Visiting Old Town By Bradford Horton, Linda Tulman, and Samantha Mandelke

Information about Old Town The area of Old Town square miles The median income is $68,064 for Old Town residents More than 25% of Old Town residents have a bachelor's degree The average Old Town household size is 1.8 people The male median age is 38.3 years The female median age is 36.2 years

Getting to Old Town Old town is very easily accessible from Loyola via the CTA red line! Get on the red line towards 95th/Dan Ryan, and get off at Clark and Division. After you get off the subway, go up to street level and walk west two blocks towards Wells Street, and go north on Wells until you reach historic Old Town. If you are not coming from Loyola, you can also reach Old Town via the brown line, or cab!

History of Old Town Originally home and trade center to Native American nations 1850’s: settled by German-Catholic immigrants that built many of the victorian structures still standing today 1924: Society for Human rights (1st American gay rights group) established by Henry Gaber on North Crilly Court 1960’s: center for yippie and hippie counter culture during the white flight gave rise to the boutiques in the neighborhood 1970’s and 1980’s: racial tension due to de facto segregation early 2000’s: gentrification led to demolition of many projects in the area

Fun Facts ●The name ‘Old Town’ dates back to World War II when the annual fair called ‘Old Town Holiday’ just stuck around ●Old Town does not exist on paper, people use this name to describe the area ●Society for Human Rights which was the first organization of its type was founded in Old Town ●Old Town is home to St. Michael’s Church which was one of seven to survive the path of the Great Chicago Fire

Landmarks and Activities Clothing shops: Sara Jane, Etre, and Occhiali Home goods shops: Design Source, Inc. and Calico Corners Local favorite: The Spice House (store for spices and seasonings) Restaurants: Sauce (American Eclectic), Bistrot Margot (French), and Dinotto Ristorante (Italian) Entertainment: Second City’s Performance group, a branch of Steppenwolf Theater, and the Zanies comedy club

Group Reflection This experience sparked our curiosity in experiencing the influence of an older building mixed with modern buildings. The Chicago we have experienced so far has been mostly modern, so it was interesting to see the older side of the city. The architecture had a distinct, ornate feel that interested us. It really felt like old money rather than new money. This experience made us realize that even an area fairly close to the "Second City" can still have the quieter small town feel. We really enjoyed the small boutiques and one of a kind restaurants that lined the streets of Old Town. We were happy to realize that Chicago can offer such a diverse feel of the small town and big city so close together. This was an authentic Chicago experience because we believe Old Town represents an older and closely knit Chicago. The "Second City" to also implies something smaller with a tighter community than that of New York or L.A. Old Town is that tighter knit community; it remained small and specialized as the city grew and commercialized. This also pays homage to the diversity of this city, the fact that many different small boutiques and restaurants can thrive outside of the city. Each area of Chicago has a different feel that ultimately adds up to the diversity of Chicago. It’s amazing how different it was.

Bibliography (2015) Old Town neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), detailed profile, City-Data.com. Retrieved from Old Town, Chicago. (2015). Wikipedia. Retrieved from Old Town Chicago: Five Fun Facts You Need to Know. (2014, September 19). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from "Old Town Chicago Self-Guided Walking Tour and Sightseeing Map | MetroWalkz Chicago Tours | EVisitorGuide." Old Town Chicago Self-Guided Walking Tour and Sightseeing Map | MetroWalkz Chicago Tours | EVisitorGuide. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov Ink, Zahra (2015). Old Town, a Chicago Neighborhood Guide. Retrieved from