BACK OF THE YARDS / GARFIELD BLVD.

The Back of the Yards and Garfield Boulevard community is in New City, one of the 77 official community areas of the City of Chicago, located on the southwest side of the city.  It is a blend of Irish-Americans in Canaryville, Mexican-Americans in Back of the Yards, and African Americans in Garfield Boulevard.  The area is an industrial and residential neighborhood that grew up around the former Union Stock Yards that were located here in the community until they closed in 1971.

 A Brief History

During the century between the Civil War and the 1960’s, the Union Stock Yards (founded in 1864) was one of the most important employers in the city, with over 40,000 workers at its peak.  Life in this neighborhood was profiled in Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle, and famously was organized by Saul Alinsky in the 1930s.  The area was formerly the town of Lake until it was annexed by Chicago in 1889.

The Union Stockyard Gate still stands in this richly historic part of the city at the intersection of Exchange Avenue and Peoria Street as it has for over 125 years, a memorial to the stockyards which gained Chicago the reputation as being “Hog Butcher to the World.”

Primarily residential with both single family and multi-units, this neighborhood is in the process of revitalization.  Active residents are taking part in block clubs, CAPS meetings, and organizations such as the Peace and Education Coalition and the Back of the Yards and New City Task Force to ensure continued growth of the community.

Back of the Yards has a bustling and vibrant retail area, located along 47th Street and Ashland Avenue.  This area includes many family-owned businesses, as well as national chain stores.  The Back of the Yard Neighborhood Council, established in 1939 by Saul Alinsky and Joseph Meegan, is considered to be one of the oldest community organizations in the United States.  Its renowned Ballet Folklorico has been giving the youth of the community a cultural focal point for nearly ten years.

Among the amenities of the neighborhood are an abundance of churches, schools and parks.  I-90/94 runs north and south through the east side of the neighborhood allowing easy access to commuters and travelers.

NeighborWorks Day, "Community Canvas" June 2011

Photos © 2011 by: Gail Bartlett, Pavel Trebuvov

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Including our Annual Awards Dinner leadership recipients

First Bilingual NeighborWorks® Center

The NHS Back of the Yards/Garfield Boulevard office is also home to the first NHS bilingual NeighborWorks® HomeOwnership Center in Chicago.  Generously sponsored by COUNTRY Financial, NeighborWorks®, and Park Federal Savings Bank, it offers community classes for first time buyers as well as foreclosure intervention workshops in Spanish. LEARN MORE.

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Dates for Spanish Workshop on Saturdays
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