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Welcome To Tri Taylor

A mere mention of the words Taylor Street and many native Chicagoans will be instantly transported to their first childhood memories of basil, marinara sauce, and homemade pasta. A destination for Italian immigrants (and throngs of others) since the city's inception, the triangular boundaries of the Tri-Taylor neighborhood are centered about Taylor Street in Chicago's near west side. Tri-Taylor's nineteenth century row houses are a glimpse back in time that still provide valuable living space today. New condo buildings have sprouted up, too, creating a beautifully blended combination of vintage design and modern residences. A far cry from its earlier days when Italian ristorantes ruled the streets, Tri-Taylor offers 21st century conveniences with everything from fast food favorites to Internet cafés.    

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[Demographics, Shopping, Entertainment, and more...]
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Tri Taylor Home Sales Statistics


Tri-Taylor Facts

Location: About 3 miles west of the Loop
Boundaries: The Eisenhower Expressway to the north, Ogden Avenue to the east, Roosevelt Road to the south and Western Avenue to the west
Bordering Neighborhoods: Medical District, United Center Park, Lawndale, University Village/Little Italy, Douglas Park
Crime Statistics: Go to CLEARMap to search specific streets and areas for crime incidents
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Then and Now

Tri-Taylor is a tiny neighborhood that consists of about 600 homes. Wedged between the ever-expanding medical district and the Eisenhower Expressway, there was concern in recent years that the residential area would be entirely sacrificed to the growth of the neighboring medical facilities. By the late-1970s it seemed almost inevitable that residents would be displaced and their land seized by the state.

A turning point came in 1983, when the National Register accepted the application of neighborhood residents to designate Tri-Taylor with historic district status. From that day forth, the neighborhood has experienced a gradual but steady revitalization. Realizing the historic value of their homes -- many of which were built in the 1880s and '90s -- residents have invested much time and money in restoring their homes and the surrounding streets to their former glory. With the whole community contributing to the effort, abandoned buildings are being reclaimed and restored, and the neighborhood is experiencing a prosperity unseen in recent decades.

Like much of Chicago's near west side, Tri-Taylor has been one of the city's most ethnically diverse neighborhoods throughout its history. The most notable immigrant population, though, would have to be that of the Italians. Tri-Taylor is located about a mile west of what is commonly referred to as "Little Italy," Chicago's gateway to Italian immigration. Beginning their migration around the time of the Civil War, the largest waves of Italian population growth occurred between 1880 and the start of the First World War. These immigration patterns created an Italian-American social fabric that would remain until the 1940s, when massive state-sponsored construction projects in border regions caused a splintering and provoked many to relocate.

In 1941, construction began on the Illinois Medical Center directly to the east of Tri-Taylor, effectively dislocating the neighborhood from Little Italy and University Village. For the project, which is one of the largest medical facilities in the country, the city government exercised its power of eminent domain in seizing more than 300 acres of residential land just east of the Tri-Taylor neighborhood. Today, the area is considered an independent Chicago city neighborhood.

In the early 1960s, ground was broken on the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), which borders Tri-Taylor to the north, further disrupting the community. While the highway may have caused quite a headache during its construction, it now provides the Tri-Taylor neighborhood with a valuable and speedy transportation route. And, as if there wasn't enough going on around this small near west side neighborhood, the Chicago Technology Park Research Center moved into the northeast corner of Tri-Taylor in the early 1990s and now occupies about 56 acres of the neighborhood, significantly shrinking the residential space, but -- on the upside -- also improving the local job market.

In the wake of the large construction projects that affected the area, the demographics of Tri-Taylor have gradually transformed from a mostly Italian community to one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city of Chicago. While the majority of the residents are Hispanic or Latino, there are also many African-Americans, as well as decedents of Irish and, of course, Italian immigrants.
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Parks

Tri-Taylor is not exactly known for its vast parklands, although there are a couple of spots in the neighborhood to go and stretch your legs. The only official public park that has been designated by the Chicago Parks District is Claremont Playlot Park, which is located on Flourney Street between Western and Claremont. A small, one-acre park with a playground, Claremont was converted to a recreational setting from a formerly vacant lot when it was purchased by the Parks District in 1974. These days the tiny playlot is a popular site for parents to bring their young children for a little outdoor playtime.

And if ever you happen to be walking down Oakley Boulevard, just around the corner from Claremont Park, and you notice a few bright red pillars organized in a small circle in a well-kept yard, go over and have a look; it's actually a memorial for survivors of the Vietnam War. According to city officials, the memorial was donated by William Lavickam, a veteran who served as an engineer for the military in Vietnam and one of the city's leading historic preservationists. Lavickam owned a small plot of uninhabited land that he wasn't quite sure what to do with until he went to a Fourth of July parade in 1986 and was inspired to construct a memorial that would honor the living heroes of our nation's wars. The memorial consists of 10 cast-iron columns that are painted bright red ("blood red," if you will), and they are accompanied by three bright red flagpoles. On any given day, you might see some Vietnam or Gulf War vets out here, and on Memorial Day there are always plenty of visitors.
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Real Estate

Though it sits in the shadows of some of the most impressive medical and technology educational facilities in the country, many Tri-Taylor homes retain a 19th century dignity and charm. In fact, many of the homes that were built during the Civil War still stand and serve as residences to this day. The most common of these 19th century relics is the row house, which can be seen in relative abundance on Bowler Street and Oakley Boulevard. The row houses, which were built of red brick in the 1870s, are Italian in style and feature neoclassical detail work on the façades and broad Italianate quoins up the front and sides of the buildings. Many of the other homes in Tri-Taylor are two- and three-stories and are constructed with Joliet Limestone.

Like most of the neighboring near west side, Tri-Taylor is a rapidly developing neighborhood that is growing in demand due to the continued expansion of both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Illinois Medical District directly to the east. To be clear, Tri-Taylor's star is rising. A historically working class neighborhood composed largely of immigrants, this neighborhood's close proximity to downtown Chicago and easy access to public transit has increased its profile in recent years. Because of Tri-Taylor's growing popularity, many new apartment and condo buildings are popping up in the area, creating an interesting contrast between old and new in the texture of this distinctive, triangle-shaped residential neighborhood.

These days, the average sales price for a one- or two-bedroom condo in Tri-Taylor is about $266,000 however, there are units available for under $150,000. And if you feel like splurging, you can find several places in the $300,000 to $350,000 price range. Add another bedroom and the average price goes up to $322,000. As for detached single-family homes, the average price of a house with three bedrooms is $387,000, but there are a few valued at six or seven hundred thousand dollars.

What's on the Menu?

The oldest and one of the most successful businesses in Tri-Taylor is a bakery that serves customers from all over the city called Original Ferrara Bakery (2210 W Taylor St, 312-666-2200). As legend would have it, Salvatore Ferrara, founder of the Original Ferrera, immigrated to Chicago from Nola, Italy in the year 1900, when he was just 16 years old. Eight years later, after meeting and marrying Serafina Pagano, they opened a bakery and confectionary on Taylor Street in Little Italy, which enjoyed success from the very beginning. When the UIC campus in Little Italy began its expansion project, Ferrara was forced to move, relocating further down on Taylor Street in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood. The new location is owned and operated by third generation descendants of Salvatore and Serafina, and they also run a cafe that serves Italian specialty dishes, including pizza, soup, stuffed peppers, and pasta e fagioli that is absolutely mouth-watering. The bakery specializes in custom wedding cakes, cannoli, biscotti, and Italian butter cookies ( we're liking this place more and more by the minute). And because it's been around for so long, Ferrara has legions of loyal customers, but that doesn't mean you'll get dirty looks for being a first-timer. Lunch is a great time to check the place out; with a fairly large cafe menu and very reasonable prices it's hard to go wrong.

Another good bet for lunch on the stretch of Taylor Street just east of Western Avenue is Granddaddy's Subs (2343 W Taylor St, 312-243-4200), another longtime neighborhood favorite. There, owner Joe Airdo serves up the goods: huge Italian subs, filled with salamis, capicola, and hams, on a sort of magical bread that's firm and crisp on the outside, and sumptuously soft on the inside. The subs aren't the only attraction at Granddaddy's -- Airdo also makes a fresh batch of Italian ice for the store every day. The flavors rotate, but lemon is always on hand. If you are coming down for lunch though, be prepared to wait. Granddaddy's is one of the most popular joints in the area, and the place fills up around lunchtime on a daily basis.

And the best spot for UIC students to hunker down and study? Netccino Internet Cafe (2234 W Taylor St, 312-492-8900) takes top honors. It's one of the most fashionable and cleanest places in Tri-Taylor, and also one of the quietest -- kind of like a library at times. Located in a gorgeous corner storefront; Netccino has a sidewalk patio and a large, well-lit interior. The other option if you're in search of cafe culture in Tri-Taylor, would be Cafe Frida (739 S Western Ave, 312-455-9422), another clean and cheap cafe that offers free wireless internet access. The place first opened as a coffee shop, but soon started serving sandwiches, which were an immediate hit. They offer Mexican-style tortas and vegetarian or ham and cheese sandwiches, but the real draw is the milanesa. A style of meat preparation that started in South America and has recently grown in popularity in Mexico, milanesa is a thin strip of either beef or chicken that is breaded and fried. Along with a cup of coffee or a smoothie, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying mid-afternoon meal than at Cafe Frida.

If you spend enough time in Chicago, it's hard to avoid Bacci Pizzeria (2248 W Taylor St, 312-455-9000), not that you'd want to. There are now more than a dozen Bacci's in the Chicagoland area, but the original first sprung up on Taylor Street in 1996, just a block west of the Original Ferrara. Bacci serves up the sort of floppy jumbo slices (what some would regard as New York-style) that require folding in half before attempting to eat. It's some of the best non-deep-dish pizza in Chicago, and it's a bargain to boot. In addition to pizza, this Bacci location is also a full-service cafe, serving salads, sandwiches, and pasta dinners. Oh, and did we mention that this is one of the cheapest pizza places in town? That's right, a jumbo slice will run you $3 and comes with a free soda; there's no minimum on delivery, and they're open late at night. Beat that!
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Best Shopping Stops

There aren't very many shopping destinations in Tri-Taylor, so when spring arrives and you notice dozens of people milling about a corner store at Western and Grenshaw, you'll know you've found the Working Bikes Cooperative (1125 S Western Ave, 312-421-50480). Every year, the same: as soon as the snow melts, everyone in the city decides that they need a bike immediately, and they all show up on the first warm day in March or April. Working Bikes is a non-profit that receives all of its bikes by donation. They then fix them up -- often right before your eyes, if you ask them -- and sell them at very reasonable prices. A trip to Working Bikes can score you a great bike at a slashed price, but it might take a while. The bikes often require immediate repairs before they can be ridden, which usually involves mixing and matching parts from other used bikes. The staff (many of whom are volunteers) are always willing to help, and charge very little for their labor. The profit that the store pulls in is pumped directly into the co-op's philanthropic efforts. With that money, thousands of bicycles (5,500 in 2005) are fixed-up and shipped to developing countries around the world and distributed to unemployed and homeless Chicagoans. To see these folks, covered in grease, and working to improve their community really pulls at your heart strings, and it's the sort of altruistic enterprise that you won't find in some of the higher-end shopping districts.
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Night on the Town

To compensate for the lack of bars and restaurants in the neighborhood, Rick's Bar & Cafe (2343 W. Taylor St, 312-421-4860) wears a lot of hats. It doesn't try to be everything to everyone, but you can get your beer, a tasty sandwich, catch up on your sports on one of several TV's, or even shoot a game of pool. It's an agreeable dive bar with a healthy base of regular patrons, and they even hire a DJ on most weekend nights. The beer arrives at your table with complementary baskets of pretzels and popcorn -- and really, who doesn't love free food? On any given night, the crowd can be very mixed, between people saddling up to the bar for a quick drink, those who are here to watch the game on any of the television screens (there's one huge one on the back wall), college kids that live in the area, and longtime regulars, but it's always friendly.
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Getting Around

As one of the smaller neighborhoods in Chicago, Tri-Taylor isn't too difficult to get around -- you don't really need much more than a good pair of walking shoes. However, with the influence that Working Bikes has on the community, many residents prefer to ride a bicycle, which is a pleasant alternative considering that the streets are generally pretty quiet and wide, making it safer to bike in than most neighborhoods.

As for traveling to and from Tri-Taylor, there are several options. Heading to and from downtown Chicago, residents are fortunate to have access to the Congress branch of the CTA's Blue Line, which runs above ground in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway. There are Blue Line stops at the northwestern corner of Tri-Taylor at Western Avenue, and also at the northeastern corner of the neighborhood, at Ogden Street. The Congress branch of the Blue Line takes passengers directly downtown to the Loop, where it is possible to transfer to any other CTA line for free, including access to both of Chicago's international airports.

Though both cycling and taking the CTA are good, affordable transit options, most residents in Tri-Taylor do actually own cars and drive. Street parking is plentiful in the neighborhood, and the fact that most residential streets require a specific permit to park at night makes it all the easier. Though the neighborhood is about three miles west of the loop, it only takes a couple of minutes to get downtown when the traffic isn't too heavy because of easy access to the Eisenhower Expressway. When the highway is clogged (which it often is at peak hours) there are several other major arteries that can be used to avoid congestion. Heading east or west parallel to the highway, Congress Parkway and Roosevelt Road are two of the biggest streets on the near west side, and they are rarely as backed up as the expressways. To go north or south, Western Avenue is usually a good bet; and Ogden Avenue is a diagonal street that will take you towards West Town and Wicker Park.
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School's in Session

Tri-Taylor is one of the smaller neighborhoods on the near west side, but it's also one of the more densely populated, and as a result, there are a handful of schools in the neighborhood, both public and private. In addition to the following list, you can find more information on Chicago schools at Chicago Public Schools or Great Schools.

Chicago Hope Academy 2189 W Bowler St - (312) 491-1600
Octavio Paz Charter School 2401 W Congress Pkwy - (312) 432-1170
Washington Irving Elementary School 749 S Oakley Blvd - (773) 534-7295
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Basic Needs

From biscotti to bicycle parts, from rigatoni to row houses, we compiled a list of places that cover all your basic, everyday needs and interests.

Chicago Transit Authority - (888) 968-7282

Grocery Stores

Super Mercado Juarez 2315 W Taylor St - (312) 733-3699
Super Mercado Plaza Mexico 917 S Western Ave - (312) 829-2679

Gyms

The Core Center 2020 W Harrison St - (312) 572-4500
Curves 600 S Western Ave - (312) 563-1450

SHOPPING

Accents Flowers and Gifts 2246 W Taylor St Chicago - (312) 850-4438
City Hardware 821 S Western Ave - (312) 666-9325
Obsessions 2229 W Taylor St - (312) 226-1563
Working Bikes Cooperative 1125 S Western Ave - (312) 421-5048

DINING

American Cuisine
Pine Grill 1201 S Western Ave - (312) 738-2320

Bakeries
Original Ferrara, Inc. 2210 W Taylor St - (312) 666-2200

Coffee Shops
Netccino Internet Cafe 2234 W Taylor St - (312) 492-8900

Fast Food
Lulu's Hot Dogs 1000 S Leavitt St - (312) 243-3444

Italian Cuisine
Mannino's 741 S Western Ave - (312) 421-5065

Mexican Cuisine
Cafe Frida 739 S Western Ave - (312) 455-9422
El Charco Verde 2253 W Taylor St - (312) 738-1686

Pizza
Bacci Pizzeria 2248 W Taylor St - (312) 455-9000
Damenzo's Pizza 2324 W Taylor St - (312) 421-1142

Sandwiches
Conte di Savoia West, Inc. 2227 W Taylor St - (312) 666-4335
Granddaddy's Subs 2343 W Taylor St - (312) 243-4200
Joe's Taylor Street Sub Shop 2325 W Taylor St - (312) 829-5980

Nightlife/Bars
Chris's Tavern 2227 W Taylor St - (312) 733-9704
Rick's Bar 939 S Western Ave - (312) 421-4860
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As one of the many diverse Chicago neighborhoods, Tri-Taylor offers homeowners a wide range of residential properties. Tri-Taylor homes include lofts, condos and townhomes, to name a few. In addition to Chicago real estate, you can get detailed neighborhood information from our comprehensive online Chicago neighborhoods guide. With features like dining, shopping, entertainment, and resources, we've done all the leg work already to make your home search that much easier. Now, when a listing in Tri-Taylor catches your eye, you can read all about the surrounding area and what it has to offer, all without setting foot in the neighborhood. Like a Yellow Pages, Metromix and MLS database all rolled into one, this site is your ultimate Chicago neighborhoods visitors' guidebook.
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