Blog Post

WHY RAVENSWOOD?

Appfolio Websites • Jul 12, 2019

Ravenswood is a small neighborhood of Chicago that was annexed by the city in 1889. This North Side neighborhood’s borders have been in constant dispute by its neighbors. Some say that Ravenswood goes from Clark St. on the east to Ravenswood Ave. on the West. The northern boundary is Foster Ave. and the southern boundary is Irving Park Rd. These boundaries can expand or shrink depending on who is defining them. While Seminary Properties generally agrees with these boundaries, we consider the west boundary to be Damen Ave and not Ravenswood.

The Ravenswood community was orginally developed as a commuter area. It started with the railroad, which turned into the METRA UP-N line. In 1907, it received its first ‘L’ station. Today, the area still provides access to commuters who ride the METRA, the Irving Park Brown Line, the Montrose Brown line, the Damen Brown Line, the Damen bus, the Clark bus, the Montrose bus, the Foster bus, and the Irving Park bus. From this area, a person can go any direction with public transportation. Going from a home or apartment in Ravenswood to Downtown Chicago by train or bus can take as little as 30 minutes; traveling to the northern suburbs takes roughly the same amount of time.

Access to public transportation is just one feature of many that makes Ravenswood a great place to live. The area is packed with artisan shops, restaurants and cafes, boutique grocery stores, breweries, and other special events and hidden gems. The area hosts the Ravenswood 5K each spring, and the Malt Row Fest and Ravenswood Art Walk in the summer. Malt Row Fest highlights the large number of micro-breweries along Ravenswood Ave. between Montrose, Irving Park, and Foster Ave. The strip even has Koval distillery among its ranks. This same strip also has amazing artesian shops and craftsman. Some of the many shops include DEFY bags, Chicago Glass Collective, Century Mallet, ORK Posters, Architectural Artifact, Starshaped Press, and many more. Just off Ravenswood Ave. are even more great shops like Turin Bike, Amy’s Candy Bar, and others.

The food selection in the area is top notch. From the Michelin starred Band of Bohemia, to unique restaurants like Glenn’s Dinner, First Slice Café, Bang Bang Pie Company, River Valley Farmer’s Table, Spacca Napoli, Chez Simo and Bien Me Sabe just to name a few; this wide variety of eateries can satisfy any palette – and that’s all in addition to amazing restaurants, coffee shops on most blocks, the amazing Winnemac Park, and beautiful tree-lined streets. Ravenswood also has plenty of options for lifelong students. From art classes at LillStreet Art Center (Ravenswood and Montrose) to a short commute to the Old Town School of Folk Music (technically in Lincoln Square), Ravenswood has it all.

Few people call Ravenswood home and regret the decision. The area is great for a tour and even better to live in.

Ravenswood Links:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/the-grid-exploring-ravenswood-neighborhood-things-to-do/

https://www.timeout.com/chicago/lincoln-square-ravenswood

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