Near North Side

      Prayer Points

• Pray that the existing division between social classes could be replaced with unity and service. The neighborhoods are phenomenally segregated along many lines, particularly financially.

• Many in the community are primarily concerned with pursuing worldly success and fortune. Pray that God would change their focus to eternal kingdom values.

• Many residents in the Gold Coast live a fast-paced life style. Pray that people in the church would find time to dedicate their specific passions and giftings to be a positive influence in their community, workplaces, and families.

• Pray for the people that have been displaced by gentrification in the neighborhood to be treated with dignity and respect and to find adequate housing for their families.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (8.2%)
• Black or African American (12.9%)
• Hispanic or Latino (5.1%)
• White (72.2%)

Neighborhood Background

In the 1850s, wealthy residents developed the east side of the neighborhood with mansions, establishing Lake Shore Drive. The west side, on the other hand, became increasingly poor as an under-resourced population was driven out of the east side.

During the 1880s, the western area grew poorer and more disreputable as crime increased in the area. In the 1920s, the opening of the Michigan Avenue Bridge and the shopping area “Magnificent Mile” preserved the eastern region for the wealthy. This led to the construction of high-rise apartment buildings and luxury hotels.  The imbalance of wealth in the Near North Side continued throughout the Great Depression.

Housing officials attempted to mend Cabrini-Green’s poverty by replacing the housing complexes with high-priced condos.  Today, almost none of the original housing remains and the area is encircled by expensive land, although many of its original residents determined to stay in the neighborhood remain.