Northside is a Fort Wayne enclave that’s blooming in multiple ways. For one, this area — the largest neighborhood in the city — is home to the historic Lakeside Park, known for its majestic rose garden. But this is also an area whose classic homes are getting new life, the regular subjects of renovation and remodeling work. Living in this area affords residents convenient proximity to the rest of the city as well. “It’s kind of central, so you can kind of get anywhere in Fort Wayne — way out southwest, northwest, northwest,” says local Realtor Linda Williams of The Gates Williams Group. “It’s very centralized. And it’s close to Purdue Fort Wayne. It’s also close to a ton of shopping, like Glenbrook Square. And then it’s just a lot of historic homes, a lot of history in that area.”
Northside is very close to downtown Fort Wayne.
Northside is one of the largest neighborhoods in Fort Wayne.
There are many beautiful craftsman style homes in the Northside neighborhood.
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Established homes are still a draw
Most homes in Northside were built between the late 19th century and the early 20th century, though quite a few date back to the mid-20th century, too. Colonial is the most common architectural style seen around Northside, but a lot of the midcentury houses are ranch-style options. Remodeling is an active trend here for owners of the area’s classic homes, says Williams, a Fort Wayne native. The southern portion of Northside, nearest to Lakeside Park, includes what’s known as the Lakeside Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 and holds the distinction of having been the area’s first electrified streetcar suburb. The nearby Forest Park Boulevard area is also significant. “Forest Park Boulevard runs alongside Lakeside Park,” Williams says. “Those are some of the earliest homes. They were doctors and lawyers and first-comings into Fort Wayne who built these massive, beautiful homes. Historic homes. A lot of them have already been [restored]. Some are continuing to restore them. That street is absolutely beautiful. It’s a very well-known street.” Price tags in Northside start in the mid-$100,000s and can reach around $300,000 depending on the square footage and condition.
The Northside area features many different architectural styles to choose from.
Most Northside homes have smaller lawns.
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Residents can take their pick of amenities
Though Northside is mostly residential, locals can take advantage of quick access to an assortment of eateries and more. A lot of the restaurants line the thoroughfare of State Boulevard here. One of the stalwarts there is Klemm's Candlelight Cafe, known in part for its “garbage plates,” a breakfast staple. The garbage plates include three scrambled eggs, home fries, onion, green peppers and sausage, doused with sausage gravy and tomatoes. Acme By Full Circle is another State Boulevard hotspot, particularly for its pizza and wings. Also, Northside residents are just about 2 miles from the more than one-million-square-foot Glenbrook Square mall, where there are more than 10 dozen stores. The mall is adjacent to a Target and across the street from a Fresh Thyme Market, too.
Fort Wayne's largest mall, Glenbrook Square, is a short drive from Northside.
Klemm's Candlelight Cafe is Northside's top spot for delicious breakfast and lunch.
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A jazzy tradition
One of the fixtures of the neighborhood’s calendar is the annual jazz festival at the neighborhood’s North Side High School in February. The event proclaims itself to be the “best full day of Jazz in Northeast Indiana,” with performances from myriad groups including, most recently, Fort Wayne’s New Millennium Jazz Orchestra.
Schools come close by
Kids in Northside can attend schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools system, which carries a C-minus rating on Niche and offers school enrollment flexibility through a lottery system. Students in Northside may start at the C-plus-rated Forest Park Elementary, which offers the English Language Learners program, contributing to the almost 4,000 students participating in the program across the district. From Forest Park, students can progress to the C-rated Lakeside Middle, whose extracurricular opportunities range from a chess club to a cooking club. North Side High, which has a B-minus grade, is next up. Students at North Side can earn college credit through the Vincennes Early College Program. Also, the almost 600-acre Purdue University Fort Wayne campus is just north of Northside, a school with more than 200 academic programs and more than 600 students.
Students of Northside are zoned for Forest Park Elementary.
Kids from Northside go to Lakeside Middle School.
Northside kids attend North Side High School.
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Outdoor recreation is built in
Lakeside Park is one of the gems of this area, a roughly 26-acre space that dates back to 1920s and in addition to its signature rose garden includes playgrounds, trails and more. “The rose gardens at Lakeside Park, they’re absolutely stunning,” Williams says. “There’re lots of nice weddings or just prom photography. And all kinds of people go over there just to take photos. When all the roses are in bloom it’s just quite amazing.” Northside Park, at the heart of the neighborhood, is even bigger, stretching about 37 acres. Among Northside Park’s signature attractions are a pool that’s open in the summer and comes complete with a slide, and a nine-hole disc golf course.
Northside residents can play pickle ball on one of the many courts at Lakeside Park.
Northside anglers take advantage of the lake at Lakeside Park.
Northside's Lakeside Park is arguably the city's most beautiful park.
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Catch a ride with Citilink
Northside has several stops on Fort Wayne’s Citilink bus network. Citilink includes 14 different routes around the city. Northside is close to Fort Wayne’s downtown area, too, so drivers in the neighborhood can quickly hop on St. Joseph Boulevard to cross the Maumee River and be there in minutes.
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
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Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Northside
US
Homicide
5
4
Sexual Assault
4
4
Assault with Weapon
5
4
Robbery
5
4
Burglary
4
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
5
4
Larceny
4
4
Crime Score
4
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Northside Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Northside, Fort Wayne sell after 23 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Northside, Fort Wayne over the last 12 months is $177,000, up 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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