Fulton Market

Fulton Market is not your average neighborhood, particularly when it comes to public spaces. While many neighborhoods have a more traditional approach for public space (dog parks, playgrounds, and plazas), Fulton Market defies all of these standards with its emphasis on food halls and bars. This emphasis is so heavy that there are very few other options (especially safe and accessible ones) for the neighborhood's residents to enjoy. Based on several reconnaissance visits to the neighborhood, its public spaces can be divided into three distinct categories: 21+, Under 21, and "Underground."

It has been established in previous sections that Fulton Market is a place primarily catering to the office worker, tourist, and upper-middle class Chicagoan. The catering to these demographics is never more clear than when looking at public space. Bars and upscale restaurants dot the landscape and have become congregation places for the majority of the neighborhood's residents. Pictured below is one such example: Emporium Arcade and Bar.

[Indoor views of Emporium Arcade and Bar - Fulton Market 10-30-22]

The Emporium Arcade and Bar is the shining example of public space in Fulton Market. It markets itself as a place where adults (over 21 years old) can gather, socialize, drink, and play both video games and pool while listening to music. In a brief interview with some employees, they described the space as a space "open to everyone" with DJs and other events drawing people from around the city. They also mentioned that public spaces like this one are packed just before people eat dinner and then again from 10 pm until they close at 2 am. The crowds that use these spaces come from very diverse backgrounds, but whether they be tourists, suburbanites, Chicagoans, or Fulton Market residents, everyone can be found crowded around PacMan or taking turns at a game of pool.

[Outside view of Federales Bar on Morgan and Lake 10-30-22]

[Outside view of PB&J Pizza, Beer, Jukebox 10-30-22]

Pictured above is a particularly interesting phenomenon in Fulton Market, as these pictures were taken on October 30th, the day before Halloween. At this time, commonly known as "Halloweekend," many Chicagoans and tourists alike flock to neighborhoods like Fulton Market due to their prominent bar scenes. In the first image, a line of patrons to a sports bar on Morgan can be seen forming at as early as 4:30 pm! Indoor/outdoor bars which have a blurred line between indoor and outdoor dining are a staple in the neighborhood and often boast long wait times as the sun goes down. In a neighborhood that lacks traditional green space and public plazas, there is not much other choice close to home for residents. However, these exciting examples are only scratching the surface of Fulton Market's identity as a night-life destination.

As Jane Jacobs so commonly says, it is important for a neighborhood to have a multitude of uses for people at all times of the day. In a neighborhood like Fulton Market which is mainly geared toward 21+ people craving pricy beer and dancing, this dichotomy between daytime use and night life is far from ignored. Taking a break from the many bars of this neighborhood, we move on to the (almost as) famous food scene.

[Outside view of Timeout Market Chicago taken from timeout.com]

[Ground view of Timeout Market 10-30-22]

[2nd Floor View of Timeout Market Chicago taken from timeout.com]

It is very fitting that the "up-and-coming" neighborhood of Fulton Market partakes in and perfects the trendiest of all restaurant concepts: the food hall. Many food halls have sprung up around the city, and Fulton Market has truly embraced the opportunities for public space that they provide. Timeout Market Chicago is a name many Chicagoans have heard of before, and that popularity is very accurately reflected by the various merchants' long lines and crowded tables. Upon interviewing some workers at the vendors inside, many expressed their delight at the crowds present. One worker said that food halls like Timeout Market are one of the only places where people under 21 can congregate. He expressed that most of Fulton Market is void of traditional public space, and with most of the neighborhood being dominated by bars, Timeout Market is one of the few age-egalitarian and family friendly places left to gather. The crowds present at this establishment absolutely reflected this sentiment, with people of all ages (and especially families with young kids) crowding the long tables in the main hall and the outdoor seating on the pedestrianized street.

Fulton Market seems especially fit for these types of enterprises due to its history as a warehouse district. This all-brick building where Timeout Market now resides is testament to the spacious layouts many buildings in the neighborhood still have retained. This is in part thanks to the incredible efforts of preservationists and the city's relatively recent landmark designation of the area. With all of this space inside, it is almost as if the outdoor, traditional public space is not missed.

Upon speaking to the employees of various Fulton Market establishments, some have come forward to offer a more unorthodox take on Fulton Market's public space. Despite the neighborhood's massive population growth and economic development, Fulton Market used to be a sparsely occupied, nearly abandoned warehouse district. As such, there were a lot of abandoned buildings and empty lots, particularly along the neighborhood's Northern boundary. With many eyes diverted away from the neighborhood, new opportunities for local artists opened up. The abundance of empty buildings was not interpreted as a blight, but instead a blank canvass, and from there the art scene arose.

[Distant wall art / graffiti on Green Street 10-30-22]

[Hubbard Street Mural Photographs taken from the blog "Hubbard Street Murals: Chicago's Street Art Gallery"]

[Juice WRLD Memorial taken from the Chicago Sun Times]

While Fulton Market's official Northern boundary is the shared Amtrak / Metra rail corridor on West Carroll Avenue, many neighborhood workers (especially the ones interviewed above) have declared that more of a "soft boundary" and state that the line is often blurred to include the Union Pacific West Line Metra tracks at West Hubbard Street. The viaduct used for this rail right-of-way contains the "Hubbard Street Murals," which was a project began in the 1970's by Chicago Art Institute students. There are countless works of beautiful street art on display for the public along this stretch of Hubbard Street. Many workers in the neighborhood say that they enjoy taking their breaks walking along the viaduct and viewing the murals.

One worker who also identifies as a local artist pivots away from this more popular attraction and describes the southern Amtrak / Metra tracks as the place to be for the neighborhood's "underground" artists. There were several stories told of walking along the tracks, dodging trains, and practicing artwork on any available space, but unfortunately much of it is out of reach to the general public. While the Carroll Avenue artwork is inaccessible, there are many examples of street artwork spread throughout the neighborhood in parking lots, back alleys, and construction sites that showcase the neighborhood's "underground" identity carried over from its days as an industrial district.

While not always completely obvious, Fulton Market has a lot to offer in terms of public space. As shown above, food halls and bars dominate the vast majority of the landscape, with almost no options for traditional public spaces common in other neighborhoods. One major concern that arises with Fulton Market's dependence on bars and restaurants as gathering places is the accessibility to those of lower incomes. While many people in the neighborhood have commented on its ability to draw crowds from across the city and abroad as well as its accessibility to everyone, the majority of the neighborhood's public space is, unfortunately, locked behind a pay wall. Bars, for example, are not places where people can go to congregate and exist without the expectation of paying for a drink. Similarly, food halls are spaces that expect visitors to buy a meal. Generally, this is to be expected from private businesses, especially those that were built to serve the dining crowd. However, when a cheeseburger can cost upwards of $17 and a cocktail around the same, the vast majority of people are priced out of the neighborhood. That leaves lower income people with the following options for public space imaged below:

[Rubble-filled lot in Fulton Market 10-30-22]

[Fenced off empty lot in Fulton Market 10-30-22]

While it isn't pretty, these fenced off and neglected lots are the only spaces the residents of Fulton Market have where they aren't expected to break the bank. Naturally, this creates a hostile environment that is completely inaccessible to the vast majority of people, especially those of lower income. This lack of free public space is definitely a factor in the neighborhood's lack of diversity among residents and, unless something is done to rectify this, it will continue to drive those of lower incomes away. Although, even having said that, the famous phrase "life finds a way" rings true in Fulton Market. Those who can afford it stick to the bars and food halls, while those who can't hop the fences, shake their spray-paint cans, and express their art.