In the last years of the 19th century, the partnership between Swedish immigrants and Irving Park began to flourish. New subdivisions and inexpensive homes lured hundreds of pioneers from Sweden to the Irving Park area, where the prairies of the Northwest side of Chicago were perfect for large families. Transportation has long been one of Irving Park’s most attractive features. The Kennedy Expressway, CTA Blue Line and Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line all cut paths through the community. Several years ago, the Marketplace at Six Corners opened and Irving Park got a much needed retail boost to match its enthusiasm for fun bars and restaurants, and a younger crowd.

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and more than 43 million people live in the Chicagoland area, which includes six counties, the metropolis itself and almost 200 suburbs. Chicago extends over 200 square miles along the lakefront, north to the Wisconsin border and south to the Indiana border. Of course, Chicago is home to world-class museums, the Chicago Art Institute, the Chicago Symphony, fine dining and exciting professional sports teams. It is renowned for its expressways and boulevards, and its elevated railway, which extends into the heart of the city and makes its celebrated “Loop” through downtown.