In the 1850s and 60s, Swedish and German farming families settled along what is now Clark Street, which at that time was mostly swampland and sand dunes. By the early 20th century, Uptown was the north side's epicenter of entertainment and shopping, home to movie stars and gangsters alike.
Essanay Studios, one of the country's pioneering filmmaking companies, gave early starts to the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin, Gloria Swanson, and western star "Bronco Billy" Anderson (who, not so coincidentally, was one of Essanay's co-founders). Though the company went under during Hollywood's boom years, the original Essanay building still stands as an Uptown landmark.
Significant commercial development of the district took off in the 1920s while the economy was hot, transforming what was once a marshy mess into an architecturally distinctive pocket. The new office buildings and theaters drew new residents and visitors, including folks like Al Capone, who hung out at the Green Mill back when it was a speakeasy.
During the 1940s and 50s, Uptown was a Big Band mecca, with the Aragon Ballroom playing host to all the major stars of the day. Sinatra, Dorsey, Ellington, Miller, Goodman … you name ‘em, they played the Aragon. Other nearby entertainment hubs included the magnificent Uptown Theatre (Chicago's largest) and the Riviera.
Southeast Asian immigrants who settled around Argyle Street in the ensuing years added to Uptown's diverse cultural mix and created the section of town some call "Little Saigon" (or "New Chinatown"). Argyle Street is a top destination for authentic Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Laotian, and Cambodian cuisine.
Nowadays, Uptown is still a popular entertainment and retail locale. The Aragon and The Riviera are prime spots to catch top bands; the Green Mill still swings with live jazz and poetry. You can catch the long-running Chicago sketch show "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" at the Neo-Futurarium, and of course, gangster tours are always an option.
Montrose Harbor offers a wonderful beach (including a dog beach) and boat rentals. In Graceland Cemetery you can walk the tranquil grounds and see the final resting places of some of Chicago history's most important figures.
Fun Facts
- The first filmed version of "A Christmas Carol" was filmed at Uptown's Essanay Studios.
- The Aragon ballroom was designed to look like a Spanish village and was named for a province in Spain. In the years between its heyday as a Big Band ballroom and its later resurgence as a rock concert hall, the Aragon was at various times a boxing venue, a roller rink, and a disco.
- The featured film at the 1925 grand opening of the Uptown Theatre was "The Lady Who Lied" starring Lewis Stone and Virginia Valli.
- Famous Chicago luminaries interred at Graceland Cemetery include Marshall Field, George Pullman, and architects Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
