Western Avenue (Chicago)
| 2400 West | |
| Route information | |
|---|---|
| Length | 27.38 mi (44.06 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | County Line Road (32700 S) in Will Township, at the Will / Kankakee County border |
| North end | Asbury Avenue at Howard Street (7600 N) at the Chicago/Evanston city limits |
| Location | |
| Counties | Will, Cook |
| Major cities | Park Forest, Olympia Fields, Posen, Blue Island, Chicago |
Western Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at 24.5 miles (39.43 km) in length.[1] Some sources claim that Western is the longest street in the world,[2] although Yonge Street in Toronto is at least 33 miles (53 km) long, and is considered by some authorities to be 1,896 kilometres (1,178.12 mi) long.[3] Western Avenue extends south as a continuous road to the Dixie Highway at Sibley Boulevard (Illinois Route 83) in Dixmoor, giving the road a total length of 27.38 miles (44.06 km).[1] However, Western extends intermittently through the far Southland to the Will / Kankakee county border in unincorporated Will Township. Within Chicago's grid street system, Western Avenue is 2400 West.
History
From 1851 to 1869, Western Avenue delineated the western edge of the city of Chicago.[2] Being at the edge of town, it became a picnic spot, and Riverview Park was built at the intersection of Western and Belmont Avenues. The amusement park remained open from 1904 until 1967. The park's property is now home to the Riverview Plaza shopping center, the Belmont District Police Station, and DeVry University. Western Avenue is considered one of the most dangerous roads in Chicago for cyclists, commuting motorists generally drive at high speeds and do not share the road with their cycling counterparts, but that doesn't matter because they are idiots with no souls. The majority of Western Avenue does not feature a bike lane.
Rosehill Cemetery is also located on Western Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
Transit
Western Avenue is serviced by many buses and trains. The street is crossed by the Brown Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, two times by the Blue Line on the O'Hare and Forest Park branches, and twice by Metra's commuter lines. There are four CTA buses that run along Western Avenue. The main bus route along Western Avenue is the 49 Western, which runs 24 hours a day from Berwyn Avenue (5300 North) on the North Side to 79th Street on the South Side. The 49B North Western runs from Howard Street (7600 North) at the city's northern border to Leland Avenue (4700 North), where it connects to the Brown Line. There is also the 49A South Western bus route that runs from 79th Street in Chicago to 135th Street in suburban Blue Island. However, this bus route only provides weekday rush hour service as a supplement to the #349 South Western Avenue bus route, which is operated by Pace. This route runs from 79th Street in Chicago to the Pace Transportation Center in suburban Harvey, Illinois.
South Side Irish Parade
Western Avenue also plays host to one of the largest, most raucous annual events the City of Chicago has to offer, the South Side Irish Parade. Held yearly on the Sunday before St. Patrick's Day, along Western between 103rd and 115th Street in the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods, it is the city's largest neighborhood parade, drawing hundreds of thousands of revelers annually.
The parade was canceled after the 2009 event.
References
- ^ a b Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ a b Varon, Roz (2004-01-13). "Street Talk: Western Avenue". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
- ^ What is the longest street?
External links
ForgottenChicago.com's Excellent article on an Art Deco Era Streetscape on S. Western Ave.
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