We've already mentioned how big of an influence Polish culture is on Chicago, so it shouldn't surprise you that there are several tributes (i.e. Kosciuszko and Copernicus to name two) to famous Polish nationals, as well as numerous pockets of Poles in the city. One of those enclaves is the community of Portage Park, which in fact has the distinction of being the largest Polish community in the entire metropolitan area(according to the 2000 Census). So, it seemed only natural for a park located in that area to be named in honor of Frederic Chopin, the most famous pianist and composer to hail from Poland.
In addition to being 8 acres of open space on the Northwest Side, the park also houses a field house with several rooms and an assembly hall. There are many preschool classes that take place in this building, along with(appropriately enough) music classes. In addition to those perks, the park offers an after-school program for local children. The year 2010 marked the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth, and plans were hatched to erect a statue of Chopin in the park. This is in addition to plans to erect a replica of another Chopin statue along the lakefront.
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