Mapmaker Christopher Devane, owner of Naperville-based Big Stick Maps, has to deal with constant neighborhood-naming shenanigans. Chicago Grid talks to Devane about what constitutes grounds for renaming neighborhoods. Realtors, developers, and residents ramping up pressure for renaming based on demographic shifts rarely persuade Devane who's resisted calling Rogers Park "East Rogers Park" or the New East Side "Lakeshore East", although Central Station scored a mention on his latest map, because "sometimes a developer's name sticks." In general, it's best ask residents where they live. "I'm all for popular sovereignty," notes Devane. [Chicago Grid, photo: New East Side, aka Lakeshore East]
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