Top Five Chicago Neighborhoods to Live In

Chicago is often referred to as a "city of neighborhoods." Indeed, the intrepid visitor (or resident) will quickly notice how each of Chicago's neighborhoods varies - not just in demographics, but in culture, history, and attitude. While its customary of virtually every Chicagoan to proudly declare their own neighborhood to be the best, I here present five of my favorites.

Lakeview

Location, location, location. Lakeview is in the thick of it all - the best restaurants, Wrigley Field, the best bars and it's extremely easy to find CTA travel options wherever you might be. The area is extremely diverse so there are quite a few interesting shops around and if walking up Broadway in the late hours of the night, you might get a peek of a few sights you don't see during the daytime hours. The only downside: not enough parking!

Logan Square

This area is extremely "up and coming." Logan Blvd. is lined with the most gorgeous brownstone walk-ups in the city and the rent and mortgages are very reasonable still. This is the perfect neighborhood to live in if you work off the blue line or if you consider yourself a "hipster." The young people living in the area or more likely to be walking their dogs or riding their bikes than driving in cars. And the farmer's markets: GREAT!

Andersonville

Settled by Swedes nearly 100 years ago, you can still see vestiges of the traditional culture in quaint coffee shops and a higher-than-average smattering of blonde hair across the locale. Since then, Andersonville has become a destination for the city's queer community, featuring one of the highest concentrations of lesbian households. With a rich history and great diversity, not to mention convenient access to CTA, Andersonville is a wonderful place to call home.

Roscoe Village

Roscoe Village is probably where all of the "yuppies" have relocated to from Lincoln Park...but it's still a viable option for a great place to live. There are great brunch places such as Orange and Hot Doug's isn't far, although one tends to find few places renting that will allow pets (or at least dogs). The homes are lovely and well-kept: one certainly can feel as if he/she is part of a community living here.

Ravenswood/Ravenswood Manor

Easy access to the brown line - this tends to be where the middle class artisans in Chicago call home. The homes are unassuming but lovely, and there are innumerable preserved Chicago bungalows to be found! Along the northern banks of the Chicago River, it's also very "non-city" feeling. Very nice community.

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(Information for this article comes from the author's knowledge and experience, with certain details supplemented by Wikipedia.)