Irving Park, Chicago, History and Community

The Irving Park neighborhood in Chicago is actually made up of a group of many small neighborhoods such as the Triangle, Mayfair and West Walker which are located on the northwest side of the city. Known for its wide variety of historic architecture, abundance of dining and transportation options, Irving Park is popular with young professionals.

White collar workers outnumber blue collar workers by 4 to 1. The average age is close to 35 and there are more than twice as many non-family households as there are family households. The median household net worth is over $98,000 .

Irving Park is home to one of the most well-known Chicago landmarks, the Peoples Gas Irving Park Neighborhood Store. The building, erected in 1926 was one of several buildings that were built in order to promote the use of natural gas appliances. The building was declared a landmark in 1987 .

Irving Park has a very active community. In addition to community assistance projects, such as the Irving Park Food Pantry, the home owners association is very involved in helping make the community a better place. Called The Old Irving Park Association, the group has several active committees and hosts several social functions each year.

While Irving Park is now thriving, it has not been without its hard times. All but one of the original mansions, the Stephen A. Race Mansion, have been demolished. After the Great Chicago fire of 1871, many residents who had lost their homes rebuilt in Irving Park. Irving Park became part of the city of Chicago in 1889 at which time fire service, city water and other city services became available to residents.

During the Great Depression, many buildings were converted into rooming houses. When the city decided to cut right through Irving Park to build an expressway, many lost their homes and several businesses closed.

The revitalization of the neighborhood began in the 1980's and today the Irving Park Historical Society works to ensure that historic homes and other landmarks are preserved. The list of historic buildings is long, in fact there are hundreds of buildings that were built in the 19th century, but most do not have the type of historical status that prohibits them from being demolished, so each must be fought for on a case by case basis whenever a developer wants to tear one down .

Today, an important goal surrounding Irving Park is to preserve its rich history and beautiful architecture for future generations to enjoy.