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Brendan OBrien
Stephanie Sferra
UNIV 101 034H
25 October 2016
Connections to Community: Research
Present-day Andersonville is known as being a very diverse neighborhood.
However, this was not always the case. According to Andersonville.org, Andersonville
first came into being after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After the fire destroyed much
of the city of Chicago, wooden homes were then outlawed in the city. During this time,
there were many Swedish immigrants in Chicago who were relatively poor and could not
afford to comply by these new standards by building new homes out of materials such as
stone or brick. Therefore, the Swedish immigrants began to move north into the area that
is known as Andersonville today. As they continued to arrive through the start of the
twentieth century, Swedish immigrants began to open various kinds of businesses,
including stores and bakeries, as well as churches of various different Christian
backgrounds, representing the religious diversity of these immigrants. Although there are
some businesses owned by people of other ethnic backgrounds in Andersonville today,
such as Koreans, Lebanese, and Mexicans, many are still owned by Swedes. In addition,
various efforts have been taken to uphold and respect the Swedish influence on the
neighborhood, such as by the creation of the Swedish American Museum in 1976. In the
1980s, a large lesbian and gay community began to develop in Andersonville, one of the
largest in Chicago today. While Andersonville maintains a large Swedish population and

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influence, today it is also known for its cultural diversity and wide variety of
independently-owned businesses (History of Andersonville).
Andersonville is diverse not only in terms of culture, but in just about every other
aspect as well. According to Point2Homes.com, in terms of level of education attained,
the most common level is a bachelors degree, 35.2% of the population, or 15,433 people,
have attained. The second most common level is a graduate degree, which 26.7% of the
population, or 11,713 people, have attained. Following, 15.4%, or 6,770 people, have
received some college education, 9.1%, or 3174 people, have received no high school
education, 7.8%, or 3,408 people, have received some high school education, and 5.9%,
or 2,605 people, have attained an associates degree (Andersonville).
Although Andersonville was historically a predominantly Swedish neighborhood,
it has diversified over the years and now encompasses a broad range of racial and ethnic
groups. According to Andersonville.org, in 2014, 70.80% of residents were white,
10.80% were Asian, 5.70% were black, 0.60% were American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut,
3.80% were multiracial, and 8.00% were of another race. In 2014, 21.60% of
Andersonville residents were of Hispanic ethnicity, while 78.30% were not (2014A
Demographics).
Although I was not able to find any published statistics on the religious
demographics of Andersonville, it is clear that the neighborhood is a predominantly
Christian area by the fact that the majority of the religious institutions are Christian. This
makes sense, as the first residents of Andersonville, the Swedish immigrants, were of
various Christian backgrounds. According to Andersonville.org, of the seventeen
religious organizations in Andersonville, fourteen are Christian churches, two are Jewish

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synagogues, and one is a Muslim mosque. The Christian churches encompass many
different branches of Christianity, including Lutheran, Baptist, United Methodist,
Evangelical, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, and the United Church of Christ (Neighborhood
Resources). Andersonvilles nondenominational Christian church, Philadelphia Church,
recognizes this diversity and aims at bringing the Andersonville community, a
neighborhood of many nationalities and backgrounds, together (Philadelphia Church).
In terms of income, according to City-Data.com, the median household income in
Andersonville in 2013 was $59,345, quite a bit higher than the Chicago median of
$47,099. The median rent in Andersonville in 2013 was $1,056, slightly higher than the
Chicago median rent of $836 (Andersonville Neighborhood in Chicago).
Because Andersonville has such a heavy Swedish influence, many of its
landmarks and attractions reflect its Swedish heritage. For example, according to
ChooseChicago.com, one of Andersonvilles main attractions is the Swedish American
Museum, which opened in 1976 and has many different exhibits and artifacts that portray
Swedish culture and depict the difficulties that Swedish immigrants faced as they
immigrated to the United States and, specifically, Chicago in the nineteenth century.
Andersonville is also home to the Swedish Bakery, which is well-known throughout the
city, as well as the Edgewood Historical Society, another neighborhood museum (Things
to Do in Andersonville).
Throughout the neighborhood of Andersonville, its commitment to being ecofriendly is evident. According to Andersonville.org, Andersonvilles eco-Andersonville
program is Chicagos first neighborhood-wide residential composting program
(History of Andersonville). In addition, the neighborhood contains two People Spots,

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which are green spaces meant for socializing that were once parking spaces (History of
Andersonville).
The Andersonville Galleria, a retail market building with over ninety tenants,
represents the predominance of small, locally-owned businesses in Andersonville. The
Andersonville Galleria brings many of these smaller businesses together into one location
so that people can purchase many different kinds of items, including clothing, jewelry,
antiques, and artwork (Things to do in Andersonville). Another major attraction in
Andersonville is the Neo-Futurist Theater, which is based in a home. The Neo-Futurists, a
relatively well-known group, create a fast-paced, immediate and original live
experience by creating theater that is a fusion of sport, poetry, and living-newspaper
(Things to do in Andersonville). Finally, Andersonville is home to the LakewoodBalmoral District, a collection of Victorian homes built in 1885-1896 that were designed
by many of Chicagos finest architects (Things to do in Andersonville).
Andersonville is easily accessible from Loyola University Chicago. In order to get
to Andersonville, one should go the Loyola Red Line station and take the Red Line to
either the Bryn Mawr stop (third stop after Loyola) or the Berwyn stop (fourth stop after
Loyola). The Berwyn stop is slightly closer to the commercial area of Andersonville.
After getting off at the Berwyn stop, one should walk about a half mile west in order to
get to the main part of Andersonville.

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Connections to Community: Reflection
For my Connections to Community assignment, I went to the neighborhood of
Andersonville. I went with my two group members, Dina and Keana. We went to
Andersonville last Thursday, October 20.
It took a bit of planning ahead and organizing for our group to be able to find a
time to go to Andersonville that worked for all of us. We all made it a priority to plan a
day to go, but our different class schedules and extracurricular activity schedules made it
a bit difficult. However, once we all suggested a couple of dates and were willing to be
flexible, we were able to decide on a day that worked for all of us, and it ended up
working out well. Once we actually got there, I really enjoyed visiting this neighborhood.
I had done some research ahead of time about the landmarks and attractions in the
neighborhood, but I really believe that you cant get a true feel for a neighborhood until
you actually go there. I enjoyed visiting Andersonville because it felt like a combination
of the suburbs and the city to me. There were residential parts of the neighborhood that
seemed more suburban, as the streets were quieter and there wasnt a lot of action.
However, once we actually got to the part of the neighborhood with all of the shops,
restaurants, and other attractions, there was definitely a lot more action, and it felt like we
were in the city at that time. For me, having this balance in the neighborhood was
something new. I am from the suburb of Arlington Heights, which is a residential area
with very little action and commotion going on. Now that I live on Loyolas campus and
experience the hustle-and-bustle of the big city, I realize how different it is from the
suburbs. Andersonville seemed to combine the two extremes for me, which allowed me
to see the neighborhood from an interesting perspective.

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For the most part, I would say that I felt like an observer while I was visiting
Andersonville. Everyone there seemed very friendly, and I could definitely tell that the
neighborhood had a strong sense of community, so I felt welcomed there. However, since
we were only there for a short time and didnt truly get to be immersed into the daily
culture of the city, I didnt quite feel like an insider either. I was a little nervous about
taking the Red Line and visiting a neighborhood in Chicago that I had not been to before,
since I am used to the comfort of suburban Arlington Heights, where I have been my
whole life, but once I actually got to Andersonville, I felt comfortable being there. I saw
people of many different ages, walking by themselves and with other people, and since I
could sense that they all felt safe, I felt safe there as well. My favorite part of my visit to
Andersonville was going to an ice cream shop called Georges Ice Cream & Sweets. First
and foremost, the ice cream was absolutely delicious and was reasonably priced as well.
In addition, the appearance and environment of this ice cream shop made the experience
even better. It was kind of old-fashioned looking and had a wide array of different
decorations, including Halloween decorations as well as various different posters and
paintings. In addition, the store also had a bakery section, as well as a candy and popcorn
section. In the suburbs and even near Loyola, most ice cream and dessert places are
chains that serve a limited number of items. Therefore, I really enjoyed being able to go
to Georges, which was not only a locally-owned business, but had a wide variety of
menu items as well. Although pretty much everything about Andersonville pleased me, I
would say that my least favorite part of my visit was the distance between the main,
downtown part of Andersonville and the Red Line station. Once we figured out where
we were going, it was about a ten-minute walk from the Berwyn Red Line station to

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Georges Ice Cream, which was where we went first. We had to walk through the
residential area, which was nice for us, since we wanted to be able to get a feel for this
area as well as the main area. However, for people who just want to go to Andersonville
to eat or shop, I could see how this might be a bit annoying, and they would probably like
the downtown area to be a bit more easily accessible.
From doing this project, I learned that oftentimes trying new things, even if it
means going a bit out of my comfort zone, can lead to a great experience. Visiting
Andersonville made me realize how much of Chicago I have not seen, or even heard
about, yet. Prior to starting this project, I had not even heard of Andersonville, and I
know that this is still true of many other neighborhoods in Chicago. Growing up, I was
always kind of taught that there were good parts and bad parts of Chicago. Once I
started visiting colleges, and specifically once I got to Loyola and started doing this
project, I learned that these classifications are not entirely accurate. Good and bad
are very subjective terms, and I have learned that each neighborhood in Chicago has a
unique culture and has something different to offer. As long as I am being smart about it
and taking proper safety precautions, many of which are common sense, I have learned
that I should be more willing to explore new areas that I have not previously been to,
even if it means going slightly out of my comfort zone. Therefore, by doing this project, I
learned how up until I got to Loyola, I have kind of been living inside of a bubble,
living in the same suburb for my whole life, being surrounded by the same people,
restaurants, stores, and venues. Now, I realize that I essentially have access to the whole
city of Chicago, and I am going to try to be more open to going to new places, trying new
things, and gaining new experiences.

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Works Cited
Andersonville." Point2Homes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/IL/Chicago/AndersonvilleDemographics.html>.
"Andersonville Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60640, 60660 Detailed Profile."
City-Data.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016. <http://www.citydata.com/neighborhood/Andersonville-Chicago-IL.html>.
"History of Andersonville." Andersonville.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.andersonville.org/the-neighborhood/history/>.
"Neighborhood Resources." Andersonville.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.andersonville.org/the-neighborhood/neighborhood-resources/>.
Philadelphia Church. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016. <http://www.pc-onclark.org/about>.
"Things to Do in Andersonville." ChooseChicago.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods-andcommunities/andersonville/things-to-do/>.
"2014A Demographics." Andersonville.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.andersonville.org/wp-content/uploads/AndersonvilleDemographics-2014.pdf>.