New Canaryville Bridgeport Sign (Chicago, Naperville: house, living in, professionals)

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by Ace Rothstein

Canaryville doesn't have paved roads and the people there don't wear shoes.

When I attended high school in Canaryville, or just on the edge of it - Tilden - I and fellow students got there by horseback. It was a long ride, back in the 60s!

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by nearnorth

I disagree completely. There are worse places in the city than Canaryville, but it's sketchier than Bridgeport or McKinley Park. I prefer to stay north of Pershing in that part of the city.

I think the crime data would absolutely contradict that if you are actually talking about the normal Canaryville borders: 40-47th Street between Halsted and Wentworth.

[jonnynonos]

McKinley Park has had 12 homicides since 2007; Bridgeport 18; Canaryville 0.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Lifelong Chicagoan

Here is an article I found about racial issues in Canaryville in 1991. This is from where the rep comes. You can almost hear their Chicago accent in some of the interviewees quotes.

Racial Tension Fact Of Canaryville Life - Chicago Tribune

Since you only found a 22 year old article, I'm guessing you couldn't find anything more recent? It would be interesting to see a follow up.

[Lifelong Chicagoan]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

Since you only found a 22 year old article, I'm guessing you couldn't find anything more recent? It would be interesting to see a follow up.

Yes. I only did a quick search and posted one of the first things I saw. But this is just to give folks some issues there in the past.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Lifelong Chicagoan

Yes. I only did a quick search and posted one of the first things I saw. But this is just to give folks some issues there in the past.

For sure. I just ask as I was in my late 20s before I had even heard of the area, and I'm Irish. Clearly a North Sider/South Sider disconnect.

[nearnorth]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

For sure. I just ask as I was in my late 20s before I had even heard of the area, and I'm Irish. Clearly a North Sider/South Sider disconnect.

I think that's mainly a factor of it's size and insularity/isolation than a north/south thing. I'd never heard of it until Shameless, though I was pretty familiar with some of the neighborhoods bordering it and had spent a significant amount of time in Bridgeport.

[jonnynonos]

You see black people walking around there, and I saw a group of young white kids walking with black friends.

I have a black friend who is 40 and still won't go to Bridgeport... LOL... though she was raised on the near south side.

[nearnorth]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

You see black people walking around there, and I saw a group of young white kids walking with black friends.

I have a black friend who is 40 and still won't go to Bridgeport... LOL... though she was raised on the near south side.

I've known Black people that age and even a little younger who won't go to either Bridgeport OR Canaryville based on stories they've heard as kids.

[jonnynonos]

The only thing I ever bring up about the infamous Leonard Clark beating was that the kid who did it was actually the son of the local mob boss, Frank "Toots" Caruso. Seriously. I am not exaggerating. He is one of the last hard core inner city gangsters around.

So as horrible as that incident was, I don't think Caruso Jr. is really representative of the population.

But I didn't grow up there and don't live there so don't really know.

But you do see black people walking around both communities.

In Canaryville, though, from what I've seen, mainly on Halsted and a couple other more commercial streets because, as I said, there is really nothing to do in Canaryville, so unless you live there there is no reason to go to like 90 percent of it. And frankly unless you are looking for a really average bar and grill or pizza place you could find almost anywhere, no reason to go to the other 10 percent either.