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Albany Park
Albany Park
	— Community area —
Community Area 14 - Albany Park
	Location within the city of Chicago
	Coordinates: 41°58.2′N 87°43.2′W / 41.97°N 87.72°WCoordinates: 41°58.2′N 87°43.2′W / 41.97°N 87.72°W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
City	Chicago
Neighborhoods	list Albany Park; Mayfair; North Mayfair; Ravenswood Manor
	Area
- Total	1.9 sq mi (5.00 km2)
	Population (2000)
- Total	57,656
- Density	29,865.7/sq mi (11,531.2/km2)
	population up 16.6% from 1990
	Demographics
- White	27.5%
- Black	3.31%
- Hispanic	46.4%
- Asian	17.7%
- Other	5.14%
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes	parts of 60625, 60630
Median income	$40,711
	Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

Albany Park is one of 77 well-defined Chicago, Illinois, community areas. It is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the Northwest Side of the City of Chicago, and one of the most ethnically diverse in the United States. It has one of highest percentages of foreign-born residents of neighborhoods in Chicago. Although the majority of those foreign-born residents are from Latin America, the majority from Mexico (especially from the state of Michoacán) and Guatemala, substantial numbers are from the Philippines, India, Korea, Cambodia, the Former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia), Romania, Pakistan and the Middle East (especially Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon). Over 40 different languages are spoken in its public schools. Due to the diverse population and immigrant population attraction, the population of the neighborhood has increased by 16.5% in the last decade.^[1] It is part of the 60625 zip code, which is known as one of the most diverse areas in the entire country.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Government Agencies

Libraries

Albany Park Branch

-5150 N. Kimball Avenue

Mayfair Branch

-4440 W. Lawrence Avenue

Police Department

4650 N. Pulaski Road - 17th District

Fire Department

Engine Co. 110

- 2322 West Foster Avenue

Engine Co. 89

- 3945 West Peterson Avenue

Engine Co. 124

- 4426 North Kedzie Avenue

Engine Co. 69

- 4017 North Tripp

Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 2nd Battalion 24th Marines

-3034-60 W. Foster Avenue

[edit] Transportation

The terminus for the Chicago Transit Authority's Ravenswood Brown Line ends at Lawrence and Kimball Avenues. Albany Park is accessible through the Kimball, Kedzie and Francisco stations of the Brown Line, the Montrose CTA Blue Line Station, as well as by the Edens expressway (Interstate 94). The name "Albany Park" refers both to one of Chicago's 77 official community areas and the traditional name of a neighborhood within that community. The official community is bounded very approximately by Foster Avenue and the North Branch of the Chicago River on the north, Montrose Avenue on the south, Elston Avenue on the southwest, and the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east. It is in Jefferson Park Township, which was annexed into Chicago in 1889.

Bus Routes

Lawrence Bus #81
Pulaski Bus #53
Montrose Bus #78
Kimball/Homan Bus #82
Irving Park #80
Foster Bus #92

[edit] Politics

Albany Park is also notorious for being the home of the former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich.

The area is one of the most Democratic of the country: In 2004, John Kerry won 22,800 votes (97.47%) to only 529 (2.26%) for George W. Bush. This is due to strong Democratic party involvement at the local level and Chicago's heavily Democratic tilt. Currently, Albany Park is in 3 wards. The 33rd ward (Alderman Richard Mell - Democrat), the 39th wards (Alderman Margaret Laurino - Democrat), and the 40th Ward (Alderman Patrick O'Connor - Democrat). Alderman Richard Mell is the father-in-law of former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

[edit] Elected Officials

State Representatives

Deborah L. Mell (District 40)
John D'Amico (District 15)
John A. Fritchey (District 11)
Gregory Harris (District 13)

State Senators

John J. Cullerton (District 6)
Iris Y. Martinez (District 20)
Ira I. Silverstein (District 8)
Heather Steans (District 7)

Aldermen

Richard Mell (33rd Ward)
Margaret Laurino (39th Ward)
Patrick O'Connor (40th Ward)

Cook County Commissioner

Robert Maldano (District 8)

[edit] Economy

Grupo TACA operates a Chicago-area TACA Satellite at 3107 West Lawrence Avenue.^[2]

[edit] Neighborhoods

The traditional neighborhoods within the official community are (including rough boundaries):

Albany Park: Bryn Mawr (5600 N), Montrose (4400 N), north branch of the river (about 3000 W), and Pulaski (4000 W).
Ravenswood Manor: Lawrence (4800 N), Montrose (4400 N), north branch of the river (about 2600 W), and Sacramento (3000 W).
Mayfair: Lawrence (4800 N), Montrose (4400 N), Pulaski (4000 W), and Cicero (4800 W).
North Mayfair: Bryn Mawr (5600 N), Lawrence (4800 N), Pulaski (4000 W), and Cicero (4800 W). www.northmayfair.org

Immediately to the north lie Northeastern Illinois University, North Park University, and the Bohemian National Cemetery.

[edit] Korean commercial district

The neighborhood has been the "Koreatown" of Chicago since the 1980s. The majority of Korean shops in Albany Park can be found on Lawrence Avenue (4800 North) between Kedzie (3200 West) and Pulaski (4000 West). This particular section of Lawrence Avenue has been officially nicknamed by the city of Chicago as "Seoul Drive" because of the multitude of Korean-owned enterprises on the street. Although many of the Korean Americans in the neighborhood have been moving to the north suburbs in recent years, it still retains its Korean flavor. Every year there is a Korean festival, and the neighborhood is home to a Korean television station (WOCH-CA Ch. 41) and radio station (1330 AM) as well as two Korean-language newspapers. There are still many Korean businesses interspersed among the newer Mexican bakeries and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Approximately 45% of the businesses on this particular stretch of Lawrence Avenue are owned by Korean-Americans.^[3]

[edit] Schools

Public Schools

Hibbard Elementary School
Haugan Magnet School
Budlong Elementary School
North River Elementary
Peterson Elementary
Waters Elementary
Volta Elementary
Chappell Elementary
ASPIRA at Haugan Middle School
Haugan Middle Campus
Albany Park Multicultural Academy
Roosevelt High School
Northside Prep High School
Von Steuben Metro Science Center
Amundsen High School
Edison Regional Gifted Center
Global Village
John M. Palmer Elementary

Private Schools

North Shore Junior Academy
Little Angels
Telshe High School
Gateway to Learning
St. Matthias Transfiguration

Universities

Northeastern Illinois University
North Park University

[edit] Parks & Recreation Facilities

Eugene Field Park
Gompers Park
Horner Park
Jensen Park
Kiwanis Park
Ravenswood Manor Park
River Park
Ronan Park
Buckeye Playlot Park
Buffalo Playlot Park
Jacob Playlot Park
Sunken Gardens Playlot Park
Vogle Playlot Park

[edit] Community Gardens

Drake Community Garden
Turtle Park Community Garden

[edit] Active Neighborhood Organizations

Albany Park Community Center
Albany Park Chamber of Commerce
Albany Park Neighborhood Council
Albany Park Theater Project
Christ Church
Healthy Albany Park Coalition
World Relief Chicago
North River Commission
Lawrence Avenue Development Corporation
Lawrence Hall Youth Services
Cambodian Association of Illinois
Young Women's Empowerment Project
Foresight Design Initiative
North Park Friendship Center
King Oscar Lodge
Mexico-US Solidarity Network
American Legion
Svithiod Independent Order
Irish American Heritage Center
Hanul Family Alliance
Friedman Place
North Mayfair Improvement Association
Mayfair Civic Organization
Ravenswood Manor Improvement Association
Korean American Community Services

[edit] References

^ http://www.roosevelt.edu/ima/pdfs/populationChangeChapter.pdf
^ "TACA Offices". Grupo TACA. http://www.taca.com/eng/cus/coff/coffouroff_planans.asp?id=55. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
^ http://www.falconliving.com/albany-park-real-estate.php

[edit] External links

[0] ttp://www.roosevelt.edu/ima/pdfs/populationChangeChapter.pdf

[1] "TACA Offices". Grupo TACA. http://www.taca.com/eng/cus/coff/coffouroff_planans.asp?id=55. Retrieved January 27, 2009.

[2] ttp://www.falconliving.com/albany-park-real-estate.php

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