If you like the stately Victorian homes of Oak Park but can’t live with being a suburbanite, you might want to take a look at the Austin Historic District, which borders Oak Park to the east.
This 95-acre city and National Register landmark has two distinct sections — north of Lake Ave, and south of Lake Ave. North of Lake to Ohio St (600 N), the district runs from Waller Ave (5700 W) to Austin Ave (6000 W), and is at its best. South of Lake, you’ll find more modest homes, more vacant land, and an overriding feeling of process of deterioration being underway, despite the occasional new construction. This area runs north to Lake from West End Ave (200 N), and from Parkside Ave (5650 W) west to Menard Ave (5800 W).
A walk down the 5700 and 5800 blocks of W Midway Park might distract you — briefly — from the reality of the Chicago Public Schools in the area. From any point in the district you’re only a brief walk to the CTA Green Line’s Central and Austin stations.
See more than 100 photos of the Austin Historic District in our Flickr set, or view the images as a slideshow.
Correction: Lake St, not Lake Ave.