Originally, Lakeview was a trail for Native Americans for several Native American Tribes – the Winnebago, Ottawa and Miami,.
After its original settlement in the 1830s, Lakeview saw continued growth as more immigrant families came into the area from Germany, Sweden and Luxembourg. The neighborhood gets its name from Hotel Lakeview, among the earliest permanent structures, which was constructed in 1853 (1854 according to some sources) and served as refuge for many of the incoming families.
As the area grew, public services were needed and in 1889 Lakeview was annexed by Chicago.
Lakeview is a large neighborhood, encapsulating other areas including Wrigleyville (home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team), Boystown and Southport Corridor. Lakeview is an extremely vibrant and bustling neighborhood with an active theater scene, home to thirty theaters. It also hosts several large events through the year including the Chicago marathon which passes through it, the Pride Parade and Bike the Drive.
There are many housing styles located through the area from walk ups, newly constructed three flats, single family homes, lofts, high rises and apartment complexes.
Along with the entertainment, there are many other attractions that draw people to this area including desirable schools, lakefront access, accessibility to transportation, parks, Belmont Harbor and a bustling retail scene.
Lakeview has access to the CTA Brown Line which runs on through its western edge northbound towards North Center, Lincoln Square and Albany Park. On the eastern edge, following the lakefront the Red Line runs northward to Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park. Both the Brown and Red line converge at the Belmont Station towards downtown Chicago. The Metra also runs through the area as well.
