pulaski, and was a...
complex at Diversey
Diversey Parkway (Chicago)
Diversey Parkway is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago. Diversey separates the Chicago lakefront neighborhoods of Lakeview to the north and Lincoln Park to the south. West of the North Branch of the Chicago River, the street is known as Diversey Avenue, and separates the...
and Pulaski
Pulaski Road (Chicago)
Pulaski Road is a major north-south thoroughfare in the city of Chicago, at 4000 W., or exactly five miles west of State Street. It is named after revolutionary war hero Casimir Pulaski...
.
The Polish Village - Jackowo and Wacławowo
Basilica of St. Hyacinth
St. Hyacinth Basilica, formally the Basilica of St. Hyacinth, - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois....
(Bazylika Św. Jacka) and St. Wenceslaus Church
St. Wenceslaus in Chicago
St. Wenceslaus - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois.One of the many Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway, it is, along with St. Hyacinth Basilica, one of two monumental religious edifices that dominates the Avondale skyline...
(Kościół Świętego Wacława). Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
is the district's main commercial strip, which includes a number of sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
shops, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, and bakeries
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
. In English the area is usually referred to as the Polish Village - the name featured on signs hung on street lamps over the district. Pulaski Avenue
Pulaski Road
Pulaski Road can refer to:*Pulaski Road *County Route 11 , named Pulaski Road...
, named after the Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
hero, runs through the area.
The Polish communities of Jackowo and Wacławowo appeared in the late 19th century and early 20th century as Polish settlement spread further northwest along Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
. The neighborhood experienced its heyday as the cultural nexus of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Polonia
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
during the 1980s and 90's with the so-called Solidarity and Post-Solidarity waves of Polish migration to Chicago, including a number of political refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s. Until the recent installation of an automated system, on Sunday mornings the CTA driver would announce "Yats- koh- voh", signaling the stop for St. Hyacinth Basilica as Poles shuttled off the bus on their way to mass. Local landmarks and institutions increasingly became revitalized and renewed while taking on an increasingly ethnic hue by catering to these recent arrivals from Poland. The historic Milford Theatre
Milford Theatre (Chicago)
The Milford Theatre was a movie palace located in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Constructed in 1917, like the Portage Theater, it was designed by Henry L. Newhouse and opened for the Ascher Brothers circuit....
served as the central Polish cinema arts venue like Jefferson Park’s
Jefferson Park, Chicago
Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's 77 well-defined community areas located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas...
Gateway Theater today, with locals giving it the nickname “Cinema Polski”.
A distinct flowering of Polish arts and culture took place here in Avondale, an environment where Poles could finally freely express themselves without worrying about incurring the wrath of government censors or political repression
Political repression
Political repression is the persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take political life of society....
. The events and activities organized here by Chicago's Polish community played a key role in shaping the chain of events that eventually resulted in the collapse of the Communist government in Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
, bringing down the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
that had divided Europe since after World War II. A highly expressive and now unfortunately decaying mural in the McDonald's parking lot combining Polish patriotic and folkloric motifs by Caryl Yasko titled “Razem”, or together in Polish, was painted thanks in part to funds furnished by the Polish American Congress
Polish American Congress
The Polish American Congress is a U.S. umbrella organization of Polish-Americans and Polish-American organizations.Its membership is composed of fraternal, educational, veterans, religious, cultural, social, business, and political organizations, as well as individuals.As of January 2009, it lists...
in 1975. It now stands forsaken near the corners of Belmont
Belmont Avenue (Chicago)
Belmont Avenue is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago. Belmont is a central commercial street in Lakeview and, west of the North Branch of the Chicago River, Avondale...
and Pulaski
Pulaski Road (Chicago)
Pulaski Road is a major north-south thoroughfare in the city of Chicago, at 4000 W., or exactly five miles west of State Street. It is named after revolutionary war hero Casimir Pulaski...
in mute testament to this bygone renaissance.
Avondale's connection to Chicago Polonia has brought the vicinity some notable visitors who came to reach out to Chicago's Polish community. This has included General Józef Haller de Hallenburg
Józef Haller de Hallenburg
Józef Haller de Hallenburg was a Lieutenant General of the Polish Army, legionary in Polish Legions, harcmistrz , the President of The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association , political and social activist, Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg's cousin.Haller was born in Jurczyce...
, Prime Minister Stanisław Mikołajczyk as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
. Both former Premier Jarosław Kaczyński as well as his deceased twin brother President Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
paid official visits through the area. Former mayor of Warsaw and current Member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
Paweł Piskorski while sampling the wares at Kurowski’s, one of the numerous Polish delicatessens in the area, declared that the sausage shop’s kielbasa was better than any he’d had in his own home city. Future Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
trekked to St. Hyacinth's several times as the Archbishop of Cracow and referred to his gatherings there during his 1979 pilgrimage to Chicago
Pastoral trips of Pope John Paul II
During his reign, Pope John Paul II made 104 foreign trips, more than all previous popes combined. In total he logged more than . He consistently attracted large crowds on his travels, some amongst the largest ever assembled...
. Avondale once served as the place for the political elites to publicly cavort for the support of the Polish American
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
electorate with politicians both local and national visiting the district. George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
attended mass at St. Hyacinth's as well as a meal at the former Orbit restaurant during his 1988 campaign. Purportedly violence almost broke out as supporters of Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon Hermyle LaRouche, Jr. is an American political activist and founder of a network of political committees, parties, and publications known collectively as the LaRouche movement...
protesting outside the basilica were not looked at very kindly by local Poles, who had a reverence for the candidate they saw as the best hope against the loathed Communist regime in Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
.
Although today much of the Polish diaspora
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
has moved out to more upscale neighborhoods and other immigrants from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
or from the former Soviet Bloc, such as Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
and Czechs have moved in, the area still retains much of its Polish character. Like neighboring Logan Square
Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
, the neighborhood is also experiencing gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
as artists and Yuppies move their way northwest along Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
.
The neighborhood is serviced by the Blue Line
Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
's Belmont
Belmont (CTA Blue Line)
Belmont is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line. From Belmont, trains run at intervals of 2–7 minutes during rush-hour periods, and take 16 minutes to reach the Loop.-History:...
station located on its northeastern edge next to the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
at the intersection of Kimball and Belmont
Belmont Avenue (Chicago)
Belmont Avenue is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago. Belmont is a central commercial street in Lakeview and, west of the North Branch of the Chicago River, Avondale...
, less than three blocks away from St. Hyacinth's former mission of Our Lady of Fatima. Just to the north of Jackowo is Wacławowo and the parish of St. Wenceslaus
St. Wenceslaus in Chicago
St. Wenceslaus - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois.One of the many Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway, it is, along with St. Hyacinth Basilica, one of two monumental religious edifices that dominates the Avondale skyline...
, with its impressive church. Housing stock there primarily consists of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
two-flats built in the first half of the 20th century prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, although there are a number of bungalows present in the area neighboring the Villa District
Villa District
The Villa District, also known as Villa Historic District, is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is located on Chicago's Northwest Side within the community area of Irving Park. Its borders are along Pulaski Road to the west, the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line to the north, Hamlin...
to the north.
External links
- Official City of Chicago Avondale Community Map
- Avondale, Chicago Webliography
- The History of Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village
- Holiday in Avondale, Forgotten Chicago's take on Avondale
- Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village in the newsletter of the Northwest Chicago Historical Society