group trip to little italy

1. Little Italy
Kelsey Frew, Emily Micklin,
Eric Schalke, and Catherine Ward

2. Location
To get to Little Italy, we took the redline to Jackson. We got off at Jackson and transferred to
the Blue Line and got off at Racine. From Racine, it was a 15 minute walk to Little Italy. We
walked West from the Racine stop.
Little Italy is often referred to as University Village and is located near the west side of Chicago.

3. History
• 1850’s – first Italians come to Chicago
• 1880 – 1,357 Italians
• 1900 – 16,008 Italians
• 1930 – 73,960 Italians
• 1950s and ‘60s – Italian population
peaks
• 1900’s – establishment of several
Italian parishes
• 1908 – Italian Socialist Federation
• 1920’s – Italian mafia
o Brought Italians prominence
• 1945 – Italian Welfare Council à
1952 – Joint Civic Committee of
Italian Americans

4. History
• Taylor Street, Chicago’s Near West Side
o About 20 other Italian populated areas throughout Chicago and its
suburbs
• Beginning of 20th century influx of Italians, Greeks, and Jews
o Only Italians remained as vibrant community
•1890s – beginning of “The Hull House Neighborhood”
o The Hull House was a mansion on the North Side where immigrants
could go stay
o 1930s-1950s – Italians at the center of Hull House neighborhoods

5. • 1920 – Italian food one of most popular ethnic cuisines in America
• 1927 – 500 Italian-owned grocery stores, 257 Italian-owned restaurants,
240 Italian-owned pastry shops, dozens of other Italian-food related
businesses
• 1963 – University of Illinois displaced many Italians
o 200 businesses, 800 homes bulldozed
o 5,000 residents displaced

6. Attractions
Maxwell Street Market
National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
Jane Adams Hull-House Museum
Pompei
Taylor Street

7. Demographics
living legacy of Chicago's immigrant past
total population: 97,085
◦ men: 49,773
◦ women: 47,313
median age: 30
employment
◦ 68% white-collar workers
◦ 32% blue-collar workers
income
◦ average household income: $83,333
◦ median household income: $55,437

9. Sources
"University Village - Little Italy." Point 2 Homes. Onboard Informatics, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/IL/Chicago/University-Village-Little-Italy-
Demographics.html>.
"Chicago Neighborhoods | Choose Chicago." Chicago Neighborhoods | Choose Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 07
Oct. 2015.
"Google Maps." Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"Little Italy, a Chicago Neighborhood Visitor Guide from Chicago Traveler." Little Italy, a Chicago
Neighborhood Guide from Chicago Traveler. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
Poe, Tracy N., "Foodways", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, p. 308-9, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann
Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press.
Johnson, Mary Ann (2004). Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., ed. "Hull House".
The Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society.

10. Sources
"University Village - Little Italy." Point 2 Homes. Onboard Informatics, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/IL/Chicago/University-Village-Little-Italy-
Demographics.html>.
"Chicago Neighborhoods | Choose Chicago." Chicago Neighborhoods | Choose Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 07
Oct. 2015.
"Google Maps." Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
"Little Italy, a Chicago Neighborhood Visitor Guide from Chicago Traveler." Little Italy, a Chicago
Neighborhood Guide from Chicago Traveler. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
Poe, Tracy N., "Foodways", The Encyclopedia of Chicago, p. 308-9, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann
Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004, The University of Chicago Press.
Johnson, Mary Ann (2004). Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., ed. "Hull House".
The Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society.