Neighborhood Guide
One of Lincoln Park’s pocket neighborhoods, DePaul, takes its name from the university that has made its mark among Chicago’s institutions. Its historic housing has made it attractive along with its easy access to the Red Line L, proximity to downtown, and retail and dining district on nearby Lincoln Avenue. The enormous residential redevelopment underway on the former site of Children’s Memorial Hospital will add more dynamism to the area for years to come.
The university has changed the community a great deal over the last several decades, and its construction programs continue to change the appearance of the neighborhood. The recent demolition of the 1963 modernist DePaul University building McGaw Hall at Lincoln Ave. and Halsted St., is just one recent example of the evolution seen in the neighborhood, but the presence of the large collection of college-aged youth has fostered a Bohemian vibe in business along Clark Street and nearby, such as the famed coffee shop the Bourgeious Pig.
Historic housing together with a mix of new, is among the finest in the city and residents have access to a wide range of amenities from neighborhood dining staples like the Athenian Room to the high-end retail district along Armitage to the south.
While the redevelopment of Children’s Memorial is likely to have a dramatic effect on the area, another endeavor to the west, the former site of Finkl Steel, will be just as important. The project is still in its early stages but could add new park space and become a community for many hundreds of residents and new businesses.
