Albany Park

Albany Park is one of the most diverse zip codes in the United States, and Kedzie Avenue wears it openly: Korean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Guatemalan, and Filipino businesses in a single walkable stretch. The neighborhood has been a first stop for immigrants for a century, and the food is the direct beneficiary. Eating your way down Lawrence Avenue is a legitimate weekend plan.

The Brown Line terminates at Kimball, giving the neighborhood a one-seat ride downtown in about 40 minutes, and the housing stock of courtyard apartments and two-flats keeps rents among the most reasonable on the Northwest Side. Walk Score sits at 80. Albany Park suits renters who want maximum neighborhood character per dollar and don't mind that the express train doesn't come here.

Albany Park offers moderate transit access: a single car per household is usually sufficient. One car typically covers the gap that transit leaves.

With a Walk Score of 80, Albany Park is "Very Walkable": most errands can be accomplished on foot.

At roughly $12,000/year for 1 car, transportation is a moderate line item in Albany Park's true cost. The neighborhood is served by the Brown line.