Albany Park

Albany Park is a community that would make anyone from any corner of the world feel right at home. Amongst Chicago’s over two hundred neighborhoods, Albany Park, which is situated in the northwest of the city, is recognized country wide for its ethnic diversity. The residents of Albany Park hail not only from neighboring countries but from as far away as Korea, Cambodia and the Philippines. Where else will you find close to forty languages being spoken by its residents?

One of the liveliest communities to be found to the Northwest of Chicago, Albany Park has been home to a large number of Korean restaurants and stores.  Those shops flourish between Kedzie and Pulaski so much so that this stretch is officially recognized as Koreatown. Recent times have also seen many Middle Eastern mom and pop stores and Mexican eateries cropping up reflecting the easy going ethnic diversity of this neighborhood.  Only here you could enjoy a traditional Korean festival alongside flamenco dancing.

Once you are done with the music and celebrations, your choice of restaurants are many.  Enjoy a taste of the orient with each sip of sake at the Chiyo Japanese Restaurant, hummus from the Middle East, meatballs from Sweden or just good old fashioned Chicago style pizza -Albany Park offers the best of it all. Finally, ruminate over a wonderful day at a quiet scenic spot in the gardens of the Ravenswood Manor and watch the whole world go by. It’s literally possible only in Albany Park.

The official community of Albany Park in which its namesake neighborhood exists, is bordered at the north and east by the Chicago River alongside Foster Avenue and flanked by Irving Park to the south and Pulaski Avenue to the west. Situated at the northernmost end of the Brown Line of the CTA, Albany Park lies approximately at the halfway mark between the Chicago O’Hare airport and the Loop.