Lake View, Chicago

Lakeview
Community area
Community Area 6 - Lakeview
Looking across Belmont Harbor toward Lakeview
Nickname: Little Michigan
Location within the city ofChicago
Coordinates:41°56.61′N87°39.25′W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
City	Chicago
Neighborhoods	List Boystown Graceland West Lakeview Lakeview East North Halsted South East Ravenswood Wrigleyville
Area
• Total	3.13 sq mi (8.10 km2)
Population (2020)
• Total	103,050
• Density	33,000/sq mi (13,000/km2)
Demographics2021
•Non-Hispanic White	75.6%
• Black	4.3%
• Hispanic	9.1%
• Asian	7.2%
• Other	3.8%
Educational Attainment(2021)
• High School Diploma or Higher	98.2%
• Bachelor's Degree or Higher	83.3%
Time zone	UTC-6(CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5(CDT)
ZIP codes	parts of 60613, 60657
Area code	ZIP Codes
Median household income(2021)	$95,173
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

Vintagehigh-risesstand next to modern, upscalecondominiumsalong North Lake Shore Drive.

Low-rise apartments are common in Central Lakeview, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville.

Lakeview,also spelledLake View,is one of the 77community areas of Chicago,Illinois.Lakeview is located in the city's North Side. It is bordered byWest Diversey Parkwayon the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore ofLake Michiganon the east. TheUptowncommunity area is to Lakeview's north,Lincoln Squareto its northwest,North Centerto its west, andLincoln Parkto its south. The 2020 population of Lakeview was 103,050 residents, making it the second-largest Chicago community area by population.

Lakeview includes West Lakeview and Lakeview East. West Lakeview includes smaller neighborhood enclaves, namely Roscoe Village, Lincoln Hub and Southport Corridor. Lakeview East known as the Greater Lakeview area, hosts the Central Lakeview Business District, Sheridan Station Corridor, Wrigleyville, Broadway Corridor and North Halsted, famous for its largeLGBTpopulation, holds aprideparade each June. Wrigleyville surroundsWrigley Field,the home of theChicago Cubs.Lakeview is home to the Belmont Theater District, showcasing over 20 theaters and live performance venues located near theBelmont‘L’station.In 2013,Money Magazinenamed Lakeview number three in its top ten big-city neighborhoods in its Best Places to Live rankings.

History

TheTown Hall police stationat the corner of North Halsted Street and West Addison Street was built on the former site of Lakeview's old town hall. It served as home to the 19th District from 1907 to 1966 and 23rd District from 1966 to 2010.

Settlement

Lakeview was used as a camp and trail path for theMiami,Ottawa,andWinnebagoNative Americantribes. In 1837, Conrad Sulzer ofWinterthur,Zürich,Switzerland,became the first known European settler to live in the area. In 1853, one of the first permanent structures was built by James Rees and Elisha Hundley on the corner where present-day West Byron Street (or West Sheridan Road) meets North Lake Shore Drive. It was called the Hotel Lakeview, named for thehotel's unobstructed view of the shore ofLake Michigan.It gained what was characterized as a resort atmosphere.

The early settlement continued to grow amongs theEnglishsettlers and, especially because of increased immigration of the farming families fromGermany,Luxembourg,andSweden.Lakeview experienced a population boom as Chicago suffered a deadly and devastatingcholeraoutbreak. The Hotel Lakeview served as a refuge for many Chicagoans but became filled to capacity. Homestead lands were sold, and housing was built. Access to the new community was provided by a wooden plank road connected to present-day West Fullerton Parkway, which was called Lakeview Plank Road and is present-day NorthBroadway.With infrastructure and a growing population, residents realized it was time to organize formal governance to provide essential public services.

Lakeview Township

Also according to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce,Lakeview was an incorporated Illinoiscivil townshipwith achartergranted by theIllinois General Assembly,independent of neighboring Chicago. Lakeview's first townshipelectionwas held in 1857. The main building was Town Hall at the intersection of present-day West Addison and North Halsted streets. A building still bearing that name stands today as the former headquarters of theChicago Police Department's 23rd District. Lakeview Township included all land east of Western Avenue, betweenDevon AvenueandNorth Avenue,generally encompassing the community areas ofEdgewater,Uptown,Lakeview andLincoln Park,as well as the eastern sections of what are now the community areas ofNorth CenterandLincoln Square.

During the Civil War, the present-day bustling intersection of North Broadway, North Clark Street and West Diversey Parkway was home to Camp Fry. When the camp opened in May 1864, it served as a training facility for the volunteer132ndand134thIllinois Infantry regiments. Shortly after their deployment toColumbus, Kentucky,the camp was converted to a prison forConfederatesoldiers, where conditions were markedly different from those of many otherprisoner-of-warcamps. The few residents of the area known as Lakeview Township often complained ofrebelsing-alongsheld in the camp from time to time.

Lakeview's early industry was farming, especially crops ofcelery,and at the time it was considered a celery-growing capital. From 1870 to 1887, the population of the township grew from 2,000 citizens to 45,000. As a result, there was growing need of more public-service access, and Lakeview was absorbed into Chicago in 1889 as a way of meeting those demands.In 1889, areal estateboom became a major economic stimulant. According to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, over forty percent of the neighborhood's present-day buildings were constructed during that time.

Streets

Currently 737 W Belmont Ave. (formerly 1662 Belmont as seen in the stained glass on this building built in the late 19th century) in Lakeview. The streets were renumbered around 1909

West Addison Street was named afterThomas Addison,an English doctor who first describedAddison's disease. West Barry Avenue was named after the commander of theContinental NavyshipLexingtonduring theRevolutionary War,John Barry.West Belmont Avenue was named after theAmerican Civil War'sBattle of Belmonton November 7, 1861, inMississippi County,Missouri.North Broadway, which used to be called Evanston Avenue after the nearby municipality ofEvanston, Illinois,was renamed after Broadway inNew York City.North Clark Street was named after the legendary frontier explorerGeorge Rogers Clark.West Diversey Parkway was named after beer brewerMichael Diversey.William Butler Ogden,the first mayor of Chicago, named North Halsted Street after financiers William H. and Caleb Halsted. It was formerly called Dyer Street, in honor ofThomas Dyer,mayor of Chicago.West Irving Park Road was named after the authorWashington Irving.

Philip Sheridanfeatures prominently on the corner of West Belmont Avenue and North Lake Shore Drive, memorialized as a towering statue depicting Sheridan on horseback. TheU.S. Armygeneralis the namesake of North Sheridan Road. In 1871, he brought troops to Chicago in the aftermath of theGreat Chicago Fireand was authorized by MayorJoseph Medillto take control of the city undermartial law.He was later made commanding general of the U.S. Army byPresidentChester A. Arthur.

Notable residents

• John Peter Altgeld(1847–1902), 20th Illinois Governor and significant progressive era politician. He resided at theBrewster Apartmentsat 500 W. Diversey after leaving the governorship in 1897.
• Dean Baker(born 1958),macroeconomist
• Charlie Chaplin,the silent film comedian, lived at theBrewster Apartmentswhen he was filming movies withEssanay Studiosin 1915.
• Lucy Flower,the social reformer who was instrumental in establishingCook County's juvenile court system, lived at 1920 W. Wellington.
• Buckminster Fuller(1895–1983), the famous inventor, lived at 429 W. Belmontand had his studio at 729 W. Belmont.
• John Gunther(1901–1970), journalist and writer. He was a childhood resident of Lake View.
• Pearl M. Hart(1890–1975), Chicago criminal defense attorney known for representing homosexuals, juveniles, and others, lived at 2821 N. Pine Grove.
• Paul Harvey(1918–2009), radio broadcaster forABC News Radionotable for hisThe Rest of the Storysegments. He resided at 3400 North Lake Shore Drive in the 1950s.
• Cody Keenan,Director of Speechwriting for PresidentBarack Obamafrom 2013 to 2017. He was a childhood resident of Lake View until his family moved toEvanston, Illinois.
• Robert S. Kennemore(1920–1989), recipient of theMedal of Honorfor conduct at theBattle of Chosin Reservoir.He resided at 746 West California Terrace prior to his enlistment in theUnited States Marine Corpsin 1940.
• Scott MacArthur(born 1979), actor and writer. He was a childhood resident of Wrigleyville.
• Minnie Miñoso,the firstAfro-Cubanplayer inMajor League Baseballandfirst Black playerto play for theChicago White Sox.He lived in Wrigleyville after his retirement from baseball.
• Mike Nussbaum(1923–2023), actor and director of stage and screen. Lived at 3800 North Lake Shore Drive.
• Mike Royko(1932–1997), author andPulitzer Prizewinning newspaper columnist. He lived in Lake View from 1981 to 1985 during his self-describedCondo-Manperiod.
• Steven Schiff(1947–1998), member of theU.S. House of RepresentativesfromNew Mexico's 1st congressional district(1989–1998). He was a childhood resident of Lake View, living at 1022 West Belmont Avenue.
• Michael Silverstein(1945-2020), linguist,MacArthur Fellow,and pioneering professor of linguistics,anthropology,and sociology at theUniversity of Chicago.He resided at 3800 North Lake Shore Drive.
• Art Telcser(1932–1999), 64thSpeaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.Telcser was a resident of Lake View during his legislative career including his two-day stint as Speaker.
• Elizabeth Wood,the first executive director of theChicago Housing Authority,lived at 3145 North Cambridge Avenue.

Communities

Lakeview is divided into Lakeview East and Lakeview West, with Lakeview East having distinctive areas that include Wrigleyville, and North Halsted with the latter including Boystown, the city's gay village. Lakeview East expanded borders to also include the Central Lakeview area which is home to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. The boundaries of Lakeview are 1800 west to the west, Montrose to the north and Clark to the east north of Irving Park, but the rest is of Irving Park to the north,Lake Michiganto the east, and Diversey to the south.

Lakeview (East)

Rehabilitated vintage courtyard buildings (named for the courtyards created by their "U" shape construction), such as this 1927 building at 518 West Cornelia Avenue, are common along the side streets between North Lake Shore Drive and North Broadway.

Lakeview East is considered the Greater Lakeview area. Lakeview East expanded its boundaries in 2017 to include the Central Lakeview area which is home toWrigley Field.Lakeview East boundaries are defined as: Lake Shore Drive on the East, Racine on the West, Diversey Parkway on the South and Irving Park on the north.Lakeview East area consists of two of the largest entertainment districts in Chicago,Boystownand Wrigleyville.Lakeview East is notable for its Jewish population and has Four synagogues,Chabad of East LakeviewAnshe Sholom B'nai Israel(Modern Orthodox),Anshe Emet Synagogue(Conservative), andTemple Sholom(Reform and largest synagogue in the Chicago area).

Lakeview, especially along the Lake Shore Drive and Broadway corridors, consists of upscalecondominiumsand higher-rentmid-riseapartments andlofts.Small businesses,boutiques,restaurants and community institutions are found along North Broadway and North Halsted Street.

Gentrification,diversification and population shift have changed Lakeview, with new developments and new businesses such asMariano'sandTarget.Historic churches remain preserved as integral parts of the community, such as LakeviewPresbyterianChurch andSaint Peter'sEpiscopalChurch.Our Lady of Mount CarmelChurch is the residence of anepiscopal vicarandauxiliary bishopof theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.It is also themother churchof the localvicariateand the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, controversially created by CardinalJoseph Bernardin,which is one of the largest of the few gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholicwelcoming congregationscreated and authorized by adiocesein the United States.

TheLakeview Historic District,which is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places,is in southeastern Lakeview,as is the Newport Avenue District, which spans Newport Avenue between Halsted Avenue and Clark Streetand includes the historicVautravers Building.

Wrigleyville

Wrigleyville before a Cubs game. Visible is theRed LineatAddison station.

Formerly a working-class neighborhood, Wrigleyville is the nickname of the neighborhood directly surrounding Wrigley Field.Wrigley Fieldis the home of theChicago Cubs.Within Lakeview East, its borders run from north to south, Grace Street to Cornelia Avenue and from east to west, Wilton Avenue to Racine Avenue.

Wrigleyville features low-rise brick buildings and houses, some with rooftopbleacherscolloquially calledWrigley Rooftopswhere people can purchase seats to watch baseball games or concerts that, while generally more expensive than tickets for seats within the park itself, come with all you can eat and drink service. Proprietors are able to do so under special agreements with the Cubs organization. Many Wrigleyville bars and restaurants (particularly on North Clark Street) feature sports-oriented themes. Bars such as Sluggers, Murphy's Bleachers, Casey Moran's, Merkle's, Sports Corner andThe Cubby Bearhost the Cubs crowds near the Wrigley Field intersection of North Clark Street and West Addison Street.

Boystown

See also:LGBT culture in Chicago

A rainbow pylon on North Halsted Street at West Cornelia Avenue, like others along theLegacy Walkon Halsted street, welcomes visitors to the landmark gay village.

Chicago Pride Paradein 1985 on Broadway in Lakeview

The Boystown section of Lakeview holds the distinction of being the nation's first officially recognized gay village. In 1998, thenMayorRichard M. Daleyendeavored to create a $3.2 million restoration of the North Halsted Street corridor, and the city erected rainbow pylon landmarks along the route. In 2012, the Legacy Project began the ongoing process of installing plaques on the pylons that commemorate important people and milestones in LGBT history.It is also the cultural center of one of the largestlesbian,gay,bisexual,andtransgender(LGBT) communities in thenation.Boystown has grown into a cultural center for the LGBT residents living within theChicago metropolitan area.

The area caters to Chicago nightlife, featuring more than 60 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender bars, restaurants and nightclubs. It is now home toCenter on Halsted,an LGBT community center that hosts an array of public programs open to the public that provide fun, educational and enlightening opportunities for members of the LGBT community and allies.

The area is host to theChicago Pride Parade,one of the largestgay prideparadesin the nation, which takes place in Lakeview on the last Sunday of each June. The community area has also been host to several other major events: In 2006 it played host to an internationalsportsandcultural festival,Gay Games VII,with its closing ceremonies held at Wrigley Field and headlined byCyndi Lauper.The area also holds theNorthalsted Market Days,an annual two-day festival event geared toward the LGBT community. Northalsted also includes some ofChicago's off-Loop theater,specialty restaurants,greystoneandbrownstonewalk-up buildings and other historic architecture, trendy fashion outlets, wine boutiques, chain stores, and independent shops.

The district's informal boundaries, overlapping with Lakeview East, areIrving Park Roadon the north, Broadway on the east, Wellington Avenue on the south, andSheffield Avenueon the west. TheCenter on Halsted,an LGBT community center, is also located in this area.

Inclusiveness concerns and attempted Northalsted name change

Sculptures serve as entrances to Lakeview East residential streets. This sculpture stands on North Halsted Street at West Cornelia Avenue.

In November 2020, theChicago Reader,analternative newspaper,published an article criticizing the area for focusing on "gay men." Resulting in, the Boystown name being dropped by some businesses and some community organizations in exchange for a more neutral, "Northalsted", a name styled by the area business association in 2021.Despite the renaming efforts, the area is still colloquially called Boystown.

Some residents have voiced concern that the name change will dilute the neighborhood's history as a haven for gay peoples.

Lakeview (West)

West Lakeview is located along the border of theRoscoe Villagecommunity area. West Lakeview Neighbors, a residential organization, defines West Lakeview as the area bounded by West Addison Street on the north, West Diversey Parkway on the south, North Southport Avenue on the east and North Ravenswood Avenue on the west.Affordable real estate and popular culture, such as that found along busy Southport Avenue, draws young adults from all over the city for quiet living or casual dining. A historic destination that opened just north of West Lakeviewon August 22, 1929, is theMusic Box Theatre,which opened as a new technology sound film venue.The theater brands itself today as "Chicago's year-round film festival".Dinkel's Bakery, which was located in West Lakeview near Lincoln and Roscoe, operated in the neighborhood for a century (1922-2022).

Sheridan Station Corridor

Sheridan Road, from Irving Park Road to the North and Byron/W. Sheridan Street to the South, is the home of the CTA'sSheridan station.The neighborhood name, although only comprising a small area, helps to differentiate this particular Sheridan Road from the other parts of Sheridan Road in Lakeview, Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park (and into the North Shore suburbs). This area was once known colloquially as "Restaurant Row". The strip itself has been located at various times in either the 44th or 46th ward. It is distinguished by the Sheridan "L" Station as well as its proximity to Wrigley Field. Neither technically East, West or Central Lakeview, it is seen as the gateway between Uptown to the North and Lakeview to the South. The residential neighborhood organization is Lakeview East Neighbors Association and the business district has recently been enveloped by Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	114,872		—
1940	121,455		5.7%
1950	124,824		2.8%
1960	118,764		−4.9%
1970	114,889		−3.3%
1980	97,519		−15.1%
1990	91,031		−6.7%
2000	94,817		4.2%
2010	94,368		−0.5%
2020	103,050		9.2%
2021 (est.)	102,611		−0.4%

Government and politics

Elected officials

Lakeview belongs to fourChicago City Councilwards, electing fouraldermenas representatives of these wards. Business ownerThomas Tunneyrepresents the 44th Ward. Social workerJames Capplemanrepresents the 46th Ward andScott Waguespackrepresents the 32nd Ward. A small portion of the Lakeview community (which includes Lakeview H.S., the Graceland West neighborhood and a small part of the Southport Neighbors Association) is represented byMatt Martinof the 47th Ward.Tunney is the first openly gay alderman to serve in the Chicago City Council.

Lakeview residents are represented in theIllinois SenatebySara Feigenholtzof the state's 6th District.The residents also elect members of theIllinois House of Representatives:Ann Williamsof the 11th District,Yoni Pizerof the 12th District andGreg Harrisof the 34th District.

Lakeview is represented in theUnited States Congressby former Cook County CommissionerMike Quigley,elected from the 5th Congressional District, and by a former consumer rights advocate,Jan Schakowsky,elected from the 9th Congressional District.

Neighborhood councils

Thirteen independent neighborhood organizations made up of residents serve as vehicles for direct neighborhood involvement and provide input to municipal and commercial leaders. The Lakeview Citizens' Council was formed in 1952 and is composed of: Belmont Harbor Neighbors, Central Lakeview Neighbors, East Lakeview Neighbors, Hamlin Park Neighbors, Hawthorne Neighbors, Sheil Park Neighbors, South East Lakeview Neighbors, South Lakeview Neighbors, Southport Neighbors Association, Triangle Neighbors, West DePaul Neighborhood Association and West Lakeview Association.

Two of these organizations do not all fall in the Lakeview Community Area. West DePaul Neighborhood Association is in the Lincoln Park Community Area and Hamlin Park Neighbors is in the North Center Community Area. All others fall within Lakeview's boundaries.

Another community group, the Lakeview Action Coalition, is composed of 44 institutional members. They include religious congregations of various denominations, social service agencies, banks, and merchants.

Presidential elections

The Lake View community area has supported theDemocratic Partyin the past two presidential elections. In the2016 presidential election,Lake View cast 40,357 votes forHillary Clintonand cast 5,646 votes forDonald Trump(82.75% to 11.58%).In the2012 presidential election,Lake View cast 32,004 votes forBarack Obamaand cast 10,172 votes forMitt Romney(73.89% to 23.49%).

Services

Houses of worship

• Anshe Emet Synagogue
• Anshe Sholom B'nai IsraelCongregation
• Broadway United Methodist Church
• Chabad of Lakeview
• Chicagoland Community Church
• Cornelia Avenue Baptist Church
• Destination Church Chicago
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke
• Grace Chicago Church
• Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
• Lakeview Lutheran Church
• Lakeview Presbyterian Church
• Messianic Congregation of Chicago
• Missio Dei
• New Life Community Church
• North-side Islamic Mosque of Chicago, Roscoe Masjid.
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church
• Resurrection Lutheran Church
• Saint Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church
• Saint Andrew Roman Catholic Church
• Saint Bonaventure Catholic Oratory (closed in 2024)
• Saint Peter's Episcopal Church
• Salvation Army
• Second Unitarian Church
• Temple Sholom
• Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ

Health

Lakeview is an important area of the city for health and medicine as it is home to several hospitals and other related institutions. Despite the comparative affluence of the community area, Lakeview social services are also geared toward those needing affordable care, such as displaced youth living on the streets.

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Centerand Saint Joseph HospitalofResurrection Health Careserve residents throughout Chicago and its suburbs.

TheHoward Brown Health Center,with several branch locations throughout Lakeview, provides health services for the gay, lesbian and transgender communities as well as for the poor. It offers specialized assistance inHIV,AIDS,domestic violence, therapy and various youth services such as the Broadway Youth Center and the PATH Program for HIV+ Youth.

Center on Halsted,formerly Horizons Community Services, is also a major source of comprehensive social services for the gay and lesbian community. TheIllinois Department of Public Healthcontracts the services of Center on Halsted for a telephone hotline for HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Parking

Addison Station at Wrigley Field is served by Red Line trains.

Automobile parking is at a premium in Lakeview, especially during special events such asChicago Cubshome games atWrigley Field.Special residential parking permits are required for parking on some Lakeview streets; in commercial areas, limited metered parking is available. High-priced public parking lots are available for visitors and baseball fans but are hard to come by. Lakeview residents on blocks with parking restrictions may purchase temporary parking permit slips, available at aldermanic constituent offices, for guests invited to private residences.

Transportation

A majority of Lakeview'spublic transportationneeds are met by theChicago Transit Authority,which provides resident and visitor access to theRed Line,Purple LineandBrown Lineservices of theChicago Elevatedrailwayrapid transit.Lakeview is served by six L stations:Addison(Red Line),Belmont(Red, Brown, Purple Lines),Paulina(Brown Line),Sheridan(Red Line),Southport(Brown Line), andWellington(Brown and Purple Lines).

Belmont Harbor boasts a large marina.

The Chicago Transit Authority also operates numerous bus routes in Lakeview, the busiest being those running along North Lake Shore Drive with express services to downtown Chicago, includingthe Loop,via NorthMichigan Avenueand itsMagnificent Mile.Bus routes entering and leaving Lakeview are 8 Halsted, 9 Ashland, 22 Clark, 36 Broadway, 77 Belmont, 134 Stockton–LaSalle Express, 135 Clarendon–LaSalle Express, 136 Sheridan–LaSalle Express, 143 Stockton–Michigan Express, 146 Inner Drive Express, 147 Outer Drive Express, 148 Clarendon–Michigan Express, 151 Sheridan, 152 Addison, and 156 LaSalle.

Private entities also offer many transportation services.I-GOandZipcarhave several locations in Lakeview. Private companies offer trolley and bus services to certain destinations in the city from Lakeview.Taxiandlimousineservices are plentiful in the Lakeview area, as well as non-traditional modes of transportation.Bicyclerickshawscan be found especially near Wrigley Field.Bike pathsare becoming more and more available on some major streets as well as on some smaller side-streets as part of the City and 44th Ward's "greenway" bike path initiative.For those who prefer to walk or run, manicured walking and running paths are found throughout the community area, with a special path designed for Chicago Marathon training along the lakefront.

The Chicago Marathon training path curves around the Belmont Harbor marina, belonging to the Chicago Park District and managed by contracted companies. There are ten transient slips, several stalls, and finger dock, star dock, and other mooring facilitieswhereboatsandyachtscan be kept.It is the home of the Belmont Yacht Club.

Entertainment

• Theaters

Alamo Draft House

Athenaeum Theatre

Annoyance Theatre

ComedySportz

Briar Street Theater

The Music Box Theatre

The Playground Theater

Saint Sebastian Players

Stage 773

Theatre Wit

Under the Gun Theater

• Music venues

Metro Chicago

Vic Theatre

• Sports

Wrigley Field

Education

Colleges and Universities

The Salvation Army - College for Officer Training

Primary and secondary schools

Residents are served byChicago Public Schools.

ZonedK-8 schoolsserving the area include Agassiz, Greeley, Hamilton, Ravenswood,Nettelhorst,Blaine, and Burley.

Most residents are zoned toLake View High Schoolwhile some are zoned toLincoln Park High School.

The magnet schoolsInter-American Magnet School(IAMS) and Hawthorne Scholastic Academy are in Lakeview.

Libraries

As one of the most populated community areas in the city of Chicago, Lakeview has many outlets for education. The John Merlo Branchof theChicago Public Library(CPL) houses one of the city's largest collections of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender literature and large collections called the African American Heritage Collection, Chicago History Collection, Judaica Collection, and Large Print Collection. The Chicago Public Library classifies Merlo's Drama and Theatre Collection as very large in size compared to other branches.Although not in Lakeview proper, theConrad Sulzer Regional Libraryis host to a special Ravenswood–Lakeview Historical Collection.CPL also states that the Uptown Branch in Uptown provides services to people in Lake View.

Kwagulth Totem Pole

The Kwagulth Totem Pole on the lakefront is a tourist attraction.

In the Lakeview section ofLincoln Park,overlooking the intersection of North Lake Shore Drive, and West Addison Street is atotem poleofKwanusila,theThunderbirdof theKwagu'łNative Americantribe. A plaque below the totem pole reads:

Kwanusila the Thunderbird, is an authenticKwagu'łtotem pole, carved in Red Cedar by Tony Hunt of Fort Rupert,British Columbia.The crests carved upon the totem pole represent Kwanusila the Thunderbird, a whale with a man on its back, and a sea monster. Many people do not realize that totem poles were only regionally used by First Nations along the coastal areas of British Columbia. Kwanusila is an exact replica of the original Kraft Lincoln Park totem pole, which was donated to the City of Chicago byJames L. Krafton June 20, 1929, and which stood on the spot until October 9, 1985. It was discovered some years before the pole was moved, that a pole of this type did not exist in the types at the Provincial British Columbia Museum located in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Arrangements were made for a duplicate of the Chicago original to be made by the same Amerindian tribe that made the original. A request was made and approved by the Chicago Park District for the original totem pole which existed here to be presented back to British Columbia. Kwanusila is dedicated to the school children of Chicago, and was presented to the City of Chicago byKraft, Inc.on May 21, 1986.

Prominently visible fromLake Shore Drive,the totem pole is highlighted on Chicagocity mapsas a place of interest, visited by residents and tourists alike. The totem pole stands in front of theJarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

Events

A major portion of theBank of America(formerlyLaSalle Bank)Chicago Marathon,one of the largest road races in the world, winds through Lakeview East.Themarathonpacks spectators onto the sidewalks of Lakeview to cheer race competitors. The route of the annualBike the Drivenoncompetitivebicycleevent, which allows participants to bike on Lake Shore Drive, also travel through Lakeview East.

Lakeview hosts many art events. Each spring, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce supports gallery tour groups, taking participants through several area art galleries. September brings visitors to the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts on North Broadway between West Belmont Avenue and West Roscoe Street. More than 150 juried artists exhibit their works along with live entertainment, fine food and a variety of performers.

Paramount among Lakeview's events, drawing the largest crowds, is the annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade held on the last Sunday of each June along North Broadway, North Halsted Street, and West Diversey Parkway. In addition, for one weekend each August, the North Halsted Street corridor is closed off to automobile traffic for Northalsted Market Days, a popular street fair featuring nationally prominent bands and other entertainment. Food and merchandise booths line the temporary pedestrian thoroughfare.

Lakeview hosts a solemn vigil and march each October, gathering at the intersection of West Roscoe and North Halsted streets, in honor ofMatthew Shepard.Each year at the Matthew Shepard March Against Anti-Gay Hate, participants focus on several activist themes. In the past, they have marched against hate crimes and anti-gay social policy or have offered support for gay youth. As the event reflects its socially liberal agendas, political organizations such as theGreen PartyandDemocratic Partyhave shown an increased presence. Socially liberalRepublicansalso participate to a smaller degree.

Small but popular Lakeview events take place throughout the year. Each July, the Lakeview Garden Walk takes visitors on trolley tours and walks throughout the neighborhood to over eighty garden exhibits.Each exhibit is prepared and presented by individual residents of Lakeview. Once an event that focused on West Lakeview gardens, the exhibits now span the entire Lakeview area. Families with children are drawn to Nettelhorst Elementary School onEasterweekend for anegg huntand visit with theEaster bunny.They return onHalloweenweekend for a costume parade and story-telling.

Halloween is also the time for a major costume competition that takes place on North Halsted, from Belmont to Cornelia, with an annual theme and categories from children and pets to adult groups from humorous to scary.

Major Events in Lakeview

Month	Event	Location
Spring	Race to Wrigley	Addison and Clark
May	Bike the Drive	North Lake Shore Drive
May	Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest	On Sheffield between Belmont Avenue and School Street
June	Chicago Gay Pride Parade	North Broadway at North Halsted Street
July	Summer on Southport	Southport Corridor
August	Northalsted Market Days	North Halsted Street
September	Taco Fest	Southport Corridor
September	Lakeview East Festival of the Arts	North Broadway at West Belmont Avenue
October	Matthew Shepard March Against Anti-Gay Hate	West Roscoe Street at North Halsted Street
October	Bank of America Chicago Marathon	North Lake Shore Drive, North Broadway
October	Halloween Parade	North Halsted Street
October	Halloween Kids	Nettelhorst Elementary School

Gallery

• 
  Lake View Presbyterian Church serves the Presbyterian community.
• 
  Temple Sholom at North Lake Shore Drive and West Cornelia Avenue is a historic Jewish place of worship.
• 
  The landmark Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church serves as mother church of the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach.
• 
  Century Shopping Centre, converted from a movie theater in Lakeview East, is the largest retail center in the neighborhood.
• 
  Former 23rd District Chicago Police headquarters.
• 
  Lake View Lutheran Church serves the Lutheran community.
• 
  The Chicago Gay Pride Parade is held each June.
• 
  Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce advertises itself as home of Gay Games VII.
• 
  Lake View State Bank Building,home to the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois
• 
  Gerald Farinas Cornelia Avenue Bars

See also

• Meekerville Historic District—in Meekerville Historic District
• National Register of Historic Places listings in North Side Chicago

External links

• Official City of Chicago Lakeview Community Map
• Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
• Lakeview Citizens' Council (LVCC)
• Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce
• Lakeview Chamber of Commerce
• Northalsted Business Alliance
• Central Lakeview Merchants Association- Wrigleyville