Uptown is a diverse neighborhood located north of Chicago's downtown. As one of Chicago's 77 community areas, Uptown has well defined boundaries. They are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose (Ravenswood to Clark), and Irving Park (Clark to Lake Michigan) on the south; Ravenswood (Foster to Montrose), and Clark (Montrose to Irving Park) on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan. To the north is Edgewater, to the west is Lincoln Square, and to the south is Lake View.
| North Boundary: |
5200 N |
Foster |
| South Boundary: |
4000 N |
Irving Park |
| East Boundary: |
~200 W |
Lake Michigan |
| West Boundary: |
1600 W |
Ashland |
Neighborhoods:
- Buena Park
- Sheridan Park
- Little Vietnam
- Margate Park
- Andersonville Terrace (North Uptown)
History
This Uptown landmark has stood at the intersection of Broadway and Lawrence for more than 80 years. Formerly known as the Uptown Bank (and before that, Sheridan Trust & Savings), it is now home to Bridgeview Bank and a number of other businesses.
The historical, cultural, and commercial center of Uptown is Broadway, with Uptown Square at the center. In 1900, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad constructed its terminal near Montrose and Broadway (now part of the CTA Red Line). Uptown became a summer resort town for downtown dwellers, and derived its name from the Uptown Store, which was the commercial center for the community.[2] For a time, all northbound trains from downtown ended in Uptown. From here Uptown became known as an entertainment destination. Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and other early film stars produced films at the Essanay Studios on Argyle Street. The Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, Uptown Theatre, and Green Mill Jazz Club are all located within a half block of Lawrence and Broadway. Uptown is also home to one of Chicago's most celebrated final resting spots, Graceland Cemetery.
The Uptown neighborhood boundary once extended farther to the North, to Hollywood Avenue. Beginning at the turn of the 19th Century, just after the World's Columbian Exposition, the entire area had experienced a housing construction boom. In the mid 1920's, construction of large and luxurious entertainment venues resulted in many of the ornate and historic Uptown Square buildings which exist today. The craftsmanship and artistry of those Uptown Square buildings reflects the ornate pavilions of the Exposition.
For over a Century, Uptown has been a popular Chicago Entertainment District, which played a significant role in ushering in the Gilded Age, the Lyceum Movement, the Jazz Age, the Silent Film Era, the Swing Era, the Big Band Era, the Rock & Roll Era, has been a Movie Filming Location for over 480 movies, has ties to significant Spectator sport athletes and organizations, including the Chicago Blackhawks and three Olympic figure skaters, as well as Theater, Comedy club, Dance performers who later became nationally-famous, and even "The People's Music School," a needs-based, tuition-free music school for formal classical music training.
By the 1950s, the middle class was leaving Uptown for more distant suburbs, as commuter rail and elevated train lines were extended. Uptown's housing stock was aging, and old mansions were subdivided. Residential hotels which had housed wives of sailors attached to the Great Lakes Naval Station during World War II now served low-income migrants from the South and Appalachia.
- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
