Apartments in Old Town Chicago

Thriving Nightlife Paired with Eclectic Shops and Restaurants in Chicago’s Old Town

The area referred to as Old Town was home to many Native American Nations including members of the Illinois, Miami and Potawatomi. After the 1833 Treaty of Chicago most indigenous peoples were forcibly removed. The land was then settled by German Catholic immigrants. Although there is no legal entity called Old Town, the people who live there regard the northern border as North Avenue and the neighborhood continues south to Division Street. The East edge is LaSalle Street and heads west to Halsted. Old Town has many historic buildings, including St. Michael’s Church, one of only seven buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire. In 1924 Henry Gerber established the first gay-rights group, the Society for Human Rights, and his home has since been designated as both a Chicago Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. The 1950s saw an influx of Puerto Ricans that emigrated to Chicago. In the 60s and 70s Old Town became a center for folk musicians. The Old Town School of Folk Music was located on North Avenue until its move to Armitage Street in 1968.

Who Lives There

The total population of Old Town is 39,019 and the median age is 33.6 years. A whopping 89.5% of households have no children and the median income is $86,803. Only 29% of Old Town’s residents have bachelor’s degrees and 12.43% have only some high schooling. An average 620 square foot apartment hovers around $2,000 and a three-bedroom, 1330 square foot place, will cost you just under $6,000.

Places of Interest

Today the Old Town Triangle Art Center is a cultural hub and the annual Old Town Art Fair attracts people from all over the area. There is considerable diversity in the eclectic shops of Old Town as they sell items from spices to wines. Second City, a comedy/improv club made famous by performers like Bill Murray, John Belushi, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey, is still in Old Town. At the corner of North and Wells since 1967 they have expanded to include a mainstage, theater, small theaters for student shows as well as a training facility and film school. Zanies is another popular comedy club.