Albany Park

Albany Park, eight miles northwest of the Loop, is one of the city's most ethnically diverse neighborhoods. It has long been a port of entry for immigrants and continues to be a springboard to the middle class for new families and entrepreneurs. The neighborhood got a major boost in 1978 when city government, the North River Commission, and the Lawrence Avenue Development Corporation cooperated to provide streetscape beautification, the Facade Rebate Program, low-interest loans, and other financing packages. Redevelopment efforts led to a decrease in commercial vacancies and an increase in residential property values in the 1980s and 1990s. Its main street, Lawrence Avenue, is lined with global markets, restaurants and shops representative of the more than 1,000 small “mom and pop” businesses on the neighborhood's commercial streets.

The lead agency in Albany Park is North River Commission, which also serves the North Park and Irving Park community areas.

Albany Park Community Area

Population

Population (2010)	55,504	down 3.7% from 2000
Racial/ethnic makeup (2010)	46% Latino, 32% white, 12.9% Asian

Housing

Total occupied units (2010)	9,884	down 5.8% from 2000
Owner occupied units (2010)	2,237	up 8.6% from 2000

Income

Median household income (2010)	$25,454	up 22.9% since 2000
Percentage above $50,000 (2010)	24%	12% above $75,000

Chicago Plans 2015 Ends…Chicago Plans 2016 Begins: Paolo Cisneros, Feb 2, 2016; The Chicago Plans 2016 application deadline for communities seeking to learn the ropes of community planning is Monday, February 29, 2016.
Want to Get People Back to Work? Fill the Basic Skills Gap: Lee Chilcote, Oct 27, 2014; Bridge programs help prepare workers for good jobs.
Cubs Charities Diamond Project a Home Run for Neighborhood Baseball: John McCarron, Oct 6, 2014; Community groups from around the city are getting funding and training to improve their youth baseball facilities, thanks to the Cubs and LISC.
Note to Small Biz: Loans Are Available: Elizabeth Duffrin, Jun 6, 2013; There’s good news for Mom and Pop corner stores, auto repair shops and your neighborhood taqueria. More loan options are available for small businesses than most realize.
ISU Teacher Pipeline Brings Gusher of Talent to CPS: Ed Finkel, May 21, 2013; Program that partners with LISC and its lead agencies brings Illinois State University education students into communities to student-teach, and sometimes to live; many return to work
Crowdfunding for Community Development? Yes Indeed: Patrick Barry, Apr 29, 2013; World Business Chicago is excited about the potential of the Kickstarter website to “catalyze reinvestment, grow small businesses and spur employment growth.”
Manufacturing Skills Go Regional ... and Personal: John McCarron, Jan 14, 2013; Jane Addams Resource Corp. trains Chicago’s unemployed for careers in the region’s promising “advanced” factory sector
Restaurant Crawl Offers Left Sides of Many Menus: Ed Finkel, Oct 28, 2011; How much could one hungry writer pack in during less than three hours at the Albany Park and North Park Restaurant Crawl?
Restaurant Crawl Should Keep ’Em Running Back: Ed Finkel, Oct 28, 2011; Designed to introduce and promote the community as a culinary destination, the second annual Albany Park and North Park Restaurant Crawl drew in people from at least as far as Wicker Park and Lincoln…
Sculptures Bring Beauty, Peace to Ronan Park: Ed Finkel, Jun 2, 2011; Groundbreaking for North River Commission-led project celebrates cultural blend
Comprehensive Community Development: Albany Park Works to Do More with Less: Ed Finkel, Feb 9, 2011; North River Commission leads Great Neighborhoods effort in Albany Park
Arts Program Has Lasting Impact on Communities: Jul 15, 2010; A couple years after its primary funding from The Joyce Foundation ran out, the Building Community Through the Arts program (BCA) continues to help sculpt community development efforts in all three…
Albany Park Ripe for New Business, Study Says: Aug 26, 2009; Despite the turbulent economy, the time is ripe for business expansion in Albany Park and Mayfair on Chicago’s Northwest Side.