Neighborhood Guide

Andersonville

Neighborhood Description

Andersonville is a neighborhood (located in the Edgewater community area) on the North Side of Chicago, about five miles (8 km) north-northwest of the city's downtown. Once a sleepy little village made up primarily of Swedish immigrants, Andersonville is now one of Chicago's most popular neighborhoods. The community is particularly known for its diversity, including a continued Swedish cultural presence led by the Swedish American Museum, the Swedish Bakery and other Swedish delicatessens.[1] A significant number of Middle-Eastern businesses, a new influx of families with children, and a large LGBT population also makes this a very diverse population (showcased in the 1994 lesbian themed movie Go Fish). It is also known for its unique commercial district, made up almost entirely of locally owned, independent shops, restaurants, cafes, taverns, a chocolatier, and service providers. The approximate street boundaries of Andersonville are Broadway to the east, Ravenswood Avenue to the west, Winnemac Avenue to the south, and Elmdale Avenue to the north. The heart of the Andersonville commercial district is the corner of Clark Street and Berwyn Avenue (5300 N. Clark Street). The main shopping street is North Clark Street, which runs roughly north-south. The stretch of Clark Street south of Foster Avenue (where Andersonville has expanded across community boundaries into northern Uptown) is sometimes called South Foster, or SoFo. Some maps show the entire stretch between Foster and Lawrence as Andersonville Terrace; although this name is seldom used by residents, realtors have recently started using it again for the area as far south as Argyle Street, in an attempt to capitalize on Andersonville's popularity. The stretch north of Bryn Mawr still retains a good number of Hispanic-owned business as well as some restaurants and cafes serving Andersonville's more recent transplants. As reported in the Chicago Reader, in 2006 merchants along North Clark Street have seen significant increases in commercial property taxes, causing these independent shops to struggle. Though the residential property taxes have risen in the area, they have not skyrocketed like the commercial district in downtown Andersonville.  Rent Smart Chicago is your resource for Chicago apartments, lofts, condos and homes in Andersonville.

Neighborhood Links
Andersonville Chamber of Commerce
Midsommarfest

Resorces in Andersonville

Lodging
House 5863 Bed & Breakfast
5863 N Glenwood

Hospitals
Kindred Chicago Lakeshore
6130 N. Sheridan

Post Office
4850 N Broadway [Zip Codes: 60660, 60640]

Schools 

Grocery Stores