Roscoe Village

Roscoe Village is a low-density neighborhood that blends village-like charm with a big-city take on life. Community members do community stuff here, like the neighborhood garage sale or annual spring brunch. If that doesn't corner the market on "quaint," Roscoe Village's southern border hosts antique row, a strip of shops with floor-to-ceiling curios.

The neighborhood largely straddles Roscoe Street (hence the name), which is lined with boutiques, sandwich shops, pizzerias, brunch spots, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, and the like. It's become a fairly affluent community over the past five years, particularly with the emergence of a healthy crop of luxurious, single-family homes.

Dogs, cats, and kids are everywhere here, and many of the locally-owned boutiques cater to the clientele, offering pret-a-porter threads to the fashion-conscious mutts, felines, and pip-squeaks. Vegans and veggies thrive here too, which explains all the vegetarian fare at the local restaurants.

Mixed-use condominiums with ground-floor retail have lately made the scene, although most Roscoe Village residents live in vintage walk-ups, two- or three-story apartment buildings, and single-family homes, including post-war greystones. The el is not particularly convenient, and commuting is difficult, but it's hard not to adore this place. With a bicycle, everything will work out just fine.