Where are the Chicago Italians?? (Elmwood Park, Norridge: university, to live, professionals)

[1972Impala]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

If I were the OP, I would look to other cities in the Northeast, since those are the cities that have Italian neighborhoods and vaguely feel like NYC. Providence, for example, is VERY Italian and has tons of goombah-looking types, Italian pork stores, Italian social clubs, etc. If Providence is too small, then why not Philly? Philly is the U.S. city closest in look and feel to NYC (it's kind of like a smaller, grittier NYC) and South Philly has some very Italian parts.

Philly feels much more similar to Baltimore/DC imo. only similarity to NYC is Center City, besides that Architecturally and Socially it is very different from NYC, although there are allot of paralells granted, Philly isn't as similar to New York as people think it is. Philly is not an international, posh town like NYC is and that's why I love it. Id totally live in Phila.

Im digging Chicago a lil more though beccause it seems like the type of change of pace I need.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

I'm not getting the point of this thread.

The OP appears to be looking for two things- 1. A heavily Italian neighborhood and 2. A city that vaguely resembles NYC. Chicago meets neither criteria. Chicago doesn't have a particularly large or visible Italian community, and has no Staten Island/South Brooklyn/Yonkers/Whitestone/Howard Beach type areas. You won't see "Si parla Italiano" in storefronts like you see on 13th Ave. in Brooklyn, you won't see elderly Italians chatting in Sicilian on park benches, etc.

And Chicago doesn't look or feel anything like NYC. They're two big American cities, but the resemblance pretty much stops there. Not similar, at all.

If I were the OP, I would look to other cities in the Northeast, since those are the cities that have Italian neighborhoods and vaguely feel like NYC. Providence, for example, is VERY Italian and has tons of goombah-looking types, Italian pork stores, Italian social clubs, etc. If Providence is too small, then why not Philly? Philly is the U.S. city closest in look and feel to NYC (it's kind of like a smaller, grittier NYC) and South Philly has some very Italian parts.

BTW, that pic of L&B Spumoni Gardens makes me nostalgic. There is nothing, really, like an Italian neigborhood in Brooklyn, and nothing like those scrumptious square pies eaten outdoors at L&B on summer nights. I need to make a return visit to 86th street for a pie and spumoni.

Yes nothing like NYC our NOLA101 LOL. But still the OP told you... you again are not always right. Keep your demeaning comments when Chicago is concerned as usual in threads??? Coming..

[Chicagoan23]

I don't know much about NY Italians or other areas, but as a third generation Chicago Italian, I would argue that anyone proud of his Italian heritage would feel very comfortable in Elmwood Park, River Grove, Montclare, even north Melrose Park. There are other ethnicities in each of those locations, but the communities all have a strong Italian presence and focus. Try Baciami in Elmwood Park, you'll enjoy it.

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Is Cleveland really that much more Italian in character than Chicagoland? I thought the Italian presence in Chicago would be more noticeable.

yep. Italians, Hungarians, and Jews are to the [white parts of the] east side of Cleveland what Poles and Irish are to Chicago.

[Curlyhead]

I lived most my life in Ny area and been in Chicago for the past few years. As a whole, I'd say there's virtually no visible Italian presence here, especially when compared to the NYC tri-state area. Back east, Italian-Americans are super into being Italian (same as Latinos and Jamaicans are into flaunting their ethnicity/nationality). Everyone waves their flags and has it plastered on their car, outside their home, t-shirts, tattoos, necklaces, etc. When I go out in Chicago or even when I was in school here, I would specifically chat guys up that I thought were Italian and they always were. I mean most Mid-western men here fit that stereotypical "All-American" super white look. Most men here do not get a shape-up every week, groom their facial hair, wear jewelry or wear fashionable clothes. I have a Persian friend here from LA that says Chicago white guys think khakis and loose button-downs are "dressy". The "Little Italy" here has some good food, but the area does not look authentic at all. It looks really new to me, a lot like the "China Town" here (which is just a shopping center and a few restaurants).

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

I'm not getting the point of this thread.

The OP appears to be looking for two things- 1. A heavily Italian neighborhood and 2. A city that vaguely resembles NYC. Chicago meets neither criteria. Chicago doesn't have a particularly large or visible Italian community, and has no Staten Island/South Brooklyn/Yonkers/Whitestone/Howard Beach type areas. You won't see "Si parla Italiano" in storefronts like you see on 13th Ave. in Brooklyn, you won't see elderly Italians chatting in Sicilian on park benches, etc.

And Chicago doesn't look or feel anything like NYC. They're two big American cities, but the resemblance pretty much stops there. Not similar, at all.

If I were the OP, I would look to other cities in the Northeast, since those are the cities that have Italian neighborhoods and vaguely feel like NYC. Providence, for example, is VERY Italian and has tons of goombah-looking types, Italian pork stores, Italian social clubs, etc. If Providence is too small, then why not Philly? Philly is the U.S. city closest in look and feel to NYC (it's kind of like a smaller, grittier NYC) and South Philly has some very Italian parts.

My Italian American uncle grew up in Pittsburgh and they still have family there.

[personone]

Originally Posted by Curlyhead

I lived most my life in Ny area and been in Chicago for the past few years. As a whole, I'd say there's virtually no visible Italian presence here, especially when compared to the NYC tri-state area. Back east, Italian-Americans are super into being Italian (same as Latinos and Jamaicans are into flaunting their ethnicity/nationality). Everyone waves their flags and has it plastered on their car, outside their home, t-shirts, tattoos, necklaces, etc. When I go out in Chicago or even when I was in school here, I would specifically chat guys up that I thought were Italian and they always were. I mean most Mid-western men here fit that stereotypical "All-American" super white look. Most men here do not get a shape-up every week, groom their facial hair, wear jewelry or wear fashionable clothes. I have a Persian friend here from LA that says Chicago white guys think khakis and loose button-downs are "dressy". The "Little Italy" here has some good food, but the area does not look authentic at all. It looks really new to me, a lot like the "China Town" here (which is just a shopping center and a few restaurants).

I partially agree with you. I do notice that even though there are parts of Chicago with large Italian populations, many do tend to blend in with generalized American culture more so than on the East Coast. But Chicago Italians have always had a unique style. Old school guys like Joe Mantegna and Dennis Farina (RIP) had their own, unique style as Chicago Italians.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by Curlyhead

I lived most my life in Ny area and been in Chicago for the past few years. As a whole, I'd say there's virtually no visible Italian presence here, especially when compared to the NYC tri-state area. Back east, Italian-Americans are super into being Italian (same as Latinos and Jamaicans are into flaunting their ethnicity/nationality). Everyone waves their flags and has it plastered on their car, outside their home, t-shirts, tattoos, necklaces, etc. When I go out in Chicago or even when I was in school here, I would specifically chat guys up that I thought were Italian and they always were. I mean most Mid-western men here fit that stereotypical "All-American" super white look. Most men here do not get a shape-up every week, groom their facial hair, wear jewelry or wear fashionable clothes. I have a Persian friend here from LA that says Chicago white guys think khakis and loose button-downs are "dressy". The "Little Italy" here has some good food, but the area does not look authentic at all. It looks really new to me, a lot like the "China Town" here (which is just a shopping center and a few restaurants).

I don't know what you expect Taylor Street to look like. Did you expect little old men with vegetable carts? I would say the majority of the buildings on the street are older; if you mean all the businesses are not Italian, well, that's true.

With Chinatown it sounds like you didn't go down Wentworth?

I'm sure there are other better Chinatowns and Little Italy's in the US, but for crying out loud.

I went to Little Italy in Manhattan. Yes it was obviously bigger, but at the end of the day who cares, you just sit down and eat.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Chicagoan23

I don't know much about NY Italians or other areas, but as a third generation Chicago Italian, I would argue that anyone proud of his Italian heritage would feel very comfortable in Elmwood Park, River Grove, Montclare, even north Melrose Park. There are other ethnicities in each of those locations, but the communities all have a strong Italian presence and focus. Try Baciami in Elmwood Park, you'll enjoy it.

Elmwood Park, IL (60707)

Total Italian ancestry: 6,526 (15.27% of total population)
Italian alone: 3,804 (8.90% of total population)
Italians as % of Whites: 26.28%

River Grove, IL (60171)

Total Italian ancestry: 1,166 (11.32% of total population)
Italian alone: 624 (6.05% of total population)
Italians as % of Whites: 15.85%

Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, NY (11228)

Total Italian ancestry: 15,299 (34.82% of total population)
Italian alone: 12,146 (27.64% of total population)
Italians as % of Whites: 55.33%

South Philadelphia, PA (19145)

Total Italian ancestry: 14,133 (29.58% of total population)
Italian alone: 9,460 (19.80% of total population)
Italians as % of Whites: 65.35%

[BajanYankee]

Euclid, OH is a bit more concentrated Italian than Elmwood Park, but the difference is not significant.

Euclid, OH (44143)

Total Italian: 4,441 (18.47%)
Italian alone: 2,596 (10.79%)
% of Whites: 27.95%

Euclid, OH (44119)

Total Italian: 1,156 (9.29%)
Italian alone: 552 (4.43%)
% of Whites: 19.21%

Euclid, OH (44132)

Total Italian: 1,184 (7.95%)
Italian alone: 470 (3.15%)
% of Whites: 13.76%

Euclid, OH (44123)

Total Italian: 988 (5.98%)
Italian alone: 633 (3.79%)
% of Whites: 13.76%

Euclid, OH (44117)

Total Italian: 372 (3.58%)
Italian alone: 183 (1.76%)
% of Whites: 12.7%