The neighborhood of East Village is one of the many distinct neighborhoods that comprise West Town. Lying to the northwest of the Loop, East Village, as the name denotes, is east of the Ukrainian Village. In fact, it is sometimes popularly referred to as the Eastern Ukrainian Village.
The location of East Village, given its ten minute proximity from the Loop, is one of the prime factors adding to the desirability of living here. Due to this, East Village has continued to attract a large population which is still able to find an affordable East Village home for sale while enjoying access to the numerous treats of its hip and happening neighbor – Wicker Park.
Of course, the increasing real estate value of East Village was also the cause for much of its small cottage style of housing to be torn down in recent years in order to make way for new construction to house larger numbers. However, timely intervention ensured that several blocks of East Village have now been preserved in the face of such pressure as parts of the district were designated as a Chicago Landmark. Consequently, East Village’s distinctive architectural style will now stand the test of time and progress and add to the cultural heritage of the area for years to come.
As one of the neighborhoods of West Town, East Village may be small but it is not short on things to do. There is a lot to choose from for the compulsive consumer in the shops lining up Chicago Avenue and Division and the pub hopper would run out of steam before he runs out of watering holes. One must-visit haunt of the East Village is Happy Village. Though off the beaten track, its genial and laidback environment lives up to the sign outside its door that welcomes people with a cheery “Welcome to Happy Village Bar: the Happiest Place in East Village.” Beer mingles with nostalgia at the bar and the large patio in the backyard comes complete with homely staples like a goldfish pond, picnic tables and cozy armchairs. With all its small-town charm for a small-town price tag in the windy city – Happy Village epitomizes all that East Village has on offer to the home-seeker.
