bronzeville

You’d be hard pressed to find a section of the city that’s more steeped in history than Bronzeville. The “Black Metropolis” of the early 20th century was the destination for thousands of African-Americans during the “Great Migration.” Today, this South Side neighborhood effectively mixes the old and the new, making it a prime destination for renters looking for affordable living close to the lakefront.
 
Home to the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Illinois College of Optometry, Bronzeville’s population is a well-balanced mix of students, longtime residents and newcomers. There’s a standard assortment of chain restaurants, but the chicken and café choices exclusive to the area make dining out a welcome adventure.  And what the bars and clubs lack in quantity they make up for in quality. Also nearby is U.S. Cellular Field, the home of the White Sox—a franchise that has actually won a World Series championship in the last century.
 
Bronzeville’s soul is in its rich past. Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, and Nat “King” Cole all performed at the famous Regal Theater, which was located at 47th and King Drive. This intersection was the communal, business, and entertainment hub of Bronzeville—a mini-Times Square, if you will. Other clubs here included the Parkway Ballroom and Gerri’s Palm Tavern, where Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, Muddy Waters, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, and James Brown used to hang. Amongst the traditional brownstones, apartment buildings and historic homes (Ida B. Wells’ is here), numerous statues and monuments—like the Bronzeville Walk of Fame—remind residents of what came before.
 
The Red and Green Lines service the area in addition to several bus routes on King Drive, Michigan, Indiana and State. That said, getting from point A to point B is pretty manageable for those who don’t have wheels.