Class Description
This seminar will explore seven of Chicago’s neighborhoods on the near North side through a series of readings and walking tours. After an introductory meeting at the Newberry, the seminar will meet in a different neighborhood each week to explore it on foot. All of the sites will be accessible by public transportation and directions will be provided. Participants should be prepared to walk as much as a mile and a half during the tours (although some will be shorter.)
We will study the history of each neighborhood's initial settlement and its changing population and popularity in the years since. We will examine the built environment of each area, paying attention to residential, commercial, and institutional architecture, infrastructure (streets, bridges, and other transportation systems), and landscape architecture. We will also study the community's distinctive local traditions, from festivals to foodways to art and religious practices.
Please read our Walking Tour Policies. The rain date is May 23.
Diane Dillon is a scholar in residence at the Newberry. She earned a PhD in the history of art at Yale.
Interested but not available on these days? Register for the other section of this class running on Wednesdays!
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 28
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Instructor-Distributed Materials
A Brief Syllabus
- Introductory meeting at the Newberry
- Old Town I—South of North Avenue
- Old Town II—North of North Avenue
- Gold Coast I—DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Astor Street
- Gold Coast II—State Street and Dearborn Parkway
- McCormickville
- Streeterville
- River North
Cost and Registration
8 Sessions, $300 ($270 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($300), Community Supported ($280), and Sponsor ($320). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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