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Humboldt Park
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Neighborhood Promotion and Neighborhood Map Thumbnail
Explore This Neighborhood
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Humboldt Park continued...
Set off by two 59-foot-high steel Puerto Rican flags, this is a street of cafes and restaurants, of social services, of shops, of a Walk of Fame and not a few political-action agencies. Of the 50 or so murals in the general neighborhood, 10 are along this paseo, three of those on corner buildings at Division and Campbell Avenue (don't miss, especially, "Sea of Flags," on the northwest corner).
The eight Puerto Rican restaurants in the district range from the snazzy Coco ("modern Puerto Rican cuisine") to La Bruquena (mofongo like mama does it) to the humble La Plena (jibaritos! -- a sandwich using plantains instead of bread and a Chicago original).
There are festivals and parades year-round. Two especially popular ones: Fiestas Patronales (June) is a weeklong event, with food, music and cultural events; Fiesta Boricua averages 250,000 visitors on Labor Day weekend.
Eduardo Arocho is executive director of the Division Street Business Development Association. He was born in Chicago, grew up here and lives two blocks away from his Division Street office.
The Paseo, he concedes, is an attempt to keep the neighborhood Puerto Rican.
"We've already experienced gentrification in other parts of the city, and we want this to be our home long-term," says Arocho. Part of that is developing and maintaining the Paseo as a permanent part of the community "so everyone can come here and enjoy the rich culture of Puerto Rico -- the food, et cetera -- and add it to the many ethnic enclaves that Chicago has that are welcoming to people who come to Chicago."
About the park.
Humboldt Park is another of the city's great, sprawling (207 acres) parks established more than a century ago to provide ample green space in an increasingly urban environment. Like sister parks Garfield and Douglas, all much influenced by Danish-born designer Jens Jensen, Humboldt Park has lagoons, an historic field house, ball fields -- including a "mini-Wrigley Field" funded in part by the Cubs -- and walking trails.
The Prairie School boat house, recently renovated, was a Jensen inspiration. Humboldt is also the only Chicago park away from the lakefront with a sand beach.
"There's a lot of little carts selling Puerto Rican food in the park," says Arocho. Among the traditional goodies: codfish fritters and alcapurrias, a fried meat dumpling -- "typical food you'd find back home."
And across Division Street, the Humboldt Park Stable and Receptory (1895), still looking like a giant German-style hotel, has been fully restored and repurposed into the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.
More attractions unique to this unique neighborhood: the Chicago School of Guitar Making (weekend seminars available, if you're going to be in town a while), an adjunct to the Specimen Guitar Shop; Chicago Hot Glass, the city's only public access glass blowing studio (classes offered, if you're going to be here a while); and on the Paseo, the Dance Academy of Salsa (drop-ins welcome, if you're not going to be here a while).
You'll want to stay for dinner.
For more information about Humboldt Park, please contact:
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