Official Chicago Neighborhood Thread (Glenwood, Lakewood: homes, live, moving)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by manchesterUnited

...Also, there's a cool site called dreamtown (just google it) that has a decent map, plus nice little videos for most of the neighborhoods...

Dreamtowns map is not very accurate at all.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I've never noticed before that Humboldt Park's eastern border is Kedzie on the "Community Area" map, but Western Ave. on the neighborhood map. I've always thought of that border as Western, since that's where Wicker Park and Bucktown both end. Most others in that area seem to agree with this too!

I have stated this fact over a dozen times on this site! People do not seem to listen!

[Avengerfire]

Official Community map
PDF:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webpor...rea_name_1.pdf

Official Neighborhood Map
PDF:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webpor...oods_11x17.pdf

Most everything else you will find is VERY inaccurate. These are the official maps from the City of Chicago, therefore (even with some points of contention) they are the true maps and only ones that should be used. Never use a map given to you by a realtor.

[guaterico]

The city of Chicago maps are good, but the problem is that they don't include a lot of neighborhoods that people might be looking for. In other words, you won't see Bucktown, Wrigleyville, Boys Town, Andersonville, Wicker Park, South Loop, Roscoe Village, and so on. So if you want to live in, say, West Loop, and go off the city map, you'll be going as far west as Kedzie, which is of course not the West Loop proper.

Personally I like the dreamtown map, and I've been a member of their site for a while (haven't bought anything yet, and probably won't anytime soon), and while it may not be "accurate" to some, well, no map is. As development expands, neighborhood boundaries change and new hoods are created (New Eastside anyone?), so you can't expect to find one completely accurate map.

Chicago Neighborhood Map

[aragx6]

Actually that's not true- the neighborhood map that Avengerfire posted has all of the neighborhoods you listed except Boystown.

[guaterico]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Actually that's not true- the neighborhood map that Avengerfire posted has all of the neighborhoods you listed except Boystown.

You are correct, sawwy I clicked on the first link. Although looking at them now, there isn't much difference between my map and the city's.

[neonwattagelimit]

I think its also a good rule of thumb to be wary of stuff on the neighborhood border of a map given to you by a realtor, 'cause they'll extend the boundaries of desirable neighborhoods. Another thing to keep in mind is the surrounding areas - the map my apt. broker gave me puts my building on the border of Andersonville, though it technically isn't. That said, it's still a really nice area, easily with within walking distance of Andersonville's commercial strip and closer to the train than the neighborhood proper, so I actually prefer it. I mean, if you are on the border of Lakeview and Roscoe Village, are you really going to have a problem? I think not.

[Phl_Gd]

Better yet, forget the maps altogether since neighborhood development is in constant flux. Drive through the neigborhood yourself and see what is happening. Research and trend the blocks you are looking at. Development borders are certainly not static. In a bid to stay within sometimes antiquated borders, you may miss out on a great deal in a neighborhood that is coming of age.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by guaterico

You are correct, sawwy I clicked on the first link. Although looking at them now, there isn't much difference between my map and the city's.

I think they updated it a bit after I tore them a new one a few times on here. Someone must have seen what I wrote and changed it. It still has some major problems though.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by neonwattagelimit

I think its also a good rule of thumb to be wary of stuff on the neighborhood border of a map given to you by a realtor, 'cause they'll extend the boundaries of desirable neighborhoods . . .

Yeah, I was amused to see the realtor map that extends Andersonville east all the way to the lake. Errm..... not quite.

That said, I have noticed the generally accepted definition of Andersonville has grown. When I lived there it was pretty strictly Foster to the south, Bryn Mawr to the north, Glenwood (or maybe Wayne) to the east and Ravenswood to the west. Some institutions like Hop Leaf and the Neo-Futurarium were honorary Andersonville institutions back then even though they are technically south of Foster. But as the tarting-up of Clark Street expands further in each direction, the self-identification of Andersonville has spread along with it.