Chicago Guide
Old Town and Lincoln Park
Though it's just a few blocks northwest of the dandified Gold Coast, you won't see manicured hedges and white-gloved doormen in Old Town: the neighbourhood has a distinctly more lived-in feel, with brick row houses and, in the Old Town Triangle, charming wooden residences jumbled along its narrow tree-lined streets. It's a fine place for a stroll, but the main reason you'll probably visit is to see a show at one of its famed cultural establishments.
Snooty hipsters deride Lincoln Park, just north of Old Town, as a yuppie haven, filled with weekend rollerbladers working up a sweat before grabbing a latte. While it's certainly true that the area is upscale, middle-class, and rather mainstream, its gorgeous namesake park – home to the free Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory – is a powerful lure for any visitor, as are the verdant avenues of the neighbourhood itself. Lincoln Park's one offbeat section centers on DePaul University: this enormous Catholic institution, better known for hard partying than devout prayers, has created a small but funky scene in the surrounding blocks.