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Welcome to West Lakeview
West Lakeview Neighbors (WLVN) represents the residents of our unique and vibrant area of Chicago.
We are the voice of West Lakeview.
We are proud to be residents in one of the most exciting neighborhoods in Chicago. West Lakeview is home to hundreds of families, a wide array of businesses and a growing number of green spaces.
Our boundaries are: Irving Park (between Ravenswood and Ashland) and Addison (between Ashland and Racine) on the north; Belmont on the south; Racine on the east; and Ravenswood on the west.
West Lakeview Neighbors addresses zoning, traffic, liquor license applications, sidewalk café requests and other issues affecting the neighborhood. We also currently advise and collaborate with the 44th and 47th Ward aldermen on issues affecting our neighborhood and surrounding areas.
If you are already a resident of our great neighborhood, or soon will be, please join us for a meeting and learn how great it feels to have your voice heard!
West Lakeview
The Lake View community area has a long and storied history, with districts such as Wrigleyville and Boystown being key to the community’s diversity and cultural life. Lake View Township was incorporated in 1887 and soon after annexed into the City of Chicago.
But it was in the western portion of Lakeview, around the Lincoln-Belmont-Ashland intersection, that one of the city’s largest shopping districts formed. There are still some longtime businesses in the area, including Paulina Market, Haderlein Realtors, and Chicago Music Exchange, and there are strong business corridors on Lincoln and Southport avenues. This area invited working-class families and shoppers.
The Lakeview Citizens Council formed in 1952, and out of that have come nine smaller residential organizations for the different geographic areas in Lake View. West Lakeview Neighbors (WLVN) developed to represent residents on the western end of Lake View—between Racine, Belmont, Ravenswood, and Addison—and in 2011 it expanded its boundaries to include the area between Ashland, Addison, Ravenswood, and Irving Park.
Demographics
West Lakeview is a community of an estimated 12,283 people, up from 11,445 in 2000. Despite losing 250 residents aged 25 to 34 since 2000, that age segment remains the most common in West Lakeview, making up nearly 39% of the local population. Over the same period, residents aged 45-54 increased by 347 people, and there have also been large increases in children, especially those ages 5 and younger.
West Lakeview is a majority-rental neighborhood, with 56% of households occupied by renters. However, that’s down significantly from 2000, when 65% of households were rentals. The average household size for renters is 2.1, and the average size for owners is 2.5 people.
Transportation
West Lakeview is well served by public transportation. There are two CTA Brown Line stops, at Southport and Paulina, with several other stops nearby. Bus lines run through West Lakeview or along its borders with the Ashland, Belmont, Irving Park, and Addison buses. There are also seven Divvy bikeshare stations in or near the borders.
Nearly half of West Lakeview commuters (47.3%) commute to work by public transit, up from 40.2% in 2000.
While most West Lakeview residents have at least one car at home, 18.6% of households do not have a car. Nearly 53% of households have only one car, while 23% have two cars and 5% have three or more vehicles. Further, 43% of rental households don’t have a car.
Contact
Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Email
info@WLVN.org