Chicago: Now With A Lower West Side?
Having lived in this town my entire life, it was news to me that the neighborhood I had been calling “Pilsen” some now call the “Lower West Side” of Chicago. Could this be much more than a case of creeping Manhattanism foisted upon Chicago by developers and recent arrivals nervously forcing a cheesy, artificial cachet onto their endavors?
The jury’s out on that, but I do know that Google can’t find a single instance of the phrase “lower west side of Chicago” prior to 2001, and even today can only find about 250 references in its entire massive index. It’s hardly a success as a renaming with numbers like those, but the growth rate gives pause.
Where did I first become aware of the renaming? At none other than Chicagoist, a “Chicago” site syndicated out of…wait for it…New York.
I have no problem with New York. Love the place. But I’ll tell you what, guys. Don’t call Pilsen the “Lower West Side” and I won’t call Mulberry Street…Tri-Taylor. Now get outta here, and take your floppy pizza with you.
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I’m constantly suprised by the neighborhood names I hear. None more than West Ridge for West Rogers Park, it certainly news to some who grew up there.
Look at how far Back of the Yards has come after dropping its original name, “Fetid Animal Corpse Dump.”