Master Jay's favorite Chicago neighborhoods (Lincoln, Princeton: how much, college, living)

[Master Jay]

SORRY. I MEANT THIS FOR THE CHICAGO FORUM: Hello, city-data.commers. It is going to be extremely cold. So be safe out there. I might wait for this chill to go away before I come down.

But I've been thinking of my favorite Chicago neighborhoods that I've mentioned in past posts. And I'd very much like to hear about YOUR experiences and thoughts about them. It would give me something good to think about until the weather gets higher than the current freezing situation!!!

1. Edison Park

2. Lincoln Square

3. Armour Square

4. Heart of Chicago

I have so many great memories of these main 4 areas. Please share yours, good, bad, or indifferent!

Thanks. Stay safe. Stay happy. Stay healthy.

[noid_1985]

For me....

Hyde Park
Kenwood
Beverly
Uptown
Galewood

[Master Jay]

noid_1985, good day!

No love for my Fab 4?

I, too, like Galewood very much, however!

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

noid_1985, good day!

No love for my Fab 4?

I, too, like Galewood very much, however!

Good day sir, of those four I like Heart of Chicago. I visit that area more often than the others. Great restaurants btw....

[Master Jay]

noid_1985. Absolutely great restaurant row. That neighborhood is frozen in time, no pun intended! I love, love, love Ignotz's. I've been to Bruna's 2 times. The last time was with our photographer city-data.com colleague, jfre81.

I really hope that street can do Father's Day Festa Pasta Vino this year!!! I've been attending for several years.

Also, walking distance from there is St. Paul's Catholic Church. I once attended a trilingual mass( English, Spanish, and Latin all mixed in 1). It was very neat!

That church is seen in The Untouchables movie!!

[japster28]

So many great neighborhoods. Very hard to choose...

So I'll try my best.

There's going to be a lot of personal and sentimental reasons for these picks. As I have lived in many neigborhoods. Chicago has been my stomping ground for quite some time.

Wicker Park

Wicker Park has evolved over the past few years into a wealthier area. Unfortunately, this has turned the neighborhood into a much more generic version of itself. However, despite its yuppie status, it retains some of its artist background and the quirkiness and edginess that come with it.

This blurb will show my age, but many significant events, and people in my life were in Wicker Park. Many of my DePaul friends were involved in the music/film/arts scene of Chicago. At one point in time, the epicenter for these types converged in Wicker Park. This resulted in countless underground shows, galleries, parties, etc.

Eventually my college age penchant for these types of events faded as I aged and matured, I still found Wicker Park to be a great community. I still consider it to be a mecca for shopping(particularly thrift), dining, and nightlife. The 606 trail is one of my favorite parts of the city, even if its the largest reason for Wicker Park's descent into yuppiedom. I could go on forever, so I'll stop my yammering here.

Pilsen

This Mexican neighborhood is slowly changing into an artist mecca similar to what Wicker Park was in years past. So many things I enjoyed about WP also exist in Pilsen. There is a lot of great Mexican food. The built out urban environment is probably my favorite in the entire city. The street art and murals are also the best in the city IMHO.

Hyde Park

This place feels so mature. I feel like we need more places in the city like Hyde Park. To me, this place feels humble, cerebral, and classy. Northside neighborhoods that resemble Hyde Park usually put partying in the forefront, and it's refreshing to enjoy a place that feels urban, but also feels calm. We need more places like Hyde Park. Also, Promontory Point is my favorite lakeside spot in the entire city. When I die, please spread my ashes there.

Uptown

I love a neighborhood in a flux. And Uptown perfectly encapsulates that. It is also a neighborhood with many faces. Entertainment district? Hit up Lawrence and Broadway. Vietnamese enclave? Argyle has that. A skid row that is slowly getting gentrified? Wilson ave checks that off. Uptown feels like a microcosm of the diversity that is Chicago. It feels like a city of neighborhoods, within a city of neighborhoods.

River North

I was hesitant to put this one here. But I feel like River North is the ideal downtown neighborhood that others should aspire to be. It is larger than life, but also has a buzzing street life. There is great food, shopping, and nightlife. Even though these amenities tend to cater to the rich and touristy folk, I still think the options are stupendous. It also contains the Riverwalk, which, along with the 606 and the Lakefront trail, constitute my 3 favorite outdoor areas. If I had to describe my affinity for River North quickly, I'd say it is a perfect urban living experience in America.

Again, I could go on, so I'll just list off some of my other ones quickly.

Chinatown, Logan Square, Bridgeport, Heart of Chicago, Albany Park

[Robert9]

Uptown I have a soft spot for as it is the first area I lived in when I moved to the city at 18 back in late 80s/early 90s. Its a lot better there now of course.

Wicker Park/Bucktown is a real nice area with the 606 path, great bars, coffe places, among other things.

Lincoln Square is very nice indeed!

The whole West Loop/Near West side area still blows my mind. I worked in that area twice in the early 90s when there was nothing there at all. So to see it now and how much it has changed in incredible.

There are many nice ones like Lakeview. Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, River North, Jefferson Park, Logan Square, South loop. West Town, Ukranian Village, Andersonville just to name a few.

And yes be careful out there. I fell twice last night and am paying the price!

[Master Jay]

japster28, wow, thank you for sharing so many details! I am familiar with the areas you mentioned, but just never had the hugest connection.

I see we were on the same page as Heart of Chicago!

And the 28th and Princeton area I mentioned, is between Chinatown and the White Sox Stadium.

I saw Pilsen gentrify over the years, near 18th and Halsted.... But I've taken my kids to the various street fests, Lozano Library, and Harrison Park to swim.

You definitely have a good flavor of the city!

[Master Jay]

Robert9, great to see you on this post and I'm glad you survived your icy falls. Be careful, brother.

I was happy to see you mention one of mine: Lincoln Square.

I remember Uptown in the early 1990s. It was not quite out of some of its skidrow areas, then. I saw a lot of homeless people in those parts. I think it has changed for the better, honestly.

[Robert9]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

Robert9, great to see you on this post and I'm glad you survived your icy falls. Be careful, brother.

I was happy to see you mention one of mine: Lincoln Square.

I remember Uptown in the early 1990s. It was not quite out of some of its skidrow areas, then. I saw a lot of homeless people in those parts. I think it has changed for the better, honestly.

Oh yeah the homeless would often get angry if you did not give them anything I remember that.

I did indeed survive the falls, but did hurt my face quite a bit as well as my hip and leg, etc so be very careful out there.