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Lincoln Square, Ravenswood
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Neighborhood Promotion and Neighborhood Map Thumbnail
Explore This Neighborhood
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Lincoln Square, Ravenswood continued...
Most of the neighborhood's major streets -- Damen, Lawrence, Western, Montrose, Foster, Lincoln -- are dotted with restaurants. Los Nopales, on Western near Wilson Avenue, is a popular choice for Mexican food; Mythos Taverna, on Montrose near Damen, draws crowds for its Greek specialties; the Lutz Cafe & Pastry Shop has been tempting Chicagoans with its cakes and tortes on Montrose for more than 60 years. The Lawrence Avenue ethnic mosaic that's so remarkable in the Albany Park neighborhood continues east into this one, with Restaurant Sarajevo (Bosnian) and Nhu Lan Bakery (Vietnamese), among others; north on Lincoln can be found Jibek Jolu, the city's lone Kyrgyzstani restaurant; and it seems you're never far from quality Korean or Thai favorites.
And residential areas range from pre-war frame cottages and bungalows to the east to 1950s and 1960s homes -- some especially fine -- in Budlong Woods, the neighborhood's northwest corner.
But for locals looking for a good time and for visitors as well, Lincoln Square often means that concentration of restaurants, bars and shops along Lincoln Avenue from 4400 to 4800 North, from Montrose Avenue to Lawrence.
This once was the commercial heart of Chicago's sizable German community, and there are reminders here and there. The DANK-Haus, on Western just south of Lawrence, is a combination museum-cultural center that both instructs -- language lessons are offered, among others -- and celebrates.
In the Brown Line 'L' station on Leland Avenue and Western stands a section of the Berlin Wall, a gift, with gratitude, to the people of Chicago from the people of Berlin. (The station never closes.)
Most of the German restaurants are gone, but the Chicago Brauhaus carries on the oom-pah tradition with its beers, bands and schnitzels. And here, in the limited-traffic area of Lincoln between Leland and Lawrence, the annual German American Fest is held each September
Other veteran establishments, with new owners, have been tweaked but maintain old-world traditions. In 2009, two Polish brothers opened Gene's Sausage Shop in a space held for generations by the very-German Meyer's Delicatessen (the neon "Meyer's" sign glows in tribute inside the two-level deli), and the store lost little if anything in the transition. Lincoln Quality Meat Market, at Lincoln and Leland, was German from 1928 to 1985. It was sold that year to Croatians, and it seems only the sausages changed: The thuringer has been bumped for cevapcici (Croatian) and mititel (Romanian).
Merz Apothecary, near Gene's, has been dispensing pills and potions on this spot since 1875 and looks it, even though the shop is heaviest now on fragrances and lotions (and the Merzes have left the building). The European Import Center, near both, features fine gift items, most from Germany. Huettenbar, across the street, not only looks and sounds German but has 10 German beers on tap.
Joining the Brauhaus and the rest on that once-German block are the likes of Trattoria Trullo (Italian, from the Puglia region), Baba Yianni (Greek) and Garcia's (Mexican). This is today's Chicago.
Walking south on Lincoln, beyond the main square, visitors will spot the Davis Theater (1918), which showed German-language films into the 1960s and is now a four-screen mini-plex, and a succession of restaurants, shops (including two magic shops and Chicago Soccer, one of the more popular soccer stores in the city) and more restaurants and bistros.
Near Montrose, in a building that once was the Hild Branch of the Chicago Public Library, is the Lincoln Square location of the Old Town School of Folk Music. Larger than its mother ship in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, it's a performance venue, teaching facility and retail store, where folkies and bluesies can find that guitar or harmonica of their dreams.
Finally, just in time after a long, refreshing and filling walk, comes Welles Park. Here, in good weather, visitors may find musicians, softball (16-inch, the Chicago game), laughing children, lots of green space -- and peace.
We can't forget the goodies in Ravenswood, the wedge of the Lincoln Square neighborhood that extends from Foster Avenue west of the Metra train tracks along Ravenswood Avenue and north to Rosehill Cemetery. Here can be found Pauline's, a brunchtime favorite; Spacca Napoli, whose wood-oven-fired pizzas have become a hot item; Lillstreet Art Center, a gallery-studio complex that moved here in 2003 after nearly 30 years on Lill Street in Lincoln Park; and, in October, the Ravenswood Art Walk, a two-day event in which Lillstreet and dozens more artists participate.
Lincoln, the president on the pedestal, probably would've liked all of it.
For more information about Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, please contact:
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