May 10
3
Neighborhood Profiles: Avondale
We’re always conducting market research for areas we’re considering investing in. This is the first of many neighborhood profiles.
Overview
Avondale is a down-to-earth Northwest Side community nestled between Roscoe Village and Old Irving Park, and Logan Square. Ethnic, hardworking and none-too-fancy, Avondale is a little corner of Chicago where thrift trumps over-consumption, and where new arrivals to this country plant their initial roots, striving to build better lives for their children. Bordered by the Chicago River to the east, Pulaski Road west and Diversey Avenue and Addison Street south and north, Avondale is a checkerboard of ethnic enclaves, residential streets, industrial sectors and bustling shopping strips. Uniting it all is a largely working-class population that gets along with and watches out for one another, residents say.
Avondale Real Estate
Today Avondale has a vibrant and diverse residential composition boosting century-old frame houses, quaint brick bungalows, two-flat walkups, vintage multi-unit courtyard buildings and modern condominiums. While the streets are densely packed with housing, Avondale still maintains a sense of quiet, natural beauty and spacious living. 
We like how the neighborhood blends a mixture of new construction with antiquated architectural styles. State-of-the-art converted lofts and new-model townhomes provide a fresh, clean look while traditional two-story homes with white-painted front pillars and balconies pull us back to a time and place when life was uncomplicated and peaceful.
The community area mirrors the Wicker Park of 10 years ago, before it became commercialized, historians and residents said. The Red Eye recently dubbed Avondale the next hot hood, calling “the next Wicker Park”. Check the article http://bit.ly/cWfYRy
Nightlife
A true Irish pub, Chief O’Neill’s (3471 N Elston Ave, 773-473-5263) is not only a superb place to do your St. Patrick’s Day celebrating, it’s great for sitting out in the beer garden during the summer, clinking mugs of chilled beer and chatting it up with friends. Make your Bloody Mary just the way you like it at O’Neill’s Bloody Mary bar. Add in anything from your basic celery and pickle juice to jumbo shrimp and extra spices, but don’t go too wild with the spice, you’re the one that has to drink it! The cuisine here is way more than your average bar food.
Square Bar is just a laid back neighborhood bar. Come in grab a seat at the bar — crafted with wood from salvaged bowling lanes — to sip on organic microbrews and munch on homemade pub grub such as Philly cheesesteak, burgers and wings. Wooden 3D sculptures by artist Rodney Wade up the decor ante on your average neighborhood hang. Look for specials on buckets of craft beer coming soon, so you can mix-and-match Left Hand Brewery’s Milk Stout with Peak Organic’s Wheat ale or Metropolitan’s Flywheel Lager.
Food
Among the 
fast-food joints are dining hot spots including the wait-worthy Hot Doug’s, featured on the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations;” Kuma’s Corner, named by Food Network Magazine as having one of the 50 best burgers in the country and ranked by Playboy as being among the top 10 burger joints in America; and Urban Belly, rated as one of the 50 best new U.S. restaurants this year by Travel and Leisure magazine.
Parks
Avondale has worked hard over the years to develop and maintain the neighborhood’s treasured park space. Former vacant parking lots and other damaged or abandoned sites have been lovingly transformed into open green recreation areas and public parks buzzing with activity.
Avondale Park (3516 W. School St., 773-478-1410) is a nicely-landscaped five-acre green space that provides residents with a bunch of options for exercise, leisure and learning. Both adults and children can join classes offered at the park with choices like art, cheerleading, gymnastics, tumbling and swim camps. This north side neighborhood park is one of the many city parks that are involved in the “Community Gardens in the Parks” program. The program allows city folks with a green thumb a chance to garden in their own neighborhood. While planting flowers, growing veggie, and yes, there’s always weeding to do, community members can socialize and get to know their neighbors. And after being crouched over in the garden all day, stretch the legs with a walk around the park path.
Named after the German-American family that originally owned the land, Brands Park (3259 N Elston Ave, 773-478-2414) is now complete with all the facilities of a regular park and then some. Shoot some hoops, toss a horse shoe, or play some one-on-one or doubles in a game of tennis. A large fieldhouse is home to a wide selection of programs for the young ones, teens and adults. Sign up for the Cubs Care Rookie camp, play a little dodge ball, or even discover your inner craftsman and register for woodcrafting lessons. Like in Avondale Park, you can help out with gardening in the spring through the “Community Gardens in the Park” program. The Chicago Park District also runs “Movies in the Park” in the summer months at Brands Park, where they showcase several family favorites on a large screen for all park patrons to view.
Transportation
Avondale residents can get around the neighborhood via CTA public transportation, which includes several bus routes and the Blue Line L train. The Blue Line makes two stops in Avondale – one at Belmont (on Avondale’s southern border) and another on Addison (on the neighborhood’s northern edge). The Kedzie/California bus runs north/south as do the Western Avenue and Pulaski Avenue buses, which both offer late night Owl service. To cross the neighborhood from east to west, hop on the Belmont or Addison buses. Avondale residents with their own cars have a straightforward commute to downtown because the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) slices right through the neighborhood and heads directly to the Loop.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.