Brighton Park, Chicago

Brighton Park is a neighborhood located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. It is number 58 of the 77 community areas of Chicago.

Brighton Park is bordered on the north by the former Illinois & Michigan Canal and the current Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, on the east by Western Avenue, on the south by 51st Street, and on the west by Pulaski Road and the west side of Corwith Yards.

The neighborhood is a mix of residential areas, commercial zones, industrial works and transportation (primarily railroad and trucking ) facilities. It is relatively peaceful, according to Chicago Police Department statistics (2004 CPD Annual Report).

The seat of the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America is located here along Archer Avenue just northwest of its intersection with Pulaski, since most of Chicago's Góral community is concentrated on Chicago's Southwest Side along Archer Avenue (Chicago).

History

Brighton Park took its name from the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, MA which was famed for its cattle market. Brighton Park was incorporated as a village in 1851 and annexed into the City of Chicago in 1889 [http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/092782AD-C130-402D-B39F-1108E6F382BC.cfm] (some earlier maps show the north section of the neighborhood as part of Cicero, Illinois [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10599.html] ). It was formed originally near the intersection of the Blue Island Plank Road, now Western Avenue, and the old portage trail between the Chicago River and the Des Plaines River, a trail that eventually evolved into Archer Road, now Archer Avenue, which is now the main thoroughfare through Brighton Park. In 1855, Chicago mayor "Long" John Wentworth built the Brighton Park horse racetrack (whose name conveniently alluded to the more famous Brighton Racecourse in England) directly east of the village, in what is now the Chicago Park District's McKinley Park.

By 1871, the year of the Great Chicago Fire, Brighton Park was served by the Archer Avenue horsecar and the Alton Railroad. (Brighton Park was not affected by the fire). The railroad built a roundhouse in the neighborhood, and various factories were built [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/168.html] . Later the streetcar was electrified and extended and interurban electric railway service was provided by the Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway [http://hometown.aol.com/ctapacefan/maptcjer.html] until 1934. Most of the residential buildings now in Brighton Park were built in the early part of the 20th century, between 1905 and 1925, after more electric streetcar lines (on Western Ave, Kedzie Ave, 35th St and 47th St) had been extended into the neighborhood [http://hometown.aol.com/ctapacefan/mapt1914.html] , providing cheap & quick transport to work & shopping.

Transportation

Chicago's role as transportation gateway has always been a major influence on the demographics and economy of Brighton Park. Two major railroad landmarks exist in Brighton Park. The Corwith Intermodal freight facility, once known as Corwith Yards, covering nearly a square mile, is one of the major industrial features of Brighton Park.
Brighton Park crossing, near Western Avenue and Archer Avenue, is a major Chicago railroad junction and the former site of Brighton Park's railway station.

Access to, property values, and economic growth in the neighborhood have been improved by the 1964 opening of the Stevenson Expressway, Interstate 55, the 1993 opening of the Orange Line rapid transit line, and the revitalization of the nearby Chicago Midway International Airport.

External links

* [http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Community_Areas_BRIGHTON_PARK.pdf Official City of Chicago Brighton Park Community Map]
* [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/168.html Brighton Park in the Encyclopedia of Chicago]

Geographic Location
Center = Brighton Park, Chicago
Northeast = Lower West Side, Chicago
East = McKinley Park, Chicago
Southeast = New City, Chicago
South = Gage Park, Chicago
Southwest = West Elsdon, Chicago
West = Archer Heights, Chicago
Northwest = South Lawndale, Chicago