Welcome to Roscoe Village
A charming village community with excellent schools and vintage vibes
Roscoe Village was quite literally designed for fun. Originally planned around the Riverview Amusement Park in 1904, this village community has retained the vintage feel of its early days. The park closed in 1967, but its reputation as the largest amusement park in the world made an impression on this tight-knit community, which is now home to thriving small businesses, creative cuisine, and kitschy, fun boutiques.
Located just five miles from downtown Chicago, Roscoe Village offers small-town friendliness with easy access to big-city amenities, making this an ideal home for families of all ages. With homes ranging from classic frame and brick designs to chic condos in converted industrial buildings, Roscoe Village offers a dynamic housing market with plenty of choices for every taste.
What to Love
- Vibrant bistros and boutiques
- Thriving small business scene
- Close-knit community
- Village charm with cosmopolitan vibes
- Beautiful tree-lined streets
Local Lifestyle
The friendly feel in Roscoe Village is no accident. The residents of this charming spot are active in neighborhood groups and volunteer organizations designed to create fun community events throughout the year. This is a place where you’ll definitely get to know your neighbors – it's common to see locals waving to each other while out for a morning jog or stopping to chat on the sidewalk before heading to the park with the kids. An ideal home for families, Roscoe Village is infused with youthful energy from nearby DeVry University.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Treat yourself to award-winning comfort food, not to mention a visual kitsch feast, at Kitsch'n On Roscoe. This popular breakfast and brunch spot serves updated American comfort food in an offbeat space featuring a tiki bar, toys, beer cans, TV memorabilia, and all the tongue-in-cheek cultural decor references you could ask for. You can’t go wrong with the chicken and waffles and the chipotle bloody mary, especially after a night on the town.
Speaking of a night on the town, Beat Kitchen might get you into that good kind of trouble that requires a few bloody marys the next morning. This American restaurant and bar offer a full menu of tacos, burgers, pizzas, salads, and small bites, as well as craft beer. Also, an intimate performance space, this hot spot hosts live music and underground comedy shows.
Things to Do
Known for its dynamic restaurants, global cuisine, and tight-knit community, Roscoe Village delights in throwing the best foodie parties in town. Consider yourself a burger aficionado? Then mark your calendar for the Roscoe Village Burger Fest and test your palate with more than a dozen of Chicago’s best burger joints vying for your vote. Live music, arts, crafts, and a special Kid Zone round out the activities at this neighborhood favorite. Do a little time traveling without messing with your molecules at the Retro on Roscoe. This blast from the past festival has been going strong for 25 years and features two packed days of vintage tunes, live performances, classic cars, fun activities for the kids, antique dealers, artisan merchants, and, of course, food from Chicago’s best restaurants.
Once the site of the beloved Riverview Amusement Park, Clark Park continues to entertain Roscoe Village residents with athletic fields, plenty of space for picnics and river views, and a bike park with terrain for all levels. The 22-acre park is also home to the WMS Boathouse, the city’s premier rowing center. Stop by and try your hand at rowing or rent kayaks for a day out on the water. A town beloved for its vintage vibes, it’s no wonder Roscoe Village boasts an impressive antique selection. Good Old Days Antiques offers a wide variety of kitschy collectibles, furniture, vintage signs, and more. Sunday mornings belong to Roscoe Village Farmers Market, an open-air market proudly featuring local, sustainable produce, as well as gourmet vendors selling mouth-watering pastries, ice cream, honey, and cheeses.
Schools
