North Damen Avenue a new retail, condo destination in Lincoln Square, Ravenswood

Alapash and neighbors on the new Damen  (Photo Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty)

Shiny new condo buildings and retail line the 4800 block of North Damen in Lincoln Square. The "Ravenswood" neighborhood has been a nice, if not sleepy, place to live for many, many years for natives. But the recent spat of development and infrastructure improvements around North Damen and West Lawrence has made this particular location highly desirable to city newbies as well as long time Chicagoans.

Alapash and District have moved their attractive home goods stores to Damen. One Key Yoga
Groundswell Coffee Roaster and the greatly anticipated Ampersand Wine Bar all inhabit the smart street front spaces. Long time retail has been anchored by the CVS (in a nice condo building) on Lawrence and Damen.  Private offices, Mee Dee Thai Cafe and local hair salons fill out the stretch I've lived near for almost 15 years.

Condo Sales on 4800 N Damen
The block is full of mostly newer build condos, mixed use commercial and a few existing residential two flats. There have been 22 closed condo units on the 4800 block of North Damen over the past 12 months.  The median price of a condo on this stretch is a hefty $499,000 (typically a three bedrooms home with garage parking). The price reflects the new construction that has hit the market and sold over the last 12 months. A 3 bedrooms new construction duplex down at 4836 N Damen recently closed for $730,000.

Newer construction condo buildings line the block across the street from the new mixed use condo/ retail development.

The area has just began to explode really.  The catalyst was the Ravenswood Station development on the Sears property at West Lawrence and North Ravenswood.  A new super popular Mariano's grocer and packed LA Fitness anchor retail and a 150 unit rental apartment development brought needed density to support business.  I look forward to more apartment units to be added along Lawrence, Damen, Ashland and Western alike.

People make the neighborhood vibrant.