Middle eastern communities in Chicago? (Oak Lawn, Orland Park: apartments, home, neighborhood)

[NYLATINQT]

My husband is from Egypt. In NY/NJ you can find many, and i've also heard in Michigan, of all places. What about Chicago? Just curious.

[j33]

Devon street, Albany Park, Bridgeview (a suburb).

[mohammed wong]

West ridge, (called West Rogers Park by some)
I have a palestinian friend and his parents live there,
and I have seen plenty of women in full muslim garb there.

From wikipedia
West Ridge or West Rogers Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago, IL community areas. It is a middle to upper middle class neighborhood located on the far north side of Chicago. It is located in the 50th Ward. It is bordered on the north by Howard Street, on the east by Ridge Boulevard, Western Avenue, and Ravenswood Avenue, the south by Bryn Mawr Avenue and Peterson Avenue, and on the west by Kedzie Avenue and the North Shore channel of the Chicago River. At one time joined with neighboring Rogers Park, it separated in the 1890's over a conflict concerning park districts (known as the Cabbage War.) Today West Ridge is one of Chicago's better off communities, filled with thriving multi-ethnic culture lining Devon Avenue, historic mansions lining Ridge and Lunt Avenues, cultural institutions such as St. Scholastica Acadaemy and one of the highest per capita on the Northside of Chicago. It is represented in City Council by Alderman Bernard Stone.

It is home to the Midwest's largest Hasidic community, as well as other Jewish, Irish-American, German-American, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Assyrian, and Korean immigrant communities.

[wv wildflower]

I think most middle eastern folks can be found in either Rogers Park or Devon Avenue

[Chicago Chef]

Chicago has over 100,000 Assyrian Christians. Many good people from all over live here. Very diverse nice city.

[Manigault]

I agree with the mention of Devon Avenue and Bridgeview. Devon Avenue is a tourist attraction known to Chicagoans, accurately, as "Sari City" because of the many clothing stores.

[Drover]

Chicago's Middle Eastern pockets are small compared to the Detroit suburbs -- places like Dearborn and Hamtramck in particular. If "size matters," go with Michigan.

[preppyboyofIL]

If you are of middle eastern decent, it would seem that you come from Bridgeview or Chicago Ridge as the area is almost all people from the middle east. Over the past decade this area has transformed into little Palestine. There is a very nice Mosque for worship and plenty of Palestinean and Iraqi stores that line Harlem Avenue from 115th Street to 87th Street. Another area with a strong middle eastern presence is on 87th St. or 79th Street just west of Harlem Avenue. There are some apartments along 87th St. and 79th Street which are filled with middle easterners. When walking the sidewalks in this neighborhood one might think you are in Palestine as Arabian is the main language that is spoken here, English seems to be a second language.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by preppyboyofIL

If you are of middle eastern decent, it would seem that you come from Bridgeview or Chicago Ridge as the area is almost all people from the middle east. Over the past decade this area has transformed into little Palestine. There is a very nice Mosque for worship and plenty of Palestinean and Iraqi stores that line Harlem Avenue from 115th Street to 87th Street. Another area with a strong middle eastern presence is on 87th St. or 79th Street just west of Harlem Avenue. There are some apartments along 87th St. and 79th Street which are filled with middle easterners. When walking the sidewalks in this neighborhood one might think you are in Palestine as Arabian is the main language that is spoken here, English seems to be a second language.

That's not entirely accurate. There are still a lot of non Muslim's in that area. Nevertheless, Harlem Ave. between 79th and 115th is sometimes called little Palestine, and there is a very significant Muslim, primarily Arab, presence, stretching west into Hickory Hills and Palos Hills. There are also a lot of Poles and Hispanics just to the east. I live in Oak Lawn, and it's really become quite diverse in recent years in this area.

[preppyboyofIL]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

That's not entirely accurate. There are still a lot of non Muslim's in that area. Nevertheless, Harlem Ave. between 79th and 115th is sometimes called little Palestine, and there is a very significant Muslim, primarily Arab, presence, stretching west into Hickory Hills and Palos Hills. There are also a lot of Poles and Hispanics just to the east. I live in Oak Lawn, and it's really become quite diverse in recent years in this area.

Oh no doubt about that. I also wanted to mention that Orland Park has just built a new mosque on 104th Avenue just south of 159th Street and that seems to be attracting a large amount of middle easterners to Orland and Tinley Park.