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Windy City Magazine
Discover Chicagoland and the Businesses That Drive It
North Side

Lakeview & Wrigleyville

Lakeview runs from Diversey Parkway north to Irving Park Road and from the river to the lake, in the North Side group. The Lake View community area, spelled as two words on city maps, was a separate township annexed by Chicago in 1889 and now has more than 100,000 residents, the most of any community area, according to WTTW. Wrigleyville is the blocks around Wrigley Field at Clark and Addison, built in 1914 as Weeghman Park before the Cubs moved in two years later.

The neighborhood is really four or five neighborhoods. Wrigleyville is bars, rooftop clubs and game-day crowds from April through October. Northalsted, still Boystown to most people, is the Halsted Street strip between Belmont and Addison that the city named an official gay village in 1997, with the rainbow pylons of the Legacy Walk added in 1998. The Southport Corridor around the Music Box Theatre is stroller shops and brunch. East Lakeview toward Belmont Harbor and the lakefront is quieter high-rises and courtyard buildings, and the streets west of Ashland are two-flats and single-family blocks. Belmont Avenue and Clark Street tie it together.

Housing and prices

Housing is brick two-flats and three-flats from the 1890s through the 1920s, courtyard apartment buildings near the lake, vintage high-rises on Lake Shore Drive, and a steady stream of condo conversions and new four-unit buildings on the side streets. Construction dates run from the 1890s to the present. Prices typically range from about $250,000 for a one-bedroom condo to $1.5 million for a renovated single-family house or a large lake-view unit. These are broad editorial estimates as of September 2026, not appraisals. Rents stay high because of the L access and the density, and Southport commands a premium over Wrigleyville.

Getting around

Belmont is the transfer point where the Red, Brown and Purple Lines meet. The Red Line also stops at Addison, right outside Wrigley Field, and at Sheridan; the Brown Line stops at Wellington, Southport and Paulina. Buses run on every main street: the 22 Clark, 36 Broadway, 8 Halsted, 9 Ashland, 77 Belmont, 152 Addison and 151 Sheridan, with the 135, 146 and 156 running express on Lake Shore Drive. The Kennedy is reached by Belmont or Addison. Divvy docks are dense. Parking is permit-controlled across most of the neighborhood, and on Cubs night games the Residential Permit Parking Zone 383 area between Belmont, Irving Park, Broadway and Ashland becomes a tow zone from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for anyone without a permit or guest pass, per the 44th Ward office.

Where to eat, drink and shop

Hot dogs are the neighborhood specialty, with four stands worth a detour: https://windycitymagazine.com/business/byrons-hot-dogs/ on Irving Park, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/redhot-ranch/ on Ashland for a depression dog and fries, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/flub-a-dub-chubs/ on Broadway and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/the-art-of-pizza/ next to Redhot Ranch for stuffed slices. Around the ballpark, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/big-star-wrigleyville/ and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/smoke-daddy-wrigleyville/ share the Hotel Zachary block on Clark, and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/uncommon-ground/ at Clark and Grace brews on a rooftop farm. https://windycitymagazine.com/business/aji-omakase/ on Broadway is the sushi counter, https://windycitymagazine.com/business/golden-apple-grille/ on Lincoln is the 24-hour diner, and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/bittersweet-pastry-shop/ on Belmont bakes the cakes.

Game-day bars start with https://windycitymagazine.com/business/murphys-bleachers/ across from the bleacher gate on Sheffield and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/sluggers-bar/ on Clark, with batting cages upstairs. https://windycitymagazine.com/business/gman-tavern/ next to the Metro on Clark books bands, and https://windycitymagazine.com/business/lucky-dorr/ at the corner of Gallagher Way pours craft beer on tap. The https://windycitymagazine.com/business/music-box-theatre/ on Southport shows repertory and new independent films under a starry ceiling.

Businesses in Lakeview & Wrigleyville

Directory listings in Lakeview and Wrigleyville, in alphabetical order.

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