Little Italy, UIC

Historically the stronghold of Chicago’s Italian immigrants, Little Italy is a diverse neighborhood with plenty of established Italian restaurants and more than a few Italian-run businesses to keep its heritage alive. Notably, the popular Scafuri Bakery with its fresh rolls, cookies and pastries is a great place to grab a bite before exploring the maze of streets and alleys that make up Little Italy.

The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is popular attraction and a great FREE place to spend an afternoon learning about the most famous athletes of Italian American descent. Be sure to stop by the Piazza DiMaggio to learn about the great Yankees slugger, Joe DiMaggio. Afterwards, stop by the Rosebud Café, a Chicago restaurant staple, for tremendous Italian sandwiches and colossal plates of spaghetti. Additionally, Little Italy has a wealth of beautiful Old-World inspired Roman Catholic churches, like Our Lady of Pompeii and Notre Dame de Chicago, available for tours and services.

Perhaps the most historically significant building in Little Italy is the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. Located at Halsted and Polk Streets, the Hull House was founded in the 19th century by social reformer Jane Addams as social services building for working class immigrants, providing health care and educational facilities in addition to a public kitchen, swimming pool and gymnasium. Now an admission-free museum dedicated to the Hull House’s important role in the community, visitors are given a brief tour with an accompanying presentation on the social reforms effected by Addams.

Nowadays, Little Italy is characterized in large part by the University Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus and the youthful infusion of so many students in the neighborhood. This change in demographic has not meant an abandonment of the neighborhood’s roots, however, and a visitor can expect to lose themselves in an afternoon exploring and experiencing Chicago’s rich Italian-American tapestry.

Located throughout the city, Chicago Tribute Markers of Distinction commemorate where notable Chicagoans lived and worked. A marker in University Village honors actor Paul Muni.

Read, Learn, Discover at the Chicago Public Library. Search programming and event information at your neighborhood branch.