Little Italy/University Village Chicago is a neighborhood on the Near West Side of Chicago which is southwest of the Loop, with the heart of Little Italy being at the area of Taylor Street and S. Racine Avenue. If you’re looking for delicious Italian restaurants, your best bet is to walk along Taylor Street where you’ll find bakeries, sandwich shops, fine dining and even the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Rents in the area have risen in the past few decades due to an influx of condominiums, townhouses, and the proximity of Little Italy to UIC and the Loop.
The University of Illinois at Chicago is a major part of Little Italy; with over 25,000 students enrolled at the university, it is one of the largest in Chicago. The UIC Medical Center is part of the largest medical district in Chicago which is located on the West side of Little Italy, also called the Illinois Medical District. It is a special-use zoning district which includes medical research facilities, labs, a biotechnology business incubator, universities and more than 40 health care related facilities. Rush University Medical Center, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital, the Illinois Medical Center, Cook County Hospital, the Veterans Administration Hospital, and the FBI call this area home, among others.
THE NEIGHBORS
Little Italy is a very diverse neighborhood with a mix of students, young professionals, housing supplemented by the Chicago Housing Authority and some Italian families.
SCHOOLS
There are many schools in Little Italy including Andrew Jackson Language Academy, Galileo Scholastic Academy, St Ignatius College Preparatory School and the Chicago Academy For Advanced Tech among others.
ACTIVITIES
Little Italy is best known for its Italian restaurants and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
HOMES AND CONDOS
You’ll find mainly a mix of single family homes, row houses, duplexes, 3 flats, and small vintage buildings. Many of the buildings are older without central AC and cater to students in the area.
The median sales price for homes in University Village / Little Italy, Chicago for Mar 13 to May 13 was $210,250 which is less than the median sales price for Chicago, IL which was $225,000. The average price per square foot for University Village / Little Italy was $192 during this time period.
NEAREST SUBWAYS
Nearest Elevated Trains: Blue and Pink lines
COMMUTE TIMES
Transportation options are plentiful in Little Italy including city buses and the El, plus you’re very close to major highways so getting downtown, which is only 3.3 miles away, is a breeze if you don’t hit traffic (approximately 10-15 minutes by car depending on traffic).
PERFECT FOR
Those looking for affordable housing and easy access to the highways
NOT SO GREAT FOR
Those looking for luxury condo/apartment buildings or a strong restaurant/nightlife scene
Check out some U-Village businesses, courtesy of Yelp!.
Lincoln Park housing here, courtesy of Koenig Rubloff.
Take a tour, courtesy of Google Street Maps.
