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 Chicago's 9th Ward, located on the far South

Side of the city, is one of the largest of the 50 wards.  There

are 77 divisions of community areas officially recognized

by the City of Chicago. Community areas are distinct from

neighborhoods in Chicago. Community areas often

encompass groups of neighborhoods. Although many

community areas contain more than one neighborhood,

they may also share the same name, or parts of the

name, of some of their individual neighborhoods.

Neighborhood names and identities have evolved over

time due to real estate development and changing

demographics

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The ward includes 6 of these historic and diverse community areas, Chatham (Chatham Club, Chesterfield, and West Chesterfield), Roseland (Burnside, Roseland Heights and Rosemoor), Pullman, Washington Heights (Fernwood), West Pullman (Colonial village) and Riverdale (Altgeld Gardens, Concordia, Eden Green, and Golden Gate). 

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Roseland began as a Dutch truck farm community called "Hope." Roseland is the community featured in Edna Ferber's novel,

"So Big," which won a Pulitzer Prize, in 1924.  A lifelong resident of Roseland, Alderman Beale is committed to restoring "hope" to Roseland and other 9th ward communities.  He believes that businesses will not come to Roseland and other communities unless those neighborhoods can support businesses.  

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To accomplish that goal, Alderman Beale has worked diligently to create a tax increment financing district (TIF) that would encourage businesses to locate in Roseland.

Pullman is the only Chicago neighborhood that has been designated a National Historic Landmark in its entirety.  Built in 1880 by railroad industrialist George Pullman as one of the country's first model industrial communities planned to house people who worked for the local industry (in this case, Pullman), the approximately four-square block neighborhood has a rich history worth exploring.