Englewood | |
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Community area | |
Community Area 68 - Englewood | |
The intersection of 63rd and Halsted, looking south. The Halsted 'L' station can be seen crossing Halsted in the distance. Kennedy-King College occupies the buildings on the left of the photo. The building on the right burned in 2014.
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Location within the city of Chicago |
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Coordinates: 41°46′47.23″N 87°38′41.2″W / 41.7797861°N 87.644778°WCoordinates: 41°46′47.23″N 87°38′41.2″W / 41.7797861°N 87.644778°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Illinois |
County | Cook |
City | Chicago |
Neighborhoods |
list
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Area | |
• Total | 3.09 sq mi (8.00 km2) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 30,654 |
• Density | 9,900/sq mi (3,800/km2) |
Demographics (2010) | |
• White | 0.34% |
• Black | 97.37% |
• Hispanic | 1.06% |
• Asian | 0.11% |
• Other | 1.12% |
Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP Codes | part of 60621 |
Area code(s) | 773 |
Median income | $19,743 |
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services |
Englewood is one of the 77 official community areas in Chicago, Illinois, United States. At its peak population in 1960, over 97,000 people lived in its approximately 3 square miles (7.8 km2), but the neighborhood's population has since dropped dramatically. In 2000, it had a population of approximately 40,000 inhabitants, and the 2010 census indicated that its population has further declined to approximately 30,000. Englewood is bordered by Garfield Boulevard to the north, 75th Street to the south, Western Avenue to the west, and State Street to the east. It is located on the southwest side of Chicago.
Before the city of Chicago was established, the area that is now Englewood was largely swampland inhabited by Mascouten Indians. In 1839, the US Government Land Office of Chicago stated that the land was habitable. In the 1850s and 1860s, as Chicago was becoming a city of railroad tracks and economic prosperity, Englewood was just another supporting neighborhood. But in 1871, when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed a large portion of Chicago, residents moved to the outskirts such as Englewood. Englewood's railroad connections to downtown Chicago made it a convenient location, and the neighborhood's population grew rapidly. Englewood Station once served many railroad passengers; in 1889, over 1,000 trains would pass through Englewood every day.
Englewood was the home of Dr. H. H. Holmes, one of the first publicized serial murderers in America. His hotel at Wallace and 63rd streets was the scene of most of his crimes and earned it the sobriquet "Murder Castle".
The Englewood community was largely defined by the Englewood Shopping Center at 63rd & Halsted, a large pedestrian mall. The City, social services, and mall management worked with community leaders and groups to integrate the mall with the community. The goal was to make the mall a vital part of the community, and a central part of everyday life. It was the site of numerous community events, parades, outdoor concerts, live radio broadcasts and the like. This was spearheaded by the Englewood Business Men's Association and its director, Richard Drew. Mr. Drew died in 1978, and with his passing the Association lost its community focus. The Center subsequently lost its major anchor tenants, including Sears Roebuck, and became a collection of smaller merchants.