Albany Park Real Estate
Location
Coordinates: 41°58.2′N 87°43.2′W
Zip Codes: 60625, 60630
Albany Park is located 8 miles northwest of the Loop, running alongside the Chicago River just east of the Edens Expressway. The area covers North Mayfair and Ravenswood Manor, two smaller neighborhoods, and its major streets are Lawrence and Kedzie Avenues.
History
The neighborhood dates from the post- World War I to the post- World War II era, going from an agricultural society to an active metropolitan area in the course of one generation. Germans and Swedes originally established the area, a large number of Russian Jews calling it home after 1912. Throughout the 1950s the population remained predominantly Jewish. Several synagogues, churches, public schools, and public parks were opened between 1910 and 1940, the population reaching a high of 56,692 in 1940. Following World War II, many Jewish families moved north, this time to suburban Lincolnwood and Skokie.
Subsequent to the 1970s, Albany Park became a harbor of entrance for immigrants from Asia and Latin America. In 1990 the neighborhood declared the biggest numbers of Filipino, Guatemalan, and Korean immigrants in Chicago. The Korean people played crucial industrial and municipal roles in the revival of the area. Between 1980 and 1989 the number of homes sold augmented 125 percent. As more thriving Korean immigrants began moving to northern suburbs, Albany Park’s blueprint of population changes continued in the 1990s. Albany Park acted as a gateway community for hopeful middle-class racial groups all through the twentieth century.
Transportation
Albany Park is a perfect setting for those who travel into the city and/or the suburbs. It is centrally located between O’Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago. It is easily reached by the Edens expressway (Interstate 94) as well as through the Kimball and Kedzie stations on the Brown Line.
Albany Park Today
Albany Park has one of the highest percentages of foreign-born inhabitants in Chicago. While the greater part of those foreign-born residents are from Latin America, considerable numbers are from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In its public schools, over 40 different languages are spoken. The area has been Chicago’s “Koreatown” for some time. The majority of Albany Park’s Korean shops can be found between Kedzie and Pulaski, on Lawrence Avenue. Even though the Asians in the neighborhood have been shifting towards the north suburbs in recent years, it still preserves its Korean flavor. Every year there is a Korean festival and the neighborhood is home to a Korean television station, radio station, and two Korean-language newspapers. There are various Korean businesses scattered amongst the newer Mexican bakeries and Middle Eastern grocery stores.
Residents are proud of their diverse ways of life as seen in the stimulating blend of ethnic restaurants, shops and food markets. It’s a place to enjoy first-rate Korean, Indian, Middle Eastern and Thai restaurants, all within a few blocks of each other.
Albany Park’s proximity to the Chicago River offers numerous scenic views and parks, with many sporting and recreational activities. Residents privileged to have river access may enjoy boating and fishing.
Albany Park proffers a broad multiplicity of classic homes and apartment buildings, varying from two-flats to sizable courtyard buildings. While budding in popularity, it is still easy to find reasonably priced single-family homes and roomy condominiums in Albany Park.