All photos courtesy of Uptown United/Uptown SSA #34
Lanterns dot the stands at Argyle Night Market, part of the vision for a multicultural, thriving "Asia on Argyle" business district.
By Alyssa Berman, president & CEO, Uptown United - July 23, 2013
Every Thursday evening, Uptown's Argyle Street glows with red lanterns bobbing over a vibrant market scene. Shoppers snack on barbecued duck bao and sip juice from chilled whole coconuts while balancing armloads of farm fresh vegetables and meat, local baked goods and crafts.
The Argyle Night Market marks an exciting achievement in realizing the vision encapsulated in the “Discover Asia on Argyle” Technical Assistance Panel, led by MPC and the Urban Land Institute in 2008 in partnership with Uptown United, Uptown’s longstanding community economic development organization. The Market itself helps organize and energize the business community, many of whom are serving as vendors, activates the commercial corridor at night and introduces the area to new shoppers and visitors. We’re continuing to work with the community to implement the Panel’s other recommendations, enhancing the success of this multi-ethnic, transit-oriented business district for a new generation of community members.
Argyle Night Market vendors sell anything from fresh fruit and vegetables to bubble tea to duck bao and soup.
Argyle Street is neither “Chinatown North” nor “Little Saigon”—the thriving Argyle business community includes Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai business owners, draws customers from countries across Asia who live as far away as Indiana and is located in Uptown, one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods. We believe that incorporating these voices and influences by engaging a broad swath of the community in new planning and development initiatives will strengthen those efforts and help support a thriving commercial corridor.
One major sphere in which community input is having a major impact is the corridor’s aesthetics. At the TAP community meetings in 2008, the phrase "no dragons, no pagodas" became shorthand for honoring the area's authenticity and deep connections to communities from across Asia and beyond. Street banners, an identifier and an upcoming streetscape renovation led by the Chicago Dept. of Transportation all nod to a contemporary Asian aesthetic that avoids cliché and looks to the future, including incorporating a “complete street” philosophy to allow maximum use of public space.
Besides the new streetscape, scheduled to break ground spring 2014, a rehabbed Argyle Red Line L station represents new investment and a welcoming entry point to the area. Uptown United, with support from LISC and PNC Bank, has commissioned a gateway mural by local artist Ginny Sykes, created with help from community members. And bright banners celebrate the lunar New Year in seven languages.
A dragon celebrates the inaugural Argyle Night Market.
And the dragons and pagodas? Well, youth from the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, in coordination with Chinese Mutual Aid Association, did kick off the Market with a traditional costumed dance, and when the Chicago Transit Authority offered to remove the old pagoda from the L station during their rehab, the community asked for a spiffed up one instead. But as the Argyle Night Market becomes a weekly draw for residents and visitors alike, barbecued duck and a coconut with a straw might be the most universal images of all.