Avondale & Irving Park

Avondale and Irving Park are working-class Northwest Side neighborhoods along Milwaukee Avenue and the Kennedy Expressway, with Polish roots on Milwaukee, taquerias on Belmont and a food scene that has grown around Belmont and Kedzie in the past decade. Avondale is the southern half, denser and closer to Logan Square; Irving Park is the northern half, with Old Irving Park’s Victorian blocks and the Villa District’s Craftsman bungalows. Both are still cheaper than Logan Square, which is why the restaurants and the young families keep moving north.

Where it is

Avondale runs from Diversey north to Addison between the river and Pulaski; Irving Park continues north to Montrose and west to Cicero. The Blue Line stops at Belmont, Addison and Irving Park, all on the Kennedy median, and Metra’s Milwaukee District North line stops at Grayland near Irving Park and Cicero. The 77 Belmont, 82 Kimball and 56 Milwaukee buses cross the neighborhood, and Kennedy exits at Addison, Irving Park and Kimball serve drivers. The Blue Line to the Loop takes 20 to 25 minutes.

What to know if you’re moving here

Bungalows and two-flats dominate, and the housing stock is older than it looks.

• Housing is bungalows, two-flats and workers’ cottages built from the 1900s on, with typical prices of roughly $250,000 to $900,000 as a broad editorial estimate as of September 2026, with Old Irving Park at the top.
• Street parking is easy on most blocks, and the Blue Line stops have no park-and-ride, so permit zones cluster near them.
• Public schools fall under Chicago Public Schools, with Schurz as the neighborhood high school and Disney II as a popular magnet.
• The Kennedy runs through the middle, so blocks nearest the expressway get traffic noise.
• Old Irving Park and the Villa District have landmark designations that limit exterior changes.
• The drawback is flooding in basements after heavy rain on some low blocks near the river.

What to do if you’re visiting

Belmont and Kedzie is the food corner, and Milwaukee Avenue has the Polish shops and the vintage stores.

• Regulars will say Kuma’s Corner on Belmont is the heavy-metal burger bar that started the neighborhood’s reputation.
• Most first-time visitors learn that Honey Butter Fried Chicken on Elston and Revolution Brewing on Kedzie are the two casual anchors near the Belmont Blue Line stop.
• A local would point out that Loaf Lounge on Milwaukee bakes the pastries and sandwiches locals line up for on weekend mornings.
• Locals will tell you Monarch Thrift Shop and Vintage Frills sit across from each other on Milwaukee for resale and vintage.
• Ask around and you hear that Old Irving Brewing Co. on Montrose is the brewpub for the north half of the neighborhood.
• Kosciuszko Park, at Diversey and Pulaski, is the big park with a pool and the community’s summer festivals.