Exploring Lincoln Park Chicago. The BEST Neighborhood in the City

I spend a day in Chicago exploring what I believe is the city’s best neighborhood, Lincoln Park. I first get coffee at Colectivo Coffee on Clark Street and then check out the beautiful North Pond park before heading over to the stunning Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. I get lunch at Ella’s BBQ and then eat one of the best cookies in Chicago at Summer House Santa Monica. Then I walk to North Avenue Beach along Lake Michigan for the incredible skyline views. Finally, I walk along the lakefront trail before rushing to catch my train back home.
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About Me:
I live in NYC and I’m about food, travel and work.

[@johwa9680]

wow Lincoln park is way cleaner than most nyc. I think Chicago is a hidden gem. So beautiful but no tourists? !! My aunt lives in Chicago so I will go visit there maybe next year :)

[@Jamesnu]

Yeah, that's one thing Chicago has going for it over NYC. It's very clean! There's definitely tourists there, I just wasn't in the main touristy areas in this video, but it's also not as crowded as it once was either.

[@jimmyolsen5897]

Crime happens there every day stop lying to yourself

[@hyemuhyemu8221]

lakeview is another very cool neighborhood. its very dense so it has alot of people walking around kind of like a downtown of a major city

[@tomahern8967]

It truly is one of the best neighbourhoods in Chicago! Great video James.

[@Jamesnu]

Thank you!

[@lanchparty]

Stayed in LP last week and had a great time. We rented an apartment above the Cornerstone Cafe and it was adorable! Great video.

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks so much! I'm happy to hear you had a great time. Lincoln Park is such a nice place.

[@krisnelson2653]

I'm calling it now. We're all part of the super early subbed crew before he finally takes off. Keep up the good videos!

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[@frenchdonut22]

Going apartment hunting in Lincoln Park soon! I’m excited to move to the city. Thanks for sharing

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks for watching! Best of luck with the apartment search! Lincoln Park is an amazing neighborhood!

[@RobertSpiller]

Hey Zane, have you moved yet? And check out the West Loop, and the South loop too? There are just as incredible as Lincoln Park....well close to it lololol...very close.

[@keishajones1432]

Fantastic video!!!! I live in the Chicago suburbs & I'm ALWAYS looking for fun things to do in the city....you have great suggestions & your editing & commentary was on point dude!!! Thanks for all the info!!! I'm DEFINITELY subscribing 🤗

[@Jamesnu]

Thank you! That makes me really happy to hear!

[@Maya_Ruinz]

That area looks amazing, I would love to live there, especially love the wooded streets and blending of greenery and brick homes

[@Jamesnu]

It's a great neighborhood! I really enjoyed it when I used to live there!

[@Maya_Ruinz]

@@Jamesnu if you don’t mind me asking, what made up decide to leave?

[@Jamesnu]

@@Maya_Ruinz I always dreamed of living in NYC and I felt like I needed a fresh start. So that's why I moved, but I still love Chicago and Lincoln Park!

[@choochalah]

So nce to see you on your home soil!! Enjoyed hearing about your story of your decision to take the NYC leap. Mac and cheese looked bomb as did the brisket! I've always wanted to go to Chicago for the music scene! that cookie looks amazing! enjoyed this!!!

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it! While I live in NYC, Chicago will always remain a home and special place for me. Plus, the food scene in the city is awesome!

[@choochalah]

@@Jamesnu Well you always know where the best eats are! hope you had/have a lovely visit home

[@Jamesnu]

I sure did!

[@kamarvika]

Thank you soo much for this...I've been dreaming to live in chicago ❤️✨️❤️✨️❤️✨️

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks for watching! Chicago is such a great place and I hope you're able to live there one day!

[@Maranville]

I lived in the same building from 2010-2014! I only paid like 600 a month. I think it's a lot more now. Also, I found it a lot easier, if less scenic, to take the 22 or 36 downtown than to walk to the L, though I definitely still did that sometimes.

[@Jamesnu]

I know what you mean. The bus is definitely the most direct option. I took the L that time for the walk and to see more of the neighborhood. I lived in that building from the end of 2011 until 2018. For the most part, I liked it there, but I love Lincoln Park!

[@zuzannawisniewska4464]

Thank you for this beautiful movie. Interesting. My city is Chicago, which I love. Lincoln Park is a very beautiful, green district of Chicago. Nightlife thrives here.

[@Jamesnu]

Thank you for watching and the very kind words! I love Lincoln Park and Chicago. I was happy to be able to share my experience on this day.

[@DeTAYL.]

I grew up in Chicago. Hyde Park has a special place in my heart. But Lincoln Park is absolutely beautiful!

[@Jamesnu]

Nice! Yeah, I love Lincoln Park, but indeed, Hyde Park is a special place as well!

[@1bush053]

Lincoln Park is great I had great memories at the beach and roaming around the neighborhood. I doubt I'll ever go back to Chicago or IL after living in CA.

[@Jamesnu]

Yeah, I really enjoyed living there too! I have a lot of memories there as well.

[@s_przybylowicz]

Excellent use of slow motion!

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks Sarah!

[@goodbyeseeyalater]

I havent been out to Lincoln park in years. My old man used to take my brothers and I out to Oz Park. I used to jog out to Lincoln park high school back in High school. I used to go through Lincoln park to get to North ave beach. I would take a bus or walk out to North ave beach. I also rode a bike out there took. Good memories.

[@Jamesnu]

It's been a place that has experienced a lot of changes, but it's still a great neighborhood to come back to.

[@thepaulgorney]

Good video! Good vibe and info!

[@Jamesnu]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@cazatormentasMendoza569]

I loved the city of Chicago very green, ecological and Lake Michigan with those perfection skyscrapers, I'm from Argentina I'm an extreme storm chaser

[@Jamesnu]

I love Chicago too! The architecture there is really unique!

[@cazatormentasMendoza569]

@@Jamesnu beautiful city very beautiful

[@815dreamsdreams9]

Loved it ! Thank you

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks for watching!

[@cynthiareds117]

omg I love this

[@Jamesnu]

Thank you! I love Lincoln Park!

[@kathleencraig3804]

I was born there lived near north side went to holy name catholic school on state street/chicago ave. last time I was there 1997 it's changed so much can't recognize any bldgs or remember going to Lincoln park ..navy pier ...would like to go back one day maybe 2022 or 2023 do chicago river cruise, see michigan ave /downtown and lincoln park zoo etc. Used to work downtown can't remember streets ...old bldgs disappeared now all big bldgs new condo's ...north side changed ...hotels /expensive ...don't know when we go back where to stay they're all so expensive. If I go it'll be weekday cheaper maybe go sunday -wed or monday -thurs ...love old town but that's changed ...lincoln park areas I agree most beautiful. thank you for sharing.

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks for watching! Yeah, all of Chicago has changed a lot even during the time I lived there. It certainly has gotten more expensive, but there are still some really beautiful areas. I still really love the city!

[@bitterbeauty6144]

My son moved to Lincoln Park last year. We love the area too

[@Jamesnu]

Fantastic! The neighborhood will always be one of my favorite places in the city!

[@vanrajsindha9918]

I lived in Lincoln Park in the 70's on belden avenue near and also worked place called my 🥧pie pizza places/also at Ziggy s and we used to go out to century shopping🛍️💸 mall on Clark and Broadway love from India🇮🇳

[@Jamesnu]

Nice! Thanks for watching! I hope that you were able to relive some good memories!

[@semajreed3423]

I Absolutely Loves Lincoln Park I’m Thinking About Moving There When I Grow Up Bc Ik It’s A Glamorous Classy Neighborhood In Da Greatest City In Da Whole Entire World😉🙌👏🤝🙏🤟💯

[@Jamesnu]

Fantastic! Yeah, Lincoln Park is an amazing area of Chicago!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Don't do it. Lived here 45 years. It's turning into a shitehole again. We were here the 1st time. I don't plan to be here for it to go there again! Wtf overpriced for NO police around!

[@semajreed3423]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 Dang It Ur Fr Bc I Was About To Move Dare To Let Alone Get Me A Permanent Residence Inna Chicago Downtown Loop Area In 1 Of Dose Skyscraper Condos🤌🤝💯

[@terrycrews1760]

Nice video. Definitely adding LP to my agenda while visiting Chicago next month in Dec. I’m from Houston. Call us crazy but we spontaneously booked a flight to visit the Chi for the first time and it will be in the dead of the winter. We’ve been to most major cities in the US and Chicago has always been a bucket list place. It’ll be my wife and 5 mo old son. Any recommendations besides all the “googleable” stuff?

[@Jamesnu]

That’s great! I hope you enjoy it! The thing about Chicago weather is it could be one season and feel like another, so you may luck out. Yeah, all of the typical tourist spots are really good. Although, personally I think that Navy Pier is probably the most over-rated of them all, but it’s still alright. If you’re going in December, you should check out the Christkindlmarket, it’s probably one of the best Christmas markets in the country. It does get crowded and it’s not cheap, but it looks really neat! Food wise, I would recommend checking out some of the neighborhoods or at least get a little away from the touristy spots, since the food is usually much better and less expensive.

[@flprmn9448]

Hi James and thanks the the video. I'm strongly considering moving to this neighborhood of Chicago and commuting to downtown. It is statistically the safest neighborhood, and your video makes it seem perfect and beautiful. However, I keep reading these vitriolic comments on YT and all the horror stories about crime-ridden chicago areas, and I honestly can't make a decision whether it'd be safe or not to live there. It's like 2 totally different cities really close to each other. Did you ever feel unsafe? Can you really stroll around looking at your phone, listening to music, without paying attention to your surroundings? I'd love to be able to do that and have peace of mind. Thank you very much for any help.

[@Jamesnu]

Hi and thanks for watching! I really loved living in Lincoln Park, it's definitely, at least in my opinion, the best neighborhood in Chicago. I always felt safe in the neighborhood. I know Chicago has changed since the few years I've been away, but I always feel that the majority of those crime stories don't showcase the big picture of the area. Still, if it's late at night and there aren't many people around I would definitely be paying attention, but during the day you should be fine. I hope that helps.

[@ayo9057]

I live in Lincoln Park and can tell you that you have nothing to worry about.

[@xandro2445]

how crazy is the traffic for the daily commute for those that drive cars. Looking at living in the St Bens area but my wife would be working in LP. She'd take transit but having a couple kids makes that more difficult.

[@Jamesnu]

It's not terrible. But it always feels like some street is under construction and that certainly complicates things, but knowing ahead of time one can plan accordingly. Plus, there are a lot more ways to get to Lincoln Park than other parts of Chicago.

[@xilingsinqueso]

The Bourgeois Pig is a real nice café!

[@Jamesnu]

Absolutely! It's one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood.

[@raycrou8837]

Hey James. Are you of Irish descent? Great vlog. Still watching as I comment.

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks! I'm just a little bit Irish, but I'm mainly Italian and Polish.

[@raklukr]

Wow I lived in the same building in Lincoln Park from 2018-2022. Honestly, it became so sketchy by the time I left lol.

[@Jamesnu]

That's sad to hear, but I know what you mean. For me, living in that building and Lincoln Park in general was mostly better when I first came to the neighborhood in 2011.

[@raklukr]

@@Jamesnu Lincoln Park has deteriorated since the pandemic began I think. A lot of restaurants and stores closed and crime jumped significantly, especially carjackings. I'm glad I moved out and no longer live in Chicago. I still have fond memories of Lincoln Park though.

[@Jamesnu]

@@raklukr That's a shame. But yeah, I enjoyed my time living there as well and hopefully things will improve.

[@AdrianMartinez-np2ls]

I agree that it may be the best neighborhood in the city.

[@Jamesnu]

It's a great place!

[@user-sb1vo5yg5m]

🎉

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-sb1vo5yg5m]

I’m moving there

[@Jamesnu]

@@user-sb1vo5yg5m Nice! I hope that you enjoy the neighborhood.

[@nostodmas]

I’m moving into that same building in a week. Anything I should be aware of? I’m moving from Denver and have not toured the building in advance. But like Lincoln Park and being near the park.

[@Jamesnu]

That's exciting! The area is amazing and I feel like it's in one of the best spots in Chicago. The building is a little far from the L stop, but you get used to it. Overall, I have no complaints about the building. I know they renovated it since I lived there so it's probably even better than when I stayed there. I hope you enjoy it!

[@nostodmas]

@@Jamesnu Thank you, I keep psyching myself out over what ifs. Mostly due to having experienced some intense rodent issues in the past.

[@Jamesnu]

@@nostodmas I know what you mean. Luckily I've never had a rodent issue during my time there. I actually didn't even see my room until the day I moved in as well. Best of luck with the move!

[@bobmarshall6688]

We lived there from 2012 to 2022. Went from a pleasant high class place to a crime zone. Every weekend there are muggings, car jackings, rapes, petty property crime and an occasional murder. So bad, we would no longer walk the dog after dark. It Is really sad. A friend got mugged outside our building. Had a Beautiful 40th fl condo with stunning views of the lake but not worth the risk. Bought a beach villa in New Buffalo Michigan, took my boat from Diversey Harbor and could not be happier. 75 minutes and a world away.

[@Jamesnu]

I'm sorry to hear that. Neighborhoods are constantly changing and sometimes it's not for the better.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

YES!! AGREE FULLY!! It's now a shitehole!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@Jamesnu The problem is: you pay a good 30k a year in property tax. So, you'd reasonably expect some services. Silly you. A guy tried to jimmy the lock across my street. Neighbor described him to a T. I SEE the sob wandering around, with a large knife on him. Wtf??? I call the cops. They call me back. Told me they can only get him for trespassing. Are you F'ing KIDDING ME??!! And it gets WORSE the further E you go! One chef student got shot. Then, SAME GD block (!!!), a woman gets held up at gunpoint. I'm tired of this overpriced and way underserved bs. For 30k+ in tax...? I can drive in to see Kristkindle or the museums or whatever. Then drive TF AWAY again. 😒 One block is notorious for carjackings. Lincoln and Fullerton by Biograph theatre. Dillinger got shot OUTSIDE, where the alley is, not in the building, btw. I don't go there for any reason w/o at least 2 dogs and a can of mace. I won't hesitate to use either one. The banks are now known to lock the doors DURING BUSINESS HOURS. They don't DO a F'ing thing. Good job, Lightfoot. Anyone who voted for you is regretting it now. Thanks for absolutely nothing and protecting lowlifes instead of decent, VOTING citizens. Don't wonder why we're all leaving. Either. I've seen human crap around in DePaul. Both nasty people and actual sh*t. I know of two people who got held up at gunpoint. I know of at least three break ins. Had two cars damaged and they didn't bother to pay up. Sorry, but if I go to the south side, they're going to ask wtf I'm doing there, right? And rightfully so. Should be the same here. Lived there 45 friggin years. If I didn't own a business there, I'd leave TOMORROW. You're a moron to be impressed by stuff you could drive over to see. If you must. All bars are the same. Parking is a NIGHTMARE most of the time because students are lazy af and cheap. Uber and whoever dump their crap just wherever. Mail theft. You name it. I've been shoved by grown men twice. Don't know these lowlifes. For that, I could buy a house in Pullman they couldn't GIVE away because of where it is. Right near a shitehole DMZ.

[@xyzblue4563]

I miss you LP 😢😢

[@Jamesnu]

I miss it too! I made a lot of memories there.

[@JesusChrist-qs8sx]

11:47 wow Lakeshore drive is a stain on the lakefront lol. So ugly

[@Jamesnu]

But it's really nice when you're zooming down it in a car!

[@keeperzero]

Lawndale is the best neighborhood

[@Jamesnu]

Fair enough. I haven't spent too much time there.

[@thejonesexperience]

Lincoln Park isn’t the best neighborhood…

[@Jamesnu]

Fair enough. That's just my opinion.

[@JC-fd8ho]

There was a shooting there 🙄

[@Jamesnu]

That's unfortunate. Lincoln Park, like the rest of the city, has its problems.

[@JC-fd8ho]

@@Jamesnu well chicago is unfountuntely a shit hole because of the crime there idk how people live there

[@hyemuhyemu8221]

zero murders in one of the most populated neighborhoods in the city

[@Jamesnu]

@@hyemuhyemu8221 It's definitely one of the safer areas of Chicago.

[@sajanaryal6932]

The roads are too wide and there are way too many cars. Not an ideal place to be.

[@Jamesnu]

It's not perfect, but I enjoy it.

[@sajanaryal6932]

@@Jamesnu That's a great attitude to have. Props to you. Feel like I scrutinize myself a little too much.

[@Jamesnu]

@@sajanaryal6932 Thank you! I do the same thing at points.

[@jackspradlin4183]

much better if dudes face wasnt in so much of video ! nobody cares what he looks like

[@tommytomtomt]

Why are you wearing a mask? When there's nobody around on the Subway platform.... You really looked derranged with that on honestly.😅

[@Jamesnu]

This was a while ago when masks were required.

[@internetperson.]

They actually look like a normal person. You're just rude and probably someone who fell for dangerous propaganda. Go lick some doorknobs or put your whole mouth over public water fountain spouts or whatever it is you rona deniers do in your free time. I don't read replies. ✨

[@hiyathere599]

I left Chicago 10 yrs. ago. In Lakeview and downtown it’s too dangerous to walk around, thugs know the Mayor has their backs,

[@Jamesnu]

Chicago definitely has areas not as safe as others, but in my experience, living in the city for 12 years, Lakeview and downtown are among the better places, but one should always be careful though.

[@mikezip9423]

Nice to see the Democrats haven’t ruined the entire city (yet)👍

[@jimmcclane4171]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/anvLXqqJab1lbZY&ab_channel=CBSChicago Its creeping everywhere in that city, no where is safe.

[@jasmineshenault7603]

RepubliKKKans wouldn't do no better

[@mikezip9423]

@@jasmineshenault7603 Republicans would be educated enough to not use double negatives.

[@sexxyperv]

Everything is beautiful, everything is the best, everything is your favorite, let you tell it. Are there any bad sides to Lincoln Park? A different youtuber said they have mice?

[@Jamesnu]

Indeed, no neighborhood is perfect. I've seen mice, but not often, it's nothing like the amount of rodents found in NYC and the walk to the L, at least where I used to live was kind of far. Still, compared to other Chicago neighborhoods, I think Lincoln Park is one of the best and has a lot to offer.

[@ladedalounge]

Hmmm 60614

[@Jamesnu]

Thanks for watching!