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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 culturally 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 businesses owned by people of many different 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 influence,
today it is also known for its cultural diversity and wide variety of independently owned
businesses (History of Andersonville).

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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, which 35.2 percent of the population, or 15,433 people,
have attained. The second most common level is a graduate degree, which 26.7 percent of the
population, or 11,713 people, have attained. Following, 15.4 percent, or 6,770 people, have
received some college education, 9.1 percent, or 3174 people, have received no high school
education, 7.8 percent, or 3,408 people, have received some high school education, and 5.9
percent, 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 percent of residents were white, 10.80 percent
were Asian, 5.70 percent were black, 0.60 percent were American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut, 3.80
percent were multiracial, and 8.00 percent were of other races. In 2014, 21.60 percent of
Andersonville residents were of Hispanic ethnicity, while 78.30 percent 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, 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 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

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(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 eco-friendly 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, 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

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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 Lakewood-Balmoral 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 that I am
not used to. I am from the suburb of Arlington Heights, which is a relatively quiet residential
area. 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.
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

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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
neighborhood, 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 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 area near the shops and restaurants. However, for people who just want to

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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." CityData.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/Andersonville-Demographics2014.pdf>.