Background

Annexed by Chicago in 1869, the neighborhood and namesake park were originally known as Central Park. The initial William LeBaron Jenney (‘father of skyscrapers’) designed portion of the park officially opened in 1874. It was renamed Garfield Park in 1881 after President James Garfield’s assassination earlier that year. Initially Irish and Germans, then Italians and Russian Jews settled in the area to work in rail, manufacturing, and most notably at the Sears plant in bordering North Lawndale. In 1905, famed landscape architect Jens Jensen was appointed Chief Landscape Architect of the park. In addition to ushering in the groundbreaking Garfield Park Conservatory, Jensen designed the lagoon and prairie style lawns. The neighborhood experienced a post WWI boost as West Garfield Park’s bustling Madison Avenue commercial district spread east. The boom was short lived as the years during and after the Great Depression and WWII saw steady decline. Displacement from the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway, white flight, and unmaintained housing by absentee landlords eventually led to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1966 campaign to draw attention to the grave living conditions of the segregated West Side. While local anti-slum organizations and activists worked to combat neglectful landlords and bring improved amenities to the neighborhood, the riots following MLK’s 1968 assassination left many vacant residential lots and shuttered businesses along Madison Ave., foreshadowing even steeper economic decline and population loss in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Since the early 2000s, the neighborhood’s former industrial corridor on Carroll Ave has warehoused a variety of arts based businesses and studios. The robust creative community, esteemed community-based organizations and businesses, and proximity to rapidly appreciating nearby neighborhoods seems to be steadily increasing outsider interest. In spite of East Garfield Park’s persistent challenges, there’s a great deal to celebrate and savor in person.

A Great Day in East Garfield Park

Morning

Dropping in for a Bridgeport coffee and pastry at Bridge Café is a nice introduction to the neighborhood. The airy café space is housed in the non-profit community hub Breakthrough FamilyPlex on W. Carroll Ave. between Homan and Kedzie. In addition to the café, the complex provides recreational and educational programming and space for preschoolers through adults.