In Lincoln Park, Chicago's motto urbs in horto—or "City in a Garden"—truly comes to life. Historic churches and handsome brick row houses nestled within landmark districts sit next to peaceful parks, while quiet, tree-lined residential areas give way to bustling business corridors.

Armitage Avenue is lined with independent boutiques and high-end retailers; Clark Street is packed with casual cafes, ethnic restaurants and sweet shops that spill out onto the sidewalks during warm weather; and Lincoln Avenue buzzes all night with bars and taverns that cater to the young college crowd from the nearby DePaul University campus. In addition to shopping and dining, Lincoln Park is a diverse arts and entertainment destination as well with a plethora of museums, top theaters and live music clubs to pick from.

For scenery, there's plenty of natural beauty and outdoors to enjoy. This North Side neighborhood's namesake park is a sprawling 1,208 acres of green space with a free zoo open year-round, a nature museum and conservatory. And when the weather's right, head over to the lakefront trail and beaches, where sand and surf are set against a backdrop of downtown skyscrapers.