Location:
- Bronzeville is a neighborhood located on the South Side of Chicago that encompasses the Douglas, Grand Boulevard, and Oakland communities.
- It is home to institutions such as the Illinois Institute of Technology, VanderCook College of Music, and Illinois College of Optometry.
- The neighborhood is accessible through the Green and Red lines of the Chicago Transit Authority and the Metra Electric District Main Line.
- In 2011, the Jones/Bronzeville Station opened to serve the area and is part of the Rock Island and planned SouthEast Service.
- Bronzeville is located in Chicago’s 3rd ward, currently represented by Alderman Pat Dowell. It was once known as the “Black Metropolis” in the early 20th century and was one of the nation’s largest concentrations of African-American businesses and culture.
- The population of the area grew rapidly during the Great Migration as thousands of African Americans migrated to Chicago for industrial jobs. The Wabash YMCA, the first black Y in the U.S., remains active today and was the birthplace of Black History Month.
- The neighborhood was named after Louis B. Anderson’s house, Bronzeville, which was built by architects Michaelsen & Rognstad in 1922.
- Bronzeville has produced many notable figures including Rube Foster, Ida B. Wells, Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, Bessie Coleman, Gwendolyn Brooks, Marla Gibbs, Jennifer Beals, Minnie Riperton, Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Lil Hardin Armstrong.
- The neighborhood also includes the Chicago Landmark Black Metropolis-Bronzeville District and 47th Street remains its hub.
- Bronzeville faced challenges in the mid-20th century with the construction of high-rise public housing projects, including the Robert Taylor Homes, which faced social issues and poverty.
- The nickname “Bronzeville” refers to the brown skin color of the black residents and was first used by James J. Gentry in 1930. The neighborhood is also the setting of Sara Paretsky’s detective novel “Blacklist.” Historical images of Bronzeville can be found in the digital repository “Explore Chicago Collections.”
Surface Area:
- Bronzeville’s total surface area is 2.71 mi2.
Average Yearly Rent:
- Bronzeville’s yearly rent is $1,750.
Average Home Price:
- Bronzeville’s average home price is $320,000.
Population:
- Bronzeville’s total population as of 2020 is approximately 21,000.
Population Density:
- Bronzeville’s total population density as of 2020 is approximately 7,749/sq. mi.
Transit Systems:
- Bronzeville has bus and subway systems servicing the total area.
- The Red Line and Green Line service the area.
City Type:
- Bronzeville is primarily a service-based economic type.
Major Universities:
Prediction (1-2 Year):
- Bronzeville’s yearly rent will rise 1% between $1,768.
- Bronzeville’s average home price will stay around $320,000 – $323,000.
YourbanPulse Rating (Investment Potential):
- 3.7/5.0
- Bronzeville seems to be on the upswing when it comes to investment potential as a center for Black professionals in the city, but things like crime still plague the area which has hampered the score.
- But Chicago is a resilient city and things like private security to help with crime is a step in the right direction.