Chicago's Vibrant European Neighborhood Teems With Modern Art, Restaurants, And Walkable Charm

Each of Chicago's neighborhoods have a distinct flavor invoked by the city's varied cultural influences and historic industries. Chicago's elegant Gold Coast neighborhood has an old-world charm and upscale shopping, while the gallery-filled River North neighborhood is home to a bustling nightlife scene with trendy clubs. West of these neighborhoods, the Ukrainian Village is one where the influence of its Ukrainian heritage is present everywhere, from the European-style cathedrals to the pierogies sold at beloved delis.

The Ukrainian Village is compact and walkable — you could walk from the north to south end of the neighborhood in 10 to 15 minutes, but it's worth spending a day exploring its unique modern art museum, admiring the old workers' cottages, and stopping in some iconic local restaurants for a bite. By public transit, you can reach the Ukrainian Village in just under an hour from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, getting off at the Western & Augusta or Chicago & Oakley bus stops. Depending on what you want to see, you could book a guided tour of the Ukrainian Village with the Chicago Architecture Center, which focuses on the neighborhood's churches and homes, or wander on your own. A good place to start is at the Ukrainian National Museum, which sits right off the Chicago & Oakley stop.

The Ukrainian National Museum is a cozy but fascinating building packed with Ukrainian artifacts and artworks across its three small floors. Its most notable collection is its folk art, with over 10,000 Ukrainian folk art objects that include woven cloths, pysanky (decorated eggs), and ceramics. At the museum, you'll learn more about how Chicago's Ukrainian Village formed across four periods of immigration, starting in the late 1800s. The museum itself was founded by three Ukrainians who, displaced after World War II, were part of the third wave of immigration and sought to build a place that represented the struggles of their homeland while celebrating its culture. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., for a reasonable admission price.

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art is one of the few museums in the country where you can see a collection of artwork centered around the Ukrainian American experience. The museum's permanent collection has a focus on abstract and minimalist work from the mid-20th century, with rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists. It often hosts live performances, too, and is open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays, with donation-based admission.

Neighboring the Ukrainian National Museum, make sure to stop by the Saints Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church. It's an iconic landmark of the Ukrainian Village, with gorgeous Byzantine-Ukrainian architecture and striking gold domes. Behind the church, along West Superior Street, the Ukrainian Village Fest is held annually in the summer, with dancing, music, and food.

As you walk around the Ukrainian Village, pause and notice some of the architecture, which includes a mix of ornate cathedrals, brick rowhouses, and gable-roofed workers' cottages. The workers' cottages are a particular feature of the neighborhood that are under threat — they're often targeted by developers to be torn down for new construction. But the ones that stand are a special relic of the time around the turn of the 20th century, when working- and middle-class families lived in them as the city faced an industrial boom. You can see some of the best-preserved of these homes along West Thomas Street, at the center of a designated Chicago Landmark District.

Among the neighborhood's many incredible eats, Kasia's Deli is one of the most iconic. It appeared in the TV series "The Bear," and Martha Stewart called its late owner Kasia Bober "the most famous pierogi maker in Chicago" in an email to the Chicago Sun-Times. Its home-cooked pierogies are the highlight, though it also serves a range of Eastern European-influenced sandwiches, soups, and cold cuts. For more varied classic Ukrainian food, head to Tryzub Ukrainian Kitchen. It has 4.6 stars on Google and boasts a plentiful menu (available in both English and Ukrainian) that includes borshch, banosh (a traditional Ukrainian corn porridge with cheese), and Lviv cheesecake for dessert. Finally, the Ukrainian Village is one of the best places to get hot dogs in Chicago, and its beloved Fatso's Last Stand was named one of the 10 best hot dog stands in the city by Chicago magazine.