textfield=Rogers Park and West Rogers Park

Rogers Park is known for its cultural diversity and its variety of housing. Home to Asians, Caribbean Islanders, and descendants of almost every European culture college students have also descended on this area for its affordability and proximity to Loyola and Northwestern University.

It is the northern gateway to the city for many. About 10 miles north of the Loop, on the border of Evanston, Rogers Park is bounded by Howard, Juneway Terrace, Ridge and Devon avenues and Lake Michigan. The area is blessed with a diversity of architecture and ethnic backgrounds, proximity to beaches and an abundance of recreational and shopping opportunities.

The avenues of Rogers Park shelter some of the most interesting architecture in the city, from Victorian confections to stately courtyard buildings to a genuine Frank Lloyd Wright (Bach House, 7415 N. Sheridan Road). You'll find some of the city's most gracious vintage apartment buildings and condominiums hugging Lake Michigan's Rogers Park shoreline. And it's got some of the most affordable and spacious lakefront property in the city. 

The neighborhood also has several public beaches, from tiny Juneway Terrace Beach, Chicago's northernmost lakefront park, to the vast expanse of sand and shaded lawn of Loyola Park, which stretches from north of Touhy to south of Pratt. In the summer months, you're more than likely to find a place to spread your towel here, even on the most blistering day.

Two very different main thoroughfares cut a north-to-south swath through Rogers Park. Clark Street is a colorful mix, a multiethnic assemblage of taquerias, video stores, appliance repair shops, and laundromats, with a few bridal salons and western-wear emporia tossed in for good measure. 

This is the place to catch the latest Hindi film from Bombay, sample buttery corn-on-the-cob from a street vendor, or take in a play at the small but critically acclaimed Raven Theater. Sheridan Road, on the other hand, is a shady boulevard where strolling is a leisurely pursuit, punctuated by people-watching pauses at any one of a number of cafe patios. This is the place to browse a bookstore or a music shop, or take in a midnight cult film. And it's just steps away from Lake Michigan and the Loyola University campus. On Rogers Park's southern edge, Devon Avenue has everything from Indian restaurants to Jewish bookstores.

Housing. In 1997 the average selling price for a single-family home was $140,256. The average selling price for attached single-family housing was $75,430. Rental apartments account for 82 percent of the housing stock in Rogers Park. Average rents were $370 to $475 for a studio apartment; $450 to $625 for a one-bedroom unit; $660 to $875 for a two-bedroom unit; and $800 to $1,250 for a three-bedroom unit.

West Rogers Park (West Ridge): West Rogers Park is bordered by Kedzie, Howard, Ridge, and Peterson. The area has a variety of bungalows, Georgian, Victorian and ranch homes. There are a few large apartment complexes and many owner-occupied two- and three-flats in the area. Housing. In 1997 single-family homes in West Rogers Park sold for an average price of $174,091. Many rental units are in walk-ups. Studios lease for $375 to $450, while one bedrooms range from $500 to $600. Two-bedroom units rent for $725 to $875, and three bedrooms go for $900 to $1,200.

Transportation: Excellent elevated train and bus service links Rogers Park to the Loop. The CTA's Howard-Dan Ryan line stops at Howard, Jarvis, Morse and Loyola (Devon). Pace suburban buses serve the area from the CTA's Howard transit center at Paulina. The Metra commuter train stops between Lunt and Greenleaf at Ravenswood Avenue. Drivers use Sheridan Road and Lake Shore Drive to reach the Loop in 20 minutes.