Chicago/Bronzeville

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A Bronzeville graffiti mural under the L

Bronzeville is a district in Chicago's South Side. The boundaries of Bronzeville are somewhat amorphous — some would call it only the more northerly parts of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive area, while others might include much of Chicago's Near South.

For the purposes of this guide, Bronzeville is defined as the Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Fuller Park, and Washington Park community areas.

[edit] Understand

Bronzeville used to be known as the "Black Metropolis", and is a mecca of African-American History. It 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 pretty hard, as black-owned businesses went bankrupt, but the neighborhood's worst enemy proved to be the neglectful and segregationist city government. In 1941, the city built the infamous and gigantic Ida B Wells housing projects in Bronzeville, with devastating results. Because of segregation, many poor 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 general rule, the revitalization efforts have not extended below 47th St into the Washington Park neighborhood, which remains very blighted, with an extraordinary amount of vacant lots and high violent crime levels.

[edit] Get in

Bronzeville street map

[edit] 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 and through the Fuller Park neighborhood—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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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; if coming from the Loop, the best way is probably to just head south on Martin Luther King Jr Dr, which serves as the main drag for most of the district.

[edit] See

Victory Monument on the Walk of Fame

IIT's S.R. Crown Hall by Mies van der Rohe

[edit] 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, : 3647-3655 State St, : +1 312 747-6872. M-Th 9AM-8PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM. 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. Free
• Chicago Defender Building, : 3435 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 (Bronzeville Military Academy), : 3533 Giles Ave, : +1 773 534-9750. 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, : 3619-27 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 (Ace Meyers Hardware Store), : 315 35th St, : +1 312 225-5687. M-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 [[The Jazz Track]]. In recent years, there has been talk of resurrecting the club, but plans remain embryonic.
• Supreme Life Building, : 3501 Martin Luther King Jr Dr. Built to house the first African-American insurance company, which was one of the few Black Metropolis businesses to survive the Great Depression. The building houses the brand new Bronzeville Visitor Information Center and is finally undergoing a proper restoration which will restore the 1920 classical facade.
• Unity Hall, : 3140 Indiana Ave. Built in 1887 to house a Jewish social organization, this building became famous as the headquarters of the Peoples Movement Club, founded by Oscar Stanton DePriest (1871-1951), the first African-American on Chicago's City Council and the first northern black delegate to the US House of Representatives.
• Victory Monument, : 35th St and Martin Luther King Jr Dr. This monument was built in 1928 to honor the service of the African-American Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard in France during World War I.
• Wabash Avenue YMCA, : 3763 Wabash Ave, : +1 773 285-0020, : Fran_Bell@ymcachgo.org. Bronzeville's YMCA, housed in a huge 1913 brown-pressed brick building, was a major social and cultural center for the neighborhood in its heyday, providing job training and housing for recent arrivals in addition to its more common functions. A painstaking restoration was completed in 2000 and the YMCA once again is open to the community. Free

[edit] Other sights

• Bronzeville Visitor Information Center, : 3501 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Suite 1 (Located in the old Supreme Life Building), : +1 773 373-2842, : fergusonmtherese@yahoo.com. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM, and by appointment. The Bronzeville Visitor Information Center seeks to provide visitors with orientation and offers tours, exhibits, and a small gift shop.
• DuSable Museum of African American History, : 740 E 56th Pl (in the Park just across S Cottage Grove from the University of Chicago), : +1 773 947-0600, Website: http://www.dusablemuseum.org/. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Chicago's museum of African American history is named after the first settler of Chicago, a Haitian named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. The museum often has excellent and moving temporary exhibits. $3 adult, $1 child, free on Su
• Ida B. Wells House, : 3624 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Website: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/civilrights/il2.htm. The home of '''Ida B Wells''', prominent African-American civil rights activist and suffragette, founder of the Black Womens' movement, and founding member of the NAACP, lived here from 1919–1929. Today it is a private residence and is closed to the public.
• Illinois Institute of Technology, : 3300 S Federal St, : +1 312 567-3000

• Kemper Room Art Gallery (art@IIT), : 35 W 33rd St, : +1 312 567-5293, Website: art.iit.edu. M-F noon-5PM, Sa 8:30AM-5PM, Su 2PM-6PM. An art museum specializing in late-modern and contemporary art.
• S.R. Crown Hall, : 3360 S State St, : +1 312 567-3104 (IIT Public Relations). Locked on weekends, tours available by appointment. A major architectural landmark, designed by none other than '''Mies van der Rohe.'''

• King Drive Gateway, : S Martin Luther King Jr Dr between 24th and 35th St. A 1.5 mile stretch of Martin Luther King Jr Dr full of monuments to the neighborhood's culture and history. Highlights include Alison Saar's statue, "Monument to the Great Northern Migration," Gregg LeFevre's 14 ft bronze map of the neighborhood's history, The "Victory Monument" to the African American 8th Regiment of the Illinois State Guard (which served in France during WWI), and Geraldine McCullough's "Walk of Fame," a public art walk decorated with references to the neighborhood and its famous history.
• South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), : 3831 S Michigan Ave, : +1 773 373-1026, Website: http://www.southsidecommunityartscenter.com. W-F noon-5PM, Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM. 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 [[Chicago/Bronzeville#Do|"Do" section]]).
• Stephen A Douglas Tomb and Memorial, : 636 E 35th St, : +1 312 744-6630. 9AM-5PM daily. A 46 ft tall column marks the mausoleum of one of the most prominent senators in US history (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.

[edit] Do

The one activity offering in which Bronzeville excels is anything involving playing on 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, : 3100 S Lake Shore Dr. summers 9AM-9:30PM. Fishing and picnic grounds.
• Fuller Park, : 331 E 45th St, : +1 312 747-6144. Some very serious basketball players hit the pavement here on weekends and the courts are worth a visit to watch the local players.
• Harold Washington Cultural Center, : 4701 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 373-1900, Website: http://www.haroldwashingtonculturalcenter.com. This major Bronzeville landmark is a performance venue showing movies, live jazz, blues, and more.
• Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tour, : 3521 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr (Gallery Guichard), : +1 773 272-8000 (Gallery Guichard), +1 773 373-1026 (SSCAC), +1 773 538-4773 (Steelelife Gallery), Website: http://www.southsidecommunityartscenter.com. The South Side Community Art Center offers a free trolley tour between the SSCAC, Guichard, and Steelelife art galleries for anyone interested in buying or just browsing. The trolley first departs from Gallery Guichard and then loops around until 9PM. free
• 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.

[edit] 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.

• Afrocentric Bookstore, : 4655 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 924-3966. M-F 10:30AM-6:30PM, Sa 10AM-6PM. A bookstore dealing mostly in African-American literature, which gets some very big-name authors to come in now and then for guest readings.
• Gallery Guichard, : 3521 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 373-8000, Website: http://www.galleryguichard.com. T-Sa 11AM-6PM, Su noon-4PM. A Bronzeville art gallery dealing in fine art, especially related to Africa and the African diaspora.
• Jemini II Music, : 4641 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 312 624-3845. M-F 9AM-6PM. Big record store, mostly offering vinyl and cassette tapes, with an extensive gospel section.
• Muddy Waters Drive Flea Market, : 611 E Muddy Waters Dr. Sa-Su 9AM-8PM. The most inexpensive deals in the city for clothing, books, and other goods. Expect to haggle a bit.
• Nicole Gallery 2, : 4653 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 373-4700. T-Sa 11AM-5PM. An art gallery featuring art of the African diaspora.
• Steelelife Gallery, : 4655 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 538-4773. T-Sa 11AM-5:30PM, Su noon-5PM. Yet another contemporary art gallery featuring works of the African diaspora.
• Twenty First Century Books, : 607 E Muddy Waters Dr, : +1 312 538-2188. Th-Sa noon-6PM. Packed full of books related to African-American culture.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Budget

• Ain't That Sweet Cafe, : 4315 S State St, : +1 773 285-2663. M-F 10AM-8PM, Sa noon-8PM. Ice cream and healthy sandwiches. Has pleasant seating in a garden out back. $5
• Alice's Bar-B-Que, : 65 E 43rd St, : +1 773 924-3843. M-Th 11:30AM-2:30AM, F-Sa 11:30AM-5AM, Su 2PM-2AM. Good BBQ joint that doesn't ever seem to be closed at night. $5
• Harold's Chicken Shack, : 307 E 51st St, : +1 773 373-9016. 10AM-2AM daily. The great South Side fried chicken chain is cheap, sometimes a little dirty, and always delicious. $2-$5
• Jimmy's Red Hots, : 110 E 35th St, : +1 312 225-8238. Hot Dog dive. $2-4

[edit] Mid-range

• Ann's Diner, : 407 E Oakwood Blvd, : +1 773 538 4300. 7AM-7PM daily. A true South Side diner with great pancakes. $3-$9
• Jazz Country Kitchen, : 518 E 43rd St, : +1 773 924-2994. M-Sa 7AM-10PM. ''Delicious'' soul food, some of the best in the city. $5-$10
• Richard's Jamaica Club and Restaurant, : 301 E 61st St, : +1 773 363-0471. 9AM-midnight, when open at all. Good family-friendly Jamaican restaurant/night club, but owing to the downward spiral in the neighborhood, it's not always open. $3-8

[edit] Splurge

• Blu 47, : 4655 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 536-6000, : blu47@sbcglobal.net, Website: http://www.blu47restaurant.com. closed Mondays. A rather upscale, but casual Cajun/Creole restaurant with an inventive menu. Live jazz on Thursday nights. entrees $30-$50
• Negro League Cafe, : 301 E 43rd St, : +1 773 536-7000, Website: http://www.thenegroleaguecafe.info. T-Th 11AM-11PM, F-Sa 11AM-2AM, Su 1PM-8PM. Caribbean and Soul Food in a local landmark restaurant that pays homage to the baseball players of the Negro League. Sometimes shows movies, has live jazz, or other performances. $15-$30

[edit] Drink

Nightlife offerings remain fairly limited, but the area around 47th St has a few gems. Jokes and Notes is a bit more expensive, but often well worth the cover—it is as hip as a comedy club can get and some big names (like Dave Chappelle) pop in unexpectedly.

• Bronzeville Coffee House, Inc., : 528 E 43rd St, : +1 773 536-0494, Website: http://www.bronzevillecoffeehouse.com. M-F 7AM-6PM, Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Coffee, smoothies, tea, and snacks. A comfy spot with some books to read. Has occasional live music performances.
• Jokes and Notes, : 4641 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 373-3390, : info@jokesandnotes.com, Website: http://www.jokesandnotes.com. showtimes: W-Th 7:30PM, F-Sa 8PM & 10:30PM, Su 4PM. A comedy/smooth jazz club primarily featuring African American stand-up comedians. $10 W-Th,Su, $20 F-Sa; 2 drink minimum
• New 113 Club, : 113 E 47th St, : +1 773 548-5768. 10AM-2AM daily. Legendary blues joint that has gone through hard times. Call ahead for performance information. $3-$5
• New Bonanza Lounge, : 552 E 47th St, : +1 773 538-3200. 10:30AM-2AM daily. Small, laid back, blues joint. Usually no cover
• Odyssey II Cocktail Lounge, : 211 E Garfield Blvd. 10AM-2AM daily. A very easy-going lounge/pub/bar
• Root Inn Lounge, : 230 W Root St, : +1 773 285-5280. M-Sa noon-2AM, Su noon-midnight. Laid back neighborhood bar/lounge/pub
• Spoken Word Cafe, : 4655 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 373-2233. M-F 7AM-6PM, Sa noon-4PM & 7PM-midnight. A coffee house that often has poetry readings and live blues and jazz.

[edit] Sleep

If you are visiting Chicago and have a strong interest in Bronzeville, you may want to stay here, as the accommodations are far cheaper than those you would find downtown. The cheapest options are not the nicest, but bargains are there to be had. The Amber Inn and the luxurious Bronzeville's 1st B&B are both fine options and are located only 4-5 miles south of Chicago's main downtown attractions. The downside, of course, is that you may find yourself taking a lot of taxis back and forth from the city center.

[edit] Budget

• Central Arms Hotel, : 520 E 47th St, : +1 773 624-6500. Rents rooms in eight or twelve hour increments. $32.93 for eight hours, $34.08 for twelve hours with a shared bathroom, $37.09 for a private bathroom
• Eagle Inn/Motel, : 453 E Pershing Rd, : +1 773 373-6100. Check out:noon. Friendly staff, with a slogan of "the best for less". Parking available. $35 for a ten hour stay, $43 overnight, plus a refundable $3 key deposit
• Long Hotel, : 5615 S. Prairie Ave (also just south of 55th St), : +1 773 288-6973. Offers a "home" feel, very close to Washington Park. Rooms have a TV, bed, and dresser, but no a/c or remote for the TV. $140 for the week or $500 for the month

[edit] Mid-range

• Helena House, : 5020 S Michigan Ave, : +1 773 536-1640. In a classic Chicago-style brick apartment building. $63 for 24 hours, plus a refundable $3 key deposit
• Hudson Hotel, : 5522 S Indiana Ave (just south of 55th St), : +1 773 493-5028. Check out:noon. Old-fashioned Bronzeville hotel, in business for "a good while". Before 7pm $70, after 7pm $65

[edit] Splurge

• Amber Inn, : 3901 S Michigan Ave, : +1 773 285-1000, Website: http://www.amberinn4u.com/. 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. $110
• Bronzeville's 1st Bed & Breakfast, : 3911 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, : +1 773 373-8081. 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. $150-$255

[edit] 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 of the South Chicago Shore to the east, which have a lot to see, including the University of Chicago, numerous mansions, great bookstores, and several great museums.
• The Southwest Side is the home of Chicago's "Black Belt", a huge urban residential area, that is home to much of Chicago's African American population, the Oak Woods Cemetery, some incredible blues clubs, and an important Civil Rights history.
• The Museum of Science and Industry in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Chicago Shore is just east of Bronzeville.

   

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