Living in Avondale: a neighborhood guide

The lay of the land

Avondale is a neighborhood of tight blocks and consistent housing, with Milwaukee Avenue running through it on the diagonal and the North Branch of the Chicago River bending along its eastern edge by Elston Avenue. Belmont Avenue and Elston carry the everyday errands.

It sits just north of Logan Square on the Northwest Side, with the Kennedy Expressway running through it and the Blue Line riding in the expressway median.

Getting around

The Blue Line Belmont station at Belmont and Kimball sits on the northeastern edge, and the Addison station rides in the Kennedy median; both run to the Loop and O’Hare.

• CTA buses on the main streets: the #77 Belmont, #152 Addison, #56 Milwaukee, and #76 Diversey.
• The Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) runs right through the neighborhood, with ramps at Kimball, Addison, and California.
• The Milwaukee District North Metra line runs along the western edge, with the nearest stops just beyond the neighborhood.

Parks and green space

Brands Park at 3285 N. Elston, near the river, has a fieldhouse, a gym, ball fields, and courts. The North Branch of the Chicago River runs along the eastern edge by Elston, part of a corridor the city has been steadily opening up to trails and riverfront access.

The housing stock

Most of the housing dates from about 1900 to 1930, which is why the pattern is so consistent: brick bungalows and two-flats on narrow lots, block after block. The landmarked Villa District of bungalows and Prairie-style houses sits just north across Addison, on the Irving Park side. If you are looking at a bungalow or a two-flat, our building and masonry guides cover what to check.

The calendar

Avondale’s daily life runs along the Milwaukee Avenue commercial strip, a long run of bakeries, sausage shops, restaurants, and taverns, with practical shopping on Belmont and hardware and big-box stores on Elston. A summer farmers market and Brands Park programming round out the warm months.

Check our events calendar for current dates.

Coffee, close by

An easy first errand in a new place: the nearby rooms with good espresso and a table to land at, each checked as open when this guide was last updated.

Milli by Metric · 3110 N Kedzie · map
Metric Coffee’s all-day cafe on Kedzie, equal parts espresso bar and bakery.

Four Letter Word Coffee · Diversey Ave · map
A small Chicago roaster with a devoted following and a bright Avondale room.

Guides worth reading before you tour here

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