Frequently Asked Questions
What is The 606?
The 606 takes Chicago’s legacy of great parks to new heights. The elevated Bloomingdale Trail is the centerpiece of The 606; it connects to four neighborhood parks at ground level, an observatory, art installations, and other amenities. Set above city streets, it’s a unique way to explore Chicago on a trail that invites biking, running and strolling. The 606 also connects parks, people, and communities; what once physically separated four neighborhoods now knits them together and attracts visitors from throughout Chicago and beyond. Kids learn to ride their bikes here, commuters find a new shortcut to work, and neighbors make new friends. The 606 changes what it means to go to the park.
What does The 606 bring to Chicago?
Building on the City’s legacy for innovative parks, The 606 takes its place among Chicago’s rich inventory of world-class public spaces. It provides nearly three miles of much-needed open green space, and links four diverse city neighborhoods with the elevated trail and four neighborhood parks. The 606 also brings economic development, public health, safety, environmental, and transportation benefits to Chicago. It serves 80,000 neighbors—including 20,000 children—within a ten-minute walk, and also attracts visitors from around the city, nation, and world.
Why is it called The 606?
The project is named for the 606 zip code prefix Chicagoans share, reflecting the park and trail system’s role as a community connector. The 606 name also evokes a connection to the site’s transportation history, a play on the tradition of using numbers to name rail lines, highways, and other transportation corridors.
Where is The 606?
The park and trail system is on Chicago’s Northwest side, running along Bloomingdale Ave (1800 N), from Ashland Ave (1600 W) on the east to Ridgeway Ave (3750 W) on the west. The project connects four ethnically and economically diverse Chicago neighborhoods: Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park and Logan Square.
Who manages The 606?
The 606 is a public/private partnership between the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, and The Trust for Public Land. During construction, The Trust for Public Land served as the lead private partner and the project manager on behalf of the Chicago Park District, and currently takes the lead for public programming and community engagement. The not-for-profit is the nation’s leading organization focused on creating parks for people, especially urban park space, and has overseen civic engagement, fundraising and land acquisition for the project. The park and trail system was funded through a mix of federal, state and local funding, as well as private and corporate philanthropy.
How much did The 606 cost and who paid for it?
The project budget was $95 million; funding sources include federal, state, county, and city resources, as well as significant private philanthropy.
When was The 606 completed?
The project broke ground in August 2013. The first phase of project opened June 6, 2015. At that time, the elevated Bloomingdale Trail—the centerpiece of the system—and four of the connected parks were open and accessible. Additional parks, further arts integration and enhanced landscaping have followed since then.