Offering better views of the Chicago River than Lake Michigan—which is a bit too far east to see from this Chicago neighborhood—West Lakeview has come into its own after nearly two centuries of being tied to a greater Lakeview area. In the early to mid-19th century, as Chicago's north shore suburbs began to expand, several different community areas existed under the umbrella Lakeview district. The name Lakeview, of course, was inspired by its proximity to Lake Michigan and the views it afforded its residents at the time. As the settlement expanded westward, the view of the lake diminished, but the spirit revolving around Lakeview as a new community soared.

In 1857, when Lakeview Township became a legally recognized community, the borders ran from the lake east to Western Avenue, and from Fullerton Avenue north to Devon Avenue—a relatively bigger area than encompassed by the Lakeview neighborhoods today. Incorporated as a city in 1887, the thriving town of European immigrants seemed poised to grow into a metropolitan area alongside Chicago. However, Lakeview's short-lived career as a separate and independent city ended two years later when it was annexed to the growing city to the south. Over the next century, Lakeview, while still a distinct Chicago community as a whole, has compartmentalized into several smaller tight-knit neighborhoods including Roscoe Village, Wrigleyville, East Lakeview and hometown West Lakeview.

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