Neighborhood Guide
Once a center of Chicago’s music and arts legacy, the lakefront neighborhood of Uptown has seen increased attention in recent years including a new landmark district as well as a long-promised and still looked-for rebirth of the famous Uptown Theater. Historic mansions, as well as a growing business district and several ground-breaking new developments, bring promise for an ongoing transformation the neighborhood will endure now and in years to come.
The entertainment district at the heart of the neighborhood is located around the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Broadway Street. The once vibrant Uptown Town Theater, still a landmark in the community, remains shuttered, while two other recognized venues, the Aragon Ballroom and the Riviera Theater, continue to draw big crowds. Perhaps one of the most famous businesses, however, is the Green Mill, a jazz club that has been operating since 1907. It was once a famed hangout of gangster Al Capone and his favorite booth is still there (it afforded a clear view of the front and back of the establishment).
The neighborhood is also home to the famed Graceland Cemetery, final resting place of many of the city’s earlier wealthiest and influential residents.
The proximity to the lakefront and its parks is one of the neighborhood’s greatest attributes, offering soccer and athletic fields, a bicycle path, a bird sanctuary, dog park, skate park, beach, and even a small golf course.
Montrose Harbor offers boaters a place to moor their private watercraft during the boating season.
