From: A Short History of Englewood, Chicago

History has aptly conveyed Chicago’s unique and colorful character through its many nicknames: The Windy City, The City of Big Shoulder, the “I will” City, and City of the Century. Today, it is primarily known as the city of neighborhoods. Centuries of immigration have created a patchwork landscape of ethnic communities. These conclaves of diversity maintain many of their native customs and traditions. Maybe, this is what makes Chicago the most American of cities. Each of the seventy-seven neighborhoods in Chicago has a distinctive history. Once, over one thousand trains would pass through Englewood in one day. It was the brass ring for immigrant families coming from the Stockyard shanties two miles north. Englewood’s businesses and stores rivaled the finest shops in Chicago. But today it is conspicuously missing from most tourist maps.

There have been 2 shootings of young girls in Englewood over the past two weeks. I worked in Englewood for 4 years. You can read a bit more about my experiences after the bump

Technorati Tags: Crime, Justice, Juvenile Justice, Shootings

At the time I worked in Englewood, it had the second highest murder rate in Chicago and the highest rate of Sexual Assaults. Despite that, I never felt threatened there. Furthermore, there were aspects of the community I loved. Everyone knew one another, and for the most part, they got along. Entire blocks are made up of extended families, and if you were accepted by one aspect of the family, the entire family accepted you..

At the same time, during the winter, it was incredibly difficult to get to my work site–the streets were covered in snow. Any serious rain meant something flooded. Services were beyond difficult to delivery.

I doubt that the past two years have changed much in Englewood; even the violence has stayed the same.

Englewood needs, and deserves, more.