Austin, Chicago
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austin, located on the Far West Side of Chicago, Illinois, is the largest (by population) of the city's 77 officially defined community areas (neighborhoods), followed by Lakeview. Its eastern boundary is Cicero Avenue. Its northernmost border is the Milwaukee District/West Line. Its southernmost border is at Roosevelt Road from Cicero Avenue to Austin Boulevard (east - west), but then North Avenue from Austin Boulevard to Harlem Avenue (east - west). It is situated near suburban areas of Berwyn, Cicero and Oak Park.
Community Area 25 - Austin Location within the city of Chicago |
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| ZIP Code | 60644 and parts of 60635, 60639, 60651 | |
| Area | 18.54 km² (7.16 mi²) | |
| Population (2000) Density |
117,527 (up 3.2% from 1990) 6,337.6 /km² |
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| Demographics | White Black Hispanic Asian Other |
4.82% 89.7% 4.12% 0.55% 0.86% |
| Median income | $33,663 | |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | ||
In 1865, businessman and real estate speculator Henry W. Austin created an elegant 280 acre (1.1 km²) subdivision in Cicero Township. As one of the first suburban areas within Cicero Township, the township built its town hall in Austin in its town square (then called Holden Park) in 1870. In 1898, Austinites, having a majority on Cicero's town council, used political influence to allow the extension of the Lake Street elevated line (now part of the Green Line) into their community. This infuriated residents of other areas within Cicero Township, such as Oak Park and Berwyn, who retaliated the following year by holding a joint election to force Austin's annexation to the City of Chicago. Much to the dismay of local residents, this effort succeeded and Austin became part of Chicago in 1899. Austin maintained a reputation as a genteel, suburban area, largely untouched by the large industrial areas in surrounding neighborhoods. The 1960s saw great change in Austin: many blocks of the neighborhood (including a large area of Columbus Park) were demolished to build the Eisenhower Expressway, and large parts of the neighborhood rapidly resegregated through the practice of "blockbusting."
Austin is one of Chicago's largest community areas by land area. Several distinctive areas within Austin include Midway Park, a historic district of restored 19th-century single-family homes in the core of the original Austin subdivision; Galewood, the northernmost section of Austin along the northern border with Oak Park but south of the Galewood railyards; and The Island, a quarter-section exclave of urban fabric south of Columbus Park.
The first Wal-Mart store within Chicago city limits opened in this community area in September 2006.
[edit] Education
Chicago Public Schools operates Austin's schools.
Austin Community Academy High School [1] will close after spring 2007 [2]. New smaller schools will replace Austin Community Academy High School.
Other portions of the community area are zoned to Michele Clark Academic Preparatory High School [3] and Steinmetz High School
[edit] External links
- Chicago Landmarks
- Chicago Park District
- Austin Community Organizations and Service Providers
- Austin Weekly News, local newspaper
- Encyclopedia of Chicago entry on Austin
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