Favorite "Italian" neighborhood in Chicago? (Gurnee, Elmwood Park: home, to buy)

[Master Jay]

Bitey, good morning! My understanding was the Harlem Avenue Little Italy more or less followed the border with Elmwood Park, where some Italian-Americans that resided on Grand Avenue, eventually made their way west. So roughly, that should follow the area between North Avenue and Belmont (3200 N)... In one of those beige-colored History of Chicago books, on Italians in Chicago, I recall seeing a Harlem Avenue Italian Business Association that lists the area ranging from North Avenue to Irving Park Avenue (4800 N), so now we're going a little further north!... Our friend Nearwest lists the area going further north to the Kennedy Expressway. Hmmm, maybe because Harwood Heights also had some Italian residents settle there? And there IS a Nottoli Foods Italian Deli on the east side of the street, quite close to the expressway?... But I have to agree with Bitey, that it seems it might be more Polish towards that north end... But WAHT do I know, I'm just a visitor

Have a great morning, everyone!

[Bitey]

Irving Park Road is 4000 north, not 4800. In either case Irving Park is definitely the northern limit of the Italian reach these days. Harwood Heights and Norridge have become heavily Polish over the last 25 or so years.

Of the three or for small "Italian" areas, I'd argue the Harlem strip is the most genuine and least tourist-y.

[Master Jay]

Bitey, Oh I see I accidentally put 4800 N (shh, I'm at work, so I kind of hurried!). But in fact, ON Lawrence and Harlem I remember there used to be a Polish restaurant on the southwest corner, but I believe they are closed... I agree Harlem is probably the least tourist-y, since I think most tourists are on the far east edge of the city, and Harlem is essentially the far west edge of the city. I better get to touring more of Harlem Avenue, instead of just driving on it!

[BOBNCHI]

Old Warsaw was the Polish restaurant.

[Master Jay]

BOBNCHI, Yes, indeed! Thank you for refreshing my memory! It looks like such a nice building. Well, maybe an Italian restaurant can move in there, and it can stretch the Harlem Avenue Little Italy a bit further north!

[Nearwest]

Master Jay: You wrote of the now closed Old Warsaw. Directly across the street from that site on Harlem Ave. is a fairly new Italian restaurant named Rocco Vino. This replaced another Italian restaurant named Vince's. Rocco Vino has become a new favorite of my family members who reside within the radius of Harlem Ave.


I can also recommend an Italian food shop which is located 2 blocks north of Rocco Vino. It's Nottoli Italian Foods. This store is a combination of food store, butcher shop, deli, sandwich shop and bakery. This is the 'go to' place for my family when they want fresh Italian sausage.


Mangia, mangia!

[Master Jay]

Nearwest, my paisan: It sounds so far that Harlem Avenue has gotten the most love so far on here, for a Little Italy.... I mentioned Nottoli in one of my earlier posts on this thread. I believe there may be a couple of them. The kne you mentioned is on the east side of the street, correct? I'll be sure to check that one out sometime. It sounds old school good!! I'm Mexican and Croatian; so I'm kinda Italian! Buona notte!

[Master Jay]

Much love, then, for Harlem Avenue! I have a special place in my heart FOR the Heart (of Chicago) area of 24th and Oakley. It is probably one of the smallest areas of the 6 I listed in the thread. And it is the furthest for me to get to, coming from Milwaukee. But after several years of attending that area's Festa Pasta Vino celebration for Father's Day with my kids, I have to put it at the top of my list of 6. I miss Miceli's Deli, because it was an additional Italian establishment that I would go to. And it seemed very popular in the neighborhood. Also, an Italian funeral home there, for a couple of years, was taken over by an art and printing group. I went in there a few times, and the inside was a walk into the past! And going down into the basement was "neat." The couple that lived there that ran the art/printing company said they believed there were still spirits inside the building! I just love to stroll the couple of blocks, looking at the style of homes. And then finishing off at Ignotz Ristorante, for a nice pizza and pasta!

[Kmanshouse]

I feel that most of the *insert ethnic enclave here* places are mere ghosts from the past that only haunt us with restaurants. Maybe small enclaves here and there but "old world" cultures, etc, just aren't as prominent today in Chicago, and likely elsewhere too.

The new cultural areas you see that are still prominent are from Asia, or it's a neighborhood with a heavy Latino population. I think this is a sign of the next wave of immigration. The Europeans came here a long time ago and largely don't anymore. Whereas the Asian and Latino countries are coming here in droves, and bringing a lot of the food with them.

[Master Jay]

Kmanshouse, I agree. It's neat that Chicago still has a neighborhood called Ukrainian Village. And Lincoln Square is sometimes referred to as uniquely holding a "German/European" flair. You are right that it would be difficult to know you were in an Irish Chicago neighborhood, although easier to recognize you're in an ethnic neighborhood like Chinatown or La Villita, even if there were non-Asians or non-Latinos walking on the sidewalks and going in and out of the shops and restaurants... For now, I do enjoy reading the "Fill in ETHNICITY..." of Chicago books. And since I'm only 47, I'll have to accept the remnants of these European-American neighborhoods when I come visit! But I sure would love to have seen an area like Little Italy back in the day!