Lincoln Square, Chicago

Lincoln Square on the north side of the city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. Greater Lincoln Square includes the smaller neighborhoods of Ravenswood Gardens, Bowmanville, Budlong Woods, and Lincoln Square (neighborhood). Although it is sometimes known by these other names, the City of Chicago officially referred to it as Lincoln Square in 1925. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, conflating Ravenswood and Lincoln Square is a common mistake-the two are not interchangeable. The boundaries of the original Ravenswood subdivision, drawn in 1869, were Montrose, Lawrence, Clark, and Damen.

In the 1920s, the University of Chicago divided the city into 77 clearly defined "Community Areas." Ravenswood did not make the cut as a separate entity, but was folded into Lincoln Square. In short, according to U. of C., Ravenswood is a subset of Lincoln Square.

In the 1840s, farming began in the area by newly arrived German Americans. Two brothers, Lyman and Joseph Budlong, arrived in 1857 to begin a commercial pickling operation near present-day Lincoln Avenue and Berwyn. They later opened a commercial greenhouse and flower fields to create flowers for the then new Rosehill Cemetery. In 1925, to honor Abraham Lincoln, the Chicago City Council named the area Lincoln Square, and a prominent statue of the namesake was erected in 1956.

Over 44,000 people live in the neighborhood along with over 1,000 small and medium sized businesses. It is accessible by the brown line of the 'L'. The neighborhood is bordered by Bryn Mawr and Peterson Avenues to the north, Montrose Avenue to the south, Ravenswood Avenue to the east, and the Chicago River to the west. The housing stock consists of private apartments and small apartment buildings.

The commercial heart of Lincoln Square is located at the intersection of Lawrence, Western and Lincoln Avenues. Lincoln Avenue southeast of this intersection is home to a wide variety of restaurants and shops. Lincoln Square is historically known as a heavily German influenced and German populated neighborhood, but now it is just as likely to have shops craving Thai or Middle Eastern cultures. The neighborhood is home to numerous German businesses, including Chicago Brauhaus, Merz Apothecary and Lutz Café & Bakery. It is home to the Chicago branches of DANK (the German-American National Congress) and the Lower Saxony Club. The German-language weekly Amerika Woche (de) was born in Lincoln Square in 1972, although its original headquarters above the Brauhaus is now just an office.

Events such as festivals and live music performances are often held in Lincoln Square. Apple Fest has a long tradition in Lincoln Square, bringing the community together to celebrate the beginning of fall. Dozens of vendors participate in the event each year, selling fall-themed crafts and apple-themed treats like fresh-baked apple pies, bushels of apples, hot apple cider and apple pizza. The Square Roots Festival, held each summer, celebrates Lincoln Square's history in music and German culture with live performances by local musicians and craft beer from local breweries.

Neighborhoods in Lincoln Square

• Bowmanville
• The Budlong Woods
• Lincoln Square
• Lincoln Square North
• Ravenswood
• Ravenswood Gardens

Areas of Interest

• Conrad Sulzer Regional Library
• Cambodian Association of Illinois
• DANK House German American Cultural Center
• Old Town School of Folk Music
• Rosehill Cemetery