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Old 01-12-2008, 11:56 PM
 
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Hello!
Im moving to chicago in June and have been looking into the different neighborhoods. I was interested in lakeview and have found a lot of helpful posts on this board regarding that nieghborhood. The other neighborhoods im really considering are lincoln square and roscoe village because, from what ive read, they seem safe and a little more down tempo then lakeview, but still have a lot of shops and restaurants. is this correct? Can anybody tell me more about these neighborhoods and any DIFFERENCE in atmosphere between the two (so i can pick.. How long will it take to get downtown from the brown line? Thanks!
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Old 01-13-2008, 06:28 AM
 
Location: Chicago
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Lincoln Square has a bit more of a youthful vibe to it. Whereas Roscoe Village is more the type of neighborhood for very young families who are too hip to move to the suburbs until the very last minute that it's time to enter little baby Brantley into a school district that doesn't suck, Lincoln Square leans a little more toward the "not married yet" crowd, or maybe the "recently married but no kids yet" crowd. That said, it's not a meat market like Lakeview/Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park is either. It has a more mellow, slightly more bohemian vibe than Roscoe Village (and certainly more so than Lakeview/Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park) while Roscoe Village is a little more buttoned down and a little less casual.

Lincoln Square used to be a solidly German neighborhood and there are still a few German haunts in the area, including a German culture center and a few German bars and restaurants. There are still a few old-schoolers in the neighborhood, enough to keep these places open anyway. You'll occasionally see people in their 50s prowling around the main strip in Lincoln Square, mostly coming and going to the Chicago Brauhaus restaurant.

Downtown to the Loop via the Brown Line is about 40 minutes right now, though you'll be able to knock about 10 minutes off that time come mid-2009 when the Brown Line reconstruction project will be finished. The commute time will be about the same from Roscoe Village because, unless you happen to live in the very northeast corner of Roscoe Village near the Addison Brown Line Stop, you'll have to catch a bus to connect to the train line.

Finally, as long as you're looking in that general direction, the area between Lincoln Square and Roscoe Village is called St. Ben's (short for St. Benedict's). It's also worth looking into.

Last edited by Drover; 01-13-2008 at 07:27 AM..
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Old 01-13-2008, 10:45 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover View Post
Lincoln Square has a bit more of a youthful vibe to it. Whereas Roscoe Village is more the type of neighborhood for very young families who are too hip to move to the suburbs until the very last minute that it's time to enter little baby Brantley into a school district that doesn't suck, Lincoln Square leans a little more toward the "not married yet" crowd, or maybe the "recently married but no kids yet" crowd. That said, it's not a meat market like Lakeview/Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park is either. It has a more mellow, slightly more bohemian vibe than Roscoe Village (and certainly more so than Lakeview/Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park) while Roscoe Village is a little more buttoned down and a little less casual.

Lincoln Square used to be a solidly German neighborhood and there are still a few German haunts in the area, including a German culture center and a few German bars and restaurants. There are still a few old-schoolers in the neighborhood, enough to keep these places open anyway. You'll occasionally see people in their 50s prowling around the main strip in Lincoln Square, mostly coming and going to the Chicago Brauhaus restaurant.

Downtown to the Loop via the Brown Line is about 40 minutes right now, though you'll be able to knock about 10 minutes off that time come mid-2009 when the Brown Line reconstruction project will be finished. The commute time will be about the same from Roscoe Village because, unless you happen to live in the very northeast corner of Roscoe Village near the Addison Brown Line Stop, you'll have to catch a bus to connect to the train line.

Finally, as long as you're looking in that general direction, the area between Lincoln Square and Roscoe Village is called St. Ben's (short for St. Benedict's). It's also worth looking into.
Good summary by Drover, as usual. I would just add that the Paulina stop on the Brown Line is also pretty close to the eastern edge of Roscoe Village, as well.

Lincoln Avenue is one of my favorite streets in Chicago. It runs through Lincoln Square, down through North Center and through/just east of Roscoe Village. That corridor has plenty of shops and restaurants and bars and other things to keep you busy. Roscoe St in Roscoe Village also has a nice stretch of things to do.

Drover's right about St. Ben's, too. Great area. You'll hear the whole St. Bens/Roscoe Village area sometimes referred to as "North Center". That's the official designation from the city. I'd recommend North Center and Lincoln Square to anyone who doesn't mind being a little farther out from the loop, but still wants to have the ability to get out and do things.

One note about transportation: I live in Lincoln Square, and when I'm going downtown, I actually ride my bike over to the Ravenswood Metra stop (which takes all of 5 minutes, tops) and hop on a Metra train that gets me downtown in 15. I work near Ogilve station downtown, so it makes more sense to do it that way for me. Now, that only really helps if you live closer to Lawrence. It's just another option.
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Old 01-13-2008, 09:09 PM
 
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I agree with both responders above but would say that Linc Sq is probably going through more changes right now than RV. There are a lot of brand new condos in the area and if you're so inclined, you might be able to find some tear down single family homes that you can get at a decent price. I wouldn't necessarily say that you'll find bargains, but it's not as pricey as Linc Park.
LS between Wilson and Lawrence is a great strip of bars, rests, shops etc that's also be going through some nice development the last 5-7 years.
The area N of Lawrence, S. of Foster is good area to look. There's a large park and it's relatively short walk to the 'Square' which is becoming a hot hangout spot on summer evenings.
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Old 03-06-2008, 10:58 AM
 
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Are the schools that terrible in North Center Area?
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Old 03-06-2008, 11:20 AM
 
Location: Around Chicago
863 posts, read 2,774,165 times
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I looked into two of the schools in that area (Bell and Coonley) and found them both to be good schools. Unfortunately, we didn't end up moving there at this time, so I didn't go so far as to visit them. I looked at the CPS website, the school websites, and talked to some parents of children of both schools (met them through my brother who lives in the area). Bell, in particular, seems to be a "coveted" school.
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Old 03-06-2008, 11:31 AM
 
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I'd say that Lincoln Square is becoming the kid-friendly neighborhood of choice for North Side upper-middle class white residents (Lincoln Park is now almost solidly upper class for those who can afford three-bedroom condos/houses). This past weekend my wife and I noticed that we could see at least five to ten strollers at all times no matter where we went in Lincoln Square. You'll even see multiple strollers in the outdoor seating areas of bars when it's warm outside. And almost everyone I come across with kids in the city seems to live there. North Center and Roscoe Village also have a lot of kids that fit this demographic, but I would argue that Lincoln Square is taking the crown.
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Old 03-06-2008, 03:50 PM
 
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Bought a house in LS two years ago after owning a condo in Linc Park for 5 years. To get something in LP that either A) isn't a tear down or B) needs a lot of work, you're looking at $800k. Condos can be found for much less.
We didn't pay that much less for our house in Linc Sq, but did get everything we wanted without too much compromise. As mentioned, you won't find any bargains, but the price points are less than LP.
Lincoln Ave is great, especially in the summer. The alderman is putting a lot of resources into the area and I think trying to drive out the businesses that don't add anything. It's definitely a haven for young families and you'll also see couples with kids on the square.
LS still has room for growth as there are still a lot of tear down properties or multi unti buildings that need converting. Overall, it's a great area.
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Old 03-06-2008, 11:02 PM
 
11,973 posts, read 31,629,116 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lenniel View Post
Bought a house in LS two years ago after owning a condo in Linc Park for 5 years. To get something in LP that either A) isn't a tear down or B) needs a lot of work, you're looking at $800k. Condos can be found for much less.
We didn't pay that much less for our house in Linc Sq, but did get everything we wanted without too much compromise. As mentioned, you won't find any bargains, but the price points are less than LP.
Lincoln Ave is great, especially in the summer. The alderman is putting a lot of resources into the area and I think trying to drive out the businesses that don't add anything. It's definitely a haven for young families and you'll also see couples with kids on the square.
LS still has room for growth as there are still a lot of tear down properties or multi unti buildings that need converting. Overall, it's a great area.
Yeah, Lincoln Square ain't cheap! I laugh at my 20-something co-workers who just assume they will raise their kids in a spacious Lincoln Square home when they get a little older. Better marry a surgeon, investment banker, or mutual fund manager! Though there are still some deals to be had in Bowmanville... The streets are much less charming up there, however.
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Old 03-06-2008, 11:32 PM
 
Location: Chicago
15,585 posts, read 27,430,130 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lookout Kid View Post
Yeah, Lincoln Square ain't cheap! I laugh at my 20-something co-workers who just assume they will raise their kids in a spacious Lincoln Square home when they get a little older. Better marry a surgeon, investment banker, or mutual fund manager! Though there are still some deals to be had in Bowmanville... The streets are much less charming up there, however.
Budlong Woods would be where to look. Bowmanville is already untouchable really.
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