Chicago

Layout

Chicago's grid system dictates boundaries, with main streets typically every mile: 

• North/South Divider: State Street (0 E/W).
• East/West Divider: Madison Street (0 N/S).
• Major Arterials: Western Ave (2400 W), Ashland Ave (1600 W), Halsted St (800 W), North Ave (1600 N), Fullerton Ave (2400 N), and Chicago Ave (800 N). 

The Veiled History of Chicago

Chicago, known for its towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, hides a sinister past beneath its urban facade. In the late 1800s, the city was plagued by a series of unsolved murders attributed to a mysterious figure known as The Whisperer. This elusive murderer was said to stalk the fog-laden streets, disappearing into the shadows before anyone could catch a glimpse. The victims, all notable figures in the city's burgeoning industries, were left with symbols etched into their skin, a bewildering cipher yet to be decoded. Among the few who dared to investigate was Detective Lydia Hargrove, a tenacious woman with a knack for solving the unsolvable. Her efforts to catch The Whisperer became a legendary tale of a relentless pursuit through the labyrinthine network of Chicago's underground tunnels.

Echoes of the Paranormal

The city's eerie reputation was further cemented by the presence of Ravenwood Asylum. Situated on the outskirts of Chicago, the asylum was a fortress of grim secrets. Known for its experimental treatments in the early 20th century, Ravenwood was home to many who claimed to have witnessed unspeakable horrors within its cold, stone walls. The asylum's most infamous resident, a man called Victor Eldritch, was a self-proclaimed medium who claimed to communicate with spirits of the slain. His chilling prophecies about future tragedies in the city earned him notoriety, and despite his confinement, his influence seeped into the city through hushed whispers and occult gatherings. The asylum has been abandoned for decades, yet locals report hearing ghostly cries emanating from the decaying structure on moonless nights.

Supernatural Hotspots

• The Art Institute of Chicago → Paintings that change when no one is looking
• Willis Tower → Technocracy observation hub / reality stabilizer
• Chicago Riverwalk → Flow of time anomalies tied to water
• University of Chicago → Competing chantries + hidden archives
• Many More

“Wrong” Places

• Lower Lower Wacker Drive → Time loops, lost spirits, paradox echoes
• O'Hare International Airport → Dimensional bleed-through via travel
• Pullman National Monument → Industrial-age resonance ghosts
• Many More

Community Areas of Chicago

The city of Chicago is officially divided into 77 community areas. Census data and other statistics are tied to the areas, which serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on both the local and regional levels. The areas' boundaries do not generally change, allowing comparisons of statistics across time. The areas are distinct from but related to the more numerous neighborhoods of Chicago; an area often corresponds to a neighborhood or encompasses several neighborhoods, but the areas do not always correspond to popular conceptions of the neighborhoods due to a number of factors including historical evolution and choices made by the creators of the areas. As of 2020, Near North Side is the most populous of the areas with over 105,000 residents, while Burnside is the least populous with just over 2,500. Other geographical divisions of Chicago exist, such as the "sides" with origin in the 3 branches of the Chicago River, the 50 wards of the Chicago City Council which undergo redistricting based in population movements, and the parishes of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Social Science Research Committee at the University of Chicago defined the community areas in the 1920s based on neighborhoods or groups of related neighborhoods within the city. In this effort it was led by sociologists Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess, who believed that physical contingencies created areas that would inevitably form a common identity. Except for the addition of two areas (O'Hare from land annexed by the city in 1956 and Edgewater's separation from Uptown in 1980) and peripheral expansions due to minor annexations, the areas' boundaries have never been revised to reflect change but instead have been kept stable. The areas have become a part of the culture of Chicago, contributing to its perception as a "city of neighborhoods" and breaking it down into smaller regions for easier analysis and local planning. Nevertheless, Park's and Burgess's ideas on the inevitability of physically related areas forming a common bond have been questioned, and the unchanging nature of the areas has at times been seen as analytically problematic with major subsequent changes in some of the areas' urban landscapes, such as the construction of expressways.