Chicagoans well know that their neighborhoods are often overshadowed by the Loop’s luster. Portage Park is one of these hidden gems, offering up a wealth of history, culture, and art. As the site of the largest retail district outside the Loop, the visual backdrop of movies such as My Life and The Color of Money, and the spot where both Abraham Lincoln and John Dillinger legendarily stayed, this corner of Chicago has seen its share of glitz and glory. Discover Portage Park’s architectural treasures, whether in its place as a part of Chicago’s “Bungalow Belt,” its wealth of notable buildings spanning different genres and time periods, or its beautiful churches and grand movie palaces. Many peoples, beginning with Native Americans and going on to the Yankees, Irish, Scandinavians and eastern Europeans have made Portage Park their home, each adding their own unique contribution to the vibrant cultural landscape. The site of the largest concentration of Chicago’s legendary Polish population, it is also the place where immigrants left the inner city’s ethnic enclaves to take part in the American dream. Vintage photographs of the neighborhood and its people illustrate the saga of Portage Park’s development. 
Softcover, 6 x 9, 128 pgs.