Location

Lincoln Square is a popular North side neighborhood. Lincoln Square, Community Area 4 as it is officially known, encompasses smaller neighborhoods such as Ravenswood Gardens, Ravenswood Manor, Bowmanville and Budlong Woods. Peterson and Bryn Mawr Avenues form the Northern boundary, Montrose the South, Ravenswood Avenue to the East and the Chicago River forms the Western boundary line.

Real Estate

The neighborhood is a highly sought after market. Housing primarily consists of small apartment buildings, two flats and single family residences. Like most of the North side, there is a rehab boom bringing back life to the older buildings and homes.

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Transportation

Transportation in the neighborhood is accessible through the Brown Line of the 'L', mulitple bus lines and Metra´s Union Pacific North line have stations at the main Lincoln Square shopping centers. Parking is available with metered street parking and several public parking lots.

Schools

Lincoln Square residents are offered a wide assortment of public, private and parochial schools. The Chicago Public Schools system serves the neighborhood but families are not limited to attending neighborhood schools. There are a variety of magnet and charter schools and programs to choose from. These schools offer advanced curriculum in areas such as math and finance, fine and performing arts, international studies, law, science and medicine, military, special education and alternative schools.   

Extensive information on individual schools can be found on the Chicago Public Schools website.

Higher education is also available in the area.

Entertainment/ Restaurants/ Shopping

The heart of commerce in the neighborhood is at the intersection of Lawrence, Western and Lincoln Avenues with the majority of the shopping and restaurants southeast of this intersection.

Lincoln Square pedestrian mall was developed in 1978 evoking an Old World European style but in true Chicago style, an increasing number of store owners were not European, reflecting the diversity of the city.

Festivals/ Parks/ Recreation

There are activities for all tastes in Lincoln Square. Annual events offer a different pace from the norm.  Winter holiday season is welcomed with the Lincoln Square Tree Lighting. May Fest celebrates the arrival of spring and summer is enjoyed through the Summer Concert Series and the Folk & Roots Festival. The AppleFest and German-American Fest usher in fall. Athletes can run and raise money for a good cause at the Ravenswood Run 5K. The artistic side of the local community is expressed through the many public galleries, exquisite restaurants, and trendy stores located throughout Lincoln Square.

History

Roughly 44,000 call the neighborhood home along with over 1,000 small and medium businesses. Historically, Lincoln Square was highly influenced by its German culture, but as with all Chicago neighborhoods today, it is more diverse. The German influence is still strong with a number of German businesses in the neighborhood. Some of the most notable is the Chicago Brauhaus, Merz Apothecary and Lutz Continental Café. Lincoln Square is also home to the Chicago branches of the German-American National Congress (DANK) and the Niedersachsen Club. Amerika-Woche, the German language weekly newspaper was launched from its original headquarters over the Brauhaus over 35 years ago.

Early commerce was crops of flowers, pickles and celery by English, Swiss and German farmers. The celery distribution was so successful that the area became known as the Celery Capital. The Budlong brothers opened their pickle factory in 1857 and a greenhouse in 1880. Close to the turn of the century electric street railways began running through Lincoln Square and in 1907 the El opened bringing new residents to the area. The farmland was swallowed up and filled with bungalows, two flats and apartments. After World War II Greek immigrants began filling the area and Lincoln Square became the new "Greektown".

The area also developed an industrial corridor along the North Western Railway on Ravenswood Avenue with the opening of Abbott Laboratories in 1888.