Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
most vital commercial districts, and
today it holds many of the city's
hottest restaurants, nightspots, art
galleries, and loft dwellings. Several
large-scale residential loft-conver-
sion developments have lately been
sprouting on its western and south-
western fringes.
The Gold Coast
Some of Chicago's
most desirable real estate and historic
architecture are found along Lake
Shore Drive, between Oak Street and
North Avenue and along the adja-
cent side streets. Despite trendy little
pockets of real estate popping up
elsewhere, the moneyed class still
prefers to live by the lake. On the
neighborhood's southwestern edge,
around Division and Rush streets, a
string of raucous bars and late-night
eateries contrasts sharply with the
rest of the area's sedate quality.
Old Town
West of LaSalle Street,
principally on North Wells Street
between Division Street and North
Avenue, is the residential district of
Old Town, which boasts some of
the city's best-preserved historic
homes. This area was a hippie
haven in the 1960s and 1970s, but
in recent years its residential areas
have begun to become rapidly gen-
trified as Cabrini Green, a notori-
ous housing project, has been
gradually falling to the wrecking
ball. Old Town's biggest claim to
fame, the legendary Second City
comedy club, has served up the
lighter side of life to Chicagoans for
more than 30 years.
Lincoln Park
Chicago's most pop-
ular residential neighborhood is
fashionable Lincoln Park. Stretch-
ing from North Avenue to Diversey
Parkway, it's bordered on the east by
the huge park of the same name,
which is home to two major muse-
ums and one of the nation's oldest
zoos (established in 1868). The
trapezoid formed by Clark Street,
Armitage Avenue, Halsted Street,
and Diversey Parkway also contains
many of Chicago's most happening
bars, restaurants, retail stores, music
clubs, and off-Loop theaters—
including the nationally acclaimed
Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Lakeview & Wrigleyville
Midway
up the city's North Side is a one-
time blue-collar, now mainstream
middle-class and bohemian quarter
called Lakeview. It has become the
neighborhood of choice for many
gays and lesbians, recent college
graduates, and a growing number
of residents priced out of Lincoln
Park. The main thoroughfare is Bel-
mont Avenue, between Broadway
and Sheffield Avenue. Wrigleyville
is the name given to the neighbor-
hood in the vicinity of Wrigley
Field—home of the Chicago
Cubs—at Sheffield Avenue and
Addison Street. Many homesteaders
have moved into these areas in
recent years, and a slew of night-
clubs and restaurants have followed
in their wake.
Uptown & Andersonville
Uptown,
along the lake and about as far north
as Foster Avenue, has traditionally
attracted waves of immigrants; while
crime was a major problem a decade
ago, the area has stabilized recently,
with formerly decrepit buildings
being converted into—you guessed
it—condominiums. Vietnamese and
Chinese immigrants have trans-
formed Argyle Street between Broad-
way and Sheridan Road into a
teeming market for fresh meat, fish,
and all kinds of exotic vegetables.
Slightly to the north and west is the
old Scandinavian neighborhood of
Andersonville, whose main drag is
Clark Street, between Foster and
Bryn Mawr avenues. The area has the
feel of a small Midwestern village,
albeit one with an eclectic mix of
Middle Eastern restaurants, a distinct
