Lincoln Square

One of our favorite hangouts in Chicago is a quaint little north side neighborhood called Lincoln Square. Several friends live right there and it's a good place to meet up with those who live wester or souther. It's home of German Fest in the fall (as the population is quite German) and of several great cafes, bookstores, bars, boutiques and The Davis, a cozy four-screened, movie theater. Lincoln Square began as a farming locale off the beaten path, but right after the great fire, people swarmed up to the area. Here they could still build the cheaper wooden houses which were now outlawed in the city. Yep, the people came. Pickles, celery and flowers became big business and taverns opened to quench the thirsts of the farmers and shoppers alike. Eventually, Chicago proper crept up and swallowed the neighborhood whole.

Good German beer is one reason to be in Lincoln Square but so is the friendly-family, green and happy feeling in the air. (You know the one you get after drinking the beer). No really, it's a great little family neighborhood. People really do seem to know each other. And there are at least two trees for every dog. It's sort of my own little Chicago dream to live there some day. I would want to live in one of the houses along the Chicago River that have their own docks on the water. Then I could throw my canoe in and race the brown line train into the city, which is the very reason Eric says we will never live there. He knows I'd do it.