Does Chicago have a neighborhood or area of rowhouses?

[wheelingman]

Every time I go to Philadelphia I am amazed at the amount of rowhouses there are there. I have been to Chicago many times but I never really looked for rowhouses there. It just wasn't on my mind back then. I have seen a few rowhouses in Chicago, but I was wondering if there is a neighborhood or decently large area filled with rowhouses in the city?

[Latoso]

Not much that I can think of. Much of the reason can be attributed to zoning laws after the fire of 1871. I'm sure they didn't want too many buildings together so as to contain fires better.

[Steely Dan]

chicago isn't really known as a row house city, there are rowhouses here and there throughout the city, but there is no neighborhood that is dominated by this building type like you would find in a place like philadelphia. however, most of chicago's high density hoods are dominated by 2 and 3 flats. what the row house is to philly, the 2 and 3 flat is to chicago.

typical chicago 2 and 3-flats:









pics courtesy of phil (qwerty1324)

[NYC2ORDGuy]

I would supplement Steely Dan's astute response by also saying Chicago's Old Town neighborhood and parts of River North to the south have a good concentration of townhouses akin to Philly rowhouses or New York brownstones (here they're graystones). They're the neighborhoods that remind me most of the brownstone housing stock from back home in Brooklyn.

[Chi-town]

While there are some, there aren't nearly as many as cities in the Northeast. Most of Chicago's old housing stock is detached, albeit very close together, and the houses themselves are like rowhouses with the exception of the fact that they don't share a wall with their neighbor.

There are rowhouse neighborhoods in the Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, etc., however.

[wheelingman]

Thanks for the responses. I enjoyed viewing those pictures as well.

[Chicago3rd]

There is that row right east of Fullerton El Stop on the southside. Very beautiful.

[RepoMan]

My favorite area of rowhouses in the city is Alta Vista Terrace. If you know the Chicago grid system it's at 3800 N & 1050 W. It's about 1 block north of Wrigley Field in the Lakeview neighborhood. See http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/A/AltaVista.html for a quick look. The street is narrower than most side streets in Chicago with room for parking only on one side.

Other terrific rowhouses are in the Pullman neighborhood in the far south side. See http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/P/...nDistrict.html to get an idea.

[DeMaFrost]

Originally Posted by Chicago3rd

There is that row right east of Fullerton El Stop on the southside. Very beautiful.

I'm sure its a typo but the Fullerton Red Line stop is obviously on the Northside in Lincoln Park

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by DeMaFrost

I'm sure its a typo but the Fullerton Red Line stop is obviously on the Northside in Lincoln Park

LOL.

Yep....should not have assumed people know the Fullerton Stop is on the north side of the city. Should have written for those who are blind....as you look eastward on the great street fullerton....note on the south side of the street....now now don't let you mind jump get all confused and think southside of the city.....only one Red Line EL on Fullerton....factually located on the Northside of the city.....you will see some beautiful row houses.

[i_am_hydrogen]

There are a lot of rows in Lincoln Park.

The west side of the 2100 block of Fremont and the 1800 block of Lincoln Park West are two of the best examples.

[Effer]

I think there are some in Soth Chicago.

[wheelingman]

I was just looking at an aerial picture of the Lakeview neighborhood in a Chicago picture book, and I couldn't believe how many rowhouses there were in that section just above Wrigley Field. There were just blocks and blocks of rowhouses.

[Steely Dan]

^ what look like row houses from the air are most likely 3 flats, especially in wrigleyville. there are some authentic row houses in my area, like alta vista but most of wrigleyville is tightly spaced 3-flats. some times 3-flats are spaced so close together that they touch, but they aren't true row houses as they were still built as individual structures.

[DCT]

Looking at historical photos and at the bird-eye photos on Local Live it looks as if there once were quite a lot of rowhouses on the west and south sides of the city. It's pretty depressing to see how much of the housing stock was devestated in those areas.

[nygirl]

Altavista Terrace, like repo said which is next to Wrigley.. I'll post some pics I took of it in a minute.

[nygirl]

btw.. this thing is nearby Can't remember it's name though..

[bnk]

Row houses of Chicago


http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=489251

[gocity1979]

Great observation, im in Philly alot myself and noticed that also. The closest thing that I saw to that type of housing stock in chicago in any notable numbers is in maybe the pullman area. When it comes to row houses no other city can beat Philly.

[UrbanSophist]

Thanks for the pics, nygirl! It'd be nice to get a place on Altavista.