Canaryville, Chicago

The Canaryville area of Chicago is on the South Side and is nearly 100% African American. The area is not too far from the Harold Washington Cultural Center, which has become one of the focal points for the entire area. Named after the former mayor of the city, the Harold Washington Cultural Center is a large and impressive facility at over 40,000 square feet, making it easily one of the largest buildings in the area.. There is also a 1,000 seat theater that has been used for a variety of different events. In recent years, the Harold Washington Cultural Center has become a key location for important events in the city.

The Digital Media Resource Center offers up free workshops on technology. This center uses state of the art technology and has working relationships with some of Chicago's key tech players as well as educational institutions such as the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Of course, there are other sites to see in the area but the Harold Washington Cultural Center is certainly at the top of the list of attractions. The Center also has a large bronze statue of the cities famous mayor, Harold Washington.

There was a Canaryville library, but it shut down recently.

Canaryville, which is found just outside the Back of the Yards neighborhood, is a largely Irish area. Not known as being the most welcoming of all areas, most locals know it’s best to avoid Canaryville. The boundaries of Canaryville are Canal, Halsted, 39th, and 49th. A small neighborhood, there really isn’t much to see in Canaryville and I have never enjoyed visiting the area (especially since I'm not a Sox fan).

The biggest thing I notice when in Canaryville is the feeling of being an outsider. The predominantly Irish population doesn’t seem interested in having visitors, giving the area the feeling of eras of the past. Territorialism is one of the many things that make me not want to go back to the area. Really, there just isn’t much to take note of here other than the hostile energy you’re overwhelmed with as soon as you set foot in the area.

Other than corner stores and rather boring restaurants, Canaryville doesn’t have a lot to offer. If you’re Irish and looking for a place to live, you might be welcome here—otherwise, I’d stay away. Visitors beware; Canaryville residents probably don’t want you there. I don’t plan to visit the area again unless there are significant changes, which I don’t see as a possibility.

Canaryville is a boring residential area on the south side of the city. I can't think of anything you'd really want to visit there for, and I wouldn't suggest living there because of the lack of interest and some crime. It isn't the most dangerous part of the city, and I'd say it's mostly quiet, although the quiet makes me feel uneasy at times because you wonder if any police are even in the area.

I wouldn't visit for a park, or for dining or going out for drinks, as there is essentially nothing there worth looking into. It isn't terribly expensive, but that's because of how much it lacks.

Overall, I just don't have as much to say about Canaryville. It just doesn't interest me as much as other parts of the city.

By South Side Chicago standards this neighborhood is very quiet. It is not Mayberry, be sure, but it is not nearly as rough as some surrounding areas.

It is another Irish enclave of Chicago that owes much of its history and development to the former Union Stock Yards.

It does not have hot trendy restaurants or clubs. But it does boast several neighborhood eateries that are beloved by locals. The area sees the most activity when the Sox are playing- as being a Sox fan in the neighborhood is almost a prerequisite.

Canaryville is outside of most tourists’ agendas, but this smallish community is an attractive one – often the streets are drawn up with perfectly landscaped yards and sprawling old trees in front of numerous easy-on-the-eyes residences. Back in the day (say, nineteenth/early twentieth century) this was not a place where anyone wanted to be, having a reputation as a generally rough area.
Today the place is still known for being less-than-friendly, and as one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods the lack of love for outsiders is almost understandable.

That being said, there isn’t much in Canaryville that is likely to attract a gaggle of outsiders – this South Side neighborhood stays pretty quiet in spite of its reputation to the contrary. It even seems a bit out of place, though it and the surrounding areas are predominantly Irish neighborhoods.

Perhaps that uneasiness about outsiders is what keeps Canaryville from really expanding its retail outlets, but in any case this is a place for residents and not for tourists.