Top 10 Best Places to Live in Chicago

Choosing the best neighborhood is really hard especially if you are not familiar with the place. Each neighborhood has their own uniqueness so make sure that you choose the best area that will suits in your personality and lifestyle.

Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Chicago neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?

Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Chicago are the best. If you’re in one of the places we’re about to highlight, odds are you know you’ve got it made.

If you decided to move in Chicago, here are the best places to choose from.

North Center

Was settled in the latter part of the 19th century and the early 20th century largely by Germans who worked in what is known as the industrial corridor along Ravenswood Avenue, and the large industrial plants along the Chicago River to the west. North Center is considered a vibrant neighborhood with an eclectic mix of retailers, restaurants, live music, live theater, and service-oriented businesses. It is also home to some of the best public schools in the City of Chicago.

North Center’s history is deeply rooted in European cultural influences, from German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, Serbian, Greek, Croatian, French making the majority and that history can be seen in the architectural charm of the homes and buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Loop

Is the home of Chicago’s commercial core. A lot of stores and restaurants are located in the Loop. Loop architecture has been dominated by skyscrapers and high-rises since early in its history. Notable buildings include the Home Insurance Building, considered the world's first skyscraper.

This area abounds in shopping opportunities, including the Loop Retail Historic District, although it competes with the more upscale Magnificent Mile area to the north. It includes Chicago's former Marshall Field's department store location in the Marshall Field and Company Building; the original Sullivan Center Carson Pirie Scott store location.

Lake View

A lot of entertainment is being offer in this neighborhood like live music venues, summer festivals, theater, dancing and comedy bars. In 2013, Money Magazine named Lakeview as number 3 of its top 10 Big-city neighborhoods for its selection of Best Places to Live.

Lakeview is one of Chicago's liveliest and most accessible neighborhoods. Several distinct areas — East Lakeview, Central Lakeview, Boystown and Wrigleyville — meld together to form a lakefront community that celebrates diversity and boasts something for every type of visitor.

Lincoln Park

Chicago's motto urbs in horto—or "City in a Garden"—truly comes to life. Historic churches and handsome brick row houses nestled within landmark districts sit next to peaceful parks, while quiet, tree-lined residential areas give way to bustling business corridors. Lincoln Park is one of the wealthiest and most expensive communities in which to live. While the average single-family house is priced around $1 million, many homes in the area sell for more than $10 million.

Lincoln Park is also one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Chicago. The neighborhood contains a large number of upscale national retailers, boutiques, bookstores, restaurants and coffee shops. An Apple Store opened in October 2010, as well as a Lacoste store across the street. There are also many bars and clubs in the area.

Edison Park

Living in Edison Park offers residents an urban feel and most residents own their homes. In Edison Park there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Edison Park and residents tend to be liberal.

Edison Park also has the highest concentrations of Irish ancestry in Chicago.

Lincoln Square

This neighborhood has an old world of heritage that meet modern charm. Lincoln Square is an eclectic enclave that boasts an array of hip restaurants, bars and boutiques. Neighborhood gems dot the streets along the commercial heart of Lincoln Square at the intersections of Lawrence, Western and Lincoln Avenues, as well as the Ravenswood corridor — a unique cross-section of industry and creative businesses.

Near North Side

It is a fashionable community and so much perfect for urban living enthusiast. There’s never a shortage of choices for shopping and dining here but given the popularity of many of the restaurants, there can be a shortage of “seats”, especially if a restaurant doesn’t take reservations. That’s not the case for two excellent dining establishments, the Tavern on Rush and Joe’s Seafood.

But living here does come at a price, especially when it comes to housing costs. Condos sell for an average of $390,000 in the Near North Side area, according to data from PropertyShark, whereas the average rent for Near North apartments is $2,128 – pretty expensive if you look at the overall city average which sits somewhere around $1,600/mo.

Forest Glen

A community of about 550 residences on the far Northwest side of the city of Chicago is often referred to as "Chicago's Finest Community". It is one of the oldest neighborhoods on the Northwest side, and is at the southern part of the official Chicago neighborhood's area of Forest Glen, which also contains Edgebrook and Sauganash.

A gem of a neighborhood on Chicago’s Northwest Side, Forest Glen boasts the convenience of the city with the peacefulness of the suburbs and the neighborliness of the country. 

Logan Square

Most people are attracted to the community for its beautiful park-like boulevards, part of the city's 26-mile Chicago Boulevard System, which was recently protected with a Chicago Landmark Designation, known as the "Logan Square Boulevards District" and the partnerships between residents and the City to support the Comfort Station at Logan Square, new parks, the Bloomingdale Trail. The area is characterized by the prominent historical boulevards and large bungalow-style homes. With relatively inexpensive housing and rent available, this neighborhood was a favorite for immigrants and working-class citizens. 

West Town

Chicago's northwest side, make your way to the eclectic cross-sections of West Town, Ukrainian Village and East Village. You'll pass colorful galleries and museums, independent theater companies, small-scale music venues and retail boutiques touting lines from local designers. Mixed in are historic churches, brick cottages, quaint coffee shops and a booming restaurant and bar scene.

However, since the gentrification of West Town, media often refers to the area as solely the Northwest Side for the purposes of real estate gentrification tactics.