With a population around 63,000, Rogers Park is one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods both culturally and economically. A broad ethnic mix is represented by over eighty different languages spoken by Rogers Park residents.

 Hemmed in by the City of Evanston, Lake Michigan, Devon Avenue, and Ridge Boulevard, Rogers Park is home to a large artist community that has joined forces with local businesses to help promote the work of local artists. The Rogers Park Business and Artists Networking Group, formed in 2001, is a group designed to bring Rogers Park artists and business people together for breakfast meetings and networking sessions.

 A testament to the close-knit relationship within the community, Rogers Park includes several civic and social community groups:  The Rogers Park Builder’s Group, which focuses on responsible development and use of property in the neighborhood, The Rogers Park Community Council, dedicated to improving quality of life in Rogers Park, Forum 49, a communication forum committed to holding official government accountable and empowering citizens of Rogers Park through education and encouraging voter registration.

 Rogers Park is named after one of the original settlers of the area, Phillip Rogers.  He developed the land and traded produce and supplies with local Native Americans, from whom he later purchased the land that we now call, Rogers Park. The community was formed between two of the trails the tribes used, now called Ridge Boulevard and Rogers Avenue. In the mid 1800s, farmers from Germany and Luxembourg grew crops and a few decades later, the area was incorporated.

 Rogers Park is divided into three smaller neighborhoods: Loyola, West Rogers Park, and East Rogers Park.

Loyola

Situated around Loyola University, one of the nation’s top universities, this is the neighborhood of choice among Loyola students. Loyola is situated right next to the shores of Lake Michigan, with its beautiful beaches and abundance of water sports. Also the home to several popular local establishments, such as Café Enui, Moreseland, Heartland Café, and many more, Loyola offers a multitude of dining and nightlife possibilities.

 West Rogers Park (otherwise known as West Ridge)

Often a matter of contention whether this area is part of Rogers Park or not, West Rogers Park separated from the rest of the town officially in the 1890s as result of the Cabbage War.  The Cabbage War was a conflict over park districts and boundaries. Now West Rogers is of the more affluent communities in north Chicago and has a largely diverse population similar to all of Rogers Park.

 East Rogers Park