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Lincoln Park
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
2045 Lincoln Park W
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 742-7726
2045 Lincoln Park W
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 742-7726
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
22 reviews for Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is an awesome place to run. I love that the trails are groomed, hard-packed dirt. It's so scenic, and you'll definitely see other people out running and walking.
Just be careful if you see some hardcore guy running really fast coming towards you. I got yelled at by one while I was running in a large group because he had to move over a little to get around us. Okay, I was technically on his side of the trail, but we're all trying to have to nice run in the park, right? Oh well, I didn't let him ruin my lovely morning.
When I think of Lincoln Park, I don't think of the neighborhood first, I think of the Park! Here's the definition of Lincoln Park from Wikipedia:
Lincoln Park, for which the neighborhood was named, stretches along the lakefront from Ardmore Avenue (in Edgewater) south to North Avenue. The park contains a zoo, an outdoor theatre, a rowing canal, the Chicago History Museum, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, ponds, playing fields, and a large statue of General Grant.
It's a jewel on the lakefront with lots to do and see. If you're coming to Chicago, make sure you pay Lincoln Park a visit.
Largest park in Chicago.
Is this a review of an entire neighborhood or just for the parks? If people want to complain about or stereotype a certain neighborhood of the city do it elsewhere I'm here to review THE PARK. Which is very deserving of a 5 in my opinion. With over 1,200 acres and 20,000,000 annual visitors Lincoln Park is one of the largest parks in the country, and the second most visited (second only to Central Park). Stretching from The Near North Side all the way up to Uptown Lincoln Park has a bit of everything for everyone living on the North Side. Basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, biking, jogging, beaches, golf, a zoo, a conservatory, a nature meseum and a theatre. If you live on the North Side and you don't visit the park regularly you relally are missing out on one of the best parts of Chicago
Lincoln Park's reviews thus far have been co-opted by lumpenproletariat critics of the neighborhood's bourgeois trappings. I care not for politics, comrades. I'd rather rap about the actual park.
Hey, the park is decent. Softball/kickball fields aplenty, a basketball court, undeveloped green space for sundry goings on, people that don't mind if you pet their dogs, a sprinkling of homeless sunning themselves on the benches (Proof positive that the leisure class and penniless alike can enjoy Lincoln Park.), and a fantastic set of public facilities (Though the spigots are too close to the wash basins which, I think, spoils my handwashing efforts.).
For the weak or thrill-seeking, be advised that some of the fields aren't wonderfully maintained--likely due to heavy use--so watch out for divots, gigantic holes, dog feces, etc., which can lead to bodily harm or, you know, a barrage of E. coli.
My relationship with the area is love/hate, as I am the Lincoln Park anomaly: I've lived here a decade now and I'm not a sorority girl or carriage-pushing yuppie mom. I don't jog. I'm underemployed but somehow live in what is possibly the one affordable apartment building in the area. I don't have a car, let alone an SUV. I hate sports bars and the idea of carrying tiny dogs around in handbags. I don't own a North Face jacket or a Vera Bradley bag. I would never wear sweatsuits or flip-flops in public, let alone as part of the same outfit. In order to afford clothing or groceries, I have to shop in other neighborhoods. Etc.
Yeah, I get a lot of strange looks and overhear snickers from Chads and Trixies when I walk by. Yeah, half of the people I encounter are wealthy, egotistical assholes who can't be bothered to think about anyone else.
But there are pluses: First, and I know it's a shocker, but a lot of people who live here are (gasp!) friendly. Also, I'm lucky enough to live a block away from the conservatory (awesome) and zoo (equal parts fun and depressing) and a few blocks from the lake front (gorgeous). I see lots of trees. When I'm really bored and want a drink, I can walk to Neo a block away and relive my new-wave youth. There are lots of decent, reasonably priced restaurant options. The Green City Market is nearby at least once a week throughout the year. And since no one ever seems to want to come here, it's good that I'm centrally located in the city and there are lots of CTA routes from which to choose.
People always bitch about the sameness of the people here. And they have a point. I get annoyed by it regularly. That said, I'm equally annoyed when I go someplace like Wicker Park and witness the sameness of the punks, artists, hipsters and yuppies there who have deluded themselves into thinking they're somehow unique regardless of the fact that they're no more different than all of the other people there that look and act just like them. Glass houses, people.
I grew up here and if it hadnt become what it is today it would be the best place to live in the City. Unfortunately, the wealthiest people have decided to monopolize the area, with the my house is bigger than yours thing going on. Boutiques for everything popped up everywhere, and the Old Town School of Folk Music has taken a more inconspicuous role on Armitage. The old saying, "there goes the neighborhood" is what happened here. No house sells for under a million unless it needs a major overhaul, condos are 300k plus, and townhouses 500k plus.
If you can look past that, its close to the park, the zoo and public transit. Many nice people live here and its not all rude and uppity rich people. However, the consumerism that dominates this neighborhood definitely can wear on your spirit.
When you visit, try not to kill yourself. It will be difficult, but I know you have it in you.
Between the crowded streets, drunken and rowdy 19 years olds, and the Gin Mill, its a real clusterfuck. Stay away.
I ain't the fightin' type, however I'm very proud of the verbal confrontation I found myself in this past weekend.
It was between me and a large man in a North Face fleece. After words were exchanged about who had the right-of-way on the non-snowy part of the sidewalk, this man concluded that he wanted to "push me." For real. He was going to push me. Down. In the snow.
This only happens in Lincoln Park. It makes me feel like high school all over again. Damn you, Naperville Central.
"The old house looks the same as i step down from the train and there to meet me is my momma and my papa...down the lane i look and there runs Mary, hair of gold and lips like cherries it's good to touch the green green grass of home."
Do you remember Woody's song to his girl in Cheers? KellyKellyKellyKellyKellyKellyKellyKelly, KellyKellyKellyKellyKellyKelly
Well, if it worked, i'd sing this song to Lincoln Park, b/c I am in love with the lushness, the pond, the squiggly paths, the gardens, the the the.... I'm just talking here about the PARK part which I bike through just about every day and it just makes me smile and breathe deeply. I feel SO fortunate to be living near it. KUDOS CHICAGO!....and sweet sweet Saturday market!
I see the Lincoln Park area nowadays as a mix of Good vs. Evil:
The Good:
The park itself - big & beautiful, nice mix of nature and attractions (Nature Museum, zoo, beach, lagoon, etc.)
The surrounding environment - wander down some of the side streets & you'll see many well-maintained urban gardens and nicely preserved Victorian architecture.
Amenities - the closer you live to the lake, the more shops & services you'll have within walking or biking distance - no need to own a car.
The Evil:
Resident demographics - housing costs in LP are outrageous, so it should be no surprise that the resident population tends to be obnoxiously upscale.
Amenities - I'm old enough to remember when the Lincoln Park area actually had an interesting, diverse mix of people & shops. Not so any more, the arrival of money has driven out many of the funky independent shops that I remember from years ago, if you take a walk on any of the main retail streets in the area you'll see lots of upscale boutiques, chain establishments, and sports bars - the kind of suburbs-in-the-city places where the well-to-do seem to find comfort.
The non-resident drinking class - I am constantly amazed at how many folks are willing to leave the comfort of their far-off suburban existence each weekend to drive into the city to drink and hoot and puke all over Lincoln Av. I suppose it's easier at the LP bar scene to get away with the kinds of bad behavior that would get them thrown out of the local TGI Fridays in their home 'burbs.
I have always enjoyed Lincoln Park. It has the zoo, it is usually pretty easy to find parking nearby and it has easy access to the beach.
I give the park 4 stars for its location and the zoo. Those are really its 2 redeeming qualities.
As a first time vistor, I liked Lincoln Park. I was amazed to visit the Conservatory and the Zoo, sans $ - anomalies in my experiences. I'd say the highlights were seeing the animated monkeys, gorillas, and the penguins. And watching the iparents and their kids react was just as funny as watching the animals.
Well-maintained grounds, decent eateries (you know, hot dogs, popcorn). The Conservatory had some cool tropical plants to check out too. Worth a few hours of your time, esp. in early fall with the leaves are changing...
Love Lincoln Park... best area of the city by far! Best shopping (as far as Boutiques), best neighborhood restaurants, best dive bars, best college (DePaul represent... what!), best park to walk the puppy in (hence the review...), best summertime street parties, best zoo, best beach, and best party harbor (who doesn't love a party on a boat?)...
If it's the best of everything... why'd I give it only 4 stars? -1 stars (1 BIG STAR) because of the men...
I'm really quite over the some sort of blue striped generic button down shirt while drunkenly ranting & raving with over who's frat was more of a "brotherhood"....
sounds like a waste of lip gloss if ya ask me.
Hello, my name is not Trixie, my bf's name is not Chad, I do not own a Jetta, and I do not attend DePaul. Not everyone in LP fits those criteria, despite the bitter stereotypes perpetuated by many. I have lived in LP since I first moved from Cali in 1999. I love living right by the zoo, the conservatory, the parks, the beach, and the lake. I love that I can hop on a bus outside my door and be most places within 10-15 minutes (so I can sleep in later on workdays). The Green City Market and lots of boutiques and local businesses are an added plus. My part of LP has people of various ages, family status, and economic strata. I do dock it a star because it could be more diverse, but I think that could be said of many parts of Chicago (which I find pretty segregated). Sure there are college kids and college bars not too far from me, but I don't have to go to those places. There are plenty of other business, restaurants, etc within a hop, skip and a jump for me to enjoy.
If you don't like it, stick to other neighborhoods. But I will be calling LP home most likely as long as I live in Chicago.
From a driving range to driving through it, Lincoln Park has it all.
Lucky for me to have lived just a few short blocks away from it :)
Zoo, Nature Museum, Biking Paths, Paddle Boats, and more!
Wee! Damn, do I miss this place!
Great area! Lived here for a while and work here as well. It's one of only few neighborhoods where I would live in Chicago. Currently in Wrigleyville which is just as great! If I move it will most likely be back in Lincoln Park. Great restaurants, bars, people, and loads more!
I took my son to the Lincoln Park um...park... yesterday after a few hours at the zoo and wow, I haven't been vibed that hard since I visited my grandma in her Florida retirement village. Actually, the old folks there didn't even stare or shoot me the evil eye nearly as much as the other moms here did. I was really put off by getting gawked at by women who for whatever reason think it's OK to wear sweatpants in public. I don't care if they're "fancy" sweatpants, they're sweatpants. If you're going to be a snob have the decency to do so in actual pants. Ever since he's been of "park-playing" age I've sung the praises of Wicker Park for it's mix of nannies, hipster moms and new-money yuppies because no matter who you are or where you're from, if you're there being cool with your kid everyone's totally friendly and vibe-free. So I guess I'll keep going there, it's a nicer park anyway.
for the park - 5 stars.
for the area - negative 5.
Lincoln Park is just that: Lincoln Park. Its a neighborhood/park that you just can't avoid. Come for walking, biking, blading, tanning, whatever..
Beautiful place to live, go to school at, work, or hang out at. There's so much to do here for people of all ages.. Its a very well kept city that is filled with lots of cute little boutiques, cozy little cafes, and a huge zoo! A great place to hang out at at any time of the year!
I live here so I am pretty biased. I love it here. The street I live on is very quiet and is beautiful. A lof of the neighborhoods in Lincoln Park have churches in the neighborhood's along with over small cafe's and shops that add character. There is everything you would want-gyms,churches, stores, schools and of course bar after bar.
