Bowmanville

Bowmanville, a small neighborhood in the Lincoln Square community area, was first developed in 1850s by a local inn keeper named Jesse Bowman. Not one to follow the rules, Bowman "made the cart paths and forest near present-day Foster and Ravenswood Avenues his own," laying claim to many of the plots of land in the area without actually owning them. "He then sold the land -- that wasn't his -- to unwitting buyers," and disappeared before the new "owners" discovered that he did not actually own the land he had sold.

Bowmanville, with its streets linedwith single family homes, well-manicured lawns, community gardens and green space, is a predominantly residential neighborhood nowadays. Sandwiched between the more lively areas of Lincoln Square and Andersonville, this community "offers many of the advantages of larger neighborhoods without a lot of the headaches."