Urban Oases

Got visitors? Put them up in one of these neighborhood hotels for a taste of real city life.

By Karin Horgan Sullivan

(page 3 of 5)

Lincoln Park
THE BELDEN-STRATFORD
2300 N. Lincoln Park West; 773-281-2900, beldenstratfordhotel.com
Approximately 55 studios and one-bedroom suites, plus 245 apartments. Rates from $99 to $309. Extremely limited street parking. Valet parking, $35 a day with in-and-out privileges.

Staying at the grand old Belden-Stratford in Lincoln Park—the neighborhood that shares its name with the 1,200-acre park running along the city's north lakefront—is a good choice for families because the hotel offers big rooms with full kitchens (most of the building is used for residential apartments). The suites are basically one-bedroom apartments with large living rooms (some also have separate dining areas), but even the one-room studios are spacious and include a complete kitchenette. The hotel, completed in 1924 and on the National Register of Historic Places, borders one of the loveliest areas of the park, just across from the conservatory and the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is free and open year-round. During the warm months, neighborhood diversions such as the tony Armitage Avenue retail strip, the Chicago History Museum, restaurants of every type, and Old Town are within enjoyable walking distance. Buses downtown are less than a block away.

INSIDE TIP Request an east- or south- facing room on an upper floor for a breathtaking view of the lake, the park, and, in the distance, Navy Pier.