Uptown

In the golden age, Uptown was a booming entertainment district. Charlie Chaplin produced his earliest films at Essanay Studios, Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington played the Aragon Ballroom, Al Capone held court at the Green Mill (where Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn served as club manager), and the celluloid heroes of the talkie-era came to life on the silver screen at the Riviera Theater. The neighborhood felt something like New York City, so the main thoroughfare was aptly named "Broadway." Department stores, new high-rises, and fancy hotels opened here, and the whole joint just thrived its way through the 1920's.

But Uptown's fortunes changed with the great depression and World War 2, and the affluent who fled to the northern suburbs were replaced by influxes of poor immigrants seeking low-wage jobs. By the 1950's, Uptown was in steady decline.

But today the Uptown neighborhood is on the comeback trail. Let's face it: You can't keep a place this close to the lake down for very long, particularly when el train access is so convenient. There's park space galore, tennis courts, soccer fields, and easy access to the beach. Plus, a recent influx of Chinese and Vietnamese refugees has produced a generous mix of ethnic grocers and restaurants in an Uptown area that has come to be known variously as "New Chinatown" and "Little Saigon."

There are many high-rise apartment buildings in Uptown, as well as low-rise courtyard complexes, four-and-ones, and greystone multi-flats.

Oh, and here's a useful tip: Uptown includes three sub-neighborhoods that can each be searched separately on domu -- Margate Park, Sheridan Park, and Buena Park.