Lincolnwood

the village of lincolnwood lies immediately north of chicago, between the edens expressway and the north channel of the chicago river.  it’s a relatively small area, encompassing just two-and-a-half square miles, but it’s chock full of shopping malls, car dealerships, restaurants, and other suburban retail destinations.  better yet, anything not available for purchase in the neighborhood can almost certainly be found nearby.  lincolnwood can be reached by heading outbound from chicago on lincoln avenue, which cuts diagonally through the heart of the village, presumably the source of its name.  the housing stock consists primarily of modest single-family homes and multi-flat apartments, most dating to the baby boom years.  for residents with wheels, access to chicago is a cinch, given the close proximity of the edens expressway, which spills directly into the heart of the village.  for commuters, the situation is a bit more complicated.  two northbound metra lines straddle the area (the closest one stopping a mile west of the neighborhood), and the elevated cta lines require a bus ride to reach.  public transportation is essentially limited to a few cta buses that connect through lincolnwood town center and shuttle their riders east to the red and purple line station at howard, which then offers direct passage to both chicago and evanston.