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NORTH CENTER: Diverse city
Singles, families and seniors all find home in eclectic community
April 13, 2007
BY PAT TERRY Special to the Sun-Times
What official Chicago community lies south of Lincoln Square, west of Lake View, east of Avondale and north of Lincoln Park -- and relies heavily on the Brown Line?
North Center is a unique community of single-family frame homes, brick Victorians and two-flats, and a growing number of condos.
Excellent transportation, respected schools and a plethora of new entertainment options dot the many neighborhoods that lie within North Center.
Some neighborhood names are newer than others. Realtors created Roscoe Village, while St. Ben's harkens back to the long-honored Chicago tradition of taking community identity from the local parish. You'll also hear North Center neighborhoods referred to as Northcenter (yes, it's one word just to confuse you) and Revere Park.
"The biggest challenge is just to make people understand it's North Center," said Garrett Fitzgerald, executive director of the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce, which has launched a branding campaign replete with new logo and light pole banners.
Identity problem or not, North Center Realtors are helping a steady stream of young singles, couples and families find frame houses or brick two-flats to convert to single-family homes. Competing with residential buyers are developers who are seeking frame workman's cottages, in particular, to bulldoze for McMansions that will sell for $2 million upwards.
The bulldozers are not as prevalent -- yet -- as in Lincoln Park, but Barry Krasney, owner of Cole's Appliances & Furniture, Cuyler and Lincoln, reports seeing "at least a dozen teardowns on Cuyler alone." On the 2000 block of West Hutchinson, resident Toby Roberts reports two gaping holes.
Condos have taken hold slowly, in part because Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th), who grew up on West Roscoe, got the side streets downzoned. Recently, several new mixed-use condo projects have popped up along major arteries, including Lincoln, Irving Park and Western.
Home for newcomers
Chicago transplants Jill and Daniel Eckert found North Center by fluke.
"My husband was on leave from the Marine Corps and had a weekend to find us a place to live," said Jill Eckert. He found them an apartment at Wolcott and Addison, which is in North Center; but for a long time Jill thought it was Lake View.
Two years later, the couple started looking to buy.
"We looked in different neighborhoods like Bucktown and Wicker Park and Lincoln Park," Jill Eckert said, "but we kept coming back here. Bucktown and Wicker Park just weren't for us, and Lincoln Park felt too congested."
Four years ago, they bought a condo at Lincoln and Belle Plaine.
"It's funny, we would never walk any farther north than the Damen, Lincoln and Irving intersection, and then one day we decided, "oh, we'll look up there [two blocks north of Irving]," she recalled, "For some reason, it seemed so far north," she said, laughing. "Even now, our friends kind of kid us that we live in Wisconsin."
Just over a year ago, the Eckerts bought a house just eight doors from their condo. "We pretty much gutted the old balloon frame, and we raised the roof for more space." They also added a deck and, defying recent trends, opted for grass in the backyard rather than the usual concrete.
In North Center, Schulter has made the "green space" issue of yards vs. concrete a point of discussion with the city's Zoning Commission and the mayor's office.
A few months ago, the Eckerts expanded their family with baby William.
"We liked the neighborhood so much, we just wanted to stay. Everything's so convenient," Eckert said. "I can walk to just about everything I need - the UPS store is at the corner, there's CVS, a dry cleaners, Starbucks, the banks and grocery stores [Jewel is two blocks north]. There are parks, the library -- and all those restaurants popping up." She's tried them all, she joked.
"People are starting to find out about North Center," Eckert said, "but I'd sure hate for it to turn into a Lincoln Park."
The balancing act
Amid side streets lined with turn-of-the-century frames, brick two-flats -- and charming Victorians south of Irving Park -- holes announce the arrival of the bulldozers from Lincoln Park.
Schulter believes young people are attracted by the great transportation and the single-family housing stock. "They're looking for the type of space they could find in the suburbs," he said.
"They cannot afford to buy in Lincoln Park," said Beth Ryan, Ryan Realty & Associates, "and my job is to help them stay in the city. But it's not easy. You really can't find a livable house for under $500,000."
Longtime residents have a chance to stay in the neighborhood, thanks to the new North Center Senior Campus, a unique project involving nonprofits, private developers and government money, at Irving Park and Western.
Residents at the Martha Washington Apartments are delighted with the ongoing sense of community.
"There definitely is a community feel," said Mike McCallum, associate at the Baird & Warner North office, who moved to North Center in 2001 -- and already seems to know everyone.
"There are lots of block parties," McCallum said. "They're still run by longtime residents, but the newcomers are participating. It's great because you get a chance to talk with some of those people you say 'hi' to everyday."
It's also the kind of community where a young professional like McCallum stops by his neighborhood school to volunteer. And the energetic new principal at Coonley accepts his offer.
Parks are the visible Achilles heel.Although Welles, California and Horner parks are on North Center's borders, the only parks within its boundaries are Paul Revere and Hamlin parks.
Schulter and community organizations are working to acquire a 10-acre parcel of land at 3500 N. Rockwell, which is adjacent to Richard Clark Park, near Lane Tech and the new Bradley Place single-family homes.
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