One of Chicago’s most eclectic neighborhoods, and offers a mix of homes, shops and culture and is extremely walkable and bike-able. The area is a mecca for those looking for an iconic Chicago Bungalow, which has earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Settlement began in 1893, when investors initially purchased land in the area. One of them, hailed from Albany, New York and selected the name. The introduction of electric streetcars and the extension of railways brought a construction boom which then led to the straightening of the Chicago River, which at that point did not have a direct path.
Along with the historical bungalows, there are commercial buildings from the boom years (1910-29) and carry a variety of architectural styles: Victorian, Edwardian, Spanish Revival, Neoclassical and Art Deco.
Considered to be the city’s “most diverse community area.” The earliest settlers were Swedish and German immigrants which was added to later during the 20th century when Russian Jews arrived from the Chicago’s populous Near West Side came into the neighborhood.
By the 1990s, the changing demographics led rise and the neighborhood claimed the largest number of Filipino, Korean and Guatemalans in Chicago. Koreatown can be found along a stretch of Lawrence, and the area hosts an annual Korean festival.
The area has access to the CTA Brownline which ends at Kedzie and Lawrence, while the Chicago River runs along its eastern edge.
