Lakeview

Before it became part of the City of Chicago in 1889, Lakeview was an independent township, and before that it was the location of a Native American trail and campground. Considered to be one of Chicago’s iconic North Side neighborhoods, Lakeview has something to offer to everyone. It is home to one of the most famous addresses in baseball – Wrigley Field, at 1060 West Addison. This year the Chicago Cubs are celebrating the 100th anniversary of its construction (just do not mention that it has been over 100 years since those Loveable Losers won a championship). But that doesn’t deter fans from packing its grandstand and the bars surrounding the park on game day. Home games are always a reason for celebration in the neighborhood, win or lose. Wrigley Field is just one aspect of the neighborhood’s amazing history, though: this is a neighborhood that is rich in character and tradition.

 

During the Civil War, Lakeview was home to a Union Army training camp as well as a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate soldiers. Many of its streets bear the names of civil war heroes as well as Chicago politicians, authors, and businessmen. A few blocks east of Wrigley Field is Broadway Street, the epicenter of in Chicago’s Boystown. Easy to spot by the twenty foot tall rainbow pillars lining Halsted Street, every summer the community hosts one of the largest Pride Parades in the nation, an event that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.

 

Lakeview has some of the best nightlife in the city. It is home to several famous music venues, including the Metro, Schuba’s and the Vic, which hosts world-famous headliners as well as independent artists and local talent year round. Popular Brew ‘n’ View turns the Vic into a second-run movie theatre that has a full bar. Before seeing a show, you can get dinner at any one of the outstanding eateries in the neighborhood. Schuba’s has a restaurant attached to the venue that serves great American-style fare, and that’s just the beginning. Mia Francesca offers some of the best Italian food on the North Side and Uncommon Ground provides organically grown and locally sourced meals that impress every time. And of course, Ann Sather’s is a Chicago landmark with its hearty Swedish-American food and one of the best breakfasts in town. There is plenty of nightlife entertainment in the neighborhood as well, from clubs like Berlin, where electronic dance music plays until the wee hours of the morning, to friendly neighborhood establishments like Guthrie’s, or eclectic dive bars that draw from the local universities.

 

To the east side, Lakeview is bordered by Lake Shore Drive, and between it and Lake Michigan is one of the jewels of the Chicago Park District. This is the far north end of Lincoln Park, with a public nine-hole golf course and driving range, a tennis center, an archery range, a softball and soccer fields. It also is home to the Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a sailing school and the Belmont Yacht Club. During summer months thousands of northsiders flock to this area to relax, get some exercise, or people watch. Lakeview is one of the easiest neighborhoods to access by public transportation. It is served by the Red, Brown, and Purple lines, which have stops near all of its major attractions and can get commuters downtown in about twenty minutes or less. There are also a number of bus lines that run through the neighborhood; several of these travel express down Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue during rush hour commutes.