Uptown

      Prayer Points

• Recently, Uptown has been experiencing gentrification. With the development of new stores in the region, the poor are being pushed out. Pray for greater sensitivity to the marginalized community.

• There are several strategic churches, church plants, and ministries in Uptown that are engaging the community. Pray that God would use them as they preach the Gospel, feed the poor, and care for the holistic needs of the people and community.

• Even as the poor are driven out, there is still much homelessness that exists on the streets, primarily people with mental illness and under-resourced seniors. There is also sporadic gang-related violence that occurs. Pray for sensitivity to and care for the marginalized.

• Uptown is home to Truman Junior College, a university that attracts a wide array of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse students. Pray for the salvation of these students, as this is a window of opportunity for the Church to reach out and share the Gospel.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (11.0%)
• Black or African American (18.9%)
• Hispanic or Latino (15.9%)
• White (52.1%)

Neighborhood Background

Commercial boom in the early twentieth century established a season of affluence and glamour for Uptown, however the housing crisis of World War II led to the subdivision of luxury apartments into smaller units.

These changes allowed more accessibility for immigrants and Chicago’s poor. The 1950s marked a time of increased immigration as whites from Appalachia, Japanese Americans, and Native Americans began to settle in Uptown. The community continues to attract more immigrants from Central America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The northern region of Uptown split off by successfully achieving recognition as Community Area 77 “Edgewater” in 1980, separating themselves from Uptown’s population. Currently, Uptown contains one of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse communities within Chicago.