Necklaces, earrings, and bracelets sit on the left side of the window resting on glass jewelry displays, and on the right side of the window you’ll see pastries and crepes set on decorative food displays. This is the place where Omar Valencia chose to set up his shop. His multi-purpose space—Oxala—has been located at...
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The Resurrection Project, a non-profit community development organization on the city’s Southwest Side, is building “La Casa,” a student-housing complex in the heart of Pilsen. According to project director Maria Bucio, La Casa, under construction at 1818 S. Paulina Street, was created to provide a dorm-like living space for students who otherwise might not...
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Refurbished antique furniture, vintage heeled loafers, stilettos, strappy high heels, record players and records from the 1960’s and beyond—set the stage for what lies within the four walls of this thrift store. The Pilsen Vintage and Thrift takes part in the  2nd Friday Gallery Night, also called Art Night, where local artists showcase their work...
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Pilsen commuters walk through more than turnstiles at the 18th Street ‘L’ Pink Line stop; they walk through brightly-colored Mexican history as told by Francisco Mendoza. Mendoza died on March 12 at the age of 53, and the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen held a wake for Mendoza on March 16. He...
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Chicago artist Francisco Mendoza, 53, teacher and well-known muralist, passed away from multiple myeloma Monday, March 12. Here is a look at his work and legacy.
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Benito Juarez High School, a South Side public high school, launched a new program in September 2011 in hopes of increasing college attendance of its students. Araceli Diaz, a college advisor who founded the program, said she hopes this program would help answer many questions not specifically addressed in college prep pamphlets. Diaz called...
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No progress has been made on renovating the field house at John Greenleaf Whittier Elementary School in Pilsen, and members of the Whittier Parent Youth Committee who spoke to the Chicago Public School Board last Wednesday say funding for the project is long overdue. “What we want is our money,” said Lisa Angonese, 50,...
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There is a lot of heart and soul painted onto the bricks that build Pilsen. Local artist Jeff Zimmermann’s four large-scale murals in a two-block span between 19th and Cullerton streets may not be the only works of art that color the neighborhood, but they stand out for their realism. When you look upon...
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A news report from Ed Finkel, New Communities Program Summer in the city has meant no shortage of outdoor activities in New Communities Program neighborhoods, ranging from the annual Basketball on the Block and Hoops in the Hood basketball leagues, to a blooming array of farmers markets and street festivals of all varieties. The...
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Like so many Chicago neighborhoods, Pilsen has been the subject of heated debate over the loaded word and process of gentrification. Community-based groups like the Pilsen Alliance have fought against increased development while local developers, including John Podmajersky III and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), continue to attract higher-income residents to the...
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