- Last Updated: Apr 15, 2024 3:00 PM
- URL: https://guides.chicagocollections.org/chicagocommunities
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Related Research Guides
- All About ChicagoA research guide from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
- Chicago StudiesA research guide from the University of Chicago
- Chicago Area Guide: Getting StartedA research guide from Northwestern University
- Chicago Neighborhood GuideA research guide from the Newberry Library
What You'll Find in This Guide
Did you know that Back of the Yards is officially New City? That Pilsen is the Lower West Side? Chicago is a city of communities, each with its own history and character, but oftentimes with different names depending on who you ask or where you look.
Officially Chicago is made up of 77 community areas designated by the city, however it is also home to more than a hundred neighborhoods with boundaries and names that are ever shifting. A single community area might contain multiple neighborhoods, while a single neighborhood might span the borders of two community areas. Logan Square is both the name of a community area and the name of one of the three neighborhoods within it. All of this can pose a challenge to researchers trying to find information on a specific part of the city.
This subject guide provides resources examining the history of how Chicago's communities formed, as well as examples of some of the types of resources available for information on the neighborhoods and community areas that make the city so unique.
Brubaker, C. William, 1980, University of Illinois at Chicago,
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Online Sources
- Chicago Ward, Community Area, and Neighborhood MapsThis resource from the city of Chicago provides both interactive and PDF maps showing the city's various wards, community areas, and neighborhoods.
- Chicago AncestorsChicago Ancestors is a resource from the Newberry Library that enables users to search materials based on address and neighborhood.
- Block Club ChicagoBlock Club Chicago is a non-profit news organization whose mission it is to provide reliable coverage for Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. This makes them an excellent source for neighborhood-level information and events that may not be reported by the city's other more broadly focused news sources.
- Encyclopedia of ChicagoThe Encyclopedia of Chicago is a reference resource focusing on Chicago and its surrounding areas created through collaboration between the Chicago History Museum, the Newberry Library, and Northwestern University.
- Explore Chicago CollectionsExplore Chicago Collections is a resource created by Chicago Collections that allows the user to search the collections of member institutions throughout the city.