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of the things that makes Chicago so special is it's a city of neighborhoods.
One North Side neighborhood makes you feel like you could be out in
a quaint, small village and not in a city of three million people.
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For more than 100 years, the CTA's Brown Line has linked downtown
and Chicago's Northwest Side, but once you travel west of Western
Avenue, the once elevated train, slowly ambles by on the ground.
West of Lincoln Square is becoming known as Rockwell Crossing.
The train station is being rebuilt right now, but getting off at
the Rockwell stop feels a little like coming home to a small town.
The el tracks are at street level and walking over the tracks feels
like crossing one of the railroad lines that run through small towns
across America.
Rockwell Crossing is full of small independent businesses -- a
pet store, a coffee shop, a yoga studio, and even the requisite
dive bar that's been here for years. It really seems like in this
neighborhood everyone knows your name.
"The quietness, the quaintness, and especially of this block between
Leland and Eastwood, it's a wonderful community and it feels like
a small town. Some place like Galesburg, Illinois, or someplace
like that," said Richmond Jones, Resident.
Obviously, many people are moving into this neighborhood and in
the last five years it's popped. You can tell by the increase in
the dog population. Ruff Haus Pets has been serving this dog boom
for five years.
"Well, I've lived in the neighborhood for 12 or more years. And
it was really important for me to start something locally and try
to foster a local business community that works with the public
and gets to know people. I wanted the small town type aesthetic,"
said Rich Forsythe, Ruff Haus Pets Owner.
The Chicago River divides Rockwell Crossing and Ravenswood Manor
-- the next neighborhood to the west. It doesn't get quainter than
this -- when you're backyard has a dock on the river!
One of Chicago's charming surprises, Ravenswood Manor is a small
area of beautiful single-family homes.
"It's a kind of a little enclave of serenity within the city.
It was developed outside of the city limits and over time the city
surrounded it an ultimately annexed this area. Throughout that time
the neighborhood has retained its residential character. It's almost
all single family homes and it's really very clam and peaceful city,
but around it is the bustling city of Chicago," said David Rownd.
David Rownd is hoping to get this area listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. Ravenswood Manor is nestled west of
the Chicago River between Montrose and Lawrence. There are many
arts and crafts and Prairie School homes on enviable, extra-wide
lots. Once a prairie, this area was developed by William Harmon
at the turn of the century.
"He allowed people to build as they like as they bought the land
from him 02:09 and then they'd build on their own design. That's
what gave this neighborhood diversity it doesn't look like track
houses," said Dick Bjorklund.
Dick Bjorklund has lived in this very house for the past 47 years.
He hasn't seen many changes -- and that's a good thing.
"Not very many houses typically come up for sale here. People
who come here stay here. We have many retired people, as I am, who
would not move out of the neighborhood not matter what, they carry
us out," said Bjorklund.
Once dusk settles on this quaint area, there are a few choices
for dinner. Two-year-old Rockwell's Bar & Grill is the neighborhood
hang out. It's great for families not only because of the friendliness,
but because it is also smoke free! Plus, they have a great burger.
"You feel like, sometimes in the city you feel like babies aren't
really welcome, so it's nice that in this area all the shops love
kids," said a resident.
A newcomer to the hood is Tagine. This authentic restaurant opened
just a month ago and is named after a traditional Moroccan clay
pot.
"It's Moroccan food. It's basically a Mediterranean food from
Northern Africa, old food. You have spices, beautiful spices, not
the spicy hot spicy, but like 7 spices. In most Moroccan food they
use garlic, cumin, ginger, olive oil, that's how we cook our food,"
said Richard Mouchine, Tagine co-owner.
And after dinner, instead of heading to a smoky bar how doing
something healthy for your body Bloom Yoga offers midnight yoga
the first Friday of every month.
"It's a really unique way to practice yoga and listen to live
improvised music. You don't get another setting like this. We light
candles so there a light mood in the room and then afterwards everyone
sticks around and enjoys food and drink 54:03. It's a nice, it's
a change of pace. It's different from other things that are out
there," said Carry Maiorca, Bloom Yoga.
According to the CTA, The Rockwell Station will remain closed
for the next six months while they build the new station. The Francisco
station remains open, but will have temporary closures in the upcoming
months. And of course all the businesses around these stations are
open.
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One
of the things that makes Chicago so special is it's a city of neighborhoods.
One North Side neighborhood makes you feel like you could be out in
a quaint, small village and not in a city of three million people.