What are the busiest, most concentrated areas of Black commerce in your city?
This topic interests me because in nearly every city across the US, black neighborhoods were almost systematically destroyed due to urban redevelopment, expressways, rioting, suburban flight, crime or other factors. Today, they are so few and far in between. Only NYC has neighborhoods close to their original state in abundance.
Chicago South Side:
79th Street -
http://g.co/maps/8723e Its one of the most intact streets on the South Side, even though it still suffered its own urban decay. It reaches its most vibrant point at 79th and Cottage Grove (pictured). It also has a good mix of bookstores, community centers, ethnic African/Jamaican shops and restaurants. Its one of the more diverse, best mixed-use examples of a majority black commercial street in the city.
47th/MLK Dr. (Green Line)
http://g.co/maps/yjrbg - This intersection in Bronzeville was historically the center of Black Chicago, with a storied history of music, politics and social change, like that of Harlem. It fell on hard times, and has been struggling ever since, but there are fragments of redevelopment, though its occurring very slowly. The potential is huge, as its walking distance to Hyde Park, beautiful architecture and rapid transit access.
Jeffrey/71st.
http://g.co/maps/gwqfd This is one of the more dense areas of the South Side (look at this aerial
http://binged.it/HZWtpl ), it also has a sizeable middle class population to support a diverse range of services. Whats interesting is the commuter rail that runs through it, at street level.
63rd/Western
http://g.co/maps/t98hs (picture most likely taken on Sunday morning). 63rd street is one of the most tragic stories in Chicago. 63rd/Halsted was once the second busiest commercial area in Chicago after downtown, now reduced to urban prairie. Even though the Green Line EL travels down two stretches of the street, most of what exists on 63rd are remnants of a vibrant past, until you go further west. In Englewood, Western/63rd starts a vibrant Black shopping district that increasingly becomes Latino the further west you travel.
111th/S.Michigan Avenue -
http://www.streetsandsoul.com/roundup/roundup296.jpg (my picture, google maps is cut off from this stretch for some reason) All the way in the "Wild 100's" or Roseland as its known technically, this stretch of street is akin to what kind of commercial activity you'll find in anyghetto USA. (hair, clothing, liquor, barbershops, cornerstores, currency exchanges). Its still vibrant enough to mention though.
West Side
Chicago Avenue -
http://g.co/maps/2z89n Chicago Avenue functions similar to 79th, but for the west side. There's no real intersection that's the most vibrant, as it maintains a decent level of activity for a long stretch
Madison and Pulaski -
http://g.co/maps/5wxze Similar to 111th and Michigan, This intersection is a busy during the day, but at night becomes a major area of vice you don't want to stumble into if you have no business there. Madison Avenue is also a tragic story similar to 63rd, if not worse. The Riots in the 60's obliterated most of the street.
Central/Lake (Green Line EL)
http://g.co/maps/pnshk Though its really not more than a block, its still worthwhile to mention for its resilience.
North Side
Howard St. -
http://g.co/maps/ng6kh At the Northern terminus of the Red Line is a notorious neighborhood, known as "The Jungle". It shares part of its border with South Evanston, which is also majority black. Numerous attempts have been made to gentrify this area, but they've mostly fallen flat. This area is also known for its large Jamaican and Haitian population.
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