You’ve got to love Uptown. What isn’t there to love? You can find everything you need, along with ethnic and socioeconomic diversity. The homeless, the struggling to make it, the middle class, and the rich all reside there.
My love affair with Uptown started in 1999 when I was introduced to the neighborhood by a man whom I later married. (A side note: I’m no longer married to him.) My time in Uptown, though brief, made a lasting impression, but I moved back downtown and later moved south. In the past few years, I returned north, lived in Uptown, moved to Edgewater, and recently returned to Uptown again. I’m now seriously thinking about settling down in up town.
Ever wonder how Uptown got it’s name? I did, so I decided to do a little research. Uptown was once a summer resort for downtown dwellers and got its name from the Uptown Store which was the community commercial center. It’s also interesting that all northbound trains once ended in Uptown, so if you were headed north, you were headed up town from down town.
Because those down town dwellers loved coming up town for entertainment, Uptown became established as an entertainment district. The Green Mill Jazz Club (frequented by Al Capone); the Aragon Entertainment Center (mostly non-jazz music), formerly the Aragon Ballroom; and the Riviera Theatre (private night club with class acts) all contribute to Uptown’s entertainment flavor.
Bridgeview Bank, once called Uptown Bank, remains on the southeast corner of Broadway and Lawrence. You’ll also find a Starbucks on the ground level of the same building, and a Border’s with a Seattle’s Best coffee shop within eye view. Uptown is great for books, coffee, entertainment, and life.
This time around, I’m loving my Uptown.
Sources
Jazz Age Chicago: General History of Uptown, chicago.urban-history.org/district/uptown/uptown_3.htm
Green Mill Jazz Club, greenmilljazz.com/
Aragon Entertainment Center, aragon.com/
Riviera Theatre, jamusa.com/Venues/Riviera/Concerts.aspx
