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One of the reasons we feel fortunate living on the south side is when we want to visit a nearby neighborhood, we can do so with relative ease via bicycle. We're a couple minutes away from Pilsen. Bronzeville is a few pedals from the house. Hyde Park is a quick ten minutes via the lakefront bike path. We've even found great West Indian cooking in Englewood en route to Beverly via Damen Avenue and the Dan Ryan Woods. This is how we found ourselves in Little Village (La Villita) on an overcast Thursday afternoon, taking notes and pictures, asking questions of shop owners, and sampling some food and drink
While Little Village, like Pilsen, is noted today for its Mexican-American population (the largest in the Midwest), it began as a neighborhood to where central Europeans immigrated. It was informally known as "Czech California" due to its substantial Bohemian population. Polish, Italian, Slavic, Lithuanian, Croat, and Irish immigrant groups also called the neighborhood home. Long part of the South Lawndale community, Little Village was not known as such until the early '70's, after a realtor (who else) allegedly coined the term in order to sell homes "capture the Bohemian character of the community." The Little Village Chamber of Commerce claims that the popular commercial area, centered at 31st and Kedzie, generated around $900 million in revenue in 2001, which would place La Villta second to the Mag Mile in business revenue (that doesn't include the money made from fake ID production).
It's easy to see why Little Village businesses generate that amount of revenue. The commercial strip along 26th Street is comprised largely of restaurants, groceries, and specialty stores catering to its Mexican-American population. Indeed, the search for "authentic" Mexican food is what largely drives visitors to the neighborhood, but they can stay for the sightseeing and architecture. Indeed, buildings in Little Village are constantly being rehabbed to fit a small business, a bakery, a disco, or multiple living units. It doesn't necessarily follow the "form follows function" aesthetic of Horatio Greenough and Louis Sullivan, but the buildings are at least in use.
Dining in Little Village is plentiful, from tiny storefronts like Blanco y Negro Mexican restaurant (4043 W. 26th, 773-522-2176) that offer plentiful vegetarian options for on-the-go walking tourists, to behemoth restaurants like Mi Tierra (2528 S. Kedzie, 773-254-7722), which offers dinner and a show - usually mariachi or Tejano music - on the weekends. One of our favorites is La Justicia (pictured, left, 3901 W. 26th, 773-522-0041), which specializes in both authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex, and hosts live rock music on Fridays. El Tecolote Ostioneria y Restaurant (3519 W. 26th, 773-277-1490) specializes in seafood dishes. If it's fresh-cut poultry you're looking for, Chicago Live Poultry House (2601 S. Ridgeway, 773-542-9451) receives shipments of live poultry and rabbit three times a week, for fresh grilling or to use as a sacrifice to Jobu so you can hit the curveballs.
For those of you with a sweet tooth, options abound. The rapidly expanding Bombon empire of Luis Perea and Laura Cid-Perea have an amazing bakery space located at 3748 W. 26th Street (phone number 773-277-8777). We stopped there for a "Mexican eggnog" personal sized tres leches cake. Owner Abraham Dueñas cultivates European-style coffeehouse leisure with his popular Catedral Cafe (2500 S. Christiana, 773-277-2233). Mauro Cafeteria y Neveria (pictured, right, 3633 W. 26th, 773-542-9703) is an old-fashioned neighborhood ice cream parlor and fast-food joint. They also brew a mean cappucino.
Little Village after midnight doesn't have to be boring. Apollo's 2000 (2875 W. Cermak Road, 773-247-0200) is a concert hall located in the old Marshall Square Theatre. Club-goers can find something interesting in the three levels of Volkan (2501 S. Kedzie, 773-247-2400), which spins everything from cumbia to reggaeton, samba to hip-hop.
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Great Major League reference, Chuck.
As I understand it, some people are afraid Little Village is going to gentrify. If Pilsen can't, how could Little Village? That's why I don't understand the sideways glances people get when they visit.
There's a lot of neat little restaurants over there, but you really have to know where you're going beforehand. Those places come and go so quickly that it's easy to go into the wrong one and get a bad meal.
Catedral is a neat little place and BonBom's reputation speaks for itself.
That Apolo building is a sight to behold. Could it be the next Congress Theater?
You forgot to mention the ease with which you can obtain phony ID's.
Would you like an ID with your frijoles?
woodlawnchuck: Pilsen is gentrifying, just not in the areas one would expect. Take a gander along Halsted, from 16th to 22nd, on 16th and 18th west of of Halsted to around Morgan, maybe. A lot of it has been spearheaded by the Podmajersky group, with their "we support artists" facade. There's been rampant condo development happening for years.
If you're getting sideways glances, you're probably doing something to garner them (and might not know it). The folks in La Villita are among some of the friendliest I've ever encountered, and I had no hassles taking pictures and asking questions the other day.
as a youngster I would pass the Apollo on the way to Village City Discount and Unique and thought it was the Apollo theater of Jackson 5/ Night at the Apollo fame.
"woodlawnchuck: Pilsen is gentrifying, just not in the areas one would expect. Take a gander along Halsted, from 16th to 22nd, on 16th and 18th west of of Halsted to around Morgan, maybe. A lot of it has been spearheaded by the Podmajersky group, with their "we support artists" facade. There's been rampant condo development happening for years."
Podmajerskey's "facade", (which is not a facade, by the way) has been going on since the mid-70's and has absolutely nothing to do with the current wave of condo development. He rents studio spaces to artists. He does not tear down buildings to build condominiums, and the "rampant condo development" that has been happening for years" has, in reality, been happening for a grand total of six, with most of it happening in the last three.
As things stand today, Podmajerskey is probably the biggest impediment to gentrification along the Halsted corridor.
Chuck,
I disagree with you on Pilsen. The Podmajersky's did start to gentrify that area. But since the artists had a revolt, it's about 60% vacant. And, why is that area of Pilsen a surprise to you for gentrifying? It's next to the university, for all practical purposes. It would be more of a surprise if it were gentrifying to the west, I think.
To the best of my knowledge, I haven't done anything wrong to anyone in Little Village. Then again, I'm one of those freckly people that everyone seems to think has money.
"I disagree with you on Pilsen. The Podmajersky's did start to gentrify that area. But since the artists had a revolt, it's about 60% vacant."
What artist's revolt are you talking about?
And 60% vacant? Get serious. Maybe you talking about the storefronts that used to be galeries? He stopped doing that when it became obvious that there was no demand for commercial space on Halsted.
And as far as gentrifying the area, the only attempt I am aware of was his ill-fated attempt to convert the Schoenhoffen Brewery into an artist's market and studio space. This happened way back in the 80's and it didn't go forward because some of the locals thought it would bring too many white people into their neighborhood. It was a great idea then and it still is a great idea today, but since it is part of the Pilsen PMD, it won't be happening any time soon.
Does everything have to go back to gentrification???
Little Village is a good time....but you forgot to mention El Milagro for fresh tortillas and great burritos!
as a youngster I would pass the Apollo on the way to Village City Discount and Unique
That "Unique" was my favorite Chicago thrift store a little hidden gem until the roof fell in.
WTF --
I am talking about the Lumpens - google prinipality of podmajersky as they won't let me post the link. They picked up and left after revealing what kind of slimeballs they are.
That space on Halsted is live-work - you can use it for whatever you want. So you don't want to open a store? You can live there and its zoned as such. No matter what way you slice it, it's empty because of him. Of their 300 properties, 50 percent of it is vacant. That area is a ghost town because of all the vacancies. Do yourself a favor sometime and drive around the area both on and off the busy streets - look for all the little Denver Broncos address tags. Those are all Pods. And those fuckers are at least 50 % vacant. Go do it before I make your moniker W(hat) T(he) F(ool)!!! Instead of what the fuck you shipdit.
Well, if Little Village gentrifies you can bet Chicagoist will be down there reviewing the new trendy restaurants, talking about how cool they are and what an authentic urban experience they provide.
This of course will be after a few posts where the evils of condos being built are lamented, not realizing that these restaurants would not even be in existence if not for more people moving there. Maybe anti-gentrifiers just hate to see construction workers employed.
re: navin
Is that what happened to it? I go to the halsted one now (btw by an awesome asian version of The Egg Store), but I figured the kedzie one just shut down for other reasons.
Ahhh. I was wondering when this thread was going to collapse into pointless debate that has nothing to do with the original post, spurred on by people who "hate" Chicagoist, yet are strangely compelled to comment on every post.
Thanks You Hate it Now...but
re: michelle,
Yeah, a demolition crew working on a building next door managed to accidentaly destroy unique's back wall causing the roof to cave in (while people were inside!) and they decided not to re-open. I actually called unique to try to find out what the deal was because I got so lucky at that store every time I went. The bridgeport one is nice but that Kedzie location was the serious funk.
I don't think you can post links in here anymore but if you google "unique thrift roof kedzie" you'll see some news articles and pictures even.
When that time comes, You Hate It Now ... but, I'd like you to be the first reader to link to this post and show that sometimes we can have it both ways here at Chicagoist. Capice?
"WTF --
I am talking about the Lumpens - google prinipality of podmajersky as they won't let me post the link. They picked up and left after revealing what kind of slimeballs they are.
That space on Halsted is live-work - you can use it for whatever you want. So you don't want to open a store? You can live there and its zoned as such. No matter what way you slice it, it's empty because of him. Of their 300 properties, 50 percent of it is vacant. That area is a ghost town because of all the vacancies. Do yourself a favor sometime and drive around the area both on and off the busy streets - look for all the little Denver Broncos address tags. Those are all Pods. And those fuckers are at least 50 % vacant. Go do it before I make your moniker W(hat) T(he) F(ool)!!! Instead of what the fuck you shipdit."
Chuckles: I happen to live in that neighborhood, and have been hanging around in one manner or another since 1975, so stop acting like an a$$hole. I've been to the pod properties many times, as well as the galleries, and the place is nowhere near as dead as you make it out to be. That website you referred to is completely retarded, as are the immature idiots who put it together, and if those are your friends, you have my sympathy. You should also know that that stuff is pretty dated (obviously Lord of the Rings-inspired), so you may want to come down to the neighborhood sometime and check things out for yourself.
In the meantime, you can take comfort in the fact that the Pods, as you call them, have been blamed for just about everything that has happended in Pilsen for the last thirty years. I don't necessarily agree with their business model, but they at least preserve the exteriors of those buildings in some semblance of historic accuracy, and at the end of the day, have done more than anyone else in that neighborhood to preserve its charm.
All you have to do is drive south to Bridgeport to see a neighborhood raped by cheesy over-attention, or look at some historic pictures of Maxwell Street to see a neighborhood raped by sleazy neglect. Pilsen avoided both fates largely because of Podmajerskey's efforts.
The true threat to Pilsen today is in the form of the teardown, and the Podmajerskeys have nothing to do with that.
Chuckles? Come on WTF!
I'm very familiar with the neighborhood as I do have some friends in the area. I agree that the Pods did do a lot to rejuvenate the area, but for Christ's sake, you cannot say that the area is thriving at the hands of the tenants in the Pod buildings. The Pods, actually John III, jacked up the rents on the people who came down and helped the father - actually an okay guy - build a community.
I am with you on the teardowns. The area has some of the best architecture in the city - and if the powers that be allow it to come down, shame on them. University Village is an abomination. I agree with you. Bridgeport is somewhere in between. A lot of the buildings that have come down were falling down. I don't think Pilsen will suffer the same fate (gasp) in part because of what John II did, which was to preserve. I agree with you there. But I am not too hot on making all of the buildings - I speak of the gray/black on the street level, along with the blue and orange addresses - look the same.
It is my opinion that the son has undone a lot of the good that his father did. I stand by that. And no, I am not in any way affiliated with the Lumpens. I do go to some of their events - they're entertaining and they have some good ideas - but I'm not a card-carrying member.
I also don't approve of the attitudes of a lot of the citizens who claimed the neighborhood in the 1960s. It's racism and it shouldn't be tolerated.
artists are the whiniest asses ever. i will always take the side of a landlord or patron over an "artist" any day.
persecution complexes and all that.
If you ask the Mexican community, they will tell you El Nopal Bakery has the best bread and cakes in Little Village and Pilsen.
I don't think Little Village will gentrify for a long time if ever. Pilsen due to its proximity to downtown probably will gentrify but with pressure to keep its Mexican population intact.
I agree El Milagro does make good tortillas!