Avondale

Avondale is a hot neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. It has been featured twice by Chicago Magazine as the best neighborhood in their annual awards (2010 and 2012.) It has a population of over 30,000 residents and is home to many different restaurants, bars, and shops. The neighborhood is located north of the Chicago River and west of the Addison Street Historic District. According to realtor.com, Avondale is a great place to buy your first or second home, with home prices averaging $487,000 according to realtor.com.

There is a 28-minute travel time from Avondale to Chicago (Station), covering a 7-mile distance. You can do many things here, from dining at interesting restaurants, tasting fine wines, and experiencing some great local entertainment with live music.

Map

Avondale is located on the city’s northwest side, 7 miles northwest of the Loop. Avondale is bounded by Addison Street on the north, Western Avenue on the south, and Elston Avenue on the west. The eastern border is Central Park Avenue and Pulaski Road (1800 N). Avondale has a mix of residential buildings and industrial properties.

Population

Avondale is one of the 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. The neighborhood is named after 19th Century German immigrant Dr. Joseph Warren Revere, who was also a soldier in the American Revolution and responsible for Revere Beach in Massachusetts.

The area has been home to a large Jewish population since at least the 1920s; by 1947, it was over 60% Jewish, although, by 2008, Jews constituted only 8% of Avondale’s population. In the 1950s and 1960s, many Latinos moved into Avondale—primarily Puerto Ricans—and now make up approximately a third of the total population. Based on the 2020 census report, Avondale is 41% White, 5% Asian, and 2.1% Black. The Hispanic population is 48%.

Real Estate

Avondale is home to several historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Holy Name Cathedral, Josephinum High School, and Casimir Pulaski Monument.

New buildings have been popping up in Avondale, Chicago, at a fast pace. Recently, there has been a newly proposed park with sports facilities and public art. There is also the expansion of a commercial zone. New restaurants and clubs will bloom. There are various implications for the local community and for the city.

These buildings bring in new, middle-class professionals and change the neighborhood’s demographics. It is also creating new housing options. Several new buildings are planned for the area around Milwaukee and Elston, including a seven-story building at 3443 N. Milwaukee Ave. The city also plans to expand the area where food trucks can operate by 40%.

The average asking price of a single-family home in Avondale is more affordable than many other homes in the greater Chicago area. Compared to single-family homes, Avondale’s multi-family real estate has increased dramatically in price over the last 5 yrs.

The Avondale neighborhood is higher than the Chicago median average price of $335,000. The average household income for residents of the Avondale neighborhood is $64,098, which makes it one of the most affluent areas in Chicago. It’s no wonder that home prices in this area are so high as well!

Schools

The Avondale school district is in the state of Illinois, US. The students often come from different cultures and families. The residents of the Avondale area are the teachers or people who are connected to the schools or district.

Avondale-Logandale Elementary School

Avondale-Logandale Elementary School on 3212 W George St is a public school in Avondale, with 29 students in grades 1-4 and a student-teacher ratio of 11 to 1. According to state test scores, 48 % of students are proficient in math and 55 % in reading.

Payton College Preparatory High School

Payton College Preparatory High School reports a total enrollment of 1,580 students in grades 9-12 and has 33 teachers on staff. The school’s average high school graduation rate is 79%, average mathematics proficiency is 62%, and average reading proficiency is 63%.

Alexander Graham Bell School

Alexander Graham Bell School on 3730 N Oakley Ave is another public elementary school in Avondale, Chicago, IL. The school’s estimated enrollment is 647 students in grades pre-k to 5. There are 17 teachers at Alexander Graham Bell School, for a student-teacher ratio of 29 students per teacher.

Prescott Elementary School

Prescott Elementary School on 1632 W Wrightwood Ave has 537 students in grades K-5 with a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1. According to state standards, 37 % of students are considered proficient in math and reading.

Crime rating

When comparing the crime rates in 2016 to the crime rates in 2021 in the Avondale Chicago police report, the area districts increased the number of crimes. In 2016, there were 685 crimes reported, while in 2021, there were 736 crimes reported, which is an increase of 51 crimes. A breakdown of the crimes reported in 2021 revealed that larceny was the most common crime. There were 197 larceny crimes reported, followed by assault, with 141 reported crimes. Breaking and entering was the least common crime and was reported only seven times.

History

Avondale was founded in 1852 when a group of Chicago businessmen purchased land from the Illinois Central Railroad and laid out a subdivision along the newly constructed Ravenswood and Madison Street Plank Road. The earliest settlers were mainly working-class people who labored as hotel workers, bartenders, retail clerks, or factory hands.

Avondale’s first major growth came in the late 1870s when German and Bohemian immigrants began to settle in the area. Development was spurred by the extension of two branches of the Chicago River to Avondale; this new transportation system provided easy access to an area previously considered outside of Chicago proper. New residents built homes along the north and south Greenview avenues and planted lawns that stretched to railroad tracks along Pulaski Road.

Avondale became a residential area at some point, where Chicago’s elite would build mansions along the railroad and Fullerton Avenue. John Lewis Cochran, a railroad executive and landowner built his home in 1856 on Fullerton Avenue. He hired Ernest L. Ransome to design his manor on one-third acre of land at 35th Street and Fullerton Avenue.

After living there for some time, Cochran moved to England, where he died in 1885. His wife, Mary Cochran, took over the estate and lived there until she died in 1905. It was bought by the Sisters of Mercy, who converted it into St. Ignatius College Prep School for Boys in 1911. The school still occupies this space today and has been a historic landmark since 1979.

By 1890, Avondale’s population was 3,500 people. Its residential character made it attractive to medical professionals who no longer wanted to live downtown near their patients. Doctors moved into large homes on Fullerton Avenue and set up practice in new medical buildings located along Milwaukee Avenue. By 1915, Avondale had grown so much that it had its own commercial district.

The area was predominantly Irish in the early 1900s and was considered a “longtime stable and self-sufficient” community (Chicago Community Fact Book). There was also a sizable Polish population at that time.

The neighborhood was incorporated in 1883, and by 1915, it had around 500 people. It became part of Chicago in 1915 as a result of annexation. The village included the areas now known as Avondale, Logan Square, North Avondale, Jefferson Park, O’Hare, Rosemont, and a small portion of Irving Park.

In 1947 almost half of its residences were constructed before 1940. The racial makeup of the neighborhood changed dramatically during the 1960s and 1970s due to increased housing discrimination and racial tension in Chicago. There were also concerns about violence in the area, and it became primarily residential with many parks and a variety of shops and businesses.

In the 1960s and 1970s, it experienced economic decline, racial unrest, and increased crime levels. In 1962 more than 50 businesses were torched in a wave of racial unrest during which rocks were thrown through store windows and gunfire exchanged between rioters and police.

Avondale’s fortunes turned in 1976 when residents accused Alderman Leon Despres of neglecting them in favor of Lincoln Park and the lakefront. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, they formed the Northwest Community Organization to fight for better schools, housing rehabilitation, and crime-fighting measures. The group was responsible for changing Avondale from an aldermanic ward into one represented by an area community council.

Today the area offers a unique combination of commercial and residential zones, each with its own distinct character and history. The neighborhood has diverse architecture, including bungalows, two-flats, quadruplexes, four-flats, and two-story single-family homes. Its boundaries are generally accepted as Pulaski Rd/Diversey Ave on the east, Cumberland Ave/Belmont Ave on the north, Diversey Pkwy on the west, Irving Park Rd on the south, and Clark St/Addison St on the west.

According to City-Data.com, the neighborhood’s residents have a median household income of $57,495. This is higher than the median household income for Chicago ($48,049) but lower than for Illinois ($60,960).

The Avondale neighborhood may be worth further investigation for those looking for an excellent place to live and spend time in Chicago. The culture and ambiance of Avondale are definitely among its best features, and they help place this neighborhood at the top of the list for renters and homeowners.