Updated October 2026
Chicago is flat, laid out on a grid and crossed by more than 450 miles of bike lanes, neighborhood greenways and off-street trails. For a lot of buyers, how easy it is to ride to work, the lake or a Saturday coffee is now part of the house hunt. Here's how to get around on two wheels, and which neighborhoods make it easiest.
Start with the City Bike Map
CDOT publishes a free Chicago Bike Map showing every bikeway type, plus bike shops, CTA and Metra stations and Divvy docks. Download the PDF or use the interactive map, which CDOT updates as new lanes go in. Printed copies are free at ward offices and many bike shops.
Know the Bikeway Types
- Protected bike lanes: separated from traffic by curbs, posts or parked cars. The lowest-stress on-street option.
- Neighborhood greenways: quiet side streets designed for bikes, with signage and traffic calming.
- Buffered and standard bike lanes: painted lanes on main streets.
- Off-street trails: the Lakefront Trail, The 606 and the riverfront paths, with no cars at all.
The Routes Every Chicago Rider Uses
- The Lakefront Trail runs about 18 miles along the lake, with separate paths for bikes and pedestrians along most of its length.
- The 606 (Bloomingdale Trail) is an elevated rail-trail of roughly 2.7 miles, linking Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square and Humboldt Park and ending at Ridgeway Avenue.
- Milwaukee Avenue is one of the busiest bike corridors in the country, connecting Logan Square and Wicker Park to downtown.
- Belmont Avenue now has protected lanes across the river and the Kennedy, with a connection to the 312 RiverRun trail.
Bike-Friendly Chicago Neighborhoods
Wicker Park and Bucktown
The 606 runs through both, and Milwaukee Avenue's bike lanes run straight downtown. Most errands, restaurants and the Blue Line are a short ride away, and Divvy stations are everywhere.
Logan Square
Protected lanes on Kedzie and Logan Boulevard, The 606's western stretch, and the Wellington neighborhood greenway make this one of the easiest places on the Northwest Side to ride every day.
Lincoln Park
Direct access to the Lakefront Trail, the zoo and the park's paths. Many residents bike downtown along the lake instead of driving.
Andersonville
Close to the lakefront at Foster and Berwyn, with Clark Street's shops and restaurants on a walkable, bikeable strip.
Belmont Gardens
A small neighborhood where Avondale, Hermosa and Logan Square meet, and where our own Joe and Katherine Tighe live. Belmont Avenue's newer protected bike lanes head east toward Avondale and the Belmont Blue Line, Kedzie's protected lanes lead south into Logan Square, and The 606's western trailhead at Ridgeway is a short ride away. CDOT's Hermosa and Belmont Cragin bike network added low-stress routes on streets like Wrightwood, Diversey and Roscoe, and Kelvyn Park sits right in the neighborhood. Belmont Gardens is also one of the city's better-value areas for classic brick two-flats, which makes it a natural fit for riders who want an owner-occupied multi-unit.
Tips for Living Car-Light in Chicago
- Look for homes with a garage, a gangway or a basement with outside access: bike storage matters more than you'd think.
- Divvy covers the whole city, including e-bikes, if you don't want to own one.
- Chicago's riding season runs longer than people expect; many riders go year-round with fenders and lights.
- Check the interactive map before you buy: a protected lane or greenway two blocks away changes a daily commute.
Looking for a Home Near the Trail?
Joe and Katherine Tighe ride these routes and live in Belmont Gardens. If bike access is on your list, they can tell you which blocks connect best.
Talk to Joe and Katherine Tighe. Email [email protected], call Joe at (312) 345-5353, or call Katherine at (708) 847-9913.
