Chinatown Square, Chicago IL | Nearby Businesses

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2169B S. China Place
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 326-5320

Ping Tom Memorial Park is a 17.24acre public urban park in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood, in South Side, Chicago. It is part of the Chicago Park District (CPD).Located on the south bank of the Chicago River, the park is divided into three sections by a Santa Fe rail track and 18th Street. Currently, only development in the area south of 18th Street has been completed. It was designed by Ernest C. Wong of Site Design Group and features a pagoda-style pavilion, bamboo gardens, and a playground. The park is named in honor of prominent Chinatown businessman and civic leader Ping Tom; a bronze bust of Tom is installed near the park's pavilion.HistoryIn 1962, the construction preparations for the Dan Ryan Expressway demolished the only two parks in the Chinatown area (Hardin Square and Stanford Park). Sun Yat-sen Playlot Park, a small, 1/3acre park, was created in the mid-1970s, however, the community wanted a larger open park space.A private real estate firm formed by Ping Tom, then purchased a former 32acre rail yard in 1989. After construction of Chinatown Square began on this property, the CPD purchased approximately 6acre of unused land along the Chicago River in 1991, along with an additional 6acre that extended along the river, north of 18th Street.

St. Barbara's in Chicago (Kościół Świętej Barbary) - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois, at 2859 South Throop St.It is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with St. Mary of Perpetual Help, it is one of two monumental religious edifices that dominate the Bridgeport neighborhood's skyline.HistoryFounded in 1909 as a Polish parish to relieve overcrowding at St. Mary of Perpetual Help. Reverend Anthony Nawrocki, brother of St. Mary's pastor Stanislaus Nawrocki was the first pastor, thus the founding of the parish was literally a family affair in both the literal and figurative sense.ArchitectureThe church was designed by the firm of Worthmann and Steinbach who built many of the magnificent Polish Cathedrals in Chicago. The Renaissance style edifice was completed in 1914, it is one of the few octagonal houses of worship in the archdiocese. There are 25 stunning stained glass windows, depicting the Gospel, and the lives of the saints.

The 7th District Police Station, or Maxwell Street Station in Chicago, Illinois, was built in 1888 in response to the need for increased police presence in "Bloody Maxwell", known colloquially as "the Wickedest Police District in the World." The neighborhood, a changing melting pot of Irish, German, Italian and European Jewish immigrants, grew mightily in the years following the Chicago Fire of 1871. The housing and sanitation situation in the district was substandard, and the residents poor. Criminal activity flourished.The Romanesque style station is architecturally significant as an example of pre-1945 police stations in Chicago. It was designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin Pierce Burnham. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.The Chicago Police Department vacated the station in 1998. After extensive renovation, the red brick and limestone building became the home of the University of Illinois at Chicago Police Department. The renovations were done in a manner designed to uphold the historic significance of the building's architecture. "The building’s original windows were sent to a company in Kankakee for restoration, the masonry cleaned and repaired, the roof replaced, and parapets at the top of the station rebuilt using custom-made bricks, the exact texture and color of the originals." In order to be handicap-accessible, the renovations included constructing a new street-level main entrance where the vehicle entrance had been, to the east of the original front doors and their six steps.

Harold L. Ickes Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project in the Near South Side neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was bordered between State Street and Federal Avenue and Cermak Road and 25th Street. It was a part of the State Street Corridor, which included other CHA properties: Robert Taylor Homes, Dearborn Homes, Stateway Gardens and Hilliard Homes.HistoryNamed for a United States administrator and politician, Harold LeClair Ickes. The housing project was constructed by the Public Works Administration between 1954 and 1955. It consisted of eleven 9-story high-rise buildings with a total of 738 apartments. In 2007, Ickes residents recorded acts of police harassment which included strip searches of African-American men as children watched; The footage aired on NBC's Channel 5. On October 9, 2007 Rev. Jesse Jackson along with ministers from Chicago's west side and community members moved into the housing project to bring attention to the harassment situation.

The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago seeks to commemorate and interpret the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the American midwest. The museum opened in 2005 in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. Although it suffered a damaging fire in 2008, it reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010. Its exhibits have included: "The Attic," (the saved treasures of local resident); Chicago Chinatown themed artwork by students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chinese games and play; explorations and displays of traditional festivals; and historical period studies of Chinese-American Immigrants, their experiences and communities. In addition to exhibits, lectures on Chinese-American topics of interest are hosted by the museum, such as American inventions of "Chinese" cooking.The museum is a private, non-profit organization, open to the public. It is a member organization of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.

Over the past decade the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) movement has been steadily cultivating an expansive group of dedicated followers. Brought together by a commitment to shared principles, this handmade community has validated the act of individual creation not only as a socially conscious alternative to mainstream mass production, but also as a respectable means of expressing oneself both for pleasure and for profit. Successful businesses such as Etsy.com and Renegade Handmade have evolved out of this movement and continue to attract new buyers and sellers who appreciate the unique quality experience of crafting. The D.I.Y. movement is not limited to crafting exclusively, however. Burgeoning artists have benefited from building on the ideals of this community as well. Lowbrow art has seen a quiet explosion over the past 10 years, especially amongst those in their twenties and thirties. This demographic seems to gravitate towards the popular, often nostalgic themes of lowbrow art and appreciates the idea that someone "like them" created it. Again successful endeavors like Flatstock poster show and DeviantArt.com exemplify the popularity of digital art and screenprinting, two very prevalent lowbrow artforms, and reflect the significance that getting to know the artist plays within this movement. 50/50 The Blurring of Art and Craft attempts to explore the blurring of lines between artists and crafters. By highlighting the skill and expression of creativity found in both the art and craft worlds, we hope to encourage further support of local artists and D.I.Y. businesses and to facilitate a rethinking of the relationship between art and consumerism within our American corporate run culture.

The Battle of Fort Dearborn was an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Native Americans that occurred on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is now Chicago, Illinois, but was then part of the Illinois Territory. The battle, which occurred during the War of 1812, followed the evacuation of the fort as ordered by William Hull, commander of the United States Army of the Northwest. The battle lasted about 15 minutes and resulted in a complete victory for the Native Americans. Fort Dearborn was burned down and those soldiers and settlers who survived were taken captive. Some were later ransomed. After the battle, however, settlers continued to seek to enter the area, the fort was rebuilt in 1816, and settlers and the government were now convinced that all Indians had to be removed from the territory, far away from the settlement.

The William W. Kimball House, located at 1801 Prairie Avenue in the Near South Side neighborhood of Chicago, was the home of piano manufacturer William Wallace Kimball. The house, which was built in 1890–92, was designed by architect Solon Spencer Beman in the Chateauesque style. The house's design features a number of turrets with a variety of roof shapes, a limestone exterior, and an elliptical bow window topped by an ornamented gable facing Prairie Avenue. The design is considered a significant example of the Chateauesque style by architectural historians; John Drury called the house Chicago's best Chateauesque design in 1941, and Marcus Whiffen cited the house as a representative example of Chateauesque architecture in America. Kimball reportedly spent $1,000,000 on the home. At the time, Prairie Avenue was known for its expensive homes designed in popular revival styles, and the district was home to many of Chicago's wealthiest residents. The Kimball House and the John J. Glessner House are the main two surviving examples of the district's homes of the late 1800s. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 1971.

The Coca-Cola Building is a building located at 1322–1336 S. Wabash Ave. in the Near South Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, which once served as the Chicago headquarters of the Coca-Cola Company. The building was designed by Frank Abbott in the Commercial style and built from 1903 to 1904. When it opened, the building was eight stories high; two additional stories were added in 1913. The building features limestone with iron ornaments on its first two stories; a cornice with a terra cotta fretwork pattern at the top separates the second and third floors. The top of the building features a terra cotta frieze and a cornice with decorative patterns. The Coca-Cola Company operated out of the building from 1904 until 1928; the building was the company's second office outside of Atlanta. The building was the only Coca-Cola syrup manufacturing plant in the Midwest until 1915; it is now the only surviving Coca-Cola plant from before World War II outside of Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 1991.

The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago seeks to commemorate and interpret the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the American midwest. The museum opened in 2005 in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. Although it suffered a damaging fire in 2008, it reopened its renovated quarters, the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center, in 2010. Its exhibits have included: "The Attic," (the saved treasures of local resident); Chicago Chinatown themed artwork by students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chinese games and play; explorations and displays of traditional festivals; and historical period studies of Chinese-American Immigrants, their experiences and communities. In addition to exhibits, lectures on Chinese-American topics of interest are hosted by the museum, such as American inventions of "Chinese" cooking.The museum is a private, non-profit organization, open to the public. It is a member organization of the Chicago Cultural Alliance.

Harold L. Ickes Homes was a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project in the Near South Side neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was bordered between State Street and Federal Avenue and Cermak Road and 25th Street. It was a part of the State Street Corridor, which included other CHA properties: Robert Taylor Homes, Dearborn Homes, Stateway Gardens and Hilliard Homes.HistoryNamed for a United States administrator and politician, Harold LeClair Ickes. The housing project was constructed by the Public Works Administration between 1954 and 1955. It consisted of eleven 9-story high-rise buildings with a total of 738 apartments. In 2007, Ickes residents recorded acts of police harassment which included strip searches of African-American men as children watched; The footage aired on NBC's Channel 5. On October 9, 2007 Rev. Jesse Jackson along with ministers from Chicago's west side and community members moved into the housing project to bring attention to the harassment situation.

Over the past decade the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) movement has been steadily cultivating an expansive group of dedicated followers. Brought together by a commitment to shared principles, this handmade community has validated the act of individual creation not only as a socially conscious alternative to mainstream mass production, but also as a respectable means of expressing oneself both for pleasure and for profit. Successful businesses such as Etsy.com and Renegade Handmade have evolved out of this movement and continue to attract new buyers and sellers who appreciate the unique quality experience of crafting. The D.I.Y. movement is not limited to crafting exclusively, however. Burgeoning artists have benefited from building on the ideals of this community as well. Lowbrow art has seen a quiet explosion over the past 10 years, especially amongst those in their twenties and thirties. This demographic seems to gravitate towards the popular, often nostalgic themes of lowbrow art and appreciates the idea that someone "like them" created it. Again successful endeavors like Flatstock poster show and DeviantArt.com exemplify the popularity of digital art and screenprinting, two very prevalent lowbrow artforms, and reflect the significance that getting to know the artist plays within this movement. 50/50 The Blurring of Art and Craft attempts to explore the blurring of lines between artists and crafters. By highlighting the skill and expression of creativity found in both the art and craft worlds, we hope to encourage further support of local artists and D.I.Y. businesses and to facilitate a rethinking of the relationship between art and consumerism within our American corporate run culture.

The Battle of Fort Dearborn was an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Native Americans that occurred on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is now Chicago, Illinois, but was then part of the Illinois Territory. The battle, which occurred during the War of 1812, followed the evacuation of the fort as ordered by William Hull, commander of the United States Army of the Northwest. The battle lasted about 15 minutes and resulted in a complete victory for the Native Americans. Fort Dearborn was burned down and those soldiers and settlers who survived were taken captive. Some were later ransomed. After the battle, however, settlers continued to seek to enter the area, the fort was rebuilt in 1816, and settlers and the government were now convinced that all Indians had to be removed from the territory, far away from the settlement.

St. Barbara's in Chicago (Kościół Świętej Barbary) - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois, at 2859 South Throop St.It is a prime example of the Polish Cathedral style of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with St. Mary of Perpetual Help, it is one of two monumental religious edifices that dominate the Bridgeport neighborhood's skyline.HistoryFounded in 1909 as a Polish parish to relieve overcrowding at St. Mary of Perpetual Help. Reverend Anthony Nawrocki, brother of St. Mary's pastor Stanislaus Nawrocki was the first pastor, thus the founding of the parish was literally a family affair in both the literal and figurative sense.ArchitectureThe church was designed by the firm of Worthmann and Steinbach who built many of the magnificent Polish Cathedrals in Chicago. The Renaissance style edifice was completed in 1914, it is one of the few octagonal houses of worship in the archdiocese. There are 25 stunning stained glass windows, depicting the Gospel, and the lives of the saints.