Lincoln Square, Chicago


Lincoln Square, located on the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. It encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Ravenswood Gardens, Bowmanville, Budlong Woods as well as the eponymous Lincoln Square neighborhood. Although it is sometimes known by these other names the City of Chicago officially designated it as Lincoln Square in 1925. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, the conflation of 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 community areas, one of which was Lincoln Square, which included the existing Ravenswood subdivision.

Profile

In the 1840s, farming was begun in this area by newly arrived German Americans. Two brothers, Lyman and Joseph Budlong arrived in 1857 to start a commercial pickling operation near what is today Lincoln Avenue and Berwyn. They later opened a commercial green house and flower fields to provide 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.
About 44,000 people live in the neighborhood along with over 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses. It is accessible through the Brown Line of the 'L'. The neighborhood is bounded by Bryn Mawr and Peterson Avenues on the north, Montrose Avenue on the south, Ravenswood Avenue on the east and the Chicago River on the west. Its housing stock consists of private residences 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 populated neighborhood, but now one is just as likely to see shops catering to the Thai culture. Still, the neighborhood is home to a number of German businesses, including Merz Apothecary and Lutz Café & Bakery, and is the home of the Chicago branches of DANK and the Niedersachsen Club. The German-language weekly newspaper was born in Lincoln Square in 1972, though its original headquarters above the Brauhaus is now only a bureau.
Events such as festivals and live musical performances are frequently held in Lincoln Square. The Apple Fest is a longstanding tradition in Lincoln Square that brings the community together to celebrate the beginning of fall. Dozens of vendors participate in the event each year selling autumn-themed crafts and apple-themed treats, such as fresh baked apple pies, bushels of apples, hot apple cider and apple pizza. The Square Roots Festival, which is held every summer, celebrates Lincoln Square's history in music and German culture with live performances from local musicians and craft beer from local breweries.

Neighborhoods

Lincoln Square is a stronghold for the Democratic Party in elections. In the 2016 presidential election, Lincoln Square cast 15,317 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 1,981 votes Donald Trump. In the 2012 presidential election, Lincoln Square cast 13,515 votes for Barack Obama and 2,435 votes for Mitt Romney. In the Illinois General Assembly, the entirety of Lincoln Square is located in the 7th Legislative District and the 13th House District. During the 101st General Assembly, the community area is represented by Senator Heather Steans and House Majority Leader Greg Harris. The Lincoln Square neighborhood encompasses the 40th and 47th wards on the Chicago City Council. The aldermen are Andre Vasquez in the 40th Ward and Matt Martin in the 47th Ward. Both were first elected in the 2019 election.

Points of interest

operates public schools. Many of these schools have benefited from GROW47, an initiative started by Alderman Ameya Pawar, which aims to improve funding for local public schools.
SchoolGradesNo. of studentsCPS ratingSchool type
Budlong Elementary SchoolPK, K–87781+Neighborhood
Chappell Elementary SchoolPK, K–86011+World Language Magnet Cluster
Jamieson Elementary SchoolPK, K–88791+Neighborhood
McPherson Elementary SchoolPK, K–87371Neighborhood
Waters Elementary SchoolK–86341+Fine Arts Magnet Cluster
Amundsen High School9–121,1201+International Baccalaureate
Mather High School9–121,4321Neighborhood

Amundsen High School is the designated CPS high school for most of the community area, while a small section is zoned to Mather High School.
Other private or parochial schools:
Lincoln Square contains several parks which are maintained by the Chicago Park District.
The following events occur within the neighborhood on an annual basis.