Albany Park is an up and coming neighborhood located on the Northwest Side of Chicago.
Bungalows, Albany Park
Albany Park is a mixture of mid range apartments, single family homes, and newly refurbished condominiums, in addition to large number of traditional Chicago bungalows. Located to the west of Lincoln Square, Albany Park strikes a nice balance between commercial and residential properties and is home to an incredibly diverse population of residents. Albany Park can boast as being one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Illinois, and it is reflected in its coffee shops, restaurants, and grocers, with over 40 languages being spoken in area public schools. Although traditionally a middle income area, Albany Park has witnessed a small boom in refurbished units and new construction during the last ten years or so and remains an attractive option for a first time home or condo buyer.
Albany Park is home to Chicago’s Koreatown and has an abundance of Korean shops and restaurants along Lawrence Avenue, which share space with Latin American bakeries and Middle Eastern groceries. Solga, located on north Lincoln Aveneue near Bryn Mawr, is considered one of the most authentic Korean restaurants in the area, specializing in galbi, a Korean style of barbecued ribs. Albany Park is also quite close to two other Korean culinary institutions in Chicago; San Soo Gab San on Western and Argyle, and Cho Sun Ok on Lincoln and Berteau. Both do a brisk business in barbecue as well, in addition to bibimbap (mixed rice) and pajeon, a crisp seafood and green onion pancake.
In addition to Korean, Albany Park has quite a selection of Middle Eastern restaurants, ranging from Iraqi to Lebanese to Persian. Semiramis is a Lebanese restaurant on Kedzie near Lawrence, boasting some of the best rotisserie chicken in Illinois. Farther north on Kedzie is Noon O Kebab, a Persian institution famed for their dill rice, Caspian eggplant and lamb skewers. Other notables include Dawali and Salam, two Mediterranean eateries serving excellent hummus and falafel. Nightlife in the area is limited to local taverns (some might say ‘dives’, depending on perspective), but there are always more than enough places to play darts and watch a Blackhawks game. Those desiring a flirtini or two, however, are advised to look to more established areas of the city.
Albany Park remains a flourishing and high energy neighborhood on the Northwest Side of Chicago, offering a diverse range of housing and local flavor that is hard to match in the rest of the city.
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