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Old Town

Nestled just South of Lincoln Park, Chicago’s historic Old Town is one of the highest demand neighborhoods in the city. From the flurry of frequenters that roam the Wells Street commercial district to the beautiful blocks of Victorian-era buildings, single family homes, and flats that feature the limited number of Old Town apartment rentals, this neighborhood owes much of its character to its geographic location.

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 with the city in complete disarray, it was discovered that a few small pockets of land in the Old Town Triangle section (located just west of Wells Street and north of North Avenue) were spared by the fire. The area is a steadfast reminder of ‘old Chicago’ as its short streets and alleys stop, start, and swerve their way through the neighborhood, unique to the standard Chicago grid pattern. Old Town apartment rentals vary from the courtyard buildings and modern buildings that comprise much of the nearby Gold Coast and Lincoln Park regions. This area is instead made up of a mixture of townhouses, flats, and 19th century homes, many of which are historic landmarks. Because of the unique nature of the building types and styles and that Old Town proper is a small neighborhood of roughly six square blocks, you need a bit of good fortune to lease a Old Town apartment for rent as availabilities are not very common.

Old Town has been steadily gentrifying since the mid-twentieth century. In the 1960s, the neighborhood was the epicenter of the counter culture movement, known to many as a Midwestern Haight-Ashbury. Today despite it’s relatively small size, Old Town is home to some of the best entertainment and dining options in Chicago, such as the famous comedy clubs of The Second City and Zanies, as well as the countless number of world renown restaurants and trendy bars found along Wells Street. Not only can people who move into an Old Town apartment for rent enjoy this fabulous neighborhood but they can explore Lincoln Park on it’s northern border or the high end lifestyle of the Gold Coast just a few blocks east. Moreover, commuting from your Old Town rental is convenient as the area offers easy access to public transportation with the CTA Brown Line train at Sedgwick as well as LaSalle street and Lake Shore Drive Express buses.

Combine the quiet calm and historic charm of Old Town’s side streets with the buzzing atmosphere of its commercial district, and you have got a formula for one of the most sought after neighborhoods in all of Chicago!

For fun and exciting rental options in nearby neighborhoods also check out Lincoln Park, Lakeview and the Gold Coast.

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