Bill Smiljanich is a native Chicagoan, part Puerto Rican, and part Ukrainian. As a kid, he spent a lot of time with his grandmother at her house in the Lincoln Park. That meant trips to the zoo, and freedom to roam the blocks and back yards. 

He recently came to StoryCorps with his wife Katie and talked about what it felt like to watch the neighborhood change.

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to share, record and preserve their stories. These excerpts, edited by WBEZ, present some of our favorites from the current visit, as well as from previous trips.