| Lake View | |
|---|---|
| — Community area — | |
| Community Area 6 - Lake View | |
| Looking across Belmont Harbor toward Lake View | |
| Location within the city of Chicago | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| City | Chicago |
| Neighborhoods |
List
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| Area | |
| • Total | 3.2 sq mi (8.18 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 94,817 |
| • Density | 30,021.4/sq mi (11,591.3/km2) |
| population up 4.16% from 1990 | |
| Demographics | |
| • White | 79.5% |
| • Black | 4.42% |
| • Hispanic | 8.72% |
| • Asian | 5.42% |
| • Other | 1.95% |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | parts of 60613, 60657 |
| Area code(s) | ZIP Codes |
| Median income | $65,340 |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | |
Lake View, or Lakeview, is one of the 77 community area of the Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's North Side. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east. The Uptown community area is to Lake View's north, Lincoln Square to its northwest, North Center to its west and Lincoln Park to its south. The 2000 population of Lake View was 94,817 residents, making it the second largest of the Chicago community areas by population, following Austin which has 117,527 residents. Lake View, though, has a higher population density than the larger (area-wise) Austin neighborhood.
Lake View is unofficially divided into smaller neighborhood enclaves: Lakeview East, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville. Lakeview East forms the area popularly known as Boystown famous for its pride parade held every June. Wrigleyville surrounds Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. New Town, a name for the area centered at the intersection of North Clark Street and West Diversey Parkway, was a commonly encountered appellation in the 1970s and 1980s but has fallen into disuse. The Northalsted Merchants Association is centered on the North Halsted Street strip between West Belmont Avenue and West Irving Park Road on Halsted.[1]
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Lake View was used as a camp and trail path for the Miami, Ottawa, and Winnebago Native American tribes. In 1837, Conrad Sulzer of Winterthur, Zürich, Switzerland, became the first white settler to live in the area. In 1853, one of the first permanent structures was built by James Rees and Elisha Hundley on the corner where present-day West Byron Street (or West Sheridan Road) meets North Lake Shore Drive and was called the Hotel Lake View, named for the hotel's unobstructed view of the shore of Lake Michigan.[2] It gained what was characterized as a resort atmosphere.
The early settlement continued to grow, especially because of increased immigration of farming families from Germany, Luxembourg and Sweden.[2] Lake View experienced a population boom as Chicago suffered a deadly and devastating cholera outbreak. The Hotel Lake View served as refuge for many Chicagoans but became filled to capacity. Homestead lands were sold and housing was built. Access to the new community was provided by a wooden plank road connected to present-day West Fullerton Parkway, which was called Lake View Plank Road and is the present-day North Broadway. With infrastructure and growing population, residents realized it was time to organize formal governance to provide essential public services.
Also according to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce,[4] Lake View was an incorporated Illinois civil township with a charter granted by the Illinois General Assembly, independent of neighboring Chicago. Lake View's first township election was held in 1857. The main building was Town Hall on the intersection of present-day West Addison and North Halsted streets. A building still bearing that name stands today as the headquarters of the Chicago Police Department's 23rd District. Lake View Township included all land east of Western Avenue, between Devon Avenue and North Avenue,[5] generally encompassing the community areas of Edgewater, Uptown, Lake View and Lincoln Park, as well as the eastern sections of what are now the community areas of North Center and Lincoln Square.
During the Civil War, the present-day bustling intersection of North Broadway, North Clark Street and West Diversey Parkway was home to Camp Fry. When the camp opened in May 1864, it served as a training facility for the volunteer 132nd and 134th Illinois Infantry regiments. Shortly after their deployment to Columbus, Kentucky, the camp was converted to a prison for Confederate soldiers, where conditions were markedly different from those of many other prisoner-of-war camps. The few residents of the area known as Lake View Township often complained of rebel sing-alongs held in the camp from time to time.
Lake View's early industry was farming, especially crops of celery, and at the time it was considered a celery-growing capital. From 1870 to 1887 the population of the township grew from 2,000 citizens to 45,000. As a result, there was growing need of more public-service access, and Lake View was absorbed into Chicago in 1889 as a way of meeting those demands.[6] In 1889, a real estate boom became a major economic stimulant. According to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, over forty percent of the neighborhood's present-day buildings were constructed during that time.
West Addison Street was named after Thomas Addison, an English doctor who first described Addison's disease[7] West Barry Avenue was named after the commander of the Continental Navy ship Lexington during the Revolutionary War, John Barry. West Belmont Avenue was named after the American Civil War's Battle of Belmont on November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. North Broadway, which used to be called Evanston Avenue after the nearby municipality of Evanston, Illinois, was renamed after Broadway in New York City. North Clark Street was named after the legendary frontier explorer George Rogers Clark. West Diversey Parkway was named after beer brewer Michael Diversey. William Butler Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago, named North Halsted Street after financiers William H. and Caleb Halsted. It was formerly called Dyer Street, in honor of Thomas Dyer, mayor of Chicago. West Irving Park Road was named after the author Washington Irving.[8]
Philip Sheridan features prominently on the corner of West Belmont Avenue and North Lake Shore Drive, memorialized as a towering statue depicting Sheridan on horseback. The U.S. Army general is the namesake of North Sheridan Road. In 1871 he brought troops to Chicago in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire and was authorized by Mayor Joseph Medill to take control of the city under martial law. He was later made commanding general of the U.S. Army by President Chester A. Arthur.
Lakeview East is territorially defined by its chamber of commerce as the area between North Clark Street and North Halsted Street to the west, West Grace Street to the north and West Diversey Parkway to the south, bounded by North Lake Shore Drive to the east. The entire Lakeview East area is often considered colloquially as Boystown, the pre-eminent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of Chicago. Some Lakeview East streets are decorated with rainbow flags indicative of that population. Lakeview East is notable for its Jewish population and has three synagogues, Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel (Modern Orthodox), Anshe Emet Synagogue (Conservative), and Temple Sholom (Reform and largest synagogue in the Chicago area).
Lakeview East, especially along the Lake Shore Drive and Broadway corridors, consists of upscale condominiums and higher-rent mid-rise apartments and lofts. Small businesses, boutiques, restaurants and community institutions are found along North Broadway and North Halsted Street.
Gentrification, diversification and population shift have changed Lake View, with many businesses expanding northward of West Belmont Avenue. Larger businesses such as Borders, Whole Foods and World Market are moving into the neighborhood, and enclosed shopping centers such as Century Shopping Centre have been created. Another shopping center has included such tenants as Michaels, Marshalls and Designer Shoe Warehouse.
Historic churches remain preserved as integral parts of the community, such as Lake View Presbyterian Church and Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is the residence of an episcopal vicar and auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.[9] It is also the mother church of the local vicariate and the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, controversially created by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, which is one of the largest of the few gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholic welcoming congregations created and authorized by a diocese in the United States.[10]
Two residential neighborhood organizations are included in the Lakeview East area. Belmont Harbor Neighbors comprises the area bounded by West Belmont Avenue, North Halsted Street, West Addison Street, and Lake Michigan. South East Lake View Neighbors encompasses the area bounded by West Diversey Parkway, North Halsted Street, West Belmont Avenue, and Lake Michigan.
North Halsted, also called Northalsted by its business association, is a smaller area within the Lakeview East boundaries, bordering the adjacent Wrigleyville enclave. While Boystown has been used as a colloquial name for all of Lakeview East, some reserve the name for the more specific area along North Halsted Street. It holds the distinction of being the nation's first officially recognized gay village. In 1998, then Mayor Richard M. Daley endeavored to create a $3.2 million restoration of the North Halsted Street corridor, and the city erected rainbow pylon landmarks along the route. North Halsted caters to Chicago nightlife, featuring more than 60 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The North Halsted area is now home to Center on Halsted (a GLBT community center).
Held on the last Sunday of each June, the Chicago Pride Parade, one of the largest gay pride parades in the nation, takes place in Lake View. The community area has also been host to several other major events: In 2006 it played host to an international sports and cultural festival, Gay Games VII, with its closing ceremonies held at Wrigley Field and headlined by Cyndi Lauper.
West Lakeview, a part of which is sometimes called North Lakeview, is located along the border of the Roscoe Village community area. West Lakeview Neighbors, a residential organization, defines West Lakeview as the area bounded by West Addison Street on the north, West Belmont Avenue on the south, North Southport Avenue on the east and North Ravenswood Avenue on the west.[11] Affordable real estate and popular culture, such as that found along busy Southport Avenue, draws young adults from all over the city for quiet living or casual dining. A historic destination that opened on August 22, 1929, is the Music Box Theatre, which opened as a new technology sound film venue.[12] The theater brands itself today as "Chicago's year-round film festival"[13]
Formerly a working-class neighborhood, Wrigleyville is the nickname to the neighborhood directly surrounding Wrigley Field, which is more commonly referred to as Central Lakeview. Central Lakeview's borders run from Diversey Parkway and Irving Park Road, to Halsted Street and Racine Avenue. Wrigleyville features low-rise brick buildings and houses, some with rooftop bleachers colloquially called Wrigley Rooftops where people can purchase seats to watch baseball games or concerts that, while generally more expensive than tickets for seats within the park itself, come with all you can eat and drink service. Proprietors are able to do so under special agreements with the Chicago Cubs organization. Many Wrigleyville bars and restaurants (particularly on North Clark Street) feature sports-oriented themes. Bars such as Sluggers, Murphy's Bleachers, Casey Moran's, Roadhouse 66, Sports Corner and The Cubby Bear host the Cubs crowds near the Wrigley Field intersection of North Clark Street and West Addison Street.
Lake View belongs to four Chicago City Council wards, electing four aldermen as representatives of these wards. Business owner Thomas Tunney represents the 44th Ward. Social worker James Cappleman represents the 46th Ward and Scott Waguespack represents the 32nd Ward. A small portion of the Lake View community (which includes Lake View H.S., the Graceland West neighborhood and a small part of the Southport Neighbors Association) is represented by Ameya Pawar of the 47th Ward.[14] Tunney is the first openly gay alderman to serve in the Chicago City Council.[15]
Lake View residents are represented in the Illinois Senate by John Cullerton of the state's 6th District.[16] The residents also elect members of the Illinois House of Representatives: Ann Williams of the 11th District, Sara Feigenholtz of the 12th District and Greg Harris of the 34th District.[17] Harris is noted as currently one of the only two openly gay members of the Illinois General Assembly (the other being Deborah Mell).[18]
Lake View is represented in the United States Congress by former Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley , elected from the 5th Congressional District, and by a former consumer rights advocate, Jan Schakowsky, elected from the 9th Congressional District.[19]
Twelve independent neighborhood organizations made up of residents serve as vehicles for direct neighborhood involvement and provide input to municipal and commercial leaders. The Lake View Citizens' Council was formed in 1952 and is composed of: Belmont Harbor Neighbors, Central Lake View Neighbors, East Lake View Neighbors, Hamlin Park Neighbors, Hawthorne Neighbors, Sheil Park Neighbors, South East Lake View Neighbors, South Lakeview Neighbors, Southport Neighbors Association, Triangle Neighbors, West DePaul Neighborhood Association and West Lakeview Association.[20]
Two of these organizations do not all fall in the Lake View Community Area. West DePaul Neighborhood Association is in the Lincoln Park Community Area and Hamlin Park Neighbors is in the North Center Community Area. All others fall within Lake View's boundaries.
Another community group, the Lakeview Action Coalition, is composed of 44 institutional members. They include religious congregations of various denominations, social service agencies, banks, and merchants.[21]
As one of the most populated community areas in the city of Chicago, Lake View has many outlets for education. The John Merlo Branch[22] of the Chicago Public Library houses one of the city's largest collections of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender literature and large collections called the African American Heritage Collection, Chicago History Collection, Judaica Collection, and Large Print Collection. The Chicago Public Library classifies Merlo's Drama and Theatre Collection as very large in size compared to other branches.[23] Although not in Lake View proper, the Conrad Sulzer Regional Library is host to a special Ravenswood–Lake View Historical Collection.[24]
Lake View is an important area of the city for health and medicine as home to several hospitals and other related institutions. Despite the comparative affluence of the community area, Lake View social services are also geared toward those needing affordable care, such as displaced youth living on the streets.
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center[25] and Saint Joseph Hospital[26] of Resurrection Health Care[27] serve residents throughout Chicago and its suburbs.
The Howard Brown Health Center, with several branch locations throughout Lake View, provides health services for the gay and lesbian community as well as for the poor. It offers specialized assistance in HIV, AIDS, domestic violence, therapy and various youth services such as the Broadway Youth Center and the PATH Program for HIV+ Youth.[28]
Center on Halsted, formerly Horizons Community Services, is also a major source of comprehensive social services for the gay and lesbian community. The Illinois Department of Public Health contracts the services of Center on Halsted for a telephone hotline for HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.[29]
Automobile parking is at a premium in Lake View, especially during special events such as Chicago Cubs home games at Wrigley Field. Special residential parking permits are required for parking on some Lake View streets; in commercial areas, limited metered parking is available. High-priced public parking lots are available for visitors and baseball fans but are hard to come by. Lake View residents on blocks with parking restrictions may purchase temporary parking permit slips, available at aldermanic constituent offices, for guests invited to private residences.[30]
A majority of Lake View's public transportation needs are met by the Chicago Transit Authority, which provides resident and visitor access to the Red Line, Purple Line and Brown Line services of the Chicago Elevated railway rapid transit. The two major Lake View rapid-transit hubs are Addison Station and Belmont Station.[31]
The Chicago Transit Authority also operates numerous bus routes in Lake View, the busiest being those running along North Lake Shore Drive with express services to downtown Chicago, including the Loop, via North Michigan Avenue and its Magnificent Mile. Bus routes entering and leaving Lake View include those designated as 8 Halsted, 9 Ashland, 22 Clark, 36 Broadway, 77 Belmont, 134 Stockton–LaSalle Express, 135 Clarendon–LaSalle Express, 136 Sheridan–LaSalle Express, 143 Stockton–Michigan Express, 144 Marine–Michigan Express, 145 Wilson–Michigan Express, 146 Inner Drive Express, 147 Outer Drive Express, 148 Clarendon–Michigan Express, 151 Sheridan, 152 Addison, 154 Wrigley Field Express and 156 LaSalle.[32]
Private entities also offer many transportation services. I-GO and Zipcar have several locations in Lake View. Private companies offer trolley and bus services to certain destinations in the city from Lake View. Taxi and limousine services are plentiful in the Lake View area, as well as non-traditional modes of transportation. Bicycle rickshaws can be found especially near Wrigley Field. Bike paths are also available on some major streets. For those who prefer to walk or run, manicured walking and running paths are found throughout the community area, with a special path designed for Chicago Marathon training along the lakefront.
The Chicago Marathon training path curves around the Belmont Harbor marina, belonging to the Chicago Park District and managed by contracted companies. There are ten transient slips, several stalls, and finger dock, star dock, and other mooring facilities[33] where boats and yachts can be kept.[34] It is the home of the Belmont Yacht Club.
In the Lake View section of Lincoln Park, overlooking the intersection of North Lake Shore Drive, and West Addison Street is a totem pole of Kwanusila, the Thunderbird of the Kwagu'ł First Nations tribe. A plaque below the totem pole reads:
Kwanusila the Thunderbird, is an authentic Kwagu'ł totem pole, carved in Red Cedar by Tony Hunt of Fort Rupert, British Columbia. The crests carved upon the totem pole represent Kwanusila the Thunderbird, a whale with a man on its back, and a sea monster. Many people do not realize that totem poles were only regionally used by First Nations along the coastal areas of British Columbia. Kwanusila is an exact replica of the original Kraft Lincoln Park totem pole, which was donated to the City of Chicago by James L. Kraft on June 20, 1929, and which stood on the spot until October 9, 1985. It was discovered some years before the pole was moved, that a pole of this type did not exist in the types at the Provincial British Columbia Museum located in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Arrangements were made for a duplicate of the Chicago original to be made by the same Amerindian tribe that made the original. A request was made and approved by the Chicago Park District for the original totem pole which existed here to be presented back to British Columbia. Kwanusila is dedicated to the school children of Chicago, and was presented to the City of Chicago by Kraft, Inc. on May 21, 1986.
Prominently visible from Lake Shore Drive, the totem pole is highlighted on Chicago city maps as a place of interest, visited by residents and tourists alike. The totem pole stands in front of the Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
A major portion of the Bank of America (formerly LaSalle Bank) Chicago Marathon, one of the largest road races in the world, takes place along the northern end of Lakeview East. The marathon packs spectators onto the sidewalks of Lake View to cheer race competitors. Lake View's stretch of North Lake Shore Drive is also the turnaround point for the annual Bike the Drive noncompetitive bicycle event.
Lake View hosts many art events. Each spring, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce supports gallery tour groups, taking participants through several area art galleries. September brings visitors to the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts on North Broadway between West Belmont Avenue and West Roscoe Street. More than 150 juried artists exhibit their works along with live entertainment, fine food and a variety of performers.
Paramount among Lake View's events, drawing the largest crowds, is the annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade held on the last Sunday of each June along North Broadway, North Halsted Street, and West Diversey Parkway. In addition, for one weekend each August, the North Halsted Street corridor is closed off to automobile traffic for Northalsted Market Days, a popular street fair featuring nationally prominent bands and other entertainment. Food and merchandise booths line the temporary pedestrian thoroughfare.
Lake View hosts a solemn vigil and march each October, gathering at the intersection of West Roscoe and North Halsted streets, in honor of Matthew Shepard.[35] Each year at the Matthew Shepard March Against Anti-Gay Hate, participants focus on several activist themes. In the past, they have marched against hate crimes and anti-gay social policy or have offered support for gay youth. As the event reflects its socially liberal agendas, political organizations such as the Green Party and Democratic Party have shown an increased presence. Socially liberal Republicans also participate to a smaller degree.
Small but popular Lake View events take place throughout the year. Each July, the Lakeview Garden Walk takes visitors on trolley tours and walks throughout the neighborhood to over eighty garden exhibits.[36] Each exhibit is prepared and presented by individual residents of Lake View. Once an event that focused on West Lakeview gardens, the exhibits now span the entire Lake View area. Families with children are drawn to Nettelhorst Elementary School on Easter weekend for an egg hunt and visit with the Easter bunny. They return on Halloween weekend for a costume parade and story-telling.
Halloween is also the time for a major costume competition that takes place on North Halsted, from Belmont to Cornelia, with an annual theme and categories from children and pets to adult groups from humorous to scary.
| Month | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Art View in Lake View | Various |
| May | Bike the Drive | North Lake Shore Drive |
| June | Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest | On Sheffield between Belmont and School Streets - Central Lake View |
| June | Chicago Gay Pride Parade | North Broadway at North Halsted Street |
| July | LVCC Lake View Music Fest | West Addison Street and North Sheffield Avenue |
| August | Northalsted Market Days | North Halsted Street |
| September | Festival J.O.E. - a Joyous Outdoor Event | South Belmont Harbor on the lakefront |
| September | Lakeview East Festival of the Arts | North Broadway at West Belmont Avenue |
| October | Matthew Shepard March Against Anti-Gay Hate | West Roscoe Street at North Halsted Street |
| October | Bank of America Chicago Marathon | North Lake Shore Drive, North Broadway |
| October | Halloween Parade | North Halsted Street |
| October | Halloween Kids | Nettelhorst Elementary School |
| Lincoln Square, Chicago | Uptown, Chicago | |||
| North Center, Chicago | Lake Michigan | |||
| Lake View | ||||
| Lincoln Park, Chicago |