How the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Association Helps Lincoln Park Thrive
I’d like to introduce you to the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Association (LCNA), an organization that has been part of my life for the 22 years I have lived in Lincoln Park. LCNA was founded in 1959 and remains deeply passionate about making Lincoln Park a thriving, livable, and connected place to call home, with a focus on preserving and improving the Lincoln Central neighborhood’s character and charm, working on issues like development, green space, and community well-being.
I first fell in love with Lincoln Park in the late 1970s, long before I became a real estate broker, when it was already clear to me that this neighborhood worked because people cared enough to show up. I opened Baci Gelateria at Clark and Arlington in 1982, later raised my daughter here, bought the home we still live in together in 2003, and over the decades I’ve watched Lincoln Park change, grow, and reinvent itself while somehow managing to hold onto its core character. Organizations like LCNA are a big reason why that balance exists.
LCNA does the kind of work that rarely feels flashy but shapes everyday neighborhood life in very real ways. From maintaining and activating small but beloved parks like Bauler Park, Fire Station Park with its community garden, and Lincoln Central Park, to hosting relaxed, neighborly Lincoln Park events where neighbors gather and get to know each other;, LCNA helps turn shared space into shared experience. These are the moments where Lincoln Park shines as a community.
Behind the scenes, LCNA also takes on the more complex responsibility of guiding change. Through its Zoning & Planning Committee, proposed developments are reviewed thoughtfully, neighbors are informed, and conversations with aldermen are grounded in context rather than reaction. I’ve been part of that work for many years, and I can say from experience that it’s not about stopping development – it is about making sure growth respects the fabric of the neighborhood and the people who live here. That long-view approach is one of the quiet stabilizers that makes Lincoln Park such a consistently strong place to live and, yes, to buy or sell a home.
Over time, my involvement with LCA has deepened naturally. I’ve served on the Zoning Committee since 2015 and currently lead the Membership Committee, largely because I believe that strong neighborhoods don’t maintain themselves. They require residents who are willing to invest a bit of time, attention, and care. Supporting local businesses, keeping public spaces vibrant, and maintaining open channels between neighbors and the city all start at this very local level.
If you live in Lincoln Park and value neighborhood events, thoughtful development, green spaces, and a sense of belonging that goes beyond your front door, I encourage you to consider joining LCNA. Membership is open, welcoming, and genuinely impactful; you can learn more here: https://lincolncentral.org/membership/. It’s one of the simplest ways to take part in shaping the neighborhood we all love calling home.
