The Lincoln Park neighborhood is located on the North side of Chicago, Illinois and is also designated as Community Area 7. The area was once a vast forest with large stretches of grassland and quicksand, when the Europeans first arrived in the late 1820's. A small United States Army post was built near Clybourn and Armitage Avenue in 1824, with Indian settlements along the Green Bay Trail. The land was relatively inexpensive because of its remoteness and there was a small pox hospital and cemetery located in Lincoln Park until the 1860's. Famous residents of Lincoln Park include L. Frank Baum, Buckminster Fuller and artist Henry Darger.
In the 1950's through the 1970's, Lincoln Park underwent a massive increase in its population and became home to the first Puerto Rican immigrants. Today, there are still a small number of Puerto Rican residents in the community. Lincoln Park, for which the neighborhood is named, contains a zoo, outdoor theater, the Chicago History Museum, a rowing canal, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and a large statue of Ulysses S. Grant.
Additionally, while containing some of Chicago's most notable cultural institutions, there are a number of other interesting areas in the neighborhood. The park and lakefront offer spectacular scenery for rollerblading, skating, bicycling and picnics. Oz Park is also located here, named after the author L. Frank Baum, the park contains statues of the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Toto and Dorothy, who welcomes visitors to the "Emerald Garden'', and the park, has "Dorothy's Sandlot'', which is appealing to children. From May through the month of October, popular attractions are the Lincoln Park Farmers Market and the Green City Market.
Lincoln Park has two of the most architecturally significant churches in Chicago; St. Vincent's DePaul and St. Josephat's. St. Josephat's is a historical church of the Roman Catholic Archdioceses of Chicago, and its two massive bell towers line the skyline over Lincoln Park. Both churches are visible throughout the neighborhood and serve as a fine representation of the charm and history found in Lincoln Park.
The neighborhood is composed of a diverse mix of young urban professionals, college students and families with young children. The majority of the people living here are of an affluent and wealthy background, which makes Lincoln Park the second richest neighborhood in Chicago, the first being the Gold Coast. Forbes Magazine has called the area between Armitage Street and Orchard Street, the "most expensive block in Chicago''.
Lincoln Park has numerous interesting sites to explore. The neighborhood has a number of book stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. Along Lincoln Avenue, between Wrightwood and Webster there are a number of pubs, bars and nightclubs which serve as a location for lively nightlife. Visiting Lincoln Park offers people a chance to experience Chicago in the most authentic way.
