Favorite Neighborhood Name?

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Many neighborhood names were by parish---Blessed Sacrement, Resurrection, Aquinas, St. Lucy's and such.

Then you had neighborhood names by street corners---Chicago and Lawndale, 63rd and Halsted and so on. And neighborhoods by their main street---Taylor St., 18th St (what many called Pilsen) and 26th St (now often called Little Village) for instance.

I think that before the gentrification boom got into full swing in the 80's most Chicagoans seemed to identify themselves by an intersection instead of a neighborhood name. Seems like every southsider I ever met would tell me they were from 63rd and this, or 47th and that etc, etc. The city was much more provincial back then and even historic neichborhoods like Back of the Yards and Bridgeport were carved up by the inhabitants into separate entities. Some people living at 35th and Wallace didn't want to be associated with the folks who lived at 31st and Halsted and on and on and on.

Up until I was 6 years old, I lived near Madison and Laramie but I seldom told anyone that I was born in Austin. I was born at Madison & Laramie as far as I was concened.

[mas23]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

I think that before the gentrification boom got into full swing in the 80's most Chicagoans seemed to identify themselves by an intersection instead of a neighborhood name. Seems like every southsider I ever met would tell me they were from 63rd and this, or 47th and that etc, etc. The city was much more provincial back then and even historic neichborhoods like Back of the Yards and Bridgeport were carved up by the inhabitants into separate entities. Some people living at 35th and Wallace didn't want to be associated with the folks who lived at 31st and Halsted and on and on and on.

Up until I was 6 years old, I lived near Madison and Laramie but I seldom told anyone that I was born in Austin. I was born at Madison & Laramie as far as I was concened.

Most chicagoans still identify with streets before neighborhoods.

[Muppet123]

Hegewisch, kinda sounds like the bad guy from a movie about ye olde tymes.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by mas23

Most chicagoans still identify with streets before neighborhoods.

yup.

[ekulio]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

I think that before the gentrification boom got into full swing in the 80's most Chicagoans seemed to identify themselves by an intersection instead of a neighborhood name. Seems like every southsider I ever met would tell me they were from 63rd and this, or 47th and that etc, etc. The city was much more provincial back then and even historic neichborhoods like Back of the Yards and Bridgeport were carved up by the inhabitants into separate entities. Some people living at 35th and Wallace didn't want to be associated with the folks who lived at 31st and Halsted and on and on and on.

Up until I was 6 years old, I lived near Madison and Laramie but I seldom told anyone that I was born in Austin. I was born at Madison & Laramie as far as I was concened.

I know at least one exception; Uptown. The neighborhood was still a long way from gentrification when I lived there and the community area as a whole was pretty aware of it's own identity. I didn't find out until I was older that the whole city is divided into neighborhoods like that. When we moved to Lincoln Square I had no idea it was Lincoln Square, I just told everyone I lived on Cullom and Campbell. But Uptown was Uptown.