Lakeview and the Far North Side

The Far North and Northwest sides of Chicago are home to several of the city's most colorful neighborhoods. Just north of Lakeview, Uptown's beautiful architecture and striking old marquees are a testament to the time when it was a thriving entertainment district. Though it's been gritty for decades, it's now being redeveloped.

The area centered around Broadway and Argyle is known alternately as Little Saigon, Little Chinatown, and North Chinatown. Andersonville was named for the Swedish community that settled near Foster Avenue and Clark Street in the 1960s and still maintains a huge concentration of Swedes.

Double street signs attest to Devon Avenue's diversity—in some places named for Gandhi, in others Golda Meir. Whatever the name, the area is best explored by foot.

South of Devon via Western Avenue is the former German enclave of Lincoln Square, now a happening dining and shopping scene. The way to discover all these neighborhoods' cultural diversity is by sampling the ethnic cuisines.