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Named after a city in the former Czech Republic, whose immigrants settled here in the mid-1800s, this neighborhood now claims the Midwest’s largest Mexican community. It’s anchored by the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (see Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum) and animated by street vendors, mariachi music, and Mexican restaurants. Vibrant outdoor murals and mosaics portray Mexican culture and history.

In the early 20th century, menial jobs at Avondale’s local factories and brickyards attracted many hard-working Polish immigrants. Today, the area also has many Hispanics, but it’s still known as Little Warsaw because Chicago holds the largest concentration of Poles outside the Polish capital. Milwaukee Avenue and the neighboring streets also abound with bakeries, bookstores, delis, and a Polish Museum.

Chicagoans who crave cheap, authentic Indian food head north to Devon Avenue in Rogers Park. Nineteenth-century English settlers named it after Devonshire, but since the 1960s, it’s been a thriving Indian community, mingled with Russian, Greek, Syrian, and Jewish enclaves. From colorful saris to Indian videos to savory curried meats, it’s almost like being in Delhi.

Amid a mix of Middle-Eastern and Asian cultures, the late-19th-century Swedish heritage here still makes its presence felt with billowing yellow and blue flags, Swedish bakeries and shops, and the Swedish-American Museum (see Swedish–American Museum Center). Adding to the minority mix is an increasing gay population – more laid-back than Boys Town (see Boys Town) – evident in a number of trendy, gay-owned restaurants.

The rich smells of garlic, basil, and baking bread waft from restaurants that line one of Chicago’s oldest southern Italian neighborhoods. Though the streets have fewer Italians than when immigrants arrived in the late 19th century, you’ll still see Italians chatting on street corners and toting groceries from Italian markets.

Northern Italians settled here in the 1920s, and some Chicagoans argue that this west side neighborhood is actually the real Little Italy. It has a handful of authentic Italian restaurants and delis, as well as the Taste of Italy festival, held over Father’s Day weekend every June.

An ornate arched gateway at Wentworth Avenue signals your entrance to this distinctly Chinese neighborhood. Asians and non-Asians alike flock to aroma-filled dim-sum restaurants that serve a mouthwatering selection of dumplings, duck, egg rolls, and other delicacies. Shops sell everything from lanterns to delicate tea sets and mysterious Chinese herbs (see Chinatown).

The eclectic Uptown neighborhood is nicknamed the United Nations for its ethnic diversity. Along Argyle Street, it’s called Little Saigon for its predominantly Vietnamese flavor. Inexpensive restaurants serve thinly sliced beef, tangy soups, and shrimp crêpes. Though the area is absolutely fascinating to explore, it’s really not advisable to walk through Uptown late at night.

Beer, bratwursts, and grainy rye breads are order of the day in this bustling German enclave, where a 96-ft (29-m) outdoor mural depicts a rural German village. The hub of activity is a relatively small strip of Lincoln Avenue, between Lawrence and Western Avenues. The area maintains Old World charm with its German shops, delicatessens, bakeries, and an old-fashioned apothecary.

First called Hardscrabble, this South Side neighborhood is one of the city’s oldest, being settled in the 1830s by Irish laborers who came to help build the Illinois-Michigan Canal. Bridgeport still has a mostly Irish population, and has bred five Chicago mayors, including Richard J. Daley (see Richard J. Daley) and his son, Richard M. Daley. The area centerpiece is US Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park), home ground of the Chicago White Sox (see Chicago White Sox).