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Lake View, or Lakeview, as it is increasingly spelled, is a North Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is designated as Community Area 6 of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. It is bordered by West Diversey Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake Michigan on the east. The Uptown community area is to Lake View's north, Lincoln Square to its northwest, North Center to its west and Lincoln Park to its south. The 2000 population of Lake View was 94,817 residents, making it the second largest of the Chicago community areas by population, following Austin which has 117,527 residents. Lake View, though, has a higher population density than the larger (area-wise) Austin neighborhood.

While actual territorial limits and colloquial names are not definite depending on local sources and usage, Lake View is unofficially divided into smaller neighborhood enclaves: Lakeview East, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville. Lakeview East (more commonly just Lakeview) forms the area popularly known as Boystown. It holds the distinction of comprising the first gay village to be officially recognized as such by a civic body in the United States.^[1] New Town is a formerly-used community name designating the area centered at the intersection of North Clark Street and West Diversey Parkway. The Northalsted Merchants Association is centered on the North Halsted Street strip between West Belmont Avenue and West Grace Street and is the dominant merchants association in Lake View.

Lake View is most recognized nationwide as home to Wrigley Field and its Chicago Cubs. Neighboring the field is one of the most famous gay villages in North America. Held on the last Sunday of each June, the Chicago Pride Parade, one of the largest gay pride parades in the nation, takes place in Lake View. The community area has also been host to several other major events: In 2006 it played host to an international sports and cultural festival, Gay Games VII, with its closing ceremonies held at Wrigley Field and headlined by Cyndi Lauper.

Lakeview East is territorially defined by its chamber of commerce as the area between North Clark Street and North Halsted Street to the west, West Grace Street to the north and West Diversey Parkway to the south, bounded by North Lake Shore Drive to the east. The entire Lakeview East area is often considered colloquially as Boystown, the pre-eminent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of Chicago. Some Lakeview East streets are decorated with rainbow flags indicative of that population.

Lakeview East, especially along the Lake Shore Drive and Broadway corridors, consists of upscale condominiums and higher-rent mid-rise apartments and lofts. Small businesses, boutiques, restaurants and community institutions are found along North Broadway and North Halsted Street.

Gentrification, diversification and population shift have changed Lake View, with many businesses expanding northward of West Belmont Avenue. Larger businesses such as Borders, Whole Foods and World Market are moving into the neighborhood, and enclosed shopping centers such as Century Shopping Centre have been created. Another shopping center has included such tenants as Linens 'n Things, Marshalls and Designer Shoe Warehouse.

Historic churches remain preserved as integral parts of the community, such as Lake View Presbyterian Church and Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is the residence of an episcopal vicar and auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.^[28] It is also the mother church of the local vicariate and the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, controversially created by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, which is one of the largest of the few gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholic welcoming congregations created and authorized by a diocese in the United States.^[29]

Two residential neighborhood organizations are included in the Lakeview East area. Belmont Harbor Neighbors comprises the area bounded by West Belmont Avenue, North Halsted Street, West Addison Street, and Lake Michigan. South East Lake View Neighbors encompasses the area bounded by West Diversey Parkway, North Halsted Street, West Belmont Avenue, and Lake Michigan.

North Halsted, also called Northalsted by its business association, is a smaller area within the Lakeview East boundaries, bordering the adjacent Wrigleyville enclave. While Boystown has been used as a colloquial name for all of Lakeview East, some reserve the name for the more specific area along North Halsted Street. It holds the distinction of being the nation's first officially recognized gay village. In 1998, Mayor Richard M. Daley endeavored to create a $3.2 million restoration of the North Halsted Street corridor, and the city erected rainbow pylon landmarks along the route. ^[1] North Halsted caters to Chicago nightlife, featuring more than 60 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The North Halsted area is now home to Center on Halsted (a GLBT community center).

West Lakeview, a part of which is sometimes called North Lakeview, is located along the border of the Roscoe Village community area. West Lakeview Neighbors, a residential organization, defines West Lakeview as the area bounded by West Addison Street on the north, West Belmont Avenue on the south, North Southport Avenue on the east and North Ravenswood Avenue on the west.^[30] Affordable real estate and popular culture, such as that found along busy Southport Avenue, draws young adults from all over the city for quiet living or casual dining. A historic destination that opened on August 22, 1929, is the Music Box Theatre, which once showed silent films during the height of that medium's popularity, accompanied by a live organist.^[31] The theater brands itself today as "Chicago's year-round film festival"^[32] and has recently hosted a national Hollywood movie premiere for The Breakup starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.

**See also WRIGLEYVILLE in our neighborhood links as the two are directly connected in many ways and share some boundaries.

SOURCE:  WIKIPEDIA