Norwood Park, Chicago

Norwood Park East

Norwood Park East is bounded by Niles, the north branch of the Chicago River, Devon Avenue, Indian Road, Austin Avenue, Bryn Mawr Avenue, Avondale Avenue and Harlem Avenue. The Roden branch of the Chicago Public Library system is located in the neighborhood. The public school that is located in the central part of the area and that the area is mostly zoned to is William J. Onahan Public School, located on West Raven Street. Rufus M. Hitch Public School, located on North McVicker Avenue, is in the area and zoned to as well. The neighborhood is also home to St. Thecla Catholic School and Parish.

Norwood Park West

Norwood Park West is bounded by Devon Avenue, Harlem Avenue, the Kennedy Expressway and Canfield Road. It is home to Edison Park Elementary School, as the school is not located in Edison Park. It is also home to Immaculate Conception Catholic School, Resurrection Medical Center and Resurrection High School.

Big Oaks

Big Oaks is bounded by Foster Avenue to the north, Nagle Avenue to the east, Gunnison Street to the south, and Harlem Avenue to the west. Opposite of the neighborhood's southern border at Gunnison Street is the suburb Harwood Heights, and an unincorporated area housing Ridgemoor Country Club. Many of the city's police officers live in Big Oaks, and in recent years the area has seen an increase in the number of Polish immigrants.

At one time, the area was dominated by a large golf course called Big Oaks Golf Course. In the early 1950s, the golf course was demolished and hundreds of homes replaced it.

The neighborhood contains two schools: Daniel Carter Beard Magnet School, located on West Strong Avenue, and St. Monica Catholic School, located on North Mont Clare Avenue.

Oriole Park

Oriole Park is bordered by the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) to the north, Foster Ave to the south, Harlem Avenue to the east, and Cumberland Avenue to the west.

The area is home to Oriole Park, which is located in the center of the neighborhood south of Bryn Mawr Avenue. The park covers over 18 acres (7.3 ha) of land. The park is a Chicago Park District facility.

The Oriole Park Library is located on Balmoral Avenue next to Oriole Park Elementary School. It operates under the Chicago Public Library.

The neighborhood contains two schools: Oriole Park Elementary School, located on Oketo and Balmoral Avenues, and St. Eugene Catholic School, located on Foster and Canfield Avenues.

Union Ridge

Union Ridge is bounded by Bryn Mawr, Foster, Nagle, and Harlem Avenues. Union Ridge contains one school, John W. Garvy Elementary School, located on Foster and Rutherford Avenues. Union Ridge Cemetery is located on Higgins and Talcott Avenues.

Relation to Grease Musical

A 2011 reproduction of the original Grease (musical) by American Theater Company in Chicago revisited Norwood Park's influence on the production. Creator Jim Jacobs attended Taft High School, which was used as the backdrop to Grease. Much of what is in the play is based on his experience growing up in Norwood Park during the 1950s and 1960s. He has stated that the characters of Grease were based on actual people he attended school with. During the reproduction, many Chicago references were put in, including references to the characters living on "Chicago's Northwest side" as middle class first-generation Americans with parents who worked in local factories. Also mentioned were local favorites, including Superdawg.

Serbian Community

The Norwood Park neighborhood has a substantial Serbian-American community, centered on Serbian Road and the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. 2013 census shows about 1,940 living here. There is a K-8 Serbian-American School, Saint Sava Academy, and an annual Serbian festival "Serb Fest" which takes place on Serbian Road. During 1990-1999 more than 500 Serbian families from Croatia and another 700 from Bosnia became settled refugees in Norwood Park. Although many have since moved into Edison Park, Park Ridge, Harwood Heights and Schiller Park. Norwood Park remains the hub of Serbian migrants in Chicago.

Education

Chicago Public Schools serves Norwood Park, as the aforementioned schools are located in and serve the area. Taft High School is in Norwood Park, serving the entire community area for public education.

Notable residents