History of the Winnemac–Ainslie (Winnslie) Parkway

Winnslie Parkway sits on the west side of Ravenswood Avenue between Winnemac and Ainslie in Chicago. Friends of Winnslie Parkway supports its maintenance and improvement through fundraising and volunteer efforts.

In 1980, the parkway extended continuously from Winnemac to Lawrence Avenue. That changed when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad sold its headquarters at Ravenswood and Lawrence to Newark Electric, which secured zoning for angled parking from Lawrence to Ainslie—eliminating a large portion of green space.

Concerned the loss would continue north, local resident Stephen Christy acted to protect the remaining stretch. With help from contractors, the area between Ainslie and Winnemac was filled, graded, and seeded, preventing further parking expansion. Two large cottonwood trees were preserved with donated materials and labor.

In 2013, Metra and Union Pacific rebuilt the tracks, removing the parkway entirely. Stephen then worked with Futurity Inc. to design the space as it exists today.

Now known as Winnslie Parkway, the restored green space serves residents, commuters, and visitors from surrounding neighborhoods.


A history of Winnslie Parkway and the Ravenswood Avenue Greenway



Historical Gallery

Winnslie Parkway is just one small section of a much larger project involving the greening of the entire Ravenswood community, including the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor. This work, started under the leadership of 47th Ward Alderman Gene Schulter is known as the "Greening of Ravenswood", and has gone on for decades. We hope to see it continue and expand as Ravenswood develops in the future. The names and photos of some of the organizers, volunteers, and donors including John Klonder, Stephen Christy, Fred Schanmier and others, are in the gallery above.