Ravenswood Gardens
Ravenswood Gardens is a neighborhood within Community Area 4, Lincoln Square
Boundaries: Wilson Avenue to the north, Western Avenue to the east, Montrose Avenue to the south and the North Branch of the Chicago River to the west.
In the mid 1800s, the area around Ravenswood Gardens developed primarily as an agricultural spot for growing pickles, celery and flowers. Also sharing business with the tranquil farmlands that occupied the terrain was a rudimentary delivery industry, which supplied the immediate region with these products via horse-drawn wagons.
An industrial corridor emerged on Ravenswood Avenue along the North Western Railway tracks, just east of present-day Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood. A physician named Wallace Abbott established Abbott Laboratories in the late 19th century, which was one of several fast-growing companies that set up shop in this rapidly developing neighborhood. The lab attracted workers to the area, which in turn caught the interest of folks that wanted to settle in the relatively empty neighborhood. Electric streetcars soon began servicing the region, attracting more newcomers to the newly-built bungalows and apartment buildings.
Two of the new residential subdivisions near Ravenswood, Ravenswood Gardens and Ravenswood Manor, traded on the Ravenswood name, which was synonymous with quality residential development in the area at the time. Ravenswood Gardens followed suit with well-built apartment buildings, brick bungalows and two- and three-flats. Many of the inhabitants who moved into the new housing were Greek immigrants. They established numerous small businesses and St. Demetrios church, which created a fresh sense of diversity in Ravenswood Manor, Ravenswood Gardens and nearby Lincoln Square that had, until then, had been solidly German and Polish.
The tiny neighborhoods of Ravenswood Manor and Ravenswood Gardens teamed-up in 1914 to form a park district in order to preserve some of the better natural land in the area. Over the next decade the community worked hard to acquire land and develop it into parkland. By the 1920s, a beautiful garden opened facing the North Branch of the Chicago River decorated with an ornamental fountain and lush shrubbery which soon came to be known as Sunken Gardens Park.
Unfortunately, none of these beautiful features survived the downward spiral that the neighborhood—and the country—experienced as a result of the Great Depression. After World War II the neighborhood was lifted for awhile as returning GIs and new families sought an abundance of housing. The nearby commercial strip along Western Avenue expanded and grew as more shops and services found their way to the area.
The neighborhood has experienced its share of adjustments over the years but recently it has surged in popularity along with its nearby neighbors Lincoln Square and Ravenswood. Ravenswood Gardens has all the charm of other north side neighborhoods, but is just a bit further removed from the overcrowding hassles that can plague the more well-known Chicago communities.
Ravenswood Gardens is a small family-oriented neighborhood near bustling Western Avenue and just south of Lincoln Square on the far north side of Chicago. Tightly-packed with brick flats and individual houses, this residential enclave offers schools and park space in a quiet riverside setting, removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Because of its tranquil, countryside appeal injected with (but not overwhelmed by) a distinctly urban flavor, Ravenswood Gardens residents are happy to spend an afternoon picnicking in the park or tossing around the football with the family.
Ravenswood Gardens is a tight-knit neighborhood with quiet, shady streets lined with two-and three-flats, some brick bungalows, condominium conversions, and a section of single-family homes. A few of these houses are vintage Victorian-style dwellings set back from the street on good-size lots surrounded by privacy-providing greenery and grand entry pillars. The interiors boast hardwood floors and moldings, stained-glass windows and a classic charm that’s hard to recreate in today’s modern residential constructions.
Condominium conversions of multi-unit apartment buildings have become increasingly popular in the area, but there are still good deals available on stately, multi-level single-family homes. If you are interested in a private house, the price can range from $375,000 to close to a million dollars, depending on the architectural design, age, and condition of the home. But most folks in Ravenswood Gardens choose to live in one of the many available condos or townhomes. Because some units occupy newer constructions or reside in renovated older low-rises, and some are situated in vintage courtyard buildings, the range in price varies quiet a bit. Generally speaking though, you can get a two-bedroom condo for as low as $200,000 in Ravenswood Gardens neighborhood. If you’re looking for a three-bedroom unit, the listings start in the low to mid $300,000s but go up to $600,000 for a brand new place with two-car garage parking.
Although the neighborhood is mostly composed of families, singles and young couples find the area just as attractive, with the action, nightlife, and restaurants of Lincoln Square so close by. Many first-time buyers look to this section of town for affordable property in good condition that isn’t too far away from downtown.
