South Lawndale (Little Village)

In the 1970s, Little Village, or La Villita, became home to a growing Latino population as many Mexican and Mexican-Americans moved west from Pilsen, Chicago ’s principal port-of-entry for Mexican immigrants. La Villita has gained more than 30,000 residents since 1960 to reach 91,071 in the 2000 census, the highest ever. While 13 percent are African American, up from 9 percent in 1990, it is still predominantly Latino, with 83 percent Latino residents.

Mexicans from all over the Midwest visit Little Village’s vibrant 26th street retail district for the kinds of products they would find in Mexico. Home to many restaurants that serve the right mix of authentic Mexican food in a festive setting, La Villita is quickly becoming a tourist destination for non-Latinos as well. Though traffic along these streets has increased tremendously, most residents appreciate the business and are interested in keeping the dollars in their community.

Housing in Little Village is a mix of brick 2- and 3-flat buildings with some cottages, bungalows and frame houses scattered among them. Black, wrought iron fences line homes on just about every block. In 2005, more households had incomes above $35,000 (44 percent) than below $15,000 (23 percent), and the rate of owner-occupied housing inched up to 37 percent.

Properties NSP has acquired (or are under contract) for rehabilitation in South Lawndale.

Learn more about South Lawndale

South Lawndale, also called Little Village, is one of LISC/Chicago's New Communities Program neighborhoods. Enlace Chicago, a neighborhood organization, is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the residents of the Little Village community by fostering a physically safe and healthy environment in which to live and by championing opportunities for educational advancement and economic development.

Read an in-depth story about Little Village.

See a video about the neighborhood......