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Main drag in Jefferson Park, Chicago
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Jefferson Park

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…a residential community on the edge of town

Driving northwest on the Kennedy (I-90/94), you’ll pass a quiet, middle-class neighborhood, where sidewalks are strewn with Big Wheels, parks are bursting with children and six o’clock smells like pot roast and pierogi.

Jefferson Park and adjacent Portage Park are two of Chicago’s most established ’hoods, inhabited by a large Polish population and more recently, Mexican and Hispanic communities.

The area’s claim-to-fame, though, is definitely the Gale Street Inn. Renowned for its barbecued ribs for more than ten years, diners drive to the far northwest side specifically for this award-winning delicacy; the only other way to get this famous taste is by tracking down one of the few Gale Street Inn-attended summer festivals around Chicago (Ribfest in North Center is one).

And though you may want to stay at Gale Street forever, eventually you’ll have to head home. Check out the wide variety of housing nearby, from inexpensive apartments to condos and single-family homes.

View neighborhood hotspots

Known for:

Family-owned restaurants with European-minded menus

Main drag:

Milwaukee Avenue

Jefferson Park blogs and events

Apartments in Jefferson Park