From a once reserved area of residential streets blended with warehouses, schools and churches, a booming development of middle class and upscale homes has erupted onto the scene, mixed with vintage public housing and a multitude of chain markets and retail stores in the tiny near northwest side Chicago neighborhood of Lathrop.

Because of its vicinity to the Chicago River, this little community was once a bustling warehouse district stretching into residential blocks to the east of the river. Along Clybourn Avenue, one of the first public housing developments was erected in the 1930s. This first wave of public housing in Chicago was successful compared to the later communities of Cabrini-Green and Robert Taylor homes. The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) named the project for the social reformer Julia Lathrop, an Illinois-born woman in the camp of fellow Hull House-activists Ellen Gates Starr and Jane Addams. Her many accomplishments included being the first woman member of the Illinois State Board of Charities where she appointed female doctors to state hospitals, removed mentally insane adults from state workhouses, and influenced child welfare reforms such as child labor laws and research on infant mortality-rates.

In more recent years, new construction townhomes, converted warehouses and rehabilitated buildings have created a slew of trendy, desirable living spaces that has led to an increasing number of young adults and couples roaming these beautiful tree-line streets—both with and without baby carriages in tow. Several large grocery stores, such as Dominick’s and Costco provide Lathrop residents with the ultimate in convenience shopping. And with its proximity to DePaul University and the well-known Lincoln Park neighborhood, a spillover of happening nightlife, all-the-rage restaurants and hip retail outlets has also appeared around the premises of this pocketsize Chicago neighborhood.

Finally, being close to transportation is a key factor in a location’s desirability when it comes to buying property. That’s something Lathrop residents already know, as they can immediately hop on the I-90/94 (Kennedy Expressway) with ease from the neighborhood, making it a cinch to shoot to the Loop for work or to just hang out for a day downtown.

The Lathrop Homes remain intact, though only a portion of the units are occupied. The present residents revel in the safety of the neighborhood and sense of community they get from the diverse population of neighbors. The fate of the two and three-story apartment buildings and rowhouses is under debate between the CHA, who would like to replace the homes with new affordable housing and mid-level condos, and Lathrop Home residents and the Landmarks Preservation Council, who would like to preserve their historical significance.