Living in Austin: a neighborhood guide

The lay of the land

Austin runs from roughly Roosevelt to North Avenue along the city’s western boundary with Oak Park, which makes it Chicago’s largest community area. Madison, Chicago and North Avenues carry the commercial life east to west, and Central and Austin Boulevards frame it north to south.

The neighborhood grew as a railroad suburb annexed to the city in 1899, and the scale of that era survives: boulevard-width streets, big lots, and civic buildings like Austin Town Hall, modeled on Independence Hall.

Getting around

The Green Line runs along the Lake Street corridor with stops at Central, Laramie and Austin, a direct ride into the Loop.

• CTA buses: the #20 Madison, #66 Chicago, #72 North, #85 Central and #91 Austin.
• The Eisenhower (I-290) runs along the southern edge with ramps at Central and Austin.
• Oak Park’s Metra UP-West and Blue Line stations sit just across Austin Boulevard.

Parks and green space

Columbus Park is the masterpiece: 135 acres designed by Jens Jensen in his prairie style, with a lagoon, waterfalls, a golf course and the landmark refectory. LaFollette Park and Austin Town Hall Park add fieldhouses, pools and programming on the north half.

The housing stock

Austin’s housing is one of the West Side’s underappreciated strengths: full blocks of greystones and brick two-flats, big Queen Anne and foursquare frame houses, and the Midway Park historic district near Central and Race, where architect Frederick Schock’s houses anchor a landmark neighborhood. South of the Eisenhower the bungalow belt takes over.

For buyers who want serious house for the money, or a two-to-four flat with genuine rental income, the stock here rewards a careful walk-through, which is what our masonry and old-home guides are for.

The calendar

Columbus Park’s summer programming, the Austin Town Hall city farmers market, and a busy church and block-club calendar carry the year. The park district’s golf course and the refectory host events spring through fall.

Check our events calendar for current dates.

Fuel, close by

An easy first errand in a new place, each checked as open when this guide was last updated.

MacArthur’s · 5412 W Madison · map
The soul food cafeteria that presidents, athletes and half the city have queued at since 1997.

The Columbus Park refectory · 5701 W Jackson · map
Coffee on the lagoon steps of a landmark Jensen building makes a fine first morning.

The neighborhoods inside Austin

Austin is community area 25 of Chicago’s 77, on the West Side. The names people use inside it: North Austin, South Austin, Galewood, The Island and West Humboldt Park.

The community areas have been the city’s official map since the 1920s; the neighborhood names inside them are the ones people use. All 77 on one interactive map.

Guides worth reading before you tour here

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