Lincoln Square

Lincoln Square, on Chicago’s North Side, is one of the city’s 77 officially designated community areas. Neighborhood boundaries run from Peterson Avenue on the north to Montrose Avenue on the south and Ravenswood Avenue on the east to the Chicago River at the area’s west end. It also encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Ravenswood Gardens, Ravenswood Manor, Budlong Woods, and Bowmanville and is sometimes known by these other names, although it has been officially Lincoln Square since 1925. There are approximately 44,000 residents living here, along with more than 1,000 small- and medium-sized businesses. The vibe is somewhat trendy, but appealing to a slightly older age group than Lincoln Park, Bucktown, or Wicker Park, and real estate in the area consists mostly of private homes and smaller apartment buildings. Any qualified Lincoln Square real estate agent will be able to provide listings of the types of properties available in the neighborhood at any given time.

The heart of Lincoln Square is the intersection of Lawrence, Western, and Lincoln Avenues. Here, residents and visitors will find a wide variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Lincoln Square is historically considered a German neighborhood, although in recent years it has become common to find shops that cater to a Thai or Middle Eastern culture right along side the old school German shops, a list of which would include the Chicago Brauhaus, Merz Apothecary, and the Lutz Continental Café. The neighborhood is also home to the Chicago chapters of DANK, the German-American national congress, and the Niedersachsen Club. There are also many opportunities to experience cultural treasures like the neighborhood’s public art and architecture, which includes the last work of famous Chicago School architect Louis Sullivan, who is known for designing the Carson Pirie Scott building and the Auditorium Theater. Lincoln Square is the location of the main campus of Chicago’s famous Old Town School of Folk Music, which sees more than 6,000 students weekly and is one of the city’s hotbeds of musical and cultural learning. The annual Folk & Roots Festival, sponsored by the Old Town School, brings top entertainment and large crowds to the area. Other yearly events in the Square include May Fest, the Lincoln Square Garden Walk, German-American Fest, the Lincoln Square Classis Car Show & Pinewood Derby, and the Lincoln Square Poetry Fest. Clearly, this is a vibrant district and is a great spot for those who like to be active in their community.

Lincoln Square real estate is usually in demand, especially the nicer properties and commands a good price, even in these tough times. The local market peaked between December 2005 and December 2006, but the current average listing price is still almost $400,000. Properties here have sold for 95.6% of their asking price in an average of 150 days on the market, as of July 2007. Lincoln Square is a very desirable place to live and homes here are a good bet to build equity, especially as the housing market rebounds. There are any number of ways folks interested in investigating Lincoln Square can get more information about the neighborhood, but a great place to start is the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce, which will get anyone looking into the area off to a good start.

Mike O'Cull