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History of Greektown
The people from Greece first made their way to the Chicago area in the 1840s.
Many of them were food peddlers meaning that they would sell small amounts
of foods to make a living. They first established the Greektown communityalso known as The Delta- around the Harrison, Blue Island and Halsted areas.
For a time, this area of Greek culture was the largest established community of
Greeks in the United States.
History of Greektown
As time continued on the food peddlers established restaurants and began
introducing Greek cuisine into American culture. In 1960 Greektown was
relocated to the north due to the Eisenhower Expressway, and the University of
Chicago being constructed.
History of Greektown
Most of the restaurants and businesses of Greektown have been around since
1970, and the language is spoken by some restaurant servers as well as
business owners. In 1996 Greektown was recognized by the city of Chicago,
and the city spent millions of dollars into maintaining streets, as well as adding
some Greek looking architecture throughout the neighborhood.
You get on the red line going south and get off at North and Clybourn. That
s literally the first stop underground. So you go up a bunch of stairs and
come out to the street.
Walk to Halsted which is right there not even a block.
Get on the Halsted bus (56) going away from the loop. Its a good 15
minute ride and get off on Jackson.
Appetizers
Greek
(Choriatiki)
Dakos
Horta (Boiled
Greens)
Pies
Tzatziki
Fries
Saganaki
Tirokafteri
Deep fried zucchini
Main Dishes
Pastitsio
Mousaka
Gemista (Stuffed
vegetables)
Red Meat
Gyros
Souvlaki
Pork ribs,
steak etc
White Meat
Many fishes
Chicken
Desert
Mpougatsa
Mosaiko
Loukoumades
Baklava
Amygdalota
Galaktoboureko
Athena
4.
Greek Islands
Zeus
a.
9 Muses
315 S Halsted St
3.
Artopolis
806 W Jackson
Blvd
306 S Halsted St
1.
Pan Hellenic
Pastry Shop
322 S Halsted St.
2.
Meli Cafe
301 S Halsted St
Pujas Reflection
It was a great experience learning about Greektown and how the community
comes together to make a great cultural place. It is really cool how they were
able to plan parades and maintain Greek architecture and bring that to a city
like Chicago to help others learn about their culture. The restaurants and
museums are great resources for outsiders to the community to learn more
about the Greek culture and I am glad I got to learn so much about the
community.
Stephens Reflection
I thought Greektown was a pretty awesome place. I am an immigrant of sorts, so it is fascinating to me to see how different
groups of people are bringing their culture, cuisine, and tradition to America. When we stepped off the bus one of the first things I
remember seeing was a CVS store which had Greek spelling on it as well as English. We went to a restaurant called Athena, and it
was some of the best food Ive had since coming to Chicago. I cant remember exactly what I did, but Maria scolded me in her
Greek language, probably because I ate the peppers which werent meant for eating but rather for flavoring in the cooking process.
Beforehand she had carried a conversation with the server in fluent Greek which was super cool to me, Ive always wanted to learn
a language that wasnt Spanish, although being able to speak Spanish is an excellent skill to possess. Im a very adventurous
person, and I love to travel so it was neat that a little piece of Greece was here and accessible in America. It was also really cool to
see how much fun Maria was having and it seemed as though she were back at home. It makes me jealous that Chicago doesnt
have a Canadatown! Nevertheless I believe there is a lot of merit to getting out of the American way of life, and finding something
outside of your comfort zone that makes you feel uncomfortable. Thats why I think so many people want to study abroad and
learn a new language.
Marias Reflection
My experience in one word? AWESOME. I was really excited on my way there
because I had missed both home and Greektown. I wanted to draw lines of
comparison between the area and Athens. Greektown seemed like any other
suburb of Chicago on the outside. But on the inside, it had the Greek spirit and
the liveliness of the Greek people. I knew it wasnt home, but it was close to it
and it certainly reminded me of all the value of the Greek people: family,
hospitality, love and passion.
Laylas Reflection
I am actually from Chicago and Greektown is one of my favorite neighborhoods. It is so similar in style
and food to my own culture which is under represented here in Chicago. My favorite restaurant in
Greektown is Athenas and thats where my group and I went. The waiters and whole restaurant
operate like any restaurant in Europe which reminds me of home. I ordered a chicken kabob with a
friend of mine who also came along. Soon Maria was scolding my friend not to eat the peppers and
onions, that they were only there for flavor. Maria however seemed to be in pure bliss. I feel like she
felt like she was at home. When we first got to Greektown there was a Walgreens with a sign that said
pharmacy in Greek. Even though we were still in Chicago I felt like it was a whole different city. The
little bakery shops and statues welcomed a person even more. Whenever Im going out with friends
and its up to me to decide where to go, its always a restaurant in Greektown and I think that says
enough about my experience and feelings of Greektown.
Some Pictures
Sources
"Greektown History." Greektownchicago. Virtus Creative Group, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
Grinnell, Max. "Greektown." Greektown. Encyclopedia of Chicago, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
"Greektown, a Chicago Neighborhood Visitor Guide from Chicago Traveler." Greektown, a Chicago
Neighborhood Visitor Guide from Chicago Traveler. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.