Neighborhood

Edgewater is a unique urban community with bustling urban business districts as well as quiet tree lined residential streets.  Edgewater offers something for everyone.  Residents move to Edgewater because of the access to transit, amenities, a wide range of housing styles, a variety of options in our business districts for shopping and day to day services, and access to the edge of Lake Michigan found nowhere else in the City of Chicago.

Bryn Mawr Avenue just west of the EBA is a lively community of restaurants and shops, many housed in distinctive Art Deco buildings.  The old British Consulate (now an apartment building) is a half-block from our door. Edgewater is also known for its unique commercial district, made up almost entirely of a variety of independent locally owned specialty shops, restaurants, and service providers.  Edgewater does, however, have a growing number of nationally known chains including a Starbucks Coffee, Mariano’s Fresh Market, Walgreens, The UPS Store, and a Subway sandwich shop.

The neighborhood beaches are Foster Beach and Osterman (Hollywood) Beach. Located at the 5800 North block where Lake Shore Drive ends at a curve that feeds into Sheridan Road in Edgewater, Osterman (Hollywood) Beach is a crescent-shaped beach, the northern half of which has kid-friendly shallow water. There is a long boardwalk ramp to allow closer access to the shoreline for strollers and wheelchairs near the Ardmore Avenue entrance.  Beach volleyball is popular here.  There is a beach house and concession stand, which opened in 2010.

Edgewater is ethnically diverse, and the community is comprised of young hipsters, new parents, first-time homeowners, college students, and many others making their homes here. Click here to view the demographic of Edgewater.

Edgewater is home to several Chicago Public Schools (CPS) campuses.  The local public high school is Nicholas Senn High School, established in 1913.  In addition, four of the neighborhood’s elementary schools — Hayt, Swift, Peirce and Goudy — achieved a level 1 (excellent) status from CPS in 2013.

There are also several Catholic and other religiously-affiliated schools in the neighborhood.

Loyola University of Chicago’s campus borders northeastern Edgewater.  The college was established on the lake at the north end of Sheridan Road, where it crosses into Rogers Park, in 1906.

A majority of Edgewater’s public transportation needs are met by the Chicago Transit Authority, which provides resident and visitor access to the Red Line service of the Chicago Elevated railway rapid transit. Edgewater’s elevated Red Line tracks run next to Broadway Avenue, and its four stations are Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale, and Granville.

Along Edgewater’s western border are the commuter rail tracks of Metra’s North Line, with stations in the nearby surrounding community areas at Ravenswood and Rogers Park providing transit to downtown or to Chicago’s North Shore Suburbs.

The Chicago Transit Authority also operates numerous bus routes in Edgewater, with several running along North Lake Shore Drive with express services to downtown Chicago, including the Loop, via North Michigan Avenue and its Magnificent Mile.

Private entities also offer many transportation services. I-GO and Zipcar have locations. Taxi and limousine services are plentiful in the area. Bicycles and rickshaws can be found in the summer for rent near Osterman (Hollywood) and Foster Beach. Bike paths are also available on some major streets. Manicured walking and running paths are found throughout the parkland near the lake, including the Chicago Lakefront Trail, which is also popular with bicycle commuters.