Lawndale

North Lawndale is the greystone capital of Chicago. The neighborhood holds one of the largest concentrations of greystone buildings in the city — the limestone-fronted two-flats and three-flats that define West Side architecture — and the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative was founded here to preserve and restore them. Block after block along the boulevards and side streets carries that stock, much of it dating to the early 1900s.

The neighborhood's history is national history. Sears, Roebuck & Co. built its original headquarters campus here, and the Original Sears Tower — Nichols Tower — still stands at Homan Square, now operating as a community arts and education hub. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in North Lawndale in 1966 during the Chicago Freedom Movement, and Stone Temple Baptist Church, where he preached, remains a landmark on Douglas Boulevard. Douglass Park — renamed to honor Frederick and Anna Douglass — covers 170-plus acres with lagoons, a field house, and citywide festival events, and Lagunitas chose the neighborhood for its enormous Chicago brewery.

Housing centers on the greystones and brick two-flats, with rowhouses and frame homes mixed in, and renovation and new-construction activity continuing across the neighborhood — including projects that return long-vacant lots to housing.

The Blue Line's Forest Park branch runs along the Eisenhower at the neighborhood's northern reach, with stops at Kedzie-Homan and Pulaski reaching the Loop in about 15 minutes; the Pink Line serves the southern edge, and buses cover Roosevelt, Ogden, and Kedzie.

North Lawndale offers landmark history, Douglass Park, and the deepest greystone stock in Chicago — the West Side's signature architecture, block after block.

Lawndale FAQ

Do you need a car in North Lawndale?

Not necessarily — the Blue Line reaches the Loop in about 15 minutes from Kedzie-Homan and Pulaski, the Pink Line serves the southern edge, and buses cover the main streets. Many residents keep a car, and parking is easy.

What types of homes are in North Lawndale?

Greystone two- and three-flats above all — one of the largest concentrations in Chicago — plus brick two-flats, rowhouses, and frame homes, with ongoing renovation and new construction.

What is North Lawndale known for?

Its greystone architecture and the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative, the original Sears headquarters campus and Nichols Tower at Homan Square, Douglass Park, and its place in the history of the Chicago Freedom Movement.

What's the difference between North Lawndale and Little Village?

They make up the two halves of the historic Lawndale area. Little Village (South Lawndale) centers on the 26th Street corridor and Mexican-American cultural life; North Lawndale, across Ogden, is defined by its greystones, Douglass Park, and the Homan Square campus.