Uptown Condos and Uptown Real Estate
Uptown is a diverse neighborhood located 6 miles north of Chicago's downtown. The boundaries of Uptown are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose (Ravenswood to Clark), and Irving Park (Clark to Lake Michigan) on the south; Ravenswood (Foster to Montrose), and Clark (Montrose to Irving Park) on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan. To the north is Edgewater, to the west is Lincoln Square, and to the south is Lake View.
The historical, cultural, and commercial center of Uptown is Broadway, with Uptown Square at the center. In 1900 the Northwestern Elevated Railroad constructed its terminal near Montrose and Broadway (now part of the CTA Red Line “L”). Uptown became a summer resort town for downtown dwellers, and derived its name from the Uptown Store, which was the commercial center for the community.
For a time, all northbound trains from downtown ended in Uptown and it became known as an entertainment destination. Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and other early film stars produced films at the Essanay Studio on Argyle Street. The Aragon Ballroom (still a concert venue), Riviera Theater, Uptown Theatre, and Green Mill Jazz Club (a hangout for Al Capone and a great music club today) are all located within a half block of Lawrence and Broadway. Uptown is also home to one of Chicago's most celebrated final resting spots, Graceland Cemetery.
Uptown Entertainment District
Historically a very popular tourist destination, the current Uptown Entertainment District is home to various music venues, nightclubs, restaurants and shops. The Uptown Entertainment District is now experiencing a revival, with new restaurants and shops opening every year. Uptown Square, at the center of the Uptown Entertainment District, was designated as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Uptown is also a stop for Chicago Gangster tours, with many locations tied to famous gangsters such as John Dillinger, Al Capone, Machine Gun Jack McGurn, Roger "The Terrible" Touhy and others.
The Aragon Ballroom, probably the most famous ballroom in America, is still a very popular music venue. During the 1920s and 1930s, most of the nation's well-known jazz groups played the Aragon. Live radio broadcasts from the Aragon helped promote the Aragon's entertainers throughout the Midwest and beyond. Hotels quickly sprang up in the Uptown area, and it became a mecca for young adults who visited Chicago to dance to the Big Bands of the 1940s and 1950s. Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Lawrence Welk, Guy Lombardo, Wayne King and other famous bandleaders often played there. In decades to follow, a very diverse selection of "big name" groups have performed, including The Rolling Stones, U2, The Smiths, The Doors, Snoop Dogg, The Kinks, Dino Latino, Dr. John, Grateful Dead, B.B. King, Nirvana, Circuit Mom and many others.
Argyle Street, from Sheridan to Broadway and spilling onto Broadway, features an exceptional selection of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, French Vietnamese and Cambodian ethnic restaurants and bakeries. There are also many Asian groceries, shops and trading companies that sell unique Asian merchandise. This area is locally called by many different names, including New Chinatown, North Chinatown, Little Chinatown, Little Saigon, Little Cambodia or Little Vietnam. The surrounding neighborhood, which has attracted Asian immigrants and refugees for the past several decades, is a unique and popular tourist destination. It is easily reached by the Argyle stop on the Red Line "L".
Uptown features two public beaches: Foster Beach and Montrose Beach. There is also a dog beach at the southern edge of Montrose Beach. Montrose Harbor, just near Montrose Beach, is a marina for local and transient boaters and is home to the Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club. Small craft boat rental is available at Montrose Beach.
Uptown also has an extensive park system. The main park for the Uptown area is Lincoln Park, which has soccer and athletic fields, a segment of the Chicago lakefront bicycle/running path, Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary ("The Magic Hedge"), a sledding hill, Puptown Dog Park, Wilson Skatepark and Waveland (Marovitz) Golf Course to the south.
Two separate parks, which may be considered inland extensions of the lakefront Lincoln Park, are located just west of Lake Shore Drive. Named Clarendon Park and Margate Park, each feature athletic fields, children's playgrounds and indoor sports facilities. Both parks in turn give its name to the surrounding neighborhood. Chase Park, located on the west side of Clark Street at Leland Avenue, has indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, as well as an outdoor pool and tennis courts.
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