Chicago/Bronzeville'''Bronzeville''', the '''Black Metropolis''', is a mecca of African-American History on Chicago's South Side, just miles south of downtown. Gwendolyn Brooks published poetry in the Chicago Defender, Andrew Rube Foster created Negro League Baseball, and Louis Armstrong kept his trumpet singing at the Sunset Cafe to keep Al Capone off his back. Long in disrepair, the neighborhood is coming back, with new residents refurbishing historic homes, and with new dining and nightlife scenes beginning to take root.
Understand
Bronzeville was the site of Chicago's version of the Harlem Renaissance, and was home to many famous African-Americans, including Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wright, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Coleman, Ida B Wells, Andrew Foster, and many more. The neighborhood was from the 1920s to the 1940s one of the premiere centers of African-American culture and was fairly affluent and middle class. The Great Depression hit the area hard, bankrupting black-owned businesses, but the neighborhood's worst enemy proved to be the neglectful and segregationist city government. Because black Chicagoans were restricted (unofficially) from renting and buying property outside of the "Black Belt," rents were actually higher in the district's run-down, ill-maintained buildings, owned by white absentee landlords than in the adjacent, wealthy, white neighborhoods. In 1941, the city built the infamous and gigantic Ida B Wells housing projects in Bronzeville, which produced devastating and unintended results. Because of segregation, many low-income African-Americans were unable to find housing anywhere else and the projects quickly became overcrowded, while crime and urban blight expanded throughout the neighborhood.
Today, the neighborhood is seeing major community-driven revitalization efforts, mostly by wealthy and entrepreneurial African-Americans who value the neighborhood's historic importance. Historic clubs are reopening, and there are a handful of nice coffee shops and restaurants that have opened in recent years. More so than the present, however, the principal attraction remains the neighborhood's rich history. As a rule, the revitalization efforts have not extended below 47th Street or west of the Dan Ryan Expressway into the Washington Park and Fuller Park neighborhoods, which remain very blighted, with an extraordinary amount of vacant lots and the highest violent crime levels in the city. Unfortunately, this means that 47th Street, which has some major draws, can be a little edgy after dark. But don't worry about Washington Park the park (as opposed to the neighborhood) — it's perfectly safe during the day.
Get in
By train
The best way to reach Bronzeville by public transport is definitely the CTA '''Green Line''', which runs along State and Indiana, with key stops at 35-Bronzeville-IIT, 43rd St, 47th St (Jackson), and Garfield (Jackson). The '''Red Line''' runs along Bronzeville's western border by the Dan Ryan Espressway — a bit further away from most Bronzeville attractions, but convenient nonetheless.
The '''Metra Main Line''' has a stop at 27th St, which is conveniently located near the "Walk of Fame" and Michael Reese Hospital, but not near much else.
By bus
Many CTA bus lines travel throughout Bronzeville. A few key routes are the #4 and #3, which run north-south along Michigan Ave and Martin Luther King Jr Dr respectively and will take you to Bronzeville from the Loop. The #55 Garfield route is useful for travel between Bronzeville and Midway Airport, in the Southwest Side.
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By car
Bronzeville is one of the few neighborhoods close to the Chicago center that is actually best seen by car. Free on-street parking is in ample supply pretty much everywhere throughout the neighborhood — owing to the relatively low population density of the district. There are many exits leading into Bronzeville from the '''Dan Ryan Expressway''', although you might enjoy the ride better if you take a more northerly exit (like 35th or 31st Streets) and then explore the area from Martin Luther King Drive — some of the areas further south around the expressway are a bit run down. If coming from the Loop, the best way is probably to just head south on Martin Luther King Drive, which serves as the main drag for most of the district.
See
Black Metropolis landmarks
The following buildings are the city-designated, remaining landmarks from Bronzeville's golden age, from the "Black Metropolis" city within a city where blacks could find employment serving their own community.
Chicago Bee Building. 647-3655 State St. 1 312 747-6872. -Th 9AM-8PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM. ree. The home of the Chicago Bee Newspaper, which was founded by Anthony Overton to promote black businesses and issues. The art-deco building has an elegant terra cotta facade and today houses the Chicago Bee Branch Library.
Chicago Defender Building. 435 Indiana Ave. Initially built in 1899 as a Jewish synagogue, this building housed the Chicago Defender (the '''nation's foremost African-American newspaper''' through World War I) from 1920-1960. The Chicago Defender published works by Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, and is largely credited for starting the Great Migration in its exhortations to southern blacks to move to the North for greater economic opportunities and freedom. The building is oddly vacant and neglected at present and may be available for sale.
Eighth Regiment Armory. ronzeville Military Academy. 533 Giles Ave. 1 773 534-9750 . 1 773 534-9760. This was the first armory for an African-American regiment, serving the "Fighting 8th," which fought in the Spanish-American War and served with distinction in World War I. After years of disuse, this grandiose building has been restored and now houses the nation's first public college-prep military school, which is unfortunately not open for visitors.
Overton Hygienic Building. 619-27 State St. Built by the wildly successful African-American entrepreneur Anthony Overton to house the headquarters of his nation-wide cosmetics franchise. The building housed several of his other businesses, including Victory Life Insurance Company and Douglass National Bank, America's first national African-American bank. The building is now owned by the Mid-South Planning and Development Commission. Just across the street from the now demolished, notorious Ida B Wells projects, the formerly beautiful art-deco building is in a sad state of disrepair.
Sunset Cafe. ce Meyers Hardware Store. 15 35th St. 1 312 225-5687. -Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 11AM-2PM. Countless jazz legends played at this legendary jazz club, including: Bix Beiderbecke, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, and of course, Louis Armstrong. The club was run by unsavory mafia types and the musicians often had no choice but to keep playing here! Disjointed as it may be, the legendary club no longer exists and the building houses a hardware store. Nonetheless, the Sunset Cafe is Chicago's '''number one jazz history site''' and should not be missed by anyone traveling along King Drive Gateway. Martin Luther King Jr Dr between 24th St & 35th St. A 1.5 mile stretch of Martin Luther King Jr Dr full of plaques and monuments to the neighborhood's culture and history. Highlights include Alison Saar's statue at 24th St, "Monument to the Great Northern Migration," and at the 35th St intersection, Gregg LeFevre's 14 ft bronze map of the neighborhood's history and the "Victory Monument" to the African-American 8th Regiment of the Illinois State Guard (which served in France during WWI). Additionally, look for Geraldine McCullough's "Walk of Fame," a public art installation spread throughout the median and sidewalks along the boulevard, decorated with plaques bearing the names of Bronzeville's numerous famous residents. Keep an eye out for the public benches, also designed by local artists, which range from the subtly interesting to the wildly fantastic. Since it's more than a mile long, taking a "King Drive Gateway walk" isn't really practical—it's not meant to be seen in one visit, so just check out the main sites and appreciate what you do catch.
South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC). 831 S Michigan Ave. 1 773 373-1026. -F noon-5PM, Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM. ttp://www.southsidecommunityartscenter.com. A community arts center open since 1940, which was for long the only place around where minority artists could exhibit there work. Today, the center focuses primarily on '''African-American art''', especially art related to the South Side. The arts center offers exhibits, occasional poetry readings, and neighborhood gallery tours (see "Do" section).
Stephen A Douglas Tomb and Memorial. 36 E 35th St. 1 312 744-6630. AM-5PM daily. A 46 ft tall column marks the mausoleum of one of the most prominent senators in US history (a prominent resident from whom the Douglas neighborhood gets its name), who ran and lost against Abraham Lincoln for the US presidency in a race where debate over slavery dominated the discussion.
Do
The one activity offering in which Bronzeville excels is anything involving a big open field — If you are in the center of Washington Park tossing a football around or just lying in the grass, the big city feels miles away.
31st St Beach. 100 S Lake Shore Dr. ummers: 9AM-9:30PM. While small, 31st St Beach is one of the nicest places for a swim on the South Side. It's family-friendly, never crowded, and always has stunning views of the Washington Park. A very big park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The park has big open fields, which host numerous festivals, sporting events, and performances throughout the summer. Be sure to check out the DuSable Museum of African-American History and the "Fountain of Time" sculpture. The park is the proposed site of of a new Chicago Olympic Stadium, should the city be granted the 2016 Summer Games.
Buy
Bronzeville is an excellent spot to shop for African-American-related books and art. There are other similar galleries and bookstores throughout the South Side, but the best are here.
<listing name="Afrocentric Bookstore" alt="" address="4655 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr" directions="inside the 47th St Marketplace" phone="+1 773 924-3966" url="http://www.afrobookstore.com" hours="M-F 10:30AM-6:30PM, Sa 10AM-6PM" price="" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">A bookstore dealing mostly in African-American literature, which gets some very big-name authors to come in now and then for guest readings.</listing>
<listing name="Gallery Guichard" alt="" directions="" address="3521 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr" phone="+1 773 373-8000" email="" fax="" hours="T-Sa 11AM-6PM, Su noon-4PM" price="" url="http://www.galleryguichard.com">A Bronzeville art gallery dealing in fine art, especially related to Africa and the African diaspora.</listing>
<listing name="Steelelife Gallery" alt="" directions="inside the 47th St Marketplace" address="4655 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr" phone="+1 773 538-4773" email="" fax="" hours="T-Sa 11AM-5:30PM, Su noon-5PM" price="" url="">Yet another contemporary art gallery featuring works of the African diaspora.</listing>
Eat
For a long time, this area's restaurant selection has been poor, aside from a bunch of tasty fast-food take-out joints. This is changing and nothing indicates this more clearly than the first-class new addition of Blu 47.
Budget
Alice's Bar-B-Que. 5 E 43rd St. 1 773 924-3843. -Th 11:30AM-2:30AM, F-Sa 11:30AM-5AM, Su 2PM-2AM. 5. Open very late and offering some of the best cue in the city, Alice's would be a great take-out stop if there were fewer people inside bumming for money. Ignore them, though, and you'll be treated to a fantastic meal.
Harold's Chicken Shack. 2-5. The great South Side fried chicken chain is cheap, usually a little dirty, and always delicious. Harold's was born right near here on 47th street, by the way, in north Kenwood, although the original location (at Greenwood) closed long ago.
:* <eat name="" alt="" address="307 E 51st St" directions="" phone="+1 773 373-9016" email="" fax="" hours="10AM-2AM daily" price="" url=""></eat>
:* <eat name="" alt="" address="108 E 47th St" directions="" phone="+1 773 285-8362" email="" fax="" hours="10AM-2AM daily" price="" url=""></eat>
Richard's Jamaica Club and Restaurant. 01 E 61st St. 1 773 363-0471. AM-midnight, when open at all. 3-8. Good family-friendly Jamaican restaurant/night club, but owing to the downward spiral in the neighborhood, it's not always open.
Mid-range
Chicago's Home of Chicken & Waffles. osscoe's. 947 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr. 1 773 536-3300. u-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-11PM. 10-15. A great little place serving all sorts of different combinations of, as you might expect, chicken and waffles, as well as your standard soul food menu, expertly executed. The neighborhood is underserved by such nice establishments, though, and given the small space that means there's a significant wait to be seated virtually any time of the week. Oh, and the extra "s" in Rosscoe's is to forestall lawsuits from the Long Hotel. 615 S. Prairie Ave. ust south of 55th St. 1 773 288-6973. 140 for the week or $500 for the month. Transient hotel, very close to Washington Park. Rooms have a TV, bed, and dresser, but no a/c or remote for the TV. Rough neighborhood.
Mid-range
Helena House. 020 S Michigan Ave. 1 773 536-1640. 63 for 24 hours, plus a refundable $3 key deposit. In a classic Chicago-style brick apartment building.
Hudson Hotel. 522 S Indiana Ave. ust south of 55th St. 1 773 493-5028. oon. efore 7pm $70, after 7pm $65. Old-fashioned Bronzeville hotel, in business for "a good while."
Splurge
Amber Inn. 901 S Michigan Ave. 1 773 285-1000. 110. One of the few nice places to stay in the area. Much cheaper and infinitely less pretentious than the big hotels downtown, with a fine, southern Sunday brunch. Just off I-90.
Bronzeville's 1st Bed & Breakfast. 911 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr. 1 773 373-8081. 150-$255. Located in a 5,500 square foot mansion, this is a very nice luxury option for anyone interested in staying in Bronzeville. In fact, this B&B is probably alone reason enough to come to Bronzeville, as it is one of America's few black-owned inns. Serves three meals a day (upmarket southern cuisine), and walk-ins are welcome. Has a spa, jacuzzi suites, butler service, an art gallery, and a lounging area on the roof. Without a doubt ''the'' place to stay in Bronzeville.
Contact
The following libraries offer free public internet access:
<listing name="Chicago Bee Branch Library" alt="" address="3647-3655 State St" directions="" phone="+1 312 747-6872" email="" fax="" hours="M-Th 9AM-8PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM" price="Free" url=""></listing>
<listing name="Hall Branch Library" alt="" directions="" address="4801 S Michigan Ave" phone="+1 312 747-2541" email="" fax="+1 312 747-1374" url="" hours="M,W noon-8PM, T,Th-Sa 9AM-5PM" price=""></listing>
Get out
Chicago's Museum Campus in the Near South is a short ride by cab or on the Red and Green Lines from Bronzeville; just beyond is the downtown Loop district.
Bronzeville's history is inextricably linked with the wealthier neighborhoods in and around Hyde Park to the east, which have a lot to see, including the University of Chicago, numerous mansions, great bookstores, and several great museums.
Bronzeville is where Chicago's African-American history was made, Chatham-South Shore is where Chicago's African-American history comes to eat. Martin Luther King's favorite diner, Jesse Owens' gravestone, Harold Washington's old house, and the Obama's wedding reception hall are all here, as are some ''incredible'' blues clubs.