Remember when Milwaukee Avenue started as nothing more than a Native American trail? This is Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. It evolved into a bustling thoroughfare that shaped the city’s identity.
True to its name Milwaukee Avenue leads north. It goes to Wisconsin through Kenosha and Racine towards Milwaukee. It does not go directly however. Milwaukee Avenue begins at N Canal and W Lake Streets. It starts in earnest at N Des Plaines and W Kinzie Streets. From there it heads northwest for about 40 miles.
Milwaukee Avenue eventually follows Illinois Route 21. It joins Skokie Highway in Gurnee Illinois. Skokie Highway merges at Interstate 94. Skokie Highway and the Tri-State Tollway split off there. They continue to Milwaukee. From Harlem Avenue to Riverside Drive Milwaukee Avenue is Illinois Route 21.
Milwaukee Avenue is a popular route for bicyclists. The southeastern end of Milwaukee Avenue sees many cyclists. Cyclists accounted for 22% of all traffic there on a random day. That was in September. The street is lined with storefronts and restaurants. Art galleries are occasional.
The CTA’s Blue Line runs beneath Milwaukee Avenue. It runs alongside Milwaukee Avenue from Canal and Lake Streets out to Logan Boulevard. Stations are at Grand Avenue and Chicago Avenue. Find them also at Division Street and Damen Avenue. Western Avenue, California Avenue and Logan Square are other stops. The Kennedy Expressway parallels Milwaukee Avenue as well.
Just north of Armitage Milwaukee Avenue passes the Congress Theater. At Addison Street it passes Schurz High School. Past Irving Park Road it turns northerly. The Blue Line crosses again at the Jefferson Park station. Here you pass the Gateway Theatre. Milwaukee Avenue exits the city at Albion Avenue. It enters Niles Illinois. At Golf Road it passes the Golf Mill Shopping Center.
Milwaukee Avenue crosses the Des Plaines River. This happens just south of the Chicago Executive Airport. From there it roughly follows the Des Plaines River north. It passes through Wheeling and Lincolnshire. You’ll find it in Vernon Hills and Libertyville. In Libertyville it forms the historic core of downtown. It continues past Gurnee. Milwaukee Avenue merges with the Skokie Highway near Wadsworth.
Milwaukee Avenue runs through Wicker Park and Bucktown. The Double Door theater and Irazu Costa Rica Restaurant are here. Sections of the movie High Fidelity were filmed along Milwaukee Avenue. This includes the Double Door. The fictional record store was also filmed here. The movie Wicker Park was set in this area of Chicago.
Milwaukee Avenue traverses the heart of Logan Square. This neighborhood is gentrifying. It runs on a diagonal through the parkway. Logan Boulevard and Kedzie Avenue meet at a traffic circle. This circle surrounds the Illinois Centennial Monument.
Milwaukee Avenue is associated with Chicago’s Poles. Numerous Polish Patches dotted the cityscape here. You’ll find them from Polish Downtown near Polonia Triangle. They stretch through the Polish Village in Avondale. The adjacent Villa District was dubbed “Polish Kenilworth”. The street was part of the route for the Polish Constitution Day Parade. Pope John Paul II visited Chicago this way in 1979. Polish churches, shops, and cultural organizations are still here. They continue the Polish presence today.
In 2011 a stretch of Milwaukee Avenue in Niles was renamed. It honored Wojciech Seweryn. He was a Chicago area artist. He died in the plane crash that killed the Polish president.
The 56 Milwaukee bus runs on Milwaukee Avenue. It goes from Desplaines Street to Jefferson Park Transit Center. The CTA Blue Line runs under Milwaukee Avenue. It runs beside it from Desplaines Street to Kimball Avenue. There is an additional stop at Jefferson Park Transit Center.
Pace has multiple routes on Milwaukee Avenue. The Pace 270 route runs from the Jefferson Park Transit Center to Euclid Ave in Glenview. The Pace 272 route runs from Golf Mill Station to Townline Road in Vernon Hills. Pace Pulse Milwaukee Line uses Transit Signal Priority. It uses level boarding. It also skipped stops. This provides express service. It runs from Jefferson Park Transit Center to Golf Mill Station. These improvements shaved 9 minutes off the running time. This brought the running time from 30 minutes to 21 minutes.
Milwaukee Avenue has been vital to Chicago. It has changed so much. It has always been important to the area. Today Milwaukee Avenue remains a testament to Chicago’s dynamic spirit.