About North Center
Quick Facts
Current Prices: $185,000 to $2,175,000
Closed Prices: $155,000 to $3,100,000
Median Sale Price: $580,000
Average $ per sq ft: $343
Association Fee Ranges: $1946, $0, $0 to $660/mo
Type: Attached Home (Condo, Townhouse, Loft, etc.), Single-Family Home
Age: 1871 to 2022
Sq. Ft.: 742 to 5600 Sq. Ft.
Bedrooms: 1 to 7 Bedrooms
Bathrooms: 1 to 7 Bathrooms
Around North Center
North Center Town Square at Damen Avenue and Belle Plaine Avenue has been designed as a social hub for the community’s festivals and markets. To be close to these events as well as restaurants, cafes, pubs, and shopping centers, try to stick near this intersection. If you prefer a quieter environment, look further west near Horner Park or south near Roscoe Village. Most any residential streets in North Center offer beautiful brick homes on tree-lined streets, and occasionally you’ll come across a spacious and elegant Victorian home.
If it's space you're after, then you're in the right neighborhood. There are plenty of single-family homes in North Center that offer more square footage (and bedrooms) than the average Chicago home—the caveat, of course, is they run at a higher price range. But this might be worth it as most single-family homes offer either a front or backyard (if you're lucky, both!). However, if budget is on your mind, there are a handful of more reasonably priced mid-rise condo buildings, or you can always venture over to Lakeview for a more affordable home.
Thanks to its international history, North Center is a great melting pot of all types of cuisine. A drive down Lincoln Avenue reveals some of the area’s finest restaurants, ranging from pizzerias to Irish bistros. The Bad Apple is one of the area’s most popular establishments, with creative burgers and a wide selection of craft beer. Korean, Japanese, and Thai cuisines are also represented, as are many of the European meals popular during the neighborhood’s earliest days. Check out Laschet's Inn for a German-American menu and steins of great beer.
Residents of North Center tend to be a bit more settled than city-dwellers in neighborhoods more focused on entertainment and nightlife. Residents come to North Center for Lane Tech, one of the most sought-after magnet high schools in the city, and many other inhabitants of the neighborhood would rather cultivate a garden than hit the club. While parks are few and far between, just about every street is lined with trees on either side.
Catch up with friends over burgers and beer at a local pub, then head to a local music venue or theater for some live entertainment. You might also check out any of the breweries in the neighborhood to try something new from the source. Half Acre Beer Company is a popular choice.
Soccer fans can catch brunch and a match at The Globe Pub or head over to Horner Park for a pickup game. Town Square is also a great place to spend a Sunday — a weekly farmers market is held there in the warmer months — while Lincoln Avenue features a variety of unique shops to explore.
The most popular mode of transportation in North Center is the Brown Line, which offers two stations at Addison and Irving Park. This train will take you northwest to the Albany Park neighborhood or south to the Loop. You can also take advantage of the various bus lines traveling north/south along Lincoln Avenue and east/west Irving Park Road. The neighborhood's main focal point is the consistently congested intersection of Damen Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Irving Park Road. While having three major roads makes it convenient to get around, their popularity means that (at least minor) traffic is a constant. While North Center is not not walkable compared to neighboring Lakeview and Roscoe Village, it is less likely you will get where you're going by foot.
Locals Love
- Easy Access to Public Transportation
- Global Cuisine
- Residential Feel
Locals Don't Love
- Distance from Downtown
- Few Parks
Neighborhood Reviews
0 Reviewsbuyers and sellers in this neighborhood.