A Connections to Community Project by Spencer Gjerde, Anna Maria Mathew, Rebecca Overend, and Jessica Talwar

• Rogers Park• Easternmost point: Broadway & Sheridan• Westernmost point: Bartlett• Kane, Cook, and DuPage counties

• Devonshire, England 1850s• Farms and greenhouse

• Residential growth 1920s• Henry B. Rance

• Predominately Jewish neighborhood until the 1970s• Jews went to suburbs, Indians filled in stores•Affordable housing and business opportunities. 

• Immigration• Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi communities

• 2010 Census: 29.3% white, 28.6% Asian, 24.7% Hispanic, and 13.8% black

• 2010 Census: 8.8% population decline (fell from 29,400 in 2000 to a little more than 27,000 in 2010)

• Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity- Share street space and worship space.

• Middle-aged neighborhood (median ages: male – 41 y/o, female – 42 y/o)

• Majority employed in the service industry- Devon mostly made up of shops and restaurants.

• Evenly split between men and women

• Median household income in 2010: $57,847

Example of religious diversity: Islamic prayer in Naan on Devon

“Little India”Pakistani culture equally as prominentOne of Chicago’s

most diverse

neighborhoods 

Originally known

as Church

Avenue

Orthodox Jews, Assyrian Americans, Russian Americans, Indian

Americans, Pakistani Americans, and

Bangladeshi Americans

Naan on Devon King Sweets

In addition to Naan on Devon and King Sweets…

• Patel Brothers Grocery Store (food store)• Khan BBQ (restaurant)• Viceroy of India (restaurant)• Raaz (retail store)• My Niketan (retail store)

CTA (outside of ‘L’ stop) – Route #155

Multiple stops along Devon

“It was really cool for me to experience Indian culture because I had never really been exposed to it before.” – Rebecca

“I enjoyed being exposed to the food of another culture because food is my favorite thing.” - Spencer

“I enjoyed exploring the wonderful, fabulous, exciting Chicago with my Univ crew. Also, FOOD!!!!” – Anna Maria

“The diversity of people, stores, and lifestyles on Devon was amazing thing to witness.” - Jessica

• Bill Savage. "Rogers Park and West Ridge - History." Chicago Reader. N.p., 05 Feb. 2009. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.• "Devon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois." Devon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.• "Devon Avenue: A Selective Portrait of Religious Diversity in Chicago,

IL." The Pluralism Project. Harvard University, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.• Lautman, Victoria. "A Guide to Devon Avenue." Chicago Dining and

Drinking. Chicago Magazine, 5 Nov. 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.• "Little India/Devon Avenue." Big Shoulders Atlas: A Chicago

Neighborhoods Blog. N.p., 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.• Stone, Emily. "On Devon Avenue, Where It All Began." Crain's Chicago

Business. Crain's, 26 Nov. 2007. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

Credits:Spencer GjerdeAnna Maria MathewRebecca OverendJessica Talwar