Uptown is a neighborhood in Chicago with a population of around 45,000 people. It has historically been home to German and Swedish immigrants in the 19th century and saw growth in the early 20th century as it was promoted using images of New York City. During the Great Depression, many people left Uptown for neighborhoods farther north. Today, Uptown is racially diverse and has a large number of social services organizations due to its history of serving poorer communities. Points of interest include its entertainment district with venues like the Aragon Ballroom and sites related to its Asian culture.

1. Connections to
Community
Uptown
By: Ameera Samad, Sonia Ohashi, Sahrish Zaman, Patrick Benton, and Allison Fila

2. History
● In 1861, Graceland Cemetery was opened, and soon after
German and Swedish immigrants managed farms in Uptown.
● Early 20th century, Uptown was promoted by images of New
York City- creating a Broadway theme.
● During the Great Depression, people sidestepped Uptown for
towns farther north with the extension of Lake Shore Drive to
Foster.
● Grew increasingly accessible to Chicago’s poor.
● Dozens of social service organizations

3. Uptown in the 1970’s
Bombing on Wilson and Magnolia Slumlord protest Latin Kings

4. Demographics
Population: 45,946

5. Demographics
Uptown, Chicago Breakdown by Race
Race Uptown Chicago Illinois
Caucasian 51.62% 42.05% 88.12%
African American 21.40% 36.59% 6.64%
Asian 12.71% 4.39% 1.59%
American Indian 0.39% 0.33% 0.21%
Native Hawaiian 0.10% 0.04% 0.02%
Mixed race 4.83% 3.02% 1.32%
Other race 8.94% 13.59% 2.09%
● Languages Spoken: 58% English, 18% Spanish, 24% Other
● Residents: 41% In-State, 25% Out-of-State, 33% Foreign, 2%
Out of U.S.

6. How did we get there?
We took the Metra Red Line South to
Lawrence

7. Points of Interest
- Entertainment District
- The Aragon Ballroom
- Riviera Theatre
- Both started out as jazz clubs
- Asian on Argyle
- Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai shops and
restaurants
- From Sheridan to Broadway

9. Reflections
Allison
● Curiosity of Chicago
● The growth of Chicago and its individual communities
Sonia
● Old neighborhood, but a hidden gem
Patrick
● Neighborhood with lots of history and cool concert venues
Sahrish
● Not the most exciting environment, but the history invokes a ton of interest.
● Many social service organizations
Ameera
● Cute neighborhood with many places to visit and eat at

10. Resources
● http://www.areavibes.com/chicago-il/uptown/demographics/
● http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1293.html
● http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Uptown-Chicago-IL.html
● http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2013/11/20/taking-look-uptown-40-
years-ago