NoBro secedes from Bronzeville

One sign of a booming real-estate market is sections of old neighborhoods being given new names to emphasize the changes they’re undergoing: think West Roscoe Village, South Andersonville and West Bucktown.

We thought that new neighborhood formation had slowed along with the market, but then we heard from the newly-formed North Bronzeville Organization, also known as NoBro.

Jeff Davis, the president of the group, called to give us some background.

“Bronzeville is a sprawling area,” said Davis. “Some people consider everything from Cermak south to 63rd Street to be part of Bronzeville. We formed our group to focus on the concerns of the people in the area north of 31st Street.”

Davis went on to say that “the name Bronzeville has unfortunate, exclusionary connotations. It doesn’t communicate the diversity in our neighborhood. And, looking at historical patterns in Chicago the name tends to depress property values.”

Playing on the cachet associated with similar neighborhoods in Manhattan, the new group calls itself NoBro for short. “We think that sends the right message,” said Davis. NoBro, he contended, spans the area from 31st Street north to Cermak Road, and from King Drive west to the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Note: This post was originally scheduled for April 1 but did not appear due to a technical glitch.

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