Pilsen was once a thriving industrial neighborhood whose residents worked in the lumberyards, factories and docks along the Chicago River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal. It was first settled by immigrant Bohemians after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and was named Pilsen in recognition of their homeland's second largest city. Its boundaries are 16th Street, the Stevenson Expressway, the Chicago River, and the Burlington Railroad. The population of Pilsen is 44,031 (2000).
Today, Pilsen is a well-organized community comprised of a large network of community organizations, social agencies, churches, and schools. It is a bustling family neighborhood with great food and art that contains many long-time residents, and is a haven for newly-arrived artists as well; indeed, many colorful murals dot the neighborhood. Pilsen East is an unofficial artists' enclave clustered primarily around 18th, 19th and Halsted streets.
Housing in Pilsen is more affordable than in many other Chicago neighborhoods, and some of the housing dates back to the Great Chicago Fire. At the same time, the neighborhood's popularity is growing and in recent years, property values have risen as well. New loft buildings have been constructed, and existing loft buildings have been renovated; the median price of a single-family home has risen to $338,648, and the median cost of a condo or loft is $357,538 (2004). On February 1, 2006, Pilsen became a National Historic Register District, which allows residents to reinvest in their properties while freezing their property taxes for eight years if their renovations comply with National Park Service standards for the rehabilitation of historic properties.
Transportation is plentiful in Pilsen. CTA trains transport residents to Midway Airport, and the Metra Burlington line makes several stops in the neighborhood. The CTA's O'Hare-Congress-Douglass line makes a stop at 18th Street, and buses run on several major streets. The Stevenson and Dan Ryan Expressways are close by.
The Mexican Fine Arts Museum on 19th Street is the largest organization of its kind in the United States. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, it features permanent collections, special exhibitions, festivals, and other events highlighting Latino culture.
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Pilsen was once a thriving industrial neighborhood whose residents worked in the lumberyards, factories and docks along the Chicago River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal. It was first settled by immigrant Bohemians after the 
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