Pilsen

By Sal Padilla, Abbie Orr, Karla Henriques, and Sandra Luna

Pilsen Neighborhood

Pilsen
Distance from
Loyola to Pilsen
Neighborhood

Commute with Public

Transportation
- Take Loyola Redline train to 95th
- Get off at Cermak/Chinatown
- Take Cermak/Chinatown Bus #21 to North Riverside Mall
- Get off at Cermak and Paulina
- Walk to Lower West Side - Approximately 5 min/0.2 miles
Approximately 1hr and 8 min commute

History
Irish and German immigrants were the first to
settle here in the 1840s
After the 1871 fire, many Bohemian
immigrants came to the area in search of jobs
Pilsen gets its name from a Bohemian
restaurant founded around that time called
At the City of Plzen
During the 1960s, the neighborhood became
majority Mexican.
Gellman, Erik. "Pilsen." Pilsen. Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

Currently
- It is neighborhood that pulses with a youthful spirit and is ever evolving
- Mexican-American community
- There is a variety of:
- Vintage shops
- Independent coffee houses
- Quaint cafes
- Panaderias (bakery)
- Restaurants Authentic Mexican cuisine

Things to do in Pilsen

Pink Line Station Murals

- Location: 18th street station on the Pink Line
- Painted by local artists from Pilsen
- Most of them represent the stories about the neighborhood that the station
serves
- Each one symbolizes a different story of Mexican heritage and important cultural icons.

Saint Procopius Church

- Catholic Church
- Designed by Julius H Huber in 1883
- Counts with Jesuits priests and serves a Mexican
American Congregation
- Mother church of Bohemian parishes
- Inspired by Eastern Europe churches.

Chicago Artist District

- Contains many blocks of lofts and studios for artists and gallerists.
- In every second friday of the months, more than 30 galleries invite to view new
exhibitions by Podmajersky, Inc.
- John Podmajersky III
bought property in 1987
-

In 2002 launched the CAD:

creating a destination art
community and economic
stability for artists that
want to be entrepreneurs

Nuevo Leon Restaurant

- Opened by the Gutirrez family on 1962
- It is a popular meeting and eating place
- Menu: balance between chicken, steak and seafood dishes
New Yorkdish:
StripFilete
steakNuevo
servedleon:
with
- Signature
rice, refried beans, fried potatoes
and guacamoles

Benito Juarez Park

- Open park containing a large colorful mural and about 15 statues of historical
figures
- Emilio Zapata:
- Leading figure in Mexican Revolution

- Benito Juarez
- Mexican Lawyer and politician

Comales
Location: 1544 W. 18th St., Chicago, IL 60608
Comales is a famous chain of old-fashioned taqueria restaurants.
Known for their Mexican dishes; such as, tacos, tortas, and burritos.
We recommend the steak tacos!

Group Reflection
First time in Pilsen for some:
Karla and Abbie had never been to Pilsen before but were excited to visit
Sal and Sandra had either been to Pilsen before rather scarcely or we had hear
of it but did not actually stop to explore the area
We left the neighborhood with a new sense of Chicago and of Pilsen in general
At first there was some reluctance in going due to the recent crimes

Group Reflection (Continued)

The street art was phenomenal!
Came off as an immensely populated area of fully creative minds with great talents
Food was delicious
Small shops depicted the hispanic culture
Street art, murals, posters, and pictures were also serving as a way of showing the
history of the people who live in Pilsen
We loved the experience!

Pilsen!

Works Cited
Gellman, Erik. "Pilsen." Pilsen. Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
"Things to Do in Pilsen | Choose Chicago." Things to Do in Pilsen | Choose Chicago.
Choose Chicago, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.