Bronzeville (Chicago), Illinois

Bronzeville is a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is 10 minutes south of downtown and is considered the beginning of the South Side.

Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood encompasses the area from Pershing Road north to 31st Street, and from King Drive west to the Dan Ryan Expressway. The ZIP codes in Bronzeville are 60616, 60653 and 60609.

In the early 20th century, Bronzeville was known as the "Black Metropolis" -- one of the nation's most significant landmarks of African-American history. Between 1910 and 1920, during the peak of the “Great Migration” when many Southern residents moved north to escape the Jim Crow laws, the population of the area increased dramatically.

The area became known for its black culture, celebrating many of the nation’s legendary performers in music, including Louis Armstrong. At the Sunset Café, now Ace Meyers Hardware Store, 315 35th St., jazz legends such as Bix Beiderbecke, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, and of course, Armstrong, all played there. The club was allegedly run by mafia figures, and the musicians often had no choice but to keep playing there.

The Wabash YMCA in Bronzeville is considered the first African-American Y in the U.S. It remains open with the continued support of many of the black churches in the area. The YMCA is considered the birthplace of what has become Black History Month.

Noted people associated with the development of the area include: Andrew “Rube Foster, who founded the Negro Baseball League; Ida B. Wells, a civil rights activist and journalist who helped establish the NAACP; Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman pilot; Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American recipient of the Pulitzer Prize; Louis Armstrong, the legendary trumpet player who performed at many of the area’s night clubs; and Richard Wright, the author of the novel “Native Son.”

In Bronzeville, 47th Street remains the hub of the neighborhood. The area was hit hard during the Great Depression. From the 1940s and 1960s, high rise public housing projects were constructed in the area. These were managed by the Chicago Housing Authority. The largest complex was the Robert Taylor Homes, which were the center of social problems brought about by poverty and poor design. These buildings were demolished in the late 1990s and early 21st century to make way for better, safer housing.

The area is accessible via the Green and Red Lines of the CTA, as well as the Metra Electric District Main Line. In 2011 a new Metra stop, the Jones/Bronzeville stop, was opened to serve the neighborhood.

According to Pointtohomes.com the average or medium household income in Bronzeville is $35,839. In comparison, the city of Chicago’s average household income is $54,720. The median home price in Bronzeville is $154,166, while the median rent is $416 per unit. The racial makeup of Bronzeville: African-American 96 percent, 4 percent other.

Over 45 percent of Bronzeville residents have obtained less than a high school education. This is above city average, with Chicago at 19 percent for residents less with than a high school education.

Kreisman Law Offices handles Illinois lawsuits for the entire Chicago metropolitan area, including Bronzeville. Chicago's Robert D. Kreisman of Kreisman Law Offices has over 40 years of trial experience and specializes in a wide range of legal services, including Illinois personal injury law, mediations and arbitrations, Illinois product defect/product liability law, Illinois medical malpractice claims, real estate law and Illinois nursing home abuse cases. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.

Our Chicago loop office is in a convenient location for Bronzeville residents. Kreisman Law Offices is located at the corner of Dearborn and Monroe Streets. There are many convenient modes of public transportation to Kreisman Law Offices, including the Metra and CTA.