Ah, Chicago. The Windy City, the best city in the world. Whether you’re eating an entire deep-dish pizza, looking down at the views from the top of skyscrapers, or enjoying a baseball game, the opportunities for fun in Chicago never end. Every neighborhood in Chicago is known for something different; every place has its own personality to match every resident’s preferences. Below you’ll find some of the best neighborhoods in the city based on their unique attributes.
These Are The Best Chicago Neighborhoods To Live In
Lakeview
Lakeview is arguably one of the most popular neighborhoods for 20-somethings to live in these days. Between relatively affordable yet still high-quality housing, an amazing view and vicinity to Lake Michigan, and lots of bars and restaurants in the area, it’s unbeatable. Most neighborhoods in Chicago have CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) access, but Lakeview is specifically great for getting into the city for work since the Red, Purple, and Brown lines all run through Lakeview. Lakeview encompasses two sub-neighborhoods: Wrigleyville and Boystown. Wrigleyville is not only the place to be during Cubs baseball games, but for nearly every holiday they decorate their bars with very entertaining themes, such as winter wonderland. Boystown is known for its proud support of the LGBT community, and there is truly never a dull moment in Boystown. Every bar and pub is unique, and you will never have the same night twice here.
Logan Square
Logan Square is very much an up-and-coming neighborhood, which means housing is extremely affordable. Because of this, it’s one of the newest scenes to find flocks of recent college grads and young professionals. To keep said “young people” entertained, Logan Square has become widely known for its local restaurants, super cool art scene, unique breweries, arcade-bars, and pop-up bars. Since most things in Logan Square are still new, it’s the best place to try a recently-opened restaurant, since oftentimes the menus are changing every time you go!
West Loop
Though West Loop wasn’t always seen as the best place to live, it’s certainly making its way up on the list. Recently, the city has totally renovated the neighborhood and added a ton of new bars, restaurants, and shopping opportunities here. Because of this, many people are starting to flock in. West Loop is very popular for its fine-dining restaurants as well as its unique food and drink options. Because it’s so close to universities, there are always a ton of college students around in addition to couples and families that come here for a meal. The area is easily accessible by the Green, Pink and Blue CTA lines, and even Union and Ogilvie Commuter Stations.
Wicker Park
Wicker Park used to be very similarly described as Logan Square, but in recent years the two neighborhoods have changed and drifted apart from one another. Wicker Park is famously known for its unique and local stops for cuisine and drinks, which therefore means that the population of the neighborhood grows drastically every evening as young people flock in for dinner and drinks. While housing in Wicker Park is generally pretty affordable, make sure to keep in mind that late, loud nights at surrounding businesses is not uncommon. Aside from late-night entertainment, Wicker Park also has great parks, shops, activities for children, and access to the 606, a gorgeous new elevated biking and walking path the spreads across the city.
