East Village Historic District

East Village is a dense residential neighborhood in Chicago's West Town area, about three miles northwest of the Loop. Of its 630 resources, 470 contribute to the district's character, including 563 primary buildings, 66 coach houses and a park. Most buildings date from 1870 to 1920 and are solid brick or stone, a choice likely influenced by fireproofing concerns after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Housing types include gable-front cottages, two- and three-flats, six-flats, walk-up apartments, and a smaller number of corner buildings combining shops and homes. Ornament draws on Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival and Classical Revival styles. The district was listed for its connection to Ethnic Heritage, as an area of first settlement for German immigrants who arrived during the city's rapid growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Narrow alleys, uniform lot sizes, tree-lined parkways and the Commercial Club Playground give the area a consistent, pedestrian-scaled character, although recent teardown construction has intruded in places.