Ravenswood & Lincoln Square Community

Ravenswood/Lincoln Square

Ravenswood

The community of Ravenswood is located approximately 8 miles north of the Loop nestled in an area with Foster Avenue to the north, the Chicago River to the west, Clark Street to the east and Montrose Avenue to the south. The East Ravenswood Historic District is known for its lovely architectural homes and ever-growing popularity.  Ravenswood neighborhood is a lovely place to get away from hectic city life; filled with enormous trees, sprawling lawns, and renovated homes, yet remaining in the middle of a flourishing community that has it all. There are quaint shops and outdoor cafés that appeal to a family-oriented crowd and young professionals. Romantic French bistros, trendy sushi bars, unforgettable Italian pastry shops, and satisfying American diners cover any mood or craving with style and masterfully prepared meals.  Furthermore, a collection of cafés and taverns also welcome live music and the occasional comedy act, in addition to supplying the bulk of neighborhood nightlife.

Ravenswood residents over the years were known for renovating the neighborhood, thus improving property values. Since Ravenswood’s boundaries embrace those of the Lincoln Square neighborhood, both communities shared in the development throughout the years. Today, roughly a fifth of this Chicago neighborhood is considered a historic district as many of the original Ravenswood homes are still intact.

Ravenswood is a diverse in Chicago’s real estate. Passing through the mainly residential neighborhood, there are many condos and single-family homes. The architecture is a mixture of traditional and contemporary; all stunning. Due to a lot of remodeling by residents over the years, Ravenswood homes remain at a reliable value. Plus, the neighborhood has larger lots than most Chicago neighborhoods due to the city’s zoning permits; which allow residents to benefit from low levels of congestion and noise.

Community Features:

• One of Ravenswood’s crowning glories is the Old Town School of Folk Music. It originated in Old Town, but the performance venue (which has hosted the likes of Joni Mitchell) was moved up to Ravenswood in recent years and continues to produce great folk shows.
• The historic two-story apartment that was the home of famous poet Carl Sandburg still stands at 4646 N. Hermitage, where he wrote his acclaimed book Chicago Poems published in 1916.
• Welles Park is the busiest park in Ravenswood. Almost every sport imaginable is available to the public in this 15-acre recreation space. Plus, the park has an indoor-pool that is open all year.
• The quality and diversity in cuisine found in this Chicago neighborhood certainly add to Ravenswood’s standing as a prominent culinary locale.

Lincoln Square

The Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Square is located near Ravenswood approximately 6 miles northeast of the Loop and is bound by Leavitt to the east, Winnemac to the north, Wilson to the south and Rockwell to the west. This community is in no danger for over-population or rampant renovating anytime soon, which is exactly how its residents want it. In fact, city planning authorities and local activists have been working for decades to ensure this gorgeous residential part of Chicago remains family-friendly and suburban-paced.

Lincoln Square is deemed Chicago’s largest historic preservation district. Over a century old, Lincoln Square is often described as “European” or having an “Old World feel” due to the architecture, size of the streets and zoning. There are an ample amount of family-sized houses on these picturesque, tree-lined streets; many still at reasonable prices. Single-family homes are far outnumbered by brick and stone, two- and three-flat buildings. Still, some homes include expansive porches and sizeable balconies.

This quaint, four-block by four-block neighborhood, embedded within the Ravenswood area, holds a rich German culture overloaded with Bavarian allure, amazing food and a continuing respect for the community’s heritage. A vintage movie theater and the city’s oldest bowling lanes find their home in Lincoln Square, as does Oktoberfest, where Chicagoans come every year to celebrate their German roots and, of course, drink beer.

Community features:

• In 1956, a statue of Abraham Lincoln was placed at the intersection of Lincoln, Western, and Lawrence avenues. Sculptor Avard Fairbanks designed the statue to resemble Lincoln at the time he visited Chicago during the 1850s. Over half a century later, and with a recent facelift, this distinctive monument stands at the center of the community, helping to define the small Chicago neighborhood.
• In 1991, artist Lothar Speer gathered local students to paint a 3,000-square-foot mural on the Northern Home Furnishings building at the corner of Lincoln and Leland avenues. The enormous fresco captures charming German landscapes of the Black Forest and Lake Constanze while a multicultural group of children play together in the foreground — a symbolic homage to the current mix of ethnicities present in Lincoln Square neighborhood today.
• Most recently, a 30-foot maypole was erected on the same corner — near the mural — a collaboration of efforts and funds from the Hofbraeu Brewery of Munich, the Glunz Brewery family, the Himmel family and the German Day Association. This pole honors the rich German heritage that helped found the Chicago neighborhood and is used in celebration every year with two huge festivals: Mayfest and the German-American Fest.