I moved to Chicago in August 2009 to go to law school. My dad and I filled up a U-Haul and we drove up from North Carolina.
My first apartment was in Wicker Park, and I lived for a year at Damen and Division. After that, I spent two years in Lakeview, at Sheffield and Diversey, then moved about as far north as you get get in Chicago, while remaining in the city, to Rogers Park. Fun fact: Tina Fey used to live by my train stop.
I've been in my current apartment for nearly five years, and I call it my castle because of the turreted shape to the living room, the round entrance door, and the decoration in the front hallway. In the summer, ivy lines the brick in the courtyard and pigeons living in the eves drive my cats nuts. Ben and I sit on the back stairs when it's warm out, having dinner and drinking beer. Occasionally we have plants that aren't dead. Once, we watched a summer thunder storm come through.
In my opinion, Rogers Park is one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago, despite the violence that comes with warm months, despite the long commute to downtown. It's a neighborhood full of artists - every June, the community comes together to paint over a concrete wall along Lake Michigan. there are dozens of murals lining the train tracks and reclaimed sculpture art along the street.
The Heartland Cafe, a block and a half north of the apartment was where Barack Obama kicked off his senate run and where B and I watched hockey. The Glenwood used to (it may still) host euchre nights on Tuesdays, Karaoke on Wednesdays, and Trivia on Thursdays. Rogers Park Social and Provisions are a bar and liquor / local goods shop with some of the friendliest employees you'll ever meet - the bar is always hopping and the store has alcohol tastings on Wednesdays. Morse Fresh Market is an incredibly cute Mexican grocery store that has more types of produce than I can imagine. In the summer on Sundays, the Glenwood Farmer's Market brings local farmers to the city. Los Portales has amazing Mexican food, although if you venture up and down Clark Street, you'll be hard pressed to find some that isn't good.
Rogers Park hosts two street festivals - Celebrate Clark Street, which is a world music festival, and Glenwood Arts Fest, also a music festival that brings in real artists to sell their wares.
The best thing about Rogers Park though, is its proximity to the beach along Lake Michigan. On hot summer days, B and I load up our bag, don our swim suits, and hit the water. Summer nights, we see the Navy Pier fireworks, with a sound delay, over the lake. Other times of the year, we just walk along it, out to the lighthouse. Once we saw lightening over the lake, although it was clear by us, and once B saw large fish in the water. One winter, ice caves formed along the pier.
Rogers Park is far north, and wasn't on my map when I moved to Chicago. I'm happy I found it and glad to make a home here.
