North Center is both a community area and a neighborhood (Northcenter) located six miles northwest of Chicago's loop. It is commonly referred to as the "heart of Chicago's northside" because of its location and lively and ecclectic range of activities for residents.
Restaurants, retailers, theaters, and other forms of live entertainment illuminate the streets nightly in North Center. Neighborhood restaurants cater to whatever you have a taste for with pizza, Italian, Irish, American bistro, steak, sushi, Mexican, and Columbian fare at your fingertips. The American Theatre and the Breadline Theatre boast major productions that grace the stage year round. Jazz, country, rock, and rhythm and blues can be found in the area's live music venues such as Martyrs, the Horseshoe, and Katerina's. New businesses continually come to the area, drawn by much of the established commerce and the busy intersection located at Damen Avenue, Irving Park, and Lincoln Avenue.
North Center is bordered on the north by Montrose Avenue, on the south by Diversey Parkway, on the west by the Chicago River and on the east by Ravenswood Avenue. The Chicago L has its Brown Line stops at Addison, Irving Park and Montrose.
North Center was settled in the latter part of the
19th century as well as early in the
20th century largely by Germans who worked in what is known as the industrial corridor along Ravenswood Avenue, and the large industrial plants along the Chicago River to the west. This European influence can still be seen today in the commerce and architecture in North Center. Recently the community has attracted real estate developers who have built a great deal of new construction condominiums, townhomes, and the occassional single-family home.
