City Cast Chicago producer Michelle Navarro grew up on the Southwest Side, raised in Gage Park and near neighborhoods like Brighton Park and Archer Heights.
Archer Heights is more than just a manufacturing hub near Midway Airport; it’s also home to more than 14,000 Chicagoans.
Developers in the early 20th century converted the swampy lands in the southern part of Archer Heights into residences while railroads were in the northern part. Predominantly white for decades, the neighborhood’s racial makeup started changing in the ‘90s as more Mexican immigrants began to arrive. Today, the area is largely Latino.
I grew up driving up and down the busy Pulaski Road. Here are my favorite things to do in the area.
Something to Eat
- Birrieria Zaragoza is featured in the Michelin Guide and on Netflix’s “Taco Chronicles.” (Trust us: The birria tacos are that good.)
- Esquina del Sazón offers authentic Mexican street food for a great price.
- El Popocatepetl Tortilleria is a family-owned tortilla product supplier. They sell ready-to-use maza so you can make tortillas or tamales at home.
- The longstanding Illinois Bar and Grill on 47th offers an authentic Chicago bar experience and great burgers.
Something to See
- Super Mall is outside the border of Archer Heights on Pulaski Road. Merchants sell food, clothes, shoes, jewelry, home goods, sound systems, and more.
Something to Do
- Want to give back? Volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Boundaries of Archer Heights. (Google Maps)
