Roscoe Village 

Roscoe village is located east of Western Ave to Paulina and bounded by Addison South to Belmont. This quaint neighborhood preserves a piece of Americana with quiet residential streets and countless reasonably priced bars and restaurants. Once home to Riverview Plaza which was then billed as “the world’s largest amusement park.” The cityscape has changed from once being peppered with rollercoaster’s to row houses and single family homes. The southern area of Roscoe Village known as “antique row” offers the highest concentration of antique shops in the entire Midwest.  

This neighborhood is popular to many who seek out lower density living than neighboring Lincoln Park and Lakeview offer but still want an urban setting within close proximity to the city. Roscoe Village offers the conveniences of downtown without the high prices. There is currently a great deal of rehabbing taking place in this area and it is growing in popularity with young urban professionals.  

The main street of this neighborhood is appropriately named Roscoe Street which offers inexpensive restaurants, bars, and shops. It is also close to the “EL” and the expressway as well as Lake Shore Drive making commuting easy.
 

St. Ben’s  

The popular neighborhood of St. Ben’s can be found directly north of Roscoe Village. St. Ben’s gets its name from the over a century old St. Benedict’s Catholic Church located within its borders. This neighborhood is very attractive to families as it boasts one of the best public elementary schools in the city, the reputable Bell School Elementary.  

The housing is mostly single family homes and smaller two flats which line the ever popular tree-lined streets.  

Each year the neighborhood hosts the St. Ben’s block party to raise money for St. Benedicts church and school. This is one of the most popular events in Chicago all summer long.
 

North Center  

North Center is located at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue, Irving Park Road, and Damen Avenue. Its borders can be hard to define as it is surrounded by many smaller communities such as Roscoe Village, St. Ben’s and Ravenswood. Each has unique character with a common thread of offering more affordable housing than its neighboring Lincoln Park and Lakeview areas and family-centric living. The schools in North Center have a reputation for being some of the city’s best and the strong community focus on families lends toward North Center growing in popularity.
Transportation options in this area include the El Brown line at Addison, Irving Park, and Montrose, as well as several CTA bus lines throughout the neighborhood. It is close enough to access the Expressway with ease for commuting.