Old Town? (Lincoln, Irving: apartments, leasing agent, condos)

[sheaosaurus]

Can anyone tell me what they think about Old Town? I tried searching through 3-4 pages of old threads but did not find anything relevant. I recently moved here in December to attend DePaul and I like the area because it has access to good shopping, an actual Charles Schwab branch(!) and is one stop away from school. I recently looked at Sono East and liked it, but I only have a couple of friends here to consult with about the area, and they do not know it very well.

Is the area ideal for college kids, or is it mostly families/professionals? Not that I don't mind families, but it makes socializing a tad easier when you are around people who are in the same stage of life as you are. Are there a fair amount of bars? I am really not into the "Chad and Trixie" scene (didn't hear of that term before I moved here), but I like nicer bars where people have decorum and I don't have to worry about stepping in puke when I step outside.

I currently live off the Irving Park stop of the Brown Line and really enjoy the area, but I want to be a more local. I have seen that the general consensus both on this forum and among my classmates at school is that the Lakeview area would be a better choice, but I have not gotten a chance to explore there yet and look at apartments, and I do not want to loose the apartment at Sono.

Would you all suggest I take the time to look there if indeed it would be a more practical fit? Thank you in advance! (and btw, I love your city and I can not wait to see what everyone is talking about when they say the summer is much better!)

[chet everett]

Old Town and the nearby bits of former housing projects have largely been developed with pricier townhomes and condos that do tend to attract families and professionals who appreciate convenience and quiet over over nonstop partying.

If you do find a unit in your rice range I would not hesitate to check it out as with easy access to spots north for more entertainment and south for work it really is about the ideal location for many folks. There are nicer dining / entertainment options nearby and frankly it always struck me as wiser to be a little removed from the heart of "party rock" in Lakeview...

[JuanTheman88]

I'm currently living over by North and Larabee, just a couple blocks east of SoNo. I do not have a car and I wish the area was a little more walkable. I have to walk about .5 miles to get just about anywhere I need to go, which isn't terrible but there are better areas for people without cars I feel. The area right around SoNo also is not very residential. It is a very crowded area filled with big box stores, and a surprisingly limited amount of nightlife. That said, true Old Town is very residential. SoNo is technically Lincoln Park if I am not mistaken, and that said, it is a weird little corner of LP. I have heard that SoNo has amazing units and I know they are incredibly expensive. Personally, I feel there are better areas to spend that kind of money, but it's not a bad area by any means.

[Vlajos]

LP is north of North Ave

[JuanTheman88]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

LP is north of North Ave

Right...so is this area considered just Near North Side then?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by JuanTheman88

Right...so is this area considered just Near North Side then?

Yep

[It'sAutomatic]

Originally Posted by JuanTheman88

Right...so is this area considered just Near North Side then?

Old Town is both north and south of North Avenue, actually. Larrabee is probably as far west as it goes. Calling your immediate neighborhood "Cabrini-Green" or "North and Halsted" is more accurate but I wouldn't say that Old Town is an incorrect term.

Due to several factors, primarily the widening of North Avenue several decades ago, North and Wells is not the happening walkable area it could or should be. I'd live north of North Ave in the Old Town Triangle district personally, lots of awesome vintage streets. The types of condo developments south of North Ave make that area look trashy.

[Larry Siegel]

Old Town consists of two basically unrelated neighborhoods, Old Town Triangle north of North Ave and the unnamed part south of North Avenue. OTT is gorgeous, basically the old-money neighborhood by which other city neighborhoods are judged. The part south of North Avenue is kind of trashy, but with a great deal of new development, and gradually improving.

[sheaosaurus]

Thank you guys (and gals). The leasing agent was very adamant about it being considered Old Town.

@chet everett - That is what attracted me to the area in general, it is convenient to the Red Line and not so close to the party areas but close enough where it would not take me forever to get there.

@JuanTheman88 - Near North Side it is lol. The units seem to be good quality, especially since the building was built to be condos but ended up being rentals.

[ToriaT]

I am not a big fan of Old Town. At one time it descended into tackiness attracting such things as a wax museum I think or was it ripleys believe it or not and other like stuff. It seems to me like an areas whose time has come and gone. Having said that it remains popular with some I think but it does not seem to be a trending student area. For Depaul students, I much prefer the area closer to the school or at least the Armitage sheffield area as I think its nicer. I do like the area going north up wells and around St. Michaels Church and where Lincoln Avenue starts on north.