| Chicago Midway International Airport
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| IATA: MDW – ICAO: KMDW – FAA: MDW | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | City of Chicago | ||
| Operator | Chicago Airport System | ||
| Serves | Chicago, Illinois, USA | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 620 ft / 189 m | ||
| Coordinates | 41°47′10″N 087°45′09″W / 41.78611°N 87.7525°WCoordinates: 41°47′10″N 087°45′09″W / 41.78611°N 87.7525°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 4L/22R | 5,507 | 1,679 | Asphalt |
| 4R/22L | 6,446 | 1,965 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 13C/31C | 6,522 | 1,988 | Concrete |
| 13L/31R | 5,141 | 1,567 | Asphalt |
| 13R/31L | 3,859 | 1,176 | Concrete |
| Statistics (2008) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 253,901 | ||
| Passenger volume | 17,340,497 | ||
| Cargo tonnage | 14,254 | ||
| Source: FAA[1] and airport website[2] | |||
Chicago Midway International Airport (IATA: MDW, ICAO: KMDW, FAA LID: MDW), also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an airport in Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's southwest side, eight miles (13 km) from Chicago's Loop. The airport's current IATA code MDW has been in use since it was implemented in 1949 when Chicago Municipal Airport was renamed Chicago Midway Airport.[3] It is bordered by 55th Street, Cicero Avenue (terminal entrance), 63rd Street, and Central Avenue. The airport's northern half is within the Garfield Ridge community area, and the southern half is within the Clearing community area. The airport is managed by the Chicago Airport System, which also oversees operations at O'Hare International Airport and Gary/Chicago International Airport.[4]
Midway is dominated by low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines. AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines are the airport's other major operators. Both the Stevenson Expressway and Chicago Transit Authority's Orange Line provide passengers access to downtown Chicago. Midway Airport is the second largest passenger airport in the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as the state of Illinois, after Chicago O'Hare International Airport.[5]
Today, Midway Airport serves as a focus city for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines[6] and Orlando-based AirTran Airways. For over 16 years, Chicago Midway International Airport had been the main hub for Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines (ATA), but that service was reduced to four destinations in November 2007, and was scheduled to end by June 7, 2008[7][8] before the airline filed for bankruptcy in April 2008, immediately discontinuing all flights.[9][10]
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Originally named Chicago Air Park,[11] Midway Airport was built on a 320-acre (1.3 km2) plot in 1923 and consisted of a single cinder runway that primarily served airmail services. The site was selected following the destruction of the Wingfoot Air Express when it crashed into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building, killing thirteen people, and the city decided to close the Grant Park air strip. In 1926, the Chicago City Council leased the land for commercial purposes from the Chicago Board of Education at a rate of $1560 per year.[11] On December 12, 1927, Midway was dedicated as Chicago Municipal Airport by Chicago Mayor William H. Thompson,[3] and became known as "Munie" to many early pilots. The unique one-square-mile footprint of Midway Airport is due to its connection to the Chicago Board of Education. Under the Land Ordinance of 1785, land was divided into townships. Each township included a one-square-mile (640 acre) section devoted to education. In most instances, one-room school houses were located on this land, the balance of which was farmed to provide funds for the operation of the school. As township school districts consolidated, much of this excess land was typically sold for other purposes. The Chicago Board of Education continued to own the Midway Airport section and rent it to the City of Chicago for airport operations until 1982, when an education funding crisis forced the Board of Education to sell the land to the City of Chicago for $16 million.[12]
During its first full year of operation in 1928, the airfield was home to twelve hangars and four runways, lit for night operations.[12] Air traffic control was handled by flagmen,[12] who would be positioned at the end of the runways; they were responsible for controlling 14,498 flight operations carrying 41,660 passengers that year.[3] The official observation site for Chicago's weather records was also moved to Midway during that year from the downtown area and would remain there until it was moved again, this time to O'Hare, in 1980.
A new passenger terminal and administration building, funded by a bond issue, was dedicated in 1931[12] by Chicago mayor Anton Cermak, and in the following year Midway Airport earned the title of "World's Busiest" with over 100,846 passengers riding on 60,947 flights.[3] Midway held that title for three decades until O'Hare claimed it in 1961.[12]
In 1941, Midway Airport joined World War II efforts because of its long runways and mid-continent position.[3] The war years proved to be a boom for Midway, which saw new construction funded in part by $1 million in federal monies from the Works Progress Administration, and work on additional runways moved forward in 1941 when a court ordered the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad to reroute tracks in the vicinity of the airfield. Midway handled a full 25% of the nation's 417,000 passengers during that year.
The airport was officially renamed on July 8, 1949[3] by a unanimous vote in the City Council to "Chicago Midway Airport" in honor of the World War II Battle of Midway[3] – not after Midway Airlines, as many have believed, nor because the airport is located at the west end of 59th Street (the eastern end of which is part of Chicago's historic Midway Plaisance). Midway saw 3.2 million passengers carried on 223,000 flights during 1949. The number of passengers rose to 3.5 million the next year and reached a height of 10 million in 1959. This video of Chicago Midway Airport in 1954 shows the increase in traffic that Midway Airport experienced throughout the 1950s.[13] However, by 1959, the airport had proved unable to handle larger aircraft and higher passenger loads. By 1961, the airport faced a 60% drop in passenger traffic, largely due to the opening of O'Hare in 1955.[3] In 1962, United Airlines, the first major carrier to serve Midway, ceased operations at the airport, the last remaining carrier to do so during this period of decline.[12]
By 1967, reconstruction had begun at the airport, adding three new concourses with 28 gates and three ticket counters,[3] and in 1968 the city invested $10 million in renovation funds,[12] The funds partly supported construction of the Stevenson Expressway, which proved to be a major route for passengers to the airport, and Midway saw the return of major airlines during that year, serving 1,663,074 passengers on more than 274,062 flights,[3] aided in part by the introduction of jets, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, Boeing 727, and Boeing 737, that were capable of using Midway's shorter runways, which the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 could not.
In 1979, Midway Airlines began operations,[3] the first to do so after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, and went on to become the flagship carrier at Midway before ending its operations in 1991.[12] Midway Airlines helped revitalize the airport and led the way for other discount carriers, who benefited from Midway's lower costs and close proximity to Chicago's Loop, to prosper.[12] Southwest Airlines, which began operations at Midway in 1985,[14] was one such beneficiary. Three years earlier, in 1982, the City of Chicago purchased Midway Airport from the Chicago Board of Education for $16 million.[12]
The Chicago Transit Authority displaced the original location of the Carlton Midway Inn to open a new CTA terminal at the airport on October 31, 1993 for the newly established Chicago 'L' Orange Line, which connected Midway to Chicago's Loop.[3] The CTA's Orange Line connects Midway to downtown Chicago via elevated train transportation.[3] Midway Airport is the terminus of the line, which traverses the southwest portion of the city before ending up in the loop and cycling back to Midway again. The Orange Line does not run 24 hours a day (unlike the Blue Line, which provides 24-hour service to O'Hare & the Red Line), but does operate extensive hours from about 4:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M., running at an average of 8-minute intervals.
In 1996, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the historic Midway Airport Terminal Development Program, which was launched the next year. At the time, it was the largest public works project in the state.[15] The Midway Airport parking garage opened in 1999, bringing covered parking to the airport for the first time. The garage, offering 3,000 hourly and daily parking spaces, is connected to the Midway terminal building for convenient access to ticket counters and baggage claim areas.[3]
Continuing with the expansion project, a pedestrian bridge over Cicero Avenue was constructed in 2000. The bridge connects the new terminal to the new concourses.[12] In 2001, the new 900,000-square-foot (84,000 m2) Midway Airport terminal building opened, offering expanded ticket counters, spacious baggage claim areas, traveler information and a short walking distance to airline gates.[3] A 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) food court opened with Chicago-style food and retail options, and in 2002, Midway welcomed the return of direct international service after a 40-year absence with the opening of the new Federal Inspection Service facility in Concourse A.[16]
In June 2004, Mayor Daley and airline officials celebrated the completion of the Terminal Development Program.[12] The expansion project resulted in the addition of 14 gates (from 29 to 43), with the airport now providing 43 gates on 3 concourses.[12] A new 6,300-space economy parking garage, including a new bridge and roadway used exclusively for buses shuttling passengers to and from the terminal, opened in December 2005.[12]
Simultaneous to Midway's expansion, ATA Airlines began rapid expansion at Chicago Midway in the early 2000s, and prior to 2004, ATA offered significant scheduled service to destinations from Midway Airport and was the airport's dominant carrier, occupying and operating 14 of the 17 gates in Concourse A.[17] However, after the airline declared bankruptcy in October 2004, scheduled service from Midway significantly decreased.
Due to repeated cancellations to its schedule, ATA then offered non-stop flights to 4 destinations, and mainly operated out of only 2 gates in Concourse B. On May 11, 2007, the airline added new service from Chicago to Oakland and Ontario, California.[18] These new additions marked the first time ATA increased service at Chicago Midway in almost three years. However, just five months later, ATA announced they would end service to Ontario on January 7, 2008.[19] On April 3, 2008, ATA Airlines discontinued all operations. The airline had operated at Chicago-Midway since 1992.[8]
As of November, 2008, Porter Airlines flies between Midway and Toronto. It is the only Canadian route served from Chicago-Midway.
In early 2009, construction began on an expansion of Concourse A. The new area will compliment the existing walkway to gates A4A and A4B, and will feature new concessions and a new holding room. The area where the walkway to gates A4A and A4B meet the main terminal has been widened and further down the walkway near the gates is a new 2 level waiting area and food court in the shape of a half circle covered in glass for airfield viewing. The project is scheduled to be complete in Spring 2010.
On April 20, 2009, a $2.5 billion deal to privatize the airport via a 99-year lease fell through when the consortium could not put together financing. The City is to keep $125 million in the downpayment. The consortium operating under the name of Midway Investment and Development Company LLC consisted of Vancouver Airport Services, Citi Infrastructure Investors and Boston's John Hancock Life Insurance. It was awarded the contract in October 2008 by the City Council which voted 49-0 to approve it. The consortium would have operated the airport and collected airport parking, concession and passenger facility charges. However, Chicago would have continued to provide fire and police services. Chicago privatized the Chicago Skyway in 2007.[20]
Chicago Midway Airport is the second largest passenger airport in the Chicago metropolitan area, and is the second busiest in the state of Illinois after Chicago O'Hare International Airport.[5] In 2008, 17,340,497 passengers traveled through Chicago Midway, second behind O'Hare International Airport, and ahead of Gary/Chicago International Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport.[5] In 2005, Chicago Midway International Airport was the 30th busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger traffic.[21] In its 80-year history of passenger traffic, Midway Airport has had 21 incidents and accidents, and only one accident since 1976.
Southwest is the dominant carrier at Midway, controlling 29 of the airport's 43 gates. Currently, the airline offers 227 daily departures to 47 destinations.[22]
Chicago Midway International Airport ranked third amongst large airports in the nation for "Best On-Time Arrival Rates" in June 2007, with 75.4% of all flights (8,087) arriving on time, a 3.8% increase from the previous year.[23] It ranked highest in customer satisfaction among medium-sized airports (10 million to 30 million passengers per year) in J. D. Power and Associates' 2008 study.[24]
The original fully developed 1940s layout included 8 runways that crisscrossed the 8-by-8-block (one square mile) property. All terminals and hangars were on the square periphery. By the late 1970s the shorter north–south and east–west runway pairs had been closed. Four of the original runways remain, all significantly strengthened and enhanced, but essentially the same lengths as always. A short runway for light aircraft was added in 1989.
Chicago Midway International Airport covers one square mile (640 acre, 2.59 km2) and currently has five runways:[25]
Because Midway is surrounded by buildings and other development, the landing thresholds of the runways are displaced to provide a proper obstacle clearance. Both the FAA and the airlines ensure safety by adhering to calculated load limits and various weather minimums. Because of the displaced landing thresholds, the runways have shorter distances available for landings than for takeoffs. 13C-31C, the longest runway, only has an available landing distance of 6,059 feet (1,847 m) in the southeast direction, and 5,826 feet (1,776 m) operating to the northwest. All the other runways have a landing distance below 5,930 feet (1,810 m).[26] The largest aircraft normally seen at Midway is the Boeing 757. Due to close spacing between runways and taxiways and other dimensional issues, widebody aircraft would require too many operating restrictions to be practical.
The carriers transporting the most passengers from Chicago Midway Airport are Southwest and AirTran. In 2008, a total of 17,340,497 passengers were carried through MDW, a 10.52% decrease from the previous year. Also in 2008, 253,901 aircraft passed through Midway Airport, a 16.66% decrease from 2007.[27] Since the merger of Northwest Airlines into Delta, Delta is now the second largest carrier at Midway, surpassing Airtran in number of daily flights and year round destinations.
For complete information on flights to and from Chicago Midway International Airport, please see the airport's website.
Midway has 43 aircraft gates on three concourses (A, B, and C)[3]
Note: All international arrivals are handled in Concourse A.
| Airlines | Destinations | Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| AirTran Airways | Atlanta, Fort Myers [seasonal], Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton | A |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul | A, C |
| Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines | Atlanta | C |
| Delta Connection operated by Comair | Detroit | A |
| Delta Connection operated by Compass Airlines | Minneapolis/St. Paul | A |
| Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines | Atlanta, Detroit | A |
| Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America | Atlanta, New York-LaGuardia [ends June 10] | C |
| Frontier Airlines | Denver | A |
| Porter Airlines | Toronto-City Centre | A |
| Southwest Airlines | Albany, Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham (AL), Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hartford/Springfield, Houston-Hobby, Indianapolis, Jackson, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Long Island/Islip, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, Norfolk, Oakland, Omaha, Ontario, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Tucson, Washington-Dulles | A, B |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Pet Airways | Baltimore, Denver-Rocky Mountain |
Before the rise of O'Hare in the late 1950s, Midway was the world's busiest airport and one of the key hubs in the U.S. airline system.[12] United Airlines was headquartered at Midway in the pre-O'Hare days, and American Airlines was originally based at Midway until it moved its headquarters to New York City in the mid-1930s. There was also a very large presence from TWA and Eastern Air Lines, as well as several others. The airport was extensively renovated in 1958 and, again, in 1967, after which several of the legacy carriers resumed service after a period of some years.[12] Midway was also a hub for the startup Midway Airlines in the 1980s, and a focus city for former Vanguard Airlines from 1997–2000.[28]
Both American Airlines[29] and United Airlines[30] ended all scheduled service to Midway in September 2006, in favor of concentrating Chicago-area operations at the larger nearby O'Hare International Airport. However, despite its small size compared to O'Hare, Midway is still a vital transportation terminal. Its key advantage is that it is closer to the Loop than O'Hare. The average train ride on the Orange Line from the Loop to Chicago Midway International Airport is about 20–25 minutes, compared to about 45 minutes from O'Hare.
Big Sky Airlines, which commenced non-stop service on December 3, 2006 between Springfield, Illinois and Midway, later expanded the service to include daily nonstop flight to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, beginning on March 17. However, citing poor demand, both the Springfield as well as the Eau Claire flights were discontinued on June 9, 2007.[31]
Mesa Airlines, which began non-stop service from MDW in early 2007, discontinued all flights to Decatur and Quincy, Illinois, effective November 9, 2007. The flights, which were operated by Air Midwest, were terminated citing poor passenger demand.[32]
Chicago Midway International Airport was once the largest hub of ATA Airlines and its wholly owned regional airline partner Chicago Express which operated as ATA Connection . ATA had operated a hub at Midway since 1992. As recently as 2004, ATA operated over 100 daily flights to over 30 destinations. The airline cut back service from Chicago after declaring bankruptcy in late 2004. In April 2008, the airline again declared bankruptcy and ended all scheduled operations. On April 3, 2008, ATA Airlines ended all operations, including service to the four cities the airline still served at Chicago-Midway.
Continental Airlines, provided daily service from Chicago-Midway to Cleveland and Newark until May 2008. The airline discontinued Chicago-Midway service on May 31, 2008 citing high fuel prices. However, Continental has stated it will maintain all operations at nearby Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Among the other airlines that use to frequent Midway were Access Air, Kiwi International Airlines, US Airways, MetroJet, Ozark Air Lines (2000-2001), and Pan American Airways (1998–2004).
On June 30, 1956, United Airlines Flight 718, a Douglas DC-7, was headed for Midway Airport. Over the Grand Canyon it collided with a TWA Super Constellation killing all 128 people on both planes. This became the impetus for the modern air traffic control system.
On December 8, 1972, United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737-200, crashed into a residential area outside of Midway during landing. The crash of the 737-200 killed 43 of the 61 on board, and two on the ground.
Exactly 33 years later, on December 8, 2005, Southwest Airlines Flight 1248, a Boeing 737-700 inbound from Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland, slid off the runway while attempting to land at the airport in a heavy snow storm.[33] The airplane broke through the barrier fence of the airport and came to rest at the intersection of 55th Street and Central Avenue bordering the airport at its northwest corner.[33] A 6-year-old boy was killed as a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by the plane after it skidded into the street.[33]
| Date | Registration | Aircraft | Carrier | Location | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1936 | NC14979 | DC-2 | Trans World Airlines | - | On approach to 27L, 1 engine out, strong gusts, crashed half a mile east of field |
| 4 December 1940 | NC25678 | DC-3A | United Airlines | 6356 So. Keating | Pilot lost sight in bad weather, spun in |
| 21 May 1943 | B-24 | US ARMY | 3625 W. 73rd St. | On approach, disoriented in bad weather, hit huge gas storage tank 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south east | |
| 26 September 1946 | NC19939 | DC-3 | Trans World Airlines | West of 96th Ave. at 97th St. | Mid-air collision with Boeing PT-17, DC-3 limped in to Midway |
| 2 July 1946 | NC28383 | DC-3 | Trans World Airlines | - | Crashed 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of field |
| 10 March 1948 | NC37478 | DC-4 | Delta Air Lines | 5000 W. 55th St. | Plane took off 36L, at 150 feet (46 m) went vertical, at 500 feet (150 m) nosed over, crashed on 55th St. |
| 26 March 1949 | NC90736 | DC-6 | American Airlines | - | Hit power lines on approach |
| 18 December 1949 | NC86501 | L-049 | Trans World Airlines | - | Landing too far down 13R crashed through fence, ended up at 63rd and Cicero |
| 4 January 1951 | N79982 | C-46 | Monarch Airlines | - | Overloaded taking off on 31L, could not climb, crashed on railroad tracks one half mile northeast |
| 16 September 1951 | N74689 | C-46 | Peninsula Transport | - | Belly-landed 500 yards (460 m) away at northeast 63rd and Harlem |
| 3 March 1953 | N6214C | L-1049 | Eastern Airlines | On field | Landed on 31L, gear collapsed, skidded southwest toward Hale School |
| 17 July 1955 | N3422 | Convair 340 | Braniff International Airways | On field | Hit gas station sign on approach to 13R, flipped over, crashed |
| 5 August 1955 | N74601 | Boeing 377 | Northwest Airlines | - | Landed 31L, could not stop, crashed through fence 55th and Central |
| 20 February 1956 | N7404 | Vickers Viscount | Capitol | On field | Landing on 31L plane flopped in 300 feet (91 m) short of threshold |
| 15 March 1959 | N94273 | Convair 240 | American Airlines | - | Lost sight of 31L on approach, crashed in railroad yard one half mile south of field |
| 24 November 1959 | N102R | L-1049H | Trans World Airlines | Came to rest 63rd and Kilpatrick | Plane departed 31L, fire on #2, circled to land 31L, crashed 0.2 miles (0.32 km) southeast of field |
| 1 September 1961 | N86511 | L-049 | Trans World Airlines | - | Plane departed Midway, lost elevator bolt, crashed near Hinsdale, Illinois |
| 8 December 1972 | N9031U | 737-200 | United Airlines | 71st and Springfield | Aircraft descended too low on approach to 31L and struck houses, crashed 1.25 miles (2.01 km) southeast of airport |
| 25 March 1976 | N1EM | Lockheed Jetstar | Executive | On field | Pilot unfamiliar with plane attempted take off 13R, never airborne, crashed into fence 63rd and Cicero |
| 6 August 1976 | N9446Z | TB-25N | Air Chicago | - | Poor maintenance, plane took off 4L, lost engine 2, crashed 0.4 miles (0.64 km) west of field |
| 8 December 2005 | N471WN | 737-700 | Southwest Airlines | 55th & Central | Landed 31C during snowstorm, crashed through fence, hit 2 cars, killed child in car, 55th and Central |
INFORMATION SOURCED FROM: Civil Aeronautics Board archives, NTSB records, bukiri-research.
NOTE: The runway now designated 13C-31C was designated 13R-31L until 1989, when a new Runway 13R-31L was built. Runways 27L and 36L have been closed since the 1970s.
Midway Airport is served by the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" trains. Passengers can board Orange Line trains at a station in the airport terminal, which runs to downtown Chicago and the Loop (transit time about 25 minutes). This same station doubles as a stop for many CTA-run buses that serve the surrounding areas. Midway is one of the few airports in the United States that have rapid transit train to terminal service.[34]
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The Southwest Side of Chicago is far off the beaten path. Plenty of visitors know Midway Airport, but never see anything beyond. Truth be told, there isn't a lot to see. But the Southwest Side does hold some interest as the former home to the infamous Union Stock Yards as well as a pretty long list of hidden culinary gems well worth the trek.
The Southwest Side is large enough where you cannot understand it without understanding its neighborhoods—it is united only by its blue-collar character, proximity to the airport, and of course, the White Sox.
The Back of the Yards is a loose term encompassing the community areas of McKinley Park, Brighton Park, and New City, referring to the area's history as the home to the vast hordes of immigrant laborers in the Union Stock Yards of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Though the stock yards are long gone, the blue-collar character remains. The actual stock yards were located in the heart of New City between Ashland Ave and Halsted from Pershing Rd (39th St) to 47th St. Today the site is marked by the Union Stock Yard Gate and a large industrial park. The area surrounding the park is comprised of predominantly Mexican-American neighborhoods and has some good food on offer. Canaryville (between Halsted and Wentworth from Pershing to 49th) is an Irish-American neighborhood with a notoriously violent reputation. McKinley Park, on the other hand, is experiencing gentrification as younger Chicagoans are priced out of "hipper" neighborhoods.
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The Union Stock Yards The massive meatpacking industry of the Union
Stock Yards developed alongside the technological innovation of the
refrigerated railway car. Livestock of the agrarian Midwest were
brought to the rail hub of Chicago and its stock yards to be
processed and shipped off around the country. At its peak, the
Union Stock Yards processed about 82% of the meat consumed in the
United States! |
Centered around one very large and fabulous park, Marquette Park is an ethnically mixed neighborhood divided between mostly African-Americans east of the park and Mexican-Americans immediately west of the park, along with some Polish and Lithuanian-Americans. Further west, the area becomes more ethnically inclusive, with median income playing a more prominent role in residency. Aside from the park (and its golf course), the neighborhood is alluring mostly for its great Mexican food, as well its rare-in-America Lithuanian dining. This neighborhood was once dominated by a big, wealthy, Lithuanian-American community, but its demographics began to shift dramatically following Martin Luther King Jr's anti-segregation marches (which at the time met with violence from residents). Accompanying desegregation in this neighborhood was characteristic "white flight," which put an end to the "Lithuanian Gold Coast" and heralded a more open neighborhood which recently has become a major destination in the United States for Mexican immigrants.
Around Midway, you'll find Chicago's second airport, surrounded by an ethnically diverse collection of neighborhoods. This section of town is home to a large, established Polish community, as well as more recently arrived Mexican communities. The neighborhoods of Archer Heights, Garfield Ridge, and Clearing are important centers of Polish culture in the United States; you are likely to hear as much Polish as English while walking around these neighborhoods. Points of interest are pretty spread out, but the food and nightlife sure beats the airport hotels. And you don't have to venture too far to find one-in-a-million pizza, or some Croatian baked goods.
In the southeast are a couple of far-flung African-American neighborhoods: Auburn Gresham and Washington Heights. Aside from the Obama family's now famous church, they have far less of interest to travelers, but both are nice enough neighborhoods and have some good places to eat if you find yourself in the area.
Englewood also deserves a mention, but mostly as a warning — it is a large, impoverished, and relatively violent neighborhood with just about nothing to offer a traveler. It is generally best to just roll through on one of the main roads (e.g., 55th St) or to avoid the area altogether.
Midway Airport (IATA: MDW) [1] plays second fiddle to the Chicago giant that is O'Hare International, but it nonetheless services a lot of domestic flights and is a more convenient point of entry. Just about everyone coming into this part of Chicago goes through this airport, which primarily serves domestic flights on low-cost carriers — it is the hub for Southwest Airlines.
Parking rates
Note: parking charges are incurred after 10 minutes in all lots, save the cell phone waiting area.
The CTA Orange Line runs through the district on its way from the Loop, providing quick and easy access to Midway Airport, as well as some northern areas of the Southwest Side from the Loop, but keep in mind that a bus transfer will likely be necessary to get you from the L station to anywhere other than the airport. Travel time is about 25-30 minutes from the Loop to Midway, but you may wait up to 30 minutes between trains during off peak hours.
Metra's Rock Island commuter rail line serves the southernmost neighborhoods of the district, and can get you to Auburn-Gresham or Washington Heights. But again, keep in mind that you will need to take a bus from the station to your destination. Trains depart from the downtown LaSalle Station. A ride to the Gresham station costs just over $2, to Longwood or Washington Heights, just over $3.
The Metra Southwest Service goes straight from Union Station in the Near West Side to the Ashburn neighborhood, where it stops twice at "Wrightwood" and "Ashburn." Only take this train if you are going to Ashburn, not if you are going to the airport, as its stops are on the other end of the district.
CTA bus route #62, which travels along Archer Ave from McCormick Center in the Near South to Midway, is probably the most convenient route into the Southwest Side from downtown Chicago. Other important routes include the city-spanning north south routes along Halsted, Ashland, Western, Pulaski, and Cicero: #8, #9, #49, #54, and #53. The major east west routes are #47, #55, and #63, which as you might expect run the lengths of 47th, 55th, and 63rd streets.
#62 Archer is the one bus that runs directly from downtown to the Midway Area, but it actually doesn't stop at the airport, so if you're coming from that way, the L is a better option. From the West Side, there are convenient and direct routes along Cicero and Pulaski (#53 and #54). Bus route #55 is by far the best way to travel to Midway from the South Side, and there is a #55 express route that leaves from the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park.
The Dan Ryan Expressway runs down the eastern edge of the district, and heading west on the 55th/Garfield exit will take you directly to the airport. To get to the Union Stock Yard Gate, take the Pershing Road exit from the Dan Ryan. The Stevenson Expressway lacks exits on the main roads leading into the eastern parts of the area, but the Damen Ave exit will get you on Archer, from which you can easily get onto Western, Ashland, or Halsted. For Midway take Cicero; Pulaski is useful for exploring the areas just east of the airport.
Pretty much the only way to get around the Southwest Side by public transport is by bus, but if this is the route you choose, make a point of it to plan your route ahead of time, as distances are fairly long and the bus routes generally only run along the main streets.
A car is a handy travel companion in the Southwest Side indeed. Attractions, activities, and restaurants are generally spread apart over long distances, and free on-street parking is available just about everywhere. Taxis are also a good option, but do not expect to be able to hail one off the street — you will need to call and arrange rides in advance.
The one big sight on the Southwest Side is the Union Stock Yard Gate, and even that is a pretty small attraction for how out of the way it is. Other sights appeal to narrow sections of society. The Chicago Blues Museum has a magnificent collection for anyone interested in blues history, but it remains to be seen whether it will ever have regular hours. The Balzekas Museum is of obvious interest to Lithuanian-Americans, the Indian Building to Wayne's World fanatics and roadside kitsch-seekers, and the Archives to, well, archivists (and to those who want to trace their roots in the Midwest).
The Southwest Side is not an enticing shopping destination, unless the endless strip malls on Cicero are your thing. Even Midway Airport lacks a duty free shop, as it only serves a few international flights to Mexico. But if you find yourself here and need something, you can almost certainly find it on Cicero.
The Southwest Side excels in three culinary areas: Mexican, Polish/Bohemian, and Chicago-style fast food. Avoid the airport hotel restaurants like the plague — there are far better (and more fairly priced) places to eat nearby. If you have a car, drop whatever you are doing and head down Pulaski Ave to Vito & Nick's for the "best pizza, anywhere." If stuck at the airport, Gold Coast Dogs will give you a bonafide Chicago Hot Dog.
The Southwest Side does not rank prominently in the minds of Chicagoans when they think of city nightlife, but there are a handful of worthwhile spots, with good live music.
As it is an airport neighborhood, the Midway Area has a ton of hotels, which mostly fall in to two categories: bland, mid-range, three star business/airport hotels and cheap, but not seedy, motels.
The Hotel Center is a hotel campus of seven individual options, located two blocks south of the airport (about a half mile from baggage claim) at 65th St and Cicero Ave. Shuttles run between all the hotels and the airport, although (despite claims to the contrary) you cannot always get a shuttle to/from the L station, so expect to have a long trip if you are heading to the city center. If you're here and looking for food, it would be a travesty of taste to go to the center's chain restaurants. Walk a block north to Giordano's for some quality Chicago-style pizza or solid Italian dishes. Better yet, get a taxi to Vito and Nick's.
Midway Airport offers high speed wireless in several lounges, restaurants, and Air Tran gates, but it is only available to Boingo [26] subscribers. All the following branches of the Chicago Public Library also offer free public internet access.
As you would expect in such a large district of the city, crime levels vary throughout. The northern and western neighborhoods, while sometimes looking gritty, should not worry you in the slightest. Marquette Park is quite safe as well, although it deteriorates a bit southeast of the actual park. Englewood, on the other hand, is a huge neighborhood notorious among Chicagoans for murders, random beatings, and what have you. Auburn-Gresham and Washington Heights rest somewhere in the middle, but they're fairly quiet and peaceful — violent crime is not happening on main streets during the day.
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