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East & West Old Town

Wedged between Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast, Old Town offers the best of both of these neighborhoods and shines with a serious charm of its own. Appropriately named, this community boasts a big chunk of Chicago history, with many of its homes and buildings dating back to the Victorian era.

You’ll notice that some of Old Town’s streets don’t fit into Chicago’s navigational grid; that’s because they predate the Great Chicago Fire. In fact, there’s even a landmark here that went untouched by the catastrophe. That’s right, St. Michael’s Church was one of the few buildings still standing after the flames.

Years after the Great Fire, Old Town became a melting pot for artists and musicians. Small studio spaces were built to house students of the nearby Art Institute of Chicago and folk musicians like Janis Joplin and Mama Cass frequented local venues. Eventually things calmed down and the energetic scene became more of a mecca for families and young urban professionals.

Despite it being one of the smaller neighborhoods of Chicago, Old Town offers the world at your fingertips. The streets are lined with a diverse array of restaurants, coffee houses and eclectic shops. Boutiques offer a more personalized shopping experience than those at big-name department stores and specialty shops range in everything from exotic spices to rare books.

In recent years, a few chain restaurants have reared their way into Old Town, but local cafes and authentic eateries still thrive in this historic spot. Neighborhood pubs are not only inviting, but also a great place to mingle after catching a show at the world-famous Second City Theatre. Cast members of Second City frequent some of these bars and have been known to strike-up conversations with theater enthusiasts. When you do feel like breaching the border of Old Town, you can hop on the Brown or Purple line at the North Sedgwick El station. 

he majority of residential Old Town is compromised of townhomes and single-family brick-style units. Most homeowners here have gone to great lengths to renovate and restore these homes to resemble their original structures. Because of its vintage charm and close proximity to the Loop, this neighborhood is prime real estate for the affluent. However, rents are still a notch below those of the Gold Coast.

• CLICK HERE FOR EAST & WEST OLD TOWN NEIGHBORHOOD MAP
• CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT REAL ESTATE IN EAST & WEST OLD TOWN

	Interested in Old Town real estate?		Old Town Restaurants & Bars
	Old Town Resources		Old Town Schools
	Old Town Shopping

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Dining in Old Town

Flat Top Grill 1000 W Washington Blvd Cuisine: American	Bistrot Margot 1437 N Wells St Cuisine: French
Adobo Grill 1610 N Wells St Cuisine: Mexican	Dinotto Ristorante 215 W. North Avenue Cuisine: Italian
Father and Son Pizza 645 W North Ave Cuisine: Pizza	Orso's 1401 N Wells St Fl 1 Cuisine: Italian
Cafe Sushi 1342 N Wells Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi	Las Pinatas Mexican Food 1552 N Wells St Cuisine: Mexican
Salpicon 1252 N. Wells St. Cuisine: Mexican	Old Jerusalem Restaurant 1411 N Wells St Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Kamehachi Cafe 1400 N. Wells Cuisine: Sushi	Fireplace Inn 1448 N. Wells Cuisine: American
Bars:
Burton Place 1447 N. Wells	Dragon Room 809 W. Evergreen
Hobo's 1446 N. Wells	North Park Tap 313 W. North
Old Town Ale House 219 W. North	Spoon 1240 N. Wells
Weeds 1555 N. Dayton

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Resources in Old Town

Police Chicago Police-Public Housing 365 W. Oak Near North Police 1160 N. Larabee

Fire Department Breathing Apparatus 044 N. Orleans

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Shopping in Old Town

Atom Antiques 1219 N. Wells	Barbara's Bookstore 1350 N. Wells
Crate & Barrel Outlet 800 W. North	Jumbalia 1427 N. Wells
See Hear Music 217 W. North	Sofie 1343 N. Wells
The Spice House 1512 N. Wells	Vagabonds Boutique 1357 N. Wells

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Schools in Old Town

Catherine Cook School 226 W. Schiller	Edward Jenner School 1009 N. Cleveland
Franklin Fine Art Center 225 W. Evergreen	Byrd School 363 W. Hill
Schiller Elementary 640 W. Scott	Sojourner Truth School 1443 N. Ogden
Walter Payton College Prep 1034 N. Wells

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