LITTLE ITALY IS NOW OPEN!
The Neighborhood Hotel Little Italy is your chic, peaceful nest in the middle of downtown Chicago. Our hotel is ideal for short or extended stays. Each spacious suite is equipped with a full kitchen, plenty of closet/dresser storage, and premium towels/ bed linens. We partner with a local baby gear delivery service to outfit suites that require necessities/furniture for little ones.
Our prime location allows guests to easily access key destinations like: Rush University Medical Center, UIC, UI Health, Cinespace Film Studio, South Loop, Pilsen, West Loop, United Center and the Loop. In the heart of Little Italy, you’re settled in a neighborhood with an old-world feel that seamlessly welcomes the new and modern. Here, you’ll feel the cornerstones of Italian culture: warmth, bellezza and history.
Your suite’s vibe is mid-century Italian meets sleek urban loft. Pops of color compliment soaring ceilings while sophisticated villa energy lies in the details (think: terrazzo floors and elegant plaster accents). The top floor’s outdoor terraces feature captivating views of the city, reminding you that you’re in the middle of everything, yet away from it all.
La vita è bella.
JUST STAY
35 large, stylish suites feature thoughtful amenities for work and play. Suite amenities include:
– Fully Equipped Kitchens
– A/C
– Smart TV (w/ YouTube TV!)
– Yoga Mat
– Hairdryer
– Moccamaster Coffee Machines w/ Local Beans
– Private Patio (select suites)
– C.O. Bigelow Bath Products
– Washer/Dryer
– Bath Towels
– Steamer
THE HISTORY OF 1431 W TAYLOR STREET
1
Late 1800’s: An influx of Italians landed in Little Italy making this area a living legacy of Chicago’s Italian-American past. Other ethnic groups vacated the area in the early 1900’s leaving the area predominantly Italian-American.
2
1889: Jane Addams (an American settlement activist and social worker) co-founded one of America's most famous settlement houses: Hull-House. Hull-House still stands today (open to visitors) and is just a short walk from the hotel. One of the first newspaper articles ever written about Hull-House acknowledges an invitation sent to Little Italy residents. It begins with the salutation: "Mio Carissimo Amico," and is signed, "Le Signorine, Jane Addams and Ellen Starr.”
3
1921-25: The Genna crime family operated in prohibition-era Little Italy. The family was headed by the six Genna brothers, known as “The Terrible Gennas.” After a bloody war led to their demise in the 1920s, the gang was eventually absorbed by the Chicago Outfit.
4
1955: The Eisenhower Expressway was created which shrunk the area of Little Italy.
5
1950s & 1960s: The Italian population of Little Italy peaked during these decades with the heaviest concentration settling on or near Taylor Street.
6
The decision to build the University of Illinois was finalized. Some say that the construction of the university decimated the neighborhood as many of Little Italy’s residents were against the idea. Florence Scala, Chicago's legendary Taylor Street activist and longtime Hull-House cohort, blamed the Hull-House board of directors for betraying the thriving, tight knit neighborhood. In 1963, the trustees of Hull-House accepted an offer of $875,000 for the settlement building. Jessie Binford and Scala took the case to the Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of the University and the settlement was closed on March 28, 1963.
7
2000-2019: In 2000, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame moved from Elmwood Park to the building that is now The Neighborhood Hotel Little Italy.
8
The community is diverse + while an Italian presence remains (especially in the food + restaurants in the area as many have been family owned for generations)!
