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¡Viva Pilsen!
Pilsen gentrification
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Pilsen’s fancy, modern condos awkwardly share space with the ’hood’s older homes.Lula Cafe co-owner Jason Hammel remembers the captivating sense of place he felt 15 years ago when he first stumbled upon the boulevard in Logan Square. “You’d go under the viaduct [at Western Avenue], and you’d be in this big green village,” he says. Although he makes his home and his livelihood in Logan, another Chicago neighborhood holds a similar allure for him—so much so, it will soon be home to his second restaurant.
“You feel the same way in Pilsen,” Hammel says. “When you get off the highway or you snake through UIC and you go under the viaduct, it’s like, ‘Where am I?’ You feel like you’re in a different city, a different place. There’s a vibe on the street in Pilsen that’s vivid and exciting.”
Hammel and his wife, Amalea Tshilds, own ten-year-old Lula, located at the geographic heart of Logan Square. Since its humble beginning, it’s become a destination spot, fueled largely by the couple’s commitment to organic and locally grown food. Lula’s success encouraged them to pursue their dream of opening another restaurant. Working with two new business partners, they found a location two years ago on Halsted Street near 21st Street, slightly south of the art galleries on Pilsen’s east end. After a long process of gutting and redesigning the 1896 structure, they hope to open the new restaurant (as yet unnamed) in early spring. But, along with the anticipation, Hammel has a concern about his adopted neighborhood. “I’m sure there are people who are going to see it and react negatively,” he says.
Indeed, the neighborhood’s predominantly working-class Mexican-American population has, in the past decade, been struggling with the effects of redevelopment. Spurred largely by the southern expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago in the mid-’90s, developers who recognized Pilsen’s proximity to University Village and downtown Chicago began eyeing the neighborhood’s once-inexpensive properties. By the turn of the millennium, rentals started converting to condos—especially in East Pilsen—luring more affluent residents, raising property values and rents, and ultimately causing tension as some immigrants were priced out. As more upscale restaurants (including the 200-seat Italian eatery Ristorante Al Teatro, opening in the historic Thalia Hall building in March) set up shop, Hammel and Tshilds must delicately balance a number of concerns at the “new Lula,” where expensive sustainable-living tenets (such as buying from local and organic farmers) require them to charge prices many Pilsen residents can’t afford.
Pilsen gentrification | When gentrification works | Mexican candies | Pilsen’s best 18th Street spots | Beyond 18th Street | Tamale trek | Pilsen’s affordable art | Talking to the Pilsen community
Time Out Chicago / Issue 208 : Feb 19–25, 2009
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First it was Czechs and Poles, then the Germans started pushing them out and then the Mexicans started moving in. Now the white people moving back in for the cheap rent and pushing them out are the very people protesting the white people pushing out the Mexicans. At least they wouldn't be so loud.
For the person that said there is nothing on the streets of pilsen but filth, I would strongly disagree. The streets of many places in Chicago are filthy, most white prominent neighborhoods aren't because they have more street sweepings and better regulations. Pilsen is a lower-class neighborhood filled with the vibrant culture that caught the popularity. Many residents in Pilsen just aren't happy because they are being forced to move out because of the rising pricings.
Pilsen18 talking of the "real communtiy members" just makes me cringe. I remember my parent's friends talking the same way about the Mexicans. We loathed their attitude too. Anyone who lives in Pilsen is real and of the community, we all belong. It is folks like this who seperate based on some self serving definition or prejudicial attitude of diversity in our community that should get lost. This is an American neighborhood,black, brown, and white, the United States of America.
pilsen is a wonderful neighborhood, probably the only place in chicago i could call home. i am a very white girl from san antonio who speaks conversational spanish and who loves and respects mexican heritage and culture. my husband is black and this is the only neighborhood we've lived in where people don't look at us funny (i thought chicago would be more liberal when we moved from the south). thank you pilsen for having us. lovely gardens, friendly people, fabulous food. viva pilsen!
I really think that whoever wrote this column failed to speak with real communtiy members how do not feel that the alderman or the city are working in our favor. Where were all the police and Yuppies when the neighborhoods where full og gangs. I didnt see anyone trying to build condos then. All this change has brought about is them trying to push the real residents out of a neighborhood that they have endured through the good and the bad.
Gentrification will die with the old stubborn racist generation... Hopefully.
Conveniently missing from the current debate on gentrification is the history of Pilsen, namely that it was a vibrant thriving community of East-European immigrants, namely Czechs, Poles, Lithuanians... that created institutions prior to World War I that managed to survive for several decades prior to the Hispanicization of the neighborhood. The current malaise of the neighborhood can be directly blamed on its current residents and not on those who founded the neighborhood then migrated .
I am glad to see Ald Solis daughter does not want a Starbucks in Pilsen. First I don't really care what she thinks!! I did not know she speaks for Pilsen. We need what is best for Pilsen. Also, I am glad to see the 25th ward is just like the rest of the city. Everything stays in the family, I am sure out of the millions of people that live in Chicago she was the most qualified to work for her FATHER. I hate that the city does that. I am sure she is paid way to much too!!
Resident, I'm sorry to hear that you feel this way about Pilsen. There is alot of history, passion and love in Pilsen it's also a neighborhood that is very dear to me. Many amazing latino/a came from the Pilsen neighborhood because of our core values this neighborhood provided for us. Many of us are now adults going back to support Pilsen. I hope you will find what you consider home one day, or maybe you never will. - Best of Luck
I read through this whole feature and feel like I should comment because I live here. I've lived here since 97 w/ exception of couple years spent in SF's Mission, sandwiched btwn. The title of the article is a question, "can Pilsen pull-off responsible development?" I could replace the word Pilsen with Chicago and think about the good and bad examples for hours. Instead I think about what it means to be a good neighbor and what I can do to make my neighborhood even better.
Starting off with "that word" to describe Pilsen is predictive of an article which treats us as if we live in a zoo, recognizes only one ethnic group, and believes we are unable to make our own choices. Long term residents, like my family, want our safe healthy community back and to get there we need to be a mixed income neighborhood of choice, not one where everyone leaves as soon they can. Until those loons live here 24/7 they should stop spouting off at the mouth as to what is good for us.