Halsted Street

Infobox_road
highway_name = Halsted Street
marker_

alternate_name = 800 West
length =
direction = North-South
starting_terminus = Grace Street (3800 North)
ending_terminus = Lincoln Highway
cities = Chicago
established =
system =

Halsted Street is a major north-south street in the American city of Chicago, Illinois.

Location

In Chicago's grid system, Halsted street marks 800 West, one mile west of State Street, from Grace Street (3800 N) in Lakeview south to the city limits at the Little Calumet River (13000 S) in West Pullman. (From Grace north to Lawrence Avenue (4800 N) in Uptown, 800 W is marked by Clarendon Avenue.)

Environs

North Side

In Lakeview, Halsted runs a few blocks from Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. It teems with gay bars and clubs as one enters Boystown, Chicago's main gay and lesbian community and one of the city's busiest shopping districts. As it continues south past Belmont (3200 N), it goes past DePaul University and through the Lincoln Park area.

Near North

The Cabrini-Green housing project is at Halsted and Division (1200 N) in the Near North Side neighborhood. Halsted Street has two bridges to mark its passage over Goose Island; it is the only street to completely traverse this, the Chicago River's only island.

Near West

Continuing south, Halsted soars high above feeder ramps to the Kennedy Expressway, Union Pacific Railroad and Canadian National Railway and finally the Kennedy Expressway itself to enter the West Loop. One then passes through Chicago's Greektown at Jackson Blvd (300 S). South of a high bridge over the Eisenhower Expressway, Halsted forms the eastern border of the University of Illinois at Chicago at Harrison St. (600 S). It continues south alongside a portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway into the historic Maxwell Street area. South of a half-kilometer-long underpass allowing Halsted to cross the BNSF Railway tracks at 16th street, Halsted grazes the eastern edge of the Pilsen neighborhood, then bridges across the Chicago River's south branch.

outh Side

Here Halsted Street enters Bridgeport. Traditionally working-class Irish and Italian community, it been home to five mayors, including current mayor, Richard M. Daley. Continuing south, Halsted passes along the borders of the Canaryville neighborhood between 40th and 49th Streets, which historically housed many Union Stock Yards workers. The Stockyards themselves were located to the west of Halsted between Pershing (39th) and 47th. Further south, Halsted Street passes into Englewood. There it intersects with 71st Street, which was honorarily named for Emmett Till, a martyr in the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968).It continues south towards the city limits at the Little Calumet River near 129th St, where it then continues into the south suburbs. Illinois Route 1 begins at Halsted Street's interchange with Interstate 57 (at 99th Street) on the far south side, and follows Halsted through much of its length through the suburbs. In the city of Chicago Heights, Route 1 breaks off and is called Chicago Road, then Dixie Highway, ending at the Ohio River, at the border with the state of Kentucky. Halsted Street continues through downtown Chicago Heights, where it ends.

Public transport

Halsted Street is served by major transportation lines. The Chicago Transit Authority's Red, Purple, and Brown Lines run nearby on the north side. The Blue, Orange, and Green Lines all have stops at various points along Halsted Street. The CTA also provides service on three Halsted routes: the #8 Halsted between Waveland (3700 N) and 79th; the #8A South Halsted between the 79th/Dan Ryan Red Line station (79th (CTA)) and Halsted/119th (with certain trips continuing to 127th Street); and the #108 Halsted/95th between the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line Terminal (95th/Dan Ryan (CTA), with certain trips continuing to 127th and special service continuing to Carver High School and Hegewisch. There is a Halsted stop on Metra commuter rail's BNSF Railway Line; and, the West Pullman stop on the Blue Island branch of Metra's Electric District commuter rail line is at Halsted and where 121st Street would be.

Associated persons

Professional wrestlers One Man Gang and Colt Cabana have been billed from Halsted Street.

External links

* [http://www.northalsted.com/ Northalsted Merchants Association]
* [http://www.depaul.edu/about/campuses/lincoln_park.asp DePaul University - Lincoln Park campus]
* [http://www.uic.edu University of Illinois at Chicago]
* [http://www.openair.org/oldmax/oldmax.html Old Maxwell Street Market]
* [http://www.bync.org/site/ Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council]