BRONZEVILLE, A HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SUCCESS

Take a video pictorial look at Bronzeville:

Welcome to the City of Chicago and our community known as Bronzeville or the "Black Metropolis" because many blacks managed to own and operate successful business during very turbulent times of racism.

Bronzevillle has a long history beginning in 1179 when the first Chicago resident Jean Baptist Point DuSable, a french and haitian fur trader, migrated here. Later during the 1900's many blacks came from the south to the north to find opportunity and many eventually migrated to Bronzeville.

A Southside Community with a mostly African American population it has numerous historical landmarks and places to see. It stretches from 26th street south to 67th street.

Click on this link to see a Map of Bronzeville Places to See

Famous Landmarks and Places to See in Bronzeville:

The Southside Community Art Center - 3831 S. Michigan
What's in the Southside Community Art Center is not going to be in your average history book. It has a fireplace that makes it cozy and art classes are taught on the 2nd floor. Many well known African American's work has graced this building including valuable pieces from people like Charles White, Henry Avery, Archibald Motley Jr., and Marian Perkins. Some of the Artists like Archibald Motley, attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and included European, Asian, and Mexican muralists influence in their style.

Chicago Bee Building - 3647 So. State
Built by entrepreneur Anthony Overton, one of the first African Americans to start a paper in Chicago, this building was architecturally designed in 1920's art deco.

Former Chicago Defender Building - 3435 So. Indiana
This building was formerly a synagogue. The Chicago Defender is one of the oldest and only black weekly newspapers in the city.


Pilgrim Baptist Church - 3301 So. Indiana
This building was also once a synagogue that became a church. It's architects were the famous engineer Dankmar Adler and Frank Lloyd Wrights mentor, Louis Sullivan.

Eighth Regiment Armory - 3533 So. Giles
First armory in the U.S. built for an African American Military regiment.

Sunset Cafe - 315 E. 35th Street
Earliest and most well-known jazz venue in the 1920's and has now become a hardware store.



Victory Monument - 35th King Drive
The monument erected in 1928 for the men of the Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard.

Supreme Life Building - 3501 So. King Drive
Headquarters of the first African American owned and operated insurance company.

Other Places to see related to African American Southside History

The Bronzeville Children's Museum
9301 So. Stony Island

Harold Washington Cultural Center
4701 So. Martin Luther King Drive

Negro League Cafe
301 E. 43rd Street

DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Place

The Swift Mansion
4500 So. Michigan Avenue

Bronzeville 1st Bed & Breakfast
3911 So. King Drive

Spoken Word Cafe
4655 So. King Drive

Hall Branch Library - First African American Librarian
4801 So. Michigan

Places to Eat:

Simply Salads & Sandwiches
635 E 47th St, Chicago, IL Ain't She Sweet Cafe

Quench's
4653 So. Michigan

Websites for Chicago Activities:

http://www.explorechicago.org
http://www.timeoutchicago.org
http://www.chicagoparent.com
http://www.wherechicago.com
http://www.bluesheaven.com

Historical Photos

Another Place To Eat

Just before Mother's Day, I went to eat at the popular Papadeaux Seafood Restaurant and it was crowded. I can only imagine what Mother's Day looked like. I chose to review this restaurant because I wanted to take my mother on Mother's Day. She loves seafood and I thought I would surprise her, but after experiencing the crowd the day before, I quickly changed my mind--especially since you can't make reservations.

My guest and I waited for about 30 minutes for a table. We literally had to wait and watch other people eat to try and vie for a table. It's a lively place, I'll say that much.

Originally from Texas, Papadeaux has brought it's southern style dining to Westmont, IL and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It's a good seafood and steak restaurant but less of my taste because I'm not a big meat eater. However, I love to try new dishes but they have to have good taste too. I only go so far when it comes to food surprises and taste.

I ordered the shrimp scampi, one of my traditional favorites and the sauce was just a little bit too heavy and the shrimp had more batter than I would prefer. I've tried this dish at both the Cheescake Factory and Papadeaux's and neither has come close to the original taste of shrimp scampi from Red Lobster--that's where I had my first taste. I like my shrimp to be bold and brazen with flavor. I don't like masked flavor.

Papadeaux has a quaint, classy styled atmosphere. A waterfall is exhibited on your entrance inside the restaurant and I believe the outdoor cafe surrounds the waterfall.

The restaurant is a quick little jaunt outside of Chicago but if you like being surrounded by lots of people, original recipes and a somewhat homey atmosphere, then Papadeaux's is perfect for you. It also boasts offering cajun, mexican and steak as well as seafood.

I like lots of seasoning on my foods. I'm less impressed by food presentation. I'm not into original foods as much as I'm into the taste of foods I'm familiar with. Put a new spin on an old favorite, and you will always have my vote. Try out Papadeaux's the next time you're in our beloved state of Illinois--cause Texas ain't got nothin' on us.

Trying New Restaurants

So the other day I went out with a friend to try a new type of restaurant--Greek. Understand I've eaten Greek before but that was eons ago. In fact my new thing is to try a different restaurant in Chicago once a month--let's see how long this last.

Anyway, I went to Greek Islands Restaurant at 200 So. Halsted --a restaurant with a nice atmosphere and definitely with Greek cuisine. I tried a new dish--can't quite remember the name of it but it was cheese being flambeed right before your eyes. Fried cheese--interesting. It was good and I would certainly try it again.

What's unique about this restaurant is the nice fireplace in the bar area. Makes you warm and cozy. If you want to have a drink with a friend and chit-chat, and feel good all over, try Greek Islands.

Little Known Fact:
The interior of Greek Islands mimics a small Greek Fishing Market.

The Ordinary but Extraordinary - The Art Institute, Southside Community Art Center, The Mexican Fine Arts Museum and the Little Black Pearl Workshop

The places I will talk about are our ordinary, but extraordinary for their beauty, run-of-the-mill places that just about everyone knows about if you live in Chicago. However, I'm gonna tweek it a little bit. I will attempt to talk about the activities available for each individual group, if possible, or as a whole. Next, I will talk about the places that are not your usual and provide links to locations, websites that offer more information and pictures to these locations. Enjoy the ride!

The Art Institute:

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest institutions of art and culture and was founded in 1879 as both a school and museum. It houses art of different forms and varieties. Check out the exhibit on African Art and African American artists. If you're interested in architecture, please don't forget to visit it's minatures display on the lower level. For kids and families, there is the Kraft Center that gives daily art demonstrations and classes. Finally, for teens, it is a great place to see photography, art and other cultural icons of American and Chicago if you are the creeative sort.

Little Known Fact:

The Art Institute was built on the rubble from the Chicago Fire of 1871 and from those humble beginnings has grown into a world premier art institute including art objects from around the world, an art school and library, and a wide variety of exhibits and programs for the public.

The Southside Community Art Center:

The City of Chicago boasts of about 10,650,09 African Americans according to the census bureau of 2000. The number of African Americans living on the Southside of Chicago probably includes the majority of that number. African American Culture on the southide has hidden treasures. One such treasure is the The Southside Community Art Center. Housed in a mansion on south 35th Street, it is not the most impressive looking but is one of the most interesting. It has been in existance since the early 1940's. It was created from President Roosevelt's Federal Art Project. In fact, Dr. Margaret Burroughs, who founded the Dusable Museum of African American History, recalled in her early twenties meeting Eleanor Roosevelt who had come to cut the ribbon for the new art center.

Little Known Fact:

The Southside Community Art Center is home to many well-known African American Artists such as Archibald Motley, Gordon Parks, Dr. Margaret Burroughs, and Charles White to name a few.

New To Chicago

Most natives of Chicago have a sense of what to do in and around Chicago but sometimes even as natives we don't really know the intricacies of what this beautiful city has to offer for everyone. "Everyone," includes kids, teens, adults, African Americans, Latinas, Whites, Indians, and every other culture here. I would like to take the time to explore this for you and offer many places and activities for the urbane and those interested in the many cultural excursions and fun that exist in that "toddling town, Chicago!!"