Day 232: Koreatown, “Seoul Drive”, Albany Park, Illinois
📌APIA Every Day (232) - Koreatown, also known as "Seoul Drive," in Albany Park, Illinois, emerged as Korean immigration to Chicago grew significantly following the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. By 1972, Chicago's Korean population had increased to 10,000, consisting mainly of professionals, graduate students, and Korean laborers who had previously worked in Germany and South America. Initially settling in the Lakeview neighborhood alongside Japanese and Swedish communities, the Korean population began migrating to Albany Park in the late 1970s. The move was driven by available storefronts along Lawrence Avenue and city incentives for business development.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the neighborhood around Lawrence and Kimball Avenues blossomed into a dynamic Korean business district known as "Seoul Drive." This area developed a complete commercial network, including grocery stores, restaurants, insurance firms, video stores, bakeries, travel agencies, nightclubs, and noraebangs (singing rooms). By 1991, Albany Park was the hub of Chicago's largest Korean community, home to nearly 35,000 residents and 428 Korean-owned businesses. However, starting in the 1990s, the community began to disperse. By 1992, more than 22,000 Koreans had moved to the northwest suburbs, seeking better educational opportunities for their children. While the business district continued to thrive into the early 2000s, it eventually weakened as local Korean residents relocated.
Today, the Korean business presence in Albany Park has notably diminished. Factors contributing to this decline include the retirement of the first generation of Korean merchants, whose children pursued professional careers outside of retail; the economic impact of the 2007 Great Recession; and a significant reduction in Korean immigration to Illinois. Unlike Chicago's Chinatown, which has retained its vibrancy through continuous immigration, Korean immigration to Illinois sharply declined by the 1990s as South Korea's economy improved, prompting newer immigrants to settle in other states. The remaining Korean businesses in Albany Park have adapted to cater to the growing Latino population or have closed altogether, while newer Korean establishments have flourished in suburban areas following the relocation of their customer base.
LEARN MORE:
Midstory: The Complicated Legacy and Future of Chicago’s Koreatown
Chicago Patterns: A Walking Tour of Albany Park’s Corner Buildings
The University of Chicago: The History of Albany Park
WBEZ Chicago: A Sign From The Past: What Happened To Chicago's Koreatown?
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