edgewater

the Edgewater community on Chicago’s north side was once considered to be one of the city’s most prestigious neighborhoods.  for a short time, it was the only Chicago suburb with electric light, and its famous (but since demolished) pink Edgewater Beach Hotel opened in 1916.  from the standpoint of property values, Edgewater peaked in the 1920's.  after the Second World War, the area became much more crowded, and the many apartment buildings were soon subdivided.  many of the existing residences, mostly along the Winthrop and Kenmore corridors, were torn down and replaced with "four-and-ones" (four story apartment buildings with parking underneath), and the mansions along the beach were razed to make room for skyscrapers.

today, Edgewater is an extensive and diverse neighborhood with a wide variety of housing options.  it includes both Andersonville and Lakewood Balmoral (each treated as a separate neighborhood on this website), and it stretches from the shores of Lake Michigan all the way to Ravenswood Avenue.  east of Sheridan Road, the high-rises offer outstanding lake views, while west of Sheridan Road, the densely-packed, low-rise apartment buildings, single-familybungalows, and frame houses are never far from the myriad ethnic restaurants.  in the summer, the Foster and Hollywood beaches are magnets for sports enthusiasts and sun-bathers alike, and the park district offers free entertainment with its "Movies In The Park" series.

Sheridan Road, Broadway, and Bryn Mawr Avenue offer an abundance of food options (burgers, pizza, Thai, sushi, and the like), and transportation is easy, thanks to the red and purple el trains which run directly through the neighborhood.