Apartments For Rent in Uptown, Chicago, IL

Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, located about six miles north of the Loop, is rich in culture and has seen significant ups and downs through history. For more than a century Uptown has been a popular entertainment district, playing a significant role in the Jazz Age, the silent film era, the swing era and the big band era, all riding on the coattails of the Gilded Age. The Margate Park, Buena Park, Sheridan Park and Little Vietnam neighborhoods all make up Uptown’s large community area, although it was twice the size before Edgewater split off to become distinctly its own. There’s a steadily growing Asian population in the area and non-Hispanic whites make up less than half of the population.

Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, located about six miles north of the Loop, is rich in culture and has seen significant ups and downs through history. For more than a century Uptown has been a popular entertainment district, playing a significant role in the Jazz Age, the silent film era, the swing era and the big band era, all riding on the coattails of the Gilded Age. The Margate Park, Buena Park, Sheridan Park and Little Vietnam neighborhoods all make up Uptown’s large community area, although it was twice the size before Edgewater split off to become distinctly its own. There’s a steadily growing Asian population in the area and non-Hispanic whites make up less than half of the population.

Uptown suffered more than other areas during and after the Great Depression, exacerbated by the extension of Lake Shore Drive, which facilitated shoppers to bypass Uptown in favor of places further north. World War II brought a housing crisis and many of the luxury apartments were converted into smaller rooms for greater profitability. Falling rent prices and neglect from landlords brought a stream of recent migrants and Chicago’s poor, including released mental health patients channeled from the State of Illinois to the Uptown’s halfway houses and smaller apartments. Many nursing homes still exist today, primarily in the east. Many residents and landowners of Uptown wished to distance themselves from the blight and protect their property values by changing the identity of their neighborhoods. In 1980 the northern half of Uptown became ‘Edgewater’, and Buena Park and Margate sought recognition as historical landmark districts, reinforcing Uptown’s reputation.

Although Uptown’s economic backdrop is no longer at the peak of a century ago, it has seen increasing gentrification fueled by the neighboring Lakeview and Edgewater neighborhoods. The Chicago Tribune rates Uptown in the upper third of safe neighborhoods in regards to violent crime. Housing costs vary greatly; studio apartments are available under $800 in some areas and rents increase significantly in the Sheridan and Buena Park neighborhoods. Median household income is $40,324, influenced by the economic diversity of the neighborhood.

Broadway is still the entertainment and commercial center of the neighborhood, whereby the Riviera and Uptown theatres, as well as Green Mill can be found. North Clark St is bustling with nightlife as well, including gay bars and the Hopleaf gastropub. Margate Park has tree-lined streets dotted with historic mansions and beautiful apartments, making it an affluent enclave.

Chicago’s Uptown still brings revelers looking to enjoy the unique social landscape painted over the years of boom and bust. The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge is a piece of history, once owned by one of Al Capone’s men. You can sit in Capone’s favorite booth, with clear views of the front and rear entrances and can make a quick getaway through the underground tunnels, but it’s better to stay for a cocktail and some of the best jazz around. Just up the street get your Vietnamese fill on the city’s best bánh mì and pho at Tank Noodle.

Spend a sunny day walking around the historic Graceland Cemetery or playing volleyball at Montrose Beach. Afterwards you can catch a concert at the Aragon Ballroom. Whether you like Rock, Electronic or anything in between, this venue has been a popular place for young Chicagoans to catch their first concert since its completion in 1926. Legends say one of the tunnels leading out of the nearby Green Mill leads into the basement here; take one of Chicago’s gangster tours and they’ll likely stop and tell you all about it.