| Rogers Park | |
|---|---|
| — Community area — | |
| Community Area 01 - Rogers Park | |
| Rogers Park, (Chicago, Illinois) | |
| Streetmap | |
| Location within the city of Chicago | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| City | Chicago |
| Neighborhoods |
List
|
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.79 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 63,484 |
| • Density | 34,326.3/sq mi (13,253.4/km2) |
| Demographics | |
| • White | 31.8% |
| • Black | 29.6% |
| • Hispanic | 27.8% |
| • Asian | 6.40% |
| • Other | 4.48% |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP Codes | 60626, 60645 |
| Median income | $31,602 |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | |
Rogers Park is one of the 77 Chicago community areas on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, and is also the name of the Chicago neighborhood[1][2] that constitutes most of the community area. It is bounded by the city of Evanston along Juneway Terrace and Howard Street to the north, Ridge Boulevard to the west, Devon Avenue and the Edgewater neighborhood to the south, and Lake Michigan to the east. The neighborhood just to the west, West Ridge, was part of Rogers Park until the 1890s. Some Chicagoans use the phrase "East Rogers Park" to refer to any area east of Ridge, but usually East Rogers Park refers only to the portion of Rogers Park east of Clark Street.
Contents |
The Rogers Park area was developed on what once was the convergence of two Native American trails, now known as Rogers Avenue and Ridge Boulevard, predating modern metropolitan Chicago. The Pottawatomi and various other regional tribes often settled in Rogers Park from season to season. The name of Indian Boundary Park west of Rogers Park reflects this history as does Pottawattomie Park near Clark Street and Rogers Avenue.
Rogers Park was named after a pioneer settler and developer, Phillip Rogers. Rogers often traded and worked with the local tribes. Envisioning a future settlement, Rogers eventually purchased the land from the tribes for later development.
From 1830 to 1850, waves of immigrants from Luxembourg and Germany came to Rogers Park, where farming was the main industry. On April 29, 1878, Rogers Park was incorporated as a village of Illinois governed by six trustees. In 1893, the village was annexed to Chicago.[3] Successive generations brought about vast cultural changes to the former village. Elite Chicagoans began to move to new planned communities in the suburbs by the 1930s, which ushered in the migration of German, English, Irish, and Jewish families to Rogers Park. With the devastation in Europe following World War II, many additional immigrants found their way to Chicago and the Rogers Park neighborhood. Also, a growing and vibrant Hispanic community has grown along Clark Street over the years.
Most of the neighborhood has for decades been within the 49th Ward of the city of Chicago, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but that was a misconception. The ward covered much of Edgewater and went as far south as Hollywood in the 1960's, while the 50 the ward extended all the way east to Ashland avenue in some areas as late as 1990. But, because redistricting, a part of Rogers Park is now within the 40th Ward as well, and the 49 th ward now encompasses part of West Rogers Park. In spite of its cultural diversity, accessibility to the city's (CTA) rapid transit system, affordable housing, and unique location, the Rogers Park neighborhood's local economy has struggled over the years. Many vacant storefronts are visible along its main business districts known as "Devon Ave" & "Howard St". Since the year 2000, recent signs of economic development includes the Gateway Centre Plaza at the Howard St. station and the mixed-use development known as The Morgan at Loyola Station. The Skyline at Evanston on Howard St. is also a new affordable apartment high rise with ground floor retail potential. Crime has remained stable in the neighborhood, though there remains to be a visible gang presence and accessibility to drug-related contraband.
Rogers Park continued to see demographic changes into the 21st century. The 2000 census data, like those of 1980 and 1990, showed it to be one of the most diverse communities, if not the most diverse, in the entire country . A robust mix of ethnic backgrounds with over 80 assorted languages flavor the neighborhood . However, this diversity has been affected by gentrification of the community. Much of the rental housing that has been converted to condominiums since 2000 formerly housed minorities. More than 90% of the new homeowners are white, according to the Woodstock Institute, a nonprofit advocacy and research organization.. However, the financial crisis of 2007-2009 hit the area hard and at present many of the condominiums are unsold or foreclosed.[4] The dominant institution in Rogers Park is Loyola University Chicago. Historic places of interest include Madonna Della Strada Chapel, the mother church of the Jesuit Province of Chicago (one of the largest Jesuit provinces). The neighborhood continues to be home to many Jesuit religious-order institutions. However, modern Rogers Park contains many different religious institutions. An example of the neighborhood's diversity is the historic Rogers Park Baptist Church.[5] Founded in 1891, this church has services in three languages every Sunday and is made up of immigrants from 21 countries representing five continents.
The presence of its diverse array of students and academics from Loyola University Chicago and Northwestern University, just a few miles to the north, has historically lent Rogers Park a high degree of liberalism and tolerance. The community also has a high Internet presence.[6] In 2007, the Web site outside.in named Rogers Park one of the country's "bloggiest neighborhoods."[7]
Rogers Park has four elevated ("L") Red Line stations: Howard, Jarvis, Morse, and Loyola.[8] The Howard Street "L" station, the northernmost Chicago Transit Authority rail stop in the city proper, experienced major renovation during 2008 and is a major transportation hub for the northern Chicago region. Both the Skokie Swift and the Purple Line (formerly known as the Evanston Express) begin in Rogers Park. In addition to the "L" lines, there are also several bus routes traveling to the Loop and the suburbs. They consist of the #22 (Clark to Polk), #97 (Old Orchard Shopping Mall/Cook County Courthouse), #147 (Outer Drive/Congress/Michigan Avenue), #151 (Sheridan Road) and #N201 (Central/Sherman in Evanston). The Metra commuter railroad Rogers Park station, at the intersection of Lunt and Ravenswood Avenues, is centrally located in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
In 1993, Rogers Park was selected as one of only five Chicago neighborhoods to implement a new concept for Chicago law enforcement: community policing, or CAPS. A merger of police and community efforts was implemented, which resulted in a noticeable effect on crime statistics. Weekly beat meetings (planning and strategy sessions) were held across the 24th Police District (Rogers Park). Within three years, after the success of CAPS in Rogers Park, all of Chicago's police districts had put CAPS into practice. "CAPS is the most ambitious and comprehensive community policing program in the country," said Susan M. Hartnett, project director and research associate at Northwestern University's Institute for Policy Research. "The success of the CAPS program in comparison to efforts in other big cities is attributable to Chicago's commitment to the program and the resources allocated to it. A unique CAPS feature that is also vital to the success of the program is the improved delivery of city services throughout the city.".[9]
Rogers Park lies mainly within the 49th and 50th Wards. There are small areas that are within the 40th Ward.
| Name | Elected | Political Party | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debra Silverstein | 2011 | Democrat | Alderman/50th Ward |
| Joe Moore | 1991 | Democrat | Alderman/49th Ward |
| Patrick J. O'Connor | 1983 | Democrat | Alderman/40th Ward |
Rogers Park is the setting for Chicago-based singer-songwriter Michael Smith's song Ballad of Elizabeth Dark, recorded in studio on his 1993 release Time and recorded live on his 2003 release, Such Things Are Finely Done.
Grammy-nominated Irish-American fiddler and composer Liz Carroll lived for a time in Rogers Park, and Rogers Park street names are referenced in the titles of her compositions the Morse Avenue reel, included on the Cherish the Ladies debut recording Irish Women Musicians in America on Schanachie, and The Greenleaf Strathsprey, included on the eponymous Liz Carroll on Green Linnet; both tunes are collected in her 2010 book Collected.[10]
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Evanston, Illinois | ||||
| West Ridge, Chicago | Lake Michigan | |||
| Rogers Park, Chicago | ||||
| Lincoln Square, Chicago | Edgewater, Chicago |