Most Popular House Styles in Chicago
Chicago is famous throughout the world for its architecture, but there’s much more to the Second City than groundbreaking skyscrapers. This is a city of neighborhoods, and throughout these areas, you’ll find an extensive variety of house styles. Even though development for new homes is increasing as fast as builders can tear down the old, there are still many classic Chicago styles of houses all throughout the city.
If you’ve lived in Chicago, you’ve probably lived in one of these types of homes at some point. Let’s have a look at a few of the most popular house styles in the city.
The Bungalow
Chicago is known throughout the country for the classic brick bungalow. There are over 100,000 bungalows in Chicago and it served as the Windy City’s workers cottage for most of the 20th century. The classic Bungalow was built between 1910 and 1940, originally for working-class owners. These homes are typically characterized by having 1-1/2 stories, brick construction, street-facing verandas, and full basements.
Commonly built with Limestone accents, the Chicago bungalow also features concrete entry stairs and a dormer roof. Interior layouts consist of the living room, dining room, and kitchen on one side the building with the other side housing the bedrooms and bathroom. These homes have cozy attics that also work well as an extra bedroom. The Chicago bungalows are also beloved for a back porch opening up to a small backyard and often, two car garages.
These homes are scattered all over Chicago, from the Northside to the Southside.
The Two Frame Two Flat
Another of Chicago’s classic houses is the two-flat. Most of these houses and buildings were built from 1900 to 1920 and like the bungalow, they were intended for working-class families.
Usually, the owner lived on the first floor, with the second floor functioning as a rental unit. Both units always have the same layout. They are made of wood brick or stone, and they can be found in a variety of architectural styles.
Like the Chicago bungalow, these homes are located all over the city, but they’re especially prevalent on the city’s North side.
The Chicago Greystone
The Greystone is the Chicago version of the classic New York Brownstone. These classic Chicago buildings are known for their austere limestone façade, with much of the limestone being harvested from the Indiana quarries. Most of them were built around 1890, and they are found in an assortment of styles.
Some Greystones are single-family homes and others are multi-family buildings. They’re still incredibly desirable by buyers, and these days, they’re not cheap.
These are just a few of the many house styles in this great Mid-western metropolis. While these three examples have their origins in the city’s blue-collar past, today, they are very popular among younger buyers for their traditional touches, durability, and classic Chicago style. If you’re looking for a house in the Chicago area, you’ll undoubtedly come across these house styles, and you’re sure to fall in love these Chicago treasures.
