I ran into this article this morning. This is with regards to the revitalization of the Bronzeville neighborhood which is located east of the Dan Ryan expressway. Center around about 35th Street and King Drive. It is a historic neighborhood which was once know as the black metropolis.
It was the home of black culture and black business. It was Chicago's Harlem. Then as they always seem to things change. Blacks were able to move into other areas around the city. The laws with regards to housing covenants were no longer enforceable. So those with some money moved away into those neighborhoods that were once white. And public housing was being built at least 4,300 units of public housing. The area started to go into decline.
Now there is new housing. The neighborhood is full of architectural jewels. When it comes to gentrification that helps but it helps that the area is not too far away from jobs in downtown too. What is good about this development is that blacks are helping to drive it.
According to this article, they're opening restaurants, comedy clubs, bookstores, etc. This is the kind of thing I'd like to see. Can't complain about whites moving in if blacks aren't doing anything to drive revitalization. The unfortunate thing is people are being squeezed out but if we don't do it then someone else just might.
Read this article it might be somewhere you want to visit if nothing else.
Isiah 1:17- Learn to do well. Seek justice, Relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
1 comment:
The neigborhood I want to watch is North Lawndale. I'm not certain how the people who live there will make out with revitalization.
I was at North and Cicero a few weeks ago. There is an Old Navy store there now at the new mall.
Drive around the old neigborhoods and the housing looks pretty good but the retail is just a mess (except for the new malls like North and Cicero). This true of any neigborhood except the yuppie ones.
This new tower they want to build in the loop bothers me. I'd much rather see the money but into neigborhood development.
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