To residents in the 1960s to 70s, North Wells was a fabricated medley of oddities targeted at suburbanites and tourists looking for an edgy, artsy thrill in the big city. Commercial Old Town is the busy stretch of North Wells running from Division Street roughly north to Lincoln Avenue and a small piece of North Ave., east and west. – it consists of the charming, tree-lined residential and historic district defined by the triangle formed by North Avenue, Clark Street, and Ogden Avenue. Of course Old Town is far more than Wells St.

I’m not alone in this adoration – in my research I found quite a few blogs devoted to this unique street. My parents took us to Old Town on occasion and every single trip was imbued with magic. Lately I have been thinking about how much I adored North Wells Street in Chicago’s Old Town in my youth. The Meter Maid: The late Judy Marco, Ap(Credit: Judy Marco)