An insider’s guide to Albany Park: Where to eat, shop and savor spring outdoors
The Northwest Side neighborhood is home to great thrifting destinations, community gardens and a long list of ethnic restaurants.
By S. Nicole Lane
An insider’s guide to Albany Park: Where to eat, shop and savor spring outdoors
The Northwest Side neighborhood is home to great thrifting destinations, community gardens and a long list of ethnic restaurants.
By S. Nicole LaneBordered by Foster, Montrose and Elston avenues, the Northwest Side neighborhood is home to historic bungalows, a melting pot of people and an abundance of green space.
We talked to four locals who live or work in the neighborhood about why Albany Park’s community is special, where to grab coffee or pastries and where to take a walk.
Where to eat | Where to shop | Where to get outdoors
A super brief history
Like many Chicago neighborhoods, Albany Park was originally a small farming community. In 1868, Richard Rusk, an entrepreneur, turned a 10-acre plot of land into a large farm and brickyard, inviting more residents into the area. By the 1900s, department stores, theaters and various other businesses lined the streets.
The demographic was originally German and Swedish immigrants, but until the 1960s, the area was mostly home to upper-working-class Jewish families. There was a brief stint of vacancies and economic decline when the Jewish population left for the suburbs. In the 1970s, 70% of the businesses on Lawrence Avenue were vacant.
However, organizations and institutions revitalized the neighborhood, and it’s now the Albany Park we know today — vibrant and diverse.
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Where to caffeinate and dine
Vallera says for a quick bite and a coffee, he heads to First Slice Pie Cafe (4664 N. Manor Ave). “It’s a great location for picking up something if you are heading into Ronan Park.”
LeRand makes a point to stop at her favorite place when at work — Brü Coffeeworks (3005 W. Lawrence Ave.). “It is directly across the street from our farm, and the owner, Cory [Creighton], has been incredibly supportive of us over the years. He roasts all the coffee, and it’s not only my favorite coffee in the neighborhood but probably in the whole city,” she says.
If you’re looking for a place to hunker down and work, Casa Cactus (4595 N. Elston Ave.) is an incredibly beautiful space, serving delicious lattes, lots of natural light and amazing plants, Gámez says. Try the Cafe con Leche or any and all empanadas for a savory breakfast.
If you need a quick bite, Hoyer calls the donut shop Somethin’ Sweet (4456 N. Kedzie Ave) “unreal.” She says, “They have savory treats too for those that are not into the hyper sugar experience in the a.m.”
Noon-o-Kabab (4701 N. Kedzie Ave.) has been a citywide favorite since 1977. While dining amid the Persian tiles on the walls and white tablecloths, order the fessenjan, tadig and don’t skip the pistachio ice cream. “Noon-o is such a treat and you get so much food. I always get Adas Polo and Baba Ganoush,” Hoyer suggests.
Kabobi (4748 N. Kedzie Ave.) is a long-standing Mediterranean restaurant and Vallera says it’s “probably my favorite one in the entire city.” He says it’s great for large parties and they have a special late-night menu.
If you have a hankering for authentic Yemeni cuisine — fear not. Shibam Yemeni Kitchen (4807 N. Elston Ave.) has a location in Albany Park with delicious mutapq.
If you’re still looking for a sugar high after Somethin’ Sweet, visit the Middle Eastern bakery Donya Bakery (4744 N. Kedzie Ave.) for baklawa, knafeh or Turkish sweets.
For Asian cuisine, Vallera recommends the Goi Ga Tuoi dish at L.D. Pho (4722 N Kedzie Ave.), an unassuming restaurant with delicious bowls to warm you up during our neverending winters.
Hoyer also recommends Wabi Sabi (4720 N. Kedzie Ave.), an intimate Japanese restaurant with ramen and sushi. Hoyer usually orders the black garlic ramen with chili oil.
If you’re looking for party trays of sushi or individual rolls for no more than $10, look no further than the Lawrence Fish Market (3920 W. Lawrence Ave.). This historic establishment pioneered the sushi fish market in Chicago, and like most old-school spots, it’s cash only.
And if you’re a billiard hound, head to Nick’s Billiard Academy (4445 N. Pulaski Road) on the very edge of Albany Park for a game of pool alongside pizzas, burgers and beer.
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Where to shop
Albany Park is a great destination for vintage and thrift shoppers looking for gems.
Hoyer says the shop Anchor Baby Vintage (4432 N. Kedzie Ave.) has “amazing vintage,” and the owner has been mixing it up lately with more pop-ups all over town.
Vallera says the Village Discount (4635 N Elston Ave.) is one of the best thrift stories he’s found. “It is not nearly as picked over as some of the other large thrifts in the city.”
For those in search of art supplies and textiles, a.favorite design (4432 N. Kedzie Ave.) is a “super cool stationary store,” per Hoyer. Vallera suggests a stop by Lake View Art Supply (3314 W. Foster Ave.) for art supplies. “It feels impossible to find anything that isn’t a Blick anymore, so this shop has been a great resource.”
So, let’s say you’ve picked up your paintbrushes and some new thrifted shirts. Luckily, getting groceries in Albany Park is just as exciting as dining there.
Hoyer says she heads to Sahar International Market (4851 N. Kedzie Ave.) for Turkish, Arabic, and Persian ingredients when she feels like making something a little extra special. “They even have a little tasty restaurant at Sahar that you can grab a quick lunch at. Sometimes my friend and I just go there for the smells.”
Dukan International Food Market (4738 N. Kedzie Ave.) is another must. If you’re looking to make chicken shawarma or baklawa, visit the shop for essential ingredients.
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Where to get outside
Albany Park residents love their access to parks and the North Branch Trail, where you can bike alongside the river.
“As a homebody with a ton of pets, I spend 80% of my time in the parks,” Hoyer says. “I love River Park (5100 N. Francisco Ave.) because it’s right next to my house but also Ronan [and] Horner.”
Hoyer says she’s been monitoring the river restoration work where the River Boathouse RiverLab nature center is located. Renovations include expanding storage space in the boathouse and redesigning the river-focused programs operated there, such as canoe classes and fishing demos. “It is instrumental and so special to watch. We have people fishing all the time, birding, kayaking, kids playing, people using the track, huge soccer games, it’s like, is this even real?”
LeRand spends most of her time in green space at the Global Farm in Albany Park. “Our farmers are some of the most warm, generous and selfless people I’ve met,” she says. “We are all a very close community, often sharing meals and cooking together at the farm on summer nights and eating the most delicious Karen and Burmese food. For me, working at the farm feels like coming home.”
Hoyer says she gets her spring, summer and fall produce boxes from the garden. “They rock!” she says.
Architecturally, Vallera says heading east on Wilson is one of his favorite ways to get across the neighborhood.
“The street has such a presence of classic Chicago architecture, and during spring and summer [it] is full of life because of the proliferation of old-growth trees,” he says. “I also love the concentration of old brick three-flats and bungalows. The endless rows of these buildings will always remain distinct to this area in my mind.”
If you’re looking to scratch your architecture itch even further, head to the North Mayfair historic bungalow district, a neighborhood within Albany Park, to see homes built from 1913 to 1930.
S. Nicole Lane is an editor for Healthnews and freelance journalist.