Bristol Place is a neighborhood in North Champaign.
According to a 2005 University of Illinois Master's Thesis, Bristol Place is a low- to moderate-income neighborhood, located in the northeast corner of Champaign, Illinois. The neighborhood is situated three-quarters of a mile south of the regional shopping center, Market Place Mall, and three-quarters of a mile north of downtown Champaign. The City of Urbana's western boundary is less than one-half mile from Bristol Place. Specifically, Bristol Place's demarcations are north of the major arterial Bradley Avenue; west of the Canadian National Railroad tracks; east of the arterial Market Street and south of Roper Street. This approximately six-block area consists predominantly of residential rental properties. The neighborhood is also comprised of a considerable amount of vacant land and parks and the Boneyard Creek runs along Bristol Place's western edge.
Demographics
According to U.S. Census data, 232 people resided in the Bristol Place neighborhood in 2000. African-Americans make up 78 percent of the total population; Whites, 10 percent; Asians, 2 percent; and other ethnic groups or a combination of groups, 10 percent. Residents under the age of 25 account for 55 percent of the neighborhood's population. Only 7 percent of residents are over the age of 65. In 2001, University of Illinois urban planning graduate students conducted a community survey of Bristol Place titled A Portrait of Bristol Place. Information-including household income as well as individuals' opinions about social issues-was collected from residents living in 32 of the neighborhood's 71, primarily single-family, homes. Responses from the 32 households revealed that Bristol Place is among the city's most impoverished neighborhoods, as 76.7 percent of the households reported an annual household income below $20,000 and the unemployment rate of those surveyed was 16.7 percent. Champaign's unemployment rate at the time of the community survey report was 2.1 percent, and according to the 2000 Census, its median annual household income is $32,795. Additionally, A Portrait of Bristol Place compiled information from 41 households within the low- to moderate-income neighborhood immediately to the west of Bristol Place (i.e., west of Market Street). Compared to their western neighbors, Bristol Place residents had substantially lower annual household incomes, were less likely to be employed, and were more likely to rent than own a home. The large proportion of rental properties corresponded with shorter-term residency in the Bristol Place neighborhood, as well. Bristol Place's population is relatively transient when compared with area neighborhoods. According to the 2000 Census, there are 77 housing units within the six-block study area; six of the units are vacant, yielding 71 households. Of the 71 occupied units, roughly two-thirds (45 homes) are rental properties and one-third (26 homes) are owner-occupied.
Bristol Place consists of a close-knit community, stemming from the physical isolation of the neighborhood. Despite the lack of a formal neighborhood organization, many long-term residents, most of whom are homeowners-are committed to the neighborhood's well-being. Metanoia Centers, a non-profit development office, serves as a focal point within Bristol Place (e.g., the office has several computers available for use by neighborhood children). In addition to the assets extant in Bristol Place, the following amenities are located within two-thirds of a mile from the neighborhood: three schools, four parks, a post office, and the Douglass Branch Library (a branch of the Champaign Public Library). Situated within one mile of Bristol Place are downtown Champaign and Market Place Mall.
External Links
Bristol Park Neighborhood Plan Implementation Meetings, City of Champaign
