Chicago is made up of neighborhoods rich with history and character. Chicago is a many-layered city. While you have to work hard to not find great spots while aimlessly wandering about, some of the most special places require a tip from someone “in-the-know.”

Hop on your bike and see interesting neighborhoods at a pace that lets you take it all in. We’ll lead you around and show you the parks, landmarks, and business establishments that make a neighborhood great while also pointing out residential buildings and properties of interest. Treasures abound. There’s a lot of Chicago to love!

2008 Tour Schedule

August	Avondale Avondale, Chicago Community Area 21 sits 6 miles northwest of the Loop. Once part of a vast expanse of prairie, the installation of the Old Northwest Plank Road, today’s Milwaukee Avenue, helped spur business and development and ushered in many years of prosperity. Avondale was annexed to Chicago in 1889 and grew rapidly as city improvements such as paved roads, electric street car lines and the Logan Elevated line contributed to a population that swelled to almost 50,000 by 1930. Due to an abundance of clay in the pits near the river, a brick industry developed and the working class residents built some of the most sturdy and beautiful examples of masonry construction in the city. As a result, the area is ripe with rich examples of architectural beauty. Come join Big Shoulders Realty as we explore this northwest side community for our next Neighborhood Bike Tour on: Sunday August 31, 2008 at 1:00 PM We will be meeting at: Brands Park at 3259 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL (The park entrance is a block north of Belmont, just south of Henderson St.)
September	The September tour of West Town has been postponed to next season due to pending baby appearance.
October	Jefferson Park
Previous Tours
July	Albany Park Community Area #14, Albany Park is located 8 miles northwest of the Loop. In very short fashion, this community grew from rural farmland to a vibrant urban neighborhood that today is one of the most diverse areas in the entire United States. The area became home to many convenient forms of transportation and as a result experienced a significant building boom in the early 20th century. This boom brought to neighborhoods in Albany Park like Mayfair, North Mayfair and Ravenswood Manor a stock of well-built and sturdy brick flats and bungalows, but a ride through the streets of Albany Park will also reveal exciting and unique commercial districts, and well-planned and plentiful green space.
June	Uptown/Andersonville Uptown, Chicago Community Area #5 sits 6 miles directly north of the Loop. Uptown can boast of a rich history that is equal parts ritzy and ragged. The community has thrived during the glory of the jazz age and suffered mightily during the Great Depression. Uptown was once the hub of the early American Movie industry. It’s ornate theaters, grand ballrooms, nightclubs, apartment buildings, mansions and central commercial district are amongst the finest architectural masterpieces in the city. Formerly part of Uptown, Andersonville is now part of Edgewater, which became its own Community Area (#77) in 1980. This neighborhood has been a thriving residential community since the mid-19th century, and is well known today for its amazing housing stock, independently owned businesses and a very comfortable, walkable neighborhood in the heart of north side. To learn more about the area, take a virtual bike tour of Uptown & Andersonville (PDF).
May	Irving Park Chicago Community Area #16 sits 7 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Prior to being annexed to Chicago in 1889, the suburban communities that make up today’s Irving Park Community Area fell outside the city’s post-fire ban on wood-frame construction. The result is a community rich with some of the oldest surviving construction in the city. After Irving Park joined Chicago, the area experienced even greater prosperity spurring decades of significant architecture development creating one of the greatest built environments in all of Chicago. It features comfortably nestled neighborhoods such as the Villa, (a registered National and City Historic Landmark), Old Irving, Independence Park and Grayland. Irving Park, the community area, is convenient to both public transportation and the interchange of I90/94. To learn more about the area, take a virtual bike tour of Irving Park (PDF).
April	Logan Square Logan Square, Community Area no. 22 is located 5 miles from the loop on Chicago’s near Northwest side, Logan Square is a densely populated microcosm of Chicago. Just as it is home to exquisite mansions along its historic boulevards, its side-streets are lined with simple workers’ homes and 2-flats. It is host to homey dive bars and haute cuisine hot spots. A particularly funky strip of Milwaukee forms its main commercial district, immediately adjacent to its quiet tree-lined residential streets. Exhibiting a wide variety of styles and a host of wonderful examples, it is also an architectural treasure trove. To learn more about the area, take a virtual bike tour of Logan Square (PDF).
March	Portage Park Chicago Community area #15, Portage Park is a thriving residential community and neighborhood on Chicago’s Northwest side just 9 miles from downtown. Annexed to Chicago in 1889, Portage Park offers the wonderful duality of city living and convenience with a real neighborhood-based residential community. The namesake park is one of the city’s most beautiful, and several smaller parks dot the community. Filled with an excellent housing stock of reasonably priced and well maintained Chicago brick bungalows and 2-flats, homes in the area sit nestled comfortably amongst the schools, churches, and two main commercial districts of Six Corners and Belmont-Central, where Portage Park meets Belmont-Cragin. To learn more about the area, take a virtual bike tour of Portage Park (PDF).

2008 Tour Schedule

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