Lakeview, Wrigleyville, and Sauganash

Without a doubt, one of the most popular and sought-after neighborhoods in the city of Chicago is Lakeview. In fact, largely due to its great dining, nightlife, and shopping, it is one of the most populated areas in the entire Midwest. The neighborhood generally boasts a very young population, with a median age just shy of 30-years old. This is partly due to housing prices slightly lower than neighborhoods closer to the busy Loop. Yet, while Lakeview itself is only four miles away from the loop, it is still very much considered a prime real estate destination.

Within the Lakeview neighborhood sits the smaller area known as Wrigleyville. This area’s primary claim to fame is the beautiful and historic ballpark, Wrigley Field, home to the lovable Chicago Cubs baseball team. During the baseball season, the neighborhood is aggressively alive, with bars and restaurants packed full of optimistic fans.

Bounded by Halsted, Ashland, Roscoe, and Byron, Wrigleyville, with over 600 retail stores in the area, boasts an exceedingly strong commercialized business district. “Boy’s Town,” Chicago’s alternative | gay district, colorfully celebrating a host of lifestyle choices, is also located in the nearby East Lakeview area. Boy’s Town has proven instrumental in helping bolster an already diverse population, as well as, a robust, fiscally viable community.

The thriving, bustling neighborhoods of Lakeview and Wrigleyville also offer a pleasant surprise. Just steps away from world-class shopping, dining, and nightlife, you can find beautifully kept tree-lined streets. On these streets are rows of lovely houses, in almost any architectural style imaginable, ranging from almost a century-old to exceedingly new. This aspect of Lakeview and Wrigleyville provides yet another explanation for its popularity, the ability to rent or own a unit on a quiet, residential street and walk for five minutes to find one of the city’s most popular spots for shopping, dining, and nightlife.

Another favorable attribute of Lakeview is that transportation to and from the area is both convenient and accessible. Purple, Brown, and Red Line El stops are plentiful, with stops at Sheridan, Southport, Addison, Sheffield, Wellington, Belmont, and Diversey. CTA buses run constantly on Sheridan, Clark, Belmont, Lincoln, Diversey, and Addison.

Shifting gears substantially, we now take a look at the Sauganash neighborhood. Technically a sub-neighborhood of the affluent Forest Glen neighborhood, Sauganash is exceedingly attractive to those looking for family-oriented communities. With an abundance of Cook County forest preserves within close proximity, living in Sauganash hardly seems like being in the city at all. With annual block parties and a great Fourth of July parade, residents of this neighborhood remain more than pleased with their little heaven on Earth. Perhaps the close-knit, neighborly-like manner in which residents look out for one another and engage in civic duties has yielded the low homeowner turnover that exists in Sauganash. Plus, the neighborhood’s proximity to travel options such as I-90, Metra trains, and CTA bus lines only further strengthen its appeal.