Albany Park (/ˈɔːlbəni/ⓘAWL-bə-nee) is one of 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago. Located on the Northwest Side of the City of Chicago with the North Branch of the Chicago River forming its east and north boundaries, it includes the ethnically diverse Albany Park neighborhood, with one of the highest percentages of foreign-born residents of any Chicago neighborhood.
Due to the diverse population and immigrant population attraction, the population of the neighborhood increased by 16.5% during the 1990s.[2]
History
The area was settled in 1893 when several investors purchased land in the area as areas closer to downtown became more heavily populated. DeLancy Louderback from Albany, New York was one of the investors and chose the name.[3]
The developers added electric streetcars in 1896 and the Northwestern Elevated Railroad extended the Ravenswood branch to the Kimball terminal on December 14, 1907.[4] This led to a building boom in the area.[3] At this point in development, the north branch of the Chicago River meandered greatly, and therefore the Chicago Sanitary District straightened the river. This expanded and defined property lines and sewage in Albany Park.[5]
Intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Kedzie Avenue in 1915.
By 1930, the population of the neighborhood reached 55,000, and many schools, religious institutions, and parks opened. Haugan Elementary School became the biggest elementary school in the city and Roosevelt High School's overcrowding led to Von Steuben Elementary being converted into a high school.[6] Residents began moving to northern suburbs after World War II and the population declined quickly, leaving many stores uninhabited and properties empty. It wasn't until the 1970s, when a new immigration wave from Asia (mainly Korea) and Central America began to increase the population again. Today, Albany Park is the most diverse neighborhood in the city, and one of the most diverse in the entire country.[7]
Neighborhoods
The traditional neighborhoods within the official community are (including rough boundaries):
Albany Park: North: North Branch of the Chicago River (about 5100 N); South: Montrose Avenue (4400 N): East: North Branch of the River (about 3000 W); West: Pulaski Road (4000 W).
The neighborhood was once known as the "Koreatown" of Chicago, beginning in the 1980s. The majority of Korean shops in Albany Park were found on Lawrence Avenue (4800 North) between Kedzie Avenue (3200 West) and Pulaski Road (4000 West), and many are still there. This particular section of Lawrence Avenue has been officially nicknamed "Seoul Drive" by the city of Chicago because of the multitude of Korean-owned enterprises on the street. Although many of the Korean Americans in the neighborhood have been moving to the north suburbs in recent years, it still retains its Korean flavor. Every year there is a Korean festival, and the neighborhood is home to a Korean radio station (1330 AM) as well as two Korean-language newspapers. There are still many Korean businesses interspersed among the newer Mexican bakeries and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Approximately 45% of the businesses on this particular stretch of Lawrence Avenue are owned by Korean-Americans.[8]
After Jefferson Township was purchased and annexed by the city of Chicago and development began in the area that became Albany Park, immigrant German and Swedish farmers flocked to land. Many built their own homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, more upwardly mobile Russian Jews arrived in Albany Park to escape the crowded conditions of the very-heavily Jewish Near West Side/Maxwell Street area. This pattern continued as other residents in other Jewish-populated neighborhoods such as Lawndale and parts of West Town followed suit.[6] These families began moving to northern suburbs such as Skokie after World War II. Starting in the 1970s, immigrants from Asia and Latin America, mainly Korea and Guatemala, began moving into the neighborhood's largely vacant properties and storefronts. Immigration continued from all around the world, and by the 1990s, there were large populations from the Philippines, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Poland, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Mexico (largely from the state of Michoacán), Ecuador, and Colombia.[9] Since the 1992-1995 war in Yugoslavia, roughly 1,200 Serbians who lived in Croatia resettled in Albany Park along with more than 4,000 Bosnians of all three backgrounds. Into the 2000s, the western part of the neighborhood became home to a substantial number of Indian and East African immigrants.
As of 2019, the community area has 49,806 residents. The racial makeup of the community area is 45% Hispanic/Latino, 32.2% White/non-Hispanic, 14.8% Asian/non-Hispanic, 4.9% Black/non-Hispanic, and 3% other.[1]
In 2016, Albany Park cast 10,590 votes for Hillary Clinton and 1,558 votes for Donald Trump.[10] Four years earlier, Albany Park cast 9,304 votes for Barack Obama and 1,950 votes for Mitt Romney.[11]
Patti Blagojevich (born 1965), First Lady of Illinois (2003–2009). She resides on West Sunnyside Avenue in the community area and has done so since 1999.[14][15]
Neil Bluhm (born 1938), billionaire real estate and casino magnate. He was a childhood resident of Albany Park.[16]
Neal Gabler (born 1950), journalist, writer, and film critic. He was a childhood resident of 5133 North Kilbourn Avenue.[17][18]
Carl Giammares, singer and member of The Buckinghams resided at 4727 North Sacramento Avenue.[19]
Sid Luckman (1916–1998), American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears. He was a resident of Ranvenswood Manor.[21]
Fred Pfeffer (1860–1932), professional baseball player. He was a resident of Ravenswood Manor at the time of his death.[19]
Elroy Sandquist Sr. (1899–1970), member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1966 until his death in 1970. He resided at 2762 West Wilson Avenue during his legislative career.[23]
Bob Sirott (born 1949), broadcaster. As of September 2017, he is a midday radio host at WLS-AM.[25][26]
Ruth Ann Steinhagen (1929-2012), secretary who attempted to murder Eddie Waitkus in 1949. She resided at 5031 N. Sawyer Avenue from 1970 until her death.[27]
^Robert L. Root Jr. and Neal Gabler (Spring 1985). "GLR Interview: Neal Gabler". The Great Lakes Review. 11 (1). Central Michigan University: 32–38. doi:10.2307/20172723. JSTOR20172723.
^"Schools List Star Senior Nominees: Schools Pick Star Senior Nominees Schools List Star Senior Nominees Schools List Star Senior Nominees". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. June 4, 1967. p. 1 – via ProQuest.
^Feder, Robert (November 6, 2001). "Sirott returning to radio to host show for laughs". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 53.
^Johnson, Steve (October 20, 2002). "What's so scary about Bob Sirott? John Callaway's shadow continues to loom as a host plucked from commercial TV takes over Ch. 11's 'Chicago Tonight'". Chicago Tribune. p. 1.
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