Pilsen

Alyse Ketcham
Sherry Shibu
Jack McGuire
Nihaar Joshi
Kennedy Smith

Where We Went
At Pilsen, the first activity that our group participated in was dinner at Nuevo Leon.
We each ordered authentic Mexican food such as fajitas, burritos, tostadas, tamales,
and enchiladas. The restaurant was not very big, but very family friendly.
Next, we stopped by a little bakery where traditional Mexican desserts such as pan
dulce and flan were sold.
We then ventured through the city and witnessed many murals and other
attractions. We came upon a church whose walls were decorated with murals of
saints and married couples.

Attractions in Pilsen
Pilsen has many attractions that are unique to its town. Some attractions are:

the churches, such as the Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church and the Saint
Adalbert Church. These churches exhibit architectural beauty
the parks, such as the Benito Juarez park, which has many murals and 15
statues of historical figures
the murals, such as Casa Aztlan Mural and the Pink Line Station Murals, which
showcase Pilsens unique cultural identity

Location
1.
2.

3.

Loyola Red
Line
Transfer to
Pink Line at
State/Lake
18th Pink Line

History of Establishment
In the 1840s, many German and Irish immigrants resided in the Lower West Side
community for the accessibility of trade routes from the area. The 1871 fire opened
many new unskilled jobs for Bohemian immigrants, so they settled there. One
Bohemian resident opened a restaurant called At The City Of Plzen to honor the
second biggest city in West Bohemia. Then, people began to recognize the city as
Pilsen. The labor shortage of WWI and the forced removal of Mexicans from the
Near West Side (by UIC) made Pilsen predominantly Hispanic by the 1950s. The city
is very proud of its heritage and has festivals to promote its values of the working
class and cultural upbringing.

Demographics
Total Population: 72,784 people
Median Age: 30 years old
Total Households: 25,312
Family: 15,524
Non-family: 9,788
Average Number of People in a Household: 2.80 people

Demographics

Education Statistics

Marital Status

Racial Demographics

$41,245
Median Income

Individual Reflection-Kennedy
It was extremely interesting to experience a different culture even though we
werent able to see a lot of things in Pilsen. Just by walking throughout Pilsen you
could feel the history, tradition and culture. I would definitely go back again and
would explore other cultural neighborhoods of Chicago.

Individual Reflection-Alyse

When I first came to Chicago, I wasnt aware of any other good places to
explore besides Michigan Avenue and the museum district. After going to
Pilsen, I want to explore all the neighborhood experiences Chicago has to offer.
Going to Pilsen shows how many different cultures Chicago houses.
Having an authentic Chicago experience is exploring all parts of the city and
opening yourself up to anything Chicago has to offer. This was an authentic
Chicago experience because we went outside of our usual routines and traveled
farther than we usually would have!

Individual Reflection-Jack
Going to Pilsen was so cool because when you think Chicago, you think Millenium
Park, the lake, and the Sears Tower (I know its the Willis.) You never really think
about the people living there or how big this city really is. Pilsen is a neighborhood
with a rich culture that is a blast to take part in. The hispanic heritage shows a
different side to Chicago. It shows how cultured the city really is. Plus, I had a really
nice time adventuring a part of town I am not so familiar with, with a bunch of people
I was glad to meet. I had a great time.

Individual Reflection-Sherry
I thought our trip to Pilsen was very rewarding and fun. I got to learn about the
culture that exists in the surrounding areas of Chicago. The trip opened my eyes to
the diversity that existed in Pilsen. For example, in Nuevo Leon, Spanish music was
playing in the background while we ate which contributed not only to the overall
appeal of the restaurant but also to the cultural identity of Pilsen.

Individual Reflection-Nihaar
Overall, I enjoyed our trip to Pilsen. I was surprised by how many murals and other
forms of art that were present there as we walked down the street! Online it had
described it as such but its still surprising to see when youre there. This trip made
me think about wanting to explore more communities that exist throughout
Chicago. I enjoyed the time we spent in Pilsen and its likely I can have a good time
spending time in more of these communities.

Fun Facts!

Named originally by Czech immigrants after what is now the 4th largest city in
the Czech Republic
Pilsens east side is one of Chicagos largest art districts as well as the location
of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
Pilsen is mainly known for its numerous murals as well as its excellent
restaurants
Though mainly a Hispanic community today, it was originally mainly populated
by Czech, Croatian, Slovakian, and Austrian immigrants

Bibliography
Chicago Neighborhoods / Choose Chicago. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2015. from http://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoodsand-communities/pilsen/things-to-do/
Chicago Neighborhoods Map [Map]. (n.d.). In Dream Town. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://www.dreamtown.
com/maps/chicago-neighborhood-map.htm
History of Pilsen and Little Village. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://www.sjom.org/About-us/PILSEN-HISTORY/index.html

'L' System Map [Map]. (n.d.). In Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/
"Lower West Side (Pilsen) Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60608, 60616 Detailed Profile." Lower West Side (Pilsen) Neighborhood in
Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60608, 60616 Subdivision Profile. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
"Pilsen." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
Pilsen. (2004). Retrieved October 25, 2015. from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2477.html

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