WEST TOWN

 

 

West Town is a Chicago community area comprised of several distinct neighborhoods located to the northwest of the Loop on Chicago’s West Side. West Town is a growing district with an eclectic vibe. The area contains a variety of family-friendly residential areas with convenient access to diverse shopping, dining, parks, and other amenities. Ukrainian Village encapsulates much of West Town’s diverse appeal with its historic churches, authentic ethnic restaurants, hip boutique shops, and craft beer spots. Relaxed Noble Square is another of West Town’s most popular neighborhoods, featuring vintage clothing stores, Polish grocers, verdant parks, and cool nightlife venues. River West offers art galleries, yoga and fitness studios, cozy cafes, and laid-back lunch spots.

 

Housing options within West Town are as diverse as its distinctive neighborhoods. Highlights include beautiful historic apartment buildings and mansions in Ukrainian Village, the spacious single-family homes and apartments of Noble Square, and stylish loft conversions in the former industrial buildings of River West.

 

 

 

The neighborhoods of West Town were once part of Chicago’s historic Polish Downtown and have a rich cultural heritage fostered through many waves of immigration and development. Recent years have seen an artsy, up-and-coming vibe integrated into West Town’s diverse appeal. From multi-generational families to urban professionals seeking a live/work/play lifestyle, West Town’s neighborhoods truly offer something for everyone.

 

 

The West Town neighborhood is dotted with many unique dining spots and nightlife venues. Twisted Spoke is a biker bar that combines tasty burgers, pub grub, and weekend brunch specials with Bloody Marys and an impressive selection of whiskeys. D’Amato’s is a traditional Italian-style bakery with a delicious choice of pizza, subs, bread, and cannolis. Great pizza is also on the menu at Coalfire, which specializes in Neapolitan-style wood-fired thin crusts. The Breakfast Club & Grill is a homey spot serving up an all-day menu of American breakfast classics, including what many call the best French toast and mimosas in Chicago. The Ukrainian Village neighborhood has an abundance of cozy spots for sampling authentic Ukrainian cooking. Some of the most popular restaurants include Old Lviv and Tyzub Ukrainian Kitchen.

 

 

The creative West Town community area boasts some of Chicago’s most unique cultural attractions. The Chopin Theatre presents over 500 events every year. Housed within a historic 1918 theatre, the eclectic lineup includes everything from Eastern European plays to live jazz, film screenings, and literary readings. Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outside Art is one of the world’s leading exhibition spaces for outsider art. Intuit combines a variety of special exhibitions with a permanent collection that includes the preserved living and working space of innovative Chicago mixed media artist Henry Darger.

 

Much of West Town was once known as Chicago’s Polish Downtown, and this rich cultural heritage is celebrated at the Polish Museum of America. The Polish Museum explores the history of Polish Americans through a diverse collection of artwork, special lectures, and other events.

 

West Town’s neighborhoods also have no shortage of parks and greenspace. Noble Square’s community hub of Eckhart Park spans almost nine acres with a community garden, children’s playground with a water spray area, baseball diamonds, and athletic fields for football and soccer. Indoor amenities at Eckhart Park include two gymnasiums, fitness and boxing centers, and a swimming pool. Four-acre Pulaski Park has a softball diamond, water spray feature, indoor gymnasiums and meeting rooms, and an outdoor swimming pool.

 

 

Public schools in West Town are operated by the City of Chicago School District. Highlights include: