Greektown, Chicago
Encyclopedia
Greektown is a dining and nightlife district on the Near West Side
of the American
city of Chicago, Illinois
. It is one of many neighborhoods that make up the Near West Side community area
, and is popular with tourists and Chicago residents alike.
Greektown's bars and restaurants lie roughly between Van Buren and Madison Streets
, along Halsted Street
, west of the Loop.
population, but many residents have left the neighborhood, spreading throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Today, Greektown consists mostly of restaurants and businesses, although a cultural museum and an annual parade and festival highlight the continuation of Greek heritage in Chicago, and — unlike such Chicago neighborhoods as Pilsen and Little Italy
, which have lost their original ethnic character — it remains essentially Greek.
On the night of January 31, 2010, a 4-alarm fire ravaged Costa's Restaurant, affecting two nearby stores. The restaurant is now considered a writeoff.
The current Greektown location dates to the 1960s; it replaced Chicago's original Greek neighborhood, known as "The Delta," which was displaced by the University of Illinois at Chicago
.
's Blue Line
to the UIC-Halsted station
and heading north, or via the Halsted bus line.
Near West Side, Chicago
The Near West Side, one of the 77 defined community areas of Chicago, is located , adjacent to the downtown central business district . The rich history of the Near West Side of Chicago has its genesis in the Hull House phenomenon...
of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city of Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It is one of many neighborhoods that make up the Near West Side community area
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
, and is popular with tourists and Chicago residents alike.
Greektown's bars and restaurants lie roughly between Van Buren and Madison Streets
Madison Street (Chicago)
Madison Street is a major east-west street in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to human intervention, the Chicago River emptied into Lake Michigan at the present day intersection of Madison Street and Michigan Avenue....
, along Halsted Street
Halsted Street
Halsted Street is a major north-south street in the American city of Chicago, Illinois.-Location:In Chicago's grid system, Halsted street marks 800 West, one mile west of State Street, from Grace Street in Lakeview south to the city limits at the Little Calumet River in West Pullman...
, west of the Loop.
History
The area once had a large Greek AmericanGreek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
population, but many residents have left the neighborhood, spreading throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Today, Greektown consists mostly of restaurants and businesses, although a cultural museum and an annual parade and festival highlight the continuation of Greek heritage in Chicago, and — unlike such Chicago neighborhoods as Pilsen and Little Italy
Little Italy, Chicago
Little Italy is a neighborhood on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. The current boundaries of Little Italy are Ashland Avenue on the west and Morgan Street on the east — bracketed by Harrison Street on the north and Roosevelt Road; i.e., 12th Street, on the south...
, which have lost their original ethnic character — it remains essentially Greek.
On the night of January 31, 2010, a 4-alarm fire ravaged Costa's Restaurant, affecting two nearby stores. The restaurant is now considered a writeoff.
The current Greektown location dates to the 1960s; it replaced Chicago's original Greek neighborhood, known as "The Delta," which was displaced by the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
.
Transportation
Greektown is easily accessible via public transportation by riding the Chicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
's Blue Line
Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
to the UIC-Halsted station
UIC-Halsted (CTA)
UIC–Halsted is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line.-History:UIC–Halsted opened in 1958 as one of the new stations on the Congress Line on the median of the Congress Street Super Highway which replaced the Garfield Park elevated line that used to run along...
and heading north, or via the Halsted bus line.