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Lincoln Park is located in Chicago, Illinois. The name may be used to describe Lincoln Park as a community on the city's north side; Lincoln Park, the park primarily within that community; or the zoo within the park's southern area.
History
The area now known as Lincoln Park in Chicago was still primarily forest with stretches of grassland and occasional quicksand, and was virtually untouched by Europeans as late as the 1820s.
In 1824 the U.S. Army built a small post near today's Clybourn and Armitage Avenues. Indian settlements existed along Green Bay Road, now called Clark Street (named after explorer George Rogers Clark), at the current intersection of Halsted Street and Fullerton Avenue.
In 1836, land from North to Fullerton and from the lake to Halsted was inexpensive, costing $150 per acre. Because the area was considered remote, a small pox hospital and the city cemetery were located in Lincoln Park until the 1860s.
In 1837 Chicago was incorporated as a city, and North Avenue was established as its northern boundary. Settlements increased along Green Bay Road (now Clark Street) when (1) the government offered land claims and (2) Green Bay Road was widened.
The neighborhood is currently primarily populated by yuppies, recent college graduates, and young families. The neighborhood is also home to DePaul University, and many students who attend this school live in this neighborhood. There are many boutiques, movie theatres, retail stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. There are also many bars and clubs in the area, especially along Lincoln Avenue between Diversey and Armitage. Rent for studio apartments can range from $535-$900, and one-bedroom apartments start at $850 and skyrocket from there, depending on the view, size, and location in the neighborhood.
Lincoln Park, for which the neighborhood was named, stretches from Diversey Parkway south to LaSalle St. The park contains a zoo, an outdoor theatre, a rowing canal, the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum, ponds, playing fields, and a large statue of General Grant. The famed restaurant, North Pond, is also located in the park.
A notable curiosity of the neighborhood is the nickname given to a certain kind of female that lives in this neighborhood: "trixie." This nickname, which carries a negative connotation, is used to describe someone who typically came to Chicago from a large state school in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan or Wisconsin. A trixie was more than likely in a sorority at these schools, and she is known for being primarily fixated on material possessions such as new and expensive designer clothes, cars, and husbands with large incomes.
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