Your Complete Lincoln Park, Chicago Neighborhood Guide

The Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago offers its residents tree-lined streets, world-class dining, boutique shopping and ample green spaces. This article will share some insider tips on living in this popular Chicago neighborhood.

Where is Lincoln Park in Chicago?

Lincoln Park is one of Chicago’s 77 community areas on the city’s North Side, approximately five miles north of downtown. Bordered by Diversey Parkway on the north end, North Avenue on the south, Lake Michigan on the east and the Chicago River to its west, residents have a 60614 ZIP Code and its neighbors include Lakeview, Bucktown and Old Town.

Source: Rent.

Lincoln Park overview

Lincoln Park is rich with boutique shops, great restaurants and entertainment. It’s also home to a major park, a conservatory and a zoo with free admission.

Thanks to its plentiful amenities and being near Lake Michigan and the lakefront trail, it’s one of the more expensive neighborhoods in Chicago.

Average rent prices in Lincoln Park

• Studio average rent: $1,281
• One-bedroom average rent: $1,618
• Two-bedroom average rent: $2,238

What’s it like to live in Lincoln Park, Chicago?

Lincoln Park is a mix of urban professionals, students and families. DePaul University has a campus here, and the lakefront trail is a draw for many who graduate or want easy access to Lake Michigan and all it has to offer.

The average age is 30 years old and 81 percent are college-educated, according to the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce. However, many families also live in Lincoln Park because of its amenities and easy access to other neighborhoods. Here are some of those reasons.

Education

Thousands of students attend DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the country. Its main campus is at the intersection of Lincoln, Halsted and Fullerton.

For students kindergarten through 12th grade, Chicago public schools include Lincoln Elementary, Mayer Elementary, Prescott Elementary and Lincoln Park High School. For families who prefer to send their children to private schools, there is Francis W. Parker School for kindergarten through 12th grade and the British International School has a campus in Lincoln Park for pre-nursery age to year 6.

Community

Lincoln Park’s population is nearly 67,000 people and 46 percent are millennials. This is an active community that enjoys being surrounded by world-class dining, shopping and entertainment. A high number of recent college graduates also live in the neighborhood.

The close proximity to Lake Michigan is another attraction for those who live in the area and make heavy use of the lakefront trail for biking and running year-round. Local running stores host weekend runs for the community to come together and get to know each other.

Single-family homes are found alongside large condo and apartment buildings. While it’s a dense community, the spacious park affords more than 1,200 acres of green space.

Safety

Lincoln Park is a safe community with a low crime rate.

Patrolled by two police districts and according to the most recent data available, the 2018 Chicago Police Department Annual Report, crime in Lincoln Park was up 4.66 percent in one district and down 0.20 percent in the other, between 2017 and 2018.

Recreation and entertainment

More than 3.5 million people head to the Lincoln Park Zoo every year, making it one of the biggest attractions to Lincoln Park. During the summer, North Avenue Beach is a hot spot, attracting more than 6.5 million visitors.

Transportation

Many amenities are within walking distance and public transportation is plentiful. It’s entirely possible to live without a car in this area if one isn’t required for traveling far distances.

More than 45 Divvy bike-share stations and 15 Chicago Transit Association (CTA) bus lines, four CTA train stations and three Metra lines make it easy to get around. For those who like to use two wheels, either their own or a Divvy, they can use the lakefront trail or several of the major arteries with bike lanes.

• Walk Score: 94.32
• Transit Score: 79.42
• Bike Score: 89.43

Local foods and world-class dining

Beyond the major attractions, Lincoln Park is home to fine dining restaurants such as world-renowned and Michelin-decorated Alinea.

Green City Market, the city’s largest and first year-round sustainable farmers market allows locals to buy sustainably-grown food directly from farmers and local producers.

Photo source: Choose Chicago

10 things to do in Lincoln Park

Whether you’re a history buff, love theater performances or spending time outdoors, Lincoln Park truly has something for everyone. Here are 10 things you can do almost year-round.

1. Lincoln Park Zoo is a 35-acre zoo and the fourth oldest zoo in America. More than 3.6 million people visit the free zoo annually to see nearly 200 species from around the world.
2. Lincoln Park Conservatory is next to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Like the zoo, admission is free. The conservatory is in a Victorian-era glasshouse, built between 1890 and 1895. The structure features exotic plants, including ferns and orchids, in four display houses.
3. Chicago History Museum is on the very south end of Lincoln Park. For Chicago history buffs and enthusiasts, the museum’s permanent and rotating exhibits are a treat.
4. Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is in Lincoln Park, next to North Pond. Its Butterfly Haven is a particular draw as it houses more than 1,000 free-flying butterflies.
5. Steppenwolf Theatre began in Deerfield when Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise founded the company in 1974. Today, productions happen at its Halsted Street location.
6. North Avenue Beach is one of the city’s most popular beaches. A 22,000-square-foot beach house calls this area home.
7. Green City Market is not one to miss if you love local and sustainable foods. This year-round market attracts more than 175,000 visitors annually who crave homegrown foods from local farmers, many of whom provide to the top chefs in the city.
8. Sheffield Music Festival and Garden Walk allow visitors a sneak peek into some of the most beautiful gardens in Lincoln Park. The street festival includes almost two dozen artisans showing and selling their art and crafts.
9. Kingston Mines is where locals can enjoy live world-class Chicago Blues music.
10. DePaul University offers more than 300-degree options, serves nearly 22,000 students, has its own art museum, and offers students (and fans) more than a dozen sports teams.

Finding an apartment in Lincoln Park

There is a lot to love in Lincoln Park. There are plenty of apartments, condos and single-family homes available throughout Lincoln Park. Since many students and singles live in this area, there also are a fair amount of studio apartments to meet the demand.

Whatever the reason you might want to live in Lincoln Park, your perfect apartment or home to buy is waiting for you.

Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.’s multifamily rental property inventory of one-bedroom apartments. We pulled our data in February 2021, and it goes back for one year. Our team uses a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.

The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.