Northside Hillbilly (Chicago, Roscoe, Stanford: transplants, jobs, gangs)

[Humboldt1]

What. exactly is a northside hillbilly?

I hope you don't define this as someone who lives within 10 blocksd of wrigley who goes to generally a big ten school and comes to wrigleyville area to experience the city. Those people annoy me but I wouldn't call them hillbillys.

Most of those who migrated here from the south after the after the 1920s have long since passed on. My church in logan, armitage waw founded by 10 families from appalachia whose backward ways of thinking still impact the church.

Avengerfire and I know real hillbillys, so calling everyone on the northside who generalize about the south side of chicago hillbillys is unfair, but feel free to call them all kinds of other things

[dragoro]

Uhh whered that rant come from? As for knowin hillbillies ya aint seen nothin till ya been in the boonies of alabama.

[Johnny Northside]

In the mid 20th century, the great migration of blacks from the south led to the South and West sides. To a lesser extent whites also migrated north looking for better jobs. And since they were predisposed to segregation, they gravitated toward the North Side. My direct experience with this group was with the children and maybe grandchildren of the actual migrants, who settled in North Center--specifically east of Damen and south of Montrose. This area included lots of people who traced their roots back to Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc., and many attended Lakeview High School. ... They've largely been pushed out by gentrification now. I believe some other North Side Hillbilly enclaves included parts of Uptown and Edgewater.

[Chiguy1957]

".....I believe some other North Side Hillbilly enclaves included parts of Uptown and Edgewater."

You are correct sir. Uptown, while having upscale roots as the original "Hollywood", was long known as a hillbilly haven, probably starting in the late 40s or 50s. As a matter of fact, there used to be a bar on Lawrence just east of the "L" called "Sharon's Hillbilly Heaven".

I haven't been able to confirm this, but I also heard that Uptown used to have a high number of scalpings. (of the Indian method, not ticket scalping)

My, what a difference a few years makes. I still think Uptown is pretty gritty, but it's nowhere near as lowlife stanky as it was, IMO.

As far as the frat boys and bimbos who have taken over the part of Lakeview now known as "Wrigleyville", I don't consider them hillbillies; I call them the "Big 10 Transplants". Most of them haven't got a clue about anything outside of their little Wrigleyville existence and are woefully ignorant of the rest of Chicago. Then again, I'm grew up on the South Side in a SW burb, so I have somewhat of a chip on my shoulder at the disrespect shown to the rest of the Chicago area that is not considered trendy.

[Lookout Kid]

The anti-Big 10 graduate rants only work if you went to an Ivy League School, or something like Stanford or the University of Chicago. You can't pull it off if you went to NIU, Southern, or a City College. That would be reverse snobbery Either way it's pretty obnoxious.

I've heard that some of the Uptown hillbillys are still around, but I've don't ever see them. Apparently their kids/grandkids look like white gangsta wannabes.

[Careless]

Originally Posted by dragoro

Uhh whered that rant come from? As for knowin hillbillies ya aint seen nothin till ya been in the boonies of alabama.

the "bad neighborhoods in chicago" thread had a post about north side hillbillies which drew some response.

[dragoro]

If ya guys were livin in detroit you'd thank god for those transplants.

[skyeINIL]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I've heard that some of the Uptown hillbillys are still around, but I've don't ever see them. Apparently their kids/grandkids look like white gangsta wannabes.

Judging by the gang stabbing that took place there a few weeks back, they're not really "wannabes".

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Johnny Northside

In the mid 20th century, the great migration of blacks from the south led to the South and West sides. To a lesser extent whites also migrated north looking for better jobs. And since they were predisposed to segregation, they gravitated toward the North Side. My direct experience with this group was with the children and maybe grandchildren of the actual migrants, who settled in North Center--specifically east of Damen and south of Montrose. This area included lots of people who traced their roots back to Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc., and many attended Lakeview High School. ... They've largely been pushed out by gentrification now. I believe some other North Side Hillbilly enclaves included parts of Uptown and Edgewater.

The Roscoe Village and Hamlin Park area were filled with them too. In fact, that was their biggest stronghold other than parts of Uptown until about ten years ago. I went to H.S. with a few that were first generation Chicagoans...;-) in the early 90's..

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Chiguy1957

".....I believe some other North Side Hillbilly enclaves included parts of Uptown and Edgewater."

You are correct sir. Uptown, while having upscale roots as the original "Hollywood", was long known as a hillbilly haven, probably starting in the late 40s or 50s. As a matter of fact, there used to be a bar on Lawrence just east of the "L" called "Sharon's Hillbilly Heaven"...

Sharons is now The Kinetic Playground (part 2) (I believe the first Kinetic playground in the 60's and 70's was near Clark and Lawrence and the Rainbow Roller Rink-Led Zeppelin amongst others used to play there before they became big! )across from the Aragon. Sharons was awesome.

Other notable old Hillbilly bars were Carols,the Double Door,The Two Way, Beachwood,and the Blue Light...all remain in other forms of course, but the Two Way-now known as the Liberty Lounge.

There was a huge Hillbilly presence in Wicker Park and Bucktown also.