Indian businesses and services in Chicago, United States

Devon Avenue on the North Side is the long-standing centre of South Asian Chicago. Through West Ridge, the stretch between Ravenswood and California avenues is lined with grocers, sweet shops, sari and jewellery stores, electronics shops and restaurants, and its honorary street names tell the story: one section is signed Gandhi Marg and another Mohammed Ali Jinnah Way, a nod to the Indian and Pakistani communities who have shared the avenue for decades, along with Bangladeshi and other South Asian families. Weekends are crowded and parking is difficult, so allow time.

Much of the community now lives in the suburbs, and that is where the major temples are. The Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple is in Aurora, the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, and the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, all large complexes that draw visitors from across the region. The Sikh Religious Society in Palatine is one of the main gurdwaras. Suburbs such as Schaumburg, Naperville and the wider north-west corridor have their own clusters of Indian grocers and restaurants.

If you would rather not drive, the CTA's 155 Devon bus runs along the avenue. Out in the suburbs, Navratri garba nights fill large suburban halls, and Diwali is celebrated in temples across the area. Chicago winters push most community events indoors from November to March.