West Side, Urban residential district in Chicago, United States
The West Side is a residential district in Chicago, Illinois, stretching from North Avenue to 31st Street and covering nine community areas. Brick rowhouses, two-story wooden homes, and modern apartment buildings stand side by side, forming a dense network of residential streets, main thoroughfares, and green spaces.
The area changed from farmland to a neighborhood in the early 19th century when German settlers established their first communities here. During the 1910s through 1970s, many African American families moved from the southern states and shaped the social and cultural life of the neighborhood in lasting ways.
The area holds many churches, community centers, and restaurants founded by different immigrant groups that remain active today. Local markets and family-run businesses shape many street corridors, showing the everyday ways of life for the different communities that call this area home.
Several train lines and bus connections run from here to the city center, and most destinations can be reached within thirty minutes. The two large parks in the area offer sports fields, walking paths, and open lawns that are accessible during daylight hours.
Three specialized museums sit just a few miles apart and display collections on Mexican art, Polish history, and Ukrainian folk culture. Visitors can explore three different cultural worlds in one day without leaving the neighborhood.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
