Around Chicago: Avondale

By Sponsor in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 12, 2015 4:30PM

This post is a sponsored collaboration between Jameson and Gothamist staff.

A city is defined by its people and what they build, create, and celebrate. Chicago, itself a kaleidoscope of America's complicated past, is a great example. Look at your community and, because it's Polish, African-American, Puerto Rican, Irish or a little of everything, you'll see the country by way of the city.

Avondale is a fascinating neighborhood. Once an industrial hub, it's morphed into a blue collar residential area with a hint of gentrification trickling over from Logan Square. Whether you're a transplant from one of Chicago's other neighborhoods, a post-Soviet era European immigrant, or part of the Latino boom, there's plenty of fun to be had on the holiday that's ironically come to represent us all: St. Patrick's Day.

How does that make sense? Think about it: St. Paddy's is bigger here than it ever was in Ireland. Americans of every background have made it into their own celebration of friendship, indulgence, and the opportunity to unwind. How does it change from person to person, neighborhood to neighborhood, and what does it say about us?

In Avondale, grab a burger at a pub, save the festivities for a night of dancing, or keep it real at a traditional Irish bar that goes all out for the occasion, the Jameson flowing like water.

In a toast to Chicago, we've taken a look at four neighborhoods to get a picture of their past and present. We've already seen Logan Square and North Center; today is a look at Avondale.

Maps in this series by Keith & Co.

Lynn Basa is a full-time artist living and working in Avondale. She recently opened Corner, an installation space in the storefront of her studio. We asked Lynn about Avondale, what it means to live and work there, and whether there's anything she'd like to share with the rest of Chicago. You can learn more about her here and about Corner here.

It's almost St. Patrick's Day—let's talk about drinks. How do you like your Jameson? I like to just drink it straight.

You find yourself buying a round of shots for your table. What's the occasion? Actually I often do this. They're euphemistically called "staff meetings" and are a long-standing tradition at my studio. It's where I take out however many studio assistants who happen to be working for me that week and we go out for cocktails. They have a chance to share their ideas on my various enterprises and I get to catch up with what's going on with theirs.

You find yourself buying a round of shots for some strangers. What's the occasion? I never do this because I'm a girl :-) My husband-like entity, Doug VanderHoof, is the one who does that. To him, a stranger is just a friend he hasn't met yet.

Does Avondale have any St. Pat's traditions? It's majorly Polish, Mexican, and Puerto Rican around my studio and exhibition space, but there is one Irish bar a block up the street from me that goes all-out. It's a longtime family-owned business now run by one of the sisters, Maureen or "Moe" for short. She has a wonderful year-round music program but really goes all out for St. Pat's. And, yes, there's a resident dog at the bar, so you know it's real Chicago.

So, you live and work in Avondale. What's your favorite thing about the neighborhood? It's "real Chicago."

Do you think anything sets it apart from other neighborhoods? On Milwaukee Avenue, where my building and studio is, it's like Main Street circa 1925. That little has changed in the streetfront.

What's a misconception about Avondale you want to put to rest? That just because it's working class that it's high crime. It actually has a low crime rate.

Do you think anything in particular defines the area? A very long history of Polish habitation overlaid with Mexican.

What was your impression when you first came to Avondale? That it had been untouched by time. And because of the old Main Street look it seemed like it would be the next, best place.

Does anything strike you as "home" when you come back after being away for a while? I know all of the shop owners and they know me. It's like Mayberry.

What's the single best night you've had in Chicago? I've had so many that I have to just stick with one of the most recent. For the after party for the A Day In Avondale Festival, all of the artists and neighbors who organized the event got together and polka'd our butts off. The piwo flowed like wine and Kurowski's donated a ton of food.

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and, deep down, it's a holiday that's more American than Irish. What better represents our nation of scrappy upstarts than a holiday both nostalgic for home and proud to have built a new one? And really, what's more Chicagoan?

Jameson invites you to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the spirit of community the most authentic way—with a shot of triple-distilled Irish whiskey in your hand. Whether you're toasting from a bar stool, your favorite restaurant or a nearby park: long live the neighborhood—and long live the shot!