Graceland West
Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois
Cook County 60613
Greystones and American Foursquares
The streets of Graceland West feature two flats and single-family homes over a hundred years old, including greystones and American Foursquares. "There are a lot of old antique buildings, but it’s changed over the years,” says Mary McIntire Petri, broker with EXIT Strategy Realty, who’s been in real estate for 40 years. She sees a renovation trend in this area - "Buyers love those big structures; sometimes they are gutting them out, and sometimes they are taking two and three flats and converting them into single-family homes."Maxwell notes that one of Graceland West’s major draws is space. “Part of what makes Graceland West so special is that we have really large lots by city standards,” she says, “The average size is 25 feet by 125 feet, but my our lot – it’s over 160 feet deep, and it’s on a lot that’s almost 50 feet wide.” It’s not just the lot size that makes the neighborhood feel more spacious, either. She says, “The houses in Graceland West sit way back from the street; it gives a boulevard feel because we have so many really old trees.”
Condo buildings and townhouses, both vintage and new, provide an entry point, with prices ranging from $215,000 for a two-bedroom condo unit to $1 million for a four-bedroom townhouse or a duplex. Prices start as low as $785,000 for a three-bedroom home from the early 1900s to $2 million for a modern five-bedroom. Architecturally notable homes or extra-large lots can get up to $4 million. New construction includes single-family homes with designs that complement existing styles.
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Graceland Cemetery, neighborhood parks and Montrose Beach
Warner Garden Park is a rare park. Over the years, Lois Buenger bought it and developed the once-vacant lot into a private park. Today, it’s run by the Warner Park and Gardens Board of Directors and funded almost entirely by the Graceland West Community Association. It’s a small community park where residents enjoy sitting on the benches or walking the path. Just to the east and open to the public for visits, Graceland Cemetery is known as the "Cemetery of Architects," the final resting spot for those who designed Chicago’s skyline. It's a certified arboretum known for its landscape architecture. “In the fall, it’s really beautiful,” says Maxwell, “There are wild coyotes that live there, but they don’t bother you. It’s really cool to have it in the city.”The shores of Lake Michigan are 2 miles east of Graceland West. “We use the lake all the time, the dogs like it, there’s a fenced dog beach,” says Maxwell. “I’ll bike there and ride my bike along the lake front.” Montrose Beach is a spot for swimming, kayaking, kiteboarding and dog park play. Dunes at the south end of the beach provide a habitat for endangered plants, and the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary provides a haven for migratory birds and butterflies. A skate park, soccer fields and a popular hill for sledding or kite flying are in the area.
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Public schools and bilingual education in Chicago's North
Most students in the neighborhood will start out at Ravenswood Elementary School. However, those in the southeastern corner will attend Blaine Elementary School. Both of which earn an A-minus from Niche. “People who live in the neighborhood are walking their kids to school, they become more vested in the neighborhood,” says Maxwell. Regardless of which one they start at, they will head to Lake View High School if they stay within the zoned schools. Rated B-minus, it has dual credit courses and branches of the National Honor Society and the Key Club. Local private options include the German International School Chicago, located within the neighborhood, which offers bilingual education and after-school care. A few blocks away, Lycee Francais de Chicago offers bilingual French and English education and students get the option for an International Baccalaureate and a French Baccalaureate.
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Chicago Pride and other cultural celebrations
The Graceland West Community Association is a big part of living in the neighborhood. “We have a really active community association that’s been around since 1979, they put on block parties regularly,” says Maxwell. “They put on fun, free events; in a couple weeks, we’ll have kids Halloween parties, and we’ll have activities for them in Warner Park.”Ravenswood Art Walk is a popular event with vendors and artwork up and down Ravenswood Avenue. Uptown Art Week, a Lunar New Year Parade, the summertime Argyle Night Market and Toast of Uptown also occur nearby. Northalsted, or Boystown, about a mile away, is one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the Midwest. Each year, the Chicago Pride Fest and the Chicago Pride Parade bring nearly a million people to the area.
The L train and CTA buses
“My husband and I both have cars, but we will always walk if we can. It’s very walkable,” says Maxwell. “The brown and red lines are close, and we have awesome buses - the Clark Street and Ashland buses.” Wilson and Sheridan stations are on the Red Line, and Irving Park is on the Brown Line. Light rail on the Metra also runs on the Union Pacific Northwest Line from Irving Park to the Ogilvie Transportation Center or in the other direction toward the suburbs, ending in the cities of McHenry and Harvard. Interstates 90 and 94 are close by for longer trips, and O'Hare International Airport is about 14 miles to the west. Both Weiss Memorial Hospital and Illinois Masonic Medical Center are within 2 miles of the neighborhood and are usually a drive of 10 to 15 minutes.Shopping and dining along West Montrose and North Broadway
“One of my favorite bars is The Long Room. They have a little hidden patio in the back that’s great,” says Maxwell. A combination coffee house and tavern, pouring lattes by day and craft cocktails by night, it features a deep craft beer menu. It is home to AJ’s Bakery and Diner, a guest kitchen that serves monstrous biscuit breakfast sandwiches in the morning and bar snacks in the evening.BienMeSabe is one of many restaurants along Montrose serving global cuisine. In addition to their Venezuelan dishes, vegan Thai from Urban Vegan Thai and Mediterranean from Falafel & Grill provide variety. Maxwell also points to Bayan Ko for creative Filipino-Cuban fusion and Spacca Napoli for classic Neapolitan-style pizza, a rarity in the land of deep dish and tavern-style pies. For an evening beverage, Dovetail Brewery and Begyle Brewing both have house-brewed beers on tap along Ravenswood Avenue, often called “Malt Row” for the sheer number of breweries up and down the street.
Just east, at the intersection of Montrose and Broadway, a cluster of shopping includes a Target, national retail, and ALDI and Jewel-Osco for groceries.
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The friendly confines down the street
With the grave of Ernie Banks in Graceland Cemetery and Wrigley Field less than a mile away, Graceland West is a haven for Cubs fans. However, as Maxwell mentions, it impacts all neighborhood residents – tour buses park along Irving Park Road to get fans in and out of the city for games. “When you live in Graceland West you have to be cognizant of the Wrigley schedule for traffic, it can take an hour to go somewhere that would usually take 10 minutes,” says Maxwell. It’s a trade-off to be able to walk to games and events in under 15 minutes.
Written By
Andrew Tyson
Photography Contributed By
Jace Hirosky
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Agents Specializing in this Area
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Tim Brent
Tim Brent
Baird & Warner
(773) 747-3391
19 Total Sales
5 in Graceland West
$206K - $539K Price Range
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DeMarcus Hunter
DeMarcus Hunter
Coldwell Banker Realty
(877) 764-1862
62 Total Sales
1 in Graceland West
$650,000 Price
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Edgar Guerrero
Edgar Guerrero
Responds QuicklyREMAX Legends
(855) 951-5250
143 Total Sales
1 in Graceland West
$800,000 Price
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Laura Catrambone-Gerace
Laura Catrambone-Gerace
Coldwell Banker Stratford Place
(224) 507-7159
200 Total Sales
1 in Graceland West
$715,000 Price
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Ali Arciniega
Ali Arciniega
ALLURE Real Estate
(773) 694-4963
111 Total Sales
1 in Graceland West
$415,000 Price
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Debra Dobbs
Debra Dobbs
Responds QuicklyCompass
(866) 891-0062
283 Total Sales
1 in Graceland West
$280,000 Price
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- Pre-K to 8th
- Public
- Pre-K to 8th
- Public
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Parks in this Area
Warner Garden Park
- Picnic Area
- Trails
Buena Circle Park
- Playground
Ann Sather Garden
- Picnic Area
- Trails
Kelly Park
- Trails
- Playground
Broncho Billy Playlot Park
- Playground
Filbert Playlot Park
- Playground
Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Transit
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Graceland West | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 3 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 2 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 2 | 4 |
| Robbery | 4 | 4 |
| Burglary | 3 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 3 | 4 |
| Larceny | 4 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 3 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Graceland West Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Graceland West, Chicago sell after 31 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Graceland West, Chicago over the last 12 months is $579,500, up 10% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$557,000
Median Sale Price
$579,500
Median Single Family Sale Price
$1,495,000
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$699,000
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$365,450
Median Change From 1st List Price
0%
Last 12 months Home Sales
39
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
10%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$366
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
383
Number of Homes for Sale
5
Median Year Built
1915
Months of Supply
1.50
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
3,428
Significantly above the national average
1,936
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,120
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
1,367
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
890
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
3,920
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
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Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
4,674
Median Age
36
Population Density
29 ppl/acre
Population under 18
22%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
8.4%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$102,749
Significantly above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$141,667
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
98.4%
College Graduates
84.8%
Significantly above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
37.8%
Above the national average
13.3%
% Population in Labor Force
87.6%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
40''
Average Winter Low Temperature
17°F
Average Summer High Temperature
83°F
Annual Snowfall
20''
Area Factors
Biker's Paradise
Bike Score®
93
/ 100
Very Walkable
Walk Score®
79
/ 100
Excellent Transit
Transit Score®
81
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
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