50/50 Pilsen:the blurring of art and craft, Chicago IL | Nearby Businesses

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1915 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60616

Chinatown Square is a two-story outdoor mall located in Chinatown, Chicago, a mile (1.6 km) from the center of Chicago just North of the main Wentworth Avenue District (the main Chinatown Street). Chinatown Square, on 45acre of reclaimed land from a former railroad yard, houses mostly restaurants, retail space, boutiques, banks, clinics, beauty shops, and a handful of offices. This outdoor mall is the largest Chinese mall in the US east of San Francisco and west of New York City. In the middle of the mall, there are statues of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac from Xiamen, China. Other landmarks in the mall include twin pagodas.The mall opened in 1993 as a result of the efforts of Chinese activists who wanted more land from the city of Chicago. In the 1960s, Chinatown's land has been reduced due to the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/I-94) and the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). This created a problem of overcrowding and reduced the possibility of further expansion. On the present location of Chinatown Square, there was a large railroad yard in the 1980s. The conversion of this rail yard led to the creation of Chinatown Square, allowing for much needed commercial and residential expansion. New parks were created at the same time along the Chicago River. Chinatown Square was developed by the Chinese American Development Corporation.

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.

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.

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.