Katie & Brian Moran thought Lauren Mitrick Wood was crazy when she planned an open house for their Lincoln Park townhome in the middle of a snowstorm. The next night, they had three offers. When they decided to move to Bucktown, Katie says they looked for a home with plenty of character and practicality. The biggest selling point? The bright, open playroom with plenty of sunlight for their two adorable sons to have fun and spend quality family time all year long.

     The Morans are a family who resisted the urge to move to the suburbs when they had kids because they fell in love with the familial environment of Bucktown. "It's got such an energy to it," Katie says. "You walk outside in the summer and the parks are packed with parents and their kids…and you still have access to the great restaurants of the city right on your block."