Six Corners
| Six Corners | |
|---|---|
| Shopping District | |
 Six Corners in 2026 | |
| Location | Portage Park, Chicago |
Interactive map of Six Corners | |
Six Corners is a shopping district in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago's Northwest Side.
History
There is evidence that Native Americans used a ridge along Milwaukee Avenue as a campsite,[1] which would have been higher than the generally swampy surrounding land.
The area's name is from the intersection of three streets—Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue.[2] Its history as an urban center began in the 1840s, for a time becoming the largest commercial center in Chicago, outside of the Loop.[3] Sears opened a store at Six Corners on October 20, 1938. This store was the first Sears to be air-conditioned. As the company declined, the Six Corners location became the last remaining Sears in Chicago, eventually closing in July 2018.[4][5]
Six Corners has suffered economic downturn, and the area has been slated for redevelopment as an urban pedestrian shopping district with the recent reopening of the Portage Theater, the upcoming construction of several retail-condo buildings and a street beautification project.[6]
In 2024, the Sears building was reopened as a multi-use apartment and retail building, with a Target on the ground floor.[7]
As its economic impact waned, the name "Six Corners" has also been applied to the intersection of Milwaukee, North, and Damen avenues in the Wicker Park neighborhood, which has seen massive gentrification.[8][9][10] Given Chicago's unique rectangular grid street system which is cut by a handful of diagonal streets, numerous intersections within the city contain six corners.[11][12][13][14][15]
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Architecture
The area is host to a number of examples of prominent architecture, including the art deco Sears and Klee Buildings, the classical revival Portage Theater and the landmark Peoples Gas Irving Park Neighborhood Store.
Neighborhood association
Six Corners Association is a 501(c)6 non-profit economic development organization serving businesses and residents in Portage Park, Jefferson Park, Old Irving Park, Dunning, and Belmont Cragin.[16]
References
- ↑ Federal Township Plats of Illinois (Map). Cook County. Illinois Secretary of State. 1821. p. Jefferson Township. § 14-43. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ↑ Overhead View of Six Corners (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 3, 2008.
- ↑ Marilyn Elizabeth Perry (2005). "Six Corners". Encyclopedia of Chicago. p. 1145.
- ↑ Sun-Times, Heather Cherone | For the (April 13, 2018). "Sears closing its last store in Chicago". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "What's That Building? The Former Real Estate Legacy Of Sears". WBEZ. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Economic Restructuring". Six Corners Association. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ↑ Pojoga, Madalina (October 10, 2024). "From Retail to Residential: The Transformation of a Chicago Sears Store". Multi-Housing News. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ Sudo, Chuck. "Don't Call Wicker Park's Most Famous Intersection 'Six Corners'". chicagoist. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ Cherone, Heather; Hauser, Alisa. "Six Corners: Which is the Real One? Portage Park or Wicker Park?". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Bucktown's six corners sees burst of development". August 3, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Realignment of Dangerous Damen-Elston-Fullerton Intersection Begins". myFOXChicago. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Construction Starts at Six Corners Intersection". May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Realignment of Dangerous Damen-Elston-Fullerton Intersection Begins". Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Construction to Begin at Damen-Elston-Fullerton Intersection". Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Reconstruction Of Bucktown Six-Corner Intersection Set To Begin". May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ↑ "About". Six Corners Association.
41°57′14″N 87°44′50″W / 41.9538°N 87.7472°W