During the spring, summer, and fall seasons (sometimes winter), Little Village is bustling with people. Crowds soak up the scenery, culture, local businesses, and most importantly of all…the food. Little Village is predominantly made up of Mexican American, often referred to as “La Villita” (La Vee-yee-ta) by the locals and is part of the South Lawndale community area. Known as the “Mexico of the Midwest,” Little Village is a vibrant and rich neighborhood with Mexican American culture inspiration and art everywhere, and nearly 1,000 locally owned businesses in the area. The people in the community love supporting their local businesses and some have decades operating in Little Village.
Nuevo Leon Restaurant located at 657 W 26th St.
A new restaurant has recently opened up its doors in Little Village. The father-and-son owners, Inocencio and Marcos Carbajal, have expanded their Carnitas Uruapan restaurant. This is Carbajals’ third location, 3801 W. 26th Street, which their menu will also feature beer and cocktails, key items their two other restaurants locations are lacking on the menu. Marcos Carbajal, the second-generation restaurateur whose father built the carnitas emporium in Pilsen, discussed about expanding the family-owned business into Little Village. “It Feels like a full circle moment…Little Village feels very much like a place where I’m at home, it’s almost like stepping back in time, it feels very familiar, with street vendors, you hear Spanish everywhere, it’s just kind of a throwback vibe for us.” Said Carbajal. Little Village has blossomed over the years from a strong support from the community. While most folks in Little Village call Chicago home, some of the locals aren’t usually aware of how it all started…it’s always important to learn the history before the year you were born – best way to learn some interesting and fun facts.
New Carnitas Uruapan restaurant located at 3801 W. 26th St.
Little Village before it became “La Villita”
Before La Villita got its nickname, Little Village first saw an influx of German, Czech, and Polish immigrants to the neighborhood following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. During that time, many people in the community worked in the local factories and has been a working-class community since then. Fleeing the overcrowding in Pilsen, they had become the major ethnic group by WWII. The neighborhood centered around 26th street became known as “Czech California”. In the last half of the 20th century, most Bohemian, Polish, and other Eastern-European residents settled west past the limits of Chicago and into the neighboring suburbs of Cicero and Berwyn, the Little Village area increasingly shifted to Latino immigrants, mainly of Mexican descent.
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By the 1990s, the initial wave was mostly migrants from Pilsen, Little Village became the main entry point for newly arriving Mexican immigrants to Chicago and the rest of the Midwest. Technically speaking, South Lawndale is made of up both Marshall Square and east of Kedzie Ave. and Little Village to the west, but most folks refer to the entire area as “La Villita.” 26th Street is the pillar as the main commercial district, one of the city’s highest-grossing shopping strip. Little Village has the vigor and density of a major city, with a strong public transportation and high walkability, but also as a close-knit community of independent businesses and non-profits that make it one of the most self-motivated neighborhoods in Chicago.
Shopping on 26th St.
Currently, when people visit La Villita they’re welcomed by a terracotta arch towering over 26th St. with a “Bienvenidos a Little Village.” The arch was designed by Mexican architect Adrian Lozano, who built it in 1990 to acknowledge the influence of Mexican culture in Chicago. Little Village also hosts Villapalooza every year, an annual music festival promoting arts, culture, and community engagement. Every September, the neighborhood also hosts their large annual parade in honor of Mexican Independence Day with colorful floats, mariachi bands, and dancing.
For a shopping experience that models and resembles markets in Mexico, Little Village Discount Mall is worth a visit. Among the more than 100 booths, folks can find a wide range of items like Mexican handcrafts, Western wear, kids’ mariachi suits, top of the line accordions, quinceañera dresses, and even a scarlet macaw. The Pink Line stops at California, Kedzie, and Central Park along the northern edge of Little Village. If your ever in the neighborhood, plan a visit to Little Village and head to the newly opened Carnitas Uruapan restaurant. After filling up on carnitas, take a stroll in the neighborhood and soak up the environment, it helps with burning off some calories.
For more information about Carnitas Uruapan restaurant menu and times, please visit: carnitasuruapanchi.com.
Mi Tierra En La Villita located at 2528 S Kedzie Ave |
Surrounding homes in Little Village |
