Bronzeville

One of the South Side's most important cultural areas is Bronzeville, a revitalized, redeveloping community located on Chicago's southern lakefront. Debatable, but roughly bounded by 24th Street on the north, 51st on the south, the Dan Ryan Expressway on the west and Cottage Grove on the east.  It includes the neighborhoods of Douglas and Grand Blvd., with some including the surrounding neighborhoods of North Kenwood, Oakland and Washington Park. The community has seen a number of evolutionary periods. Today, the area is benefiting from the razing of multiple large public housing projects, and their replacement with numerous single family homes, multi-unit residential and commercial buildings. Extensive rehabilitation to late 1800's modest rowhouses to mansion sized graystones, brownstones, etc., have dramatically impacted the area as well.  Homeowners of the area are enjoying the property appreciation which has skyrocketed over the past decade. These changes are inviting the transformation now underway immediately to the north in the South Loop area to begin working its way into Bronzeville.

In cultural terms, the Bronzeville community was and still is central to the history and evolution of two of Chicago's signature musical styles: jazz and the blues. Former residents of Bronzeville read like a "Who's Who" of jazz and blues greats such as Lil Hardin, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Lionel Hampton and legendary bandleader Louis Armstrong.  Other famous residents included the author Gwendolyn Brooks, the founder of Negro National Baseball league Andrew "Rube" Foster, civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, world heavyweight champion Joe Louis, the first African American female pilot Bessie Coleman and many more.  The neighborhood is also home to the Illinois Institute of Technology and Illinois College of Optometry, as well as the Ancient Egyptian Museum and the DuSable Museum that celebrates African-American history and culture.

Be sure to read "Bronzeville Boom" on www.amsellschicago.com, then contact me for additional listings and information on this exciting neighborhood!