Welcome to Tri-Taylor: Chicago’s Historic Heart of Innovation, Revival, and Community Strength

Tucked between the bustling neighborhoods of the Near West Side and West Town, Tri-Taylor is a resilient, up-and-coming community where history, culture, and urban renewal are reshaping the future. Bounded by Roosevelt Road to the north, Taylor Street to the south, Ashland Avenue to the east, and Damen Avenue to the west, this compact but vibrant neighborhood lies just steps from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), the Illinois Medical District, and the cultural energy of Pilsen — making it one of the city’s most strategically located and transformation-ready areas.

Once a thriving industrial and residential corridor, Tri-Taylor has long been a crossroads of innovation — home to early 20th-century factories, pioneering medical advances, and a proud legacy of working-class families. Today, it’s emerging as a hub of revitalization, where affordability meets opportunity, and community pride fuels progress.

🏛️ A Legacy of Firsts and Forward Thinkers

Tri-Taylor carries deep historical roots:

  • Home to Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, the pioneering African American surgeon who performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries at Provident Hospital — the first interracial hospital in the U.S., founded in 1891 at the corner of Wabash and 51st Street (just north of the neighborhood)

  • Once part of Chicago’s bustling manufacturing and rail corridor, with factories that powered the city’s growth

  • A historic gateway for Black, Latino, and immigrant families seeking stability and upward mobility

This is a neighborhood where medical history was made — and where the next chapter is being written.

🌱 A Neighborhood on the Rise

After decades of disinvestment, Tri-Taylor is experiencing a quiet but powerful resurgence — not through outside speculation, but through strategic investment, historic preservation, and community-led development.

Key drivers of growth include:

  • Proximity to UIC and the Illinois Medical District, two of the city’s largest employers

  • The Bronzeville Lakefront development just to the east, fueling new interest and reinvestment

  • City-backed affordable housing initiatives and infill construction projects

  • The 606 Trail extension and improved streetscapes bringing new life to the area

It’s a neighborhood where vacant lots are being reimagined, historic buildings restored, and new residents are partnering with longtime families to build a shared future.

🏡 Affordable Homes with Opportunity

Tri-Taylor offers some of the most affordable homeownership opportunities near downtown, making it a smart choice for:

  • First-time buyers

  • Investors focused on long-term appreciation

  • Nonprofits and developers committed to equitable growth

You’ll find:

  • Early 20th-century greystones and two-flats

  • Classic brick bungalows with renovation potential

  • Vacant land ideal for infill development or green space

With low property values and city-assisted programs, it’s a powerful chance to be part of a comeback story — not as an outsider, but as a partner in progress.

🚇 Central Location, Strong Connections

Despite its size, Tri-Taylor is incredibly well-connected:

  • Served by the CTA Green and Pink Lines at Ashland and Morgan stations

  • Multiple bus routes: #8 Halsted, #50 Damen, #9 Ashland

  • Easy access to I-90/94 (the Eisenhower Expressway) for car commuters

Residents are just:
📍 10 minutes from the Loop
📍 5 minutes from UIC and the Medical District
📍 Close to Pilsen, Little Italy, and the United Center

It’s a strategic location — poised for transformation.

🌳 Green Space & Cultural Access

Tri-Taylor may be compact, but it’s surrounded by beauty:

  • Douglass Park — just to the west, with a historic fieldhouse, indoor pool, tennis courts, and seasonal programs

  • Pilsen’s 606 Trail extension — perfect for biking and walking to Humboldt Park

  • Guaranteed Rate Field (home of the White Sox) just blocks away

  • The National Museum of Mexican Art and Pilsen murals within easy reach

And with Harold Washington Library and Millennium Park just minutes north, residents enjoy access to some of Chicago’s richest history and art.

❤️ A Community Rebuilding with Purpose

Change in Tri-Taylor is being led by those who believe in its potential:
LISC Chicago, Bridging Communities, and other nonprofits supporting homeownership and small business growth
Historic preservation efforts honoring medical pioneers and neighborhood legacy
Block clubs and safety patrols working to stabilize neighborhoods

This is not gentrification.
It’s restoration with respect — ensuring that growth includes the people who’ve always believed in Tri-Taylor.

 

Neigborhood Experts