Ravenswood

This is a nice area in the upscale Lincoln Square area – a North Side neighborhood with a reputation for affluence. There are a lot of shops and courtyard-style apartment housing (a staple of the community), and the area enjoys a lot of transportation access (the Brown Line, Metra, and a whole lot of buses) and it’s a quick ride to the Loop.

The area is beautiful – tree-lined streets, parks, cleanliness, the whole bit – and Lincoln Avenue hosts a range of trendy and upscale restaurants. Recent years have made sure that Ravenswood enjoyed something of a real estate renaissance – it is practically overflowing with (high priced) bungalows, flats and condos. Some of the neighborhood is only recently gentrified, but don’t let that deter you from visiting – this neighborhood is doing very well for itself at the moment.

One of my favorite stops in Ravenswood is Ravenswood Used Books on North Lincoln Ave. It’s a chaotic-seeming cubby-hole of books – but I (and many other neighborhood dwellers) love it. The guy who runs it generally knows what is in there and where it is, so if you are doing more than browsing you need not worry!

Ravenswood is definitely a nice neighborhood. I’ve been through there quite a few times, and I’ve always found it to be energetic and fun. The food and shopping is excellent although neither is the best in Chicago.
For food, my favorite is the Bistro Campagne, which is a French restaurant with really high quality. My girlfriend loves going there because they have a great selection of wine, and between you and me (and the whole world since this is the internet) the girl likes her wine. We’ve sat outside on the patio more than once and had a great time.
Speaking of patios, if you want some nightlife, check out the Long Room, which has a good sized patio made for having a few beers on a nice summer night. It’s a pretty casual place, which suits me fine, and most people seem to really appreciate the atmosphere.
Shopping is good in Ravenswood as well. As I love my dogs to no end, my favorite place to shop is the Ruff Haus Pets, which isn’t too busy, and you can get your dog groomed (I only have their nails trimmed) and buy some good healthy food. I can’t say if they like the food any better than regular Dog Chow, since they’d eat anything, but I like to think for the 5 seconds that they eat it’s a more enjoyable experience.
I haven’t lived in Ravenswood, but it seems like a fairly upscale area. I don’t think it’s the most expensive neighborhood in Chicago, but it isn’t cheap. Some of the houses look really nice, and a lot of places have nice yards. Crime is pretty low, and everything is pretty clean. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone looking to visit or stay.

I've been living in Ravenswood for almost 2 years now. It's a great place to live and has great access to public transportation including metra and the CTA Damen Brownline stop. Various buses run through Ravenswood and run until the wee hours of the morning. The neighborhood is rather friendly, and has great resturants. I highly recommend Aroy Thai, which is right by the brown line stop as a great place to try. Amundsen's park behind their school is really nice with a paved walkway and track around the football field as well as 3 softball and baseball fields. Ravenswood is a great place to live and is close to the city, but distanced from the busy areas of the city.