09/18/2026
I’m so excited that our story on Devon Avenue just published! You can read the full story at blockclubchicago.org
Though commonly known as “Little India,” the West Ridge street is a hub for a diverse swath of South and Southeast Asian immigrant communities that continues to grow.
Nestled along Devon Avenue is a slice of the world and the flavors and people of South and Southeast Asia.
Businesses stretch for over a mile on Devon between Seeley and California avenues, including Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Rohingya and Afghani.
The street evolves as it continues to serve a variety of cultures.
“Throughout it all, Devon was always a great place for immigrant families to start their lives,” said Faraz Sardharia, who grew up along Devon. “Because they had resources available, all within distance, and our community available, all within distance.”
West Ridge’s South Asian community started to grow in the mid-1960s following the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, and picked up in population in the ’80s and ’90s.
“The South Asian community knows where to go,” Mohammed Junaid, second-generation owner of Sabri Nihari, said. “They know if you’re going to go to Chicago, you have to go to Devon.”
“When you go to Devon, this is where you’re going to find a job. This is where you’re going to find a small little house,” he continued. “This is your startup point, and then you grow from there.”
Bushra Khan moved to Chicago from Karachi, Pakistan in 1991 and “never left.”
“The way people even walk reminds me of Pakistan,” she said.
And despite borders and complicated histories across the globe, Devon is a welcoming home to so many.
“It’s kind of just a safe haven, I feel, for so many different communities and cultures that I don’t think anywhere else in the world that they’re this close together and living peacefully,” Mita Shewakramani said.
for Block Club Chicago with Diana Torres
