Bounded by Irving Park Road to the south, Foster Avenue to the north, Clark Avenue to the west, and Lake Michigan to the east, Uptown includes areas such as Buena Park and Sheridan Park. Built as a luxury lakeside summer resort in the 1890s, it became the center of moviemaking around 1915, it was even the home of Charlie Chaplin. The name Uptown seems to have come from one of the trendy department stores once in the area. The namesake Uptown Theater included nearly 4,500 seats. Frank Sinatra even sang in the ornate Aragon Ballroom, another landmark across the street. Like other areas of Chicago, Uptown began to deteriorate after World War II and many of its affluent residents fled to the suburbs. With a shortage of more affordable housing, spacious old homes and apartments were converted into rooming houses. Today its one of Chicago's most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods. Its 63,551 people(2000) include immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Bosnia. Argyle Street (Photos), with its many ethnic businesses is the commercial heart of Chicago's Southeast Asian. The housing stock of Uptown is eclectic, from mansions along Lake Michigan to abandoned buildings along Broadway Avenue. In between there are upscale, single-family homes and lakefront condominiums, moderately priced private apartments, well-managed subsidized family apartments, and tenant-purchased building. While Uptown has a large percentage of buildings with 50 or more units, it also has smaller scale buildings. This mixed housing stock allows Uptown to accommodate various groups from different racial, ethnic, economic, and social backgrounds. Its location near both the lake and rapid transit, along with its beautiful architecture, makes it a perfect location for those trying to extend Lincoln Park north along the Lakefront. New residents also like the prices as there are still bargains to be found, but property prices are rising. More Info (Wikipedia)
