Infused with a Bavarian allure, Lincoln Square reveals specks of German culture in its annual festivals (which include a traditional maypole) and the hearty foods of mother Deutschland (bratwurst and schnitzel).
Encircling the neighborhood's main business and entertainment district, Lincoln Ave (home to quaint storefront shops and restaurants), are rows of three- and four-flat buildings with a few single-family homes tucked in among the multi-unit brick and stone residences.
A vintage movie theater and the city's oldest bowling lanes find their home in Lincoln Square, as does Oktoberfest, where Chicagoans come every year to celebrate their German roots and, of course, drink beer.
Over a century old, Lincoln Square is often described as "European" or having an "Old World feel" due to the zoning, size of the streets and architecture. There are plenty of quaint residences houses on these beautiful, tree-lined streets, many at very reasonable prices. Lincoln Square residents are known for their rehabbing savvy.
20% of Lincoln Square has been designated as a historic preservation district, which is arguably the largest in the north side .
Greater Lincoln Square encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Ravenswood Gardens, Ravenswood, Bowmanville, Budlong Woods and Ravenswood Manor.
There are specialty shops and appealing outdoor cafés in the pedestrian section of Lincoln Ave, where you'd feel being transported to a small European village. The annual Apple Festand Farmer's Market draw visitors every summer. The Ravenswood Garden/Manor Districts are known for their lovely architecturally-significant homes and ever-growing popularity
The El Brown Line runs through the southern section of the neighborhood. Lincoln Square is bounded by Montrose, Peterson, the Ravenswood Metra tracks and the Chicago River.
