University Village Apartments

The University Village apartments for rent come in nearly every style and size in this newly developed neighborhood of Chicago.In the past decade, thousands of new construction townhouses, mid-rises, and single family homes have appeared in the University Village neighborhood and warehouses and industrial plants have been rehabbed into stunning residential lofts. The frenzied pace of development has brought droves of new residents to University Village.

UIC is the largest university in the Chicago area, with 25,000 students, 15 colleges, and the nation's largest medical school. The UIC community encompasses more than 100 buildings located on somewhere around 240 acres and lends the "University Village" neighborhood of Chicago its name.

The prodigious new development has transformed South Halsted Street into a thriving retail strip, replete with restaurants, coffee, deli, and sandwich shops, grocers, and boutiques.

University Village includes "Little Italy," which is on the northwest side of the neighborhood, above, on, and below Taylor Street, where you can find an abundance of outstanding Italian restaurants. Buildings in Little Italy generally tend to be older than the other parts of University Village, with many buildings having been built over a century ago. Many professors and their colleagues from the adjacent Rush-Presbyterian / St. Luke's Medical Center, as well as from UIC, live in this area, which is replete with traditional greystone two and three flats, courtyard buildings, and single family homes.

The Blue Line of the el traces the northern border of the University Village neighborhood, and the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways circumscribe the northern and eastern boundaries.

At a Glance
Apartments for rent in University Village Chicago come in nearly every style and size, while the University of Illinois - Chicago (UIC) community encompasses more than 100 buildings located on nearly 240 acres of land, lending the "University Village" neighborhood of Chicago its name.
Neighborhood Vibe
The rapid pace of new development among University Village apartments has transformed the nearby stretch of Halsted St into a bustling retail strip with restaurants, coffee roasters, sandwich shops, grocers and boutiques.
Heart of the Neighborhood
University Village includes Chicago’s "Little Italy" neighborhood. Taylor Street thrives with an abundance of outstanding Italian restaurants, ranging from casual to upscale dining options for people who rent apartments in University Village.
What We Love
The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is a fantastic place to go if you want to learn about crusading social reformer Jane Addams and her legacy of social work in American cities. Addams was the founder of Chicago’s landmark settlement house that still stands in the University Village neighborhood of Chicago.
Best Way to Get Around
The CTA Blue line makes stops at Halsted and Racine along the northern boundary of the University Village neighborhood. The I-290/90 expressways are within reach and the Metra BNSF line stops just south of the UIC campus on Halsted St.
About University Village
Thousands of newly constructed townhouses, mid-rise apartments, and single family homes have appeared in the University Village neighborhood in the last decade while warehouses and industrial plants have been rehabbed into stunning residential loft apartments. The frenzied pace of development has brought droves of new residents to look for apartments in University Village.
Dining in University Village
University Village apartments are very close to Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. Restaurants in University Village that honor the area’s Italian roots can be found on Taylor St, while more varieties of global cuisine can be found on Halsted St south of Roosevelt Rd.
Nightlife in University Village
The stretch of Taylor St that spans the UIC campus is a popular nightlife destination for folks who live in University Village apartments. The Vintage Lounge on Taylor St is a good place to find people enjoying the 1920’s throwback decor or the open air patio behind the lounge.
Coffee in University Village
Of course you won’t have to walk far to find a Starbuck’s near University Village apartments, but another spot with more local flavor is the Coffee Alley, where you can find grad students and other University Village residents sipping coffee over their laptops.
History in University Village
The Blues Brothers Soul Food Café in University Village:
Fans of the Blues Brothers will recall singing legend Aretha Franklin played the owner of the Soul Food Cafe. The Cafe was located at 807 West Maxwell Street in Chicago, and it was the scene of Aretha bustin' out in song after Jake and Elwood drop by to steal away her husband, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, and her busboy, "Blue" Lou Marini, because the band was getting back together. The Soul Food Cafe, a name invented for the movie, was originally known as Lyon's Deli and was operated for many years as a cozy Jewish delicatessen a few steps below grade at 807 West Maxwell Street in University Village Chicago, with a small lunch counter and seating for six patrons at three tables. Nate Duncan, a tall, imposing, but tender-hearted giant, had worked for the Lyon family since his teenage years in the early 1940s and had learned to cook traditional Jewish fare. Nate acquired the restaurant from the Lyon family in 1973 and promptly renamed it "Nate's Deli." Nate lived upstairs in the building with his mother and sister and continued to serve "Jewish soul food" until 1994 when the state exercised its eminent domain powers to accommodate the expansion plans of the University of Illinois-Chicago. Nate was apparently never the same, as the delicatessen was the center of his universe. He passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2006, at the age of 76.

By the way, Nate's mother and daughter made a cameo in the Blues Brothers movie, peeking down at the Soul Food Cafe from their upstairs window.

Address:
807 West Maxwell Street
Neighborhood:
University Village