Lakeview, once predominantly German and then steadfastly blue-collar, now serves a wide range of lifestyles and tastes, from responsible yuppies to hard-partying Cubs fans to kids decked out in their Sunday-best piercings. Though the architecture is similar throughout the area, many segments of Lakeview have markedly different personalities.
Wrigleyville, the area surrounding Wrigley Field, contains a high concentration of sports bars, pubs, restaurants, and boutiques, as well as homes favored by recent grads and young professionals. Many buildings in the ballpark's immediate vicinity even have bleachers on the roofs where residents and their friends can catch the game without entering the park.
Just south, the intersection of Clark & Belmont (arguably Chicago's Haight-Ashbury) is a haven for punk style; The Alley has a piercing studio, all the leather you could ever ask for, and your choice of punk and metal t-shirts. East, on Halsted, is Boystown (aka Northalsted), America's first officially recognized gay village, with its famous illuminated rainbow pylons.
Somehow, the diversity of Lakeview is a case of the total being more than just the sum of its parts. Live music venues such as the Metro and Schuba's bring a steady stream of visitors to the area, as do the Music Box Theatre (specializing in cult movies and art films) and ImprovOlympic (one of many improv venues in Lakeview). So while you can't generalize about the typical Lakeview resident, you can be sure he or she likes to have a good time.
Fun Facts
- The first settler of Lakeview was Conrad Sulzer, who moved to the area in 1837. The neighborhood is supposedly named for the Hotel Lakeview, which opened here in 1853.
- The Dunkin' Donuts at Clark & Belmont is known affectionately by some as "Punkin' Donuts."
- Swedish immigrant Ann Sather bought the Swedish diner on Belmont that now famously bears her name in 1945. Though she was not a professional chef, she learned all the recipes from scratch and continued to work at the diner for more than 35 years.
