Western Avenue/Boulevard
Gage Park's easternmost street, and arguably its most historic, juxtaposes the neighborhood's greenest space with its scattered commercial and industrial businesses.
Straight out of the Orange Line's Western stop, one can spot an example of what used to be Gage Park's bread and butter. The Western Avenue (even though its technically on the Boulevard) has served most of the Southwest's water needs since 1927. this station fueled a wave of the "Bungalow Boom" and continues to be regarded as on of Gage's most important locations.
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Neighborhoods with "Park" in their name are almost guaranteed to hold big spaces where the family can visit on a warm day. The park offers an elevated open field, three soccer fields, five baseball/softball diamonds, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a playground, a track, and an outdoor handball field. On very hot days, one can enjoy the fieldhouse's traditional folkway indoor mural.
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51st Street
A street gaining popularity for its family owned restaurants, emerging now as a notable place to eat.
La Placita prides itself in its authentic Durango taste and friendly service. Careful preparation coupled with made-from-scratch cuisine makes the customer feel like he's tasting food made from abuelita's hands. While the restaurant's tacos with slow cooked lean-cut meat; burritos with 100% hand-made flour; and gorditas with hand-made maiz or harina served alongside fresh salsa are to die for, loyal customers will tell you that the Tortas are where it's at. One can't really go wrong with any order.
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California Ave.
A traditionally eastern European street the area remains residential.
Despite what many think, Gage Park does not lack cultural or arts centers. St. Simon offers a beautiful interior with close attention to detail an elements from the present generation. Although the church is often mistaken for others, the parish is unique in its close community and unmistakable spirit.
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55th Street
A short line of new and relatively unknown businesses sprinkled with other points of interest
St. Clare of Montefalco is another small community church with a very loyal parish. Its stained glass windows and traditional chapel style remains from its days serving its Eastern European community. Today, members are predominantly Hispanic and come from other parts of town to enjoy Sunday service and pray in front of images of St. Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe.
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Mezquite Pollo Express uses a real charcoal grill to make food, adding just that added bit of authenticity to its homemade recipes. Attracts business from other neighborhoods, offers a friendly staff, and clean look.
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St. Gall has seen waves of immigrants during its 116 years. Poles, Irish, and Latinos have influenced its architecture and decor. It is one of the neighborhood's most beloved structures due to its priority on serving the community. The current pastor Gary Graf made national headlines by crossing the US-Mexican border illegally to understand what it was like for his parish.
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The 43 year old restaurant has a veteran family running its parlor. The Pizza Castle specializes in thin-crust and stuffed pizza, but is known for its specialty pizzas and housemade sausages. Totally check out this neighborhood favorite and its wall, which features the neighborhood kids' costumes throughout the years and the parlor's evolution. The staff is friendly and service is quick.
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Paleteria El Sabor de Michoacan is one of the most consistently packed and widely-known businesses in Chicago's southwest side. Although it is a new business, it does not fail to appeal to its customers. I recommend the mangonadas or yogurt con frutas
Opened in 1999, ten years after The Grand Truck and Western Railroad announced a conversion of unused railroad yard into blue-collar neighborhood, Gage Park pled with the alderman to block the project and make a park. One of two parks in the underserved neighborhood, Senka has seen great changes in its features: converting a tennis court into a volleyball court; a roller-rink into an artificial turf soccer pitch; taking away benches and making a dirt path for runners; and letting an unused softball field turn green for an open soccer field.
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Kedzie Ave.
Competes with the neighborhood's 59th St. strip for the most power in business
In Gage, one is more likely to run into a more modest bakery with breads that remind one of their childhood in Latinamerica; unless you run into La France. Starting off the 54th and Kedzie Trifecta of small businesses is La France Bakery. Although they offer small Mexican pastries, La France specializes in the magnificent. Their unique and high quality cakes are found in almost any of the neighborhood's parties: whether it be for a birthday, wedding, or holiday.
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Even though its older brothers in Little Village and Pilsen are better known, this location has the same authenticity and childhood excitement when you enter the door and smell the cooked beef and toasted bread. To make it better, the tortas are influenced by Mexican and International soccer teams and stars and their respective regions. Although a small restaurant in capacity, Dona Torta's tortas are HUGE. It would take the whole broadcast of a soccer game just to finish one of these bad boys.
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The last of the trio is Scelebrations, a small clothing business that specializes in dresses and is considered one of Chicago's top destinations for quinceaneras looking for that perfect, elegant dress
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