Galewood and Montclare, both western neighborhoods, once had the reputation of being home to some of Chicago’s most notorious mobsters. Nowadays, the community is very family-oriented and solidly middle-class. The neighborhood’s first priority is safety, in ways that are immediately noticeable. There are several speed bumps and traffic circles designed to safeguard the residents.

The area is located west of the neighborhoods Austin and Belmont Central and south of the Dunning neighborhood. Montclare is between Belmont Avenue, Harlem and the Soo Line railroad. It must be noted that there are not very many homes for sale in this area. The residents really love their homes, which are larger than most in the city, and are very reluctant to move out. That being said, the Victorian, Georgian and Tudor homes range from a reasonable $250,000 to $350,000. There are also several bungalows and ranches. Galewood, located near the neighborhoods of Austin, Oak Park, River Forest and Elmwood Park, is very similar in housing and resident composition to Montclare.

There are several schools in the area, including Sayre Language Academy, a magnet school, and Concordia University, Triton College, Dominican University and Wright Junior College. The Shriner’s Hospital is located in Montclare, and the Mars Candy and Radio Flyer companies are nearby.There is also a lot of shopping including the Brickyard Shipping Center.

The CTA Blue Line and Metra trains run through the neighborhood.