Project: LOOP

This little neighborhood is located on the Northwest Side, off of the CTA Brown Line (Damen and Western stops). It’s boundaries are North to Foster, South to Montrose, East to Clark, and West to the Chicago River.

I love this neighborhood- so much that I moved there. It is the only place I’ve found in the city that doesn’t actually feel like a city. It’s farther north and so the the city begins to filter out and turns into neighborhoods with little kids and dogs and trees and ice cream and happiness. Housing is way cheaper, and it’s more low-key than the Lincoln Park/Lakeview/Wicker Park scenes.

Within the mostly residential Ravenswood is Lincoln Square, a strip of shops, a movie theater, restaurants, parks and anything else you could want on Lincoln Ave. Some of my favorites include:
–The Book Cellar, a great little book shop with a friendly staff, they also have a cafe where they serve sandwiches, coffee/espresso, and wine and beer. Last time I was there they were having an adult spelling bee, which was quite entertaining.
–Costello’s, a sub shop with the best sandwiches I’ve ever had (try the meatball sub with provelone cheese melted all over it)
–Welles Park, where they have tennis courts, baseball fields, a giant gazebo, horseshoe (yes, horseshoe), a genuine hot dog stand, and in the summertime a little guy that rides around on a bicycle with a freezer attached to the back, ringing his bell and selling ice cream.
–The Old Town School of Folk Music has been in Chicago for 50 years. They have classes, private lessons, concerts, summer camps, and a music store.
–The German American Fest, held in the summertime, celebrates the neighborhood’s German heritage. Which means lots of beer and bratwurst. And dancers in lederhosen. Could it get any better?

So if you’re ever in the mood to explore another part of Chicago, get on the Brown Line and head up to the Western Stop, and enjoy the “small town within a city” that is Lincoln Square.