Chicago Apartment Buildings and Investment Properties

Lakeview

Wrigley Field, from which Wrigleyville are located in Lakeview. Lakeview or Lake View, as it is spelled historically and as used today on signage, is a northside neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois in the United States.

Designated as Community Area 6, it is bordered by Diversey Parkway in the south, Irving Park Road in the north, Ravenswood Avenue in the west, bound by the shores of Lake Michigan in the east. The Uptown community area is to Lakeview's north, Lincoln Square to its northwest, North Center to its west and Lincoln Park to its south.

The 2000 population of Lakeview was 94,817 residents, making it the second largest of the Chicago community areas, following Austin which has 117,527 residents.

Lakeview is most recognized nationwide as home to Wrigley Field and its Chicago Cubs and location of the first and one of the most famous gay villages in North America. Held each June, the Chicago Pride Parade, one of the largest gay pride parades in the nation, takes place in Lakeview.

The community area has also been host to several other major events: In 2006 it played host to an international sports and cultural festival, Gay Games VII with its closing ceremonies held at Wrigley Field headlined by Cyndi Lauper. Several Major League Baseball events have been held in Lakeview, as well.

History

Settlement
According to the Lake View East Chamber of Commerce, previous to its township era, Lake View was used as a camp and trail path for the Miami, Ottawa, and Winnebago Native American tribes.

Conrad Sulzer of Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland was the first white settler to live in the area in 1837. In 1853, one of the first permanent structures was built by James Rees and Elisha Hundley on the corner of present-day Byron Street at Lake Shore Drive.

Lake View Township

Lake View's early industry was farming, especially crops of celery. Together with neighboring Edgewater, Lake View was known as the celery-growing capital of the world. In 1889, a real estate boom became a major economic stimulant.

According to the Lake View East Chamber of Commerce, over forty percent of its neighborhood's present-day buildings were constructed during that time.

**Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois**
Community Area 6 - Lakeview Location within the city of Chicago
Latitude Longitude	41°56.4'N 87°39.6'W
Neighborhoods	Lake View East Northalsted West Lakeview Wrigleyville
ZIP Code	parts of 60613, 60657
Area	8.18 km² (3.16 mi²)
Population (2000) Density	94,817 (up 4.16% from 1990) 11,585.1 /km²
Demographics	White Black Hispanic Asian Other	79.5% 4.42% 8.72% 5.42% 1.95%
Median income	$53,811 USD
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

Neighborhoods

While actual territorial limits and colloquial names are not definite depending on local sources and usage, Lakeview is divided into smaller neighborhood enclaves: Lake View East, Northalsted, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville. Lake View East and Northalsted altogether form the area popularly known as Boystown. New Town is a former community centered at the intersection of North Clark Street and Diversey Parkway.

Lake View East

Sculptures serve as entrances to Lake View East residential streets. This sculpture stands on Halsted at West Cornelia Avenue.

Lake View East is territorially defined by its chamber of commerce as the area between North Clark Street and North Halsted Street to the west, Grace Street to the north and Diversey Parkway to the south, bound by Lake Shore Drive to the east. The entire Lake View East area is considered colloquially as Boystown, the pre-eminent gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community of Chicago. Lake View East streets are decorated with rainbow flags indicative of that population.

Lake View East, especially within the Lake Shore Drive and Broadway Avenue corridors, consists of upscale condominiums and comparably higher-rent midrise apartments and lofts. Small businesses, boutiques, restaurants and community institutions are found along Broadway Avenue and North Halsted Street.

Gentrification, diversification and population shift has changed the greater area with many businesses expanding northward of Belmont Avenue. Larger businesses like Borders, Whole Foods, World Market are moving into the neighborhood with the creation of enclosed shopping centers like Century Shopping Centre. One other in particular features Linens 'N Things, Marshalls and Designer Shoe Warehouse.

Historical churches remain preserved as integral parts of the community: Lake View Presbyterian Church and Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is the residence of an episcopal vicar and auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago . It is also the motherchurch of the local vicariate and the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, controversially created by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, one of the largest and one of the only gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender Catholic welcoming congregations created and authorized by a diocese in the United States .

Vintage high-rises stand next to modern, upscale condominiums along Lake Shore Drive.

Two residential neighborhood groups are included in the Lake View East area. Belmont Harbor Neighbors includes the area bounded by Belmont, Halsted, Addison, and the Lake. South East Lake View Neighbors encompasses the area bounded by Diversey, Halsted, Belmont, and the Lake.

Northalsted
Northalsted is a smaller area within Lake View East boundaries, bordering the adjacent Wrigleyville enclave. While Boystown has been used as the name for all of Lake View East, some reserve the name for the more specific area along North Halsted Street commonly called Northalsted. It holds the distintion of being the nation's first officially recognized gay village. In 1998, Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley endeavored to create a $3.2 million restoration of the North Halsted Street corridor and erected rainbow pylon landmarks along the route. Northalsted caters to a Chicago nightlife featuring more than sixty gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

West Lakeview
West Lakeview, a part of which is sometimes called North Lakeview, is located along the border of the Roscoe Village community area. West Lakeview Neighbors, a residential organization, defines West Lakeview as the area within Addison Street on the north, Belmont Avenue on the south, Southport Avenue on the east and Ravenswood Avenue on the west. Affordable real estate and popular culture, like that found along busy Southport Avenue, draws young adults from all over the city for quiet living or casual dining. An historic destination opened on August 22, 1929 is the Music Box Theatre which once showed silent films, back during the height of that medium's popularity, accompanied by a live organist. The theatre brands itself today as "Chicago's year round film festival" and has recently hosted a national Hollywood movie premier for The Breakup starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.

Wrigleyville

Comparably more affordable than Lake View East residences, lowrise flats are common in Central Lakeview, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville.

Formerly a working class neigborhood, Wrigleyville, also called Central Lakeview, is the neighborhood directly surrounding Wrigley Field along North Clark and West Addison Streets. Actual boundaries are undefined, with some sources citing Wrigleyville as spilling into adjacent enclaves like Lake View East and Northalsted. Wrigleyville features lowrise brick buildings and houses, some with rooftop bleachers colloquially called Wrigley Roofs where people can purchase seats to watch baseball games without having to pay Major League Baseball ticket prices. Proprietors are able to do so under special agreements with the Chicago Cubs organization.

While the bars and restaurants in Lake View East (especially Halsted St.) usually feature gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender culture, Wrigleyville bars and restaurants (particularly on Clark St.) feature the sports culture with sports oriented themes. Sluggers, Hi-Tops, Cubby Bear and Barleycorn guest the Cubs crowds in the famed Clark St and Addison St. intersection of Wrigley Field. This area has been a staging ground for a number of Hollywood movies. In addition, the area's Irish American roots are evident with Irish pub themes, as well. While the specialty drink in trendy Lake View East bars might be a custom-made cocktail, beer by the pitcher is much more heavily advertised in Wrigleyville establishments.