textfield=Avondale

Boundaries: Addison on the north, Diversey on the south, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east, and the Milwaukee Railroad tracks north to Belmont back east to Pulaski on the west.

At first glance, Avondale, a low-key, working-class neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest side, has the patina of Old World Europe. Aromas from the neighborhood's many sausage-makers fill the air. Residents sit outside on their stoops or lean out second-floor windows, watching the traffic go by. Music in foreign languages is heard everywhere. 

For years a largely Polish enclave, Avondale has retained that character but has doubled its Hispanic population. As a result, taquerias on Milwaukee Avenue now mix with the Polish shops, bookstores, and restaurants, many of which still have menus in Polish. 

But the neighborhood is not without its problems, particularly on the southern end. Avondale's boundaries include Addison Street on the north, Diversey Parkway on the south, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east, and the Milwaukee Road tracks north to Belmont Avenue and over to Pulaski Road on the west. 

The neighborhood dates its beginnings to the development of nearby railroads and Milwaukee Avenue, which was once an old Indian trail. In 1848 Milwaukee Avenue was planked so that farmers in the area could better transport produce to market, a move that had limited success. The planks often warped or broke or were carved up for firewood in winter. By 1890 the city resurfaced the road. 

Factories and brickyards that sprang up by the railroads were responsible for the initial wave of immigrants, mostly Germans, Scandinavians and Poles. By 1930 Polish residents accounted for 33 percent of the population. Even today foreign-born residents remain an important force in the neighborhood, numbering 39% of the 35,579 residents, (according to the 1990 Census).