What was the West Side of Chicago like in the 1970s? (Cicero: apartments, houses)

[1972Impala]

As my username suggests, I like the 1970s as a decade. Im told in other threads that Chicago's Italians and Jews lived on the West Side before redlining. As recently as the mid 70s were there any areas of the West Side that were still White Ethnic and stable? and where specifically were there specific enclaves?

I know in Detroit's case the outer East Side along Gratiot was pretty much Polish and Italian up until 1980, but the 80s were like a Bomb for East Detroit and white flight hit hard, was West Chicago similar?

[tjasse]

well sam giancana got murdered in the house 3 houses down from my parents

other than that I don't remember much because I was just a fetus

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by 1972Impala

As recently as the mid 70s were there any areas of the West Side that were still White Ethnic and stable?

Few, and not many of a decent size.

White flight started with the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway in the 50's. The construction of the UIC campus destroyed large chunks of the neighborhood as well. By the riots in 1968 there was very little left of the old ethnic neighborhoods, and the riots were the nail in the coffin. By the mid 70's the biggest trend in the area was a growing Hispanic population pushing African Americans out of neighborhoods they'd moved into in the 40's and 50's.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Few, and not many of a decent size.

White flight started with the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway in the 50's. The construction of the UIC campus destroyed large chunks of the neighborhood as well. By the riots in 1968 there was very little left of the old ethnic neighborhoods, and the riots were the nail in the coffin. By the mid 70's the biggest trend in the area was a growing Hispanic population pushing African Americans out of neighborhoods they'd moved into in the 40's and 50's.

You could say that it started with the GI Bill of 1944, even. Leavittown, here we come..

[JosephM1994]

Depends what you mean by "west"

West Town is technically the west side and it was lots of eastern Europeans, some Puerto Ricans, Italians etc.


The West Side as it is commonly known was pretty black and Puerto Rican (there were more PRs then Mexicans until the late 80s) and pretty scary by the 70s. By then the old west sliders had moved just out of city limits to places like Berwyn, Cicero, and Forest Park which are mostly extensions of the west side at this point but back in the day where very old school, blue collar Italian, Czech etc.

[ToriaT]

In 1969 my grandmother was in West suburban hospital for an extended illness and I was a teenager. My mom spent a lot of time there and I would get bored and walk east past Austin avenue into Chicago just to pass time away. It was okay for a while and then it got kind of sketchy and I would walk back. You would not be wise to do that now. I was about 17 years old and had blonde hair so I would stick out like a sore thumb. It seems to me the area directly east of Oak Park was not terribly bad back then but quickly changed. My mom would have never let me walk there if she thought it was terribly dangerous. On second thoughts maybe she did not know what I was doing.

Sam G got murdered in Oak Park. That is a whole different area than the west side of Chicago. I also lived and frequented the area of Taylor street in the early 70's. There were still a lot of Italians living there and it was very segregated. There were low rise projects around Taylor and May and they were largely occupied by African Americans and were surrounded by the ethnic neighborhood and incoming students. Most of the folks in the projects did not walk on just any side of the street but kept to their own side. I think they were afraid to step out of line. They did not frequent the stores owned by Italians there. I am not trying to be racist about this but I am only telling it as it was as I remember it. The Italians would take street justice into their own hands if their territory was disrupted. I won't mention the stories I had heard about this on this board.

This was the most glaring example of how neighborhoods were divided. The other glaring example was the demarcation line of Halsted St. Years ago you did not venture past Halsted as it was not gentrified. You had to stay east. You did not dare go into places like Wicker Park, Bucktown or Ukrainian Village. It was too dangerous. You drove on Halsted past Cabrini green but with your doors locked and did not tarry.

Things have changed.

[steeps]

Yes Chicago........ in looks alone. Is much better then the 70s 80s? When I lived in Chicago in the 80s. One time I ended up driving from Berwyn into Chicago...OMG It literally was night and day and like it got bombed? But today all the bombed out blight gone and rather pleasant. I have tried using Google 360° streetviews , to find any boomed out looking areas?? I can't find them. Some blight and boarded up homes. A few areas and many empty lots returning to prairie? But the REALLY BAD TYPICAL GHETTO... TOTALLY BLIGHTED AREAS? NO. Parts of Philly on 360° streetviews? Look worst and especially Camden, NJ.

[pvande55]

Used to be skid row. Madison Street west of Clinton was questionable. The area around Chicago Stadium, across the street from todays United Center was real bad after dark. Parking lots were OK, but sports fans got out of there quickly after the game ended.

[JosephM1994]

There is a screenshot somewhere in my computer but I remember doing a random Google Streetview in Lawndale and seeing a white guy in a car with a guy leaning into the window and a bunch of scary gangster looking guys on the adjacent corner, so it was a drug deal obviously. I think Chicago's West Side is the only place in America where you can see an open air heroin market on Google maps!

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

This was the most glaring example of how neighborhoods were divided. The other glaring example was the demarcation line of Halsted St. Years ago you did not venture past Halsted as it was not gentrified. You had to stay east. You did not dare go into places like Wicker Park, Bucktown or Ukrainian Village. It was too dangerous. You drove on Halsted past Cabrini green but with your doors locked and did not tarry.

Things have changed.

Things sure have changed. The Italian neighborhood around Taylor street was fine (went to UIC),
Ukrainian Village was fine as well as Wicker Park. However, there were boundries (by streets)
that were sketchy. Example: UV was an island and pretty safe. Those who lived there were
Ukrainians and looked after each other - like a neighborhood watch. These neighborhoods
like UV bustled with businesses; stores, restaurants, bars, dress shops, florists, bakeries,
grocery stores, postal services to the old country, banks, funeral home, car dealership,
well kept homes and apartments (owner occupied) a Ukrainian school, beautiful churches
and people who came from other parts of Chicago would go there frequently.
For those who remember it was like Old Town. An area that had independent and unique
shops & businesses but a street or two would make a difference.