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Information on areas to live in Chicago and neighbourhood areas along with facilities available in local area.

North Side

Andersonville

This neighborhood is located in the North side of Chicago. Andersovilles’ boundaries are Winnemac on the south, Elmdale on the north, Ravenswood on the west, and Magnolia on the east.

This neighborhood is served by:

  • The CTA red line (Berwyn or Bryn Mawr stop).
  • A Metra Train (Ravenswood stop)
  • Several CTA buses (#22 on Clark, #36 on Broadway, #92 on Foster).
  • Several expressways have exits leading directly to the neighborhood: US I-90 (exit Foster or Lawrence), Lake Shore Drive (exit Foster or Bryn Mawr), US I-94 (exit Peterson, Foster, or Cicero).

Andersonville used to be the neighborhood of Swedish immigrants. As a result, the Swedish heritage is still palpable with the presence of the Swedish American Museum located on 5211 N. Clark and Swedish restaurants such as Ann Sather and Svea Restaurant. Today, Andersonville is also the home of a large gay and lesbian community and Hispanic retailers (Catalpa Avenue). There is a large concentration of shops and restaurants on Clark Street. As a result of the gay and lesbian population living in the area, a lot of local businesses promote the gay and lesbian identity. Andersonville is also now an art mecca with galleries and theaters. The neighborhood is located at few blocks from the Shore of Michigan Lake, Montrose Harbor, Clarendon Park and a golf course.

Andersonville apartment buildings are modern two- and three-flats, with some larger complexes mixed in.

International schools

There are no international schools in the neighborhood of Andersonville. The closest one is the Lycee Francais of Chicago (See the website below).

Supermarkets

  • True Nature Foods Community Market, 6034 N. Broadway, Chicago IL 60660 http://www.truenaturefoods.com/
  • Edgewater Produce, 5509 N. Clark, Chicago IL 60640
  • Pars Persian Store, 5260 N. Clark, Chicago IL 60640

Restaurants

There are restaurants, bars, bakeries, coffee shops, delis and dinners. The specialties are diverse, reflecting the many communities of Andersonville. You will find Swedish, Middle Eastern Ethiopian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mexican and Thai restaurants.

Cinemas

Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark ,Chicago IL 60640 http://www.chicagofilmmakers.org/

Sport Facilities

Lakeview

Lakeview’s boundaries are West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east.

This neighborhood is served by:

  • 18 buses and 9 of them are express buses.
  • The brown, red and purple lines that have a common station at Belmont.
  • The Lake Shore Drive with several exits.
  • Several bicycle trails along the lake and inside the neighborhood.

Located 4 miles from the Loop, Lakeview is the home of very different communities. There are families and young professionals but also a gay and lesbian community, though concentrated more in Boystown. Lakeview is also “Wrigleyville” and Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, Chicago’s professional baseball team. This neighborhood is a nightlife destination with tons of restaurants and bars. Situated on the bank of Lake Michigan, Lakeview offers outdoor activities with a golf course, running and biking paths and a direct access to Lincoln Park. Streets lined with trees and small buildings make Lakeview a very enjoyable area in which to live. The types of accommodations range from 2 to 3 bedrooms in brick houses. Close to the Lake Michigan, you will find mid to high rises.

International schools

Lycee Francais de Chicago (See the website below)

Supermarkets

  • Whole Food Markets, 3300 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
  • Trader Joe’s (See the website below), 3745 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Restaurants

There are lots of restaurants in Lakeview with a large diversity (American food, Irish, Italian, European style, etc). Lots of them are concentrated in Wrigleyville but also on Broadway, Clark and Southport.

Cinemas

Sport Facilities

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park’s boundaries are Diversey Parkway on the north, the Chicago River on the west, North Avenue on the south, and Lake Michigan on the east.

This neighborhood is served by:

  • CTA buses such as #22, #36, #151, #8.
  • The brown, red and purple lines at the Fullerton station, purple and brown at Armitage and Diversey stations.
  • The Lake Shore Drive (Fullerton exit) and expressway 90/94.
  • Several bicycle trails along the lake and inside the neighborhood.

Located only two miles from downtown, Lincoln Park is a neighborhood where families with children of all ages live. Lots of expatriates chose this area because there are good public and private schools not too far away. Moreover, Lincoln Park is like a big garden in the middle of the urban civilization with the largest free zoo of the US (Lincoln Park Zoo), a farm, the Nature Museum, the shores of Lake Michigan, running and biking trails, and lots of playgrounds. It is the most convenient area to live for expatriates with young and older children.

The housing options are going from vintage Victorians to mid-range condos to towering high-rises.

International schools

  • Lycee Francais de Chicago (See the website below), French private school from pre-kindergarten to high-school.
  • Latin School (See the website below): American private school from pre-kindergarten to high-school.
  • The British School of Chicago, British private school from pre-kindergarten to high-school http://www.britishschool.org/chicago
  • Francis W. Parker School, American private school from pre-kindergarten to high-school. http://www.fwparker.org
  • Saint Clement School, catholic school from pre-kindergarten to high-school. http://public.stclementschool.org/
  • Ecole Franco-Americaine de Chicago (EFAC) is a Kindergarten through grade 12 educational program within the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School and Lincoln Park High School. http://www.lincoln.cps.k12.il.us/departments/EFAC/index.html

Supermarkets

  • Lincoln Park Market http://www.lincolnparkmarket.com/
  • Trader Joe’s (See the website below)
  • The Market Place Food Store, 521 W Diversey Pkwy (between Cambridge Ave & Hampden Ct), Chicago, IL 60614

Restaurants

There are lots of restaurants in Lincoln Park with a large diversity (American food, Irish, Italian, European style, etc. …). Lots of them are located on Clark, Halsted, Clybourn and Southport.

Cinemas

  • Landmark Century Center Cinema (See the website below)
  • Kerasotes Webster Place, Webster Place 11, 1471 W. Webster Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 http://www.kerasotes.com

Sport Facilities

Near North Side

The Near North Side’s boundaries are North Avenue on the north, Lake Michigan on the east, the Chicago River on the south and west. It includes the following neighborhoods:

Cabrini-Green, Gold Coast, Old Town, Goose Island, River North, Streeterville, Magnificent Mile, Washington Square, Connors Park.

This community area is served:

  • By CTA buses :#9, #11, #22 and #36 both on Clarck Street, #33, #66, #70, #125, #151, #156.
  • By the CTA red line (Clark / Division stop)
  • Lake Shore Drive (La Salle Drive exit), The John F. Kennedy Expressway.

The Near North Side area is rich in greenery and outdoor activities with Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park on its north boundaries as well as the Oak Street Beach, Stanton Park and Sewar Park. Navy Pier, which attracts tourists and Chicagoans alike, is also located in this area. The park has activities for every range of age: merry-go-rounds, movie theaters, shops, restaurants, cruises on the lake or the river, aeroballoons tours, to name a few. There are also a lot of cultural activities with the Chicago History Museum, the Moody Church, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Newberry Library, the Ruth Page Dance Center for the Arts, and much more. Living in this area also means to have a high and luxurious living standard with trendy boutiques on Michigan Miles, prestigious and sophisticated restaurants and bars.

The dwellings range from mansions from the early 20th century in the Gold Coast neighborhood to high-rise towers with fitness centers on the front lake.

International schools

Latin School (See the website below): private school from pre-kindergarten to high-school.

Supermarkets

  • Potash Bros. (See the website below)
  • Treasure Island
  • Trader Joe’s (See the website below) 44 E Ontario St, Chicago, IL

Restaurants

There are lots of restaurants with a large diversity (American food, Irish, Italian, European style, etc.).

Cinemas

AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4, 1608 N. Wells St., Chicago, IL – (888) 262-4386

Sport Facilities

Northwest Side

Lincoln Square

Lincoln Square’s boundaries are W. Peterson Ave. on the north side, N. Ravenswood Ave. on the east side, W. Montrose Ave. on the south side and the North Shore Channel on the western side.

This neighborhood is served by:

  • Buses #50, #92, #93, #11, #49, #84, #81, #78.
  • The brown line.
  • The Metra trains on Ravenswood Metra Station.

Lincoln Square was formerly the neighborhood of a large German community for generations. It is still possible to feel this heritage with some German businesses located in the area but new cultures have settled in as well (notably Asian restaurants). Families and young couples are attracted to this area as there are a large amount of single family homes, bricked stones homes and 2-3 room apartment buildings. Lincoln Square is rich in outdoor activities with the three main parks located around the community area: East River Park, Winnemac Park and Welles Park. The outdoor equipment include soccer fields, tennis fields and softball fields among others. The inhabitants of Lincoln Square can also enjoy the rich ecosystem of the Chicago River on the West side of the community area. In Lincoln Square, you will feel like living in a small village.

International schools

There are no international schools in Lincoln Square, only Chicago Public Schools and Catholic schools. For your information, there is the Historic Dankhaus German Language School: http://www.dankhaus.com/

Supermarkets

There are lots of supermarkets or food stores in the neighborhood. The main ones are:

  • Dominicks, 6009 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL‎
  • Dominicks, 5233 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL‎. This one is being remodeled and will reopen in 2010.
  • Target, 2112 W Peterson Ave, Chicago, IL‎

Restaurants

The shopping area is located at the crossing of Lawrence, Western and Lincoln Avenues, and this is where you will find lots of restaurants (German, Greek, Hispanic), especially on Lincoln.

Cinemas

The Davis Theatre http://www.davistheater.com/

Sport Facilities

Irving Park

Irving Park’s boundaries are the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north.

This neighborhood is served by:

  • Buses #80, #152, #78, #82.
  • The CTA blue line.
  • The Metra trains.

The residential, tree-lined streets with big houses, three flat buildings, homes with gardens and some farmhouses attract a large amount of families. When walking in the streets of Irving Park you can feel a small town atmosphere. Three main parks are located in the area: Irving Park, Horner Park and California Park.

International schools

There are no international schools in this area only Chicago Public Schools (from Elementary to High School) and some Catholic and private schools.

  • The Lycee Francais of Chicago (See the website below) is located about 4 miles and 10 minutes away by car from this area. It has a very direct access through West Irving Park road.
  • The British School of Chicago is much further: by car there are from 6 to 7 miles and it can take from 12 to 19 minutes with no traffic.

Supermarkets

  • Target (See the website below), 2939 W Addison St, Chicago, IL‎
  • Tony’s Finer Food (See the website below), 4137 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL

Restaurants

In Irving Park, you will find German, Italian and Irish restaurants spread all around the area.

Cinemas

Portage Theatre, 4050 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL

Sport Facilities

  • Irving Park YMCA, http://www.ymcachgo.org/
  • Curves (See the website below), 3701 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL
  • Midtown Athletic Clubs, 3611 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL

Roscoe Village

Roscoe Village is a neighborhood within the community area of North Center. Its boundaries are Addison Street to the north, Belmont Avenue to the south, Ravenswood Avenue to the east and the Chicago River to the west.

This neighborhood is served by:

  • CTA Buses #50, #152 (on Addison), #77 (on Belmont)
  • The CTA brown line.

The most active street in Roscoe Village is Roscoe Street where there is a high concentration of businesses and residencies. The Roscoe Village neighborhood is a very quiet area located closed by the very lively Lakeview and Lincoln Park community areas. In Roscoe Village you will find either modern or vintage two-three flat buildings.

International schools

The British School and the Lycee Francais of Chicago are at an equal distance and amount of time from Roscoe Village:

  • The British School is about 3 miles from Roscoe Village and has a direct access via Clybourn Avenue.
  • The Lycee Francais of Chicago is a little bit further: 3.3 miles i.e. 9-10 minutes away by car.

Supermarkets

Restaurants

There are a lot of restaurants in this area. Most of them are concentrated on Roscoe Street, Clybourn Avenue and Webster Avenue. There is all kind of styles: Pizzeria, American food, BBQ restaurants, Vegetarian, Sushi, Cuban, Mexican and Greek.

Cinemas

Landmark Century Centre Cinema**

Music Box Theatre http://www.musicboxtheatre.com

Sport Facilities

West Side

Logan Square

The Logan Square is a community area located in the west side of Chicago. Its boundaries are the Metra/Milwaukee District North Line railroad on the west, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east, Diversey Avenue on the north, and Armitage on the south.

This community area is served by:

  • Buses #76, #74, #73, #82, #52, #56, #49.
  • The CTA blue line with three stations located on the community area.
  • A Metra Train station (Grayland).
  • The John F. Kennedy Expressway.

Logan Square is located mid-way between the O’Hare International Airport and downtown. The inhabitants are working-class people with communities of Latinos (Mexican, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans), African-Americans, Polish and Norwegian-American. A lot of students and artists live in Logan Square also. This population is attracted there by the low rents. The dwellings are made of old gray stones mansions and apartments. There are also numerous parks in Logan Square: Palmer Sqaure, Mozart Park, Logan Square, Kosciuszko Park, Holstein Park, Senior Citizen Memorial Park.

International schools

There are no international schools in Logan Square, only Chicago Public Schools or Catholic schools. The British School of Chicago is located at 4, 5 miles away from the heart of the community area, whereas the Lycee Francais of Chicago is at more than 6 miles away.

Supermarkets

  • Tonys Finer Foods (See the website below), 3607 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL‎
  • Target (See the website below), 2656 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL

Restaurants

There is a good variety of restaurants situated mainly at the crossing of Damen and Armitage, Fullerton Avenue. You will find mainly Latino, American, and Italian restaurants.

Cinemas

Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647.

Sport Facilities

Downtown

The Loop

The Loop is the term used to describe the downtown of Chicago. It also corresponds to the Central Business District. The Loop’s boundaries are the Chicago River on the west and north, Lake Michigan on the east, and Roosevelt Road on the south.

This community area is served by:

  • All CTA trains.
  • Metra trains (Chicago Union Station).
  • A large amount of buses
  • Lake Shore Drive, Congress Parkway.

As the Loop is the business centre of Chicago, it is a very busy area to live in. The towers are mainly offices. Nevertheless some are condos and apartments, especially those facing Lake Michigan that enjoy the gorgeous panorama. Grant Park and Millennium Park are just at a few steps, making life easy for mothers and their babies. Living in the Loop means a short and easy commute to work but also a quick access to the running and biking trails along the shore of Lake Michigan as wells as its beaches. The rents in the Loop are very high especially for 2-3 bedrooms apartments.

International schools

The high school campus of The Lycee Francais (See the website below) is located in the Loop on Michigan Avenue in the same building as Roosevelt University.

The British School stands 4 miles away from the heart of the Loop. The Latin School is closest.

Supermarkets

  • Jewel Osco, 550 N. State Street, 60611, Chicago, IL
  • Potash Bros Market (See the website below), 875 N. State Street, Chicago, IL

Restaurants

You will find all of them in the Loop and all the style you can imagine!

Cinemas

  • Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street, Chicago, IL.
  • AMC River East 21, 322 East Illinois Street, Chicago, IL.
  • AMC Loews 600 North Michigan 9, 600 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL.
  • Navy Pier IMAX Theatre, 700 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL.

Sport Facilities

There are a lot of Sport Facilities and Clubs downtown. Among them are:

South Side

Hyde Park

Hyde Park’s boundaries are the 51st Street on the north, 60th (or Midway Plaisance) on the South, Lake Michigan on the east and Washington Park at the west.

This community area is served by:

  • Lake Shore Drive.
  • The Metra trains.
  • CTA buses: #1, #2, #4, #X4, #6, #10, #15, #28, #X28 #55, #X55, #170, #171, #172, #192. The four last buses lines are paid for by the University of Chicago but provided by CTA.

If there is one place to live on the South side of Chicago, it is in the Hyde Park community area. Home of the University of Chicago and of the Museum of Science and Industry, it might be the perfect place to settle for international students but also for scholars who have a short or medium term assignment. The University of Chicago influences directly the composition of the local population that is a blend of African American, whites and international students and scholars. Hyde Park is one of the most immigrated communities in Chicago. There is a huge amount of greenery with parks such as Kenwwood Park, Washington Park, Bixter Park, Jackson Park, Promontory Point Park, the 57th beach and more. In Hyde Park you can find accommodations such as mansions, courtyard buildings and towers on the lake front. It is both a sophisticated and progressive area to live in.

International schools

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/

This is a famous private school in Chicago, from nursery and Kindergarten school to high school. The Obama’s daughters attended this school before their father was elected and moved to Washington DC.

Supermarkets

Hyde Park Produce Lmt http://www.hydeparkproduce.com/

Restaurants

The diversity of the restaurants reflects the diversity of the local community. You will find European restaurants (French and Italian), American food, and Asian food (Indian, Japanese, Thai, and Korean) but also Middle Eastern restaurants.

Cinemas

Omnimax Theater at Museum of Science and Industry http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/omnimax-3d-theater/

Sport Facilities

Suburbs

Evanston

Evanston is located on the North side of Chicago and is the home of the well-known private Northwestern University. Evanston attracts not only students but also families with children of all ages because of the tree-lined streets, numerous parks and beaches along Lake Michigan. Evanston is a family-friendly residential neighborhood with beautiful and large houses with gardens.

The city of Evanston is accessible by car, CTA trains (purple line) and Metra trains.

International schools

There are no international schools in Evanston but a good number of private schools are present all around the city as well as public schools.

The Evanston public schools are listed here: http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Illinois/Evanston/index.html

Supermarkets

  • Whole Food Markets http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/evanston/
  • Dominick’s Finer Foods 1910 Dempster St, Evanston, IL
  • Jewel Osco 1128 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL‎

Restaurants

You will find many and diverse restaurants mainly located downtown in Church Street and close to the area of Northwestern University. Everybody will find what they like from BBQ to Asian food and veggie restaurants.

Cinemas

Century Evanston 18 1715 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201-3133 http://www.centurytheatres.com/

Sport Facilities

Websites

The Lycee Francais – http://www.lyceechicago.org/

Trader Joe’s – http://www.traderjoes.com

Landmark Theatres – http://www.landmarktheatres.com

Tonys Finer Foods – http://tonysfinerfood.com

Target, 2656 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL http://www.target.com

Lakeview YMCA – http://www.lakeviewymca.org

Curves – http://www.curves.com

Potash Bros. Market – http://www.potashbros.com

Latin School – http://www.latinschool.org

Top Tips

01 Before choosing somewhere to live in Chicago thoroughly research all areas. This decision will have a direct impact on your way of life in this city.
02 Choose your children’s school first and then look for an accommodation as the area you live in may determine the school your child can attend.
03 The US Social Security administration also advises you wait 10 days after arriving in the United States to apply for a Social Security number.
04 Chicago can be extremely hot in summer but very cold in winter. Bear this in mind when searching for accommodation; you’ll need good AC and heating!
05 Subscribe to a local Newspaper. We advise the Chicago Tribune. It is a good way to get familiar with both the city and what is going on.

Useful links

Interesting fact

Chicago is home to North America’s tallest building “Sears Tower”, which has 110 floors. From its Sky-deck at 103rd floor you can see all the way to neighboring states of Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin… 40 to 50 miles away.
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